catcher in rye

[abbey road]

catcher in the rye's allways been my favorite book, but i owuld never want to betray JD Salinger in thinking about turning it into a film, but im gonna make a movie this winter with a DV camera thats kinds of a catcher in the rye style but with my life, and in a non-linear fasion........in totaly honesty does that sound good or bad to any of u?

[Raikus]

I don't know. On a scale of 1 to 10, how interesting is your life?

[children with angels]

Catcher is my favourite book too, and it kind of makes me sad that J.D is so against movies - any publicity of it for that matter - because I too would love to make a film of it. It'd probably just ruin it though, you know how it is with a book you love...

I've used Catcher in the Rye in a lot of visual art though: my entire last year of art was based around one line from the book, and I made kind of a photo-documentation of a friend of mine playing Holden, enacting all the phone sequences (where he thinks of, or tries to, phone Jane but can't), with text from the book interspersed - that's as close as I'll get to filming it.

But, with regards your film: I say go for it. Although, in what ways is it going to be similar to Catcher? Just in that it'll be you walking around a city doing not that much, or are there going to be more specific things...?

[abbey road]

well i think my lifes pretty interesting, but mianly overexagerated and dramatized versions of my lie that would hopfully make it very interesing.


thanx fo your support, yur art project sounds awesome. in how im going to use catcher, mainly just in the whole disgruntled youth getting kicked out of school and in a city thing and play with it. the story will pretty much be different, im going to try tosart it off with him tlaking to somone so at leaste to some degree u can have some goodhought in-put, and within the action he tells about i want to use alot of his just thought images, like that will kind of describe his kind of personal views as he sees things, its kin of hard to explain, but it wont cost me much, so if i finsish the screen play soon enough i think im going for it. thanx for ur imput. yea it makes me kind of mad about some of salingers views, but o well, ijust hop maybe hes been writing tons of books all these years ad theyre all going to be realesed very soon- ha


-chad

[abbey road]

this is te begining of a script im trying to write- brutally honest: does this totally suck or would u stay for the rest? thax(the format got screwed up- sorry)

In black we hear the sounds of wind.
FROM BLACK:
EXT. PARKING GARAGE/ROOF/DAY  
We look out on a ledge, behind it is a small city that is oddly empty by appearance.  The only sound we hear is the wind blowing from left to right.  Suddenly a little boy interrupts the shot walking carelessly along the ledge to the center of the frame.
...We go to an aerial shot over the little boy.  We can see a two-hundred foot fall on the other side of the ledge.  The aerial shot pans onto the roof where Jude(17 with brown hair) runs up to the little boy.
JUDE (DISTRESSED)
Wow.  Hey.  Kid.  You need to get down from there.  You need to hurry up and get down now.
LITTLE BOY
Your not my Mommy are you?
JUDE
Wu-ell, no.  But if you don't get down now, you could fall.  You could die.  I- I don't want that.
The little boy looks down, then back into the camera judging Jude.
LITTLE BOY
Mommy said if i fall down God will send an angel to come and protect me and bring me back up to the top before I hit the ground.
Jude hesitates trying to think of a reply.
JUDE (RUSHED)
Well...did you ever think maybe I'm one of those angels, and God sent me down hear to warn you and protect you?
LITTLE BOY (FRANKLY)
No.
TO BLACK:
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by: beings and carrys over to the next scene.
FROM BLACK:
EXT. BUS STOP/DUSK
We are on a wide shot of a bus stop in the middle of an urban area.  We hold the shot for a moment, accompanying the music.  A bus suddenly enters the frame, stops briefly, then drives off leaving a fog-like trail of dust behind it.  We can't see who got off but we pull in through the dust.  The dust clears and we see Jude (19 now, and with bleached blonde hair and a layer of eye liner around his eyes), his back is turned to the camera as he looks out into the city as the sun sets before him, picks up two suit cases with each arm, and walks off.
CUT TO:
EXT. PAY PHONE/DUSK
We look at the profile of a pay phone.  Suddenly a large gust of dust blows by, passes through a behind fence, and is gone, leaving Jude standing before the phone.  Jude picks up the phone.
...We pull into a super CU of each number as he dials it: 6-2-7-0-1-5-8.
...The phone begins to ring.  After a few rings a woman's voice (Jude's mother) answers on the other end of the line.
WOMAN V.O.
Hello?
Jude opens his mouth as-though to speak, but quickly hesitates and stops.
WOMAN V.O.
Ugh........
The phone hangs up, the music ends, and the dial tone rings in.  Jude drops the phone, which swings into the camera as we watch him walk of quickly; the dial tone sounds loudly in the back ground.  A large gust of dust is blown before the frame, shrouding anything else in-front of the camera, and we go...
TO WHITE:
Tittle Card: In black on white in large bold letters read: "see no evil.".
FROM WHITE:
INT. 24 HOUR DINER/NIGHT
We look at the profile of a booth in a "deny-esque" diner. Jude (19 with a shaved head) is staring off before him.
...CU of Jude's wrist watch reading 11:30.
...We pull in on Jude, and his voice over narration begins:
JUDE (V.O.)
Our lives only add up to what we make of them...
CUT TO:
EXT. SMALL DOWNTOWN AREA/DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
...Should we go through life rationally with an understanding that everything is pointless?...

