The Kilted Writer

I just sat down to watch Pacific Rim, and within five minutes the mind, body, and spirit symbolism leaped off the screen and right into my lap. I am still watching the movie as I write this, so I have not identified the characters who represents each personality. This observation is more of a world building example. In the movie, creatures called "kaiju" are wreaking havoc on mankind. To fight them, giant machines called "jaegers" are built. The jaegers (body) turn out to be too difficult for one pilot to control, so an additional pilot is needed. In order for the pilots to operate the jaeger in unison, designers create a process that links the two pilots minds. And this is where it gets interesting. The process takes the logical and analytical left brain (mind) from one pilot and links if with the creative and imaginative right brain (spirit) of the other. The link between the two pilots is called "the drift." In order to be effective, pi...

Mind, body, and spirit characters are often used in " based on a true story " movies and stories. Apollo 13 is no different. In fact, this movie includes two sets of mind, body, and spirit characters - one set in space and one on the ground.  I've covered why mind, body, and spirit characters show up in "true story" movies in previous posts (see above). In this post, I want to focus on "motivation." On the surface, each character seems like a mind character. They all have knowledge and share information freely and they all react to conflict, especially the explosion, with knowledge, information, and procedure. Even when the procedures no longer apply because of the disaster, they start to build new procedures. All of this is mind-related behavior. In order to see the character's true natures, you have to look a little bit deeper at the characters' motivations. For this analysis, I will focus on one key motivation for each cha...

In the last post , I discussed the "parent" level of the family model of mind, body, and spirit as it relates to the popular science show, Mythbusters . Now, I will take a look at the "children" level of the model.  What's interesting about this show is that it's been on the air long enough to see the "children" mature into an independent team. In the beginning, the team did a lot of "behind-the-scenes" work, but were rarely in front of the camera. Their responsibilities were simply to build whatever was necessary. Somewhere around season four, the team moved to the front of the camera, but their responsibilities were still limited. Now, they share almost equal on-screen time and develop tests for their own myths, independent of their "parents," Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. The Mind Character: Grant Imahara Grant has a background in robotics. On the show, he is often responsible for calculations and scientific...

(Note: This post was originally written in October 2013) First, I want to thank all of you for keeping the blog's stats up while I was away. If you follow me (Kilted Writer) on Facebook, you know I was traveling for my 25th high school reunion. It was a great time, more so than I would have ever expected. Now, though, it's back to work. I want to be as prepared and up to date as possible for my presentation at the Castle Rock Writers Conference on November 23rd. Unlike previous posts, which have focused on "film and fiction" this one will look at the popular series, Mythbusters . This is not a fiction series, but it is produced for entertainment value. Now in its 14th season, I think they've succeeded. Part of that success can be seen in the interactions of the cast members as they set out to confirm or bust various "myths" from all parts of society. The chemistry between the cast members can be partially explained in terms of mind, body...

I grew up on Star Wars, Buck Rogers, and Battlestar Galactica. My friends and I would fight over who got to be Starbuck and who got to be Apollo in our recreations of battles against the Cylon "tin cans." Which is why I was absolutely appalled to find out the recent remake of the Battlestar Galactica television series featured a female Starbuck. What's worse is the sexual tension depicted between Apollo and Starbuck. That whole situation is so far removed from the original characters that it changes the whole dynamic of the series. I recently started re-watching the original series and, given the sex change, was surprised by how much of the original carried over into the remake, right down to the use of "frak." I actually gained a little more respect for the new series. As I watched the pilot episode, I immediately became aware of the mind, body, and spirit symbolism in the characters. The dynamic may be different in the remake, but here is wha...

A common question in my workshop is "Is all this mind, body, and spirit stuff an accident?" In other words, do writers intentionally include it in their work, or is it something so inherent in a good story that writers include it without even knowing they are doing so? Personally, I think some writers do it intentionally. When you read some books or series, the mind, body, and spirit symbolism is so tightly woven into the story it is hard to believe it is accidental. In other stories, though, the symbolism comes across as almost an afterthought, like in the movie Rush Hour , starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The body and spirit characters are dominant throughout the film, but when needed to push the story forward, a mind character appears.  I don't know if the mind, body, and spirit symbolism in  Rush Hour was intentional or accidental. I would like to believe it was intentional, but it doesn't have to be. It's there because it works, accide...

Like others films based on true stories I have analyzed , The Great Debaters focuses on three main characters with mind, body, and spirit characteristics. This illustrates how prominent these characteristics are in storytelling, whether the story is purely fiction or based in fact. In my workshops, I emphasize three things when it comes to using mind, body, and spirit symbolism in character development. First is the character's introduction. I had one attendee ask if she was being too 'obvious' as to her character's type in her introductory description. I referred her back to the initial character descriptions in The Three Musketeers to show that it is better to be 'obvious' when it comes to describing your mind, body, or spirit characters. The second thing I emphasize is characters reactions to conflict. Each character type has their own unique way of dealing with conflict. Finally, I emphasize character's interactions with each other. Th...

