The script rotates around its midpoint

I'm going to tack this onto the previous post about revealing secrets early.

This post is about an under-emphasized plot point in screenplays - the midpoint.

Every screenwriting book touches on this beat. It's when your romantic leads have sex. It's when your Hero becomes more entwined. It's where there's a seeming victory followed by a colossal defeat. It's where a set piece (Sally orgasms in the deli in front of Harry) that gives the script a bit more umph until the end.

Sure, it's all of these things, but what do these all really say? It's the moment when the story changes entirely.

The second half of a movie is a completely different plot than the first. It's as if a second catalyst has been plopped down at the 55 page mark. And that's the way to look at it. A catalyst. Something that immediately and irreversibly changes the complexion of the story.

Look at the classic film "Raiders of the Lost Ark." How tempting it must have been for Kasdan to put the discovery of the Ark in Act III. After all, Indy has been racing with the Nazis to find it this whole time. Wouldn't the Well of the Souls be a great location for the final showdown? Everything converges on the Ark for a climatic showdown.

But no. He didn't even put the discovery of the Ark at the Act II turning point. He put it at the midpoint! They find the Ark halfway through the movie! While the first half of the movie is about the race to find the Ark (of which Indy is always one step ahead), the second half is the race to steal the Ark (during which Indy is often one step behind). They are two different movies. If "The Adventures of Indiana Jones" was a TV series, this would be the season finale/season premiere split.

A major secret was revealed at the midpoint (thus hooking this onto my last post about revealing secrets early). All great scripts have a MAJOR reveal at the midpoint. A reveal or incident that's so massive that it would be tempting to make a climax out of it. But the challenge is to go even further for the climax. They may have found the Ark at the midpoint, but heads melt and explode at the climax.

But what about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? You don't see the Grail until the last 15 minutes of the film. Well, as Indy says earlier, "I'm not here for the Cup of Christ. I'm here to find my father." And when do Sr. and Jr. finally converge? At the midpoint. And what else happens at the crucial juncture? "You should have listened to your father..." Oh my God! Elsie's a Nazi!

Yep, two main reveals were exposed at the midpoint. Sean Connery could have made his appearance at the end. Sucky. Elsie could have come out at the last minute and declared her allegiance to Hitler. Sucky. Instead, all the secrets were revealed halfway through the movie.

The reason why is pretty common sense. Movies are long. They need that extra engine to power them through until the end. They need an answer to the audience's "Why do I care?" question long before the climax. Also, people don't really care about the secret. What they really want to see is how the secret plays out. And for that, there needs to be run-off time.

So, once again, reveal your secrets early. Challenge yourself to make those secrets worthwhile by the climax.