NARRATIVE - Magic Window
Narrative Feature
Title: Magic Window
Page Count: 88 pp
Project Status: In Development
Logline
In this true-crime drama, when a twelve-year-old boy from a troubled home falls in love with his father’s friend, an adult man, he is determined to do whatever it takes for the two of them to be together—setting him on the path to tragedy.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Ethan lives in the Florida Panhandle with his father, Sam, a strict, hard-working single parent. Ethan struggles with coming of age in a repressive environment; though socially isolated, he is at heart a creative boy who yearns for a nurturing soul to take notice of him.
When Sam’s friend Tony reaches out to Ethan, offering him the praise and encouragement he’s been longing for, Ethan’s gratitude grows into a crush, then a romantic fixation. He is determined to pursue a relationship with Tony, no matter what the cost.
But then Sam discovers his secret, and forbids him to see Tony again. Heart-broken and in desperation, Ethan solicits the help of his brother Kevin, a troubled teen recently returned from a multi-year stint in foster care, to take violent action against their father.
Additional Project Information
Magic Window was inspired by a true crime case dating back to the early 2000s, in which a young boy got his slightly older brother to help him murder their father, so that the younger brother could be with the man he thought he was in love with. The real-life version of these events was so disturbing and seemingly sordid, and the news coverage at the time accordingly sensationalistic. Even so, something about the case, with its underlying themes of familial conflict, ill-fated love, betrayal, and patricide, struck me as almost reminiscent of a Greek tragedy. This is what I found so compelling about this story and couldn’t let go of.
Comps: Heavenly Creatures meets Call Me By Your Name.
The project was selected for participation in the NYWIFT From Script to Preproduction development lab, the Northeast Filmmakers Lab, and Filmshop’s juried Breakthrough Series; advanced to the second round of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and was a quarterfinalist for the ScreenCraft Film Fund.
“Bravo. This is an important and relevant story about masculinity, fatherhood and male mentorship, and more broadly, the human experience of searching for connection in healthy and less healthy ways.”
—Rena Sapon-White, Writer-Producer-Director, Creative Associate at Tadmor (Swiss Army Man, Norman)
“I see this as a project that a name actor would like to be attached to. Reminds me of Heavenly Creatures or other films where children lose their way as they deal with sexuality and maturing. I see John Hawkes as the father!”
—Alison Bailes, Freelance Film Critic and Journalist
“This screenplay connects with strong dialogue and character elements to expose a human tragedy that is both poetic and vile. ... Each lead/supporting player in this drama comes across as singularly unique and authentic via the strong dialogue and whimsical imagery that floats around this script’s words. Strong execution of heinous human action!”
—The Black List
Team
Writer/Director: Nina Gielen
Financials
Budget: 530k, 5k in seed money raised to date.
Seeking
Producing Partners, Production Company, Investors
Project Website
http://www.ninagielen.com/feature.html
Contact
Nina Gielen
info@ninagielen.com