Thanks for answering my question Scott!

i need to rewatch it because i haven't seen it in awhile but what about a movie like Dazed and Confused?

Who would you say is the main protagonist in the movie?

If I recall (and this may even be from an article from your blog, Scott) the film COCOON had no real antagonist ... it was in there originally, but one of the execs said it wasn't necessary, that the journey was the characters return to youth. And that was right.

And I'd also mention CASTAWAY ... great film ... nature is the antagonist in a way.

But an even better example is GOOD WILL HUNTING, which doesn't have one either (Will is, in a way, his own antagonist) and as everyone knows, it originally was a thriller with government agencies after Will for his abilities ... and Rob Reiner and Bill Goldman told the boys they don't need that ... the story of Will is enough.

I'd also note that WALL-E as a nemesis, but one that doesn't show itself until the third act ... and in UP, the nemesis doesn't appear until halfway into it ... the protags have real obstacles, and that's the important thing.

This fits right in with the James Brooks discussion, because none of his films really have antagonists as such. SPANGLISH and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT come close with the Tea Leoni and Jeff Daniels characters, but ultimately everybody's foibles are the antagonists.

This is a very interesting way of classifying movies. How many can we name? I'd also include PAYDAY with Rip Torn and Polanski's REPULSION - the antagonists are drug addiction/alcoholism and mental illness.

@Adam: I'll start a thread on that. Movies w/o an obvious / specific Antagonist.

I really like that analysis of "Juno."

I emailed a friend with my character-driven logline and he too suggested that I write something high concept for a spec.

@Scott: Cool, Scott, I'd be honored! I looked over my top ten and only two films qualified - AGUIRRE THE WRATH OF GOD (megalomania, nature) and FIGHT CLUB (mental illness, modern society). I have a feeling a lot of the non-Antagonist movies are going to be European.