The Conspirator

Okay, so last year my writing partner and I wrote a historically-based script and got some producers interested in it. Don't sweat it--I haven't made a nickel yet. But those producers suggested I watch this film, "The Conspirator" directed by Robert Redford. History interests me. Movies interest me. Unfortunately, this film did not interest me. Mainly because it was uninteresting. And I know why. I'll get to that.
This film tells the story of the Lincoln assassination and the conspiracy that surrounded the murder and the attempted murder of other government officials by Confederate loyalists. Everybody knows the infamous John Wilkes Booth and the tragedy at Ford's Theater but there were others involved. One of these was Mary Serratt, who ran a boarding house where the conspirators did their conspiring. One of these conspirators was her young son. It was the government's contention that she knew what was going on and was thus part of the conspiracy. This film concerns itself with her story and that of her lawyer (James MacAvoy). It is the script's contention that the government had no real proof (or at best sketchy proof) and that she was railroaded on to the gallows. The script carefully constructs parallels between this injustice and situations that have been a part of our own recent history--Guantanamo Bay for example and the post 9/11 legislation that trampled on a bunch of civil rights. Remember, I told you Robert Redford directed it.
It makes for fascinating discussion and an interesting and relevant argument.
And that's the problem. This would have been a memorable history lecture back at USC or an interesting debate on Point/Counterpoint. Here the actors think and brood and debate and wring their hands. It makes for some crappy drama. The performances albeit by some outstanding actors (MacAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood) are stiff and lifeless, more like a historical recreation on the History Channel than a flesh and blood feature. And the direction doesn't help. It's almost as stodgy as the script. Too bad. It's really a great story. A great story that needed Jeff and me to write it.