Assignment 1: One of the strengths of Coppola's screenplay is that her people and everything they do are believable. Unlike the characters in most movies, they don't quickly sense they belong together, and they don't immediately want to be together. Coppola keeps them apart for a noticeably long time. They don't know they're the Girl and the Boy. They don't have a Meet Cute. We grow to know them separately. (Roger Ebert in “Fugue in D lonely”) The spectator needs to identify with the character, and for that, the character needs to be credible. What makes Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlet Johansson) believable? What makes their story universal? Based on what you learned about Bob and Charlotte watching the film, write each of them a short biography (150 words each), reflecting on what makes them believable characters. The short-biographies should include the character’s motivation (what is it the character is trying to achieve in the film) and conflict (what person and things are getting the way of the character trying to achieve their motivation).

Film Appreciation