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Death Poem - Part 1

Once a priest, an elderly, suicidal WWI marine meets a serial womanizer on the steps of a cathedral and ends up revealing his role in the deaths of seven men because of his insatiable need to avenge the rape and murder of his beloved Red Cross Nurse.

Synopsis

My name is Richard McClements. I have no illusions. I am not a skilled screenwriter, but I have created a story that will make even the most hardened heart in the audience weep. One reviewer wrote, quote, “I imagine that there will not be a dry eye in the theater.” Unquote. Movies that touch people this way are rare. I would be delighted to send you a 203-page script for a mini-series or a 120-page script for a feature film.

The screenplay begins with an elderly man and an adulterer who both had recently had left the confessional. The old man intends to commit suicide that evening but ends up revealing the story of his life to the younger man which changes him forever. Death Poem is a historical saga of secrets, pain, and regret that spans WWI, Prohibition, and the Depression. The main character is Sean Devaney, a fine young man with morals, a strong Catholic background, and integrity, but he carries anger at injustices inflicted on him and those he loves, causing him to seek revenge at any price.

Following college graduation, Sean and three friends enlist in the Marine Corp and face brutal combat in the summer of 1918. As a Kirkus Indie independent review noted, quote, “Devaney, wounded in battle, begins A Farewell to Arms–style romance with a nurse named Lynn. However, this novel is a bit more complex than the classic war story it initially seems to be with a plot that is full of unexpected twists.” Unquote. Sean returns to action. When he finally gets leave, he learns that Lynn was raped, strangled, and tossed naked into a ditch? Sean swears that he will avenge her but has no idea who did it? Later, he finds out.

Sean’s thirst for revenge causes the needless death of his three best friends and the killing of Lynn’s four attackers, which he keeps secret. Overcome by guilt, he becomes a skid-row alcoholic. Eventually, Sean is healed by God’s promise of forgiveness and becomes a priest. The seven bodies are uncovered and more twists surface as a British inspector follows the clues to Sean with brilliant “Columbo type” detective work. A long standing debt forces Sean to relocate to rural NH where he falls in love with the masked woman, Addie.

We all have seen hundreds of movies and can’t remember anything about most of them. They didn’t touch our souls, and they didn’t inspire life changes. Death Poem is an emotional rollercoaster that delivers. I hope you will invest your heart in this inspirational script.

Thank you for your consideration.

Richard McClements rmcclements_pps@yahoo.com (617) 981-0458

Script Excerpt

Written by:

Richard McClements

Contact Author

Format:

Screenplay

Genres:

Drama Action-Adventure Historical

Budget:

Mid

In the Vein Of:

Farewell to Arms
The Limey

Posted:

07/20/2021

Updated:

07/20/2021

Author Bio:

I am a retired school superintendent who enjoys writing. In that role, I penned a weekly column entitled, "Superintendent's Chat" for distribution to all students, staff, and parents. My novel, Death Poem, and script came to be in in the fall of 1982. My former mother-in-law said to me, "Dick, you know so much about history, and you are so creative, you should write a book. That Christmas week, she was killed by a drunken driver. The following summer, I was driving to Maine with my wife for vacation when I thought of my mother-in-law's words, and in a flash, the characters and plot for my book came to me.

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Death Poem - Part 1

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