Recommendation
Author: Recommended
Script: Pass
18 year old academic high flier David discovers he has cancer, as does 30 year old layabout Matt. The incongruous pair leave hospital and set off on a road trip of self-discovery, but things don't go completely to plan.
David Woods is a quiet 18 year old school boy who lives in suburban Florida. An only child, he is the apple of his parents' eye. His life consists of study and playing the organ. Everything changes when he finds that he has cancer and is hospitalized for chemotherapy. In the next bed is Matt, who also has cancer. Matt is a 30 year old womanizer who is always up to mischief. Although an unlikely pair, they share their frustrations and start to get along.
One night while the two friends are high on morphine, Matt says that since they are going to die anyway they should get out, buy a car together and drive to Colorado to see his young daughter and ride the famous Hellfire white rapids. David is both appalled and attracted by the idea. The next day Matt checks himself out of hospital. David stays determined to see his chemotherapy course through.
David recovers from cancer and returns home to his parents. Nothing has changed in the Woods household. David's father wants him to choose his subjects for the next school term. No mention is given to David's illness. David tells his parents that he is not going back to school. David goes to Matt's. Matt says that he has also recovered. They decide to buy a car and set out on the trip they planned in hospital. A hearse is chosen. Matt pretends to pay for it but slyly uses David's credit card. Believing that Matt has paid for the hearse, David withdraws $2,000 from the bank to pay for expenses incurred along the way to Colorado.
David can't let himself go but Matt wants to party. Matt becomes frustrated with him and they argue. David's father sets out in search of him. He finds them and insists that David return with him. David defies his father for the first time and refuses to go back. Matt is proud of the guts that the boy has shown.
Sleeping in the car in Fort Worth, Texas, Matt and David talk about their dreams. David tells Matt that he would love to play the organ in a cathedral. Matt tells David that he has always wanted to go white water rafting. Colorado has the most dangerous stretch of water in the world. The pair start to get on better and begin to have fun.
Their friendship is once more plunged into turmoil when David discovers that Matt lied to him about paying for the car. He feels betrayed. David tries to leave, but is eventually persuaded to stay after Matt promises to take out a loan in Colorado to pay him back.
They arrive in Colorado. David fulfils his dream of playing the organ in a cathedral following a scuffle that results in Matt locking the minister in a cupboard. David plays beautifully to a handful of tramps. Matt takes David to a bar to meet some old friends and then nervously leaves to see Lynn, his ex-girlfriend, and Becky, his daughter. Lynn does not allow him to see Becky, Matt's been away too long, Lynn does not want to upset things now.
Matt returns to the pub, drunk and abusive. The barman throws him out. David goes home with Lisa, whom he has been chatting to all evening. Lisa and David sleep together - David is delighted. Matt has spent the night waiting outside Lynn's house. The next morning he spots Becky leaving for school. He grabs her. Lynn's new boyfriend stops Matt escaping with Becky. Matt is arrested and warned not to go near Becky again.
Matt starts to fall apart. David realises that Matt still has cancer- he hadn't beaten it after all. Together they drive to the Hellfire rapids and go white water rafting, which is a terrifying but exhilarating experience. Matt tells David that he can't pay him back, that he's completely broke. David accepts this. Together they see they sun set and soon after Matt dies. Everyone comes to Matt's funeral, including David's parents and Lynn and Becky.
Positives
'Hearse' is a character driven script that could be made on a relatively low budget, minimising our outlay and thus our risk. With the right director attached the film could make a profit. This is an appealing script with a story that is both a black comedy and a road movie. Despite beginning in a cancer ward, the script avoids sentimentality and centers itself more as a story of friendship and rites of passage.
Throughout the script the development of the two central characters' relationship is well managed. The writer has achieved this through his ability to write dialogue. Throughout the script, the dialogue is always natural and flowing, creating a strong impression of the characters, while also providing strong comedy.
While the two characters are on the road, the dialectics of the people they meet on the way changes. Through this device and use of minor characters the writer manages to capture the vast distance that these two are travelling. This also provides an interesting insight into America, similar in style to David Lynch's 'Straight Story'.
Matt's character strong and sympathetic. He provides a good balance to David. He injects much humour into the script, while also providing traits with which an audience will identify. Matt knows that he is going to die and is determined to enjoy his last months, a reaction with which many would identify. His is a well developed character, a real chancer, but also a young father figure to David. We sympathise with his light heartedness in the face of death.
The white water rafting scenes are the script at its best. In these scenes we think that Matt is going to kill himself, that we are going to have an ending similar to the 1991 'Point Break', but the writer fools his audience here and Matt survives. The build up of tension is excellent, creating a surprising resolution to the story.
Negatives
The storyline is weak at times, allowing the script to fall into lulls and peaks. Some of the scenes require a rewrite, with more action, comedy and tension added. At times the plot is too predictable and more surprises should be added to the story.
While the pair are on the road nothing that much happens to them, this is a missed opportunity and we need to see more then just their friendship changing. More should be made of the characters that they meet on the way.
One of the main problems that the script could face is through the central character David. David is a nerd, who appears to have no friends. I am not completely convinced that David will be able to gain ample empathy from a teen audience. Instead this character may alienate such an audience.
David does not have the conventional dreams of your average teen; his main wish in life is to play the organ in a cathedral. More depth needs to be given to his character- we need to know more about his life, while sparks of imagination and creativity are given to him the authors fail to follow them through.
The secondary characters require further development, at present they do not go beyond the contrived. For example the characters of David's parents Brian and Eva never show any depth. The despair that is the basis of their helplessness could be detailed more, by including a scene of the two of them together. At present they are little more than caricatures, poorly drawn strict parents. They also appear in one of the script's the most confusing scenes - when Eva suddenly leaves Brian. This appears to be completely out of character.
Markets
'Hearse' is a small character driven script that could perform well in all territories. Unlike many low budget films, 'Hearse' is not aimed at an art house audience, to make a profit the film would have to move into mainstream cinemas. 'Hearse' is a teen aimed film with a slight male skew that would probably earn a PG rating. It may prove to fare better outside of the USA, where audiences tend to enjoy smaller, character driven stories. This is the type of film that would start on the festival circuit and then go wider.
In its present draft the film of this script would probably go straight to video or could be a TV movie. It has an independent film feel but lacks the strength of humour of some recent independent film successes such as the Coen Brothers films or Wes Anderson's 'Rushmore', nor the consistently strong observation and characterisation of 'The Straight Story'. Good casting and the script's rewrite are essential for this script's success.
At present 'Hearse' has a television or straight to video movie feel about it. However with further development, which would include sharpening the humour and allowing the characters more depth, it could translate into relative success. The writer shows talent and we should consider him for future projects.
I pass on the script but think that the writer is one to watch in the future.
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