Pursuit of Paradise
Submision Type
book
Logline
This is the story of an East Texas farm boy, the Pacific War, and love. When the war was over, all he wanted to do was return to the farm, marry his sweetheart, and begin his pursuit of paradise.
Genre
War,Historical Fiction,Romance
Short Summary
Red Smith meets Juliette Hamilton during a community baseball game when Red is 19 and Juliette is 12. The Hamilton Family and Smith family know each other in the farming community of Hopkins County, Texas. Two years later, after Pearl Harbor, they meet again on Christmas Eve, 1941.
Setting
Texas, Hawaii, Phillipines
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Voyage and Return
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Meaningful Message
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Horace "Red" Smith
Age: 19-24
Gender: Male
Role: Logical
Key Traits: Aspiring,Confident,Decisive,Engaging,Faithful,Gracious,Heroic,Honorable,Leader,Obedient,Patriotic,Religious,Selfless,Skillful,Funny,Romantic,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
ACTION, ROMANCE, DRAMA, RELIGION, WAR
Brief
A young American man decides to enlist once WW2 explodes. After years of a savage, violent conflict, he goes back to his hometown and to the love of his life, ready to live his life to the fullest.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: FAIR
Premise: FAIR
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, it does; however the author could include details about the characters other than the lead.
Draw of Story
It is the story of a common, charismatic man trying to live his life, but ending up involved in a conflict much bigger than himself.
Possible Drawbacks
Most of the events and scenes throughout the book are absurdly elongated.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES HEAVILY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
It is a story mainly about love, friendship, faith and duty, which tends to attract an audience.
Fanbase Potential
Possibly yes, especially based on the romantic aspects of the narrative.
Awards Potential
Not really. Besides being a really standard, clichéd story, the book would have to go through many changes to successfully work as a film.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
HACKSAW RIDGE - A FILM ABOUT A MAN WHO GOES TO WAR BUT REFUSES TO FIGHT, AND ENDS UP RESCUING COUNTLESS COMRADES. ATONEMENT - IN THE FILM, A MAN FIGHTS DURING WW2 AND DREAMS OF GOING BACK HOME TO THE ONE HE BELIEVES TO BE HIS TRUE LOVE.
What’s New About the Story
The author tries to include as many details as possible and to create complex, well-developed character. However, the clichéd dialogue and repetitions should be avoided, and the narrative could be more concise and direct.
Lead Characters
They are faithful, strong-willed and essentially good.
Uniqueness of Story
Not really. To be adapted successfully, the story demands extensive cuts, changes and a more thorough analysis.
Possible Formats
Film - Studio, Film - 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
The author is very descriptive and pays special attention to details. Every scene is used to explore new aspects of the characters' past and thought process. However, the narrative is elongated to an extent that drains the gravitas of the scenes and might even bore the reader at some point. The real emotional point of the story is the relationship between the lead character and Juliette, the love of his life. The problem is that much more time and space in the book is spent telling his participation in war, which is much less interesting and involving. Therefore, for an adaptation of the book to be successful, it would have to dedicate more time to this central love relationship, further develop the dialogue, that sometimes sound too clichéd and predictable, and edit extensive portions of the action during war, that maybe shouldn't occupy this much space in the narrative.