A set piece would be when Lee’s Sherman Tank is hit by enemy artillery. In the ensuing explosion, Americans survive by jumping into the ravine surrounding the castle. Inside the castle, A German mother throws herself over her children and is wounded by flying mortar and stones. The older, aristocratic French gentlemen who have been standing around in the courtyard are galvanized in action by the sacrificial actions of the German mother. They grab rifles and machine guns and join the Americans and Germans on the castle walls to fight off the SS.
Month: June 2022
Short Pitch
It’s called Incident At Otterville Station.
It’s a Legal Drama.
In the vein of A Few Good Men.
It is like Rules of Engagement meets The Trial of the Chicago 7.
It follows idealist Union soldier Francis Merchant.
And strong slave husband John.
As they attempt to keep a slave owner from selling John’s family during the Civil War.
Problems arise when Union commanders charge Francis Merchant and his fellow soldiers with mutiny for freeing John’s family.
Together they will become the focus of internal political debates in both the Union government and the army command.
The idea came to me when reading the description of John Christgau’s book Otterville Station: A Civil War Story of Slavery and Rescue on Amazon.
My unique approach would be the nuanced experience of Union soldiers juxtaposition with the ambiguous goals of the Union high command and political leaders regarding slavery.
A set piece would be when the Union soldiers who freed the slaves are marched through Jefferson City like common deserters as Lincoln takes the stage in Gettysburg. As they are imprisoned in the basement of an abandoned hotel, Lincoln claims that the United States was conceived in liberty. As the soldiers are put on half rations, Lincoln declares that all men are created equal. As the soldiers convey to each other their feelings of betrayal by their officers, Lincoln declares that a “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Target audiences would be history buffs and men and women aged twenty-five through sixty-five.
People would turn out to see the film due to the universal themes of nuanced history, ambiguous political intrigue, and common soldiers fighting the system.
Short Pitch
It is called Robert Goldstein and The Spirit of ’76.
It’s a Courtroom Drama.
In the vein of Trumbo.
It is like The Post meets The Artist.
It follows an aspiring producer named Robert Goldstein.
And a young actress named Jane Novak.
As they make a patriotic epic during the silent area of Hollywood.
Problems arise when America enters World War I and the film is accused of being treasonous and a violation of the Espionage Act of 1917.
Together they will remain friends as Robert weathers prosecution and imprisonment by the American government.
The idea came to me when I read blurb in a history book while preparing for a test and thought about the similarities of the Espionage Act and other hysteria during The Great War and that of The Patriot Act and other US government actions after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
My unique approach would be the juxtaposition of the idyllic dreamworld of early Hollywood against the harsh realities of big government and a hysterical public mindset during war time.