Petition asks Lydia Cornell to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Lydia Cornell (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Lydia Cornell – Talent Agents
– Actress, Producer, Writer – Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), Too Close for Comfort (1980), Quantum Leap (1989), Knight Rider (1982) – The Characters Talent Agency, Jayson Marshall – Trinity Artists International, Sheila Finegan
Dumbass, City Limits, Way of the Urban Soul, Thug in Love
Lydia Cornell & 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 Lydia Cornell 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 Lydia Cornell at The Characters Talent Agency, Jayson Marshall last week.
In the open letter to Lydia Cornell, 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 Lydia Cornell 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, Producer, Writer, Lydia Cornell, has not responded to the petition. Nor has The Characters Talent Agency, Jayson Marshall 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.”
Lydia Cornell 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.
Lydia Cornell is a Actress, Producer, Writer known for Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), Too Close for Comfort (1980), Quantum Leap (1989), Knight Rider (1982) and is represented by The Characters Talent Agency, Jayson Marshall.
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If the hero knows his flaw and is determined to fix it, then the story fails in Act I. Whether he knows what his flaw is or not, he should be reluctant to change. Reveal his reluctance in Act I. Like in real life, something major needs to happen before people change. How many drug addicts have had to hit rock bottom before they finally put down the narcotics? Same goes with your hero. His drug of choice may be something like cowardice. It may not be flattering, but it’s what he’s comfortable with. It’s your job to knock him out of his comfort zone. No one wants to watch a hero who they know will succeed because he’s already determined to change his cowardice. They want to watch him struggle to do so because he’s refused to change. The reason this is so appealing to audiences is because they don’t know how to change in real life. They want to watch someone struggle and overcome a major flaw because it gives them hope. Think I’m nuts? What was your New Year’s resolution? Was it the same as last year? Yep, I thought so. Audiences want a hero who can do what they can’t, change. Watch films like Anger Management where the hero never sees himself as an angry guy until the very end – also note how the hero in this film had to be forced to change!
RELUCTANT HERO
Believe it or not, 99% of writers are pretty damn good at coming up with unique concepts. Where they fail is coming up with a concept that forces a hero to change! These two, the internal and external conflicts, should be intertwined or the plot won’t work as a film. A unique concept isn’t enough. The audience wants to care about the hero. They want to identify with him and the only way to accomplish this is via the internal conflict. Take a look at the unique concept you’ve come up with and find a way to use it to force the hero to change a flaw. Remember, the story’s about changing a hero not about the cool aliens that landed on someone’s front lawn….it’s about how the guy whose front lawn they landed on is going to have to change his ways in order to deal with the aliens.
THE EXTERNAL CONFLICT
But in 2012, even in that rollercoaster ride of special effects and sensations, there was a clear central PLAN for an audience to hook into, a plan that drove the story. Without that plan, 2012 really would have been nothing but a chaos of special effects.
Now, I’m sure in a theater this movie delivered on its primary objective, which was a rollercoaster ride as only Hollywood special effects can provide. Whether we like it or not, there is obviously a massive worldwide audience for movies that are primarily about delivering pure sensation. Story isn’t important, nor, apparently, is basic logic. As long as people keep buying enough tickets to these movies to make them profitable, it’s the business of Hollywood to keep churning them out.
Written by Harald Kloser and Roland Emmerich
2012