Adventures in Screenwriting: Some Behind the Scenes Facts About 'Ronnie and the Pursuit of the Elusive Bliss'

My writer's credit! 

On February 9, 2020, Ronnie and the Pursuit of the Elusive Bliss made its debut as a YouTube short film. Since then, it has been viewed 1,257 times, which by YouTube standards is not impressive but still is gratifying for everyone involved. Of the three "shorts" that actor-director Juan Carlos Hernandez and I have collaborated on, Ronnie has had the most success, not just in the pageviews department but also as far as critical success is concerned.

On our film's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) page, we only have two critics' reviews, one by Meg Learner of PersonaPaper, the other by Denise Longrie, a poet, writer, and longtime reviewer who wrote for many years at the now-closed review site Epinions.

In her review, Ms. Longrie says this about the premise of a NYC family divided by politics in Trump-era America:

These people love each other. Despite their differences, they still care for one another. Jerry brings home treats for his folks, items that delight them. He’s greeted with, “How’s school? Are you eating enough?”

Hopefully, there will be a few more reviews in the future, but for now, the two we have will do.

"Would you like me to call Rescue?" 

The Inspiration

When Juan asked me for a script for our second collaboration (Clown 345 had not yet been added to my "to-do" list.), he said that this time around it could be longer than three minutes and 41 seconds, but that he would like to make a comedy rather than a drama. I accepted the challenge, even though I had not written a pure humor piece in a long time. 

This, of course, meant that for a few days I had no idea what to write about. Then, on the fourth day after Juan requested a new script, I hit upon the concept of commenting about the deep divisions in post-2016 America seen through the eyes of a middle-class New York City family.  When I pitched it to Juan, I described the story as "All in the Family in the 21st Century." 

The Budget

According to Juan, the total budget for Ronnie was "around" $100. This includes the very real (but very cheap) flank steaks that the film's embattled title character (played magnificently by Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez) burns in the movie.

"Here's your dinner...." Yes, there's real burned meat in that skillet!

So, yes. Juan and Adria burned that meat for real, and after the first shot of that skillet was finished, they froze the charred flank steaks in case a reshoot was needed.

My Mom is in the Picture

My mother, Beatriz Diaz-Granados, passed away on July 19, 2015, after a long and debilitating illness. Nevertheless, I wanted to honor her memory in some way. 

There are two photos of my mom, taken some 20 years apart, in this frame from Ronnie and the Pursuit of the Elusive Bliss. 

So, first I wrote a scene that explicitly mentions at least one photograph of Guillermo's late mother as part of the decor in the apartment that he and his wife Ronnie share in Manhattan. I asked Juan if he would mind using a photo of my mother. He said no, of course not, so I emailed him two JPEG files so he could choose one. As it turned out, he chose both of them and framed the shot so both were clearly visible at the same time.

The other favor I asked for was the inclusion of a full-on dedication to my mother after the end titles sequence. Juan said, "Sure. Just write what you want to put and I'll add it."

The dedication. 

The Musical Score

Ideally, if we'd had a larger budget than $100, we would have loved to hire a NYC-based composer/musician to either write an original score or at least arrange/perform covers of songs that fit the various situations (funny and dramatic). Alas, we didn't, so we went with songs and covers from YouTube. 

As I've written elsewhere, my original title for the film was Happy Days Are Here Again, and when Juan asked me for some suggestions for the music, I told him I wanted to use Milton Ager and Jack Yellen's eponymous song for the main titles. And for the longest time, I thought that this suggestion would stick. 

However, as the film evolved from first draft to shooting script, Ronnie's character became more prominent in the on-set rewrites, so Juan and Adria (who was also our producer and sound designer) nixed the original title. And when they scored the title sequence, they decided to go with Ray Charles' cover of America the Beautiful. 

Interestingly, even though I did not suggest that particular cover, Juan and Adria still took their cue from my original introductory scene in the first draft:

We see GUILLERMO RONDEROS, a middle-aged working-class stiff who is out for his daily constitutional.  He is dressed for the cold weather, with a heavy jacket and mittens, and a cap that covers his head  He doesn't just walk down Riverside Drive; he struts as if he owns the sidewalk...or Manhattan, or the City of New York itself.  He hums "America the Beautiful" with enthusiasm, not noticing (or caring) that he is a bit off-key.  

The other musical selection I wanted in Ronnie was Luis Aguile's Cuando sali de Cuba. I thought it was the ideal song for Guillermo; Juan's character's motivations are subtly underscored by this 1967 ballad. (I don't know which exact version is used in the film, but I wanted it to be instrumental, and that wish was also granted.)

The other songs used in Ronnie were:

• Mamãe Eu Quero, performed by Carmen Miranda
• Theme from Jaws, composed by John Williams
• Take Me Home, Country Roads (banjo and violin cover), Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver
• Incidental music from Looney Tunes

Cultural References

Ronnie is a product of its time, so naturally, the film reflects the culture as it exists in 2020 (or 2019, when it was written). Not surprisingly, because the film is a wry comment on the toxicity of American politics and its effects on the family, there are a lot of serious themes mentioned within, such as the traditional alliance between older Cuban-Americans and the Republican Party, conservatives' embrace of Trumpism and liberals' rejection of it, and the sadness that comes from family divisions caused by politics. 

But there are also quite a few lighter culturally-related references, such as the debate about the Star Wars Sequels' canonicity, the pervasiveness of ABC's The Bachelor franchise, and joys of being part of the "great American melting pot."

Satire, Not Caricature

When we were discussing how the actors should play their characters, one of the few set-in-stone principles I insisted on was that all three of our characters not only had to be true to their ideals, but they also had to be likable, even relatable. 

Considering that one of our characters is a Trump supporter,  this was the most important guideline that I mentioned to Juan, who not only had to direct the film and edit it, but he was also playing Guillermo, a caring and loving man who also happens to be a die-hard Trump fan. So when Juan asked, "How do you want me to play this guy?" my reply was: "Play him straight. Don't make him a cartoon version of a Trump supporter. Make him likable, believable. You know, play him as a real person." 

Apparently, this is exactly how Juan played Guillermo: as an honest, hard-working Cuban-American who loves his son, Jerry (Anthony Hernandez) and his American wife Veronica, aka "Ronnie," while at the same time sticking to his conservative ideals. 

Per Denise Longrie's review, the approach worked as planned. In her review, she writes: 

It’s fun to watch the family members interact with each other. There’s no malice. The different characters become angry and annoyed at each other. In less capable hands, their portrayals could have been cardboard clowns. However, even when they’re at their most ridiculous, these characters remain human beings with depth. (Emphasis added.)  

And as Meg Learner observes in PersonaPaper:

Most families will be able to relate to grown-up kids coming home, with great anticipation on all sides until the inevitable "discussion" rolls around. It may be politics, it may be something else but both sides are passionate about their beliefs, even though they love each other as family.