I believe that pitching A Boy’s Life would be much like pitching a fastball in the last inning of the world series—a completely “hit or miss” situation. There is no doubt that the screenplay is brilliant, but how can you deliver a pitch that fully expresses that brilliance and all the cinematic possibilities that come with it? How can you effectively illustrate the who, what, where, when, and why of such a screenplay in a way that leaves the audience dying for more, already ensnared by the heavy vines that are the story and not wanting to escape? Honestly, I find it hard to think about how I would pitch the screenplay while knowing what a huge success the film turned out to be. I really wish that I was a fly on the wall in that room with Samantha Mathison and those lucky executives, so that I would know how she pulled it off.
I think that the best way to go about this pitch would be to take the way of subtlety. This would seem the best way to express the humanity and heart of the story without seeming cliche or over-emotional. The pitch should be given in a way that the story appears to be out-of- this-world, yet believable. I would definitely show how E.T. is a very gentle creature, making the audience first fear him and then feel silly for fearing him, them come to love him and love him even more because they used to fear him.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you agree that the way of subtlety is the correct route to take in the pitch? Why or why not?
2. What would be the first sentence of your pitch?
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