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Grief and Plot Choices in ‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them’

By Susan Kouguell · September 16, 2014

The theme of grief prevails in this love story about the once happily married couple Conor (James McAvoy) and Eleanor (Jessica Chastain) in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them. The disparate ways in which Conor and Eleanor handle their bereavement after a tragedy is the central conflict of the story; their grief tears them apart and the couple separates. This grief is the catalyst that drives the narrative forward, and it is also the elephant in the room.  The tragedy is unspeakable — literally — neither Conor nor Eleanor are able to speak about the death of their young child.

It is never revealed exactly how or when their child died, or if anyone was at fault. This was a deliberate choice writer/director Ned Benson made when developing this story.

Not detailing the when, how or why, in a screenplay can be risky. There are pros and cons to this type of choice; some readers might feel that they have been cheated while others might feel satisfied. The bottom line is this: The risk can be lessened if your characters are well-developed and their motivations for their actions and attitudes towards each other are clear.

Following the screening of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them at the Paris Theater in New York City on September 13, there was a Q & A with the two leads, James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain, moderated by film critic Thelma Adams.

I asked Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy about Ned Benson’s choice not to reveal what happened to the couple’s child.

McAvoy: “Benson wanted the film to be about two people healing and carrying on after a tragedy. The film would not be any greater knowing the cause of death.”

Chastain: “I’m grateful Ned Benson didn’t expand upon it. I saw Eleanor as a wounded animal; if the animal is hurt they’re going to bite you. For Eleanor, the only way she can survive is to move forward. Sometimes you just can’t talk about the grief. For her, if she talks about it, she’s back in the water.” 

Leaving the question to what happened to their son unanswered, was a thought-provoking decision for writer/director Ned Benson, but a satisfying choice for both Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, who concluded his response to my question, “Life happens in life.”

 

Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Susan Kouguell teaches screenwriting at Purchase College and is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a motion picture consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and industry executives worldwide. (www.su-city-pictures.com).  Her short films are in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection and archives, and were included in the Whitney Museum’s Biennial. Kouguell worked with Louis Malle on And the Pursuit of Happiness, was a story analyst and story editor for many studios, wrote voice-over narrations for (Harvey Weinstein) Miramax and over a dozen feature assignments for independent companies. Susan wrote THE SAVVY SCREENWRITER: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself) Without Selling Out! and SAVVY CHARACTERS SELL SCREENPLAYS! A comprehensive guide to crafting winning characters with film analyses and screenwriting exercises, available at $1.00 off on https://www.createspace.com/3558862 and using DISCOUNT CODE: G22GAZPD.  On Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SB8Z7M (discount code does not apply). Follow Susan at Su-City Pictures, LLC Facebook fan page and SKouguell on Twitter, and read more articles on her blog: http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog/