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The Weston Front
Reviews and Commentary from the Heartland
review of the script for
AMERICAN GOTHIC
by
Scott Smith
dated August 3, 2001
Well, it’s all quiet on the Weston Front once again after rather an interesting time of late. Following all of the excitement at National Cowboy Hall of Fame it was good to get home, look in the mailbox and find a nice packet from an old friend with some very interesting contents -– film scripts. We’ll start today with the one which first attracted my attention but don’t go away as there’s more in the pipeline.
Before we get into the piece in question we should set the stage just a bit. The action in this screenplay takes place over a couple of weeks in April 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln following the close of the American Civil War was a traumatic event for the nation. It marked the first -- but by no means the last – time a sitting President was attacked. The assassination of Lincoln was likely the most traumatic of such attempts because the Civil War had just ended and we were beginning to "bind up the nation’s wounds" when the fatal shot was fired at Ford’s Theater. The action in this screenplay follows two men –- one is the assassin John Wilkes Booth, the other his older brother and fellow thespian Edwin Booth who, although blameless, is caught up in the swirl of events following his brother’s deed. John is on the run from the authorities. Badly injured during the assassination of Lincoln he finds himself nearly friendless, reviled on all sides, and trying desperately to stay ahead of the search parties that are scouring the countryside. Edwin, his older, more stoic brother, has had nothing to do with the plot nor John’s politics but because of his relationship has been summoned to Washington, DC for questioning.
As presented in frequent flashbacks, it becomes evident that Edwin is the real actor (if there can be such a thing) -- a man in love with the stage and the use of words and action to bring ideas and concepts to life for the audience. John, it is revealed, is more given to posturing -- excelling at action, at sword fights and bombastic speeches. John, it appears, always saw himself as living in the shadows cast by his dead father, Junius, and his older brother. But John has nonetheless become a fantastically popular actor –- handsome and dashing he is sought after by numerous women whom he strings along with delight. While they are brothers, it is quickly evident that John and Edwin have little in common beyond the footlights. Edwin becomes aware of John’s involvement in anti-Union activities during the war and castigates him for them. He urges John to join the Confederate Army if he is so inclined rather than dabbling in the shadows but John dismisses the suggestion as unworthy of his "talents." After a heated argument the two brothers go their separate ways until events bring their beliefs into collision at Ford’s Theater.
A couple of interesting points here, first, the assassination of Lincoln is never shown but only alluded to in the text. Second, although the brothers’ lives are in collision, once Edwin has discovered John’s pursuits on behalf of the Confederacy and asked him to leave his house the two brothers never meet again. Instead, the script inter-cuts from one story to the other as they progress over the course of a couple of days. As John flees the authorities in the company of his fellow conspirator, the dimwitted Davy Heroldt, Edwin is sought out by a Federal officer and escorted back to Washington, DC for questioning. Along the way, Edwin is visited frequently by the ghost of his departed father Junius, an accomplished actor who despite his prodigious talent was far too fond of the bottle for his own good.
In these scenes, which are intentionally evocative of Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" (although Edwin’s ghostly father is more thoughtful and far less pugnacious) Junius reminds his son of previous adventures and tries to give him some perspective on current events. While Edwin listens to his father’s comments they do little to alleviate the deadly depression into which Edwin has fallen. As far as Edwin can see, he will be forever associated with his brother John’s deed and unable to ever take the stage again. His professional life, as far as he can see it, is over. Despite his gloomy outlook, and perhaps because of his imposing, even sympathetic manner Edwin is treated with courtesy and even kindness by his escorts - Lieutenant Locke and Private Cyrus Horner. As they escort their charge back to Washington it becomes clear that they hold him blameless in his brother’s actions and wish only to preserve him from the thoughtless anger of the mob.
John meanwhile has holed up in a barn on the Garrett farm with his ever constant but clueless companion Davy. Still in considerable pain from his broken ankle John revels in the thought that he has performed an act of greatness and will be lionized for his bravado. It soon becomes rather clear that John’s thoughts are but a delusion and that for all his troubles he is a hated, hunted man sharing a drafty barn with a mentally deficient companion who wants little more than to hear him sing "Ben Bolt." This is not what John had anticipated. He tries desperately to put a bold face on things but the sand is running from his hourglass and he knows it. Even those who provide him shelter and food do so grudgingly and keep him at arm’s length.
Now, as readers of my previous commentary know, I am not one to give away endings and I shan’t do so in this case either. You should know how this turns out in any case. But I will make a few comments on the story at hand. First of all the bad news –- don’t look for this on the large screen any time in the near future (or distant future either for that matter). Does this mean that the work is not a good one? Not well written? Absolutely not true. American Gothic is a wonderfully written and evocative piece. Thoughtful and moving, it presents layered and intelligent characters –- the problem is that I can’t see a studio in Los Angeles doing it for exactly those reasons. I can easily see this work done for PBS on American Playhouse or a venue of that sort. With some modification it can be a stunning theater piece. The studio honchos, however, seem not to be looking for nor acquiring works of this nature. This is not a reflection on the skill and intelligence of the screenwriter but rather on the studio system itself. Now, the good news. As you’ve probably gathered from my comments I like this piece a lot. Scott Smith has done himself proud to produce such a thoughtful, well-written work. I would dearly love to see something like this produced but do not have high hopes for same knowing how Hollywood views most historically based material. Could this trend be reversed? Possibly. There is always hope. We have yet to see how Russell Crowe’s Master and Commander comes out, John Lee Hancock is forging ahead with a new take on The Alamo, and Warner Brothers has laid out some serious money on a marvelous treatment of Kleopatra so hope springs eternal. Keep a good thought and maybe I will be proven wrong on the large screen prospects for American Gothic – I certainly hope so.
Frederick J. Chiaventone, an award-winning novelist and screenwriter, is a retired Army officer and Professor Emeritus of International Security Affairs at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College. His most recent book, Moon of Bitter Cold, a novel of Red Cloud’s war, has just been nominated for the Pulitzer. His most recent piece for American Heritage magazine (October 2002) is on Native American leadership.
Novel "Moon of Bitter Cold" Named Winner of Prestigious 42nd Annual "Wrangler Award"
Frederick J. Chiaventone has been selected to receive the annual "Wrangler Award" for "Moon of Bitter Cold" as the Best Novel of the American West 2002. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum announced the 2002 winners of the 42nd Western Heritage Awards. The black-tie awards gala will be held on April 12, 2003 in the Museum's majestic Sam Noble Special Events Center. The event will honor principal creators in six literary categories. Popular actor, William Devane, will serve as emcee for the event. Other recipients of the award this year include Jeffery Katzenberg of Dreamworks SKG and actor Patrick Stewart. Past recipients of the coveted award include actors Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, Tom Selleck, and Sam Elliott, and authors A.B. Guthrie, Dr. Brian Dippie, David McCullough, Alvin M. Josephy, Thomas Berger, and James A. Michener. Chiaventone's previous novel "A Road We Do Not Know" about the disastrous battle of the Little Bighorn won the Ambassador William Colby Award for Literature. A screenwriter as well as novelist, Chiaventone is managed by Michael Prevett of The Firm.
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