Title: McEaster Valley
Author: Dr. Walter R. Hoge, DVM
Screenplay Writer: Anthony Guilianti
Pages: 80
Genre: Screenplay / Fantasy / Family Adventure
Reviewer: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
There comes a time in every person’s life that a feeling of stagnation can become overwhelming in their lives. It can happen at any point, from the anxious years of adolescence to the often-listless years of seniority and everything in between, but stagnation and loneliness can become an overwhelming sensation many people have to find ways of combating. Sometimes memorable moments in time and experiences can help drive people on a new path that takes them out of that stagnant place.
Author and screenwriter Anthony Guilianti shares a journey through loneliness in the script McEaster Valley, a story of shared stories which connect a multi-generational family. The story follows Walter, a retired veterinarian who struggles with the loneliness of being isolated after leaving behind his work and his wife now gone. As his children lead their own lives, a night of babysitting his grandchildren leads him to share a remarkable story of a hike decades earlier that transported him to a fantastic world, and the wonderous and challenging experiences as he tries to reclaim that wonder in the present day.
Unique and compelling, this script was both imaginative and enthralling. The author’s ability to write each scene so vividly allowed me to paint a picture of what each moment in this potential film, short film, or play could look like in the readers’ minds. Walter is such a relatable and engaging protagonist, and the way Walter’s physical journey mirrors his mental and emotional journey throughout this script will keep readers and audiences hooked on the experiences of this narrative. The Sierra Foothills of California were perfectly captured in the author’s writing and helped form the bridge to this magical world in Walter’s story to his grandchildren.
Readers who enjoy scripts and play writing, especially those who blend multi-generational family drama and magical realism, will thoroughly enjoy this narrative. The fantasy and family adventure script perfectly captures the source material for this script, which is author Walter R. Hoge’s Easter, McEaster Valley. The story of Walter and his experiences, both the fantasy driven story he tells his grandchildren and the more grounded, emotional depth of his personal journey of self-discovery and a sense of self-restoration in the wake of loss and loneliness. The heart and passion for which this script was written will perfectly encapsulate the strong themes and emotions of the original novel, and keep readers and audiences engaged until the script’s final emotional scene.