Louisiana – That Should Be A Movie

That Should Be A Movie: Saints in the Broken City

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Monday, February 12, 2024

It is called Saints in the Broken City

It is a sports drama

In the vein of Remember the Titans

It is like The Blindside meets Invictus

It follows the long-suffering but passionate Who Dat fanbase

And the powerful national corporation the National Football League

As they seek to rebuild New Orleans after a disaster using the New Orleans Saints and the Superdome as symbols of hope.

Problems arise when the Saints lose games and the NFL seeks to exert its power over the local economy

Together the power of the local community will win over corporate commoditization and inspire the nation

The idea came to me when the Saints won the Super Bowl, and it inspired me that anything was possible as I headed to college.

American Civil War Louisiana Strong Women Westerns.

That Should Be A Western: Whiskey Chitto Woman by Marguerite Hudson

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Tuesday, January 23, 2024

It is called Whiskey Chitto Woman

It is a Western road trip drama.

In the vein of Nomadland

It is like Little Women meets Cold Mountain

It follows determined pioneer woman Ellen Johnson

And naïve teenage boy Sammy Jones

As they take a hazardous journey through the outlaw-infested, devastated countryside of post-Civil War Louisiana to retrieve her husband Aaron whose leg has been amputated.

Problems arise when they encounter highwaymen and Ellen wonders how Aaron will adjust as a disabled man in an agrarian society.

Together their determined pioneer spirit and love will overcome the obstacles in their way and finish their journey strong.

The idea came to me when I was doing genealogy research while reading Whiskey Chitto Woman I found out that Aaron and Ellen Johnson were my great-great-great uncle and aunt.

Hurricane Katrina Louisiana Saints

That Should Be A Movie: The Brees Way By Mike Nabors

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Sunday, August 20, 2023

Short Pitch

It’s called The Brees Way

It is a Sports Drama

In the vein of American Underdog

It is like Invictus meets We Are Marshell

It follows short free agent quarterback Drew Brees

And practice squad member Lance Moore

As they build the cohesion and chemistry a team needs to have to win the Super Bowl.

Problems arise as Drew’s shoulder injury slowly heals, his elbow is dislocated, and he gets up set when he loses competitions.

Now together the team will learn to respect Drew’s competitive nature rubs off on the other players and drivers them to be the best Saints on and off the field.

The idea came to me when reading Bree’s Coming Back Stronger and I wanted to do more research on his career for a movie about Super Bowl XLIV.

My unique approach would be a football player challenging himself to excel at excellence not to win career accolades but uplift a devastated city and region whose hopes and dreams were riding on his shoulders.

A set piece would be when Lance Moore has just received word that he has been loaned out to play for a football team in Germany for the 2006 season. He is sitting in the neglected corner of the locker room meant for the practice squad. Suddenly Drew Brees, the star quarterback is tapping him on his shoulder “Hi, I’m Drew Brees, nice to meet you. Let me know if you need anything?” “Thank you,” replies Lance. “I’m Lance Moore.” “Lance Romance,” ask Drew, probing. “Yeah,” replies Lance. “You can call me back.”

The target audiences would be football fans, sports fans, athletes, fans of the great outdoors, men and women 20-80, Germans (because Lance played for the Berlin Thunders), Louisianas, the people of the Gulf Coast and the Who Dat Nation.

Audiences would want to see it for its themes of hope, resilience, determination, personal sacrifice and responsibility for a higher goal, community and overcoming devastation and adversity.

Who Dat!

Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: Last Bus Out

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Thursday, August 25, 2022

It is called Last Bus Out
It is a Rescue Drama.
In the vein of The Blindside.
It is like Hotel Rwanda meets The Pursuit of Happyiness.
It follows determined basketball player Courtney Miles
And streetwise drug dealer Jabbar Gibson
As they seek to help their friends and family escape the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when police block the highways.
Together they will trust in God and refuse to be stopped as they rescue over 300 people.
The idea came to me when I read Last Bus Out by Beck McDowell and thought it would make a great movie portraying the victims of Hurricane Katrina positively .
My unique approach would be showing the people of the New Orleans as their own saviors instead of helpless victims just standing around as portrayed by the media.
A set piece would be when Courtney is driving down an empty stretch of Highway 90, heading northwest away from New Orleans. Suddenly a Crown Vic, the car of a police officer, appears. Courtney slows down. He has no driver’s license, so if the police pull him over, he will be charged with a crime. There will go his clean record, along with his academic and sports future. The police officer looks up, does a double take, glances over his shoulder at the empty highway. Then he looks up at the jampacked bus and scans the faces of the passengers looking out of the windows at him. Then he makes eye contact with Courtney. He smiles, nods his head, and lets the bus continue.
Target audiences would be teenagers, educators, basketball fans, faith-based audiences and the people of the Gulf Coast region.
People would want to see the movie due to its universal themes of faith, determination, community, personal responsibility and making the right choice.

Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: No Ordinary Heroes

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Eight doctors and thirty nurses seek to serve and survive seven thousand prisoners when riots break out in a prison that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has trapped them.
Now That Should Be A Movie
It is called No Ordinary Heroes.
It is a disaster drama
In the vein of The Perfect Storm.
It’s like Shawshank Redemption meets Downfall.
It follows Air Force veteran and Medical Director of the New Orleans Jail Dr. Demaree Inglese
And a stickler for rules but dog loving deputy named Mike Higgins.
As they provide medical care and security at the New Orleans Community Correctional Center.
Problems arise when the power goes out and the prisoners begin rioting.
Together they will remain calm and professional as they carry out their duties until evacuated.
The idea came to me when I was doing research for a possible action film set in post-Katrina New Orleans and gave Dr. Inglese’s book read.
My unique approach would be the tense setting of being trapped between lawless, flooded streets and the cinderblock walls of a prison filled with hungry, rioting inmates.
A set piece would be when cells on the lower floor begin flooding. Inmates begin screaming and stand on the toilets. Because the power is out, the doors have to be opened manually. In their impatience, some inmates kick the doors off their runners. Prison guards have to use crowbars or sledgehammers to open the doors. The water is rising, so the deputies have to dive under the surface to position the crowbars. While the deputies are submerged, the inmates have to work with the guards as they push the door open. The water is up to inmates’ chests when the deputies resurface, and the prisoners swim out of the cells. Together, officers and prisoners make their way to dry ground.
Target audiences would be men and women (20-50), law enforcement, and fans of thrillers, action, suspense and disaster films.
Audiences would want to see the film because of the story of law enforcement, first responders, and medical personnel doing their job in the face of insurmountable obstacles, and for the themes of suspense, thrills, rising tenson, disaster, action, and devotion to duty.

Louisiana Saints

That Should Be A Movie: Patron Saints

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Sunday, August 14, 2022

It is called Patron Saints
It is a Sports Drama
In the vein of The Blindside.
It is basically American Underdog meets Invictus.
It follows a determined football franchise with an abysmal track record called the New Orleans Saints
And their downtrodden storm victimized fans The Who Dats
As they rebuild the team and the Golf Coast area after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when the team loses games and the longsuffering Who Dats began to wonder if the franchise has really improved.
Now they must feed off each other’s determination and faith as they show the world that the Gulf Coast is coming back.
This idea came to me when The Saints won XLIV 44.
My unique approach is the symbiotic relationship of a city and a football franchise as they recover from disaster and build a team of champions.
A set piece would be when the team is playing one of their first games. A dejected fan sits in his FEMA trailer looking at his damaged house that contractors have still not shown up to clean out. The team scores two field goals and a touchdown in the first quarter. The fan sits up. Then the team scores two more touchdowns in the second quarter. The fan stands up and starts pacing back and forth in his trailer. In the third quarter the team scores two field goals. The game is close. The fan leaves the radio blaring as he runs into his house and begins cleaning it out. By the time the team has won, 34-27, the fan has completely cleaned out his house.
Target audience would be football and sports fans, men and women 30-65 years, the faith-based market, and residents of the Gulf Coast region.
People would turn out to watch the film in theaters because of the universal themes of recovery, healing, and overcoming adversity and the indomitability of the human spirit.

Hurricane Katrina Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: An Airboat on the Streets of New Orleans

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Wednesday, August 3, 2022

A couple in their fifties with a troubled past find redemption on the flooded streets of New Orleans when they rescue forgotten people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Now That Should Be A Movie
It’s called An Airboat On The Streets of New Orleans
It’s a rescue drama
In the vein of Dunkirk.
It is like Hard Rain meets Only The Brave.
It follows a criminal with a violent reputation Doug Bienvenu
And his adventurous common-law-wife with kidney failure Drue LeBlanc
As they seek to rescue people trapped in New Orleans by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when police and the National Guard interfere with their rescue operations.
Together they will work on Doug’s attitude toward authority and push through Drue’s pain as they rescue 800 people.
The idea came to me when I found the book at the library and read it in search of Louisiana stories that should be filmed in Louisiana.
My unique approach would be to show an act of humanity that is challenged by both a natural disaster and a bungled response by authorities.
A set piece would be when Doug and Drue return to an island in the flooded city where they have been leaving the refugees they rescued. They are shocked to see that most of the people are still there. Then four police officers arrive. They are checking on rescue teams to keep them safe from sniper fire. Doug insists that the snipers are people just firing into the air to attract attention to their plight. Then he points out that the people on the island have still not been rescued due to bungled response at every government level to the disaster. Many of the people on the island have been there for two days in the heat of the sun while being bitten by fire ants. They’ve had little food and water. They start to take out their frustration on the police officers. Doug realizes the confrontation might turn violent. In a change of his negative attitude toward authority, Doug gets on his boat, maneuvers it between the officers and the people and revs his engine, drowning out the shouting. Then he tells the refugees that he had brought them to dry ground and the only thing he asked of them was to let the officers go in peace. Crisis averted.
Target audiences would be men and women 30-70, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, fans of adventure and rescue dramas, and Louisianians.
Audiences would like to see it due to its themes of redemption, challenging authority, romance, sacrifice and an exciting act of humanitarianism.

Curt Iles Louisiana

That Should Be A Movie: As The Crow Flies by Curt Iles

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Monday, July 11, 2022

A teenage girl fleeing her criminal past finds love and redemption in the Outlaw Strip of western Louisiana.
Now that should be a movie
Short Pitch.
It’s called As The Crow Flies.
It is a western romance.
In the vein of Redeeming Love.
It is like Tom Sawyer meets Anne of Green Gables.
It follows a book loving petty thief Missouri Cotton.
And teenage Redbone country boy Daniel Moore.
As they eke out a living and search for love and redemption in the No Man’s Land of Western Louisiana.
Problems arise when tensions between whites and the Redbone people turn violent and some of Daniel’s relatives think Missouri is not a good fit for him.
Together they will prove that no matter how wretched someone’s past or family background, love and redemption are stronger.
The idea came to I saw that Curt Iles had just published a new book. Having read and written blogposts about his other books and even grown personally from the messages in Iles’ books, I immediately thought “that oughta be a movie.”
My unique approach would be how the messages of the sophisticated novels like Les Misérables that Missouri likes to read share much in common with the unassuming back wood folk of western Louisiana.
A set piece would be at a bonfire on May Day. All the boys and men are jumping over the fire. Missouri has just learned that all the letters that she had written Daniel had been hidden from him by a family member. She has now realized her sadness and anger toward him were misplaced. Before anyone can stop her, she runs and jumps over the fire. “Feet don’t fail me now,” she yells as the flames leap up and singe her dress. As she comes down for a landing on the other side of the fire, she falls right into the arms of Daniel. “Girl, you are some kind of crazy,” he says. All is forgiven.
Target audiences would be men and women, 30 to 80 years old, fans of westerns and period romances, faith-based viewers, and Louisianans.
People would want to see it due to the themes of love, redemption and grace as well as its western and period piece settings.

Curt Iles Louisiana

That Should Be A Miniseries: A Good Place By Curt Iles

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Monday, August 23, 2021

Since western Louisiana remained a wild frontier due to American settlement bypassing it as the US borders expanded westward, much like Appalachia, the genera of the miniseries would be western. Although a cattle drive is seen when cowboys drive a herd cross the Calcasieu River on the way to feed the Confederate armies east of the Mississippi, the thrilling excitement of one occurs when the men of the community, known as Ten Milers, perform a log float.

Curt Iles Louisiana Uncategorized

That Should Be A Movie: The Wayfaring Stranger by Curt Iles

By C. W. Johnson, Jr. on Friday, January 11, 2019

It is called The Wayfaring Stranger.
It is a Western Romance
In the vein of When Calls The Heart.
It is like Hatfields and McCoys meets 1883.
It follows Irish Immigrant searching for peace Joseph Moore
Abd Redbone teenager full of joy Eliza Clark
As they search for peace and freedom in the Outlaw Strip of western Louisiana.
Problems arise when outlaws don’t take kindly to outsider Joseph and timber companies try to drive the Redbone people off their land.
Now together Joe and Eliza will through the love of God and the power of community overcome hardships and sustain a relationship.
The idea came to me when I read The Wayfaring Stranger while traveling through western Louisiana.
My unique approach is a Western set in the forests, hills, and swamps of Louisiana.
A set piece would be when the timber companies set fire to the forest to drive off the Redbone people. The people gather at a creek crossing for safety. Someone shouts that a widow is missing. Joseph jumps on his horse and rides through the smoke. “Who is that fool,” some wonder. He rides to a creek, soaks his horse and saddle in the water, climbs up the bank and takes off into the firestorm. The widow is sitting on her porch, praying as the flames approach her cabin. Suddenly Joseph comes galloping out of the billowing smoke. He takes the widow and places her on his horse. Then with her in his arms he takes off into the flaming forest as the cabin burns. The smoke clouds choke him and stings his eyes. His hair is being singed but he gallops on. Then he burst out of the firestorm and is at the creek crossing! The Redbone people cheer!
The target audience would be men and women (30-80), fans of westerns and period pieces, nature lover and Louisianans.
People would want to watch the miniseries because of the themes of love, freedom, forgiveness, finding peace, the power of community and the romance, adventure and excitement frontier Louisiana in the 1840s.