Twilight Cruise
GENRE
FAMILY ROMANCE COMEDY FANTASY
Core Theme
MEMORIES, NOSTALGIA
TIME PERIOD
20th Century (multiple decades)
COMPARABLE TITLES
WAITING FOR GOD
CHARACTER LIST
MARY JONES. 91. LEAD. LOVING, FUNNY, ADORABLE.
EDDIE, 90. MARY'S HUSBAND. FUNNY, GRUMPY, LOVING, ROMANTIC.
MARGI. 80'S. MARY'S SISTER. FUN, WILD, LOVING.
CAPTAIN THOMSON, SEVERAL AGES THROUGHOUT THE STORY.
CAPTAIN OF TWILIGHT CRUISE. CHUBBY, HAPPY LOOKING FACE, MYSTERIOUS, MAGICAL.
DAVID & CHERYL. COUPLE THEY MEET DURING THE CRUISE.
Logline
Laughter, tears, love, and tragedy. What else do you need in a great movie. Twilight Cruise is no ordinary cruise for Mary as she's thrust back through the decades of her memories; each day in a new decade. Everyone aboard are oblivious to her plight, bringing hilarity and tears throughout.
Target Audiences
Age: 13-17,18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
Liverpool and cruise locations
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Amazon
Year Published: 2020
Starting Description
Story opens with Mary and Eddie sitting in their bungalow in a small village in Liverpool. Margi (Mary's sister) calls to give them an anniversary gift of a cruise for the elderly. Eddie calls it a cruise for coffin dodgers, but after much banter they eventually agree to go on the Twilight Cruise
Ending Description
A heart wrenching twist finds Eddie in a home with dementia and Margi tragically killed in a car accident. Mary visits Eddie daily but he only seems to remember his brother Terry, who died in the war. He eventually passes away and Mary is left alone with her memories.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
9798641687643
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Plot - Other Elements
Twist
Plot - Premise
Other
Main Character Details
Name: Mary Jones
Age: 89
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Outspoken,Funny,Sarcastic,Romantic,Blunt,Faithful,Confident
Additional Character Details
Name: Eddie Jones
Age: 90
Gender: Male
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Underdog,Modest,Charming,Faithful,Honorable,Obedient,Funny,Sarcastic
Additional Character Details
Name: Captain Kenneth P Thomson
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Role: logical
Key Traits: Charming,Confident,Empathetic,Funny
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
COMEDY, DRAMA, FANTASY
Brief
Mary and Eddie are gifted a senior's cruise by Mary's sister. Mary wakes up the first night, 60 years younger in the 1950's but still on the cruise ship. She spends each day on the ship in another decade making memories with her husband Eddie. On her last day, she wakes realizing she dreamed it all as they got into a car accident on the drive to the ship.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: GOOD
Pace: EXCELLENT
Premise: GOOD
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: EXCELLENT
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, the book profile accurately reflects the book.
Draw of Story
The story begins with the fun elderly couple of Mary and Eddie. They are in there 80's and have a relationship that is loving and comfortable. The characters are very lively and relatable. The idea of Mary waking up everyday on the cruise ship in a different decade with the corresponding body with her 80 year old mind creates hilarious and sweet moments.
Possible Drawbacks
The book was entertaining from start to finish. It does take a sad and dramatic turn at the end but its uplifting and heartwarming throughout.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is that Mary goes on a cruise with her husband Eddie, but spends it reliving her years and making new memories for the last 60 years.
Fanbase Potential
This could have a large fanbase. Mary and Eddie are endearing characters. They are in there 80's and are still going strong as a couple. Their dynamic is funny and sweet. The premise surrounding the Twilight Cruise is entertaining and charming. It would appeal to a wide audience.
Awards Potential
This could have awards potential for acting performances. Mary struggles with the fact that all of it was a dream and that she was actually in a car accident that killed her sister and gave her husband amnesia. Those moments could be an opportunity for a dramatic performances.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THE NOTEBOOK, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, STILL MINE, LAST CHRISTMAS
What’s New About the Story
The premise of the story is original. The Twilight Cruise gives its' passengers a chance to relive the best years of their lives. It is a heartwarming look at getting older and remembering the life one has lead.
