The Inner Child
Danielle is a 42 years old administrative assistant who takes life way too seriously,
when suddenly she starts hearing a voice claiming to be her inner child.
Everyone’s been a child once, right? (If not – what Science Fiction bio lab did YOU come from?)
As all of us from Planet Earth can attest, childhood is a brief, shining moment in life when one’s future beckons with possibilities. It’s time of grand adventure: a brand new world to experience… a chance to explore inward, too. During childhood, kids discover what they like to do, realize who they want to be. It’s such a heady blend of magic and freedom…
At least until adulthood lands smack dab on our heads: crushing hopes and dreams in a vise called “practicality.” You wanted to be a ballerina, Suzie? Too bad. Get to typing. There’s bills to pay.
When The Inner Child opens, such is the quagmire protagonist Danielle finds herself in.
Stuck in the misery of an admin job, Danielle’s at the beck and call of “Mr. Walton”. Even when she’s home and Zooming in pajamas, there’s no way Danielle can deny her life isn’t what she’d once hoped it would be. In fact, it’s pretty crappy. Monday through Friday, at least.
So much so that SOMEONE ELSE comments as the Zoom meeting ends. After Danielle logs out, closes the laptop, she hears… a voice.
CHILD'S VOICE (V.O.)
He seems so rude...
Yes, we all know Walton’s a jerk. But who the hell pro-offered THAT?
Looking around, Danielle sees no-one. Blowing it off as stress, she wanders off to tend to the rest of her dreary life.
But some kids just can’t – and shouldn’t – be ignored. The next morning, Danielle pours tea in her kitchen nook. What else could she do? She needs that caffeine injection to drag herself to work. That’s when the inner child chimes in again:
CHILD'S VOICE (V.O.)
No sugar, no milk? What have you become?
You sense a trend? Well, Danielle experiences it first hand. Soon her invisible Inner Child won’t leave Danielle alone. Commenting on everything from how Danielle takes her tea to capitalism, for heck's sake! Has our poor admin assistant gone off the deep end? Is the Inner Child trying to tell Danielle something she needs to hear?
The answer to BOTH could be yes. Or...
Cute and quirky, Livia Tornabene’s The Inner Child is amazingly easy to shoot. All one needs are a few ingredients: a child voice actor, one apartment, PJs, and – of course – a fab Danielle. OK, a Mr. Walton cameo, too. But who cares about that blow-hard? Mix it all together, and the result can be magical. A moment of sweet nostalgia for all us ex-kids, too!