"To win the favor of a young girl out of his class an uneducated sailor self-educates himself only to find himself in a fight he could never win."
Sccreenplay by David M. O'Neill
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REVIEW DOWNLOAD
Era
1900s
Locations
Northern California
Budgets
Medium
Genre
Drama, Period Drama, Romance
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Logline:
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When a chance meeting introduces an ambitious but uneducated fisherman to a wealthy, high-class woman, societal norms are challenged when they fall in love.
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Strengths:
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This is an emotionally powerful, thought-provoking piece that explores complex themes and nuanced characters. Martin is an incredibly endearing protagonist. It’s clear he’s smart, even before he learns the rules of proper etiquette, and it’s inspiring to see him succeed and challenge the narrow ideals of high society. The party is a particular highlight of the script, as Ruth’s parents believe they’ll embarrass Martin Eden, but instead he impresses nearly everyone he speaks to. The professor, for example, is wowed by his insight in an engaging way. This script is a lovely testament to the fact that intelligence isn’t tied to money or class. Anyone can be wise and clever, and Martin Eden, with all of his ambition, his thoughtfulness, and his determination, is proof of that fact. The dialogue is another major strength in this script. Martin’s dialogue in particular is impressive. His speech evolves and shifts the more he learns from Ruth. By the final pages of the script, his dialogue is almost unrecognizable from the way he spoke in the first act. It’s interesting to watch Martin learn and grow more confident in real-time. In general, the writing is clear, vivid, and engaging. The writer does a nice job of establishing the time period.
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Prospects:
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The fact that this script is based on a Jack London story is a major point in its favor. It features characters that many viewers will already care about. It's easy to root for Martin Eden, and there's no doubt that talented actors would be attracted to the role. The film also wouldn't need a particularly high budget, which further improves its prospects. With further development of the relationship between Martin and Ruth, this script will be an even more commercially compelling piece.
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JACK LONDON’S MARTIN EDEN
Screenplay by David M. O'Neill
Title: Martin Eden Novel: Jack London
Screenplay: David M. O’Neill
Locations: Northern California
Period: 1906
William Morris Story Department Logline: An impoverished and uneducated seaman falls in love with a wealthy university socialite who tutors and helps him navigate acquiring an education.
With ambitions to become a writer, Martin Eden intends on marrying the young socialite Ruth Morse only to have his ambitions thwarted by her conservative parents. With his self-taught education leading him to become one of San Francisco's dynamic leaders in the socialist movement, Martin is wholly abandoned by all of those who he loves. Returning to sea as a first class passenger, he is confronted by his working class love Lizzie Connelly and sails the seas with his true mate.
SYNOPSIS 1906 California. Martin Eden is a large, lumbering, raw sailor. He rescues refined ARTHUR MORSE one night on the docks as angry “lower class” sailors beat him. To show his gratitude Arthur invites Martin over to his family’s luxurious home to dinner. Martin arrives at the engagement dressed in his only suit (which doesn't quite fit) and offering a cheap bottle of whiskey. To his shock, Martin is quite taken aback by the apparent wealth of the Morse’s. Martin waits for the family to greet him in the library, perusing a bit of poetry aloud. RUTH MORSE (Arthur's sister) overhears Martin and questions him about literature - - the two make a connection.
Over dinner their mutual admiration/infatuation grows when Martin relates with passion stories of life at sea. Later, Ruth impresses Martin with her expert skills on the piano -- she plays with as much passion as Martin tells stories. Martin leaves dinner with the goal of fitting into the Morse' level of society – he wants to be like them. Martin leaves behind his working class friends (including lover LIZZIE), gets a library card, and allows himself to be tutored by Ruth. He and Ruth begin falling in love as they spend time together. Martin's got quite a bit to learn and when Ruth has him tested and then advises that he attend night school, he's dismayed feeling he could get an education much faster by his own initiative. He tells Ruth, ‘The speed of the fleet is only as fast as the slowest ship.” “If I sit in a class, with other students, the learning is only as fast as the slowest learner.”
Martin begins to diligently study on his own with the help of his affectionate counterpart. He takes to fighting to make ends meet and then moves into an inexpensive cottage near a Portuguese family in order to spend time at his writing. To win the affections of Ruth, he thinks to become a writer, an occupation he knows Ruth admires. Through it all he studies, writes and begins sending out his manuscripts. By this time Ruth is deeply in love with Martin and her family is worried -- it's time to end the affair (they had hoped Martin would awaken Ruth's latent sexuality, which it has).