In honor of the very recent 86th Academy Awards, I will share a very true story of an impossible dream I have still to this day, although not as frequently. For as long as I could remember, I’ve dreamt of becoming a two-time Academy Award winner.
The Writer…
I’d just turned twelve when I hand wrote my first “script” in an old school notebook. The year was 1994. Two movies were released in the spring/summer of that year. The first was The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas and starring the now cult icon, Brandon Lee. For a girl my age at the time, the movie left me sideways. I’d never seen such a story played out on the big screen. Everything about the film was awe inspiring to my senses, especially the epic love story between a man and a woman, both murdered and each avenged because of the love of the man and of course, the help of a crow.
The aura surrounding the film was exciting. It was my first time entering the Emo scene musically before Emo was a lucrative and household term. The original score brought tears to my eyes.
As a pre-teen, the ability to express just how the movie was inspiring to me was hard. I did give my parents and my sister the impression I was obsessed with a dead actor, cringey I know, but after years of carrying the experience with me I openly admit my obsession was for the movie itself. Never before had any movie left me mesmerized like that. There have been films that have sent my blood pressure soaring, but nothing has left me in the trance you enter when you know you’ve found The One. This is the first movie that made me think about story telling in a deeper way. It was my baptism into my birth-write.
The Leading Man
Not too long after The Crow my dad took us and family friends to see the movie about a bus that could fly over gaps in the highway at 50mph. But to be honest, the plot was insignificant. The only thing that mattered about Speed was Keanu Reeves.
(Note: Sandra Bullock and Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels and, Joe Morton were all spectacular in their own right. To this day I continue to be a massive fan of Sandra Bullock. My hands down favorite films with her in aren’t even Oscar faves. Anyone remember Hope Floats? How about Love Potion no. 9)?
Keanu had this buzz cut and devil may care demeanor that set my pubescent loins a flame. Everything he did in the film was fan-bloody-tastic. I was truly smitten.
That summer we saw the movie twice in total, but that time I’d already bought tickets for my family and I to go on a most excellent adventure into Jez’s Fan/Crush on Keanu Land Constantine Lake House
My family suffered through a few of the films I’ve proudly listed. I was teased for having a crush on an actor accused of not being able to act.
Let’s review the evidence.
Is he an Oscar winner for Best leading or Supporting Actor? No. But he has given some damn good performances. Hands down, the best of the best for me are his performances in The Devil’s Advocate, Parenthood, The Gift and the super sexy Something’s Gotta Give. These are the performances I was able to see a certain something in this man’s eye. He was 100 percent character. He looked like Keanu and talked like Keanu, but was not Keanu for the lengths of those films.
Dreaming…
Since that fateful June day in 1994, I have been a fan with a huge crush that evolved into a dating/marriage scenario amongst high school friends willing to listen to the sick puppy hilarity of my plight: I might never meet the star I adore and have him be mine, but I could have a good time making a story out of it. I even expressed this to my husband Michael when we were dating. There in all honesty was never going to be a competition between the two as it would obviously be to Michael put a ring on it first. Yet, in the deep recesses of my heart, there still is and probably will always a small place for he whose name means, “A Cool breeze over the Mountains.” The truth is I find Keanu Reeves to be an inspiration. Do I hope one day the Gods will smile and allow me to tell him so? Yes. Would it be ideal this happens on my journey to being a Two-Time Academy Award winner? Hell yes.
Now, we can go back to the script.
In this story, I wrote myself as a girl whose father has been murdered, but because the crookedness in the Police Department prevents a successful and conclusive investigation, I hire a detective down on his luck to help me. I gave the part of the detective to Keanu, and then I never finished the story. On a visit to our room to observe our playing habits, my father found the notebook I left open on my bed. I completely forgot to close it and stash it before I sat to play Barbie with my sister. My dad started to read the story out loud and it embarrassed me so much that I couldn’t bring myself to pick up the notebook again. Why Daddy, why?! Thinking on it now, maybe the reading it aloud was his attempt to be engaging. Personally, it would’ve been better he read it, call me aside, and then tell me what he thought. I’ve just always been that kinda gal.
Because of that incident, I started to build plots and scores in my head. I still gave the leading roles to Keanu and myself. Of all the stories, there has been just one that continues to haunt me to this day. I’d love to share it online. Really. The only thing is some one of you may like the story a lot. Then you will show your friends this great blog you’re reading. One of those friends will just happen to be a budding writer themselves. They will read the story I’ve left for you to read. They will like it. I think you get the gist.
As the saying goes, “dreams come true…” Will I now offer up some sort of lesson learned? No. What lesson can I learn from a trip whose ticket sits unused in my hand?
Get it?
I think you post some scenes on your blog. If you don't want to post the detective Keanu story you could post the robot story you had an idea for.
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