Category: 2016 Film Directing – G2

This story idea is my attempt at writing a heartwarming story about familial reconciliation, stepping up to responsibility, and a renewed unity after a tragedy.

Tentative Title:

The Elder Brother

Logline:

In an unfortunate accident that claims the life of a mother, the responsibility to take charge of the family falls onto the shoulders of the eldest son, who has to put aside his contempt for parents and siblings and make great changes to his life, including curbing his addiction to video games and going to work, to keep the family from falling apart.

Background Information:

Aaron Chua, now 21, is the eldest son among his siblings from a lower income family and did badly in school during his teenage years as he is not someone who is academically inclined. Unable to meet his mother’s academic expectations, she sees and treats him as a great disappointment. As a result, he shares a cold, conflict-ridden relationship with her.

Throughout the years, unable to meet his mother’s expectations, he sank into a state of inferiority, spending most of his life in his room playing games as a means to escape from his unpleasant reality. That only served to worsen his relationship with her, as she laments that he does not contribute to the family, and that he is useless.

On top of all of these, he also detests his mother for favouring his younger siblings, his brother Adrian, 17, and his sister Amelia, 14, over him as they do better in school. He sees his siblings with jealousy and contempt. His brother, influenced by his mother’s constant nagging at Aaron, also develops the impression that his elder brother is nothing more than a loser who wastes his life in his own room only playing games.

Aaron also dearly misses his late father who passed away when he was 6, with whom he shares fond memories with.

Plot:

Introduction / Establishment

• Flashback of Aaron’s happy childhood with his late father, then his unpleasant past with his mother, his jealousy of his siblings as they get to have birthday celebrations but he does not, as well as revealing his addiction to games.
• Narration at present time as he is playing games in his room: “My mother passed away last week. I didn’t shed a tear. But I’m not surprised.”
• Interactions with his brother show that Aaron does not have his brother’s respect. eg. calls him rudely by name.

Inciting Incident

• Their aunt becomes their guardian, but can’t provide and can’t always be present at their home to look after them.
• She tells them that after their mother’s funeral, there is not much money left behind by their mother.
• It is revealed that Aaron hasn’t worked much before, and spent all his NS allowance on gaming equipment.

Reluctance

• His aunt tries to persuade him to work to support the family, but Aaron refuses because he feels that his siblings have always been the fortunate ones, having everything as they were favoured by their mother and it is unfair to him to still have to work for their sake.
• It is also because he has not worked much before, and is afraid of the difficulties he may encounter working due to his inferiority complex.

Escalation to Turning Point

• A few days later, Amelia needs to get a new calculator for school. At home, she tells Adrian instead of Aaron who is distant. Adrian gives her his own money despite having little to spare for himself and tells her that he will make do with less food.
• Aaron hears all of this from his own room, and crumbles at his self- disappointment and guilt for the lack of responsibility as the eldest son.
• Wallowing in his own disappointment, he remembers a long forgotten promise he made to his father before he passed on. His father told him that he is the man of the family and he will have to take care of his siblings.
• He finally decides that it is the right decision to go and work, but without telling anyone as he doesn’t talk to his siblings often.

Progress

• Montage format showing the following:
• Aaron wakes up and leaves house very early.
• He encounters many difficulties at different part time jobs (being scolded often for doing wrong things due to lack of experience, eating cup noodles between breaks, always in a hurry)
• He always arrive home very tired.
• Adrian and Amelia get increasingly puzzled at Aaron’s unusual behaviour as he normally rarely goes out.

Climax

• One morning, Aaron is seen placing money onto the dining table along with two notes for each sibling.
• Both siblings exit from their room to see Aaron leaving the house and then discover the notes and money on the dining table.

Resolution

• At night, Aaron finishes work and returns home. As he unlocks the house door and opens it, he is surprised by his siblings.
• With Amelia holding a slice of cake with a lit candle on top, Adrian and Amelia begin to sing Aaron a birthday song as it is his birthday, which even he forgot himself as he has been caught up with work.
• Amelia and Adrian smilingly acknowledge him with respect by addressing as “Kor”.
• Aaron is overwhelmed by the surprise and does not know how to react except to run into his room. Inside, he sobs uncontrollably. Tears of happiness.