Forced to do dumb things

People do dumb things all the time. In stories, however, when characters do ignorant, dumb, stupid things it rips the audience right out of the story and they collectively sit back and groan. A few examples from movies I've recently seen include: a cab driver still driving (and weaving wildly) after someone falls onto his roof and grabs on by sheer accident, cops shooting at a fleeing suspect while on a crowded street, cops shooting a suspect while the bad guy holds a baby hostage to his chest, security guards firing into a crowded boardroom to stop a loose animal, and the ever popular scared person investigating a noise without any weapon at hand. I could name the movies, but these choice moments are multiple offenders and are seen all over the story map.

 

You see, the problem with these dumb acts isn't so much that they're stupid and wrong. No, the problem is people simply wouldn't do them without very precise motivation underlying their actions. The writer wanted tension and so forced the characters to behave unnaturally. The audience will notice and will immediately pass beyond the story, criticizing it rather than enjoying it. It breaks the implicit trust the audience has made with the author. All of my examples could work fine, but only if the characterization had a good reason. Normal people would pull over (or slam on the brakes) if someone fell on their roof. Cops certainly wouldn't endanger innocent lives by firing wildly at a fleeing suspect (and, many times the suspect hasn't done anything worth dying for in the first place). When you're scared you won't blithely investigate suspicious sounds without arming yourself, unless you have no other choice.

 

Audiences are enjoying the story to escape reality for a time. That's the goal. It's basic escapism. Even history is a way of leaving the present behind and leaping through a time portal. They want to connect with the main characters. So, when the characters behave unrealistically it pulls them away and causes the audience to moan in frustration. The desired tension doesn't develop because the audience isn't connecting with the characters any more. The trust is lost, and it might take the rest of the story to get it back. Why lose it in the first place?

 

I often sit back and wonder, "Would <place name here> actually do this? Or am I forcing them to do something stupid?" If you have any doubt, then the answer is likely, "yes," and you need to do some re-writing. It's well worth the effort.

 

- M