Three long-time friends embark on a trip to New York in search of a high school friend that went reported as MIA during the Vietnam War. Led along by a cast of eccentric characters, the men endure a series of mishaps and are soon forced to spearhead a rescue effort to save a group of college students from the clutches of radical environmental activists. In the midst of their misadventure are lessons of self-discovery, the meaning of true friendship, and the fate of their long-lost friend.
PLOT
The story centers around three California men in their late fifties, friends since high school. They are Bobby Savage, Mark Kaufman, and Abe Drummond. A fourth friend during those high school years, Raymond Pacheco, was declared a casualty of the Vietnam War after being reported as missing-in-action.
One day while working a photo-shoot in New York City, Bobby mistakenly photographs a man entering a taxi. When the film is developed, Bobby realizes the man looks a lot like his departed friend Ray. Upon his return to California, Bobby shares the photograph with his wife and friends, but they are hardly convinced. Believing he must act on his gut feeling, Bobby decides to return to New York to find the mysterious man. It is something that is not like him, and his family and friends are concerned that Bobby may be suffering an emotional breakdown (especially since he has been troubled in recent weeks).
As the story continues, it is learned that Bobby has never felt that he measured up in life, especially compared to his friends who served in the military and were high school football heroes. As a person with asthma, Bobby had always felt sheltered and protected. Looking back, it was only Ray who treated him normally and Bobby has never forgotten it. Now, believing Ray is alive somehow, Bobby is determined to find out if it truly was his long lost friend––no matter the cost.
COMMENTARYby Ben Alirez
After completing the screenplay on Saint Nicholas and the novel that would eventually become Brothers in Arms, I decided to do a light-hearted, fun piece and settled on The Bulldogs, a screenplay on three life-long friends who go in search of a friend who has been missing since the Vietnam War.
The Bulldogs was easily the most enjoyable writing experience I had to date. It was simply fun to write from start to finish. Although I intended it as a Comedy/Action Adventure, I’m not so sure I succeeded in accomplishing the comedic aspect. Still, what it lacks in humor it hopefully makes up for in action and suspense.
In the motion picture industry, it is generally considered taboo to write a screenplay with specific actors in mind, but I did it anyway. For the self-described, under-achieving character of Bobby Savage, a man trying to find himself and generally lacking in self-confidence––I could envision no one other than Billy Crystal. He’s accompanied by two buddies in Tom Selleck as Mark Kaufman, and Danny Glover as Abe Drummond. Together they form the perfect foil for Billy Crystal, having been popular in high school and tough, rugged individuals in adulthood. The last actor I had in mind was Edward James Olmos as Sal Benavidez––a mysterious figure that may or may not be the person they are searching for. And in a cameo appearance as himself, the wrestling superstar Randy “Macho Man” Savage.
If you choose to read the screenplay, keep in mind that it is more challenging than a novel, though not impossible. Descriptions are few and the scene headings offer little in the way of detail. You’re left to use your imagination most of the time. If you’re interested, go to the Screenplay Structure web page in this same section and you will find some information to better help you understand the terms and overall structure of a typical screenplay.
