I'm currently working on a script with a somewhat directionless protagonist. This post really reflects how you can still make that work just by thinking about the status quo. Thinking about Vince Vaughn's character in Dodgeball: He begins disengaged as a norm and ends engaged as a norm. Being forced in the middle to engage with the world against forces trying to tear down his status quo ultimately changes it for the better.

Amos: From broad comedies to dark dramas and every movie type in between, the Protagonist's psychological journey is almost always a key dynamic to the narrative, especially the emotional plot. This Deconstruction - Reconstruction dynamic is one we see over and over and over again in movies, part of a larger metamorphosis arc.

Scott:

I love your definition of Disunity and find it immensely helpful.

Question:

To what extent should our Protagonist know he is "disunited"? Is he consciously or unconsciously disunited? The common choice seems to be that he is unconsciously disunited, and sweeping his "need" under the rug, content to choose his "want" for now.

But I think that scripts often give us a hint of our protagonist's need in Act I - or at least a hint that our Protagonist is not all right. The difficulty for me is how to show this latent need in Act I without making the P seem totally conscious of his disunity, thus begging the question: "if you know you're unhappy, why don't you stop ignoring your need, dude?"

Still, I feel that some hint of the Protagonist's need - or at least a hint that he is lacking - is needed in Act I. Am I wrong? Any tips on how to do this with subtlety?

Thanks very much

Nick