5 Films That Reflect Elements of My Screenplay
The 2003 British Christmas romantic comedy “Love Actually” (written by Richard Curtis) features a few elements that I want to include within my own screenplay. Its beautiful score is incredibly reminiscent of the score I want for my screenplay’s romantic moments, particularly “Glasgow Love Theme,” as it invokes a deep sense of longing present in both of my main characters, but especially in Dolores’ feelings for Mariko. It also has clear markings of the passage of time that I want within my film, and underlines the bittersweet tone I’m going for, as not all of the 9 relationships in the film work out, much like how Mariko and Dolores don’t get what they want, but Dolores is left with a fondness not unlike the complex emotions “Love Actually’s” Mark has for Juliet, his best friend’s newlywed wife.
In a drastic shift from my first pick film, there’s “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” an animated dark fantasy film with a romantic subplot that serves as a prequel for its companion television series. The film embodies themes of tragedy and how societal failures negatively impact characters, often creating ‘monsters,’ just like my screenplay while also having a hopefulness of trying to heal from the wrongs of our past that I hope to capture. Also, the worldbuilding is not unlike my own, as both my screenplay and this film have characters who are genetically predisposed to fighting forces of evil, and have an element of secrecy about these evils.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is very different in tone and premise than my screenplay. However, the complexities of the characters allowing them to make bad or downright evil choices for the sake of what they believe to be right or best is very reminiscent of my own characters, particularly in their downfalls, but also in the unknown antagonist. The costuming of the film is also reminiscent of what I want for my screenplay in the theorectical film-making process: having characters’ personalities be reflected in their appearances.
The 1986 coming-of-age film “Stand By Me” has a deep emotional feel to the movie that I want to capture in my own screenplay. It also has voiceovers that feel similar to the way I want my main character, Dolores, to narrate, as she, much like “Stand By Me’s” Gordie LaChance (portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss) looks back on the people in her life and her experiences with them. The film also has time-period-accurate songs, something I would like to have within my own screenplay, as I feel it makes the setting come more alive.
“Dolores Claiborne” is primarily here due to its depictions of a strained mother-daughter relationship, something that reminds me of my character Mariko’s complicated relationship with her infant daughter (and on a bigger scale, her baby grows up to be the main character of my novel that helped inspire this screenplay). It also features the mystery and intrigue I’m going for with my tone in terms of character portrayals, as my characters tend to be messy and damaged, much like the characters of this film.
The First 5-ish Pages (apologies, it’s actually 11)
First 10 Pages of Screenplay!
First 20 Pages
Act I of “Infatuation”
