Imagining Before Twilight, the Sequel to Before Midnight

As the title suggests, this entry will mainly consist of me entertaining a few thoughts on a tentative sequel to Richard Linklater's Before Midnight, Before Twilight. It's very possible that this sequel will never happen. And it's also possible that it won't be titled Before Twilight. But given how Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke have been floating around some ideas, I'd like to believe it's not too distant a possibility.

Instead of focusing on the directorial execution in a film, which is what I've been doing here, I'll stick to the script for a change. Screenplays are less exciting to break down and feel (at least in my opinion) because words are first thought and then felt whereas images are felt instantaneously with no adulteration. But it'd still be fun to speculate on a "plot" and write out a scene or two that flesh out that speculation. Put another way, let's take a close look at what happened in Before Midnight and then fancy a scene or two that could take place in the sequel. 

Maybe you don't really care about what I think could happen in a movie that might not ever happen. But I think if you're reading this, there's a good chance you enjoyed my previous posts and the subject wouldn't bore you too much. Especially if you're also curious about what Jesse and Celine are up to right now and where they would be in the future. 

Anyways, the first thing the trio -- Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke -- has to figure out before writing the sequel is whether Jesse and Celine are still together. If they are still together, Linklater would most likely start the movie with the two on the verge of breaking up and end it with them reaffirming their commitment to each other just like in Before Midnight. The reason is conflict always provides fertile ground for drama in storytelling. That said, the trio might not be interested in revisiting the same arc again.  

What I think they would do -- or at least what I would do if I was in Linklater's position -- is have Jesse and Celine already separated at the beginning of the movie. In Before Sunrise, Linklater explored two people falling for each other. In Before Sunset, Linklater explored two people reigniting their passion for each other after losing touch. And in Before Midnight, Linklater explored two people learning to cope with their differences, which were all the more pernicious because of all the similarities they shared. The theme progressed with each film. It's only natural that Linklater would continue that pattern with the sequel. 

If Linklater does indeed decide to start the sequel with Jesse and Celine broken up, he would have plenty of subtext from Before Midnight to build on. 

Celine's problem with Jesse is that she thinks Jesse doesn't believe in them enough and that he'll eventually leave her. Celine explicitly refers to her romanticism as "silly" or "stupid" several times throughout the movie. What she really means is that she feels like she's the only one in the relationship that still cares. She feels as if Jesse is merely going through the motions. The very first time we see this is the time when Celine asks Jesse the train question (link). And to Celine, there's a perfect explanation: Jesse will eventually leave her. (It doesn't help that he slept with "that lady" who wrote that "The Grand Commander is the deepest passage of all of Russian literature.")

There are a number of lines that hint at Celine's deep rooted resentment towards Jesse for his lack of commitment: "Oh my God. This is where it ends ... This is how it happens. You're unhappy, you blame it on the other person. Resentment grows;" "He dreams of having a bimbo for a wife. Dreams;" "I have a question for you. If we didn't have the girls and all our crap, would be even still be together?" 

Obviously, the lines above don't show the full picture. But they give a general idea of how Celine is unhappy with Jesse.

Jesse doesn't necessarily have a problem with Celine. It would be more accurate to say Jesse's behaviors are capable of bringing out the worst in Celine. Mainly his selfishness and self-involvement. And it's Celine's worst instincts that Jesse experiences trouble containing. 

In short, if Jesse and Celine are to be broken up by the beginning of the sequel, the cause for the break up would be twofold: Celine's deteriorating trust in Jesse and Jesse's inability to handle Celine's acerbic attacks and aloofness. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where Jesse became more self-involved and where Celine became increasingly difficult for Jesse with Jesse ultimately leaving Celine. 

What would be a Linklateresque opening scene to this sequel? Probably a scene where Jesse and Celine are dropping off their daughters at college. The entire way there they would be talking to their daughters but not to each other. That way, the audience can fill in the blanks on what has happened to their relationship. Whether in fiction or real life, a silence can be worth a thousand words. Like how a two month silence from the London School of Economics can make someone think they've been rejected when they'd actually get in. 

After they drop off their daughters, Jesse and Celine could have a conversation that perhaps shapes up like this: 

CELINE

                         Jesse, there's nothing I want to say and

                         there's nothing you can say that'll change

                         my mind. 

JESSE

                         Look, I know I messed up. Can we at least

                         try to have a conversation? Is it just

                         completely out of the realm of possibility

                         that we can talk through this?

CELINE

                         You're the one who didn't want to talk

                         about our problems last time. Remember? I

                         asked you specifically if there were

                         personal issues you want to sort through.

                         But you blamed everything on your work. You

                         always say you want to talk. But you never

                         do. 

JESSE

                         Do you think I enjoy hurting you? Did it

                         ever occur to you that you're not the only
                         one that was hurting? I'm sorry about all
                         the ways that I fucked up. If I could take
                         back all the mistakes I made, I would. But
                         you're wrong if you think the worst of me
                         is the truth of who I am. 

CELINE

                         Jesse, this isn't one of your stories.

                         I'm not going to go through this with you

                         again. Do you remember what I said last

                         time? It's like we're digging a hole.

JESSE

                         If you're trying to give me a reason to
                         let go, I can't. Because I don't know how
                         and I don't want to.

(To those familiar with screenplay formatting, ignore the "mistakes." Google makes it really inconvenient to format properly.) 

As you can see, I'm betting the dynamic would mostly be Jesse reaching out to Celine at least at the beginning of the movie. This is because at least one person has to be reaching out for there to be a story. And it's more consistent with previous characterization for Jesse to be reaching out. 

I originally planed on writing up another scene. But right now I'm in a very noisy coffee house in Chicago, a city where I currently have no bed to call my own. So my motivation to intellectually and emotionally exert myself is very thin. I hope you enjoyed this "inside look" at the sequel to Before Midnight. If you were to give me good odds, I would actually bet a decent sum of money on how things pan out in the sequel. 

Well this is it. I'll be too busy for the next several months and I most likely won't be able to return for some time. Until then, if you get any spare time, check out the films I've either recommended or mentioned on here.