Blake Snyder Beat Sheet
MIles Ahead (2015)
Director: Don Cheadle
Writer: Steven Baigelman / Don Cheadle / Steven J. Rivele / Christopher Wilkinson
Starring: Don Cheadle / Ewan McGregor / Emayatzy Corinealdi / LaKeith Stanfield / Michael Stuhlbarg
Run Time: 100 Mins
Genre: Rites of Passage
(IMDb)
Opening Image
Legendary musician Miles Davis speaks with a faceless reporter about returning to the spotlight after a five year absence. Miles takes issue with the reporter calling the music he makes jazz. “Don’t box my music in.” This is a veteran, a creative who claims he stepped away from his craft simply because he had nothing more to say.
Theme Stated
A quote from Miles himself that appears in text and sound:
“When you’re creating your own shit, man. . . even the sky ain’t the limit.”
Miles is a character who embodies the empowerment of true creativity, of taking ownership of one’s own talent and presenting it to the world. But is this enough to sustain a happy and fulfilled life?
Set-Up
We see Miles before his return. He’s in a rut. Isolated. Addicted to cocaine and indebted to drug-dealers. Haunted by the memory of his lost love, Frances. He’s dabbling with music but making nothing fit for public consumption. His record company is withholding his next payment until he sends them something fit for release.
This is unsustainable. He’ll either overdose on the powder or meet a bullet over unpaid debts, and all the while his genius is fizzling out.
Catalyst
Reporter Dave Braden knocks on Miles’ door, claiming he’s from Rolling Stone magazine at the behest of Miles’ record company, Columbia. Miles takes exception to Columbia rushing him into promotional work while refusing to pay him. He makes Dave take him to their offices where he has a dispute over the ownership of his latest session tape which the company paid for. He robs a record executive of $500 and bumps into sleazy producer Harper Hamilton along with his latest talent Junior. Harper tries to entice Miles to meet later and discuss business. During these interactions it becomes clear Dave Braden is not the journalist he claims to be. Snidely, he promises the head exec, George, he’ll get hold of Miles’ session tape if they can work together in the future. As Miles storms out of the building and into his car, Dave follows and offers to source some high quality cocaine by way of an apology.
Debate
Should Miles go along with the unpredictable liar who has suddenly burst into his life, just so he can get hold of more cocaine?
Break Into Two
A resounding yes. The two go to a college dorm where Miles buys a quarter ounce with the $500 he stole, plus a few autographs; a poignant example of how Miles’ drug use is debasing his musical talent.
B-Story
The flashbacks to Miles’ heyday begin. These will cut into the story proper at regular intervals throughout the rest of the film, showing Miles at his clean-cut best and detailing his romance with, his marriage to, and his eventual separation from, Frances, the dancer with the huge heart who Miles pushes to the brink and finally, away.
Fun and Games
Back to the present and Miles returns home with Dave to find his current girlfriend Janice is throwing a party in his absence. Miles and Dave retreat to the basement to do cocaine and drink. Harper and Junior show up to the party looking to lure Miles in with an impromptu collaboration that will hopefully launch Junior’s career, just like Johnny Coltrane. They happen upon Dave as he’s snooping about Miles’ recording equipment for the tape he promised George. Dave abandons his plan and returns to Miles. Junior notices the tape in an open draw.
Midpoint
Dave wakes up to find Miles panicking, searching for his tape. They come to the conclusion Harper and Junior have stolen it. (False Collapse).
Bad Guys Close In
Miles and Dave go to the club where Junior is playing and walk him back to his apartment to get the tape. When they get there Junior’s woman tells him Harper has taken it. They then go to confront Harper at his apartment. They momentarily get the tape back.
All Is Lost
Harper’s bodyguard, Walter, chases Miles and Davis, both parties firing bullets at each other from speeding cars. Miles is hit in the hip. He scrambles from the car down an alleyway. In doing so he drops his tape which Walter picks up before fleeing back to Harper.
Dark Night of the Soul
Miles with fingers outstretched, inches away from his precious tape, until Walter opens fire at him again, forcing Miles and Dave to retreat.
Break Into Three
Bloodied and vomiting from the gunfight, Miles walks into the boxing venue where he knows Harper will be.
Finale
With low-impact fight choreography playing out in the ring, Miles once more retrieves his tape from Harper with the help of Dave. Junior, feeling guilt over his earlier betrayal of Miles, accompanies them to Miles’ apartment. Miles plays the tape that has been the cause of all this madness. Dave and Junior are puzzled, then bemused, to find the tape is little more than a nonsensical heap of noise. This prompts Junior to make suggestions as to how it can be improved. He and Miles begin to collaborate, naturally, productively, free from the contrivances Harper tried to impose on the process earlier on. For the first time we see Miles looking somewhat content, addressing the theme stated earlier on; in his life after Frances, MIles needs to show love and dedication to his craft in order to be fulfilled.
Final Image
Miles returns to the stage, to creating, to living the life he is supposed to live. He has risen from his rut, still without the woman he loves but with his talent thankfully intact.
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