HOLLYWOODSCRIPT.COM CONTEST WINNER

Date: 6/18/08

Title: "THERE'S SOMETHING RIGHT WITH CHARLIE "

Author: TOM SHIPLEY

Submitted by TOM SHIPLEY

Submitted to: HSCL

Format: SP

Pages: 102

Time: Present

Locale: Chicago

Genre: Comedy

Analyst: Hollywoodscript.com

PREMISE: Charlie Kane has never been happy. Misfortune and loss have always
plagued his life. Confronted with his latest and greatest tragedy, he suddenly
decides to be happy and locks in vigilantly to his new persona. Success and a
new relationship follow, but his friend Jack ain't buying it. Believing that
Charlie's new attitude is a combination of denial and mental illness, he embarks
on a mission to bring the "old Charlie" back. It won't be easy!

Concept EXCELLENT

Characterization VERY GOOD

Dialogue VERY GOOD

Story Line EXCELLENT

Setting/Prod. Values VERY GOOD

Freshness of Story EXCELLENT

SYNOPSIS- The world has never been kind to Charlie Kane, at least not since he
was 8-years old when his best friend - a bright yellow parakeet named Yellow -
flew away the day of his mother's funeral.

Charlie's glass is perpetually half empty and the water's rusty. Today is
typical of most: a shadow follows him across the street, a bus splashes him, a
cop gives him a j-walking ticket and he even loses his wallet.

When he gets to work, his misery continues as he encounters his detested
co-worker Kitty. But then something odd happens. With Kitty is a new hire, Anne
O'Meara. There's an immediate connection between Charlie and Anne. But the glow
of this meeting fades when Charlie begrudgingly has to write a press release
saying how great it would be for Illinois to allow the construction of nuclear
reactors in its majestic prairies.

But at a group lunch, Charlie and Anne's connection continues to grow and they
decide to meet at an office happy hour. While there, Anne notices that Charlie
never smiles and bets she can change that in the next ten minutes. After nine
flirtatious minutes of futility, Anne kisses Charlie on the lips, leaving an
ear-to-ear smile on his face.

From there, the romance flourishes. Charlie enlists his friend and co-worker
Jack to help him find a "song" for Anne and himself. Jack can only find "downer"
songs, the type that would be suitable if Charlie were dating someone like
Kitty.

CHARLIE
If I ever date Kitty, put a bullet in my head.

As Anne and Charlie's romance progresses, there's veiled talk of buying Anne a
ring, but that's a ways off. Then one cloudy morning, on their way to work,
Anne is tragically struck and killed by a bus in front of Charlie.

At Anne's funeral, Kitty stands outside the church on her cell phone talking to
her friend about the now "single" Charlie.

KITTY
(into phone)
There's something about a pathetic, broken man that's very moldable...

Jack exits the church to discover that Charlie is nowhere to be found.

Dive bar. Charlie, drowning his sorrows in scotch, notices "some douche bag" on
the TV. The bartender retorts: "He's not a douche bag, he's James Scott, author
of "You the Great." A sullen Charlie rolls his eyes and says he looks like a
whack job. The bartender turns up the volume.

JAMES SCOTT
Happiness is a conscious decision. Pain, suffering and failure can be avoided in
our lives if we choose not to dwell on the negative. Smile and the world smiles
with you.

In the depths of despair, and after a pitifully failed attempt to kill himself
with two Aleve and a Mach 3 razor, James Scott's words ring in Charlie's ears.
"Happiness is a conscious decision... smile and the world smiles with you."
Charlie holds up both sides of his mouth with his fingers. At first, the smile
fades without support. But after another attempt, it stays.

Charlie packs away all the pictures of his mother, Yellow and Anne.

The following day, Charlie arrives at work with a spring in his step and a
promise to Kitty of better work on the press release for the nuclear bill. He's
just happy to be a productive member of society.

As the days go on, it's obvious something is very different about Charlie. He's
now enthusiastic about pushing this nuclear bill, engaging co-workers in
conversation and not only is he speaking with Kitty at the monthly motivational
meeting, but he's also singing at the meeting. All this new behavior is
troubling to Jack, especially since Charlie avoids any mention of Anne. He
says as much to their boss.

MR. SPENCER
Listen to you. You're concerned because your friend is happy? I'll have you
know that Charlie's future is a lot brighter at this company than it was a month
ago.

Charlie finds that, alone with his thoughts, he struggles to keep up a happy
air. To fight off any negativity, he begins writing a book, "Positivity: Come
On, Get Happy," and giving motivational speeches at the YMCA. He also starts
dating... Kitty.

Jack and Charlie catch up. Charlie tells him about his promising activities and
about his new girlfriend. The last part causes Jack to stop in his tracks.

