The Town (2010) Case Study

Welcome to The Town (2010) Case Study!

Overview

This case study includes a film analysis of select frames, an online frame by frame analysis using goal development as a point of assessment, video lessons that focus on character analysis (four videos), goal development (eBook), and assessing conflict (video).

This case study also includes a sequel script consideration. However, to prevent copyright infringement of existing IP, the Favors Spec Scripts that consider existing IP for television and features are no longer self-published and are only available after future granted permissions. The copies have been removed from the Amazon store and are not for commercial sale.

The following sections outline current and completed projects. See other tabs on this site for more information.

This tab represents the full elements of the case study, and each element is housed under different tabs, indicating also plans for future film analyses.

Discussion of The Town (2010) online is subject to fair use.

This page is under development. Last revision: 3/21/2025, 3/29/2025, 3/31/2025, 7/18/2025.

Favors Film Guides Title

Favors Film Guides: Psychological Perspectives on The Town (2010)

The title explores the depiction of a heist film, its inner workings through the presentation of a four-man crew, the puppet master responsible for blackmailing third parties to gain access to a robbery target, and the family dynamics that usher in and perpetuate robbery as the “family business.”

Description

The film begins and ends with a central character, Doug MacRay, who we are introduced to via voiceover. There is a sense of both distance and adjacency to the community and the robberies he conducts with the four-man crew, but his goal to leave the town is something that guides whether he will participate in all robberies.

Doug is opposed by both the puppet master, Fergie the Florist, and James Coughlin, the one who he must live with when his father is sentenced to prison. James expects reciprocation from Doug for being a pseudo-father to him while his father is away. Doug resists his childhood friend, which creates tension between the men and between Doug and James’s sister, Kris.

Research Questions

This film guide explores and answers the following research questions:

What is the purpose of the robberies in the film?
What are the historical factors (implicit) that contribute to the depiction of robberies in the film?
What are the precipitating economic and financial factors that the perpetrators believe robbery is necessary?
Does the movie explain the reasons behind the robberies?
Does the Great Recession have an impact on the decision to commit robberies?
To what issues does the movie respond?

This Favors Film Guides focuses largely on exploring the behaviors of the characters, the character of the film, and the community that supports the “family business” of robbery and criminal behavior.

This is depicted as a code of silence necessary to sustain future robbery objectives. If someone tells, then that decision would affect the completion of other robberies. Therefore, this guide ultimately explores the psychology of criminal behavior, beginning with a discussion on how the family dynamic affects social perception. Here is an outline of the sections of this guide.

This guide includes historical references specific to Charlestown, Massachusetts; cultural information about Irish citizens; crime and statistical information between 1955 and 2000; child psychology theories; and the psychology of criminal behavior.

Current progress: Development is near complete and is expected to be finished December 31, 2025 or early Spring 2026.

Favors Film Guides Online Title

Favors Film Guides Online: The Problem with Goal Development for Characters in The Town (2010) is an eBook that provides scene analysis and includes select film stills.

The purpose of this case study eBook is to offer insight into how each character begins with a goal and determine whether that character completes that goal.

Below is a PDF copy. You may access the scene by scene content descriptions by clicking the “Favors Film Guides Online” tab.

Book Idea Favors Film Analysis The Problem with Goal Development for Characters in The Town Jan. 3 2025 Download

Favors Spec Scripts Title

The Town 2 Sequel Script extends the initial film.

Logline: A former bank robber returns to his hometown to find his previous love interest, who has been kidnapped, and their child while overcoming “professional” setbacks.

This is a writing portfolio item only.

Favors Sample Marketing Plans Title

Favors Sample Marketing Plans: Marketing Plan Case Study for TV & Feature Spec Scripts focuses on the option agreement and houses a sample spec script. A general pic will be available here, but you will be able to find more information under the “Business Concepts” tab on this site.

Development is in progress. Last revision: 3/21/2025, 7/18/2025.

The title will be available by December 2025.

Video Lessons

For The Town (2010) case study, there are multiple video lesson categories, and they include the following:

Assessing Character Development (in progress to December 2025)
Assessing Conflict (below)
Assessing Goal Development (Favors Film Guides Online tab)

Assessing Goal Development is in the form of an eBook. It is the Favors Film Guides Online title above referenced. You can find information by clicking the Favors Film Guides Online tab. It offers a scene by scene analysis.

Assessing Conflict

The following video lessons explore “conflict” in The Town (2010). The scene pics coincide with the goal development eBook, but the discussions focus largely on assessing conflict. There is a full video at the end and single videos begin here:

Establishing Conflict