A few weeks ago, My brother and I watched CODA (spoilers ahead), the Oscar winner in 2021. I was shocked to find an extremely formulaic film. The Oscars usually reward films that subvert the traditional formula in some artsy way.

CODA may have followed a familiar storytelling pattern. Still, it hit all the right notes and had me thinking about the fundamentals of a good story: The push and pull between the internal and external world.

The story follows Ruby—a not-so-popular high school student who is the only member of her family who is not deaf. Her family works a fishing boat for income and depend on her to translate their sign language and navigate the politics of the fishing business.

But she has a secret. She can sing. Like, really belt it.

She is unaware of her talent because her family can’t hear her when she sings, and she is generally self-conscious because her family situation delayed her speaking abilities.

She accidentally stumbles into the school’s choir practice, and the teacher quickly hears her talent. She is signed up to sing a duet with a boy-toy love interest. At first, she is genuinely happy to add a new passion to her life.

However, good times don’t last. 

Soon, her family is frustrated because they can’t rely on her during a turbulent time in the fishing business because she is spending time singing. Her love interest betrays her by spreading an embarrassing story about her family. The choir teacher is frustrated by her poor attendance record.

The tension builds between her increasingly separate lives. Just when it feels unbearable, her love interest convinces her to give him another chance, and they share a beautiful afternoon at the lake. It ends with a kiss on top of a log. 

As a viewer, I felt that familiar feeling. Relief. This poor girl finally has something go her way. But, I turned to my brother and said, “Something will go horribly wrong in 10..9..8..7..6.” 

Sure enough, in less than 5 seconds of film time, she comes home to find out her family will have their fishing boat taken away. And it’s her fault.

This beat in the story is called the ‘False Dawn.’ As a viewer, you want the hero to get some relief. You want the external world to give her something. You are tired of watching her struggle with no end in sight.

But, deep down, it would be unsatisfying if the good time lasted. If the film ended there, it would be a let down. 

Why? …Because what we crave in a story is internal change. Internal development. Internal growth. That’s what puts our butts in the seats!

The external world kicks the hero right in the kiester to get them to start the journey. The hero keeps trying to solve the problem without changing themselves. The external world piles problems on problems. Pushing the hero deeper and deeper. The tension builds. Further and further down. 

It’s only in the darkest of night that we can no longer ignore it. There will be no quick fix. The external world will never give that to us. We have to change ourselves—the part we hold onto tightest. The part we never thought we could change. The part we are ashamed of.

Once the hero embraces the change, we are finally ready for the climactic resolution. This is where the hero’s growth transcends the individual and transforms the world. 

I won’t spoil Ruby’s internal change in this post. But I hope some readers watch the film and try to figure it out.

My brother asked me if knowing the formula made watching films less enjoyable. While self-awareness can be annoying, it’s no different than knowing that pop songs are usually structured: intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus. 

I love the patterns. And all the details matter anyway. There are infinite ways to arrange the details.

What does storytelling have to do with our lives anyway? It’s easy to notice that life doesn’t always have a Hollywood ending. Our own stories don’t follow the formula in a consistent or predictable fashion. They zig and zag. Go up when we think they will go down and vice versa. 

Sometimes, you must ignore all the noise and recognize the most critical pattern of being. 

It is only through internal change that we can change the world. The external world may be chaotic, but it is just a reflection of the chaos within our souls.

Life Update: Hurricanes follow me everywhere. It wasn’t too bad in Atlanta; there was just a lot of rain.

I made a fool of myself on the dance floor at my awesome friend Barbara’s beautiful wedding in Detroit. Hopefully, at least one photo of me embarrassing myself on the dance floor is coming.