JACK
What caliber bullet should I use?

Jack, now certain something is wrong with Charlie, visits a psychologist. He
explains he needs help for his friend, which the doctor interprets to mean he's
there to seek help for himself. Jack tells him that "his friend's" new
happiness is fake.

DR. LOCKRIDGE
Some believe all happiness is fake. Freud even says civilization makes it
impossible for man to be happy.

Charlie and Kitty's relationship moves forward, as does the work on his book. He
meets with a publisher who thinks it'll be a hit.

Jack begins spying on Charlie and Kitty. From an adjacent cafe, he's disgusted
as he observes them feeding each other their lunches. Across the street at
another cafe, Lockridge and a colleague observe Jack. They muse on what they
believe Jack's condition means.

LOCKRIDGE
Question is, who's better off? Those struggling with the grim reality of
existence or those deluding themselves into some sort of happiness?

Charlie's book hits the racks and his motivational speaking career takes off. He
appears on a local newscast to push his book. The anchor loves it, as it really
drives home the point that we must live each day to its fullest because we never
know when one day a bus will come along and - BAM - end it all. The anchor
doesn't know how Anne died, but at this moment, Charlie can't help but remember.

Charlie leaves the studio and deals with a string of demoralizing events by
trying hard to spin each in a positive manner. But the sum of the negative
events is too much to handle. He relents and hangs his head in frustration. A
passing couple observes his sour demeanor. "Isn't that the guy who wrote the
book on positivity?"

Charlie ducks into the nearest door and finds himself in a den of bohemia - an
open mic night at a coffee house. Seeing an opportunity to be positive, he gets
onstage and preaches his usual sermon. He hops off the stage and confronts a
dour man, imploring him to "smile!" The man refuses. Charlie continues to
demand a smile. The man retorts that he recently lost the love of his life, and
if Charlie thinks he can just "smile" then he's "never loved and lost." This
stirs something in Charlie, but he manages to continue to ignore the memory of
Anne and replies that his current girlfriend is the only woman he's ever really
loved. To prove this, Charlie races through the city to his apartment and
proposes to Kitty. She's excited until she realizes Charlie doesn't have a
ring. She cools off considerably and tells him to try again once he gets a
ring... and to take the garbage out.

The following day, Jack confronts Charlie about his new life and attitude -
which now even excludes cursing. Jack becomes frustrated and decides the only
thing left for him to do is kick Charlie in the shin. Hard.

CHARLIE
Go........lly, Jack!

JACK
(locking eyes with his former buddy)
You wanted to say 'Goddamn It.' It was your first instinct. You're still in
there... somewhere.

Jack goes back to Dr. Lockridge and tells him he hasn't completely lost his
friend. Lockridge tells Jack he needs to let his friend embrace his new found
happiness and suggests a book... "Positivity: Come On, Get Happy" by Charlie
Kane. Jack jumps out of his seat and flees.

Back at work, Kitty informs Jack that on Friday, she and Charlie are going to
the Spencer's to celebrate the passage of the nuclear bill and Charlie's
promotion to VP. And that later, Charlie is going to propose to her.

KITTY
If Charlie were really your friend, don't you think he would have told you this?

Jack ponders her question and returns to Charlie's office to be the first to
congratulate him on being engaged - "Maybe I've been unfair." Charlie
appreciates it. Jack nods and smiles. Their old connection is lost.

The day of the proposal, Jack sifts through relics of his relationship with
Charlie - burned CDs, photos, etc... Jack misses the old Charlie.

JACK
Screw this!

He grabs his keys and races to Charlie's apartment to confront him.

JACK
Your happiness is a mental disorder!

Jack fights the good fight, but can't get through to Charlie, who leaves for Mr.
Spencer's ready to start a new chapter in life. But on their way, Kitty's
annoying habits and the opening chords of Charlie and Anne's song from a passing
car stir a deep angst inside Charlie. At Mr. Spencer's, a "ghost" from
Charlie's past unlocks a flood of unhappy emotions. A despondent Charlie must
now find the strength to face reality and decide if can ever be truly happy
there.

 

COMMENTS: Comedy based on honest reality is almost always the place to be,
especially when the notion is fresh and new. This charming and very funny script
explores the institution of bone deep denial and also the power of belief,
(however misconstrued and unfounded). What an interesting demonstration of
paradox in the human condition this is. But it also (and thankfully)
demonstrates that, in the end, the truth is the truth and simple honesty still
rules. Carl Jung once said that "neurosis is always a substitute for justifiable
suffering" and "There Something Right With Charlie" surely demonstrates this
idea. A wonderful starring and original role awaits the Adam Sandlers and Ben
Stillers of the world.

TO CONTACT WRITER DIRECTLY
tomshipley@mac.com

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