Script Coverage Sample

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Coverage By: Kimaya M. Floyd

TITLE: The Carrie Diaries FORM: Teleplay

AUTHOR: Amy B. Harris, Novel by Candace GENRE: Drama Bushnell DRAFT DATE: 12/9/2011 PERIOD: 1984, past COVERAGE DATE: 9/9/2013 LOCATIONS: Connecticut, Manhattan PREPARED BY: Kimaya M. Floyd LOGLINE: before the sex and an introduction into the city.

SUMMARY: Imagine Sex and the City before discovered sex or Manhattan. In this adaptation of the prequel to Sex and the City, we meet a very different Carrie Bradshaw. She’s a sixteen year old girl from Connecticut, living at home with her anti-conformist sister, Dorrit, and her father Tom. The family struggles to find a balance after the loss of Bradshaw’s mother. If that’s not enough pressure on a young girl, add to the mix High School and you’re in for some real drama. It’s the first day of Carrie’s junior year, and when most kids would be ecstatic, Carrie is anxious because she knows that all eyes will be on her, the motherless child. She’s surrounded by her click of friends, Walt, Maggie, and Mouse, but she imagines a life outside of her small town. When the new kid shows up, a cutie named Sebastian (her fist Mr.Big) things start to look up, but not if her adversary, mean girl Donna LaDonna gets to him first. However, things take a turn for the interesting when Carrie’s father gets her an internship at a law firm in Manhattan! The small town girl creates some big city dreams when she discovers the eccentric fashion world on Manhattan. She begins to question life, love, and lies as she begins her love affair with New York.

SYNOPSIS:

ACT ONE. It’s the year 1984 and the first day of school for 16 years old, Carrie Bradshaw. Her room is covered with clothes and old issues if INTERVIEW magazine (think 1980’s Vogue) as she rummages through the chaos for her mother’s purse. It’s nowhere to be found, which means there’s only one other place it could be- Dorrit’s room. Carrie rushes out of her room into the hallway of this two story family home where she bumps into her gawky, goth-style, little sister, 14 year old DORRIT.

She confronts the anti-conformist Dorrit about the purse, who knowingly pretends not to have a clue what Carrie, is talking about. As Carrie tears Dorrit’s tween styled bedroom apart on a search for her beloved purse, she stumbles upon a bag of pot. She threatens to tell their father which starts an outright war of sisterly hair pulling, hitting, and biting. As the sisters go at it, Carrie’s voiceover reveals the year and paints a picture of what’s happening in 1984. She also reveals that the family is in a crucial point in their life, because her mother just died three months ago.

After Carrie screams from being bit in the arm by Dorrit, her father TOM BRADSHAW, traditionally handsome with a whiff of sadness rushes in to stop the fight; The girls separate and soon after, Tom lectures Carrie on being the “mature” one. Carrie contemplates telling her father about the pot she found, but instead she opts to tell him that Dorrit stole their mother’s purse. Her father starts to brush off what seems like an everyday sister dispute when he realizes that it’s not about the purse itself, but that it’s a piece of their mother they both want to keep. He gets it.

Tom surprises Carrie with a trip to her mother’s untouched closet and offer’s Carrie a piece of her mother to take to school with her. Still sensitive about his wife’s passing, Tom struggles to give her items away but in efforts to console his grieving daughter, he hands Carrie a pair of her mother’s Jackie O Shades. Touched and gracious Carrie puts on the shades. They feel like armor, but in a good way.

Armed with her mother’s sunglasses, Carrie arrives to the steps of her old School, Castleberry High. She takes a breath and heads inside, ready for the stares that await her.

Carrie walks down the hallway passing the Goths, the Jocks, The Dorks, etc. everyone whispering about the motherless child. It’s here that we meet DONNA LADONNA, the popular girl, oversexed, and conceited and THE JENS, faint copies of Donna. Donna disingenuous asks Carrie if she’s okay.

Carrie finally arrives at her group of friends: MOUSE, extremely bright and loyal, MAGGIE, sexy, and WALT, Maggie’s preppy and fashionable knowledgeable boyfriend. They inform her that there’s a new kid in school, SEBASTIAN KYDD, hot, cocky, and into Carrie. They have history. Everyone watches as Sebastian walks up directly to Carrie to “catch up”. Carrie’s friends and a jealous Donna Ladonna, look on confused as to how Sebastian knows Carrie. Mouse demands that Carrie explains later.

