SPECIAL EDITION WRITING TIPS

This week, we are taking a look at IN THE LINE OF FIRE, a film by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Clint Eastwood, and ranking, in this columnist’s opinion, as one of the five best thrillers ever made. The special edition DVD includes a treasure chest of extras designed to dig into the great details filmmakers included to achieve authenticity. More importantly, the film itself stands as a wonderful piece of pacing and characterization into which we will delve with further detail in a moment.

But first, I want to thank Drew Melbourne for his undying patience, as I had to take a little time off for the Spring Break crazies. Let me clarify. School is always a rushing river of madness and ignorance as the little turds I teach day-in, day-out do everything they can to make sure they do nothing they’re supposed to.

So it goes. The weeks leading up to break always carry with them a lot more pressure. In other words, it’s been a while. But I’m back.

Recharged. Rejuvenated. Ready to watch some movies and special features. Make some observations. And figure out how it all makes sense to us comic book writers.

Now don’t misjudge me, nor call for my head, when I attempt to explain my reasoning for choosing Clint Eastwood’s IN THE LINE OF FIRE over his earlier effort as the iconic Harry Callahan in 1971’s masterpiece DIRTY HARRY.

In no way am I saying the former is better than the latter. Just different. And for my purposes this week, it is more suited to this column’s subject… finding redemption for your characters, and giving them a journey worth our time.

Eastwood stars as Frank Horrigan, a tormented Secret Service agent called back into service, to capture a ruthless psychopath out to assassinate the President.

Horrigan has more than one demon in his closet, the first and most vital, his failure to prevent JFK’s assassination. Now retired from Presidential detail, he spends most of his time busting counterfeit operations. In fact, it is here that we first meet Frank, alongside his partner, a younger agent (and family man) who isn’t quite up to the chances Horrigan takes.

“Go home and hug your wife and kid,” Horrigan tells his partner immediately after one close encounter. He knows how important it is, implying a past experience, yet he also volunteers to check out the apartment of a wacko, who has designs on terminating the President; so we know that whatever that past experience is, is no more.

Frank not only knows about failing at his job, he also carries guilt over another human being’s death, and he allows alcohol to run off his wife and daughter where they are no longer a part of his life, as the killer reveals in their first conversation.

Responsibility for the nation losing its leader.

Responsibility for a broken marriage.

Responsibility for letting go of his role as a father.

That’s a lot of baggage for one man to carry, and might even drive many to an early grave. But here Frank is, entering the twilight years, and still lamenting what could have been. He is a character ripe for the redemptive journey.

Now as storytellers it’s important for us to note the severity of what has passed in Frank’s life, and what is yet to come. Though his wounds are serious before we first meet him, they do not compare to the struggles he must face, if there is to be a story. While one setback may not seem as severe as his back-story, keep in mind that this journey is the last chance he has to salvage his soul. In that regard, even the most minor of details threaten to fracture all hope, when before, he still had some reason that pushed him along through the daily chores of living. Placed under that microscope, Frank’s current actions matter a lot more than any previous tragedy or accomplishment.

For the redemptive character on his journey, this means the worst failures are yet to come. As writers, don’t be afraid to lather on the roadblocks, disappointments, and tragedies.

Before Frank Horrigan redeems his life, he must survive a lot more trouble, the least of which includes his age subjecting him to the butt of practical jokes; the greatest of which includes causing the death of his partner. As is often true in life, things must get a lot worse before they can get any better.

Horrigan’s disappointments are peppered throughout with a few successes. Eventually, he gets under the killer’s skin and discovers the more personal details that will enable him to win out in the end. But before that, he will live with the knowledge that he could have stopped his partner’s death. He will also be removed from Presidential detail, and ordered to San Diego, miles away from the dinner where assassin Mitch Leery plans to kill the President.

He may even have to take that fatal shot.

As I mentioned before, IN THE LINE OF FIRE has breathless pacing and top-notch characterization. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the film’s final act. If you could place its structure on a timeline of events, you would notice that line gets pretty crowded around the climax and resolution. Each setback faced in this region of the story means disaster for Horrigan as he moves forward on his journey. Likewise, realize that your hero must face his toughest challenges on the way to that one defining moment where he will succeed or fail.

Say our hero is too far away to save his girlfriend from the killer he knows is coming to her apartment, where she watches TV oblivious to the fact. He will have to call her and give a warning. It’s this moment where she refuses to answer because of the fight they had last night. She won’t accept his calls, so the one sure way he has of warning her in time is no longer available to him.

All hope is lost.

Will he carjack a banker on the street outside so he can race home and save the day, or will he resign to the knowledge that she’s as good as dead, and go out for a slice of Chicago-style deep dish? The setbacks and how he reacts to them will decide how he will react in that one defining moment. Make sure each new aggravation is more important than any your character has experienced so far. Failure breeds conflict.

Conflict breeds purpose.

And purpose means the redemptive hero is in the driver’s seat to arrive at his destiny. It’s his last chance. With a good writer’s help, he will have a journey worth taking, and the spiritual constitution to complete it successfully.