Screenplays

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

Logline

An introvert plagued by nightmares discovers a drug that allows people to control their dreams and puts humanity’s collective subconscious at risk of corporate takeover. 

Synopsis

Malia, a mid-20s Hawai’ian-Japanese woman, has been plagued by nightmares since her father died ten years earlier. She uses lucid dreaming to take control of her nightmares — turning a barrage of enemy bullets into donut bites. 

Despite the horror show that happens every night in her brain, Malia’s life is mundane. She works in the marketing department of a pharmaceutical company. Malia is lonely and pines for charismatic sales manager Cameron, but her severe introversion prevents her from getting what she wants in life. 

One day, Malia discovers an existing drug (Axion) enables people to lucid dream without years of practice. She’s excited by the idea of helping fellow nightmare sufferers and the financial bonus that could help pay for a new foundation for her childhood home back in Hawai’i. Malia’s mom (Michiko) still lives in Hawai’i and runs the family taiko school — the site of many happy memories for Malia. 

Cameron helps Malia sell her idea to the company’s decision-makers. Axion becomes the latest fad drug and Malia is gettin’ paid and gettin’ laid — until Axion sales fail to meet projections. The life Malia has longed for is about to slip away, so she decides to swing for the fences.

Malia tells Cameron about a strange dream she had as a teenager. A fellow taiko student (Willa) taught Malia how to lucid dream. One night, the two teens experienced the same dream at the same time. But in the morning, Willa said nothing happened. Malia confronts Adult Willa who admits their co-dream really happened, and agrees to help Malia test her theory about how to share dreamspace with someone else. 

At their moment of triumph, a dark-haired stranger appears and explains the consequences of letting the whole world know how to co-dream, such as untraceable espionage and “Jesus” telling people climate change isn’t real. Around the same time, Malia and Cameron get fired.

With her relationship and financial future in jeopardy, Malia decides to share her discovery with a wearable startup. She weighs the pros and cons and decides everyday people deserve a place where they can live their best lives — if only in their dreams. 

The dark-haired stranger visits Malia again and accuses her of allowing humanity’s last sacred mental space to be colonized. What would her father (a Native Hawaiian) say? The next day, Malia discovers one of the wearable startup investors has purchased Lanai from Larry Ellison. She also spies on one of Cameron’s dreams and discovers he fantasizes about another woman. 

Malia leans into her evil and turns the wearable’s debut event into a multi-faceted nightmare. She turns public opinion against lucid dreaming and co-dreaming. The wearable company goes bankrupt and Axion is pulled off the market. She returns to Hawai’i where one last Dreamworld encounter causes Malia to realize she can use her powers for good in addition to evil.

Read Dream Frontier: A Psy-Fi Adventure

©2024