When I was a kid, I had a skateboard, but I was never good at skating, mostly because I didn't put in the work to master the necessary skills. I wanted to be like the "Z-Boys" - the Zephyr skate team who were constantly highlighted in the skating magazines of that time. Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams were gods (and still are, in some ways) of the skating world. In previous posts , I've shown how mind, body, and spirit characters are used in stories based on real people and events. Lords of Dogtown continues that illustration. The examples given in this post are from the movie, and not necessarily on actual events. The Mind Character: Stacy Peralta (John Robinson) Stacy is a character study in practicality. Early in the movie, he is watching some of the older guys surfing when one of then wipes out and gets cut. Stacy suggests he should get out of the water because of the injury, a suggestion that is not taken kindly. Stacy is the only one ...

I recently got into a discussion with a fellow writer about stories with multiple layers, subplots, etc. One of the movies we discussed was Independence Day . It had been a while since I'd seen the movie, so I could only make general observations. I couldn't even remember the characters' names - just the actors'. After the discussion, I decided to watch the movie again and do a mind/body/spirit analysis. One of the things I realized in re-watching the movie was how wrong I had been about the main plot - specifically, the "main character." Cinematically, the main character is Capt. Steve Hiller, played by Will Smith. He has all the great lines, is involved in all the action, and has a dominating presence on the screen. The main character of the story, however, is not Capt Steve Hiller. The story is really about David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum. David Levinson is a part of every major plot point and is the character who undergoes the great...

In case you haven't picked up on it, I like romantic comedies with Drew Barrymore ( Music & Lyrics , 50 First Dates , The Wedding Singer , Fever Pitch , etc.). For this post, though, I will not be focusing on her character. Instead, I will be focused on the male lead, Ben, played by Jimmy Fallon. Usually, I look at all three character types, but Ben is such a strong spirit character, I thought I would devote the entire post to him. Drew Barrymore plays Lindsey, a mind character with three friends. Two of her friends are spirit characters and one is a body character, creating the 'Lindsey' set of mind, body, and spirit. Ben is a spirit character with three friends. One of his friends does not interact enough to really nail down his character type, another is a mind character, and the third is a body character, making up the 'Ben' set of mind, body, and spirit. If you haven't seen the movie, beware of spoilers. As is my usual advice, see the mov...

In the last post , I took a look at Lucy Whitmore, her father, Marlin, and brother, Doug. They make up one mind-body-spirit triad in the movie 50 First Dates . Today, I will look at the male lead, Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) and the characters who surround him. It's been a while since I explained this, so I will review it here - I do not intend for these posts to be a review of the film or book about which I am writing. I will not, generally, go deep into the plot of the story, except where it helps in the character analysis. I will assume the reader has some familiarity with the book or film being analyzed. If you feel like you need a little more info, then please leave a comment. I'll be glad to fill in any gaps I might leave in my effort to keep these posts relatively short. The Spirit Character: Henry (Adam Sandler) Henry is a veterinarian at a local aquarium, but he has a dream to sail to Alaska where he plans to study the underwater habits of walruses. H...

50 First Dates is a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. In a previous post , I talked about two types of mind, body, and spirit use when it comes to romantic comedies. This one is the type with two sets of mind, body, and spirit characters - one on the side of the male lead and the other on the side of the female lead characters. For this portion of the analysis, I will focus on the female lead's side of the mirror. The Spirit Character: Lucy (Drew Barrymore) Lucy is an artist, a fact that should already have you thinking 'spirit character.' She comes into the same cafe every day and has waffles for breakfast. Instead of eating the waffles right away, though, she makes little cabins or tepees with them. When she meets Henry (Adam Sandler), who is a veterinarian at a local aquarium, one of the first things she notices is that is hands smell like fish. Normally this would be off-putting (Henry even says, 'Fish don't even like...

One story plot you see many times in the movies is the bad (insert authority figure) who is transformed into a good (insert authority figure), usually through his or her interactions with mind, body, and spirit characters. In Real Steel , Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Benton, a bad father who is transformed into a good father through his interactions with mind, body, and spirit characters. The Mind Character: Max Benton (Dakota Goyo) Max is Charlie Benton's son, but has been living with his mother his entire life. When Max's mother dies, he goes to spend the summer with Charlie. When he discovers Charlie is a robot boxer, Max is excited and starts talking about various robot fights he's seen or read about. When Charlie's new robot seems to be malfunctioning, Max speaks to it in Japanese and the robot responds. When Charlie takes his new robot to fight, Max argues they should play it safe, take an undercard, and win a little money rather than taking the ...

In the previous post about The Mentalist , I described how the 'team,' collectively, was the body character in one layer of mind, body and spirit. In this post, I will discuss how the 'team,' individually, make up a second layer of mind, body, and spirit. This form of layering is fairly common in depictions of families in film and fiction. Shows like Family Ties or Joan of Arcadia have the same kind of construct, with the mother and father as mind and spirit and the children as the body in the first layer. The children, individually, then make up the second layer of mind, body, and spirit. The Mind Character: Kimball Cho (Tim Kang) One of the classic cop mind characters is Joe Friday. His famous line, 'Just the facts, ma'am,' defines the mind character mentality. Kimball Cho is Joe Friday with a comic twist, but even then, the comic lines are delivered with an air of seriousness. Cho doesn't like to get involved in side issues when...

