Script Coverage Sample

 Story Analyst: Sydney Reynolds

Date: Feb. 17, 2021

When Lightning Strikes

By Anna Klassen

Logline: The dramatic life of J.K. Rowling and what inspired her to write the “Harry Potter” series.

Detailed Summary: Joanne Rowling is on the train and has an idea for a new book. A lightning bolt strikes, and suddenly she is desperate to find a pen and paper. She expands off of this idea throughout the next few years. She spends time with her family, including her parents and siblings. Her mother struggles with M.S. Joanne is close with her mother but has a distant relationship with her father. Joanne works for a company, Amnesty International, but gets fired because she is daydreaming too much. She returns home to her studio, which shows she is a struggling artist. Various situations in her house and in dreams begin to add to the world of Harry potter. Then, her mother dies, and she decides to move to Portugal to teach English and begin a new life. 

In Portugal, she meets a girl, Harriet, that resembles the character of Hermione. Joanne mostly works or stays in writing. She goes out with her roommates and meets Jorge, who becomes a love interest. They have a similar love for writing and literature. They go on a date and quickly fall in love. He proposes relatively fast too, and she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. It is revealed throughout this sequence that Jorge has a drinking problem. Joanne’s sister Dianne visits Portugal and recognizes that her sister is struggling. Joanne attempts to invite her father to her wedding and reconcile their relationship, but it’s revealed that he’s with another woman. She’s upset by this, as her mother has just recently died. Joanne soon gives birth to her daughter, Jessica. As Jessica grows up, Jorge becomes more absent and abuses alcohol. Jorge and Joanne fight, and he ends up physically assaulting her. She flees the country with baby Jessica and appears on Dianne’s doorstep.

It is throughout the last act that Joanne undergoes her lowest point. While she is still writing Harry Potter and being inspired, she can’t seem to find a stable job. She gets diagnosed with depression but cannot afford her medication. She also cannot receive much aid for Jessica either. Joanne still attempts to revive her relationship with her father, but they end up arguing over her deceased mother. Joanne moves out of Dianne’s house into a run-down apartment with her baby. She lives in constant fear that Jorge will find her. He surprises her by showing up on her doorstep and ends up assaulting her. Joanne is lucky enough to call the police, and she gets a restraining order against him. It is at this lowest point that she begins to officially write “Harry Potter” on a typewriter. Through a montage, we begin to see the growing success that pulls her out of poverty and into stardom. Her characters that she talked about so much are loved by millions.

Overall: This script can be compared to the film “On the Basis of Sex”. It tells the origin story of a powerful woman who faced many struggles in her young life, foreshadowing a dominant future. While the reader will feel a strong emotional attachment to Joanne, it deeply leans into classic cliches. Nothing feels surprising or new about this story. The flashbacks also do not entirely flow with the rest of the plot.

Strengths: The strength is Joanne’s story. Many artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and storytellers can relate to her. She comes from a struggling background and has relatable yet tragic problems in her life. It is a story of resilience, and the audience will get excited to see her succeed.

Plot: Already, people will feel invested in the plot because they are interested in “Harry Potter”. The character’s name is recognizable. While there is no surprises or twists — everyone knows that Joanne goes on to be a millionaire author — the plot ventures into her lowest moments and can tug at the heartstrings.

Characters: Joanne is the heart of the story and feels like a strong character, especially with the emotional connection the audience will most likely have with her and “Harry Potter”. Jorge is the most dynamic character, however, as he is introduced to the audience as a saving grace but becomes Joanne’s downfall. All other characters existed in the background; her sister was a lovely person to provide aid, and her father was cold.

Dialogue: While at times the dialogue felt a bit cliche, they flowed nicely, and nothing seemed unnatural.

Visual Elements: CGI or at least puppetry will be needed as Joanne hallucinates different visions relating to Harry Potter. Makeup and effects will also need to be employed.

Final notes: While the story of Joanne is told very well here, it won’t necessarily pull someone in. There was a montage at the end celebrating her success, but it may be better to relish in it a bit more. This movie is about her struggles, too, and it leaves out that “Harry Potter” was rejected 17 times by different publishers. Also, with this being a biography film, the script gets trapped in this style — nothing entirely new or exciting happens. 

I would have considered this film right after the final “Harry Potter” film was released, therefore continuing the hype Rowling generated, but after her controversy, I would pass on this script.