Stride

ACTION ADVENTURE DRAMA FAMILY POLITICAL YOUNG ADULT
1940s & '50s
Rick Whelan

TaleFlick Pick!
Logline
THE STRIDE logline Defying racial barriers in 1950s Jim Crow South, 16-year-old piano prodigy Frances "Frankie" Trumbull, reeling from the recent death of her beloved brother, finds healing in the music of African American stride piano player James "Honeybear" Powell.
Genre
Action,Adventure,Drama,Family,Political,Young Adult
Short Summary
A rusty freight train rolls into a small Alabama town. Among the itinerant labourers is one James 'Honeybear' Powell ..,. not a labourer but rather an iconic stride piano player fleeing his violent past.
Against a backdrop of small-town racial tensions, Honeybear becomes the unlikely and, at first, unwilling mentor to Frankie, a young girl yearning for redemption. Together these two unlikely soul mates rekindle in each other all that is important in their lives.
Setting
Information not completed
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Meaningful Message
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Frances 'Frankie' Trumbull
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Aspiring,Badass,Complex,Desperate,Engaging,Insecure,Outspoken,Skillful,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: James 'Honeybear' Powell
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Role:
Key Traits: Badass,Charming,Complex,Confident,Empathetic,Engaging,Educated,Honorable,Underdog,Masculine,Blunt,Outspoken,Skillful,Funny,Sarcastic,Lone Wolf
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Development Pitch
Why Stride? I feel Stride, a story of redemption, will appeal to a wide cross-section of young adults as well as the general population. I’m often quite surprised, in speaking with today’s crop of teenagers, how much they don’t know about the history of America’s long struggle toward racial equality. That’s why I set my novel in the early 1950s, at the birth of the civil rights movement. So much needed to be done … so few had yet taken up the struggle. In the piano man, “Honeybear" Powell, I feel I have created a complicated, damaged and yet loveable character … a gifted musician who, due to the color of his skin, has had to ply his musical genius in smoky, beer stained “buckets of blood” … the juke joints that dotted the landscape during the days of the “Chitlin Circuit," reserved exclusively for poor blacks in dire need of a bit of joy. I also believe that potential audience members will identify with Frankie Trumbull, a 16-year-old white girl who is struggling with the recent loss of her beloved brother. Like so many teenagers, even in this modern era, Frankie must struggle with the complexities of teenage-dom and all of its uncertainties as well as her own personal search for spiritual salvation. Stride its the story of one young girl's journey - and her fortuitous meeting with the one person who changed her life forever.
Genre
DRAMA
Brief
In the racist 1950s, a teenage pianist girl is trying to find herself artistically. After an unexpected course of events, she goes to Chicago alongside a black talented pianist, in a journey that will help both of them find themselves.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: GOOD
Structure: GOOD
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, it does depict the book.
Draw of Story
The characters' introduction is attractive and somewhat creative. James Powell is a renowned pianist, but he is presented as a common old man.
Possible Drawbacks
Some of the actions could be better developed, such as Frankie running away from her grandfather's rally when she was expected to play, which seems too convenient and simple.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The theme itself. The characters' quest to fulfilling their dreams and finding their inner self.
Fanbase Potential
It could make people deeply affectionate about the main characters and their inner struggles.
Awards Potential
Yes, but the racial issues should be better set up with extensive research, and the author could improve the conflicts for them to reach the theme's level.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
GREEN BOOK - A BLACK ARTIST EXPERIENCES RACISM AND FORMS A BOND WITH A WHITE FRIEND. WHIPLASH - A YOUNG, TALENTED MUSICIAN IS PUSHED BY AN OLDER ARTIST TO ACHIEVE THE EXCELLENCE LEVEL.
What’s New About the Story
An unusual friendship develops between a teenage girl and an elderly.
Lead Characters
The fact that they are both very talented, but they still face some lack of confidence.
Uniqueness of Story
Not a rare gem. It would have to amplify the drama related to the racial issues and artistic struggles, and also change the narrative's tone a little bit.
Possible Formats
Film - Streaming, Film - Indie, TV Series - Limited Run / Mini-Series
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
The book's structure is good, the pace is well-developed, and the dialogue is fitting and reflects the language used at the time (further research would still be necessary, though). The plot entertains while still having historical relevance. Besides the racial matter, the theme of the narrative is universal because it explores friendship and the search for fulfilling our dreams. However, even though the author was able to create a captivating story, his narrative choices are still a bit raw, and it requires an experienced screenwriter to adapt the book into a successful film/series. Furthermore, the characters are memorable, but some of the book's scenes could still be improved. They sometimes feel too childish to reflect the dramatic importance of racism. At the same time, dealing with themes like these with a lighter touch also has a positive side because it makes us reflect on the problem without sounding like a lecture. Overall, the content is robust. It just needs polishing.