Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The Real Secret To Juno's Success

Last night Anu and I were debating what about Juno made it a financial success -- not the unpredictable, uncontrollable forces of coincidence (such as the Xmas 07 boost), but the deliberate elements of the script which made it able to capitalize on those coincidental events. I often write in a similar genre (or tone, or style, or however you choose to describe it's narrative niche), and we were discussing what it is about some of my scripts that may or may not reflect the elements of success found in Juno. We came to the conclusion that a a quirky indie film, with unusual characters, and deal with difficult subject matter, is more easily accepted by general audiences if it is ultimately warm, upbeat, and family friendly (particularly: the story centers around familial love and its ability to overcome social pressures, which was an element in both Juno and Little Miss Sunshine). Of course, like Juno and LMS, it also needs to be well written, with compelling characterizations, enough of a traditional story structure to allow a general audience to relate, and witty dialog.

I remain unconvinced. That sounds both credible and thoughtful, so clearly the success must instead be attributable to a gimmick that's instantly recognizable and understandable (and doesn't require the writer to actually put in any thought or effort). Clearly it wasn't the case that Cody wrote an excellent script, which Reitman (and the cast) turned into a charmingly compelling film -- no, there's obviously some trick here, and I'm going to figure out what it is.

Much has been made of Diablo Cody's past as a stripper, and while perhaps that gimmick works for some, I don't think the Full Monty approach is going to work given my particular physique. Therefore, I have deduced that the gimmick here is using the formula (Name for the Devil + Town in Wyoming) to generate one's nom de plume. That, dear readers, is unequivocably the secret to Juno's success.

Therefore, I am opening it up to a vote as to which of these names you think is most likely to guarantee immediate fame and fortune when slapped onto the cover of my next script:





Once I've selected an appropriate "Diabolically Wyoming" name, it's really only a matter of days, perhaps mere minutes, until I join the ranks of the rich and famous. Free rides in my gold-plated LearJet for all readers of this blog!

4 comments:

Anuradha said...

Mephistopheles Gillette. Obviously.

katie said...

Old Nick Jackson, largely because it's so damn incongruous with you. Which is why I did not vote for Thermopolis.

Unknown said...

Voland Worland has a nice rhythm to it...

Anonymous said...

I think her first name is derived not so much a name for the devil, but from the title of an Arcadia song. What about Election Chugwater, G. I. Forever Meeteetse, or Missing Yoder?