DESIGN ASSIGNMENT 2
The main events in each scene:
Natalie with the men (p.1-2): Natalie goes out with several different men and dumps them with rather sharp one-liners. Establishes the rules of her practice.
Natalie and Laura (3-4): Laura asks Natalie to dump Brad. Establishes who Brad is and what the stakes are.
Natalie, Jamie, and David (4-6): Introduction to Jamie and David, Natalie's support system. In this scene, we are introduced to Natalie's ex-boyfriend Kyle and she decides to take Laura's offer.
Natalie and Brad at the bar (7-end): The first meeting between the two. The main event comes when they sneak out the backdoor together.
Because Natalie is making the first move, Brad must react to her advances without seeming to "in the loop" about them. He knows she's playing him, so how can he make his movement seem spontaneous while still charming? At the same time, because a man is angry at Natalie, it provides Brad with the perfect opportunity to play the hero, per se, and whisk Natalie away, out of the restaurant and to safety. This kind of masculine heroism may provide Brad with a realism to the situation that returns later in his actual feelings for Natalie.
His objective in this scene is engrained in his reactions to her. Through his reactions - questions, body language, facial expressions, tone - Brad must convey his interest while also retained his nonchalance: all to gain Natalie's initial trust. He's supposed to be "perfect," which doesn't mean flawless, just perfect in the sense that he "seems" perfect.
Of course, Natalie is on a job though. That division between the two prevents any real connection, and will continue to plague Brad throughout the entire film as he struggles between doing his own job and being a good, honest person. This is the first scene that Brad grapples with the question, "When you are trying to seem like a good guy around Natalie, does that mean you're not actually a good guy?" Because Brad is, at his heart, a good person, this scene and all ensuing scenes when he is playing a part, really test his spine and challenge his ability to separate love from his work.