Petition asks Ben Geurens to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Ben Geurens (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Ben Geurens – Talent Agents
– Actor, Director, Producer – Locusts (2019), Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1994), Home and Away (1988), Mr & Mrs Murder (2013) – Reign Agency, Laura Soo Hoo – Impression Entertainment, Bridget Smith
Ben Geurens & 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 Ben Geurens at Reign Agency, Laura Soo Hoo last week.
In the open letter to Ben Geurens, 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 Ben Geurens 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.”
Actor, Director, Producer, Ben Geurens, has not responded to the petition. Nor has Reign Agency, Laura Soo Hoo 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.”
Ben Geurens 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.
Ben Geurens is a Actor, Director, Producer known for Locusts (2019), Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1994), Home and Away (1988), Mr & Mrs Murder (2013) and is represented by Reign Agency, Laura Soo Hoo.
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Speed
I’ve picked a film that outwardly appears to be a plot-driven story, yet it has a definite character arc. I chose the film “Speed” because it’s an extremely straightforward example.
Let’s take a look at how this is PROPERLY applied to the screenplay structure.
You can’t just create an interesting concept OR an interesting character. Both the internal external conflicts need to be present. They need to be intertwined.
In The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice’s outer desire is for advancement in the FBI. And Harris conveys this desire in what is a brilliant storytelling trick: he has Dr. Lecter tell her so. “You’re sooooo ambitious, aren’t you?” Lecter purrs. “I’ll give you what you most desire, Clarice. Advancement.”
Every choice George actually makes in the story defers his external need to escape and ties him closer to the community that he becomes the moral leader of, as he takes on his late father’s role and battles the town’s would-be dictator, Mr. Potter. George does not take on that role happily — he fights it every single step of the way and resents it a good bit of the time. But it’s that conflict which makes George such a great character that we emphasize with. It’s a story of how an ordinary man becomes a true hero.
One of the great examples of inner and outer desire in conflict is the George Bailey character in It’s A Wonderful Life. From the very beginning, George wants to see the world, to do big things, design big buildings: all very male, external, explosive goals. But his deep need is to become a good man and community leader like his father, who does big things and fights big battles — on a microcosmic level, in their tiny, “boring” little community of Bedford Falls, which George can’t wait to escape.
So you, the writer, have to know your character’s inner and outer desires and how they conflict.