CHOCOLAT
Chocolat
is a textbook example of the "traveling angel" story
form that I talk about in the Comedy Class. It also
shows us the dangers of following the textbook so
rigidly you suck all the life out of the story. This
writer hits every technique found in traveling angel
films like Mary Poppins, including the "angel's" arrival
on a strong wind that changes the town forever.
This
story does add an element rarely found in traveling
angel stories, which is that the angel has a ghost
and weaknes of her own. But this form is about bringing
magic, style and fun into restricted lives, so the
worst thing you can do is make one of these stories
predictable. Unfotunately this one is.
A
useful lesson when doing any genre story: Hit the
beats but do them in a twisted and original way.
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