Three Good Scenes and No Bad Scenes: WHIPLASH (2014)
One of my heroes, Howard Hawks, once said, “A good movie is three good scenes and no bad scenes.” I have subscribed to that philosophy in my own work and now I’d like to look back at some good movies and think about those ”three good scenes”.
WHIPLASH (2014)
- “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job'”
The themes of WHIPLASH come together not in one of the many wildly entertaining moments when J.K. Simmons abuses Miles Teller but in a quiet conversation the two have at a jazz bar. After they’ve already had a falling out, one left school and the other was fired, teacher and student discuss the state of jazz, the world, and how to achieve greatness over a drink. Here, Simmons’ character lays out his philosophy with an anecdote about jazz legend Charlie Parker. The discussion explains why he’s been a hard ass and features the movie’s best dialog: the quotation above and a fantastic exchange where Teller suggests that perhaps the next great talent could be pushed too far and discouraged, a concept that Simmons dismisses by saying, “The next Charlie Parker would never be discouraged.” Not only does the scene spell out what the movie’s all about in a completely natural, not overbearing way, but it speaks truths about life and art that everyone, myself included, need to be reminded of.
- “Hey Nicole. It’s Andrew.”
Miles Teller’s aspiring drummer breaks up with his sweet girlfriend because he believes she doesn’t fit in his climb towards greatness. It’s a heartbreaking scene, one that hits far too close to home for me and I’m sure many ambitious creatives, but the more important scene between the two is a phone conversation which occurs much later in the movie. After hitting rock bottom, Andrew calls Nicole to see if she might attend his comeback concert. He soon learns she’s moved on, dating someone else now. Both Andrew and Nicole handle the conversation as politely as possible. It’s a poignant moment that feels so honest, so true to life. It’s the kind of scene most viewers might forget but I never will.
- “I’ll cue you.”
I realize writing this that the three “good scenes” of WHIPLASH are all in the final third of the movie. It’s a film that builds and builds till its startling climax. I believe the final scene to be one of the best, not just of its year or decade, but ever. Everyone comes to a head in those last ten minutes: Simmons gets his revenge on Teller, Teller refuses to be discouraged and takes command, Teller’s father (a perfect Paul Reiser) finally sees that his son’s love of jazz is not just a hobby, and Teller not only earns respect from Simmons but achieves greatness. And all this happens in an epic musical number. Never has a movie ended with more of a bang than this one.
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