Screenplay Review

 

SCRIPT REVIEW – ‘NEVER HAVE I EVER’

From the beginning we are in a setting of a suburban home, where we are introduced to the protagonist, Devi. Devi is fifteen years old and the first action we are told of hers is that she is doing her hair in the mirror with her nose scrunched up. Personally, this gives of the feeling that she is a typical high schooler, who may care more about her appearance, and even her social status, than she should. As we read on, we learn more about Devi, and that she is Indian American, who lives in California, about to start her sophomore year. Furthermore, it is possible to imply that she is someone who wants to impress people for validation and gives up on things easily if they do not go to plan, for example, when she gives up on her braid and decided to just brush out her ‘much shorter hair.’

The inciting incident or obstacle that Devi faces comes before we can understand her full goal or even desire. Devi is playing her harp in the school auditorium when her dad dies from a heart attack in front of her and the audience. This sets up a conflict for Devi as she wants to impress people, yet everyone will now know her, but for the reason she doesn’t want. Furthermore, this can provide an internal conflict for Devi as now her life has been flipped, but she still wants to impress people, so it can lead to the question if she is now going to give a fake impression of herself. After, we are set in the day, in the pool area for the girl’s mandatory swim test. This can build upon the inciting incident/obstacle as when Devi starts to swim, her legs give out and is soon learnt she is paralysed (not medical).

Not long after, we are aware of Devi’s best friends, Fabiola, and Eleanor. Fabiola is a robot-building ‘nerd’ and Eleanor is a drama, theatre lover. Whilst reading, it is clear to tell that this is a close friendship group, for example when Fabiola offers to build Devi’s legs back. It feels as though, it is if one goes down, we all go down situation. As we now enter the classroom, Devi’s antagonist, Ben Gross, is present. Personally, I would call him the antagonist towards Devi as there is a clear competition between the two of intelligence. The use of flashbacks makes the story telling clearer to the reader as it provides context to Ben and Devi’s relationship throughout the years. For example, Ben and Devi are shown at multiple events, alternating first place trophy. These flashbacks then set a divide between them, almost a hierarchy of power conflict.

Devi’s goal is later identified in act one when she devises a plan to Fabiola and Eleanor on how to become more successful socially. Her plan is to get everyone assigned boyfriends. As a pecking order, we are now aware that Devi is the group leader and Fabiola and Eleanor are just followers, due to Devi almost wanting to personalise them, like when she asks Eleanor to not sing and Fabiola to change her robotics club uniform to make it look ‘cooler.’ However, Devi chooses boyfriends which will only make them appear socially superior. This can further support the idea that Devi is insecure on her appearance and even her life and brings back the thought of her trying to create this false impression of herself.

Throughout the script, Devi talks to her therapist, Dr. Ryan about her boyfriend situation and even comes clean about Fabiola keeping her boyfriend from summer a secret. Devi thinks that a boyfriend will make her happy and therefore latches onto that idea. This possibly can give more of an insight to Devi’s personality, meaning that she could be quite a naive person to her surroundings, and she is co-dependent on the idea that a boyfriend will bring her happiness, when she could be lacking in self-awareness that her happiness does not solely come from a relationship. Moreover, another interpretation could be that she has given up on finding happiness herself which brings us into a cyclical cycle from the beginning. This brings us to the resolution when Devi thanks Dr. Ryan for ‘accidentally’ giving her a plan. Devi decides to go and ask ‘the hottest person in high school’ Paxton, if he would like to take her virginity. Debatably, this is what Devi wants in order to feel complete and to make her social status higher, yet it is not what she truly needs. Personally, she needs to accept she is grieving after a traumatic event and to find her own source of happiness.

This pilot episode is narrated by John McEnroe. Devi’s father, Mohan, tries to relate to Devi through his American idol when he comes to Devi spiritually in a dream. McEnroe is Mohan’s father favourite tennis player and Mohan says to Devi ‘he doesn’t let anyone push him around.’ This creates a connection between Devi and McEnroe. The use of the narrator creates quite a comedic style within this episode, and almost fills in the blanks within the action. Therefore, this makes the genre a comedy mixed with drama, yet, as a reader we are seeing Devi grow up in high school and within herself, so arguably it could be a coming-of-age story too.