A quick cut to a slow motion shot of Jude (18 with brown hair) kissing a girl, Abbey Falls (18). The back ground is out of focus and the colors fuse together like thier emotion is radiating off them.  The shot goes in revers quickly and they seperate leaving a bland out of focus shot.
CUT TO:
EXT. EL DIAMANTE HIGH SCHOOL/ENTRENCE/MORNING
JUDE (V.O.)
...And you die and you go and your in the same place you were before-...
We are in a veritcle wide shot of Jude (17 with brown hair) as he stands before his high school wearing a backpack.  Everyone around him is moving abnormally fast all around him as he stands motionless under an odd light.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY/ EMPIRE STATE BUILDING/OVERCAST DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
...nowhere.
We are in a vertical wide shot of Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair) as he stands below the empire state building, oddly lit and looking up.  The people around him are shrowded in dark and moving abnormally fast in a black clutter.
CUT TO:
EXT. SMALL DOWNTOWN AREA/DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
Or is it better to be happy?...
Back to the slow motion shot of Jude (18 with brown hair) kissing Abbey(18). The back ground is out of focus and the colors fuse together like thier emotion is radiating off them.
CUT TO:
EXT. PRESBETARIAN CURCH/ROOF/MORNING
JUDE (V.O.)
... To get high of the illusion that there's actually more to it all, ...
We are in a wide shot looking at the roof of a church.  Sitting next to a large white steeple is Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair and eye liner), smoking.  He looks up then knock the tip of the cigarette against the edge of his knee.
CUT TO:
INT. BALLROOM/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)
... and you actually have a purpose. ...
We are in a large ballroom, with all the aerial lights but one shut off.  Jude (18 with brown hair) is sitting on the ground against a wall staring at his shoes.  Abbey's feet interupt the frame, and she gets on her knees before him crying.  She leans into his face, and rests her forhead against his cheek.  Jude puts his arm around her tightly.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING GARAGE/ROOF/DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
... After examining both cases, I've come to the conclusion that no matter how you look at it: ...
We are looking at Jude (19 with a shaved head) as he stands on the ledge where the little boy stood before.  He looks right, then left, then down all in slow motion.
CUT TO:
INT. 24 HOUR DINER/NIGHT
We are on a CU of Jude (19 with a shaved head) as he stares directly into the camera.
JUDE (V.O.)
... life's shit.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING GARAGE/ROOF/DAY
We are on a CU of Jude's feet as they slowly lift and he begins to fall off the ledge.
CUT TO:
INT. 24 HOUR DINER/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)
... But if your listening now: stop. ...
We are on a CU of Jude (19 with a shaved head) as he stares directly into the camera.
CUT TO:
INT. BATHROOM/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)
... My views on living mean absolutely nothing. ...
We see Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair) as he falls back from a sink against a wall and to his knees.
CUT TO:
INT. BALLROOM/NIGHT
Jude is staring directly into the camera, holding a knife to his head.  Half of his hair bleached blonde hair is shaved off roughly.  He pulls the knife away from his skull and a trickle of blood poors down.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING GARAGE/ROOF/DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
... I am dead. ...
We are looking at the parking garage from far away as a body falls from the roof.  The shot is grainy and distorted, and ends when it reaches a distortion to the point of simply square pixcells.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA/DAY
JUDE (V.O.)
... Yea...I breathe.  I eat.  I sleep. ...
We are on a wide shot of a large school cafeteria filled with collage students.  Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair) is centered in the middle eating, disturbingly minute amongst all of the other people.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET/DAY
Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair) is positioned in the same place as the last shot, but now we look at him from afar in a huge crowd of people as they walk.
CUT TO:
INT. CLASSROOM/MORNING
JUDE (V.O.)
... But I'm far from alive. ...
Again Jude (18 with bleached blonde hair) is positioned in the same place as the last 2 shots, but now we look at him from afar in a large collage classroom with stadium seating.
CUT TO:
INT. BALLROOM/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)
... The only difference between this and death is that I'm conscience of the nothing-ness as it occurs. ...
We pull away from Jude (19 with a newly shaven head) who is sitting on the ground of a floresently lit bathroom, grittily green, as he stares off into nothing.
CUT TO:
INT. BATHROOM/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)
... I have nothing to fear now, because oblivion is less painful- ...
We are on a CU of Jude (19 with a newly shaven head) his head is covered in blood that trickles down his face mixing with his black eye make-up smeared around his face, fluttering with light.
CUT TO:
INT. 24 HOUR DINER/NIGHT
JUDE (V.O.)

