Their story told...
...using their music.
Fifty years, four protagonists, the TV show, the music, their relationships, their personal lives, and the fan who loved them...
Or Read...
WHAT IS THIS?
“To Clarksville and Back” is a treatment for a feature film that is a musical biopic about The Monkees told over the span of nearly 50 years. The story uses their music (a few hits, b-sides, deep cuts) to tell their story by utilizing musical sequences at key points to advance the plot or develop character.
*I know now what I didn't in 2014. I now realize what's important, when I didn't then. And so I've revised, removed and reordered. To anyone who read the original, please contact me. I'll send you a PDF with the revisions in red.
WHY ISN'T THIS BEING FILMED?
WHAT POSSESSED ME TO WRITE THIS?
This is a treatment for a feature film that will never, yes never be produced. Sad, I know. I won't go into the reasons why; it just won't, trust me. But if a musical biopic were to be produced, in a perfect world, it would be best based on this treatment, I humbly state. So think of this as a blueprint for a fantasy feature film about The Monkees.
Why is this on the Internet? This was a labor of love so, why shouldn't other people have the pleasure of reading it, and to discuss it. It also serves as an example of my ability to tell a complex, multi-protagonist story, told over 50 years.
Originally, when I thought this to be a doable project, I had in mind that 2017 would be the 50th anniversary of the year (1967) when Monkeemania was at its height. Plus there would be nostalgia for that magical year of Sgt. Pepper, Hendrix, the Summer of Love. But also the subject matter of a "boy band" would've been relevant to modern teenagers.
It began the day Davy Jones passed away. I hadn’t given the Monkees a thought in years. But like so many others I took refuge in the Internet where I rediscovered their music, plus heard music I never knew existed, while I reacquainted myself with their story, even learning tidbits I never knew.
And something odd happened. I would hear a piece of music and automatically see the images, the music inspiring the telling of their story. Their music narrated their story. Sometimes the music “said” the same as the images, other times it acted as a counterpoint, either way the images were enhanced.
This was a story that was just bursting out of me. I saw the setups and the payoffs, the themes and the motifs, and the character arcs that tie the story together. I could see the perfect ending. It was so, so cinematic, all of it.
I had to write it, especially after reading all the myths, the legends, the misconceptions and the just plain “wrongidies” that still abound.
Yes, I’ve seen “Daydream Believers”; that film delivered the corporate message, the one the "suits" tell. It disrespected their musical talents. And it treats Micky, Mike, Peter and Davy unfairly as people. For example, the Monkees were NOT the sole architects of their demise; there were many other factors and people involved. Where were those facts?
I believe this version of the story is closer to the truth, while it respects who they are as people, and their talent. Let me put it this way, if you think you know their story, then you probably don't.
A NOTE OF CAUTION
I'm a writer first, then a fan. So I've incorporated the personality clashes, the love, the respect, the contempt, the hugs, the slugs, and the betrayals. That’s right, I’ve included the untreated warts. (A major problem with many biopics; too much ointment.)
However, no one is the bad guy, just human with foibles. So in the end our Monkee men are all heroes, rest assured.
For story purposes, I had to inflate certain events and embellish specific personality traits. To properly dramatize this story for the screen and to keep it from becoming episodic I had to reorder some events, leave out many, make up scenes that never happened, put words into people’s mouths that they may not have said but I suspect were thinking. I had to become a detective; I had to make several educated guesses. They may be wildly wrong, I don’t know. I do know I was constantly asking myself, “Am I being fair?”
Keep in mind that without the dialogue it’s hard to express all the complexities and nuances of character. Many wonderful lines are rolling around in my head.
Here’s the deal: I only know what I know. Believe me, I’m well aware of the things I don’t know. But I'm also aware that there are facts that I don’t even know I don’t know. To say I have many questions is an understatement.
So, remember, what I wrote is not a documentary. A treatment is a blueprint for a screenplay, which is a story, and a story has to have meaning. In the end, it has to add up to something. I hope it has.
Yes, in case you're wondering, Sandra the fan, is roughly based on me.
Enjoy.
Karen Welsh
Visit me at my YouTube Channel, Monkee Mythbusters.