'The Leading Star' is a well-conceived, bittersweet short screenplay that skillfully touches on some difficult subjects. It portrays them even-handedly and without judgment, but also without sparing the emotional cost to all involved. As mentioned, the tone intimates the girls' disconnect with their lives and families which, in turn, cranks up the intensity of what they feel for each other. These are big concepts that aren't easily explored in features, but these authors have done a good job wrestling them into this short script. Although this is presumably Akio's story, it is Chiyo who feels like more of the lead because, of course, she is the center of the inciting incident. She is also the controller of the narrative. Chiyo, it seems, has made a series of serious miscalculations. She assumed death would save her from the traumas of life; that it would assuage the painful isolation she feels as a teenager. She also has failed to understand the depth of her connection to Aiko and failed to ponder what affect her death might have on her friend. What she discovers in death is a profound separation, a deafening isolation and an inability to convey the love she now understands and appreciates. Aiko is devastated into numbness. She can't seem to wrap her head around why Chiyo left her and she moves through varying stages of denial, unable to feel her friend's spirit nearby until she returns to the setting of the first scene. We leave her literally and figuratively teetering on the edge. We can presume she follows Chiyo's lead but ... maybe not. As tragic as this story line sounds, and as much as it could serve as a cautionary tale, it is in the end, a rare sort of love story, of devotion between two friends that speaks to the unending connections we have to those present and passed. I give this script 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Reviewed by Juror #10, KIDS FIRST!
'The Leading Star' is a well-conceived, bittersweet short screenplay that skillfully touches on some difficult subjects. It portrays them even-handedly and without judgment, but also without sparing the emotional cost to all involved. As mentioned, the tone intimates the girls' disconnect with their lives and families which, in turn, cranks up the intensity of what they feel for each other. These are big concepts that aren't easily explored in features, but these authors have done a good job wrestling them into this short script. Although this is presumably Akio's story, it is Chiyo who feels like more of the lead because, of course, she is the center of the inciting incident. She is also the controller of the narrative. Chiyo, it seems, has made a series of serious miscalculations. She assumed death would save her from the traumas of life; that it would assuage the painful isolation she feels as a teenager. She also has failed to understand the depth of her connection to Aiko and failed to ponder what affect her death might have on her friend. What she discovers in death is a profound separation, a deafening isolation and an inability to convey the love she now understands and appreciates. Aiko is devastated into numbness. She can't seem to wrap her head around why Chiyo left her and she moves through varying stages of denial, unable to feel her friend's spirit nearby until she returns to the setting of the first scene. We leave her literally and figuratively teetering on the edge. We can presume she follows Chiyo's lead but ... maybe not. As tragic as this story line sounds, and as much as it could serve as a cautionary tale, it is in the end, a rare sort of love story, of devotion between two friends that speaks to the unending connections we have to those present and passed. I give this script 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Reviewed by Juror #10, KIDS FIRST!
The Life of Aiko, a high school student, after the suicide of her best friend, Chiyo, has taken a 180-degree turn. She moves from her rural town to the city in hopes of leaving the painful memories of her best friend behind. What Aiko doesn't know is that though she has decided to try and move on, her past is still lurking behind - or rather, over- her.
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