Sidetrack.

Third post in, and I'm already breaking the rules. I like it.

I started taking classes again this year. I haven't been in any sort of academic environment in a long time, and because the classes are done in double time, the amount of hours I thought I'd spend classworking and the amount of hours I actually spent classworking were awesomely, outrageously different. My fun time movie watching got cut drastically, yeah, but... For the first time, in a very long time, I feel like I'm moving towards something on my own instead of standing on a conveyer belt sidewalk.

Because of the tiny, alternative college that I started at that had no grades and no credits (that I loved dearly, sup Hampshire!), I'm starting off my second college career taking all kinds of pre-requisites, even though I've taken higher level classes already in the same subjects. That means I started off things right with a Film 101 class.

For the final question on our final exam, we were asked to act as though our professor was an executive we were pitching the movie of our life story to. We had to breakdown all the elements: script, casting, directing, mise-en-scéne, marketing, genre and tone, soundtrack and score, everything - not just a plot breakdown, and including a high-concept pitch. It was overwhelming, because, if you know me at all you know I have an almost impossible time rating my "favorites" or making any kind of list - I'm useless when it comes to definitive answers, most of the time. I waffled a whole bunch on the final choices, but I'm happy with the movie I ended up with.  

I thought until I get my next VHS piece up, I'd share this slightly fattier version I wrote before chopping it down to turn in.
 
***

The pitch: Almost Famous, done by Harmony Korine and John Hughes.

My film would focus on all the incredible things I got to do as a teenager - write for a magazine, go on tour with bands, and interview celebrities. It would also be the story of how I accidentally bypassed a lot of quintessential teenage landmarks because I was so busy thinking about and waiting for the next step of my life.

Genre-wise, it would be a largely comedic, slice-of-life story. The narrative structure would be split into the four years of high school, each year serving as a natural act break, a lá Kristen Thompson's four-part structure (p 78). It would seemingly conclude on an optimistic note, capturing the feeling of finishing high school, looking forward to college, and believing the whole world is out there just for you. But, a final montage of registering for unavailable classes, moving in, missing family, trying to set up a landline, negotiating financial aid - all the terrible, mundane things that college was - would end the film. This darker comedic turn would fit in perfectly after the end credits. (Not to put the cart before the horse, but if a sequel was ever greenlit, it would be the darkest of comedies about college and life after dropping out of college.)

One of the first things I read in class was "Thinking In Pictures," by John Sayles. One of the things he said in that essay has really resonated with me, and it was, "if storytelling has a positive function, it's to put us in touch with other people's lives, to help us connect and draw strength or knowledge from people we'll never meet, to help us see beyond our own experience (p 179)." It's the movies about relationships, conflict, struggle - just living as a human with complex emotions - that have always had the greatest impact on me, and that's why I would want to create that kind of film. My story is suited for something small and emotionally intimate. It's that simplicity that made me think of The Way, Way Back, co-written/co-directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. I want their tenderness and silliness conveyed in my film. Because they have such a gentle, authentic touch, I think they would be the perfect guys to give an almost surreal account of high school real truth and depth.

Composed of mostly medium shots, the camera acts as another person in the room. An observer. No artsy upside-down takes or extreme close-ups; no crane work. The editing for the film would be straightforward, but with self-awareness. It would have a realistic tone and look - think The Perks of Being A Wallflower, The Spectacular Now, or The Way, Way Back. This realism would need to be consistent, whether the scene took place in a school hallway; on a tour bus or backstage at a concert; or in the office of my magazine employer. Even the "flashy" scenes are kept toned down.

The movie would need to look and feel like late 90s, but not in a kitschy way. There may be a mention of Dawson's Creek or President Clinton, but references aren't shoehorned in or visually loud, like the costuming in Clueless. This is where the cinematography and mise-en-scéne would be especially important. Think of Scream, Can't Hardly Wait, or 10 Things I Hate About You. All take place in the late 90s, and that's what our sets and costumes would convey. I wore a lot of jeans and hoodies in high school, but I also always had glitter around my eyes. That's a small but important detail that only a mid-to-late 90s movie would have.

The two actresses I liked best to cast as me, Melanie Lynskey or Mary Elizabeth Winstead, would be too old to play a high school student. We would have to find a younger actor that embodies the talents and characteristics of Lynskey and Winstead. Mystery Girl would be an unknown woman, able to look about seventeen, a pale brunette who additionally looks comfortable in her size 14/16/18 skin. MG would win the part due to her ability to convey giddy joy in one scene and professionalism greater than her age would suggest in the next; paired with her laid-back, honest acting style. She's not Method - she's one of the great pretenders. The script is even-keeled, and there's not many big breakdowns or arguments, so MG's challenge is to keep her character compelling while conveying a plain girl who took a few chances and got some lucky breaks. I would take first crack at the screenplay, but I would love to share writing credit with Rash and Faxon, for their comedic input and structural experience.

The soundtrack would be songs that were popular from 1995 - 1999, when I was in high school. Mostly alternative rock, skewed towards the bands/celebs I was writing about: Ben Folds Five, Train, something from the Chasing Amy soundtrack. Enough time has passed since the late 90s that music from that era would work as powerful nostalgia; perfect for setting a scene, serving as filler, creating continuity, or adding emotional meaning. They are all functions that Prince explains music can serve in a film (pgs 157 - 159).

The marketing budget would be miniscule, because this would be an indie movie handled by a small distributer. No intentional "hype," though early critics would tout MG as an actor to watch. The film would play the festival circuit first, and positive word-of-mouth on social media would do a fair amount of legwork to get people to seek it out, both in its small art house run, or later, in their own homes. Though it wouldn't exactly achieve cult status, the movie eventually finds its place in history as a well-loved if under-seen film. If it ended up as the kind of movie that a small group of people are exceptionally passionate about, I'd be very happy. Ideally, the kind of film that you can't believe your friend hasn't seen, so you make them watch it with you right then and there.

 

***

 

What would yours look like?