The Infamous Infatuation - salacious story of celebrity chasing
GENRE
ADULT COMEDY/DRAMA
Core Theme
THE DOWNFALLS OF DESIRE.
TIME PERIOD
2000s
COMPARABLE TITLES
FATAL ATTRACTION, 13 REASONS WHY
CHARACTER LIST
• SUZI: 20S-30S. HOLLYWOOD WANNABE WITH LOOSE FAMILY CONNECTIONS AND AN UNSTABLE
MIND.
• OLIVIER: 20S-30S. HOLLYWOOD FILMMAKER. SUZI’S LOVER.
• KATHY: 20S-30S. SUZI’S BEST FRIEND.
• CARMEN: 20S-30S. OLIVIER’S LOVER, POST-SUZI.
• MR. BICESTER: 50S-60S. SUZI’S FATHER.
• JANE: 20S-30S- ONE OF OLIVIER’S PART-TIME LOVERS.
Logline
The Infamous Infatuation is the story of celebrity obsessed Suzi, who believes it is her fate to be in a relationship with famous actor Cain Dunlevy You will see how your life can turn upside down, how your actions have consequences in everything you do and those around you.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54
Target Gender: Universal,Female Leaning
Setting
Primarily London, some in LA
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Amazon
Year Published: 2013
Starting Description
Suzi - daddy's gorgeous little rich girl determined to meet actor Cain Dunlevy. Meeting him becomes her number one priority - she will do anything - ANYTHING - to get to him, including exploiting her relationship with her film maker boyfriend Oliver.
Ending Description
Suzi embarks on a series of disastrous schemes to get to her beloved Cain, and records everything she does on paper and on camera which has its own viral consequences. In a rare moment of clarity and awareness, Suzi attempts to embrace a more spiritual life - for all the wrong reasons
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
1520878133
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity, Nudity, Substance Abuse,Substance Abuse,Nudity, Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message, Twist,,Twist
Plot - Premise
,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Quest
Main Character Details
Name: Suzi
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Insecure, Manipulative, Narcissistic, Sexy, Adventurous, Badass, Beautiful, Complex,Narcisstic,Sexy,Complex,Desperate,Power Hungry,Manipulative,Badass
Additional Character Details
Name: Olivier
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Complex, Engaging, Funny, Heartthrob, Perseverance,Masculine,Charming,Funny,Heartthrob,Aspiring,Engaging
Additional Character Details
Name: Kathy
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Beautiful, Confident, Empathetic, Honorable, Strong Moral Code,Strong Moral Code,Honorable,Empathetic,Confident,Modest,Selfless
Additional Character Details
Name: Carmen
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Role: logical
Key Traits: Beautiful, Blunt, Charming, Confident, Sexy,Sexy,Blunt,Confident,Charming,Sophisticated
Genre
COMEDY, MATURE AUDIENCE, DRAMA
Brief
A Hollywood wannabe aligns herself with a filmmaker in hopes of getting close to an A-list movie star. But desire quickly turns to obsession, and she tears apart those around her, all the while creating a series of journals for her former lover to receive after her suicide.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: FAIR
Premise: FAIR
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
The book profile is short and succinct, though all the sections are not filled out. It’d be particularly helpful to see an author biography, as well as a short development pitch, to help us understand why INFAMOUS INFATUATION is well-suited for adaptation.
Draw of Story
We feel a great sense of loss from the first page. The story gives us an air of tragedy, which engages us enough to want to know more. Soon after, the pieces begin to fall into place, and we get a great sense of the dynamic between the surviving characters. The dual timeline/dual POV is also introduced quickly, to add to the mystique of the tragedy and by the time we meet Suzi on the page, we’re already hooked.
Possible Drawbacks
The time jumps are a bit hard to follow, and though the story has a great sense of setting, it’s hard to know when we’re in London and when we’re in Los Angeles. It might be helpful to add some time and/or location stamps throughout the chapters, so the reader can follow the trajectory of the story more easily.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
A dual timeline and dual POV story, INFAMOUS INFATUATION follows the aftermath of the protagonist’s suicide, exploring a series of journals she left behind for her former lover. It’s full of emotional complexity that holds a mirror to the perceived glamour of the ‘00s, including things like heavy drug use and pornography.
Fanbase Potential
Stories like this are certainly marketable, especially with the streaming services. It could appeal to fans of dramatic thrillers, or fans who enjoy stories with a strong sense of setting. In 2023, it’s quite possible that ‘00s stories are considered historical, so this could be interesting for fans of historical dramas as well.
Awards Potential
The Academy doesn’t usually recognize films of this genre, but it’s possible that the Golden Globes will. It’s also possible that there’s potential for below the line awards, like best costuming, best score, best screenplay, etc. And fan-voted awards, of course, are always a contender.
Envisioned Budget
LOW BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
FATAL ATTRACTION, 13 REASONS WHY
What’s New About the Story
The story gives us a good glimpse at ‘00s fame, which we don’t see that often. It also has a strong sense of setting, in that it’s rooted in the idea of Hollywood, be it in London or LA. To make it more unique might mean elevating the character development a bit, particularly with the supporting cast. For instance, it’d be great to understand the motivation of someone like Carmen, or even Jane, which in turn could help us better understand Olivier. It’d also make the story feel more well-rounded overall.
Lead Characters
Suzi and Olivier are two characters who start the story with similar goals, but their paths diverge as Suzi falls deeper into emotional instability. Still, they continue to re- connect, often in pursuit of their individual goals, which creates a dynamic between them that is both interesting and engaging.
