Gaghan finally sells HAVOC
January 29th, 2002
Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for TRAFFIC, has finally set up his script HAVOC, which I reviewed a long time ago.
As you can read, the story is about young teens living in the suburbs of L.A. who romanticize and obsess over black culture. They find a way into that life, and get more than they bargained for. (Thats actually what the script should have been about, but its much less.)
When I reviewed HAVOC in October of 2000, I had no idea it was based on the script that sent a mini-shock wave through the screenwriting biz. This is the (in)famous script penned by then-seventeen-year-old high school student Jessica Kaplan. (Her name did not appear anywhere on the script I read.) When the news first broke that she sold a script, and her somewhat boasting comments were read in all the magazines (she was like the Bobby Fischer of scriptwriting), everyone did a collective spit-take.
Now it all makes sense: what is good and what is bad in Gaghans script. What is mature and what is so obviously juvenile. Gaghan, clearly, was able to get into his characters heads. But the structure of the script, and certain scenes (the leader of the white gang peeing his pants, the moronic ending), most likely came from the original script -- and considering their childishness and amateurishness, its not a stretch to imagine who came up with them.
BLACK AND WHITE, James Tobacks movie about the same subject, didnt exactly burn up the B.O. But if the filmmakers of HAVOC gloss up their movie, and dont make the teens clowns, then they might actually get the kids theyre scorning to come and see their flick.
-- Darwin Mayflower (darwinmayflower@yahoo.com)
As you can read, the story is about young teens living in the suburbs of L.A. who romanticize and obsess over black culture. They find a way into that life, and get more than they bargained for. (Thats actually what the script should have been about, but its much less.)
When I reviewed HAVOC in October of 2000, I had no idea it was based on the script that sent a mini-shock wave through the screenwriting biz. This is the (in)famous script penned by then-seventeen-year-old high school student Jessica Kaplan. (Her name did not appear anywhere on the script I read.) When the news first broke that she sold a script, and her somewhat boasting comments were read in all the magazines (she was like the Bobby Fischer of scriptwriting), everyone did a collective spit-take.
Now it all makes sense: what is good and what is bad in Gaghans script. What is mature and what is so obviously juvenile. Gaghan, clearly, was able to get into his characters heads. But the structure of the script, and certain scenes (the leader of the white gang peeing his pants, the moronic ending), most likely came from the original script -- and considering their childishness and amateurishness, its not a stretch to imagine who came up with them.
BLACK AND WHITE, James Tobacks movie about the same subject, didnt exactly burn up the B.O. But if the filmmakers of HAVOC gloss up their movie, and dont make the teens clowns, then they might actually get the kids theyre scorning to come and see their flick.
-- Darwin Mayflower (darwinmayflower@yahoo.com)
Comments
Only logged-in members can comment. You can log in or join today for free!
Advertisement
