The 2020 release Buffaloed, written by Brian Sacca, follows small-time hustler Peg. Played by Zoey Deutch, she’s hounded by debt collectors due to her fees and fines from past arrests. Peg quickly realizes she makes a better salesman/shakedown artist than the yamokes calling her. She enters into the debt collecting game and soon finds herself in over her head, dealing with rival agencies, desperate clients, and a charming prosecutor tracking her moves.
Buffaloed in many ways fits the Sundance model. Its quirky crime story keeps in step with where mainstream American indie cinemas lives these days. We explore strange subcultures. Characters learn lessons and grow up. Quick banter keeps the pace moving. But today we examine the main character.
Write the Part an Actor Needs to Play
As emerging screenwriters, we often focus on the goal in front of us. Get representation. Win that contest. Even, fingers crossed, sell that script. You can forget the script isn’t the end goal. A movie is. And outside studio blockbusters, one of the most reliable ways to find financing and get your movie made is by having talent attached. And how do you do that? By writing a part an actor needs to play.
That doesn’t mean a badass spouting off one-liners. Actors want an interesting, conflict-filled role. Whether they appear in one scene or the whole movie, they’re making interesting choices and driving the story forward. A character who you watch (or read) and think I haven’t seen that before. Something can make a meal out of.
In the case of Buffaloed, we’re talking about main character Peg. Almost every scene Peg has, we see her hustling. The character constantly tries to find the best angle and then make that happen – which means we get to watch Peg (and by extension Zoey) use every bit of wit, charm, and ingenuity to succeed. It requires a huge range and the ability to anchor focus at every turn. Deutch more than meets the task, but you can see why she would want to play Peg.
Peg’s hustling also keeps getting her into trouble. Every decision leads to a worse situation – not only is Peg driving the movie, but she also doesn’t repeat herself thanks to each new circumstance she lands in. And the constant interpersonal conflict – with her old boss, her new employees, her prosecutor boyfriend, or her ethical mom and brother – ensures the scenes have spark and energy to them.
Pegs wants things. And she works hard to get them. Which keeps us entertained.
Applying To Your Own Writing
Take a good look at your main character. Consider what makes them interesting. Not backstory, not circumstance, but what they do, on screen, in your movie. Are they making interesting choices? Driving the plot? In meaningful conflict with the people they know?
In short, why should someone want to play your main character?
And if the character is interesting to play, then they’ll also be interesting to read. Which can only help your story.