My book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class has been optioned for a scripted feature film by Korchula Productions. Trouble

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2024-09-16 19:00:08

My book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class has been optioned for a scripted feature film by Korchula Productions.

Troubled covers my experiences growing up in foster homes in Los Angeles during the 1990s. It explores the tragedy, poverty, and violence that shaped my adolescent years, as well as the steps and missteps I took to escape the drama and disorder of my youth. These experiences led me to flee home as soon as I could at the age of 17, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, and culminated in my admission to Yale, where I discovered just how vast the social class divides in our country have grown.

The movie will be a narrative film (i.e., with actors, not a documentary). Courtney and Ted Balaker (the award-winning filmmakers behind Korchula Productions) believe Troubled is the kind of story that can entertain viewers and help nudge our national discussion in a more sensible direction. It’s also the kind of story that Hollywood is increasingly reluctant to tell. The Balaker’s production company is devoted to making important ideas entertaining.

Making any independent film is daunting, but given the entertainment industry’s cowardice and conformity, making a heterodox independent film is especially challenging. Ted wrote a long essay about the industry intolerance he and Courtney have faced. But the Balakers know how to bring heterodox films to mainstream audiences.