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  SKYFALL

  Bond learns that Silva is headed toward the courthouse to kill M. (Minute 91)

  THE AVENGERS

  Thor is unable to lift his hammer. (Minute 91)

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John has secretly stopped taking his medication. (Minute 90)

  THE CONJURING

  Possessed Carolyn drives her daughter back toward the evil house. (Minute 90)

  GONE GIRL

  Tanner Bolt arrives in Missouri to help Nick avoid the death penalty. (Minute 90)

  MINUTE 91

  SUFFER THE WEAK

  Hero or ally expresses weakness

  When we see someone we care about suffering, or they are brave enough to tell you their weakness, we pity or sympathize with them. We’ve all had those moments of suffering and weakness and can relate. So it is with the characters we’ve been watching on the screen . . .

  SKYFALL

  Scared M learns Silva has escaped.

  THE AVENGERS

  Thor can’t pick up his hammer.

  THE HANGOVER

  Melissa yanks open Stu’s mouth. Stu says: “Ow.”

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John’s paranoia returns because he hasn’t been taking his pills.

  THE CONJURING

  Ed tells Lorraine: “I can’t lose you.”

  GONE GIRL

  Nick tells Tanner Bolt: “She’s taking me on a tour of my infidelities, rubbing my nose in it.”

  MINUTE 92

  HUGS AND KISSES

  Hero and ally/love interest show affection

  The hero and ally have been through hell the last fifteen minutes, and as a result they’ve grown closer and will show affection toward each other in the next two minutes. Here’s how our case studies hug and kiss during Minute 92:

  SKYFALL

  Tanner supports M during the Prime Minister’s attack.

  THE AVENGERS

  Black Widow tells Hawkeye: “You’re going to be alright.”

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu and Alan join forces against Melissa.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tells Parcher that Dr. Rosen said he (Parcher) is not real.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine reaches out her arms to help Roger’s daughter.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick and Tanner Bolt help each other build a case against Amy.

  MINUTE 93

  HUGS AND KISSES 2

  Hero and ally express even greater affection

  The hero and ally continue their affection toward each other during Minute 93, like when Quint, Brody, and Hooper laugh and sing together in Jaws, or when Maverick says he’s “not leaving without my wingman” in Top Gun, or in The Sixth Sense when Malcolm sits beside the sleeping Anna and talks lovingly to her.

  SKYFALL

  Mallory sticks up for M.

  THE AVENGERS

  Hawkeye thanks Black Widow.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu and the guys do a group hug.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tells Alicia that he’ll draw the baby’s bath, which makes her smile.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine, Ed, and Roger try to help Carolyn.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick and Tanner Bolt discuss protecting Margo the accomplice.

  MINUTE 94

  THE AGGRESSOR

  Hero or bad guy shows aggression

  As mentioned earlier, we gave the hero and the ally — and the audience — an emotional breather for a couple minutes. But now the action kicks in again as the bad guy shows aggression . . .

  SKYFALL

  Silva blows out the wall behind Bond.

  THE AVENGERS

  Hawkeye says: “If I put an arrow in Loki’s eye socket I’d feel better.”

  THE HANGOVER

  Phil gives Doug’s marriage “six months.” Stu calls Phil a dick. The End

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia sees that John’s paranoia has returned.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine yells at Ed: “I’m not leaving!”

  GONE GIRL

  Amy says: “I’m not the asshole,” and strikes the ball hard.

  MINUTE 95

  THE SEPARATION

  Hero and ally separate

  The Separation is another trick writers have up their coffee-stained sleeves. Separation creates a longing because we immediately desire for the separated parties to be reunited. It’s an unresolved issue that must be followed up on somehow. Here’s how our case studies create separations, either physically or emotionally:

  SKYFALL

  Silva climbs the ladder away from Bond.

  THE AVENGERS

  Black Widow wants to fight Loki, but Hawkeye doesn’t want her to be part of a war.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia runs from John.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine leaves Ed to get the book.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s new neighbor (now the aggressor) teases Amy and heads back to her cabin.

  MINUTE 96

  DEATH AND DYING

  Some kind of death is shown or expressed

  Showing or speaking about death always grabs attention, that’s why it’s used a few times during a movie. Death and Dying are primal. Death threatens our very existence. Death supercharges our fight or flight response . . .

  SKYFALL

  Silva’s men kill the security guards.

  THE AVENGERS

  Stark and Captain America talk about Coulson’s death.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Parcher tells John that countless people will die.

  THE CONJURING

  Crows slam into the house.

  GONE GIRL

  Tanner Bolt tells Margo: “(Nick will be) a trained monkey who doesn’t get a lethal injection.”

  MINUTE 97

  TAPING THE KNUCKLES

  Hero prepares for, or heads toward, the battle place

  Football players strap on their helmets . . . boxers tape their knuckles . . . soldiers load their rifles as they prep for the battle place. Anticipation fills the air as the hero prepares himself for the Big Showdown . . .

  SKYFALL

  Bond runs toward Silva.

  THE AVENGERS

  Captain America tells Black Widow: “Time to go.” — They’re heading to Stark’s building where Loki will be.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John battles his imaginary friends.

  THE CONJURING

  Ed asks everyone to hold Carolyn still.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick and Tanner Bolt prepare to go on nationwide TV to discuss Nick’s infidelity.

  MINUTE 98

  KISS OR SPIT

  Hero or bad guy shows aggression/affection

  The story can go two different ways in the next three minutes. If the movie is ending here on an upbeat note, the hero shows affection (kiss). If not, aggression is shown (spits), which continues the story in most cases.

  SKYFALL

  Silva shoots at M (Spits).

  THE AVENGERS

  Captain America marches toward the plane, ready to fight (Spits).

