This film is not an anti-drug statement, but a story of a young person suffering from depression who does not yet understand his place in the world.
The concept for this adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic short story, A Christmas Carol, came to this production team during a team meeting in October. The idea to have Scrooge’s trip through the past, present, and future be a psychedelic trip seemed obvious. Once we had nailed that in, the rest of the plot fell right into place. Scrooge became a confused slacker who was silently mourning his best friend who had overdosed. His greed and cold-heartedness became our character’s drug use and general apathy. The bustling city of London became a grungy high school in 1990s Ohio. The story follows Evan through the loss in his past, the instability in his present, and his future overdose on the tile floor of his bathroom. It tells the story of a young person suffering from depression who does not understand his place in this world, and copes in dangerous ways. Our adaptation started out as a nod to low budget films of the ‘90s such as Dazed and Confused, Clerks, and Slacker, but has developed into something else. These films are often characterized by a focus on dialogue more so than on plot. With the story we wanted to tell, the plot had to be more active. Elements of this film subgenre still remain in our adaptation, such as some improvised dialogue, simplified elements of production, and a focus on young people.
This film is not an anti-drug statement, but a story of a young person suffering from depression who does not yet understand his place in the world. It is about a troubled young individual who does not cope properly and who distances himself from human interaction. Evan and Ebenezer Scrooge have both suffered greatly in their lives and have not responded in the right way. They have both seen loss and, as a result, refuse to let people in. They have both seen the error of their ways by the end of the story and reach out to those they hurt the most. This project has been a pleasure to work on and has allowed me to revisit this beautiful tale of compassion. I hope that you enjoy our adaptation.
Sincerely,
Claire Shu
The concept for this adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic short story, A Christmas Carol, came to this production team during a team meeting in October. The idea to have Scrooge’s trip through the past, present, and future be a psychedelic trip seemed obvious. Once we had nailed that in, the rest of the plot fell right into place. Scrooge became a confused slacker who was silently mourning his best friend who had overdosed. His greed and cold-heartedness became our character’s drug use and general apathy. The bustling city of London became a grungy high school in 1990s Ohio. The story follows Evan through the loss in his past, the instability in his present, and his future overdose on the tile floor of his bathroom. It tells the story of a young person suffering from depression who does not understand his place in this world, and copes in dangerous ways. Our adaptation started out as a nod to low budget films of the ‘90s such as Dazed and Confused, Clerks, and Slacker, but has developed into something else. These films are often characterized by a focus on dialogue more so than on plot. With the story we wanted to tell, the plot had to be more active. Elements of this film subgenre still remain in our adaptation, such as some improvised dialogue, simplified elements of production, and a focus on young people.
This film is not an anti-drug statement, but a story of a young person suffering from depression who does not yet understand his place in the world. It is about a troubled young individual who does not cope properly and who distances himself from human interaction. Evan and Ebenezer Scrooge have both suffered greatly in their lives and have not responded in the right way. They have both seen loss and, as a result, refuse to let people in. They have both seen the error of their ways by the end of the story and reach out to those they hurt the most. This project has been a pleasure to work on and has allowed me to revisit this beautiful tale of compassion. I hope that you enjoy our adaptation.
Sincerely,
Claire Shu
