Screenplays
A Visit From My Teenage Self
A new twist on the well-worn coming of age story. Inspired by Ghost World, Freaky Friday and The Ghost of Christmas past.
⭐ Quarterfinalist PAGE Awards 2024
⭐ Quarterfinalist Scriptapalooza 2023
🌟 Second Rounder, Launch Pad Feature Competition 2023
🌟 Semi finalist Table Read My Screenplay - Park City 2023
Logline
When her teenage self starts appearing in every reflective surface, a 40-year-old, underachieving film costumer is forced to reflect on her life choices. She chases her childhood dream of becoming a costume designer while being comically berated by her younger self.
Synopsis
A Visit From My Teenage Self
If your teenage self could see you now, what would they think? Film costumer Viv is about to find out.
On her 40th birthday, Viv starts seeing her teenage self (Viva) in every mirror and reflective surface. The judgmental teen is quick to point out Viv's failure to fulfill her adolescent dream of being a famous designer. Viva’s sarcastic commentary drives Viv crazy and creates havoc.
After saving the day on a film shoot, Viv has the opportunity to join the costume design team on a popular TV show about music and time travel (Rock of Ages). If Viv can achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a costume designer, maybe her teenage self will disappear and life will go back to normal.
First, Viv has to update her portfolio to impress the showrunner. She creates new designs based on the signature style of musical icons and their influences. For example, a Beyonce-esque look peels away to a Janet Jackson-inspired ensemble underneath. Unfortunately, a gatekeeper with an ulterior motive refuses to share Viv’s portfolio with the showrunner.
Viv’s hard work doesn’t go to waste. Her childhood friend Mia and her band wear the custom outfits at a local benefit concert. Viv's coworker, aspiring filmmaker Alex, films Viv's designs in action.
Alex shares the video with other crew members at the wrap party. The showrunner sees it and offers Viv a job on the TV show.
The next day, Mia asks Viv to go on tour with the band. Viv says “no” because she has a new job on the TV show and is skeptical Mia will actually put a tour together. Mia accuses Viv of being a sellout. The longtime friends have a major falling out.
Viv meets the lead Costume Designer for Rock of Ages. The meeting goes well and it looks like Viv will get her dream job — until the gatekeeper intervenes again. One of the costumes from the film shoot has gone missing. Viv can either throw her co-worker under the bus or take responsibility and lose her nascent job on the TV show. Viv makes the mature, responsible choice.
Viva is furious with her adult self and challenges her to fix things. Viv confronts Viva about what being an adult is really like, “I’m just you, with more mileage.” They unpack why the teen cares so much about being famous and successful.
Viv visits the bar where Mia works, hoping to make up, but Mia isn’t there. Viv sends a heartfelt apology to Mia, who appears in the middle of the night and serenades Viv from the front lawn. Their friendship is restored and Viv agrees to join the tour.
On her way to board the tour bus, Viv's teenage self has one last role to play before disappearing for good.
This reverse coming-of-age story bursts at the seams with colorful characters, retro references for younger Gen X/older Millennials and moments that will appeal to anyone who's ever engaged in a moment of self-reflection.
Read A Visit From My Teenage Self
©2023
The Dream Frontier: A Psy-Fi Adventure
Logline
A young woman plagued by chronic nightmares helps popularize a drug that enables nearly anyone to control their dreams, but soon learns there are serious consequences to giving humanity the keys to the dreamworld.
Synopsis
Malia, a mid-20s military brat from Hawai’i, has been plagued by nightmares since her father went MIA ten years earlier. Over the years, Malia has learned how to take control of her nightmares, turning a barrage of enemy bullets into donut bites, for example.
Apart from her lucid dreaming skills, Malia’s life is mundane. She works in the marketing department at a pharmaceutical company and pines for charismatic sales manager Cameron, but her introversion holds her back. One day, she discovers an existing drug (Axion) enables people to lucid dream without years of practice. Cameron helps promote the idea internally and Axion becomes the latest fad drug. Malia is gettin’ paid and gettin’ laid — until Axion sales stop meeting projections. The life Malia always wanted is about to slip away.
Malia contacts the friend who taught her about lucid dreaming as a teen (Willa), now a military counterintelligence officer. As teens, they once had the same dream at the same time, but Willa denied it in the morning. Adult Willa admits it really happened and is willing to help Malia figure out how they did it. At their moment of triumph, a dark-haired stranger appears and lays out the consequences of letting the whole world know how to co-dream (untraceable espionage, stifling innovation, “Jesus” telling people climate change isn’t real).
Back in the waking world, Malia can’t decide whether to buy into the stranger’s claim the dreamworld would devolve into a second internet or sell her breakthrough idea. Willa wants to keep their discovery under wraps, but Cameron persuades Malia to work with a wearable startup — a decision she regrets after spying on one of his dreams.
Feeling betrayed, Malia leans into her evil and turns public opinion against lucid dreaming and co-dreaming. In the process, she takes down the companies that sought to profit from capitalizing on humanity’s last sacred mental space.
She returns to Hawai’i where one last mystery is unveiled.
Contact me to read The Dream Frontier: A Psy-Fi Adventure
©2024