I don't know if these work as themes but here goes: Tantrums Birth Rival showdown Triumphant return Return from the dead Best friends (till the end) decision making choosing sides goodbyes hellos

precocious children drunk/stoned last words verbal fight/war of words riddles eulogies outright lying straight-faced fear proclamations of love/hate revelations (finding something out, 'A ha' moments)

Did we do "songs" last time around.....feels like a long time since you last asked for themes? How about Greatest Pixar moments or, in keeping with some GITS and Blackboard discussions, and elsewhere, how about Great female role models?

I'll second Tantrums, Hellos/Goodbyes, and Deaths (own or others') and add these: - Phone calls (esp. where we hear only one side) - Talking to self - Speechlessness (that is, how to WRITE the moment when a character is too stunned by an emotion or event to speak)

quotes from other movies.

We've done several of these, but tantrums is an interesting one I believe we have not done, so let's run with that one. Thanks!

Despina, several of these have surfaced as well, but I don't think we've done eulogies, so let's add that to the list. Thanks!

It might be fun to do greatest Pixar moments, so let's have a go at that one. Thanks, Mark.

Let's see - what are some dialogue problems I've faced lately. 1. Overcome with emotion (whether speechless or not). 2. Dressing downs. 3. Making a point. 4. Rousing speeches/rallying the troops (I think this trope should permanently die - but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise). 5. Identity crises. 6. Saving the day. 7. Patching things up / resolving conflicts. 8. Uneasy alliances

camdeaver, we've done phone calls, but talking to one's self, I don't think we've covered that, and it's something that can be done very poorly or well, so that seems ripe to explore. Thanks!

pliny, you mean a character quoting a movie or we actually see the movie within the movie a la Woody Allen's character watching Casablanca in Play It Again, Sam.

The one that jumps out to me, Sabina, is overcome with emotion. So many different ways to approach dialogue in that circumstance, therefore why not go with that one? Thanks!

What I meant is a character re-saying a classic line or piece of dialogue or enacting a classic scene in a different context (which I guess is really the first one). For example, in Ocean's 13 George Clooney speaks to Al Pacino using lines that were originally said by Al Pacino in the Godfather. But a movie within a movie?... that would be fun.

I also had a thought about internal dialogue... talking to yourself or mulling something over solo.

d'oh! here it is. haha.

Seduction... not overt seduction (not sex or making out), but implied or something that's obviously building on sexual tension? Like Lady Marion undressing Robin (Russell Crowe) for his bath because he can't do it himself. (2010 Robin Hood) maybe that doesn't make sense...

No idea how many of these may have appeared before : 1. References to other films (which illuminate something in the current one) 2. References to other cultural material (see above) 3. Deepest Subtext - how far below the surface is the real dialogue? 4. On The Nose - examples where a bit of subtext might have gone a long way 5. Great Schlock! - old monster/sci-fi movies spring to mind 6. Best Disguised Exposition 7. Most Understated Reveal - could be a major plot point or character revelation, but classily done 8. Most Effective Regional (which adds to the script/scene/character in a substantial fashion) 9. Most Effective National (see above) 10. Most Redundant 11. Most Contrast With the Visuals (the stabbing scene in "Saving Private Ryan" springs to mind) 12. Less Is More! - most effective short pieces of dialogue, or even single words 13. Most Revealing Of a Character 14. Best Ever Subtext 15. Movie In A Line - where a single line of dialogue encapsulates the central theme 16. Assassination - where dialogue destroys a character/persona/falsehood 17. Most Effective Character Summary - best description of a character by another character (Leia calling Chewbacca a "walking carpet" etc) 18. Most Memorable Line (this could be subdivided into almost any category - Drama, Comedy etc) And Why It Works So Well 19. The One Line I Wish I'd Written...(why do the names Wilder and Diamond spring to mind?)

Seduction is a good one. Can add that to the list. Thanks!

hobbs, the one that leaped out to me is Less is more. We tend to overwrite dialogue. I see this over and over when watching a movie while following along with its script: Almost invariably, the dialogue gets trimmed or cut. Part of that is natural: On the page, we can only approximate what an actor in a visual situation can convey through action or even a look. But part of it is our instinct to connect all the dots and that can lead to too much dialogue. So less is more, I'll add that to the list. Thanks!

A little late on this, but I was dealing with computer problems all weekend... What comes to mind are familial interactions - - a parent disowning a child - a child confronting a parent about failures or abuses - a reunion between parents and children, or long-lost siblings - daddy/daughter bonding (I'm sure there are mother/son scenes, but nothing comes to mind) - sibling confrontation ("You were always jealous of me," "Mom loved you best" - that sort of thing)

Laura, I like reunion and don't think we've ever done that. I'll add that to the list, thanks!