Petition asks Jackie Tohn to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Jackie Tohn (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Jackie Tohn – Talent Agents
– Actress, Writer, Producer – A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018), GLOW (2017), Sisters (2015), The Good Place (2016) – CESD Talent Agency, Beau Berdahl Oliver –
Jackie Tohn & Adam Sandler’s film company targeted by Texas petition
Will Hollywood just rollover and let prisoner’s suffer?
EXCLUSIVE
More than 2000 women have signed an open letter to Adam Sandler calling on Jackie Tohn and Hollywood to take “movie action” to tackle injustice against men and women in the wake of revelations that Texas has more prisoners incarcerated than the Soviet Union’s gulag system had. Texas currently has over 290,000 inmates housed at 580 facilities.
The signatories, including state senators, professors of criminal justice, social workers, family, and inmates, call for a “firm commitment” to tackle the unjust prisons in Texas. The petition has also been signed by Beto O’Rourke, and Matthew McConaughey. These two signatories might face each other in the 2022 Texas governors election. Both have expressed interest in the job. The petitions arrived for Jackie Tohn at CESD Talent Agency, Beau Berdahl Oliver last week.
In the open letter to Jackie Tohn, the 2080 women write that they are “heartbroken for first-time drug offenders many times addicts who have received extremely harsh sentences in Texas when rehabilitation has proven a cheaper and more effective solution.” The petition goes on to say their family and friends are often heartbroken for and looking for redemption and rehabilitation for the victimless drug crimes.”
The signatories, including attorneys, professors, politicians, family members, and inmates, call on Jackie Tohn for a ‘firm film commitment’ to tackle the issue of operating the Texas prison system for profit.
The petition came to light when women discovered the screenplay, a copy which was dontated to all 580 of the state’s prison and jail libraries. The existence of the petition surfaced on International Women’s Day. Women in Texas face extreme prejudice in Texas and often receive extremely harsh penalties for even a small amount of drugs, including marijuana. Marijuana is legal now in 21 states.
Inside prisons, the women are faced with such horrendous conditions… the petition demands that “filmmakers begin to take the issue seriously.” Also, the petition reminds that “even here in the USA in the 21st century citizens are not safe from government oppression.”
Actress, Writer, Producer, Jackie Tohn, has not responded to the petition. Nor has CESD Talent Agency, Beau Berdahl Oliver responded with a comment.
Alan Nafzger/caption]
The screenplay “Dumbass” was penned by writer and retired professor of political science Alan Nafzger.
The premise of the story is that, “Adam Sandler writes letters and saves numerous women from the monotony of prison life, and later when he gets into trouble with a drug cartel they return the favor by rescuing him.”
The film would be set in contemporary, Gatesville Texas. There are four women’s prisons located in Gatesville. And of course, Texas is famous for putting everyone in prison for a long sentences for little or no reason. The number of women in Texas prisons has tripled in the last ten years, as mass incarcerations have proven profitable to not only the state but also profitable for an array of business interests.
Writer Alan Nafzger has called on Governor Greg Abbott to, “end the prison industry.”
Recently, “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak spoke out against the Texas system and put a good word in for mercy and forgiveness out on social media. “How nice for those who have lived such exemplary lives that they can express glee when others have their lives ruined by a mistake, real or perceived,” Sajak tweeted last month.
During the winter’s deep freeze, the The Marshall Project, exposed the horrible prison conditions, “Inside Frigid Texas Prisons: Broken Toilets, Disgusting Food, Few Blankets.”
The petition states, “Why don’t we have the ‘Adam Sandler’ character… sending letters to women in prison and being their friend and trying to help them adjust, giving them hope… and when they get out of prison he picks them up so they don’t have to ride the smelly bus back home… but his pickup truck is a junker, smoking and sputtering … worse than the bus. But his heart is in the right place… He’s the last “chivalrous” man on earth.”
Jackie Tohn has not commented on the script, thus far. A statement is expected soon.
Professor Nafzger has made a short treatment of the project available online.
He has made the finished script available at for select filmmakers.
Adam Sandler of Happy Madison Productions has expressed interest in the screenplay.
Jackie Tohn is a Actress, Writer, Producer known for A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018), GLOW (2017), Sisters (2015), The Good Place (2016) and is represented by CESD Talent Agency, Beau Berdahl Oliver.
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Does this mean a screenwriter should avoid writing larger-than-life characters? What it means is the screenwriter will have to pay extra attention to developing a strong enough arc to make it through the coverage process. Unlike James Bond, who shows up on the scene as a chiseled professional, your character will have to start out flawed and work his way into a larger-than-life scenario! His arc will have a slow, developmental process to it. We’ll be able to visually see a different person than the one we met on page one!
Only A-list writers can get away with writing these characters because they have a proven track record and many times their material skips the coverage phase and goes straight to the decision makers, like a producer or a Director of Development.
They make for great popcorn flicks, but it would be next to impossible to sell this type of character to Hollywood as a first sale. Why? These characters often fail to have a strong enough arc (or none at all) to get past the Hollywood reader. Story Analysts are required, when providing coverage, to identify the character’s arc and if there isn’t one or it’s lacking, the script will receive a ‘pass’.
The larger-than-life character is the guy who takes extreme risks. He does what most of us only dream of doing. This ‘extreme’ level usually results in characters like James Bond, Indiana Jones & Rambo. These are guys who can have a million bullets being shot at them and somehow manage to escape! They are the larger-than-life characters.
· Hero/ine’s Problem
· Hero/ine’s Inner and Outer Desire
· Hero/ine’s Ordinary World
· Meet the Hero or Heroine