I'm in the process of setting up a screenplay for my final year practical project at uni and the idea that the tutors and I chose was Otis. It's an idea that came to me when I was sitting on the bus on the way to uni and I saw a black kid sitting there who looked lost in life. Straight away a fully formed idea spouted from that one instance and I had to take it to my tutors. When I pitched the idea to my course leader and a film maker the response was instant and extremely positive. I got a green light, a huge boost in confidence and for the first time a feeling that I belong in the world of screenwriting.
Now onto the important bit, the idea itself:
Otis is a film about soul, which incidentally, is one of my favourite types of music. Artists such as; Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Dinah Washington, Etta James, Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson fill my day regularly and play a big part in the story of Otis. I want to encapsulate the feel of the music into the screenplay and enrich the vision I am creating. The screenplay will develop into a struggle between father and son and the journey they both go on whilst taking a similar route. I am posting the synopsis, please let me know what you think of it. I will be updating people on my progress and posting pages of my screenplay along with a whole host of ideas on here as the months go on.
Ibby
Otis
The protagonist of the film is Otis, a chubby African American 15 year old, who lives with his dad and his two sisters, who are younger than him. He goes to school and every day has his school lunch is stolen, despite it being mainly turkey mayonnaise sandwiches. He is always told by his teachers that he is too dumb and that he is going to get a dead-end job and is never going to be successful. He hangs around with his one and only friend Trevor, who is an avid comic book reader that barely speaks. The inciting incident in the film is when Otis gets home from school one day and is lambasted yet again by his dad for being stupid, but this time he mentions that it was his “stupid mother's fault", who died when Otis was 5. By this point, Otis has had enough of everyone telling him that he is too dumb to do anything, so he leaves home. He starts his adventure to Kansas, inspired by his love for The Wizard of Oz, and walks with his CD player in hand and his two favourite CDs; Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Cold War Kids’ Robbers and Cowards. He moves from town to town writing poetry in his notebook.
He first meets an elderly man, named Laurence, who invites Otis to his house and talks to him about old Motown records. Laurence comments on his name being the same as Otis Redding but Otis does not know who he is, so decides to give him a go. Laurence tells Otis to listen to some records and that he will appreciate music more when he listens to it on vinyl. Otis spends the day with him just listening to old records before Laurence gives him one of the few CDs he owns - Otis Redding’s Greatest Hits - to go away with. Laurence notices Otis has affinity for writing poetry and he decides to read it. Laurence has tears running down his face and tells Otis to see his friend in the publishing industry but Otis decides not to take it and moves onto the next town.
Here he meets a group of young guys, who are up to no good but take a liking to him. They hang with him but he barely says anything as they wolf whistle at girls, drink alcohol and shoot birds with their pellet gun. When night arrives the guys give him some money and to meet one of their friends in an alley way to pick up a bag of sugar. Otis doesn't question it and goes along to do the deal. They next ask him to enter a building when it is shut. Otis arrives at the building where there are lots of security guys, but gets scared so decides to run away with the gang chasing him.
He moves onto the next town where he meets a girl his age that is playing on the swings. She smiles at him when she first sees him, which makes Otis feel warm inside. The two spend the day having fun in the park and they are holding hands by the time the night arrives. The girl’s white father arrives and threatens Otis to leave his daughter alone because he doesn’t like his kind of person. This forces Otis to run as fast as he can but he gets out of breath and just sits to write poetry before falling asleep.
The next morning a young man wakes Otis up and asks him what he is doing there and Otis says that he is just chilling out. The man asks if he is homeless and Otis just goes with it and says yes. The man takes Otis in his car to a centre for young people who are homeless. The second turning point is when Otis meets so many people like him in the home. He enjoys his stay there and feels like he is achieving something by helping people, but tells the man that he hasn't reached Kansas yet so he walks away from the place.
The climax of the film approaches as Otis reaches Kansas and his dad arrives at the same time. Otis see an elderly lady crossing the road just as his dad is about to reach him. There is a fast car approaching the elderly lady, Otis decides to help the lady but doesn’t move fast enough so his last resort is to push her out of the road and take the hit himself.
Otis wakes up in the hospital to see the man that took him in, standing in front of him. He gives him the newspaper to see that Otis is on the front page and is described as a hero. He starts to cry because he has finally achieved something. There is a knock on the room door and it is a publicist from the literature company, who have decided to publish some of his poetry but Otis declines because he just wants to hang with his friends and write poetry for people that care and listen to old Motown records on vinyl. Otis's Dad comes to the hospital but doesn't tell Otis that he is there and instead leaves him a note saying that he would have made his Mum proud.
The film ends with Otis saying that from now on he is just going to sit on the dock of the bay.
