An Obedient Wife
GENRE
ADVENTURE ROMANCE DRAMA HISTORICAL FICTION
Core Theme
FREEDOM
TIME PERIOD
Earlier 20th Century
COMPARABLE TITLES
ANNA KARENINA, BRIDGERTON
CHARACTER LIST
FELICITY (20S) OPEN-MINDED AND TENACIOUS
JUSTIN (30S) COURAGEOUS & ROM. INTEREST
OTIS (40S) AMBITIOUS & ANTAGONIST
COBB (40S) MEAN & OTIS' SIDEKICK
JOB (50S) GOOD-HEARTED & JUSTIN'S SIDEKICK
LIBBY (30S) MAID & HELPER
Logline
An edgy romantic drama between the young wife of a cruelly jealous man and a reckless traveling musician in early 20th century New England.
Genre
Adventure,Romance,Drama,Historical Fiction
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Universal,Female Leaning
Setting
New England
Based on a True Story
No
Starting Description
The young wife of a successful man in early 20th century New England, takes music lessons from a charming and irreverent troubadour. Her husband suspects infidelity and punishes her terribly. A romantic drama follows as the musician frees her and they flee for their lives.
Ending Description
The lovers are hunted down and captured. The troubadour is shot by the husband's hired hands. The wife is captured and returned but eventually she gets her revenge. The young man, whose loss she had mourned, shows up one day. He had lost a leg when he was shot, but now the lovers are reunited.
Pitch Adaptation
This is a complete feature script suitable for filming. Here's part of an evaluation from "The Black List" reviewer: Felicity is an AMAZING character, and her story is incredibly compelling. The script is wonderfully written, with high stakes, great plot development, and plenty of excitement. Women, especially, will fall in love with the story, and enjoy the journey that Felicity embarks on. Justin, as well, is extremely strong and empathetic, as he's the one man in Felicity's life who truly loves her for exactly who she is, and doesn't try to control her. It's a story about finding freedom and openness in both life and love, and ultimately Felicity finds it. Again, such a compelling story, that audiences will absolutely love. This is easily a big indie hit.
WGA Number
862-13452
Mature Audience Themes
Nudity
Plot - Other Elements
Happy Ending,Meaningful Message
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth,Voyage and Return
Main Character Details
Name: Felicity
Age: 25 - 32
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Faithful,Honorable,Romantic
Additional Character Details
Name: Justin
Age: 25-30
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Charming,Masculine,Outspoken,Romantic,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Otis
Age: 30 - 38
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Aggressive,Leader,Masculine,Unapologetic,Romantic
Additional Character Details
Name: Cobb
Age: 40-50
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Badass,Aggressive,Masculine,Villainous,Blunt,Unapologetic
Supplemental Materials
Information not completed
Genre
ROMANCE, DRAMA
Brief
Felicity is a free-spirited young woman who lives under the control of her older and tough husband. When Felicity decides to take music lessons, she finds a spirit as free as hers in her teacher. The jealous husband decides to act violently to separate them, but fate will make Felicity and Justin meet again.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: FAIR
Structure: GOOD
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
No. Felicity is the protagonist of the story, while Justin occupies the sentimental role, and Otis is the antagonist.
Draw of Story
Yes. From the beginning, we can see the unequal relationship between husband and wife, in which Otis controls Felicity and worries only about his own pleasure and wishes. From the first pages, we were able to understand their unhealthy relationship.
Possible Drawbacks
Not exactly. The script has a good pace and sequence of events that don't make the reader bored.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is this free-spirited woman imprisoned by a sexist husband when women had no right to do anything but serve. Felicity is an adorable and robust character who has a very noble dream: freedom and happiness. This goal is a good hook that makes us follow her story from the beginning.
Fanbase Potential
Fans of love stories with a strong woman as a protagonist and a feminist theme in the background would certainly be attracted to this story.
Awards Potential
The feminist imprint of the story, which shows how women were controlled and depreciated by their husbands and society in the past, can be a good foundation for awards.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THE SUFFRAGETTES: WOMEN FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS IN A SEXIST SOCIETY. LADY MACBETH: A TEENAGER MARRIED TO AN OLDER MAN IS PROHIBITED FROM LEAVING HER HOME. WHEN HER HUSBAND TRAVELS, SHE EXPERIENCES FREEDOM AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH A GUY.
