- Type
- Short Film
- Location
- New York, NY
- Genre
- Comedy
Charley
A young and dysfunctional couple visit New York City with a unique stowaway traveling in their suitcase.
Ryan takes his girlfriend Courtney to New York for a getaway and they decide to stay at the Ace Hotel. Shortly upon arriving to the hotel Courtney cannot stop talking about her cat back home. Ryan is annoyed that she not only personifies the cat as human but cannot stop thinking or talking about the animal while they are trying to relax and enjoy the big city.
After a night out and a few cocktails at the hotel bar Ryan and Courtney continue to create tension between each other and cannot seem to get along. Instead of pushing each other’s buttons all night they decide to return to the room. But on the way back Courtney points out all of Ryan’s flaws and denies him the one thing he has tried to do all night, have sex with her. Courtney goes to the bathroom and Ryan goes to the bar to clear his head. He feels bad and decides to apologize and see if he can’t make amends.
Back in the room Ryan makes a preposterous and unbelievable discovery that will seal the fate of their doomed relationship.
On the surface, the story is a comedic commentary on pet owners and the premature parent complex some couples display when “raising” an animal. In addition, it is a comedic take on the way pet owners personify their pets and speak of them as if they were humans. However, below the surface CHARLEY is a comedy about a dysfunctional relationship on the verge of collapse. At its core, the story shows how the actions and personality traits of one person in a relationship can terminate or destroy the bond of love.
After a night out and a few cocktails at the hotel bar Ryan and Courtney continue to create tension between each other and cannot seem to get along. Instead of pushing each other’s buttons all night they decide to return to the room. But on the way back Courtney points out all of Ryan’s flaws and denies him the one thing he has tried to do all night, have sex with her. Courtney goes to the bathroom and Ryan goes to the bar to clear his head. He feels bad and decides to apologize and see if he can’t make amends.
Back in the room Ryan makes a preposterous and unbelievable discovery that will seal the fate of their doomed relationship.
On the surface, the story is a comedic commentary on pet owners and the premature parent complex some couples display when “raising” an animal. In addition, it is a comedic take on the way pet owners personify their pets and speak of them as if they were humans. However, below the surface CHARLEY is a comedy about a dysfunctional relationship on the verge of collapse. At its core, the story shows how the actions and personality traits of one person in a relationship can terminate or destroy the bond of love.
Comments (12)
Mackenzie Firgens Very interesting concept, very curious about what happens. Congrats Dee!
March 14, 2010Herna Rodriguez U ALREADY HAVE THE CAST? :(
January 31, 2010GOOD LUCK :)
Edward Bloom Another winner. This has money written all over it. They don't need to many millions fo make it and there are way too many cat owners, I am sorry, cat parents out there that would go to see this movie.
January 30, 2010Keith Rivers Looks amazing. Let me know if you need any help (producing, editing, getting coffee)
January 30, 2010Stephen Fuller Great premise, Dee. You still looking for a producer?
January 27, 2010stephen
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2456288/
Marca Leigh Love it. As both an actor and a cat parent, LOL.
January 16, 2010Kristen Coates Really great story, and I really love the idea of Charley being a puppet; that's going to give a great sense of character. Best wishes to you, I'd love to see this get made.
December 2, 2009Dee Robertson Kristen -
December 3, 2009Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you like it!
Best, Dee
JR Dziengel I agree. Nice work! FYI, I know someone who works with puppets in NYC -- in case you need or are looking. My Best, JR Dz.
December 9, 2009Dee Robertson JR - Good to know. I''ll keep that in mind for sure. Thanks for the resource/offer!
December 10, 2009Best, Dee
Erel Pilo that's really funny. love the ending. why do i get the feeling this is loosely based on a true story?
November 23, 2009Dee Robertson Thank You Erel -
November 25, 2009Yes, there are personal + true elements to this story for sure (except the ending). That never happened....
Dee
Randy Gordon-Gatica Structurally this is spot on. Courtney has a pulse in the manner of a great film character. It's the right mix of dark and funny.
November 19, 2009The only adjustment I'd consider is some of the dialogue. When Courtney refers to them "getting busy;" I think you might want to have them always refer to them having sex that way. Or if they are going to say, "have sex;" then you could massage that a bit where it becomes an ongoing gag to a degree.
Dee Robertson Thanks for your review Randy. I really appreciate the time, thought and suggestions. I think that note is spot on actually! Thanks again.
November 19, 2009Dee
Killer Production Team David Kaplan "You hate cats, musicals and Jesus." Love this line. Hits way too close to home. Great payoff at the end. Your plan of how to bring the character of Charley to life seems well thought out and feasible on a budget. Very interesting short.
November 19, 2009Dee Robertson Thank you David. Yes, I have thought long and hard about Charley. It needs to be really pitch perfect on a budget. Obviously the human characters (interaction/performance) are the most important. But, I'd like to make sure Charley has that WTF factor that you get from any Cronenberg film or the character "Alymer" from the film Brain Damage (F. Henenlotter). It would even be a nice touch to make Charley's "fur" wet, like he just stepped out of the shower.....
November 19, 2009Best,
Dee