Suzanne M Begley
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Suzanne Begley Character Profiles Part 1
Protagonist/Dreamer: Molly Finn, American Irish goes on vacation to rural Ireland and falls in love with a farmer, they marry, and all is great until they struggle to raise their children in America during the video game revolution.
Antagonist/Dreamer turns to Authority: Seamus O’Connor, restless farmer, meets an American, falls in love and moves to America, but struggles to agree with his wife on how to raise his children with old fashion methods.
Supporting characters: Paul Tierney, Molly’s coworker who has been in love with her for years, Molly’s parents and siblings and friends, Seamus dad and brothers and friends. Molly’s boss. Their children: Liam (impulsive, class clown) and Fiona (straight A student that works not to disappoint her parents like her brother).
Minor roles: Molly’s boss (who urges her to go back to Ireland as he let his “random chance at love” get away). The couples’ neighbors, Seamus’ neighbors on the farm.
Background Characters: Wedding guests, funeral guests, soccer teams, vocal soccer moms
Genre: Drama
Molly:
Happy childhood, good career, always said she didn’t want a typical life, but as time passes does she start to have regrets, which are very destructive in her search for a fulfilling life.
Age Range: Late 20s – 60.
Internal Journey:
From single to married to motherhood and the ups and downs of a marriage that people whispered “would not last,” but they were determined to prove “them” wrong at all cost…was the cost too high?
External Journey:
Starts in mid 20s fit, tennis player, after children, gains weight, drinks Chardonnay, but then regroups and trains for a ½ marathon at age 60.
Motivation: Life the life you were meant to have, be happy.
Wound: She feels she has failed as a mother. “We are only as happy as our most unhappy child.” You worry about your kids until your last breath no matter how old you are and how old they are.
Mission/Agenda: Find a way to balance your happiness with or without your family.
Secret: Only the four of them know how bad it is, they are not a family, but the outside world thinks they are fine.
What makes them special? They took a risk that many people would be afraid to do and came up short, but you should still applaud them for trying.
Seamus:
Has no memory of his mother who died when he was three yrs. His father showed love to those who worked the hardest. Laziness is the enemy. He meets a fun spirited American, they fall in love and all goes well until they have a son that wants to play video games all day.
Age Range: Late 20s until 60.
Internal Journey:
He goes from living on a farm in Ireland and moves to NJ. He goes back to school, gets married, learns to drive on the other side of the road and becomes a father.
External Journey:
Ages, loses his hair, drinks IPAs and doesn’t laugh or smile as much
Motivation:
Raise hard working children that appreciate what they have been given
Wound:
Did not have a happy childhood, does not understand unconditional love, he can treat family like a neighbor that you have an argument with and stop talking to them
Mission/Agenda:
Convince Molly that we should abandon our son so he can grow up, ‘we gave him the best shot now he is on his own”
Secret:
He wishes his son was never born and he had two smart, well behaved daughters
What makes them special? He has so many good qualities, he is a hard worker, great to neighbors but he does not love his son and he thinks he doesn’t have to unless his son meets his expectations of success
What did I learn doing this assignment?
It is important to go on a journey with each of the characters on their own and not just push them into each other too soon. It is helping me really define the arc of the story.
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1990: My hero, Molly Finn, a 28 year old Executive in the up and coming Wireless cellphone industry meets a farmer, Seamus O’Connor, while on vacation in rural Ireland. He does not have a home phone. He moves to NJ, they marry and raise a family. The challenge of raising children with modern conveniences and American “my child should be happy at all times” tests their marriage repeatedly. Parenting differences rule the household.
Internal Journey: Molly goes from being happy go lucky to trying to raise children that appreciate their father and his background. Despite outward appearances, they are not a loving family, a loving couple, yes, a loving family, no. Does she keep trying to make that happen or give up and simply care less about all those around her?
External Journey:
She ages, the children grow up, she gains weight, gives up tennis, drinks Chardonnay. Then, decides to get healthy and train for a half marathon.
Old Ways:
Really Cares about everyone’s happiness.
Knows that everyone likes her because she is always cheerful and happy
Always does well, works hard to achieve success.
Won “Best Personality” in High School.
New Ways:
Still has lots of friends but has deep resentment that her immediate family does not even like each other, never mind love each other.
Maturing, learns that relationships are much more complex than most people let on
What I learned doing this exercise?
Its difficult to cover a long time frame in a story, should I pull back and shorten the time frame? Think about another screenplay for the rest of the story?
Important to try and stay on track with every detail adding to the quality of the finished product.
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Suzanne Begley
I agree to the terms of the release form.
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My name is Suzanne Begley and I am happy to be in the company with so many experienced writers, I am a total novice attempting to finish a screenplay I started ten years ago. My hope is to understand the mechanics better and complete the project.
Something unique….I married a man I met in a pub in Ireland. At the time, I worked at the headquarters for the largest Wireless provider and he did not have a phone in his house. We are married 29 years but there have been many ups and downs, can you guess what my screenplay is about?