| This project report provides a synopsis, character descriptions, and brief structural analysis of Patricia Loughrey's original screenplay, When Juliet Smiles. The screenplay, set in rural Northern California in 1965, portrays the journey of a young lesbian as she discovers and ultimately embraces her attraction to girls. Written in the tradition of outsider coming-of-age films, the screenplay reflects the theories of Joseph Campbell in its structure. Referencing Campbell's description of the journey of the central hero found in myths worldwide, the author traces the arc of Sparky, the main character in the screenplay. The discovery of her attraction to girls launches Sparky out the world she has known and into a search for a place and an identity that feels authentic. Her journey, like that of the mythic traveler described by Campbell, changes both her and the world around her. |
