I'm a huge fan of journey films and stories. From Travels with Charley to Huckleberry Finn, the one fully realized creative moment in American literature is the genre of journey stories in defining American culture! Think of how many films deal with a journey: Little Miss Sunshine, Apocalypse Now, Easy Rider, etc.
My proposal is for a Hollywood Movie Musical about a dysfunctional family from Chicago traveling to the Hollywood Bowl so the father and mother can go to the closing night of a Lionel Richie concert. The trip would be filled with the music of Lionel Richie! From the Commodores to his solo work, all of the "hits" and "LP cuts" would be used to help tell a story of discovery for both the main characters' human spirit AND a look at the America of today! Yes, I know that I set it on the mythical Route 66. . . .
The family would be comprised of two middle-age parents (Mom and Dad), their gay 16-year-old son, and their 13-year-old daughter. The parents are upper-middle-class, but their marriage seems dead, their son has yet to come out to his parents, but his younger sister knows. The son is quiet but devilishly snarky, the daughter is a bubble of energy. Like all road trip/journey adventures, each stop reveals a portion of America, and thus, a portion of themselves, all with the music of Lionel Richie to help propel the story. The entire movie would end with the family at the concert singing and dancing to "Dancing on the Ceiling".
Along the way we will be treated to our main characters and different people they meet singing such classics as:
- Hello
- Can't Slow Down
- Truly
- You Are
- All Night Long (could open the film)
- Serves You Right
- Brick House
- Ballerina Girl
- Wandering Stranger (The son's big song halfway through the film)
- Easy (This song would be the climax of the film with the entire family singing in the car)
- Dancing on the Ceiling (The final, closing BIG number)
If nothing else, start listening to the songs. I think you'll see how easily they all work!
This is an original twist. I feel that the Lionel Ritchie music is fitting, this is not just because I am a fan of his music. When it comes to musicals songs are helpful in conveying a message, sometimes better than spoken words. I have a suggestion for the scene with the song "Easy". I think the teenage son should lead this part. I think it would be very comical and theatrical. It would be funny witnessing him lip sing to All Night Long in the introduction. Give people a taste of what they are in for.
ReplyDeleteMike, I love this idea (and I love Lionel Richie!). Using music to narrate the journey - especially the music of one artist - seems like it would make the whole story line cohesive, and it really underscores the relevance of Richie's music today.
ReplyDeleteI am here for this and you should make a playlist that tells this story right away and share it with all of us.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of remixing a genre rather than a specific text - the idea of the road trip movie is one that we're all familiar with (I'd even argue that the original Bill and Ted could possibly fit this model?) and the fact that we're falling in love with retro stuff as much as ever before means the time ie ripe for everyone to fall in love with Lionel Richie all over again.
I absolutely love this idea and I have to say, I knew this was your post without even looking - it has you written all over it! I think this would be such a fun, quirky take on the (possibly overdone) road trip movie. Knowing that this would likely be set in modern-day gives it that comedic edge because while I am also a massive Lionel Richie fan, the thought of two parents driving cross-country and dragging their teenagers to see him perform is just really humorous to me. I think this is a great idea, and think it would give Lionel Richie's music a "rebirth" in a way.
ReplyDeleteSo here's some of the song highlights and relation to the story:
ReplyDelete1. Opening of "All Night Long". Family starts trip.
2. Brick House: Parents reminisce about how hot they were.
3. Wandering Stranger: Gay son discusses with his sister how hard it is to come out to his family and society.
4. Truly: Father song to his son and family
5. Ballerina Girl: Mother song to her daughter
5. Easy: Family comes together in Arizona (Think how "Tiny Dancer" was used in "Almost Famous". Uplifting moment in the film.
6. Hello: Mom and Dad reconcile
7. Dancing on the Ceiling: At concert in LA!
Dang, I like that you expanded outside of the prompt and remixed something a little more abstract like a concept instead of a book or story or something; this leaves you with a lot more creative options. Also, I think this sounds so fun and cute and wildly entertaining. I generally shy away from musicals like this, but if the songs are all renditions of Lionel Ritchie songs, I think I would stomach it haah
ReplyDelete