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A story can’t tolerate more than one theme
- Dara Marks, Inside Story : The Power of the Transformational Arc
While I agree, Diablo Cody’s Juno seems to break this rule.
If you watch the movie, read the screenplay, or search the internet, they all indicate Maturity as Juno's primary theme. However, the climax focuses on Perfectionism instead.
Diablo Cody manages to explore two major themes in her story while still maintaining clarity for the audience.
How did she do it?
Read on to discover how you can incorporate multiple themes into your screenplays.
There can be only One (Primary Theme)
Your entire screenplay builds towards a single event : the Third Act climax.
In Act One you setup both sides of your belief system and ask a single Thematic Question. In Act Two, you explore the argument. And in Act Three, your Hero’s choice triggers the thematic revelation in the audience.
It takes the form of : thesis, antithesis, synthesis.
But what would happen if we asked more than one Thematic Question?
- In Act One, you need to establish multiple belief systems and thematic questions. This requires a significant amount of effort, not just from the writer, but also from the audience. If not executed correctly, the viewer may become confused or disoriented.
- In Act Two, the complexity of the story continues to grow, and the viewer must work overtime to keep up.
- During Act Three, the screenwriter is tasked with answering the Thematic Questions. As a result, the Hero will now have multiple choices to make. To provide the audience with a satisfying experience, there will need to be more than one climax and thematic revelation.
- Each climax would detract from the others, and the overall impact of the story's climax would be fragmented and diluted.
A single primary theme, like the main character's solitary desire line, keeps the audience focused and allows the story to build to its climax.
This leads us to an interesting question: How do we know which theme is primary in a screenplay?
It’s all about Choice!
In most screenplays, the primary theme is identified by the choice the Hero makes in the third Act, and the resolution of the character arc.
Diablo Cody asks the Thematic Question : Do relationships have to be perfect to work?
At the Third Act climax, Juno faces an impossible choice: become a teenage mother or give her child up for adoption to single parent Vanessa. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it requires Juno to change her core beliefs in order to accept an imperfect relationship.
Juno starts the story believing that relationships must be perfect, but over the course of the screenplay, she changes. She learns to accept single mother Vanessa as the adoptive parent.
Although Perfectionism is the primary theme, Diablo Cody chooses to leave it in the background during the first act.
Making Room for Maturity
There is an entertaining scene in the first act of Juno that conveys the theme of maturity through subtext.
During a science class, two teenagers have a domestic argument as if they are husband and wife. We laugh at the reversal of roles. This behavior of teenagers behaving like adults becomes a major theme explored in the Second Act.
Juno will be forced into adulthood as a teenage mother, while Mark, the adoptive father, wants to return to his man-cave to relive his youth.
We’ve established Diablo Cody explores the two major themes in her screenplay : Maturity and Perfectionism.
So how do they work together?
Themes in Perfect Harmony
Two major themes can coexist in a screenplay by attaching them to independent story structures and characters actions.
Juno’s character arc carries the theme of Perfectionism, while Maturity is explored through the antagonist, Mark. Both characters are competing for the same goal : to reclaim their youth. As a result, the theme of maturity is also reflected in Juno's stakes.
In the third act, the theme of Maturity is pushed to the background so it doesn’t compete with the primary theme of Perfectionism. Additionally, in an unusual story structure choice, the antagonist is missing from the third act climax.
During the third act, Juno's father explains that while not perfect, his marriage to her stepmom works. Juno's transformation of beliefs, change, and character arc are now ready for the climax and impossible choice.
On a side note...
The Power to Influence the Audience
Although it is pure speculation, the screenplay of Juno serves as a valuable lesson in the power of themes and their ability to shape the audience’s perceptions.
The first act strongly focuses on the theme of maturity, which distracts us from a viewpoint that the writer, Diablo Cody, did not intend for us to take: that teenagers from broken homes often end up getting pregnant outside of marriage. As the story explores the impact of divorce on Juno, the audience is increasingly likely to connect it to her pregnancy.
As a screenwriter, you have the ability to influence the thoughts and feelings of your audience with every beat of your story.
Explore Multiple Themes in your Screenplays
Diablo Cody clearly demonstrates that attaching themes to clear independent screenwriting structures, such as character arc, character, and stakes, prevents the audience from becoming confused and disoriented.
As a screenwriter, you can explore any themes you like, but you must push forward the character arc theme at the climax. This will give your audience a clear single focus. When your hero experiences the thematic revelation, the audience will do the same, and the story will take on a deeper meaning.
After you’ve given your screenplay to readers for notes and feedback, write down the thematic revelation you expect the audience to have. Then ask your readers what they think the deeper thematic message is from your story.
Comparing and closing the gap between your expectations and what the viewer experiences will take your screenplay to the next level.
See you soon…!
