I have several 1st and 2nd drafts of screenplays that are in various stages of rewrites. I'll list them chronologically and some information about each one.
THE PERFECT WOMAN First draft completed in December 2005
I am heavily influenced by the zany comedies of the past, you know the ones starring Katherine Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, thanks to my Mom (Shirley). She showed me films from a time when women seemed more empowered than they are today, at least that's how she portrayed them to me.
One of my personal favourites was THE THRILL OF IT ALL with James Garner and Doris Day. It was light hearted, fun, sexy and so well acted. To me, those romantic comedies are so much better than the ones we see today, and I wanted to see if I could recreate that feeling.
All I needed was a hook, something to prompt a modern woman into wanting to be a housewife. I finally found the hook when an email at work had a "joke" from an old home economics book about how to be the perfect wife. It's rules were ridiculous, though indicative of the times. As a modern woman, I laughed at those rules and then wondered what would happen if a modern woman embraced these dinosaurs of human behaviour.
Enter Connie Dawson, spoiled little rich girl who is way over the age of majority, and unable to do anything for herself.
Now this was my first screenplay, so I got a book, did some research, wrote some character notes and sat down to write.
It was pretty awful.
I put it aside and moved on to another project, read more books, studied films and more screenplays but Connie never left my mind. She was always lurking there, in the background, like a dirty little secret.
I tried to coerce my muse (more on him later) to fix this script...I'm no quitter after all ... but the little jerk wouldn't cooperate. Finally, after a conversation with my friend Curly, I think I found the solution.
So, I took some notes, and as soon as I'm done the rewrite of UNDEAD BEFORE SUNRISE, THE PERFECT WOMAN will no longer linger in limbo.
Connie lives again!
do
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