Nebraska

A young boy counts down the days until his best friend moves away.

What’s important in a script? Goals. Character development. And a sense of urgency. Pardon the pun, but when it comes to film-making, ticking clocks are the bomb… a sure-fire way to keep audiences on the edges of their seats. And there are so many ways to spin such a theme: stop the virus before it spreads. Blow up the Death Star. Arrest the terrorists before they kill the president…

Even in more gentle tales, deadlines can be a potent story-telling tool. Case in point: Nebraska - a slice of life drama that follows 12 year old Austin through the end of February. Mr. Finch, his teacher, is planning a quiz on the fifty states. But that’s not why Austin’s counting down the days. You see, there’s this girl named Melissa who’s the secret love of Austin’s life. And her family’s moving away. Will Austin summon the courage to tell her how he feels? Maybe even steal one little kiss?

True, there are no car chases in this script. No Zombie Apocalypses, or city buses rigged to bombs. What you will find is a sweet story of childhood, and the mini-crisis that it brings. Edged with the gentle/wise humor that’s David Troop’s signature style, scripts like this are timeless.