What’s New About the Story
Felicity is sent to a sanatorium by her husband, who claims she has sexual hysteria only to keep her away from Justin. Although sanatoriums are commonplace in movies, merging a love story with the sanatorium setting and an exciting escape from that place makes the context more original.
Lead Characters
Felicity is a lovable character. Initially devoted to her husband, it is possible to analyze her arc being developed efficiently. She starts submissive and devoted and ends up realizing that there is a better life for her and that she deserves it. It's a visible, exciting and necessary character development for this woman suffocated by her husband. Otis seems too villainous, but since his actions are basically driven by jealousy and an insecurity that he tries to hide, everything becomes more believable.
Uniqueness of Story
It's not because we've seen other similar love stories. Otis's death could have been a little more exciting. Maybe Otis didn't have to die for Felicity to gain her independence and become an empowered woman. As necessary as his death sounds, it would be more interesting to see her overcome the tyranny of her husband when he was still alive.
Possible Formats
Film
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
It is an engaging love story with a strong, striking, and exciting protagonist. The theme linked to feminism brings even greater intensity to the story. We've been rooting for Felicity's freedom from page one when we see her being controlled by her husband. Society's prejudice is also present when we observe the priest, the judge, and other community members depreciating women and placing them in a level of objects owned by husbands. The environment created is attractive too. The author recreates that era well and makes Otis even more hateful when he puts him as an abusive boss who hires children for a dangerous and exhausting job. The fact that Otis can cowardly control horses but is unable to keep his wife away from Justin also presents an interesting analogy. She has a free spirit and was not born to be "tamed" by anyone. The protagonist's arc is well defined and correct according to this feminist theme. The protagonist is expected to finish her story free and empowered, and this is given to us. The story presents many external conflicts, with Otis' constant attempts to stop the new love story. However, internal conflicts could be a little more noticeable as well. Felicity is indeed a woman ahead of her time, but even so, she could present more doubts and dilemmas when getting involved with a new man, as at first, she seems to be a woman willing to make her marriage work. Obviously, the physical aggression suffered by her is a sufficient plot point to push her towards her destiny of freedom. Still, she could present a more visible internal conflict when being attacked by her husband.
Brief
When a young wife tastes freedom from her music instructor, she decides to leave her marriage - but her husband doesn't want to give up control. Now, the woman and the troubadour need to run for their lives and independence.
What We Liked
Historical romances always find their audience, especially when it involves a love triangle and forward-thinking. This exciting story follows two open-minded young adults in search of a more just world and true love. But, although idealistic, the story doesn't hold back in the obstacles they face to achieve the sought-after freedom. A happy ending gifts the audience with hope and satisfaction.
Set in the early 20th century, An Obedient Wife is an exciting love story seasoned with political and social idealism. It brings to the table discussions that are still important today, making it evident the need to change from the white patriarchy. The script has a clear structure and keeps the audience's attention from beginning to end. Furthermore, being it a period piece, there's a lot of room for a stunning production design.
Key points:
- Love triangle
- Courageous characters
- Relevant theme
- Satisfying ending
- Period piece
Synopsis
A young wife, used to being under her husband's control, gets smitten with the new church musician and decides to take music classes with him. His audacious attitude, Carpe Diem mentality, and forward-thinking mindset capture her interest, but it also makes her husband jealous, and he forbids her to continue the classes.
Determined to have agency in her own life, the wife defies her husband and goes after the troubadour, who is in love with her. He invites her to watch a free thinker speak, and she learns more about freedom for wives, workers, and everyone not in charge. The husband finds out about it and hits her - and has his men beat up the troubadour. Horrified, the wife asks for a divorce. Unwilling to lose her, the husband concocts a scheme to put the troubadour in jail and get the woman into an asylum.
When the troubadour finally leaves prison, he goes after the woman and saves her from the institution. The two escape town together to be with a few of his friends, other freethinkers. They fall in love.
The husband orders his meanest minion to go after them; he finds the two on a remote farm, shoots the musician, and kidnaps back his boss' wife.
Forced back home, the wife refuses to play the part of her husband's wife. When he buys a new automated vehicle and takes her for a ride, she manages to crash the car, and he dies in the accident.
In charge of his farm and mill, the wife decides to make fair changes in favor of her employees. One day, she learns the troubadour is still alive. She uses her husband's connections to rescue him from prison, and the two get back together.