Lead Characters
Mary stands out for her vibrant personality. She is straightforward and honest, playfully and loving with her husband and youthful at heart with her sister.
Uniqueness of Story
This is a gem of a story that is well written and thought out. The idea of Mary seeing her younger self through the eyes of her older self is unique, allowing her to appreciate her cruise experience and the time with her husband. It will remind the audience to live in the moment and appreciate all the memories you are able to make.
Possible Formats
Film - Indie, Film - Streaming, Film - Studio
Analyst Recommendation
RECOMMEND
Justification
This story is endearing and heartwarming. Mary has lived a good life, but forgotten some of the great moments. She gets to create new moments with her husband at multiple stages of their lives. In a sad twist, it was all a dream but it helps her moving forward and with her transition into the beyond. There are many sweet moments that will capture the heart of the audiences.
Brief
Mary is about to have her 90th birthday when her sister Margi surprises her and her husband Eddie with a trip on a cruise for elderly people. As they board on this magical cruise, Mary relives their memories with a special glow and relives her beautiful life with Eddie before facing a sad reality.
What We Liked
This is a candid story with bright comedy lines about the cycle of life through the eyes of a charismatic British couple around their 90's. Hilarious dialogues and a dreamy cruise create room for the reflection upon the importance of enjoying the moments we have with loved ones as long as we are able to.
Film: It would be a great adaptation for Film also because the storyline is flawless and the protagonist's character arc is very well-built: the couple's routine is interrupted by the possibility of an adventure and which proves to be much more than they could have ever imagined. As the adventure approaches its end, a surprisingly sad but tender ending brings along the lesson to be learned by the audience.
TV: It would be a great adaptation for TV as there are endless memories to be recovered in the life of a couple who has been together for more than 70 years. Their funny dialogues are filled with sharp British humor and are this formula is certainly able to keep audience hooked.
Key points: Great lines; charismatic characters; perfect story arc; plot twist; funny and deep.
Synopsis
Mary Jones was born in 1930 in Liverpool. It's not long until she meets her lifelong partner, Eddie, falls in love and they get married in their 20's. They lead a simple and average life and manage to stay together for seven decades. When Mary's about to turn 90, her sister Margi surprises the couple with a ticket to Twilight Cruise, aimed for elderly people to enjoy. They begin preparing to the adventure, always followed by sarcastic comments by Eddie. As they step into the boat along with several other old people, the mysterious figure of Cap. Thomson greets Mary and promises her an unforgettable trip. After their first night at the ship, Mary wakes up feeling different and realizes they woke up in a ship in the 50's, with their bodies as twenty year olds. After convincing herself that if she is dreaming she might as well enjoy and make the best of it, the dream goes on and each day she wakes up in the next decade.
She then experiences again the 60's with her favorite clothes and the fun looks of Ed; in the 70's with more funny choice of clothes and a beach in Mallorca; an exquisite birthday party with the captain and the entire ship in the 80's; an unforgettable sunset in Rhode in the 90's; then in 2008 and then present days, as times followed their bodies and people around aging as this magical cruise proceeds.
In the last day of the cruise, Mary wakes up her actual age, and it's time to leave the ship. Mary asks Captain Thomson if he knows about the magic of those days and the captain explains that the memories made on the magical trip already existed in the life of the couple, but in different scenarios and she was just reliving them more vividly. As they leave the cruise, Mary wakes up and realizes she is in the hospital after a car crash on the way to the cruise. Eddie was diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer, gotten worse after the accident, and Margi died. As Eddie's memory gets worse, Mary keeps on trying to make Eddie remember her for the last time, which happens, and they hug shortly before he passes. After that, Mary dreams again of the boat and sees everyone there waiting for her, Margi and Ed. The ship of life, then, sails in this beautiful last scene.