The Barn, the high school hangout and Carrie’s click’s proverbial “Coffee Shop”. The girls (Carrie, Maggie, and Mouse) catch up. Carrie explains that Sebastian was her first kiss two summers ago Carrie learns she’s the only virgin left in the crew. While she was busy the past summer losing her mother, her two closest friends were losing their virginity.

Back at school, Carrie sums up the courage to ask Sebastian out. Just when she’s ready to go for it, her father suddenly shows up in the school hallway which causes Carrie to remember the last time he did that, her mother was dying. She passes out in Sebastian’s arms.

ACT TWO. Carrie’s school guidance counselor suggests to Tom that maybe Carrie should take on a part time job. She suggests that based on her previous sessions with Carrie that Manhattan may be the perfect escape. Tom is shocked but he takes the advice.

Later, Mouse and Carrie have lunch to be surprised by Sebastian, who’s been looking for Carrie ever since she passed out. They share a moment and reveal that two years ago, during a swim Sebastian was Carrie’s first kiss. He puts his hand on hers and just as Carrie is about to ask Sebastian to the dance, the bell rings and the opportunity is missed.

It’s dinner back at home. As Tome grills burgers he tells Carrie that he got her an internship at his old law firm…in Manhattan! Carrie screeches with excitement! She quickly heads to her closet to see what she’s going to wear her first time in the city. Carrie shares the news with Mouse over the phone when she hears someone on the line. It’s Dorrit. She immediately heads to Dorrit’s room to make her stop spying and again confronts Dorrit on the whereabouts of their mother’s purse. Carrie finds the purse inside of a large stuffed bear and it’s ruined by nail polish! Dorrit feels terrible. She didn’t mean to ruin it; she just wanted a piece of their mother too. Carrie realizes that she was lucky, because she had more time with their mother than Dorrit ever could. She tries to console Dorrit to no avail. Dorrit shoves Carrie away exclaiming that Carrie is trying to act like her mom.

ACT THREE. Tom drives Carrie into the city. She looks around bright eyed, amazed by what she sees. Disgusted and maybe frightened by what he sees, Tom goes over the rules and train schedule again with Carrie. The plan is for Carrie to call home before she gets on the six o’clock train then head straight to the school dance. Tom finally let’s Carrie art of the Car, he admires his suddenly, mature and grown up daughter with her mother’s ruined pursed completely revamped with “CARRIE” written on it in the same pink nail polish that ruined it. He drives off. Carrie takes in the view of 1980s Wall Street when she’s bumped by a rude passerby and falls. Her stockings ripped.

Now settled at her new desk, Carrie receives filing instructions from BITCHY BARBARA, a bitter secretary who strongly recommends that Carrie heads across the street to CENTURY 21 to purchase new hosiery. During her lunch break Carrie discovers what will soon become her fashion Mecca, Century 21 the ultimate, glamorous discount designer store. Her reverie is disrupted by the loud shriek of a husky woman exclaiming “Your bag”! Warned by her father of potential muggers, Carrie clutches her bag tightly and pushes the overly excited LARISSA away. Larissa introduces herself as the style editor at Interview magazine and requests to “shoot” Carrie’s fabulous bag. The two make instant friends; Larissa doesn’t realize Carrie’s just a teen from a small town. On their way out of the store, the alarm goes off. Once safely outside, Larissa reveals that she stole a jumpsuit. Carrie’s intrigued by her and Larissa feels the same. Carrie decides not to share that she’s just a kid. Larissa invites Carrie to Odeon that night.

Back at the office, Carrie sneaks to call Mouse and share her interesting meeting with Larissa. Mouse shares that Sebastian called her house looking for Carrie’s number and tells Carrie that she must make it to the dance tonight to see Sebastian. Just then, a package arrives for Carrie. It’s a neon colored evening dress, from Larissa.

