[Quick Summary: To portray their relationship, an actress spends time with a controversial couple (Gracie was 36 and Joe was 13 when they met).]
Q: Isn't sex with an underage minor is an icky subject matter for a feature?
A: I thought so, but this the writer did something interesting with it.
Q: What was so interesting?
A: She added suspense, which lends an edge to the story, akin to a psychological thriller.
Q: Like waiting for the other shoe to drop?
A: Yes. After Gracie went to jail and exited, she still married the guy. Now this actress (Elizabeth), shows up to study them, and Joe is seeing his life differently.
Q: How do the other characters add to the suspense?
A: We never know what they're thinking or going to do next. ex. As Elizabeth starts to mimic Gracie, is she getting involved with Joe for herself or for the film?
Q: What do you think is a key to this suspenseful edge?
A: One of the keys is the Gracie character. They all say she knows exactly what she's doing, but are we sure?
The scene below showcases Gracie, who the writer said she wrote as the "center of her universe." In her worldview, everything is cheery, and/or ignored.
Note the hold she has on everyone, and her obliviousness (is it?) that it affects anyone adversely. We keep on reading to see if she really is that oblivious, or not:
INT. ATHERTON-YOO KITCHEN - DAY
...Gracie thinks about it, skeptical. Then, suddenly lightly:
GRACIE: Alright.
Elizabeth and Joe both look relieved.
GRACIE (CONT'D): Of course I talk to Georgie. And to Billy and Cassidy. I'm their mom.
ELIZABETH: Sure...
JOE: Cassidy was just here last -- (looks at Gracie) What was it? ...And we'll see everyone at graduation...
GRACIE: The twins are in the same class as Cassidy's son Peter, my grandson. So we'll all be at graduation together, which you're welcome to come to if you're still in town.
A big smile.
GRACIE (CONT'D): Now who wants cake?
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: This script surprised me on a few fronts:
- The basis of this relationship is an unpleasant topic, but it wasn't the point of the script.
- I'd never thought to put this kind of suspenseful spin, and that it would work because it's about character.
- Going deeper into character made this script more interesting than my initial glance at the logline.
May-December (2023)(undated)
Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
Screenplay by Samy Burch
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