DrRexMorman t1_j22szce wrote on December 29, 2022 at 6:02 AM

I don't especially enjoy Jason Segel or Jessie Eisenberg; but I really enjoyed them in End of the tour - which is about a series of conversations between David Foster Wallace and a journalist who is interviewing him right as he becomes David Foster Wallace.

This:

>The plots tend to consist of a lot of backstory and setup leading to or centered around one event

is a pretty basic scheme for understanding all narrative, so - triangulating from this:

>Coen Bros and Martin McDonagh

You might like the Hesses (Napoleon Dynnamite, Nacho libre, Gentlemen broncos, Austenland), pre-MCU Taikka Waiti (Eagle vs Shark, Boy), early Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums), and Steve Conrad (the Promotion and Patriot).

Also, I'm not sure I see DFW in his tv work, but you might also consier that Michael Schur (co-created the Office, Parks and Rec, the Good place, etc) is a huge DFW fan.

IndieCurtis OP t1_j22tys9 wrote on December 29, 2022 at 6:13 AM

I don’t disagree with what you say about narrative. To be more precise, I should have mentioned that the backstorys of particular characters in DFW novels are almost their own story. A character might spend the majority of the plot in the background, then get an entire chapter dedicated to their childhood or some other traumatic even that informs who they are. Not sure if this helps, but I enjoy thinking about it.

Thank you for your comment. Big fan of the Hesses and early Wes Anderson. And now that you mention it, I think The Good Place fits nicely in this genre. A good reminder for me to rewatch it.