The Father

A nondescript man sits in a kitchen while, in another room, a bunch of females fuss over a baby—who may or may not be his progeny.

Type:

Short

Status:

For sale

Page Count:

3pp

Genre:

Drama, Family, Mystery

Budget:

Shoestring

Age Rating:

Everyone

Based On:

“The Father” (1961), a short story by Raymond Carver.

Synopsis/Details

Three generations of women hover over a baby boy, wondering whom the infant resembles and coming to little or no conclusion—about his looks or those of his presumed father, sitting silently nearby.

Story & Logistics

Story Type:

Hero's Journey

Story Situation:

Rivalry of kin

Story Conclusion:

Ambiguous

Linear Structure:

Linear

Moral Affections:

Detraction, Disrespect

Cast Size:

Several

Locations:

Single

Characters

Lead Role Ages:

Female Adult, Female over 45, Female under 13, Male Adult, Male under 13

Hero Type:

Anti-Hero, Ordinary

Villian Type:

Anti-Villian

Stock Character Types:

Boy next door, Crone, Everyman, Fall guy, Girl next door

Advanced

Adaption:

Based on Existing Fiction

Subgenre:

Childhood, Drama, Hybrid Sub-Genres, Life Story, Literary Adaption

Equality & Diversity:

Female Centric

Life Topics:

Birth, Childhood, Parenthood

Time Period:

Post-war era (1946–1962), The Sixties (1960–1969)

Country:

United States of America (USA)

Time of Year:

Spring

Relationship Topics:

Attachment, By marriage, Emotions and feelings, Family, Genetic, Husband, Sibling

Writer Style:

David Mamet, Graham Greene, Robert Towne

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Submitted: 2021-May-05

Last Updated: 2021-May-05

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The Writer: R. J. Cardullo

A former university film teacher, I turned to screenwriting several years ago. I have also written film criticism for many publications. A New Yorker by birth, I grew up in Miami and was educated at the University of Florida, Tulane, and Yale. My last U.S. address was in Milford, Connecticut; I am now an expatriate residing in Scandinavia. Many of my scripts (both long and short) are adaptations of lesser-known works by well-known authors. I am happy to re-write, collaborate, or write on demand. Thanks kindly for any attention you can give my work. Go to bio

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The Father

Synopsis/Details

The Writer: R. J. Cardullo

Pages