Syd Field, internal vs external plot

Question

This question has to do with Syd Field's internal vs. external plot. The internal plot of Back to the Future, for example, would be that Marty wants to play in front of people, that's his dramatic need. The external plot meanwhile is that he has to get his parents back together, etc. At least that's how I'd categorize it.

It seems like the internal plot by Field's definition, though, could just as easily be something frivilous. Or at least could be regarded as frivilous by some, even if not by others. Like in Office Space, when he wants to go fishing, watch movies, anything but go to work.

It seems like the internal plot should have some meaning that is intrinsic to the story, and has nothing to do with what the author's values. But then again, the author values mirror the audience, otherwise what will the audience relate to?
I keep thinking of the episode of South Park where they go in search of their Game Cube. It turns into this whole world adventure but all they want is their Game Cube. Of course if that were not a comedy, if it were the big Michael Bay Summer blockbuster, the movie would have to make you care about all the other plot that should be ( I think ) antecedent to the internal plot which is that they want their GameCube back. Truthfully people can relate more probably to wanting their GameCube than they can relate to wanting to maintain national security.
Any thoughts?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

I started doing this before Field's book, so here's how I look at this whole story thing...
A story is when a protagonist is forced to resolve an emotional problem in order to resolve a physical problem (sharks eating tourists, giant asteroids hurtling towards earth, whatever). The emotional conflict is tied to the plot problem.
- Bill

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]This question has to do with Syd Field's internal vs. external plot. The internal plot of Back to the Future, ... can relate more probably to wanting their GameCube than they can relate to wanting to maintain national security. Any thoughts?[/nq]
I think that what you're describing are both external problems.

What Fields is talking about (at least I think, not having read him) is the difference between the external problem that a character has to deal with and the internal need that he has to face that the external problem, on some level compels him to face in order to resolve.
In Back to the Future, Marty's internal problem is that he lacks confidence in himself a problem that he has inherited from his father. In going back in time, he changes history, so that his father doesn't meet his mother now he's in real trouble. He might not ever even come into existence.
In order to fix that, he's got to change his milk-sop younger father into a more courageous person, one who's able to face down Biff in the past and win his mother's love and in the process, Marty is forced to become a more courageous person so that in the present, his father is now a different, more confident person and so is Marty.

So the external problem dealing with the time paradox, etc. becomes an externalization of Marty's internal problem dealing with his lack of confidence. The resolution of one resolves the other.

NMS

Usenet · Answer

I dunno from Syd Field's analysis, but in my untutored view: Marty wanted to have a hot date and get laid, (away from the f-u family) thne things went HORRIBLY AWRY.
So I guess the primary story is, the teen kid wants a normal teen experience, then (part B) all **** breaks loose, and then he fixes it.

This is a *** good movie, I mean four stars.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]This is a *** good movie, I mean four stars.[/nq]
It's been a while since I saw it, but yes, it's a lot of fun. And a lot of the fun is in the tiny details.

"Get hip to the consultation of the boolawee."
- P.J. Proby

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I keep thinking of the episode of South Park where they go in search of their Game Cube. It turns ... can relate more probably to wanting their GameCube than they can relate to wanting to maintain national security. Any thoughts?[/nq]
Yeah. If you really want to be a professional screenwriter, or have any other occupation where you get paid to think, stop watching television right now while you still have a few functional neurons left. :-)

alt.flame Special Forces
"One of the odd things about evolution is why it has gone on so long, because you would have thought that any decent world would have stopped with the amoeba. It's an extraordinarily satisfying organism and we've been going into what you might call pathological complexity ever since, ending up, of course, with the Federal Reserve System." Kenneth Boulding, "The World as an Economic Region", Regional Economic Policy

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]This question has to do with Syd Field's internal vs. external plot. The internal plot of Back to the Future, ... can relate more probably to wanting their GameCube than they can relate to wanting to maintain national security. Any thoughts?[/nq]
I'm not sure South Park is something to apply movie theory to.

In the classic movies, the hero/ine has some internal thing they solve first, which then empowers them enough to win the larger external battle. Tom Hanks has to get over his thought to end it all in Cast Away before he's "delivered" a boon that gives him the last thing he needs to get off the island - a sail made from the side of a port-a-potty. We don't know the deepness of his internal problem until he goes up on the mountain to retrieve the last bit of rope he needs for the raft. It's a rope he was going to hang himself from, but he got past that darkness.

Usenet · Answer

Then again, Rocky was all about personal redemption, not winning the actual fight.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I started doing this before Field's book, so here's how I look at this whole story thing... A story is ... (sharks eating tourists, giant asteroids hurtling towards earth, whatever). The emotional conflict is tied to the plot problem. - Bill[/nq]
I like it. I make my characters jump thru
hoops. They gotta sing for their supper, so to
speak.
W : )

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]This question has to do with Syd Field's internal vs. ... can relate to wanting to maintain national security. Any thoughts?[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm not sure South Park is something to apply movie theory to. In the classic movies, the hero/ine has some ... going to hang himself from, but he got past that darkness.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
You know why I like Cast Away* so much? It wants to be a chick flick *and a guy flick all in one...and succeeds. The chick flick stuff,
of course, are the bookends of the film, and the guy stuff is when he's
on the island dealing with the slings and arrows of outrageous nature.

W : )

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I'm not sure South Park is something to apply movie ... darkness.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
[nq:1]You know why I like Cast Away* so much? It wants to be a chick flick *and a guy flick ... guy stuff is when he's on the island dealing with the slings and arrows of outrageous nature. W : )[/nq]
Yeah.
At least 35 drafts.

Syd Field, internal vs external plot

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