the movie SLAM

Hey everyone!

In this post I´ll tell you as an optional how I would turn SLAM into a movie. 

I´ve divided our novel SLAM into 9 basic topics which I would use as a guideline in the 

movie. All of them have to be mentioned in a way. There we go:

(1) Introduction                                        

The camera shows the streets of London and gets slowly closer to Sam and focuses on him.

Sam is out skating (maybe at the Bowl) and shows some tricks, and then he takes his skateboard and goes home. Sam´s way home and his home are shown. I would use the song “Heaven is a Halfpipe” by the American band OPM 

 I could imagine Merlin Rose (known because of Doktorspiele) as Sam because he looks pretty normal and has already played the roles of more or less stupid teenagers. He is basically the way I imagine Sam to be like.

(2) Development of Sam´s and Alicia´s relationship

Sam´s mum Annie asks Sam to go with him to the birthday party of Alicia´s mum. I would use the conversation of the book but in a short form. As already mentioned in one of my other posts, I could imagine Kate Winslet as Annie because she´s very good looking, seems still young (although she´s way older than Annie) and lovely (as far as I can tell).

When they´re at the party, Sam and Alicia first have their “argument” and then they talk again and go up to Alicia´s bedroom. To find a suitable actor for Alicia was really difficult because I don´t have a clear imagination of Alicia in front of my mind´s eye. I finally decided that I could imagine Lisa Vicari (also known because of Doktorspiele) as Alicia. She seems to fit and is around Alicia´s age.

They go out to grab a coffee and talk a lot. I would present only the really important things they talk about and show that they start a more or less serious relationship.

The scene when they go to Alicia´s and go up to her bedroom is really important. I would use the song “Amnesia” by the band Five Seconds of Summer (I love them!) for it.

The song is super sensitive and a bit sad. It is one of my favourite songs and I feel like it fits perfectly. Their conversation needs to be shown in detail and all the different feelings have to be shown too - the crying Alicia, the unsuspecting Sam …
After Sam comes back, I would only show how they kiss and start taking their clothes off. Then Alicia turns off the light.

The next part has to be just like an overview. It should show Sam and Alicia who are totally drunk of love in some different situations. For example at home in Alicia´s bedroom, out in the park or in the cinema. Therefore I would use the song “crazy in love” by Beyoncé.

Sam meeting Alicia after her text message “I need 2 c u urgent Axx” is also a important scene. I would show the text message, Sam´s reaction and their conversation but end the scene with Alicia going home and Sam running away. 

 

(3) First whizz into the future

I would start this scene with Sam laying in his bed, turn the screen black with the words “one year later” for some seconds and start the scene with Alicia, a crying Rufus and Sam in their bedroom. I would show the struggles Sam has with being a dad and his pregnant mum. I would leave out the part when he meets the other girl. I think that the song “Pillowtalk” by Zayn Malik would fit here. 

The dream should end with another black screen.

(4) Sam´s trip to Hastings

Sam tries to find a job in Hastings to earn some money, but nobody can help him. I would show the old man and the conversation with him at the mini golf place.
Then Sam goes directly to the hostel and meets Mr Brandy. This scene has to be really funny but I would only show how Sam starts to work for him and how he decides to go home. I could imagine Dieter Hallervorden (the grandpa in the movie “Honig im Kopf”) as Mr Brandy but he has to be really rude and always angry.

When Sam comes back home, the police car is in front of their house and a policewoman is inside. Annie should show her madness and her anger on Sam but the forgiving still has to come early.

I would leave out the part with the family counseling and the one with Sam hiding in front of Alicia´s house because I don´t like these parts so much. 

(5) Dealing with the pregnancy

Most important here are the parent´s reactions to Alicia´s pregnancy. I would show the scene as it is in the book. First they tell it Alicia´s parents and then they go over to Sam´s mum.
This part has to be really emotional – Alicia´s dad´s anger, her mum´s desperation and crying, Sam´s mum´s worries, crying and sarcastically reaction and his dad´s childish reaction have to be shown in detail. 

(6) Second whizz into the future

I would leave that part out because I think that two whizz´ into the future are enough and this scene shows only once again how inexperienced and kinda stupid Sam is. 

(7) Birth and the first weeks with the baby

I wouldn´t show the birth in detail because I don´t think that teenagers really want to see that. The scene should just start with a nurse giving Alicia her baby. The part with the argument of the grandmothers about the last name of the baby should be shown shortly, just because it is funny.

Therefore I would use the song “Spirits” by the band The Strumbellas.

 Firstly, because it is a really happy scene and people who watch the movie should start smiling when they see the happy young family. Secondly, because I feel like the song fits in a special way to the situation. “spirits in my head and they won´t go” - Sam and Alicia will never forget about that moment in their lives. They will always remember it.

(8) Update on the events that happened

I would create that part as another overview. Some important scene should be shown, but no conversations and nothing in detail. For example, Sam or Alicia in college, each of them one time with the baby, Sam´s mum Annie with the baby and both of them as real teen parents together with their baby. It should be a lovely scene which makes people smile. Therefore I would choose the song “Wherever you are” by the band Five Seconds of Summer.

 

(9) Third whizz into the future

This is going to be the last scene of the movie. I would turn the screen black and show the words “3 years later” for some seconds. Then I would show Sam and his girlfriend getting off the bus and meeting Alicia and her boyfriend. I would show their conversation so that everyone knows that everything is good at the end. I would use the song “Photograph” of Ed Sheeran here because it should be such a peaceful scene which makes the whole movie a completed, round thing. 

I would end the movie with the camera going up in the sky and showing the city from above, just as the first scene. 

The movie should be especially for teenagers and young adults. It´s probably going to be allowed for people of the age of 12 years and older.
It should be like a mixture of a romantic comedy and a real life story. The focus should be on the love story of Alicia and Sam, becoming teen parents and how especially Sam handles everything.

I hope that you have kind of the same imagination of a movie in front of your mind´s eye as I do. 

Love, Melanie