Opening Plan: Inspiration

Week 3:

I watched two films based on addictions. One focused on drugs, whilst the other on alcohol.

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Beautiful Boy (2018) - Directed by Felix van Groeningen

The drama film is based on the memoirs of Nic Sheff and David Sheff, recounting their experiences dealing with Nic's addiction to crystal meth. 

The film portrays the devastating impact that addiction has on individuals and their loved ones. David, a renowned journalist, and his wife Karen are devastated when they discover that their son Nic is using drugs. As Nic's addiction worsens, David struggles to comprehend his son's behavior and tries to find solutions to help him. The movie follows Nic's journey through addiction and recovery as he attends rehab and tries to maintain sobriety but keeps relapsing. David is dealing with his own emotions of guilt, anger, and helplessness as he tries to support his son. 

Through flashbacks, the film shows Nic's idyllic childhood, love for his family, and aspirations as a writer. However, his addiction slowly takes over his life, putting everything he values at risk.

28 Days (2000) - Directed by Betty Thomas

The comedy-drama film focuses on Gwen Cummings, a famous writer from New York City who has a severe drinking problem. 

Gwen is ordered by the court to spend 28 days in a treatment center after causing a disturbance at her sister's wedding while under the influence of alcohol. Initially resistant to the idea, Gwen gradually begins to accept her therapy and forms relationships with other patients in the facility, such as a teenage heroin addict and a baseball player with a drug issue. During her treatment, Gwen learns to take accountability for her actions and confronts the underlying problems that contributed to her addiction. 

Despite her progress, Gwen still encounters difficulties, such as attempting to reconcile with her estranged family and experiencing a relapse. However, she eventually overcomes her addiction and restores her relationships with the help of her new friends and a commitment to changing her life.

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Lorenzo and I will draw inspiration from the movies we watched. This process has been helpful in developing our story because having visual references has allowed us to better integrate our existing knowledge about addictions. We're eager to finalize our storyboard.

Sources:

Garcia, Fabian. “Beautiful Boy: An Emotional Rollercoaster with No End In Sight (Review).” Loud And Clear Reviews, 22 Jan. 2021, https://loudandclearreviews.com/beautiful-boy-review/#:~:text=Beautiful%20Boy%20brings%20to%20life,had%20their%20place%20in%20Hollywood.

Ebert, Roger. “28 Days Movie Review & Film Summary (2000): Roger Ebert.” Movie Review & Film Summary (2000) | Roger Ebert, 14 Apr. 2000, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/28-days-2000.