Important aspects of writing any type of film are defining the central theme and controlling idea. Essentially, these concepts define and convey the film’s overall message and highlight what you hope a viewer (or reader) will take away from your story. Our Writing the Fact-Based Film 101 series takes a look at theme and controlling idea and offers a few examples.

Theme vs. controlling idea

Theme is the story’s central idea, concept, or message. It is a broad and abstract concept which is explored and developed throughout the work. Themes often reflect universal truths, human experiences, or societal issues.

Controlling idea is a specific statement which expresses your opinion, attitude, or stance on the theme. It is a focused and concise articulation of the main point or argument the work is making about the broader theme.

Why are theme and controlling idea important?

In screenwriting, there are lots of ways to answer the question “what is your story about?”. These include the logline, pitch, premise, and plot. However, the most basic ways to describe what your script is about is through its theme and the related controlling idea.

Defining these early on will guide the rest of the writing process. Indeed, once you’ve figured out your theme, you can begin to think about all the ways it could be threaded through your story in large and small ways. Likewise, setting out your controlling idea will form the moral heart of your story.

For example, if the theme is ‘free speech’, such as in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), you might have scenes showing the consequences of stifling free speech, as well as scenes highlighting the downside of free speech (i.e. hearing things you don’t like).

Similarly, if your controlling idea is ‘torture is never justified’, as explored in The Report (2019), you can design your story structure around this argument, showing the impact and effects of torture on a political, social, and individual level.

Further examples of theme and controlling idea in fact-based film

To help you get started, here are a few themes and controlling ideas from some well-known fact-based films:

Selma (2014)

Theme: Civil rights and justice

Controlling idea: The power of peaceful resistance and collective action in the struggle for civil rights and equality.

Selma focuses on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr.. Throughout, the narrative emphasises the importance of equal voting rights and the broader fight for civil rights.

Schindler’s List (1993)

Theme: Freedom and resistance

Controlling idea: Humans have the capacity for extreme cruelty and compassion in the face of unthinkable oppression.

Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, Schindler’s List explores themes of Holocaust survival, moral choices, and the impact of an individual’s actions in the context of Nazi Germany.

All the President’s Men (1976)

Theme: Journalistic integrity

Controlling idea: Journalism and the free press have an essential role in uncovering the truth about the people we elect to office.

All the President’s Men chronicles the Watergate scandal and the investigative journalism by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, highlighting the importance of a free press in holding those in power accountable.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Theme: Human endurance

Controlling idea: The human spirit can overcome extreme adversity.

Based on the true story of the ill-fated space mission, Apollo 13 explores the astronauts’ struggle for survival in space and the collective efforts to bring them home safely.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Theme: Corporate ethics and environmental justice

Controlling idea: Tenacity and determination can defeat corporate malfeasance.

Erin Brockovich portrays a legal clerk’s fight against a utility company accused of polluting a community’s water supply, emphasising the importance of environmental justice.

Find your theme and controlling idea

A useful way to start defining your theme and controlling idea is to think about the meaning of the story to you. What draws you to the material? Are you interested in exploring equality, perseverance, justice, hope, freedom? Conversely, what do you want people to take away from your story? Love conquers all; the human spirit can overcome adversity; crime can pay?

Thinking about the ending of the story can also help you to define the message. Indeed, in his seminal book, Story, Robert McKee defines the controlling idea as:

“The story’s ultimate meaning expressed through the action and aesthetic emotion of the last act’s climax”

McKee, Story, page 120

So, if you’re struggling to find your theme and define your controlling idea, maybe fast-forward to the final act and ask yourself how you imagine your story being resolved – this is likely to help you answer the question of what it’s “about”.