An excerpt from Reals’ script review for Run which will be available 12/01/20:
What Worked
Mother’s Introduction: In a church group, we meet a woman whose child is going off to college soon. The woman is a wreck, in tears, and everyone is sympathetic… except for one woman (Mother) who is on her phone.
When asked why she isn’t paying attention to the discussion, Mother (Diane) responds:
CRYING HANDS
But what about…? Chloe is…
Mother waits for Crying Hands to finish, but the woman can’t.
MOTHER
…Smart? Brave? Faced more emotional and physical challenges from the moment she was born than most adults have by the time they’re 40? Chloe’s the most capable person I know. If there’s someone to not worry about…
Mother grabs the box of tissues… and passes it right back.
MOTHER (CONT’D)
It’s her.
This is a great bit of dialogue, and even though it is a bit wordy, it quickly gets the point across: Mother is a tough woman, but is one who loves her daughter and knows that she has prepared said daughter for the harsh outside world.
Daily Life Sequence: I liked this quick little montage of Daughter’s daily life. We quickly (and visually) got to see what challenges Daughter faces every day and how she has adapted to overcome them.
Everything from getting out of bed, to showering, to homework – this is a slice of her daily life and we got to see it without dragging the script down in description.
The Initial Mother-Daughter Relationship: I really did like the early “One Day In The Life Of” scene where we got to see Mother and Daughter going about their daily routine. As stated above, it was quick, gave us a good sense of the characters and their world, and gave us a nice read on their relationship.
For instance:
INT. KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS
Daughter checks her blood sugar. Mother exits the pantry and-
MOTHER
What are you at?
DAUGHTER
121. Dangerously low…
Mother reveals TWO DOVE CHOCOLATES in her hand, but then only gives ONE OF THEM to Daughter. Mother pockets the second one.
MOTHER
121 is barely low.
DAUGHTER
Dammit.
Daughter Finds Mother’s Pills: This is not a spoiler, as this happens on Page 14.
I really liked the idea that the Daughter, who is suffering from lots of medical conditions and requires full-time care from her mother, finds pills prescribed to her mother.
It adds a layer of tension to the story, as we are wondering what exactly is going on with Mother (due to some reveals later on), and it also adds real emotional beat, as the daughter is then forced to ask:
DAUGHTER
Am I a burden?
Which was devastating to read.
In addition to this, there are lots of little hints that something is wrong peppered throughout the script, and I really liked the way the writers built tension in this story.
I’m going to stay away from spoilers, as I recommend that you glance at the script, but the way the writers slowly ratcheted up the terror was well-done.
The Description: As I said, I really, really enjoyed this duo’s previous piece: Searching. The way that the description comes through here is also very strong.
Less is more, but adding little details for your reader is always a nice touch.
For example:
MOTHER (CONT’D)
(beat)
Plus, what would I do with the extra time, huh? Everyone in this county has the IQ of a turtle.
Daughter can’t help but laugh. Mom joins her. They’re a team.
The line: They’re a team. is perfect, as it shows the entire relationship in one sentence, and gives us everything we need to know in an easy-to-digest bite.
The Lead Character: It was a very interesting choice to make the lead character wheelchair-bound with multiple debilitating medical conditions, as it makes every escape a real feat, and adds a new layer to the story.
(Apparently, the lead actress, Kiera Allen, is a wheelchair-user herself, and is “…the first wheelchair user to star in a mainstream Hollywood thriller in over 70 years.”)
The Final Stinger: The script (and film) end on a bleak, Hannibal Lecter – esque level of dark, which I really loved. However, the end did make me wish that we had seen that movie instead: the dark, violent, and twisted take on this story, rather than the sanitized, predictable PG-13 version that we got.
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