As mentioned before, I have much more respect for the film Notting Hill after analyzing it through the Dramatica filter. Recognizing how all the different parts come together to form a complete story is a very satisfying task that takes you beyond first impressions. Below, I’ve attempted to summarize all that was discussed much in the same way it was done years ago on Dramatica.com. Those notes, written mostly by Katy Monahan-Huntley, were extremely helpful to me as I learned the theory. Here’s hoping my attempt is just as beneficial.
William Thacker (Hugh Grant) has settled into a nice comfortable life running a travel bookstore in sleepy Notting Hill…a life that is quickly made uncomfortable when he literally runs into the beautiful superstar Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), spilling orange juice all over her in the process (Story Driver: Action). Offering to clean her up (Relationship Story Problem: Help) is just the beginning of their budding romance.
William is a product of the place he lives in. Much like the bookstore he works in, William is not trying to be anything more than he really is. It’s no small observation that while he owns a travel bookstore, he has done little to no traveling himself. Rather, he has allowed himself to get into a rut, content with his little life (Main Character Problem: Consider). Even when Anna first arrives in his store, William stays fixed in his own ascertation as a man unworthy of dating such a star (Main Character Throughline: Fixed Attitudes). He would like them to be more, but is afraid of being hurt again (Main Character Concern: Innermost Desires).
He’s so afraid that even with a beautiful megastar sleeping upstairs in his house, he still resigns himself to staying on the living room couch (Main Character Approach: Be-er). Why would she go out with a “git” like him? William prefers to solve his problems by changing himself. Instead of grabbing a shoplifter at his store and tossing him out on his ear, William offers to turn around and act as if it never happened - leaving it up to the crook to decide whether to buy the book or leave it on the shelf.
In contrast, Anna Scott prefers to attack problems head-on (Impact Character Problem: Pursuit) - making the first move on William and insulting the bragadocious men at the restaurant (Impact Character Approach: Do-er). Her bold first kiss makes the relationship between Anna and William an issue (Relationship Story Throughline: Activities).
But Anna has even bigger issues to deal with - she’s a normal girl trapped in the body of a super celebrity (Impact Character Throughline: Situation). She wants people, especially William, to see her as a real person, not just as an actress. She wants to be seen as Anna, the girl (standing in front of a boy…).
While there is not always an inverse relationship between the two subjective character’s approaches, it often helps things if there is.
One is stuck mentally - the other, physically.
When analyzing a story, figure out the Main and Impact Character’s worldviews first.
In fact, it is Anna’s physicality that cannot be denied - she is a beautiful girl - and as such influences William to consider changing his ways.
The impact character is the character who challenges the main character to deal with his personal issues. It is also true that to a lesser extent the main character has influence over the impace character as well. They force each other to grow - either into their resolve or out of their resolve.
They both have a different way of approaching each other (Relationship Story Theme: Approach) - Anna is very direct, while William would prefer to take it slow. Even in the face of William’s denial of her affections (Overall Story Element: Avoidance), Anna still comes after him (Overall Story Element: Pursuit). Unhappy with her present lot in life, she engages in an affair that she really shouldn’t (Impact Character Response: Oppose). She even goes so far as to send him an expensive painting by Chagall - a painting that really doesn’t mean that much to her (Relationship Story Catalyst - Attitude).
Her attitude forces their relationship to grow. If she had made a big deal about giving him the painting, as if she was making some grandiose effort, it would not have been that big an influence on William. It would be as if she was buying his love. Instead, to her, it’s just a painting, and normal girls don’t care all that much about stuff like that.
In the greater overall story, conflict grows from attribution error (Overall Story Throughline: Psychology). Photographs taken long ago of Anna threaten her reputation and cause grief for all parties involved. Further, the objective characters in this story all seem to be in various states of change: his roommate Spike falls for his wacky sister, one friend’s business is on its way down, while another is on its way up, and the superstar is changing the kind of movies she makes - the bubble gum princess is now doing Henry James (Overall Story Concern: Becoming).
It should be noted that many of Henry James’ stories also deal with characters coming to terms with change and the relationships they particpate in along the way.
The film does feel a bit long because as there is a tremendous amount of extra stuff in there. When Anna disappears from the story, the plot tends to slow down. It does leave time for some nice character development with William and his friends, but it does seem to stretch things out a bit too much.
Actions drive the major plot points:
- They crash into each other on the sidewalk
- Her boyfriend, Jeff King (Alec Baldwin) arrives at Anna’s hotel room
- The paparazzi show up at William’s flat
- Anna and William get married
An additional plot point arrives because of the way William prefers to solve problems.
His heart breaks as he overhears Anna dismiss his importance to her while speaking candidly with another actor. William is such a literal thinker that he takes her denunciation literally (Main Character Problem Solving Style: Linear). If that is how she feels, then he must be an idiot for trying to reconcile with her. He cannot see her comments in the context of all that has happened up until then.
The arrival of Anna’s boyfriend threatens their growing love for each other (Relationship Story Solution: Hinder). To further complicate matters, William has no problem going on other dates (Main Character Inhibitor: Openness). His willingness to date anyone undermines the effectiveness of the two of them ever coming together (Overall Story Goal: Becoming).
Fortunately though, for the two lovers, there are only so many different varieties of them saying no to each other, or one saying yes while the other says no — until finally they both say yes at the same time (Overall Story Limit: Optionlock). Their relationship has grown steadfastly into its resolve. From the very beginning they were on the path to a strong and healthy relationship.
Sometimes it can be helful to think of the Relationship story much in the same way you would approach the Main and Impact Character’s throughlines. Is their relationship slowly building up into its resolve (like above), or does it take a drastic turn and change at the end? Find the direction of the Relationship Throughline.
In the end, William steps up and makes the effort to go to the press conference, refusing to believe that it’s over (Main Character Unique Ability: Denial). Risking making a fool of himself, William asks Anna if she would stay longer (Overall Story Solution: Reconsider). Anna answers yes and the two are swiftly married (Overall Story: Success). The bookkeeper has become a star and the star now has a little one on the way.
An example of a very conscious leap-of-faith story.
As William emerges from the limo we see the difference between a man and a woman walking through the park, and a man and a woman walking down the red carpet (Main Character Resolve: Change). No longer bumbling and self-effacing (Main Character Benchmark: Impulsive Responses), William sits quietly with Anna on the park bench. The two entwine hands as they carry on the devotion inscribed on the bench below them - that of an ever-lasting love (Main Character Judgment: Good).
If the Judgment is Good, then the Main Character’s emotional angst is gone. If the Outcome is Success, then the story has logistically worked out.
In Conclusion
While it is true that you could take any of these terms and apply it to the story in question - only one storyform will feel right across the board. I for one felt that William was dealing more with impulsive response than his innermost sesires. But then that would’ve forced conflict in the overall story to come from people playing a role, and that simply did not make sense. The storyform we came up with has great examples for all the appreciations, and more importantly, feels right.
The podcast for Notting Hill can be listened to here: Podcast version (52MB)
That sound file (M4A) and an MP4 version are available for download on the Dramatica Users Group Film Analysis page. The podcast runs close to 2 hours - but is worth every second.:)
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