There’s been some talk of dreams
lately on the Internets which got me to thinking about mine. Y’all know my main
dream is to become a full time writer but what would my ultimate dream be? What
would just make me beyond happy and be fulfilling? I’m taking a chance sharing
this dream with you because I’m sure there’s going to be one person who roles
their eyes at me and goes “That’s stupid!” or “That’ll never happen!.” Well, we
all need to have dreams and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with have THE
dream. One that is rather out there and maybe attainable but chances are it’s a
longshot. So here it is. This is my ultimate dream –
I would be beyond ecstatic if
Chris Daughtry played the role of Ben in a movie (TV or theater) adaptation of
my published book Sunset Park.
There, I’ve said it. Make your
judgements. Snicker. Role your eyes but that’s my ultimate dream. I’ll be
honest but when I started writing Sunset
Park six years ago, I immediately thought of Chris playing one of the main
characters. From the first word I typed, I saw Chris as Ben. It’s a dramatic
role that would show quite the range that I believe Chris could handle. Here’s
how I describe the character of Ben –
“Beneath his attire of jean
jacket, black t-shirt, worn jeans, and black work boots, he was compact and
muscular. A high school wrestler, he had landed a job in construction in Panama
City Beach and the physical side of that vocation had done him good. Ben hadn’t
shaved in a day or two and it just added to his rugged handsomeness. He looked
very much like he did on that April night five years ago, even keeping the
shaved head to distinguish himself from his abusive father whom Ben looked
eerily, and sadly, like. The only true difference she saw in her cousin was in
his deep brown eyes. They used to sparkle and hint at his good nature and heart
but now, they were dull and pained, just like Laurie’s blue eyes.”
Sunset Park is the story of Ben and Laurie who were a couple for
many years – since high school – until Ben made the terrible choice to leave
Laurie, and Sunset Park, one night in April. Five years later he returns to
Sunset Park to try and make amends. (And you’ll just have to read the rest of
the book to figure out what happens. It’s available on Amazon.) It’s a story of
pride, a little stupidity, and the hope of love once again. (It’s not a
brassiere busting romance novel.) It was my first novel I ever finished and my
first book to be published. I’m proud of the book and I could see it make an
excellent movie. Can you see Chris in the following?
“He slipped off his long
sleeve t-shirt and caught site of the crooks of his arms. It was just over a
year since the last time he shot up but the scars were still there. Maybe not
as visible as Ben believed; he often covered them at his most pathetic moments.
The yearning for a hit was bad enough but seeing the scars often weakened him
to the point of wondering where he could score just enough to make the pain go
away.
Shame exploded within
Ben. To differentiate himself from his drunken father, Ben added heroin to his
arsenal. The crash from the brief euphoria deepened the guilt he tried to
eradicate and he would begin the vicious cycle all over again. Ben wished he
never took the needle when presented to him; the cravings for heroin were ten
times worse than the craving for Jack Daniels.”
Or how about this when things take a turn for the
worse?
“‘Where is he?” Marcus
asked Teddy who looked definitely unpriest-like in his torn jeans and faded
Sunset Park High sweatshirt.
‘In one of the basement
wells,’ he explained and led Marcus towards one of the brick wells found around
the basement windows. Most, but not all, were covered with barred gates. ‘I was
taking the garbage out and heard the sound of breaking glass. I figured it was
probably one of our homeless regulars. The last person I expected to find was
Ben. He’s pretty wasted and well, come see for yourself. He looks like hell.’
The recess that was below
a stained glass window in the basement wall went approximately three feet below
ground and was about five feet wide. Ben was hunkered down in the corner,
curled in upon himself like a cornered animal. His belt was wrapped around his
upper arm and he was trying to use a hypodermic needle but his hands were
shaking so bad, he couldn’t do it. Blood dripped from Ben’s dirty arm attesting
to several missed jabs. Marcus hopped down into the well and knelt next to his
best friend.
‘Ben,’ he said gently,
putting his hand on the shaking arm. ‘No more.’ It was actually easier than he
expected to take the needle from Ben’s hand. Teddy’s description of Ben’s
condition was spot-on. To say that Ben was very wasted was an understatement.
Not only did Marcus’s best friend smell, both of booze and filth, Marcus thought
his friend was on a quick path towards death.
‘Let’s get him inside,’
Teddy told Marcus. ‘I’ve already called Doc.’ Between the two of them, they
managed to get Ben out of the well and into Teddy’s quarters. Ben was in no
condition to put up a fight.
In the light of Teddy’s
bathroom, Marcus got a better look at his friend. Ben still wore the same
t-shirt and jeans that he had been wearing the night that they brought Laurie
to the hospital two weeks earlier. They were filthy. He had scratches that were
barely visible now that there was a matted beard covering his face and neck.
Ben’s head was no longer bald and his hair was longer than Marcus had seen in
several years. He recognized Ben, but at the same time he didn’t appear to be
the same man he had known his entire life.
‘Marcus…’ Ben slurred
heavily. ‘My fault… everything.’
‘For falling off the
wagon, yes,’ Marcus replied. ‘For Laurie’s break, no,’ he said kindly.”
Ben, just as with the other main character of
Laurie, is a damaged soul and I think it would be a challenge to play such a
character. It’s something I think Chris could do. If it were to ever happen, I
would be beyond words.
Dana