... and it's only up from here.
We are on a wide profile shot of Jude sitting at his booth alone as he stares off into the nothing before him.

[Pubrick]

i dunno, i'm kinda sick of teenage angst stories.

doesn't anyone hav fun anymore? shit, a simple smoke up scene would lighten these depressed things up.*

anyway, maybe others are impressed by the "i don't believe in anything" schtick, but i'm really tired of it. sorry bro, even Se7en had characters who believed life was worth fighting for. my bias aside, i'd say ur script is yet another well written suicide curiosity sure to appeal to everyone who didn't get a ps2 for christmas.

it's just not me.

*although Catcher in the Rye dealt with teen angst, it was hilarious and had a life-affirming ending, sweet even.

[Cecil]

anyway, maybe others are impressed by the "i don't believe in anything" schtick, but i'm really tired of it. sorry bro, even Se7en had characters who believed life was worth fighting for. my bias aside, i'd say ur script is yet another well written suicide curiosity sure to appeal to everyone who didn't get a ps2 for christmas.

sometimes, when a story seems to say "life isnt worth fighting for" or "i dont believe in anything," it really means the opposite. im not saying that this is necessarily the case in this story, im just commenting. your response, to me at least, is similar to people who say "a clockwork orange glorifies violence" or "straw dogs advocates rape."

[Pubrick]

sometimes, when a story seems to say "life isnt worth fighting for" or "i dont believe in anything," it really means the opposite. im not saying that this is necessarily the case in this story, im just commenting. your response, to me at least, is similar to people who say "a clockwork orange glorifies violence" or "straw dogs advocates rape."

yes ur talking about requiem for a dream as an anti-drug film and thin red line as an anti-war movie. that kind of obvious stuff. my gripe with this partial script was not due to a misreading or as u imply an idiot-reading. i never said my dislike of it was that it was pro-suicide.

i took it as an opportunity to vent about the tiresome overabundance of trite suicide/violent stories by teens and aspiring writers. a lot of the dribble that is submitted here is the same dark-angled humorless arty stuff that is fine in principle but only rarely such as with Budgie's script has it been backed by real emotional pain. i said it was well written and that ppl like urself would enjoy it, there is a big audience for it. it appears u've totally misread what i thought was clearly expressed. there's nothing further to say on this matter.

