Mr. Darcy is shocked to discover that his livelihood is in the hands of his gun-toting, American half-sister, Josephine – who has just breezed into town. As chaos threatens the sleepy town of Meryton, the siblings must work together to save face, the family fortune, and a friend's fragile love affair...
"...exceptionally well-written..." (The Black List script evaluation, www.blcklst.com)
A look beyond the English classic.
IN WANT OF A WIFE is a wry and witty drama with an original plot that intersects Pride & Prejudice at key points in Jane Austen's narrative.
It is designed to work as a stand-alone story for those not familiar with the novel, but laced with witty references for those who are.
Dean Conrad's screenplay introduces new characters and develops familiar ones. It looks at favourite scenes from fresh perspectives, illuminates unwritten moments from the novel, and imagines Darcy's dramatic confrontations with the likes of George Wickham, Lady Catherine, and his feisty, American half-sister, Josephine Adams – in her own plot.
1811. When Darcy's American half-sister, Josephine Adams, arrives in England with important news, the proud, stoical Englishman wants nothing to do with her.
But war with the newly-independent United States is looming, placing the joint Adams/Darcy family estates under threat.
Darcy is now forced to work with his sister to save his country seat of Pemberley from American mercenaries.
Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, heads up a hunt for the Pemberley deeds, while Bingley rents a safe-house in Hertfordshire – where he soon falls for the local beauty...
...Meanwhile, Darcy's old nemesis, George Wickham, has acquired the Pemberley papers and threatens to strike a deal with the American mercenaries.
Darcy's task is now simple: find Wickham, recover the deeds, save Pemberley, negotiate with the British Prime Minister, evade Lady Catherine, resist killing his own sister, and rescue his friend Bingley from himself – and the perils of matrimony!
But things become complicated when Darcy himself begins to fall in love.
The Englishman tries to resist, but surely a single man in possession of a good fortune must be
in want of a wife...
The Black List independent script evaluation, www.blcklst.com
"This script does a fantastic job of delving into the world created by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice and giving it new life. The writer stays true to the overarching narrative and incorporates lines from the original text in a natural and fun way. The protagonist is given new life in this rendition, and his character is very artfully portrayed. He is given more depth and feels fully developed, a trait which was lacking in the original text. The writing is fantastic overall. The writer's voice is prevalent from start to finish and gives the script additional depth with its added color and flair. The dialogue is true to the times and setting of the story and feels natural, given the context. The narrative moves along at a satisfying clip that feels comparable to that of
its companion text. Additionally, the writing
manages to hit each key high-point with
textbook precision..."
For further information, a detailed synopsis and the complete screenplay, please contact Dean Conrad at www.deanconrad.com
Thank you for reading.