Don Payne
Writer
Films Discussed 1
Draft Zero Episodes 1
DZ-25: Coincidences, Contrivances & Giant Eagles
How do screenwriters get away with using coincidences in their stories?
Remember that time in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS when Bruce suddenly - magically - returned to Gotham, and you were like “WTF?!” Well, it turns out that many of the best films have moments that are just as coincidental or contrived (or a flock of Giant Eagles) and yet get away with it. Does Pixar’s “rule” that it is ‘cheating to use coincidences to get your characters out of trouble’, always apply… →
Listen when you need to know which coincidences earn trust and which ones feel like cheating.
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Films:
Finding Nemo (2003)
, Michael Clayton (2007)
, Pulp Fiction (1994)
, Thor: The Dark World (2013)
, Out of Sight (1998)
, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
, The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
, Independence Day (1996)
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)