Fun and Games
According to Snyder, the ‘Fun and Games’ section is basically the first half of the second act where the movie delivers on the promise of the premise. In Groundhog Day, it’s where Phil Connors discovers he is stuck in the time loop and the movie mines the comedic potential of this scenario. In Alien, our truckers in space have followed the transmission and landed on LV-426. The fun and games here involve the exploration of the derelict, and the ensuing chaos once the facehugger attaches to Kane and Ripley and the crew attempt to figure out how the organism works and how best to help Kane . In Die Hard, John McClane has his first encounters with the intruders who have overtaken Nakatomi Plaza. He gets his machine gun (“Ho, ho, ho”) and figures out a rough count of his opposition along with some names.
The first thing to notice is that none of the examples are about literal fun and games. Each movie delivers on the promise of their respective premises–even though we’re talking about very different genres. Groundhog Day has fun with the time loop–and the lack of consequences for Phil’s actions; Alien involves exploration and discovery regarding the xenomorph. Die Hard pits our lone cop hero against a gang of vicious thieves.
Bad Guys Close In and the Midpoint
The ‘Bad Guys Close In’ beat is similar to the ‘Fun and Games’ section, but takes place in the second half of Act 2, just after the midpoint. In fact, the midpoint is key to how the ‘Fun and Games’ section differs from ‘Bad Guys Close In’. Let’s examine this using our three examples.
The midpoint for Groundhog Day is when Phil tries to seduce Rita, but she rebuffs his advance with the line, “I could never love someone like you, Phil, because you’ll never love anyone but yourself.” This is exactly his flaw, and where many of the laughs have come from in the ‘Fun and Games’. In Alien, the midpoint occurs at the dinner table when Kane, seemingly recovered from his ordeal with the facehugger, suffers a severe case of gastro! In Die Hard, the midpoint is when McClane’s fellow officer Powell checks out reports of a disturbance at Nakatomi plaza, but all seems quiet. McClane throws a body out the window, smashing Powell’s car.
These midpoints all accelerate the plot, or fundamentally change something in the story world. Phil Connors learns that he can’t use his ‘powers’ to seduce Rita, but has to make a real connection with her. He has to learn to be less selfish. In Alien, a terrifying creature now roams the ship freely. It is no longer safe to be onboard. When McClane drops the body on Powell’s car, he is no longer alone in his fight against Gruber and his men.
So, how do these midpoints help pinpoint the difference between ‘Fun and Games’ and ‘Bad Guys Close In’?
I’m glad you asked.
How Do ‘Fun and Games’ and ‘Bad Guys Close In’ Differ?
As I see it, there are two main ways these sections differ. One has to do with stakes. The other has to do with character. Or another way of thinking about it is that one difference is primarily external, and one is primarily internal.
Raising the Stakes
When we consider the ‘Fun and Games’ section from an external, plot-centric dimension, it has lower stakes. This doesn’t mean there is no jeopardy for the main character–after all, Hans Gruber’s goons would not hesitate to kill McClane, but hunting him down is not their main purpose. In Groundhog Day, Connors learns the rules of the time loop and has fun with his powers, but he isn’t in the existential crisis that strikes later. In Alien, there is discovery and tension as the Nostromo crew check out the derelict, but sudden death is not stalking them through the corridors of their spaceship. That happens after the midpoint.
Once we cross the midpoint, the physical stakes increase. In the ‘Bad Guys Close In’ section of Die Hard, McClane comes much more to the attention of Gruber and his gang. The threat to their operation is more visceral, and killing McClane becomes much more of a priority. He is actively pursued and in more danger. And not just McClane, but his wife, too.
In Alien, the crew face the terrors of the xenomorph loose on their ship and slowly get picked off one by one. It is very clear that the physical stakes have been turned up all the way to eleven.
In Groundhog Day, Connors faces his existential crisis when his attempts to seduce Rita fail, and he is left unfulfilled. This is the least external stakes-oriented of the three examples, as this is the least plot-focused movie of the three. It is more that the emotional stakes increase, even though the physical stakes remain the same. But Connors is a good example to highlight the second way that the ‘Fun and Games’ section differs from ‘Bad Guys Close In’, which has to do with the character’s flaw.
Fixing the Flaw
In the ‘Fun and Games’ section, character can exist in their flaw. In fact, they should exist in their flaw, as it is the flaw that often drives the ‘Fun and Games’. Connors is selfish and mean, and much of the humour in Groundhog Day arises directly out of his flawed characteristics.
In Alien, Ripley isn’t particularly flawed, but she does need to learn to stand up for herself. She always wanted to do the right thing and keep Kane quarantined outside the ship, but others (with questionable motives) overrule and bring Kane aboard with the facehugger attached. Ripley learns to believe in herself and lead as the crew get picked off. This all culminates in her final confrontation with the xenomorph.
In Die Hard, McClane thinks he can do things on his own. That is where the excitement and action arises from. One man taking on the bad guys using only his brains and brawn. But McClane realises that he needs support. He can’t do it on his own. Notice, too, that McClane reaching out to Powell makes him a more significant threat to Gruber’s operation. It’s a nice touch to have the character choosing agaisnt their flaw lead to more problems in the short-term. After all, change is hard.
What Can We Learn?
From a screenwriting standpoint, we can see that the midpoint works well if it ups the physical or emotional stakes. It should make the protagonist’s journey more difficult. It should make the bad guys close in–whether that be literal bad guys, emotional baggage, or an alien killing machine.
Another aspect of the midpoint is that it should relate to the hero recognising the need to change. And then punish the hero when they try to change.
Change is hard.
You might even have the hero mess up. Have them revert to their flawed outlook–for a time. Force them to dig deep to overcome. After all, we want to see our heroes face monumental challenges before they finally emerge victorious.
This is drama.