Petition asks Aunjanue Ellis to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Aunjanue Ellis (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Aunjanue Ellis – Talent Agents
– Actress, Soundtrack, Producer – Men of Honor (2000), Undercover Brother (2002), Ray (2004), The Help (2011) – United Talent Agency (UTA), Michael Jelline – TMT Entertainment Group, Tina Thor
Aunjanue Ellis & Adam Sandler’s film company targeted by Texas petition
Will Hollywood just rollover and let prisoner’s suffer?
EXCLUSIVE
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 Aunjanue Ellis at United Talent Agency (UTA), Michael Jelline last week.
In the open letter to Aunjanue Ellis, 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 Aunjanue Ellis 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, Soundtrack, Producer, Aunjanue Ellis, has not responded to the petition. Nor has United Talent Agency (UTA), Michael Jelline responded with a comment.
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.
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.”
Aunjanue Ellis has not commented on the script, thusfar. 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.
Jana Sandler of Happy Madison Productions has also expressed interest in the screenplay.
Aunjanue Ellis is a Actress, Soundtrack, Producer known for Men of Honor (2000), Undercover Brother (2002), Ray (2004), The Help (2011) and is represented by United Talent Agency (UTA), Michael Jelline.
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In other words, did you set up the extreme behavior? Most screenwriters are pretty good at setting up plot devices and paying them off later, but fail to recognize that this type of over-the-top behavior requires a setup before you get to the payoff. It’s important to nail this down because an extreme character is far more attractive as a commercial commodity than an ordinary character – unless he’s put into extraordinary circumstances.
What the reader should have specified – even clarified – is that an extreme character is only believable if the screenwriter has successfully made the character’s behavior believable.
These screenwriters often become upset. After all, they can name a dozen film characters who exhibit such extreme behavior; how dare the reader say their character isn’t believable.
The problem with extreme characters is many aspiring screenwriters attempt to write them without understanding how their presence works in a commercial realm. They simply introduce the character and their extreme behavior then get back reviews with comments like, “the protagonist isn’t believable” or is “over-the-top.”
This ending owes a lot to It’s A Wonderful Life — as does the ending of Groundhog Day. All three films are terrific examples of how you can use the external environment of the main character to illustrate character change and make your theme resonate in the third act… and for years to come.
All Marty wants to do is get his parents back together, and then get back to the future before he does too much damage. Mission accomplished, he returns… to find that every move he made in the past did influence his future — and much for the better. The house he returns to is huge and stylish, his parents are hip and happy, and the bully works for his father. It’s a wonderfully exhilarating ending and NEW WAY OF LIFE, surprising and delightful, and it works because every single moment was set up in the beginning.
#NAME?
– The culmination of the allies’ subplots in the ensemble film Four Weddings and a Funeral. In the closing credits, we get a series of wedding photos of all the supporting characters on their future wedding days, with lots of fun visual jokes and payoffs throughout. Lesson here: it’s a total joy to see secondary characters and allies get their desires at the end too. This film made us love each one of the ensemble and want them to be happy; the photos of the wedding days of each are a rapturous payoff. Of course being able to enhance that feel-good feeling with Elton John singing “Going to the Chapel” really helps, but the point is, you as a writer need to be able to create that emotion on the page. Why not start collecting book endings that achieve it for inspiration? Stick them in your notebook so you’ll always have them to refer to.