The MUSE-The Screenplay | theauteurtribe

The Feature Screenplay

LOG LINE:

An American working abroad as a dancer/hostess falls in love with a fellow showgirl, then tries to reconcile her new found sexual identity with her love for her boyfriend back home.

SYNOPSIS:

Natasha leaves her new boyfriend and accepts a six-month dance contract with strangers in Japan. She arrives first in Northern England for rehearsals where she meets the two British girls (Samantha and Brittney) who round out their small ensemble. They then are flown to Japan where they hostess and dance in a red light district and learn they must become allies in order to survive the dreadful contract. Yet this bond is soon disrupted when one of the Brits, Samantha, and Natasha (the American), find themselves falling in love with each other. They keep this budding relationship a secret from all but their third ensemble member, Brittney, who is now more isolated and bitter than ever. Meanwhile Natasha is torn about the love she also has for her boyfriend back home, and as the end of the contract looms near, in her resistance to sacrifice either lover, she's walking a tight rope which may lead to losing them both.

TREATMENT:

Natasha & Sam is a coming of age drama, set in the mid 1990’s, about three western girls, two from Britain and the lead, Natasha, from the US, who find themselves on a dance contract in Japan, which sets them nightly in the subculture of Japanese hostess clubs. (continue reading)

WRITING THE SCREENPLAY

I knew from the time I was having this experience, as one of the dancers, in this review show, that I would tell this story later in some form. I thought at first it would be a book. Then I thought it may be a play, and then I realized a film felt like the right incarnation. And my desire to tell this was a big reason behind my decision to go to film school. So I began writing the feature screenplay around 2008. The first copyright of it was in 2010. Many drafts followed across the years and into 2018- when I made the short of Natasha & Sam, by selecting several scenes I wanted to develop in rehearsals and then have filmed.

THE TITLE

Originally the feature film was to be titled, Plonkers, as the draft I registered with The Writers Guild in 2010 was. But eventually I decided this was too much of an inside nod, and wouldn’t resonate with enough people; Plonkers is a nickname that Samantha uses for Natasha in the film, and is British slang, meaning essentially a drunkard, or klutz. I landed on Natasha & Sam feeling it would represent the film better as a whole, to a wider audience, and thinking about the film; Aimee & Jaguar, which has been an inspiration to me as I have developed this film.

GENRE

Natasha & Sam is ultimately a coming-of-age drama following Natasha as she reluctantly goes off on this journey, to dance- a stranger in a strange land, with her only real allies being the two British troupe mates. I also consider it a road movie, and there is definitely a love story woven in.

SUBMISSIONS & REVIEW

Besides submitting the film to numerous development labs (of which it didn’t get into) including Sundance, IFP, Cinereach and more, I had a review session by my beloved NYC Screenwriters Collective group, of which I was a member for many years, until I moved to Montreal. The Screenwriters Collective used the Save The Cat model for analysis, and some of my favorite snippets from that review I have used in the media piece: This Progress (7-min, 2017) which is being screened as part of The Muse Exhibition.

THE OFFERING

So, because I’m no longer planning to fight for the funding and spend my time trying to set up to make this film, I’ve decided to offer the Screenplay to whomever wants it. This is inspired by a discussion with my aunt, who is one of my mentors, and also someone who had read and discussed the feature script with me. I concluded the screenplay shouldn’t just sit in a drawer, but should have a chance to be made by others still- if there is a desire for that.

So I’m taking inspiration from the musician and artist, Moby, who I discovered several years ago has some of his music available for free, for artistic projects and film students, etc (see MobyGratis.com) I’m copying Moby, and offering the script for free, to those who comply with a few basic criteria, which is outlined below.

After 3-21-25, a PDF of the script will be available to be sent to those who want it, whether wishing to have a scene to film for school, or wanting to do more.

The criteria before being emailed the script is that:

You do have to supply me with where I can track the project / see the final version
Agree to credit the story and script (or original version of script) as by me (Tawny Foskett)

The link to request the script will be below:

Feature Screenplay (avail 3-21-25)

DEAR PRODUCTION COMPANY

Even though I’ve decided not to put my effort into finding funding for this film to get made, I would make it in a second if I were to receive funding- as it is ready to go into pre-production now. For the record, I could make a really great film (as director) for 5 million, and I know lots of talented people to hire on as collaborators. And if the screenplay got to have a new draft, for which I could consult on, lets say by someone like Nick Hornby…well then that would really be something.