Expert: Barry Pearson - 11/26/2008

Question
As a screenplay writer I hope you could give me some insight into the Drama genre. While watching the trailer of the new movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" my friend became upset that this movie is an unbelievable drama. His definition of drama is a movie that is trying to convince you that this can really happen. Therefore since this movie is portrayed as actually happening while having an element of Science Fiction (the man ages in reverse) it cannot be a drama. Would my friend's opinion be correct on this matter? Or can a film actually be a Drama while having an unbelievable, Science Fiction element to it?

Answer
Hi Joseph

What your friend has espoused as his definition of "drama" is really a definition of a subspecies of drama called "naturalistic drama," in which everything portrayed strives to achieve credibility through its versimilitude to real life.

In the broadest sense, "drama" has been defined as "performed literature."

Consider these excerpts about the meaning of drama from Wikipedia

*1.Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance.[1] The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action."*

*2. The use of "drama" in the narrow sense to designate a specific type of play dates from the 19th century. Drama in this sense refers to a play that is neither a comedy nor a tragedy.*

For a further expansion on the topic of movie genres, visit my genres page at my website Create Your Screenplay.

http://www.createyourscreenplay.com/genres.htm

Your friend might be mollified to learn that the typical structure of mainstream movies mixes genres, so that most movies we see have 2 or 3 genre streams in them.  Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that *Benjamin Button* combined Drama with Science Fiction.  The other thing your friend might ponder is the that Hollywood has never obeyed any "creative rules."  The rationale for that practice has merit -- to obey creative rules is to court creative death.

Thanks for a provocative question.

Barry