Sequences Secret Revealed (pt 4)
Here’s the fourth screenplay sequence to 27 Dresses…
Sequence D – Jane & Kevin grow closer (This describes the midpoint of the film. Nothing concrete happens but Jane is definitely beginning to see Kevin in a new light.)
I
At her dad’s, Tess says she’s moving back. Her dad gives her their mom’s wedding dress. Jane says she doesn’t mind.
At a bar, Jane moans to Kevin about how she’s going to have to say no to Tess about organizing her wedding. Kevin plays a game with her about saying no.
Jane walks through a park with Tess talking about the wedding. Jane doesn’t say no to anything. Tess wants to get married like their parents—at the boathouse. She’s getting married in three weeks. Jane is sad but says she wants her to be happy.
At a yoga class, Susan moans about Tess. She refuses to be a bridesmaid.
II
At a bakery, Jane negotiates with the guy about getting a cake in three weeks. Kevin enters and George leaves to answer the phone. Tess says Jane is her number one fan. Jane can’t believe Kevin is the writer of the wedding articles. He leaves with Tess.
Kevin enters Jane’s apartment block. He asks her for an interview and she reluctantly lets him in. He sees all the bridesmaid dresses and he says they’re all awful. She leaves to put one on. He takes a photo of her and she finally agrees it’s not that great. She puts on the worse one.
Montage: She tries on all 27 dresses and he takes photos of her modeling them. (midpoint) (Notice how at the midpoint in a romantic comedy, the guy or the girl “enters the lair” of their potential partner. In this case, Kevin enters Jane’s apartment for the first time and they have a great time with her trying on all the dresses. From now on, their relationship has shifted up a notch and there’s no going back.)
III
Later, she says she doesn’t care that she’s just making the bride look good. She says someday it’ll be her day.
She hangs up all the dresses in the closet again.
Click here for part 5 and more insights into writing screenplay sequences.
