LET'S MAKE A DISNEY MOVIE PT2 (Patreon)

In the previous post, part of my brainstorming for a live action remake of The Rescuers, I summarised the two movies and the first book to provide a basis of the remake. Now I will attempt to break it down into a movie format. I don't plan to go any further than a beat by beat rundown of the plot, I'm not actually going to script this movie. But I'm using this as an exercise in terms of movie structure.

"Save The Cat" is a book by Blake Snyder that breaks down much of script writing and it's structure. It has been met with some criticism but I'm going to use his beat cheat sheet to plan out this movie.

Set-Up > Theme > Catalyst > Debate > Choosing Act Two > B Story > Fun & Games > Midpoint > Bad Guys Close In > All Is Lost > Dark Night Of The Soul > Choose Act Three > Finale > Finale Image

Set-Up: This is the "before" world of the character. Who they are and what life's currently like. I'm going to use the book as the inspiration for the story, so we're seeing life of the Rescuers before the Rescue Aid Society was ever formed, and how the mice dwell in a prison and do little acts of kindness to make the prisoners's lives better.

In "Save The Cat", Snyder suggests there are 10 basic movie plots that movies fall into. This movie is a Golden Fleece, the story of a mouse venturing off to find something but finds something more important. This is also the plot of many heist or adventure movies, so the characters are always pro-active and know their mission. So this is a kids film of course, so we need a chase to kick things off with. 

So lets have a mouse running through the halls of the prison carrying a ham sandwich in their mouth while chased by a prison guard. Chance here for a bit of slapstick. The other mice provide directions and support to the fleeing mouse. Go left! Turn right! No wait, go back, find another way in! Why is this not Bernard doing the running? Because we're seeing him before he's done anything brave. He's part of the look out team who is meant to help the fleeing mouse, but he's not concentrating. "I'm not ready for this! I'm just a mouse, I'm not a- LOOK OUT!!" The mouse stops suddenly, so suddenly the sandwich rips away from it's mouth and falls down a vent, wasted. All it has now is a crust. It looks to Bernard- "Um, there's a ladder. It's bad luck to go under a ladder" "I'll show YOU bad luck!!" But while the mice bicker the guard catches up and is about the attack the mouse when - WHAM - he runs into the ladder, giving the mouse the break it needs to get away. But still, all that effort for a lousy crust. Everyone's mad at Bernard.

Theme: What is the movie about? What is the character's truth?

Here we finally introduce what the mice do. The crust is brought to a prisoner who is being imprisoned in isolation, without being allowed food, by the cruel-hearted warden. The mice help people and make their lives better. Because even a small act of kindness can change someone's life. Bernard believes this with all his heart, but he lacks confidence in himself. What can he really do, he's just a mouse. I mean it's not like he's Nils, the world's greatest mouse. He's Bernard, the world's less-than-average mouse.

Catalyst: Just then, something different happens. The mice are in a flurry, there's a new prisoner? Hang on, new prisoner's aren't due until next week, what's this? It's... It's just one new prisoner? That's strange, usually there's several at the same time. But that's not the strangest thing. This prisoner... is a child! The mice struggle to process this. This is an adult prison, no child should be here. Word reaches them that the child was trying to break in? Seems to be the child of the prisoner being isolated. Rather than report this to anyone, the warden plans to use the child to break the prisoner's spirit. 

This throws Bernard for a spin. This is wrong! This cannot be. Something must be done. But what can he do, he's just a mouse... unless...

Debate: Bernard thinks the unthinkable. What if they got helped the child escape? The mice are furious, this goes against all their traditions! Only one mouse has ever done it before, it can never be done again. Bernard decides he has to do something. He may only be a mouse, but he knows who to find. The only mouse who has ever succeeded help someone escape. The greatest mouse in the world: Nils.

Choosing Act Two: Bernard heads to the roof of the prison. He has never travelled further than the prison walls but now he will venture forth in search of the wonder-mouse. Word has it he lives in Mexico. Bernard spots a seagull peaking on the roof. He approaches cautiously and asks if the gull would fly him to Mexico. "What do I look like, a taxi? I can't fly that far, you'd need a plane". The gull tells him that there is a mouse travelling to Mexico today. An ambassador. Bernard can hitch a ride with him.

B-Story: Bernard arrives at the ambassador's penthouse and locates the cage. He climbs inside and encounters a strange white mouse, who shrieks at the stranger's presence. "Calm down Miss Martina" says another voice. It's Miss Bianca. "We have a guest. You do not need to shriek at him" "It is a stranger! He broke in!" Eventually Bernard explains the situation. Miss Bianca nods and says "Ok, I'm in" Bernard and Martina both respond with "What?!" "Of course, I will come too. I cannot allow that poor child to suffer in that awful place." Bernard tries to dissuade her, but her mind is made up. 

Fun & Games: Bernard and Miss Bianca travel to and through Mexico in search of Nils the wonder-mouse. There will be lots of small moments, little obstacles and characters that need help with their own problems.

Midpoint: Bernard finds Nils... but he's a total disappointment. He's a loser. He reveals he never freed anyone, that was just a rumour. He tried to but the human was caught again. Nils couldn't face going back for him so he escaped without him and has been living in regret ever since. But what could he do, he was just a mouse. This revelation breaks Bernard's faith.

Bad Guys Close In: Bernard & Miss Bianca fight

All Is Lost: They go their separate ways

Dark Night Of The Soul: Bernard has nowhere to go. No-one to turn to. Can he even go back empty handed? Maybe he should just live like Nils, a big loser.

Choosing Act Three: Bernard & Miss Bianca make amends and decide to save the child themselves.

Finale: They return to the prison and stage a big prison break plan. There's elements from the Fun and Games repeated here but escalated, as well as the look out mice providing directions. They're able to outwit the guards and warden and open the imprisoned child. But the child refuses to leave. Bernard decides it's time to speak to the child. "But that's against the rules" "Well, we've already broken a lot of rules. What's one more." He's the first mouse to speak to a human child. The child says he wants to get his dad. They help him reach his dad but the dad explains he cannot leave. If he does, he will be shot by guards. This isn't something that a quick fix will solve. It will take time and a lot of little acts. He shuts the cage door on himself just as back up arrives and discover a child! What's a child doing here? The warden's reputation is ruined.

Final Image: The mice form the Rescue Aid Society and dedicate themselves to helping children all over the country, with Bernard and Miss Bianca as founding members. Not bad for a mouse!

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So obviously there's chunks missing, especially in the latter half. It also needs more involvement from the warden and the child, a redemption arc for Nils and some kind of perilous urgency, like someone chasing them through Mexico. But that's what I've planned out so far!

Do you guys have any thoughts or suggestions? Let me know!