30 Days of Screenplays, Day 21: “Monsters University”
Take up the challenge! Read 30 screenplays in 30 days!
Why 30 screenplays in 30 days?
Because whether you are a novice just starting to learn the craft of screenwriting or someone who has been writing for many years, you should be reading scripts.
There is a certain type of knowledge and understanding about screenwriting you can only get from reading scripts, giving you an innate sense of pace, feel, tone, style, how to approach writing scenes, how create flow, and so forth.
We did 30 Days of Screenplays: Vol. 1 and you can access each of those posts and discussions here. This time, we’re trying something different: I invited 30 GITS followers to read 1 script each and provide a guest post about it.
Today’s guest columnist: Arlene Fox.
Title: Monsters University (download a PDF of the script here)
Year: 2013
Writing Credits: Dan Scanlon, Daniel Gerson & Robert L. Baird.
IMDB rating: 7.4
Plot Summary: Monsters University is the true story of Mike Wazowski, it tells of his rocky road to success as a champion scarer, and how he overcame rivalry and animosity to become the best of friends with James P. Sullivan.
IMDb Plot Summary: Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. “Monsters University” unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.
Tagline: School never looked this scary.
Awards: 11 wins and 36 nominations, including BAFTA nomination for Best Animated Film.
Most Memorable Moment: The scene when Mike is standing in the simulator astounded that he has won, and then the heartbreak that follows when he realizes the truth.
Monsters University is a feel good, comic script, lighthearted and a fun read.
Mike’s status in life is established with his introduction, he’s overlooked, and this theme runs throughout the script.
Mike’s goal is quickly established and we have a window into why his desire to become a scarer galvanizes and also see he has the potential to be a little reckless in following his desires. During a school field trip to a scare floor he endangers himself by slipping into the human world, and seeing a real life scarer in action.
Mike is portrayed as the underdog. Disadvantaged by his small, unimposing stature Mike slogs hard over the next eleven years to gain entry to Monsters University. Mike, a happy go lucky, optimistic monster doesn’t fit the mould of the typical scarer profile but is on the road to his dream job and as a reader I was hoping for him. The typical first day of school and Mike’s enthusiasm in his new setting is infectious although it is also painted as naive.
Dean Hardscrabble, the dean in charge, doesn’t consider Mike scary. The fact she doesn’t even allow Mike the opportunity to complete his entrance exam demonstrates the obstacles he faces and the prejudice he has to overcome.
He and his rival, Sulley, a privileged slacker, who comes from a famous lineage, are kicked off the program, and unfortunately for the pair their only hope of regaining their position on the course is to succeed in the Scare Games, an intense, highly competitive team challenge.
They join a team of adorable losers, the Oozma Kappas, and after an initial hiccup realize the only way forward is to work together and beat out their main competition, Roar Omega Roar, a bunch of obnoxious jocks.
Mike continues to work hard and snubs the idea of cheating. Sulley, however, doubts Mike’s abilities and rigs the competition to ensure they win. When Mike discovers the cheating his victory rings hollow and he doubts himself, more than he ever has before.
They’re going to be expelled and Mike’s world comes crashing down. He has lost his chance of achieving his dream.
Mike, eager to prove himself, breaks into the human world through a faulty door but gets stranded there with Sulley.
After a furious Dean Hardscrabble shuts down the door, Mike manages to orchestrate a terrifying scare, that enables them to power the door back to MU.
Mike and Sulley emerge triumphant, with Mike having proved himself and his talent.
Whilst Mike and Sulley’s reckless behavior keeps them expelled, their teammates are readmitted to the program on the strength of their performance, and Dean Hardscrabble admits she may have been wrong in her prejudice against Mike and Sulley. (This is something that I think is noticeable in feel good films. A character who appears to be a nemesis can turn around and change their opinion. Although there were several characters who felt like nemesis characters here; Dean Hardscrabble, the RORs and Sulley himself).
Undeterred Mike and Sulley start working at the bottom in the Monsters Inc. mail room, and eventually work their way up to the goal Mike has wanted all along — Mike Wazowski is a scarer.
What did I learn about screenwriting from reading this script?
Lesson: Establish the storyworld early, convincingly, and make it as intriguing as possible.
The first slugline reads fairly harmless EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD — DAY, but the unusual storyworld is clearly conveyed in the first three lines:
A bird lands on the ground. It pecks at something, then the
head stays up and another head pecks at the ground. It turns
and we see that it has two heads.Lesson: Defined, consistent characters add to the emotional impact when the audience already knows how they’ll feel about a situation.
Mike’s character is well established and the principles he lives by are reiterated at different points throughout the script.
When the Oozma Kappas are finally successful at the Scare Games it’s evident this is the highlight of Mike’s life.
He can’t quite believe the victory himself, all he’s worked for has finally paid off in that moment.
He’s gotten to that point without cheating, following his strong work ethic, and through teamwork.
The fact this background knowledge is well set up throughout the story made the moment of his heartbreak all the more palpable when Mike realizes Sulley rigged the games.
Sulley finds Mike standing alone in the Oozma’s simulator.
SULLEY: Mike?
Mike is beaming, lost in his own little world.
MIKE: I did it. I can’t believe it.
Sulley smiles….
Mike turns around.
MIKE: I’m gonna be a scarer!
SULLEY: (laughing) Yeah, yes, you are!Mike turns to the sim kid one more time.
MIKE: Hey, you hear that? Get plenty of rest kidd-o….You haven’t seen the last of Mike Wazowski. BOO!
Mike playfully throws his hands in the air toward the sim kid
— to his shock the sim kid shoots out of bed and lets out a
terrifying scream, reacting just as wildly as it did in the
competition.Mike leaps back in shock.
Mike turns to see the can fill all the way to the top.
Lesson: Every character counts.
In great screenplays I’ve read every character counts. Some of the lines that really made me laugh out loud came not from Mike and Sulley, but from their teammates.
One random line from Art surprised me and cracked me up; it made me think what’s going on with Art? What’s his past?
Lesson: The same stories are told over and over, with different characters and different storyworlds. Underdog stories will always be loved.
Monsters University is the story of a disadvantaged youngster, who despite all the odds reached for his dreams and achieved them through hard work and perseverance.
Thanks, Arlene! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
To see all of this year’s 30 Days of Screenplays: Vol. 2, go here.