Uniqueness of Story
INFAMOUS INFATUATION has a lot of potential, but it doesn’t feel like a rare gem quite yet. The character development feels like it needs some work, perhaps a deep dive into things like motivation, to keep audiences engaged and feeling like they can relate to the characters. The time jumps are also a bit tough to follow, which impacts the story flow. It’d be helpful if the reader better understood when and where the characters are in each chapter, to follow the story more easily.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming TV Series: Limited Run / Mini-Series
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
The time jumps are a bit hard to follow, and though the story has a great sense of setting, it’s hard to know when we’re in London and when we’re in Los Angeles. It might be helpful to add some time and/or location stamps throughout the chapters, so the reader can follow the trajectory of the story more easily.
Tips for Improvement
A great next step would be elevated character development, a deep dive into emotion, motivation, driving forces, etc. The skeleton of the story is firmly in place, but it’d be great to do a deep dive into the other layers of the characters. A stronger flow between past and present would be beneficial as well, as it would allow the reader to grasp time and place without any guesswork, ultimately leading to more refined, better-flowing story overall.
Brief
A Hollywood wannabe aligns herself with a filmmaker in hopes of getting close to an A-list movie star. But desire quickly turns to obsession, and she tears apart those around her, all the while creating a series of journals for her former lover to receive after her suicide.
What We Liked
A dual timeline and dual POV story, INFAMOUS INFATUATION follows the aftermath of the protagonist’s suicide, exploring a series of journals she left behind for her former lover. It has a strong sense of setting and a strong Hollywood backdrop that holds a mirror to the perceived glamour of the ‘00s, including heavy drug use and pornography.
Film: The story has a strong container, starting with the initial meeting between the two leads and ending with a dramatic suicide. In between, the story explores the lead-up to the tragedy, a deep-dive into the emotional well-being of one woman and the effects it has on her relationships. The structure feels right for the feature format, and it follows the essential story beats enough to keep it engaging, and flowing naturally.
TV: Like ’13 REASONS WHY,’ the story doesn’t end with the protagonist’s suicide. There is much to explore in terms of the other cast members, especially when we consider their roles in the tragedy. For that reason, it feels like there’s some room for continuation of the storyline, enough to potentially fit the typical television format quite nicely. That said, it could also fit the mini-series format nicely, since – as written – it does have a distinguished end point.
Key points:
Strong sense of setting.
Potential for diversity.
Emotionally complex female leads.
Dual timelines.
Strong sexual element.
Synopsis
OLIVIER tries to have sex with a model, CARMEN, but cannot stop thinking about his recently deceased ex, SUZI. He attends her funeral with her best friend, KATHY, and Kathy’s boyfriend, BERE. Soon enough, Olivier is roped into helping Kathy and Suzi’s father, MR. BICESTER, clean out Suzi’s flat. We flashback to when Olivier met Suzi, at a New Year’s Eve party. Suzi hooks up with Olivier after
taking ecstasy. After the funeral, Olivier receives a box from Mr. Bicester containing Suzi’s journals. Olivier begins to read one entitled ‘Year 1’ which reveals that Olivier was Suzi’s first real boyfriend. He consults Kathy, who is unaware of why Suzi withheld this information. He continues reliving their relationship through Suzi’s journals, becoming increasingly concerned that she was emotionally unwell throughout their relationship.
Via flashback, we see Olivier make a resolution to follow more of his passions. Suzi utilizes her father’s connections in Hollywood to try to get one of Olivier’s films made. Internally, Suzi begins to wonder if Olivier’s success could lead her to meet Hollywood heartthrob, CAIN. Meanwhile, in present day, Olivier becomes so consumed with Suzi’s journals that it begins to affect his relationship with Carmen. He has coffee with JANE, and soon enough they’re sleeping together. Olivier then learns that Jane is a booker at Carmen’s agency.
During Olivier’s relationship with Suzi, she has multiple plastic surgeries. She writes in her journal how much she’s hoping to meet Cain, and begins using cocaine to cope with her life. When she collapses at a dinner party, she enters rehab. She breaks up with Olivier, but continues to use drugs and alcohol to diffuse her feelings. Her relationship with Kathy begins to crumble. In present day, Olivier and Jane break up, and Jane becomes enraged.
Suzi begins consulting a psychic service about her chances of meeting Cain. In present day, Olivier begins therapy. He learns, from Suzi’s accounts of her life, that she planned to one day marry Cain. Olivier meets with Carmen, and they quickly get back together. When Olivier and Suzi get back together, he gets injured during anal sex. Suzi continues to call the psychic hotline to inquire about when she’ll meet Cain. She takes a celebrity house tour and sneaks into Cain’s house. She is going through his things when she is caught and taken to the police station.
Olivier decides to take a page out of Suzi’s book, and wants to begin recording men’s accounts of their sex lives. In flashback, Suzi decides that the best way to get close to Cain is to become an actress. This creates further distance between her and Kathy. Meanwhile, Carmen consults Kathy to vent about Suzi’s ghost affecting her life with Olivier.
Suzi turns to pornography to jump start her acting career. She gets upset when she is mistaken for another Hollywood starlet. Suzi soon gets word that the same starlet is moving in with Cain. Having all she can take, Suzi decides to end her life. New spreads to her friends and family, all bound together for life thanks to Suzi.