This pretty accurately depicts the point of view of teens, their culture and language. It also may be particularly relevant for kids from a NYC high school, or any other major city. I think kids in more rural areas have a different POV about certain things. The pace is pretty good. There aren't any real lags. It moves along at a good clip. From reading the background on this, it appears to have been produced live already, so again, I will say that I would have enjoyed hearing the music that goes along with the screenplay.
For the most part, the characters are all well-defined and their dialogue follows suit. Josh and Rachel are typical high school super stars. Viper is the underdog that turns around in the end. Phoebe is the most interesting to me because I couldn't figure out why she was siding with Viper. The other kids are also pretty true to form. The only plot hole for me is Viper's backstory. We overhear a brief conversation with his dad, who is a jerk, but that's it. There is no discussion between him and Phoebe about the influence his dad has had on him. We don't see him directly deal with his dad. There is only that one conversation, which seems taken out of context as there is no further development.
Although the concept of a teen musical isn't new (Glee, Dirty Dancing) this takes some unique twists that make it stand out. It definitely is relevant to teens/tweens and their families today. Coming out is still something that kids put off, as it is not always accepted by their parents; stories such as this help give kids the confidence to step forward in spite of their fears.
Definitely it has commercial potential. Following the popularity of highly successful films such as High School Musical and coming out soon, In the Heights and Spielberg's reboot of West Side Story, the genre of teen musicals reaches way back. It's the perfect topic for a summer blockbuster! Its greatest strengths are in the topics it addresses, the positive role models, the positive solutions to problems, its humor and use of appropriate language such as a teen today would use. Its greatest weakness really is that there is no way to listen to the music. The reader can appreciate the lyrics, but I would have liked to have been able to listen to the actual music. The structure is pretty good. We have the initial conflict, the escalation of it, the behind-the-scenes reveal and the public reveal.
The main plot follows MVP Josh and Rachel whose friendship is tested when a school bully threatens to expose his secret. Sub-plots involve other kids and their relationships and the character Viper's backstory. Josh's conflict is in feeling anxious about being gay. He hasn't revealed that to his BFF Rachel, his parents, and certainly not the school where he is MVP in football! He finally tells Rachel. Viper overhears him and reveals his "secret" via his blog, denial ensues until he finally has the courage to announce it to the entire school. It is pretty predictable, but handled in a sensitive and believable way. I wasn't surprised at all, but I felt good about how his conflict was resolved.
I give this script 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
This pretty accurately depicts the point of view of teens, their culture and language. It also may be particularly relevant for kids from a NYC high school, or any other major city. I think kids in more rural areas have a different POV about certain things. The pace is pretty good. There aren't any real lags. It moves along at a good clip. From reading the background on this, it appears to have been produced live already, so again, I will say that I would have enjoyed hearing the music that goes along with the screenplay.
For the most part, the characters are all well-defined and their dialogue follows suit. Josh and Rachel are typical high school super stars. Viper is the underdog that turns around in the end. Phoebe is the most interesting to me because I couldn't figure out why she was siding with Viper. The other kids are also pretty true to form. The only plot hole for me is Viper's backstory. We overhear a brief conversation with his dad, who is a jerk, but that's it. There is no discussion between him and Phoebe about the influence his dad has had on him. We don't see him directly deal with his dad. There is only that one conversation, which seems taken out of context as there is no further development.
Although the concept of a teen musical isn't new (Glee, Dirty Dancing) this takes some unique twists that make it stand out. It definitely is relevant to teens/tweens and their families today. Coming out is still something that kids put off, as it is not always accepted by their parents; stories such as this help give kids the confidence to step forward in spite of their fears.
Definitely it has commercial potential. Following the popularity of highly successful films such as High School Musical and coming out soon, In the Heights and Spielberg's reboot of West Side Story, the genre of teen musicals reaches way back. It's the perfect topic for a summer blockbuster! Its greatest strengths are in the topics it addresses, the positive role models, the positive solutions to problems, its humor and use of appropriate language such as a teen today would use. Its greatest weakness really is that there is no way to listen to the music. The reader can appreciate the lyrics, but I would have liked to have been able to listen to the actual music. The structure is pretty good. We have the initial conflict, the escalation of it, the behind-the-scenes reveal and the public reveal.
The main plot follows MVP Josh and Rachel whose friendship is tested when a school bully threatens to expose his secret. Sub-plots involve other kids and their relationships and the character Viper's backstory. Josh's conflict is in feeling anxious about being gay. He hasn't revealed that to his BFF Rachel, his parents, and certainly not the school where he is MVP in football! He finally tells Rachel. Viper overhears him and reveals his "secret" via his blog, denial ensues until he finally has the courage to announce it to the entire school. It is pretty predictable, but handled in a sensitive and believable way. I wasn't surprised at all, but I felt good about how his conflict was resolved.
I give this script 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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