Happy Saturday, Reader!

I’m getting toward the tail end of my travels, which means the trip that started it all is here. I’ve picked out a couple of movies for this week and next that might give you a hint as to where in the world I am now (if you don’t already know from my Instagram stories—@eunicebrownlee if you don't already follow me).

Thank you so much for all your kind responses to my emails each week. It brings me joy that you love these as much as I do. And when our world is crashing down on us the way it is, I don’t take moments of joy for granted. Joy is resistance.

This week, we’re breaking down Meet the Parents, which I’ve seen so many times, I can probably quote it end-to-end in my sleep.

It’s one of those films that’s funny yet painful, and wildly accurate about what happens when you desperately want to be liked by someone who seems committed to not liking you. You don’t watch this movie so much as endure it, and that’s exactly why it works.

​​One of my favorite scenes is where Pam is trying to help boost conversation at the table and help her folks get to know Greg and offers up that he grew up on a farm. And then Greg, desperately seeking approval, stumbles over himself again and again and again until he claims that he could milk a cat.

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It’s a moment you want to crawl out of your own skin for him. And it’s doing far more storytelling work than it gets credit for.

Greg’s problem isn’t bad luck.
It’s not his missing suitcase.
It’s not Jack’s open dislike of him.
It’s not the white lies that snowball out of control.

It’s that Greg is so deep into approval-seeking mode that he keeps making desperate attempts to control how he’s perceived—and every choice makes things worse.

His character flaw is the momentum that keeps the story moving forward. If Greg stopped trying to impress Jack, the movie would be over in 15 minutes. We are entertained by his increasingly ridiculous attempts to win Jack's approval.

Too many stories treat flaws like résumé items:
“I used to be insecure.”
“I struggled with confidence.”
“I was afraid of failure.”

Cool. But none of that is terribly interesting unless the flaw is actively sabotaging the outcome.

In Meet the Parents, Greg’s flaw isn’t something he overcame. It’s something he keeps choosing—because it feels safer than telling the truth. The plot doesn’t happen to him. It happens because of him.

Let’s Play

As you write the story:
​Take a story you tell where things “just happened to you.”
Where did your flaw—whether that’s desire, fear, or need for approval—actively make things worse?

That’s the real story. Unpack it and play around.

As a speaker:
​Notice where you soften tension to seem likable.
What happens if you let the discomfort sit—just two beats longer—before rescuing the audience?

Trust me, they can handle it. And that builds trust.

Can you guess where in the world I am this week? Hit reply and let me know.

Until next week,