Meanwhile, Sebastian shows up to Carrie’s house. Her father answers the door. Tom informs Sebastian that he can find Carrie at the dance tonight. When Sebastian leaves, Tom recognizes him and is leery. Sebastian, catches Dorrit sneaking out of the house.

Turns out that Bitchy Barb can’t take Carrie to the train station. Carrie tells her not to worry, she’ll take a cab. In this moment, Carrie must decide if she’ll take the cab back home, or take a chance and hit Odeon with Larissa.

ACT FOUR. Carrie shows up, in her new dress at Odeon. Meanwhile at the dance, Donna cuts a rug and Walt drags a drunken Maggie out where they bump into Sebastian. Donna spots her target and immediately goes in. Carrie on the other hand is living the glamorous life, she’s drinking champagne with some of Manhattan’s IT people. The cool crowd is ready to move on to their next destination, a club. Carrie’s worry quickly dissipates when she learns that with this crowd she doesn’t need I.D. They get the velvet rope treatment and head straight into DANCETERIA. Carrie attempts to call home to no avail. Also being ignored is Mouse. She’s been calling her college aged boyfriend and he’s not answering. Carrie goes back to dancing and toasts with Larissa “to new friends”. Here she’s dancing with two hot guys, excited by the possibilities when suddenly the two guys begin to make out…With each other! Shocked Carrie shares with them that she’s never met anyone gay. The men laugh because someone around her is destined to be gay, they just don’t know it yet. Carrie realizes the time and races out, but not before she takes one more look at the exciting world that welcomed her with open arms.

It’s 11:42 and as a girl with a midnight curfew, Carrie races to her chariot. The train.

Walt holds Maggie’s hair outside the dance as she barfs her heart out. A YOUNG COP shows up to inspect it out, he notices it’s Maggie- the police chief’s daughter and lets it go. Just then Walt catches Donna coming out of Sebastian’s car.

Carrie walks home in bliss, in love with Manhattan when her high collapses when she spots cop cars in her driveway. She runs home to assure her father she hasn’t been abducted when he shares she’s not the one who’s missing. Carrie realizes its Dorrit and her fear turns to worry.

ACT FIVE. It’s 10 am and Tom and Carrie have been waiting all night for Dorrit to come home. She finally arrives, nonchalant and drunk. Relieved Tom grabs Dorrit and worships her with hugs and kisses, Carrie on the other hand demands an explanation. Dorrit reminds Carrie, “You’re not my mom!” That’s it. Carrie snaps. She’s hates having to be the “mom” but someone has to do it. She runs upstairs to her room.

Later. Now calm, Carrie lies out on her bed when Tom gently enters to talk. They share a moment in realizing that her mother is really gone. Then, Tom warns Carrie to stay away from that Sebastian kid, when she questions how he knows Sebastian, Tom informs her of his visit to the house. He then questions how she didn’t see him at the school dance. For the first time in her life, Carrie lies to her father and says that she was at the school dance, not Manhattan.

The lie changes her. Carrie heads to The Barn, where she spots Walt reading Interview magazine. He shuts the magazine, excited to see her. He wants details on the whole fabulous experience. She shares that it was so awesome that she’s grounded for life but asks Walt to cover for her lie to her father. No problem, he begs for more details. Carrie looks at Walt and for the first time she truly sees him: his love for fashion, his desire to leave the small town, she remembers the gay men she met… She wonders, if he knows about himself, what she finally knows.

The subject switches when Walt reveals that he saw Donna coming out of Sebastian’s car. Carrie questions, but Walt assures her that Sebastian is definitely into her, he just may not be worthy. Just like Maggie may not be worthy to him, which is why he won’t have sex with her. Carrie stops him confused; Maggie said that she wasn’t a virgin anymore. Who was she having sex with? Sebastian and Donna enter. Awkward! Carrie get’s up to leave. Sebastian chases behind her to assure her, Donna means nothing. Carrie knows. She’s not worried. At all. Sebastian watches her graceful exit. Donna watches Sebastian, watching Carrie.

When Carrie goes home, she finds a heartbroken Mouse. Carrie attempts to comfort her with possible excuses but they both know Mouse is being dumped.

