Houston Astros: Scripting the Movie: Three things you need to know
Cast of Characters
Top Bill Stars
In every film, there’s always a small portion of characters that always stand out. Some cases, it’s just one while in other cases, it’s five. But in our film, we should defer this down to at least two people: Jose Altuve and JJ Watt.
The 2017 SI Sportsperson of the Year recipients are really the heart and soul of not just their teams, but their city. They both come from different backgrounds and have had stories of being told they couldn’t do anything. Watt, who was booed by the Texans’ fans on draft day, represents the sheer force of calling to action. Altuve, who was told he couldn’t try out for the Houston Astros because of his height, represents the fuel to the fire lit up by Houston after the tragedy.
We have to make these two individuals stand out because they took the burden of providing Houstonians with hope and happiness during the time.
Secondary Stars
Of course, this film can’t be made based on two stars. There must be more. These stars must represent the ideal human personality with struggles and complexing issues while playing a game. These include…
George Springer
He conquered his troubles with stuttering and ends up being a World Series MVP.
Carlos Correa
He fights through injury to return and help his team while preparing to propose to the love of his life.
Alex Bregman
A young kid who grows up in the season to be the hero of the World Series.
Justin Verlander
A legend that comes to Houston via trade to win a World Series.
Dallas Keuchel
Everyone’s favorite bearded-man to pitching with who pitches with fearless determination.
Charlie Morton
This guy goes from injury-prone to the unsung hero of the postseason.
Josh Reddick, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran
Veterans who bring a different attitude to the club.
Marwin Gonzalez, Yuli Gurriel, Chris Devenski, Lance McCullers Jr. and so many more Houston Astros.
Then there’s…
A.J. Hinch
The manager who has to help guide his team to victory while enduring the toughest postseason run of his life.
Jim Crane, Jeff Luhnow, and Reid Ryan
They orchestrated this team from worst to first in a few years.
Other People
Ben Reiter
We can also include Ben Reiter, the reporter who predicted the World Series title for us in 2017 just three years prior.
Kate Upton
A definite yes to having her as long as she plays herself. But it was her version of “heck yeah” that allowed Justin Verlander to come to Houston.
Houstonians
But this movie should not be considered a true sports movie. It should include the struggles of Houstonians dealing with Hurricane Harvey in the process. We can include some fictional characters to represent people dealing with what goes on during Harvey. We have to use visualization to find actors and actresses and stuntpeople, who are willing to spend countless hours in water that is made to be a flood.
Perhaps the biggest Houston hero we can use is Jim McIngvale (aka. Mattress Mack). He used his Gallery Furniture stores as shelters for refugees during this time. Can you imagine a store owner willing to full lengths to sacrifice business for the safety of those in need of help? Mattress Mack’s story is a tale of how Houstonians stood out and decided to help out.
You see people rescuing others from a flooded truck or on a kayak. We’ve seen the image of a jet ski driver helping drive someone from their home as well as rescuers helping an elderly member from the recliner already in the floods.
The tricky part in all this is to create the visualization from the storm’s impact and the aftermath. It’s not going to be exactly what it was during those days in the storm. But, for dramatic purposes, people can understand how the people struggled for survival.
So, we have the people and characters. How do we tell the story?