My best friends and I do a LOT of stupid stuff together and we have fun no matter what. Forget "I'll look back on these memories fondly,"... I'm loving making them RIGHT NOW. In fact, the best people I picture to play the best friends in my short film are my best friend (Gio) and I (but I'll save that for a later post on casting/character development and whatnot).
So, I'm looking at movies that really nail female friendships in comedy:
Booksmart (2019) is pure gold in this genre. It follows two academically overachieving girls, Molly and Amy, who realize they've taken high school way too seriously. The night before graduation they try to make up for any high school experiences they've missed out on.. in 24 hours. The movie is a really fun watch and is absolute chaos.
The girls' dynamic might appear to be very "extra" or over the top, but it's pretty real if you ask me. Their conversations go one of 3 ways:
1) being VERY supportive of each other's outfits, hyping the other up like they're on the red carpet (the scene I've embedded above is an example of this)
2) arguing over the DUMBEST thing ever
3) both within a 5-minute timeframe
I also took notice to the way the comedy is shot. There's a slo-mo sequence of the girls getting ready, making them look like movie stars (it's very dramatic). But then it's cut off when Amy's Dad does what Dads do.. and starts recording them and calling them his "special girls," noticing how they're all grown up. The balance between the dramatic "spell" and the harsh cut to reality is precisely what I plan to do for my breakup montage. It's very serious on purpose, and the more cinematic I make it, the more it will contrast with the real "boring" breakup.
The other day I was thinking about a specific element I want to include in the montage actually..
When I was younger, I remember a very specific scene from the show Bunk'd. One of the characters, Lou, does a spoken word dance and it is absolutely hilarious. I couldn't get the exact clip from the show, but below is a sample of the style of poetry.
*DISCLAIMER*: I am in no way, shape, or form making fun of this style of art. The video I've embedded above is a beautiful performance included for context so that those who are unfamiliar with the scene I am referencing can get an idea. My intention with implementing this in the montage scene is that it is overly dramatic for the context. There is no reason that the girl needs to prepare an interpretative dance to break up with her boyfriend.
Moving on! The next text I researched that expresses female friendships is Derry Girls. The show is set at a Catholic school in Northern Ireland in the 1990s and follows a group of schoolgirls who blow every minor inconvenience way out of proportion. The comedic timing is impeccable.
My main takeaway from what I've watched of this is that the humor comes from escalation. A simple misunderstanding turns into full-blown hysteria within seconds. One character makes a dumb decision, and instead of anyone stopping them, the rest of the group doubles down. That’s exactly the kind of energy I want in my short film—where the best friend character isn’t just helping with the breakup rehearsals but actively making them more unhinged.
For example, one of my favorite Derry Girls moments is when the girls fake a miracle to impress some nuns, only for it to spiral into an elaborate production. They never stop to question if they should; they’re too busy perfecting the performance. That’s the energy I need in my film—where the best friend treats the breakup rehearsals like a full Broadway production, complete with props, lighting, and maybe even a musical number.
With all this in mind, I’m getting closer to locking in the tone and pacing for my short film. I can’t wait to experiment with these ideas in pre-production and show the best parts of having a best friend
Until the next one… :)
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