Butler's Script Sale of the Week...
March 11th, 2001
A lot of sales this week. COLD CREEK MANOR and SILICON ALLEY sound cool. I'm a big Reese Witherspoon fan so I'll be keeping an eye on THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FINISHING. I've a renewed interest in Michael Douglas due to his recent work so I'm curious about THE SENTINEL.
The most interesting sale this week, and my pick, is Landscape Entertainment's acquisition of the rights to two interconnected novellas, 40 COUNTING DOWN and 21 COUNTING UP by Harry Turtledove.
I've never read any of Turtledove's work, but I know that he's a sci-fi/fantasy writer specializing in alternate realities. Most of his books deal with re-casting important parts of history (most notably wars) in a fantasy world. I can't personally say whether he's any good or not, but the premise of these two novellas is brilliant.
Each novella deals with the same story. A recently divorced man named Justin Kloster travels back through time in order to confront his younger self while he was still dating his future ex-wife. The first novella, 40 COUNTING DOWN, tells the story from the perspective of the older Justin. The second, 21 COUNTING UP, from the perspective of the younger Justin.
It sounds like a great exercise in multiple perspectives and I'm sure it works great within the context of two separate novellas. The challenge here for the filmmakers is to effectively convey both points of view in one film. The temptation would be to pick one Justin as the main protagonist. I hope they don't. I hope they have the balls to defy convention and make this the complex and challenging film that it should be.
They'll also have some technical issues to work out. Do they get two separate actors to play each Justin or the same actor made up to look younger and older? 21 and 40 aren't very far apart in terms of physical description. Audiences have learned to accept the child actor playing the younger version of an adult actor's character. Only the slightest resemblance will do in most cases. That won't do in this case. If we're to believe this is the same person at different points in his life, the physicality must be genuine.
It is no doubt an intriguing and challenging project. Let's hope the filmmakers rise to the occasion and deliver an intriguing and challenging film.
-- Edward Butler
The most interesting sale this week, and my pick, is Landscape Entertainment's acquisition of the rights to two interconnected novellas, 40 COUNTING DOWN and 21 COUNTING UP by Harry Turtledove.
I've never read any of Turtledove's work, but I know that he's a sci-fi/fantasy writer specializing in alternate realities. Most of his books deal with re-casting important parts of history (most notably wars) in a fantasy world. I can't personally say whether he's any good or not, but the premise of these two novellas is brilliant.
Each novella deals with the same story. A recently divorced man named Justin Kloster travels back through time in order to confront his younger self while he was still dating his future ex-wife. The first novella, 40 COUNTING DOWN, tells the story from the perspective of the older Justin. The second, 21 COUNTING UP, from the perspective of the younger Justin.
It sounds like a great exercise in multiple perspectives and I'm sure it works great within the context of two separate novellas. The challenge here for the filmmakers is to effectively convey both points of view in one film. The temptation would be to pick one Justin as the main protagonist. I hope they don't. I hope they have the balls to defy convention and make this the complex and challenging film that it should be.
They'll also have some technical issues to work out. Do they get two separate actors to play each Justin or the same actor made up to look younger and older? 21 and 40 aren't very far apart in terms of physical description. Audiences have learned to accept the child actor playing the younger version of an adult actor's character. Only the slightest resemblance will do in most cases. That won't do in this case. If we're to believe this is the same person at different points in his life, the physicality must be genuine.
It is no doubt an intriguing and challenging project. Let's hope the filmmakers rise to the occasion and deliver an intriguing and challenging film.
-- Edward Butler
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