After the death of his mother, a senstive boy is sent to live with his mobster father and to fit in he decides to enter a mambo contest, but his life with his father is jeoparidized by his father’s gangster activities.
STORY COMMENTS
THE BIRTH OF COOL is a character driven story that blends drama, music, dance, and humor. The script offers a fascinating world. The time period and culture feel authentic. There’s a rich tapestry of iconic musicians told against a gangland backdrop. All of this makes for a “cool” setting that lives up to the script’s title. The great legends of the times come to life. The script is driven by themes about reconnecting and belonging.
There’s no doubt that the highlight of this script are the colorful and …show more content…
They couldn’t be more opposite.
Junebug is a very sensitive, shy, socially regressed boy, while his mobster father, Red, is gruff, ill tempered, and hard-nosed. It’s a smart story choice. There’s an immediate built-in conflict and contradiction. The cowardly lion is smartly symbolic of Junebug.
There’s also a wonderful voice and sense of style to the storytelling. The humor is well crafted.
The relationship between Junebug and his father Red drive the first act. The idea that Red makes Junebug go to the bully kids to get his money back is terrific. It really reveals so much about Red’s personality. He’s a fighter and he wants Junebug to learn to be a man. He believes that you go get what belongs to you.
The scene of teaching Junebug to box is well crafted. Junebug facing his nemesis and putting on a brave front is touching. Incited by the name calling of his mother, he takes on the world, or at least the crew. What’s so special is that the crew recognizes that Dare played dirty. In a nice turn of events, the crew gains respect for Junebug.
Unfortunately, as the story continues this apparent true-life story experiences structural …show more content…
Too much is being told in an overly ambitious plotline. Basically, this is a boy becoming a man. But as a boy, he doesn’t have a clear goal, with the exception of the dance competition, but the plot switches so many times to other events that the competition for the dance gets lost in the structure.
Also, the idea of Junebug deciding to enter the competition to compete with Dare, comes very late in the structure. It comes around page 51. The idea of entering a mambo dance-off is fun and enjoyable. It adds a nice hook. Furthermore, the contest can be used to two ways: one to beat Dare, his nemesis, and two to impress his father.
However, for both of these to work, the goal has to be moved up. Don’t wait until the midpoint to give Junebug a goal. In addition, once he makes his decision to dance, he needs to be proactive in obtaining his objective.
Also, in order for this to work, he has to have a true rivalry with Dare. Their relationship is confusing. Sometimes they appear to be friends and others times they aren’t. The stronger the rivalry, the more powerful the win will be.
If Junebug thinks his father will be impressed if he wins, then this also focuses the script. It plays to his inner goal and need to reconnect to his father and feel
STORY COMMENTS
THE BIRTH OF COOL is a character driven story that blends drama, music, dance, and humor. The script offers a fascinating world. The time period and culture feel authentic. There’s a rich tapestry of iconic musicians told against a gangland backdrop. All of this makes for a “cool” setting that lives up to the script’s title. The great legends of the times come to life. The script is driven by themes about reconnecting and belonging.
There’s no doubt that the highlight of this script are the colorful and …show more content…
They couldn’t be more opposite.
Junebug is a very sensitive, shy, socially regressed boy, while his mobster father, Red, is gruff, ill tempered, and hard-nosed. It’s a smart story choice. There’s an immediate built-in conflict and contradiction. The cowardly lion is smartly symbolic of Junebug.
There’s also a wonderful voice and sense of style to the storytelling. The humor is well crafted.
The relationship between Junebug and his father Red drive the first act. The idea that Red makes Junebug go to the bully kids to get his money back is terrific. It really reveals so much about Red’s personality. He’s a fighter and he wants Junebug to learn to be a man. He believes that you go get what belongs to you.
The scene of teaching Junebug to box is well crafted. Junebug facing his nemesis and putting on a brave front is touching. Incited by the name calling of his mother, he takes on the world, or at least the crew. What’s so special is that the crew recognizes that Dare played dirty. In a nice turn of events, the crew gains respect for Junebug.
Unfortunately, as the story continues this apparent true-life story experiences structural …show more content…
Too much is being told in an overly ambitious plotline. Basically, this is a boy becoming a man. But as a boy, he doesn’t have a clear goal, with the exception of the dance competition, but the plot switches so many times to other events that the competition for the dance gets lost in the structure.
Also, the idea of Junebug deciding to enter the competition to compete with Dare, comes very late in the structure. It comes around page 51. The idea of entering a mambo dance-off is fun and enjoyable. It adds a nice hook. Furthermore, the contest can be used to two ways: one to beat Dare, his nemesis, and two to impress his father.
However, for both of these to work, the goal has to be moved up. Don’t wait until the midpoint to give Junebug a goal. In addition, once he makes his decision to dance, he needs to be proactive in obtaining his objective.
Also, in order for this to work, he has to have a true rivalry with Dare. Their relationship is confusing. Sometimes they appear to be friends and others times they aren’t. The stronger the rivalry, the more powerful the win will be.
If Junebug thinks his father will be impressed if he wins, then this also focuses the script. It plays to his inner goal and need to reconnect to his father and feel