The central idea is really interesting - the kidnapping of J Paul Getty III. But it has problems - how do you sustain it? You've got a kidnapping sequence, cutting off the ear, grandad refusing to pay... then what? That's maybe half an hour?
So you've got the relationship between grandson and grandad - you bring in mum and dad as well. And that's all terrific. This gets off to a flying start - kidnapping, back story, illustrate the problems of the kidnapping.
Around half way through the script ran into trouble. Possibly inevitable. I mean some of it's interesting, but it's dead ends... thinking the mum might've had something to do with the kidnapping... but she didn't... Paul escapes... but he's recaptured... A dead body turns up... but it isn't Paul... Grandad refuses to pay... but he eventually does. There's no progression. No three act structure.
I think Scarpa didn't lick the problems in the material the way that say the writer of Sully did. Act one of that was "did I stuff up..." Act Two was the accident. Act three was him proving he didn't stuff up.
Here act one is the backstory. Act two the kidnapping. It doesn't really have act three. They try to jazz it up by having the kidnappers go to kill Getty but that feels fake somehow.
I'm not sure how that could've been fixed. Maybe focusing more on the impact of the kidnapping - I mean, dad cleaned up and had a decent ish life but the kidnap victim was a mess, had a stroke and was paralysed forever. Maybe more into the characters - Gail the mum was plucky and Fletcher Chase was smart but that was about it. One of the kidnappers was nice - again that was about it.
I think the money was on the Gettys - Paul the victim, the hippie who grandad didn't like, who then married young after the kidnapping and was cut off. I think it was hampered by having make Gail and Chase active and heroic to attract stars.
It should be said the craft of writing here is fine - the scenes, dialogue,etc. It's more the story and the characters.
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