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John prevents Alicia from driving (Spits).

  THE CONJURING

  The demon shrieks at Ed (Spits).

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s new neighbors force their way into her cabin (Spits)

  MINUTE 99

  KISS OR SPIT 2

  Hero or bad guy shows even more aggression/affection

  The hero or villain kiss or spit even more during this minute, like when the Green Goblin drops Mary Jane (Spit), or in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy beats up a German soldier and steals his clothes (Spit), or when Forrest shows affection toward Bubba’s mother by giving her money in Forrest Gump (Kiss).

  SKYFALL

  Bond tells M (in the back seat) that it’s time to “get out in front; change the game.” (Kiss)

  THE AVENGERS
/>   Iron Man orders the doctor to shut his deadly machine down (Spits).

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John refuses to take meds again (Spits).

  THE CONJURING

  The demon turns Carolyn upside-down (Spits).

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s neighbor attacks her (Spits).

  MINUTE 100

  KISS OR SPIT 3

  Hero and/or bad guy show even greater aggression/affection

  And the kissing and spitting continues for another minute. In The Matrix, Neo and Trinity shoot the security guards (Spit). In Pulp Fiction, Butch knocks out The Gimp (Spit). In Top Gun, the Chief shakes Maverick’s hand and smiles (Kiss).

  SKYFALL

  Bond orders M to get in (Spits/Kiss).

  THE AVENGERS

  Loki tells Stark that his army is coming (Spits).

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John yells at Dr. Rosen (Spits).

  THE CONJURING

  The demon tells Roger that Carolyn is “already gone.” (Spits)

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s new neighbors steal her money (Spits).

  MINUTE 101

  DEEPER DEEPER

  Hero heads deeper into trouble

  The deeper the hero goes, the deeper into trouble he gets. The deeper into trouble he gets, the more the audience gnaws on their nails, wanting to see how he’ll get out of it, like in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy follows the Nazis deeper into the mountains, or in Jaws when the shark pulls the crew further out to sea.

  SKYFALL

  M asks: “Where are we going?” “Back in time,” Bond responds.

  THE AVENGERS

  Stark tells Loki: “There’s no version of this where you come out on top.”

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tells Alicia: “I will try to figure this out.”

  THE CONJURING

  Ed climbs deeper into the house after Carolyn.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick rehearses in St. Louis for his nationwide TV interview.

  MINUTE 102

  THE BLOW-UP

  There’s an emotional or physical blow-up

  And there’s bound to be a Blow-Up the deeper into enemy territory the hero goes. The villain feels threatened and retaliates. It’s inevitable. Nothing like a physical or emotional blast to jar the audience, which is Minute 102’s purpose . . .

  SKYFALL

  Mallory walks in on Q and Tanner breaking MI6 rules.

  THE AVENGERS

  Iron Man’s beam strikes Loki.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John’s life and family have been destroyed because of his illness.

  THE CONJURING

  Carolyn violently throws up.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy calls her creepy ex-boyfriend for help.

  MINUTE 103

  THE BLOW

  Hero or bad guy administers some sort of blow

  Another Blow follows the previous minute’s blast. The one-two punch, as it were. Again, this can be a physical blow or an emotional blow, as we see in Spider-Man when the Green Goblin strikes Spidey hard with his foot, or when Han says he’s not going to help the cause (an emotional blow to Luke) in Star Wars.

  SKYFALL

  “How old were you when they died?” M asks. “You know the answer to that,” Bond replies coldly.

  THE AVENGERS

  Iron Man blows up the approaching enemy.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John doesn’t know what else to do.

  THE CONJURING

  Ed and Lorraine defeat the demon and restore Roger and Carolyn’s family.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick’s college girlfriend makes a nationwide TV statement about her affair with Nick.

  MINUTE 104

  THE UPPER HAND

  Hero or bad guy gets the upper hand in an aggressive manner

  The phrase “The Upper Hand” evolved when kids gathered to pick sides for sandlot baseball games. To decide who chooses first, one team captain would toss the other captain a baseball bat. The two captains then took turns gripping the bat one fist over the other until there was no more room at the top. The last one to fully grip the bat’s handle had control, or “The Upper Hand.” The hero and the bad guy play this same game, but for much higher stakes during this minute.

  SKYFALL

  Bond forces M to go with him to Skyfall.

  THE AVENGERS

  Loki’s beam strikes Thor.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia tells John: “I need to believe that something extraordinary is possible.”

  THE CONJURING

  Ed tells the doubters in the final title: “The fairy tale is true. The devil exists.”

  The End

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s mother decries Nick on nationwide TV.

  MINUTE 105

  THE DECEIT

  Deceit is shown or expressed

  Deceit works well three ways. If it is against the hero, we hold our breath and anticipate what’s going to happen next; if it’s against the bad guy, we cheer; if it’s against us, the audience, we silently applaud the storyteller for getting one over on us . . .

  SKYFALL

  Someone’s been hiding in the house.

  THE AVENGERS

  Thor tackles Loki — he wasn’t as wounded as he appeared to be.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John shows up unannounced at Hansen’s office.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick stares at the interviewer, acting calm and collected.

  TURNING POINT 105

  If your story is continuing, another major Turning Point happens between Minutes 104–106. In fact, as I mentioned in this book’s opening pages, if you want to expand your story indefinitely, simply add a big Turning Point every fifteen minutes — a Turning Point that will take some doing for the hero to unravel or resolve. This is a longtime secret trick writers use to extend any story, a trick you can use at Minute 120 to keep the story going if the story requires it, and again at Minutes 135 and 150 and so on . . .

  SKYFALL

  Bond discovers that Kincade, the groundskeeper, still works at Skyfall. He can help them fight Silva. (Minute 105)