Later. Carrie, Tom, and Dorrit go through their mother’s sacred closet. Ready to move on. Tom pulls out a dress, he offers it to Carrie, who offers it to Dorrit. They continue to pack away their mom.

Carrie’s voiceover wraps things up as she questions love, lies, identity. Mouse deals with her first heartbreak. Walt secretly reads Interview. Maggie has sex with the Young Cop who pulled her and Walt over the night before. Carrie takes a swim, to discover Sebastian when she comes up for air. He jumps in. The Jens watch, jealously.

After her dip, Tom gifts Carrie a journal. Her mother loved to write. And it’s here that we get a glimpse of the future Carrie Bradshaw we love strutting down a Manhattan street.

And in homage to true SATC fans, we see Carrie Bradshaw write for the first time through her bedroom window.

The End.

COMMENTS:

OVERALL: The Carrie Diaries is a solid script. No question about it. The characters are strong, the plot moves at a decent pace, and the linear structure is there. This script will be appreciated by the younger generation of Sex and the City fans (women 18-30) as well as gain new fans in their teens. Something to consider, period pieces can be expensive to make and younger generations may get lost in some of the references made by the characters, the technology, and possibly the 80’s music. The show has potential to ring in some big names in Hollywood as well as some fresh faced kids. There’s potential for cameos to be made by the original SATC cast in future episodes. Overall this has the potential to be a huge hit, but modernizing the time and setting may be the best way to go.

STRUCTURE/PLOT: The structure of the episode is fairly strong. Although the first act is a bit expositional, it is necessary to take time to set up the background and characters when writing a pilot. The script has a strong linear structure that brings the story full circle at the end. However I found the flashbacks a bit halt not moving the story forward and slowing down the pace. Besides the occasional stopping to review a flashback, the plot’ structure is solid with unique turning points and act breaks. The final scene of the episode, manages to close out this episodic story while being the inciting incident for the series. All in all, the structure is on point. CHARACTERS: Carrie Bradshaw, is still Carrie Bradshaw just a much less glamorized and sexualized version. She still loves fashion, and is a girls girl. Likeable, talented, and cute you cannot help but want to be her friend. Carrie is easily relatable to young women, and strong.

Tom Bradshaw is a well rounded character with potential for growth. There’s plenty of opportunity to play with his character and introduce him in a fish out of water scenario when it comes to being a single parent, dating, working, and more! He’s got depth and is likable but at times readers may feel irritated by his overwhelming sadness.

Sebastian is definitely the Mr. Big of this series. I see potential for him to be Carrie’s on again off again boyfriend and kryptonite. At this moment, Dorrit feels a bit flat and on sided. We can tell that she’s hurting, but there’s got to me more to her.

Walt is by far, next to Carrie the most interesting character on the series who has the potential for not only growth, opportunity, but longevity. He’s a character you don’t see often if at all in teenage television and he represents multiple generations of young gay men who had to hide from themselves in order to survive high school. Not only that he’s funny, loyal, and very likeable.

Mouse, reminds me of a more uptight Charlotte York, but she’s pretty well rounded. We know she’s super intelligent but even all her smarts cannot help her in matter of love. She’s also loyal which makes her likeable, and the fact that she’s sexually active can be a huge example for young girls.

Larissa is very interesting, charismatic, and eccentric. She’s an exciting character who is Manhattan. She’s vibrant, fun, neurotic, and maybe a little narcissistic but you love her.

Maggie just got interesting when we learn that she’s having an affair on Walt. She represents those girls who seek attention from all the wrong reasons. She has potential to be a dramatic character and to tell stories of real life lessons. She makes mistakes and that humanizes her. However, she’s not too likeable.

Donna LaDonna is funny. She represents the mean girl in high school who goes on to become the Manhattan Bergdorf socialite. Although she’s Carrie’s initial adversary, there is something genuine about her that she may be hiding. I think deep down she may really be a good person. I want to see what happens with her.

DIALOGUE: The dialogue, manages to be witty, mature, playful and true to the book’s characters. The young Carrie, although the content is much less risqué than the original series, HBO’s Sex and the City, manages to maintain the same voice as the Bradshaw character played by . However, being that the story takes place in 1984 some of the jargon and references may go over the younger viewer’s heads.

GRADE: Consider