from a creative exec at William Morris: coverage on four of the Oscar-nominated scripts before they became films. "Benjamin Button"
Posted by
pigby (aka chris)
Feb 10 '09, 20:18
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THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON 9/8/94 draft/139pp.
This is a touching biography of a man born 80 years old who literally gets younger with time. Baltimore...1910...Not only does MIRIAM BUTTON die giving birth to little BENJAMIN, but there is something wrong with the baby. It is grotesque, hideous. It has the face of an 80-year-old man. His father THOMAS wants it gotten rid of. But instead, QUEENIE, the mammy, takes the infant to the attic where she and BENJAMIN�S reclusive grandfather UREMIAH tend to it. They can�t keep their secret forever. Eventually BENJAMIN emerges from the attic. Often referred to as a cousin, at 20 (he looks 60) BENJAMIN rocks his baby cousin, DAISY. When he is around 25 (but looks 55), BENJAMIN marries a beautiful but cold woman named HELENE. They have a child, JAMES, a �normal� boy, but the boy doesn�t take to his father. Eventually, the war takes BENJAMIN to Paris where he has a brief, but passionate love affair with his cousin DAISY, now a stunning young woman. The age problem eventually pulls them apart. BENJAMIN continues getting younger through the Beatnik ear of the 50�s and racial tension of the 60�s. By the time BENJAMIN returns to Baltimore to reunite with his son, his son is older than he is. He lives out the remainder (or beginning) of his life at his son�s house and finally dies in 1986, a baby at the breast of his elderly cousin, DAISY.
There is definite commercial appeal for this somewhat magical tale. The ambiance (particularly the early 1900 Baltimore scenes) is moving and colorful and literary. There are some incredibly touching moments. And some provocative themes regarding prejudice, family expectations, and the wisdom of youth vs. age. A plus and minus might be its slight similarity to FORREST GUMP. Some work on the last act would help that as well as keep the story from rambling on a bit too much.
The role of BENJAMIN is an excellent one for an actor. Similar to BIG, the character gives an actor a chance to play against physical type. He gets an opportunity to play a childish old man, a 50-year-old Beatnik, and a wise child. He also explores the unique and complicated relationships of fathers and sons. BENJAMIN has to come to terms with both his father and his son at bizarre stages of his life.
The dialogue is sharp, thoughtful, and literary. And most scenes are well-constructed. The main problem seems to be the post-WWII through 1986 section -- or the last third. A good deal of the tension and plotline feels muddled throughout this part. Is the main throughline to find Daisy? Is it to reunite with his son? There�s too much forced history (i.e., the Jazz/Beatnik scenes), causing the last act to become a bit choppy, cutting from year to year in an attempt to simply wrap up BENJAMIN�S life.
Overall, this has a great deal of potential. It is ambitious, and the second half doesn�t work as well as the first, but the role of BENJAMIN and the quality of the writing are certainly more than strong enough to recommend.
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