Tara's scripts have placed in several major competitions. Her feature-length script "The Awakening," an adaptation of Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening (1899), was a semifinalist in the 2006 WriteMovies screenwriting contest, a 2nd Rounder in the 2007 Austin Film Festival, and a quarterfinalist in the AAA contest, sponsored by Creative Screenwriting magazine.
"Positive Energy," a drama for an ensemble cast, was also a semifinalist in the 2006 WriteMovies contest and was a quarterfinalist in the 2005 Scriptapalooza contest.
Tara has also written several short-film scripts. One of them, a 17-minute drama called "Petty Crime," was produced in 2009. Other scripts include "Eco-Friendly," a mockumentary about the making of a pornographic science fiction film, and "Silence," an erotic horror script.
Historical drama, 110 pages
Based on the novel The Awakening (1899; public domain material), by Kate Chopin
Logline
A high-society New Orleans woman searches for identity outside of her marriage.
Brief synopsis
After a near-death experience, Edna Pontellier awakens to her desire to become a full person rather than a person defined solely by marriage and motherhood. Though Edna’s marriage of convenience and daily high-society life make Edna seek intellectual, sexual, and spiritual growth, she is forced to confront the powerful social norms of her time.
From the jacket of the 1998 edition Washington Square Press of Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening
When The Awakening was first published in 1899, critical outcry proved so vociferous that the novel was banished for decades. Now praised as a classic of early feminist literature, Kate Chopin’s last work rejects conventional female roles and celebrates a woman’s journey toward self-awareness. As Chopin’s heroine, Edna Pontellier, awakens to her own desires she begins to question her ideas about marriage, motherhood, society, art, and the nature of love itself. A milestone in American fiction, The Awakening is an unforgettably poignant novel of self-discovery that has inspired generations of readers.
Similar films
Portrait of a Lady (Campion, 1996), House of Mirth (Davies, 2000)
Drama/comedy for ensemble cast, 92 pages
Logline
Liv, a reincarnated student musician, touches the lives of four people whose personal journeys overlap.
Brief synopsis
Toni, one of Liv’s professors, is a cynical academic who teaches classes on pornographic film. Marianne, a nurse, struggles with her sexuality and inaction as she becomes attracted to Toni. In the hospital, Marianne takes care of Alex, a bicycle messenger, would-be filmmaker, and Liv’s suitor, after he slams into a car door during one of his deliveries. Ted, an emotionally disturbed debt collector, spends his free time stalking Liv. When Liv, Toni, Marianne, and Alex find themselves together in a hot tub, they can begin to confess their secrets, accept each other, and accept themselves.
Similar films
Magnolia (Anderson, 1999); Amores Perros (González Iñárritu, 2000); 13 Conversations about One Thing (Sprecher, 2001); I Heart Huckabees (Russell, 2004); Crash (Haggis, 2005); Happy Endings (Roos, 2005); Me and You and Everyone We Know (July, 2005)
A 17-minute drama directed by Mark Grant, Last Horizon Films, 2009
"Petty Crime" involves a troubled young woman who, after a fight with her mother and after getting fired from her job, resorts to stealing money. But an encounter with a homeless man changes her outlook.
15-minute mockumentary
A filmmaker wants to make a science-fiction porn film. She interviews potential actors for the film, pairs them up, and guides them through the initial rehearsal. In the process she waxes philosophical about psychology, filmmaking, and the science fiction genre.
15-minute erotic horror script
This story is told in three parts and follows the path of a painting that has the power to erotically possess the people unfortunate enough to own it. Each 5-minute section is a complete story, but together the sections tell a larger story.