188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - Annie Hall (1977) Basic Deconstruction

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The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

ANNIE HALL (1977)

FADE IN: Hero's Inner Challenge and Character: Woodie Allen Monologue.

Hero's Backstory [Personality]: Alvy worrying about the universe; [Ordinary World]: Coney Island, father ran the bumper car concession; [School]: " I used to be a heroine addict, now I'm a methadone addict…"

Hero's Inner Challenge and Meeting the Mentor: Alvy swore he heard the word Jew; talking to Rob.

Mentor encourages the Hero out of his Ordinary World: "we should go to California…."

Hero's Status: "are you in Television…"

Meeting the Romantic Challenge and their relationship: meeting Annie outside the movies; Alvy can't go in after the start of the movie.

Developing the Hero and Romantic Challenge: Alvy and Annie in the queue.

Developing the Hero's Inner Challenge: watching "The Sorrow and the Pity."

Developing the Romantic Challenge: Annie doesn't want to have sex.