Salt of the Earth
Submision Type
book
Logline
A story of the Reverse Underground Railroad from the 1840's, through and after the Civil War, ending in 1948.
Genre
Historical Fiction
Short Summary
John Hart Crenshaw operates salt mines in the free state of Illinois during the 1840's with legally leased slaves form other states but also increases his considerable wealth by breeding slaves and capturing and selling free Negroes.
Setting
llinois, California and battles fields of the Civil War.
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Rebellion Against 'The One',Quest,Overcoming Monster/Villain
Plot - Other Elements
Philosophical Questions,Meaningful Message,Happy Ending
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Main Character Details
Name: John Hart Crenshaw
Age: 50-70
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Villainous,Narcisstic,Confident,Aggressive,Badass,Unapologetic,Secretive,Outspoken,Power Hungry,Greedy
Additional Character Details
Name: Beulah
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Heroic,Faithful,Decisive,Modest,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Devlin Doyle
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Role: mentor
Key Traits: Charming,Decisive,Faithful,Leader,Sophisticated,Romantic,Funny,Visionary,Masculine
Additional Character Details
Name: Michael Kelly Lawler
Age: 30's-60's
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Aggressive,Complex,Confident,Religious,Blunt,Decisive,Empathetic,Faithful,Heroic,Honorable,Leader
Genre
DRAMA, WAR
Brief
Slavery is alive and well in America as it is on the cusp of the Civil War. Patsy's daughters are taken and sent to the South to be sold as slaves. Elias escapes his master to freedom. Irishman are also making there way in America, helping get enslaved people to freedom while dealing with prejudices against them.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: GOOD
Structure: GOOD
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, the book profile accurately reflects the book.
Draw of Story
The story follows African Americans and there experiences trying to flee slavery and get to freedom. It is always important to tell these stories. It also shows the Irish prospective who also faced prejudice in America. In this case, Devlin helped hide slaves on the underground railroad.
Possible Drawbacks
The book uses racial slurs excessively. It is trying to be authentic to the time period and those speaking but it feels harsh. It also was difficult to distinguish between the characters while reading.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is the different stories of slaves and others during the time leading up to the Civil War. I would watch this for the strong characters who were slaves and fought to be free. It would be interesting to see their journeys.
Fanbase Potential
This could have a large fanbase as it shed light on a horrific time in US history. There are some great characters that would draw the attention. On the other hand, many stories of BIPOC that are celebrated on screen tend to deal with oppression. Slave movies have been done before and this is not different from any others.
Awards Potential
This could have award potential since films exploring the oppression such as slavery or the Holocaust do attract critical acclaim. It deals with heavy topics.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
12 YEARS A SLAVE, ANTEBELLUM
What’s New About the Story
The story is not original. It is about slavery and depicts life in the south under slavery as we have seen before. To make it more unique, there could be more focus on the enslaved characters and less with the white owners or white characters. The story would need a complete direction changed to make it more unique.
Lead Characters
The lead characters are strong people who stand up for their beliefs. The black characters are persevering in the face of insurmountable adversity because they believe they deserve better.
Uniqueness of Story
This is an average film that mimics many other films like it. The theme of slavery and oppression have been done many times over. To be more unique, the perspective needs to change, something new and fresh, besides masters against slaves.
Possible Formats
Film - Indie, Film - Streaming, Film - Studio, TV Series - Limited Run / Mini-Series, TV Series - Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
While the story has many positive points, it has room for improvement (see possible paths below). If you can't change the story at this point, my suggestion is using your notes as a guide to highlight the best aspects of it when taking the next steps, either putting a pitch page together, a treatment, or a presentation.
Tips for Improvement
This tells the same story about slavery that has always been told. It also does nothing for representation of African Americans which it should at this point. The characterization could be more realistic.