Too true, but you must have that brilliant idea somewhere - like what you said in a comment near the top of the thread.

There are a lot of crappy screenplays out there (I have read a lot of them too) and I agree with you when you say that they have mostly all had good ideas behind them.

I would maybe write a couple of scenes and get a friend, an industry professional or us to have a read of your style and maybe we can give some constructive advice.

??Goofy Horace??

I find several holes in the premise. He's a high powered lawyer yet she was the breadwinner? Me thinks they'd be drowning in cash no matter how expensive her medical treatments were. Lawyers are gonna have medical plans and all sorts of coverage.

If you want her to be the breadwinner perhaps she was an MBA doing pretty well. He was an unpublished (and still unpublished) writer or something. That way it is easier to see him in dire straights as the whole thing goes on.

If you like Pulp Fiction add in a crime element to the story. Something like his landlord is being threatened by some local thugs because he called the cops on their dealing outside. Our smart but berieved hero figures he's got nothing to lose and sets about fixing things in some clever/original way using his brains or bringing the community together to make the entire area unhealthy territory for the criminals. Whichever fits with your theme and makes a better redemption. Perhaps he goes down one path to find he's becoming something he's uncomfortable with and then changes tactics to save his soul and the neighborhood.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA