I was going to wait a while before throwing another movie idea out, but since the last one sparked some great feedback, I figured I would put another one out their.
This movie is much darker than the first. This one wasn't sparked by a song, but actually Nancy Grace. For those of you who don't know, Nancy Grace has a show on the Headline News Channel. Most of the topics of discussion involve recent high profile murders, kidnappings, child mistreatment, etc, etc. While the idea is great, stick it to bad people. I can't stand the way she goes about bullying people. Anyway, what sparked my thought was anytime a wife goes missing, or a child disappears, the husband and or parents seem to now become immediate suspects. While a lot of the time it turns out that they are the responsible party, some times, people that are in a horrible situation, now have to deal with being blamed for the crime, that has hurt them so much. Nancy Grace always seems to be leading the charge in placing the blame on them as well.
So my movie idea revolves around this subject. The movie starts out with a man/woman coming home. You can tell the house hasn't been lived in for a while. Piles of mail, newspapers, a thick coating of dust everywhere. The story is then told two ways.
Half of the story revolves around a court case. This individuals family has been killed, while him/her was in the house sleeping. After a week of finding nothing, he is arrested. No evidence links him to the murder, other than the fact he was in the home sleeping at the time. With the public outcry growing over the lack of progress in the case, the DA makes an arrest and proceeds on with the case. During the trial, the man always proclaims his innocence, even concocting his own theory as to what happened, how a loaner had snuck into their house and lived in their attic. Eventually killing his family. When the trial ends the jury sides in his favor, and he is set free.
The second piece to this movie takes place as the man packs up his house to move. The trial scenes are told in flashbacks, and triggered by things that he packs. All of the house scenes are packed with suspense. The flashbacks are not chronological, so one of the first flashbacks you see is him giving his loaner/attic theory. Lots of doors closing, mirrors moving, where you assume that the loaner is going to be seen. The attic door is often shown, but he never goes up.
The movie ends with the last flashback of him telling the jury about his love for his family, and the last scene is of him leaving the house.
The movie is set up to do two things. One be a thriller, the scariest scenes for me in movies are the ones where you wait and anticipate. All the scenes in the house are filled with waiting and anticipation. The movie then would also be set up so you question whether you believe he is Innocent or not. I want to leave it so it spurs nothing but discussion over who really killed his family.
Anyway, a much different movie than the other. One though, that I feel if I could write it, the way I invision it, could be a very good movie.
40 is not the new anything.
9 years ago
4 comments:
I tell you the one armed man did it!!
So, is it more we see the story of what happened unfold through flashbacks with an ambiguous nature to what role s/he played in it?
Or more, everyone thinks s/he is guilty and as s/he packs up the house they slowly go crazy and even they aren't sure if they did it?
Where does the uncertainty come from? An interesting idea either way, I'm just trying to picture how it would play out in my head. :)
It would have to be an indie film if you didn't tie up the ending, M. Night.
This movie, unless packed with stars, would make very little money. If done right, would be enjoyed by critics, a hit at Sundance, and get me an oscar nod....or be total crap.
The flashbacks, set up the uncomfortable suspense in the house. The flashbacks are only courtroom scenes though, where we hear from the prosecution, defense, and our main character as to what they believed happened. He gets off ultimately because their is no evidence that shows he did it. I want to make it clear that we have no evidence that shows he didn't do it either.
The uncertainty comes from the fact you never get answers. You get theories and suggestions as to what happened.
The main character will always 100 percent believe that they are innocent. It will be clear that they are crazy though. The audience would need to decicde is this person crazy because they killed their family, or crazy because their family was killed and they stood trial for it.
Ultimately my goal would be to keep building to a point where the audience assumes the climax is going to hit. They are waiting for the scene that wraps the story up either way. Then the main chracter just gets in the uHaul and drives away.
If I really wanted to mess with heads, I would have the light in the attic go out, as the UHaul drives away. Months later, after everyone assumes that means their was someone in the attic, I would suggest that it maybe was just the light burning out.
Anyway, all just ideas at this point.
So basically, its the kind of movie that would really piss me off?
Ugh. What's the point of the movie then? What are you trying to say?
If it's just to be all abiguous, then I say boo.
If we're voting, then I like the Come On Eileen idea better. At least then I'll be able to be supportive without lying. :)
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