Revised Post: How Spielberg Shapes My Writing Process

 

Spielberg on set of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in 1976

   The yearning of wonder from Roy Neary in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", the friendship and magic for Elliot in "E.T.", and the love-letter to creativity in "The Fablemans" - all connect to how filmmaking legend Steven Spielberg inspired me for this special project known as "The Whole Wide World". 

    You know how Spielberg sometimes tells his stories in a child's perspective? Much like he did in "E.T.?" Well, for this project, this will be told in a mouse's point-of-view - like "American Tail", "Great Mouse Detective", and "Capitol Critters". Everything's bigger, more of a challenge and yet, a little magical, too. 

   There is another aspect of Spielberg that I adapted into my project, and this is sort of my way of reaching out to teenage Spielberg's life... fractured families. 

  

   Remember in "Close Encounters" where Roy's obsession with the aliens went so out of hand, he made his wife and kids leave him forever? Then at the end, he joins the aliens in the mothership and leaves the universe? Well, in my story, the fractured family drama is still there, and there is a running away part... but unlike Richard Dreyfuss at the end of "Close Encounters", the hero returns home to his family. 

   Spielberg usually channels his own life to his stories. In this case, the teenage angst against his parents' divorce. Think of it as honesty, not melodrama. 

   Of course, it's not the "broken home" motif that inspired me. It's how Spielberg balances pain with wonder in all of his stories. And that's what I'm aiming for.

   "The Whole Wide World" isn’t a dark story, but it’s not afraid of emotional complexity either. The mice in Oak Gardens face real fears and real conflicts - but they also experience joy, discovery, and the thrill of exploring a world much bigger than themselves.

   I always loved how Spielberg treats childhood with respect, allow people to find wonder every day places, telling emotional stories with sincerity, and of course, balancing heartbreak with hope. And I hope those qualities shine through for this project. 

François Truffaut and Spielberg on set of "Close Encounters"