In the television series, 'The Mentalist,' Simon Baker plays former 'psychic' Patrick Jane. When a serial killer named Red John kills his family, he joins a special crimes unit with the California Bureau of Investigations where he uses his special talents of observation to help solve cases, all the while keeping Red John on his mind. The investigative team illustrates mind, body, and spirit very well. There are two layers that I will discuss in two separate posts. The same friend who lent us The Big Bang Theory lent us the first season of The Mentalist , so these posts will be based on the first season. The Mind Character: Agent Theresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) Agent Lisbon is a typical cop mind character. Things like 'chain-of-command' and 'rule of law' are important to her when they are investigating a crime. A lot of conflict within the unit comes between Lisbon, who expects her orders to be obeyed, and Jane, who plays by his own rul...

In a previous post , I talked about using pilots as spirit characters. 'Sky Captain' Joe Sullivan is yet another example. In fact, all the characters in this film are in roles that fit their character types. This film also includes a very limited use of the body character. She only shows up when 'muscle' is needed to break into the antagonist's lair. The Body Character: Francesca/Franky (Angelina Jolie) Franky gets very little screen time, but the time she has is all about military might. She is the commander of a floating outpost providing squadrons of fighting vessels that ultimately allow Sky Captain to break into the island fortress of the antagonist, 'Totenkopf.' Military leaders are often depicted as body characters. Franky was also the object of an affair Joe had at some point in the past. This affair, which Joe denies through most of the movie, happened while he was  dating a reporter named Polly Perkins. The Mind Character: P...

(Note: This post was originally written in February 2013. I have since seen more episodes and more seasons of this show and some things have definitely changed, especially with the introduction of Amy and Bernadette.)   I don't subject myself to any form of broadcast television. I watch what I want to watch, when I want to watch it...with no commercial interruptions. Being self-employed, I have no 'water cooler' to hang around, so being a little behind the times with the latest TV episodes it not much of a bother for me. Recently, a friend lent me the first season of The Big Bang Theory on DVD. As I watched the first couple of episodes, the mind-body-spirit picture began to take shape. The analysis here is based only on the characters and episodes introduced in the first season. The Mind Character: Sheldon ( Jim Parsons) Sheldon is what I call a 'pivot' character. He is the mind character in the Penny/Leonard/Sheldon trio, but he is also the mind...

Steven Spelberg's 1985 movie, The Goonies , is full of mind, body, and spirit symbolism. I will only address the three main characters here, but I recommend you watch the film and see the various layers of mind, body, and spirit at play. Even if you are not into that kind of analysis, you should watch it, anyway, just to see the on-screen debut of Josh Brolin. The Body Character: Chunk (Jeff Cohen) The movie opens with a police chase through town. Various characters are shown reacting (or not reacting) to the scene as it passes them by. Chunk is in a pizza joint/arcade and sprints to the window to see what's happening. He presses his hands to the window, forgetting he has a slice of pizza in one hand and a milkshake in the other. Chunk is very distracted by food. As the group approaches the bad guys' hideout, he frets over the danger until he sees an old soft drink cooler. All of the danger he might be feeling is wiped away by, 'Soda Pop!' Later,...

Here's another romantic comedy that relies heavily on mind, body, and spirit interactions. This movie actually has three layers of mind, body, and spirit - the main characters, Peter Colt's family, and...well, see if you can find the third. The Mind Character: Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) Peter Colt introduces himself as the 119th-ranked tennis player in the world. To him, this only means there are 118 players who are younger, stronger, and faster. As a result, he doesn't dream about being better. Instead, he plans on a happy retirement and a cushy job as a pro at a tennis club. As he prepares for his first match at Wimbledon, he goes over everything that got him there: 1000 balls/day, 365 days/year - 6 million balls and "it all comes done to this." After he serves an ace, he says, "Another 71 like it and you've got it in the bag." In a later round, when he is injured, he doesn't dig deep into his soul to find the will to win. He...

Here is another case of a true story being told using mind, body, and spirit characters . In this case, a fourth character is transformed by the other three. You can look back at my post about ' We Are Marshall ' and ' Rudy ' for more information about real-life stories and mind, body, and spirit characters. In this film, a number of different names are used for each character. For example, King George VI (Colin Firth) is also called 'Albert,' 'Bertie,' or 'the Duke of York.' For this analysis, I will use the royal names George (for King George VI), Edward (for King Edward VIII, George's brother), and Elizabeth (for George's wife - not his daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II). The Spirit Character: Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) Elizabeth is depicted in this film as the perfect supportive spouse. At one point in the film, she describes how she refused George's first two marriage proposals because she didn't...