[chainsmoking insomniac]

sometimes, when a story seems to say "life isnt worth fighting for" or "i dont believe in anything," it really means the opposite. im not saying that this is necessarily the case in this story, im just commenting. your response, to me at least, is similar to people who say "a clockwork orange glorifies violence" or "straw dogs advocates rape."

yes ur talking about requiem for a dream as an anti-drug film and thin red line as an anti-war movie. that kind of obvious stuff. my gripe with this partial script was not due to a misreading or as u imply an idiot-reading. i never said my dislike of it was that it was pro-suicide.

i took it as an opportunity to vent about the tiresome overabundance of trite suicide/violent stories by teens and aspiring writers. a lot of the dribble that is submitted here is the same dark-angled humorless arty stuff that is fine in principle but only rarely such as with Budgie's script has it been backed by real emotional pain. i said it was well written and that ppl like urself would enjoy it, there is a big audience for it. it appears u've totally misread what i thought was clearly expressed. there's nothing further to say on this matter.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you.  I do believe that suicide/personal angst has always been a fascinating subject, and is obviously part of the "human condition", but it's been done so much that it loses itself (or it's emotional impact) on its audience.  Very few films recently have genuinely struck a chord with me on this subject.....Virgin Suicides comes to mind immediately, as does Requiem....

[abbey road]

thanx for reading it guys. i see what ur both saying. i think it is more of an anti-angst film in the end, but i see why u would say that by the begining, and i do agree that it does get old somtimes. but its not about violence or suicide or drugs- just confusion. thank you both again, i appreciate u reading it.
chad
(p.s. i didnt get a ps2 for x-mas, thanx for reminding me....bastard)

[subversiveproductions]

i saw a movie recently about catcher in the rye.  it was called chasing holden, and it had that sickly looking kid from road trip in it.  probably the worst movie i've ever seen.  if you're talking about making a movie like that, i hope your intestines fall out before you finish the screenplay.  otherwise, best of luck, it's a great book.

[Cecil]

it appears u've totally misread what i thought was clearly expressed.

my post was in response to this line in particular:

maybe others are impressed by the "i don't believe in anything" schtick, but i'm really tired of it. sorry bro, even Se7en had characters who believed life was worth fighting for.

clearly, his story was asking questions. not making statements about what to believe in and whether or not life is worth fighting for.

i took it as an opportunity to vent about the tiresome overabundance of trite suicide/violent stories by teens and aspiring writers.

what do you expect them to write about? its good to get it out of their system.

any genre an aspiring writer will first tackle will be riddled with cliches. what should he write about? cops and robbers? everybody does since tarantino. sci-fi epic? im sure hed want to film it, doubt hed have the budget.

people think "ill just write something where my friends can play the leads." what do you expect?

i said it was well written and that ppl like urself would enjoy it

i thought it was boring because it added nothing new to the table. this couldve been the case in whatever genre he chose to write in

there's nothing further to say on this matter.

too late

[ono]

i took it as an opportunity to vent about the tiresome overabundance of trite suicide/violent stories by teens and aspiring writers. a lot of the dribble that is submitted here is the same dark-angled humorless arty stuff that is fine in principle but only rarely such as with Budgie's script has it been backed by real emotional pain.

Excellent observation.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

If a book inspires you, or a film inspires you, don't worry about your style. if it comes naturally, it will be worth it.

Damn I sound like a Hippy.
A hippy who hasn't written a solid script in 15 months.

I think the idea is great though. Catcher in the Rye I hear was inspired by Huck Finn, but it has it's own legs if you ask me.

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

Truth be told, I was thinking about doing the same exact thing.  If it wouldn't be perfect, I wouldn't accept it because it is one of my favorite books as well.

It could be a great film (although I think it is, it needs to be revamped).  My favorite part is when he's like "There I was, in the quiet area and I looked down and in red letters is spelled out "Fuck".  You can't go anywhere without seeing vandalism like this."