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Call it what you will: character arc or the journey the character takes. In even the crappiest movie your main character should undergo a change, presumably for the better. In real life people tend not to change. We keep making the same mistakes over and over again. But in art, presumably, there is change in varying degrees. Scrooge comes to mind as the character in literature who changed the most drastically. But even subtle change is good too.
The problem is not deciding "how" a character changes, but what he changes from. Is he a bad guy or a guy who's rough around the edges or just insensitive? Is he a raging drunk, functioning alcoholic or steady drinker? Is he a weakling or a coward or a heel?
The thing we all have to do is pinpoint our characters flaws and weaknesses, then incorporate them into his persona in such a way as to make someone reading the script recognize that this is a flesh and blood, recognizable human being.
Actors love playing complicated, complex, troubled characters. I can't tell you how many times I've heard actors (major stars) say they love playing bad guys. Just look at Al Pacino's movies. Not too many easy going guys there without a care in the world.
People have problems. And secrets. And things they've done that they're ashamed of. People without a conscience can get through the night. People with a conscience and a sense of guilt and regret or shame have a rough go of it.
Characters who behave badly in whatever degree or whichever way need to go through a journey that makes them change. Or by the end of the script the audience has a sense that the beginning of change is at hand.
So make sure you give your main characters(s) a good starting point on their way to becoming different, better people.
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