BIG HOLE by Michael Gilio

Logline: An old cowboy goes on a mission to recover his money after a million dollar sweepstakes scam cleans out his entire bank account.

This screenplay by Michael Gilio garnered 42 mentions on the 2008 Black List, placing it firmly in the number four slot. Not familiar with Gilio? Neither was I. The bio on his website states: Born and raised in Chicago, Gilio began directing and acting in short films and stage plays as a teenager. After being cast by Peter Bogdanovich opposite Sidney Poitier in the television movie To Sir with Love II, Gilio made the predictable trek to Los Angeles. Once settled, he starred in the critically-acclaimed Only in America: The Life & Crimes of Don King with Ving Rhames, Love & Action in Chicago with Kathleen Turner, as well as guest roles on Chicago Hope, CSI: NY, and Early Edition. During his tenure in L.A., Gilio embarked on writing his third screenplay Kwik Stop and enlisted his hometown theatre and film community to help produce what would be his directorial debut. For those interested, Kwik Stop is available as a VoD rental or purchase on Amazon.com.

On January 14, 2009 it was reported by themovingpicture.net that the project is being set up under Gore Verbinski’s Blind Wink Productions banner and that Verbinski will direct as well as produce with Scott Aversano, the former head of Nickelodeon and MTV Films.

WARNING: Mild spoilers, so turn away now if you don't want to ruin it for youself.

The story has been described as Falling Down meets No Country for Old Men, but after reading the screenplay I would have to say that it's more Falling Down than No Country. And even then I don't think those comparisons are truly fair, because while it does share some of the sensibilities of Falling Down and the sparse wide-open, modern day Western-like atmosphere of No Country, what Gilio has crafted here is an interesting character study that seems to echo a loss of values and an ever-changing way of life seen in films such as Hud. In fact, as I read this script I couldn't help but picture our protagonist, Francis Lee Sr., being portrayed by none other than the great Melvyn Douglas à la Hud, but since that bit of casting is sort of an impossibility these days, I think Robert Duvall would be an interesting choice for the role (think Tender Mercies or possibly Open Range). 

And although the script does feature firearms prominently within the second half, it doesn't share the same sentiments on violence that the aforementioned films depict. It's almost as if a shotgun in the hands of Francis Lee Sr. isn't supposed to be viewed as a weapon, but an extension - a representation - of his anger and frustration. When he's not being heard, he allows the shotgun to "speak" because it's a little more concise and to the point... obviously. And it's in this way that story doesn't seem violent, but I'm sure there are some who would disagree with me on that subject.

What hooked me was the script's first page (like any good script should). The way Gilio has chosen to begin the story is a rather simple bit of genius. He delivers vital clues and kick-starts the plot all in a few short lines and in less than half a page:

The basics of our protagonist are given there, right at the beginning of the story: Bam! Now, moving on... Genius. From there we learn that Francis Sr. has an old horse named Flick, a parakeet named Duke, and a hired maid, Maya, that drops by every so often to take care of things around the house and to also take Francis into town for a routine haircut on the first of every month, followed by a trip to the bank and the grocery store. Francis Sr. is a man of routine. He's set in his ways. 

We also learn that there's a reason for the Sr. in his name. That's right, there's a Jr. who goes by the name of Heck and he just happens to be a Sheriff. And for reasons that remain unclear until the very end of the film, Heck and his dear ole dad aren't on speaking terms. So, this is Francis Sr.'s life, and as lonely and desolate as it may seem, he's okay with it. Or so it seems. That is until our second act when everything starts a-changin'.

And our story really begins when Francis receives a phone call and the voice on the other end informs him that he's just become the proud recipient of a million dollars - right after the voice can get Francis' bank account information, so that the sweepstakes company can deposit the money in thirty to sixty days. Obviously, you can see where the story goes from there.

Now, I won't spoil the rest of the story by giving away exactly how Francis goes about trying to recover his money and what he ultimately discovers in the process, but let's talk a little bit more about what I liked and didn't like.

I really like the atmosphere that Gilio has created with his sparse action descriptions and minimal dialogue, although I do think that at times some of Francis' dialogue could have been minimized even more. So much can be said with a simple look or with body language, and at times I felt something like that was all that we needed from Francis. As the saying goes: less is more. And that character is truly an actor's playground, so I think it would be interesting to take away some of the rather unnecessary lines and allow the actor to express the meaning of those words indirectly with action. 

Another aspect of the story that definitely needs a little tweaking is the dynamic between father and son. And I only say this because of the way the story ends. The way Gilio has chosen to end it demands that there be more backstory/story to the relationship between Francis and Heck, which is an interesting problem to solve because the two never actually exchange words, so most of it would have the be incorporated into Heck's detective work in trying to unravel just what his father is up to. And while there is some of their backstory revealed, I don't think it's enough to justify the end.

Visually though, Gilio has created something with lots of breathing room. And given that it is a seemingly modern day Western, I can't help but picture the exterior scenes framed with two-thirds sky and wide open like a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. Those visuals would help give the story an interesting juxtaposition: a small personal story being told in a world as big as the sky.

All in all, I'm anxious to see how much this project evolves under Gore Verbinski's tutelage. It's definitely an interesting screenplay, and with some alterations to the story and the right actor in the lead role, I'd think it safe to bet that we're looking at some kind of award contender here. Here's hoping that it's done right.

I'll be back next month with a review of Brian K. Vaughn's feel-good geek-romp Roundtable, which is a film that, if made, is sure to be a genuine crowd-pleaser. And while you wait, we'll--

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