The Mall
Palos Verdes, California is an upper class suburb of Los
Angeles. Its high cliffs touch the ocean, and if you were to
look out to sea during dusk you would most likely catch a
stunning sunset. Palos Verdes is a town where you are likely
to bump into someone wherever you go, whether its the
market or the movie theater. Palos Verdes is a great place
to raise a child as well.
On a Friday night in Palos Verdes, teenagers flock to the
Avenue of the Peninsula, a mall in the heart of the city.
It's the 'thing' to do. A few will go catch a movie at the
mall, but others will just loiter and walk around. Enter the
hidden lives of Palos Verdes teenagers. Kids as young as 12
will drink, get high, and engage in sexual activities when
they go to the mall. There are security guards all over the
place, but it's as if they don't notice. They're too busy
busting kids for being loud.
This film is a look inside a Friday night at the mall. It
follows a large group of 8th grade students from the time
they get out of school until 10 PM when they get picked up
from the mall. The main characters are: Cory- A teenager
with severe family problems. His parents are hardly there
for him, and he has been arrested many times. He is an
alcoholic and addicted to amphetamines.
Lanie- She comes from a family of hardcore, conservative
Christians. She is questioning her beliefs, and at the mall
she is introduced to a new world of sex and drugs. She wants
to be accepted by everyone, but can't seem to pull it off.
George- The 'Jock'. He has a short temper, and rapes his
girlfriend at the mall. Every guy looks up to him and
follows him around.
Helena- The 'it' girl. Every girl wants to be exactly
like her. She's beautiful, and is raped by George. She is
confused about the whole situation.
The characters would all be played by unknown teenage
actors. The movie would have David Fincher style directing.
It is a truthful, gritty look inside the lives of the
teenagers in a wealthy town. There IS a city of Palos Verdes
with a mall. And on every Friday, teenagers DO partake in
doing drugs, sex, drinking, and fighting. I should know,
because I lived it.
-- Script Pitch III Co-Host Commentary
--
by Stephen Lucas
Stephen's Analysis:
Besides telling us that there is a mall with a lot of
bad stuff going on, there isnt much of a core story
discussed in this pitch. Granted, you could go different
ways with this project, but I think there needs to be more
specificity in your summary. "Thirteen" attempted this
approach and since that was such a good film, it will be
hard to match its quality without some sort of story to
propel this.
Rating: C+
