Feature - Sexy Comedic Drama
Written by Julie O’Hora
Based on the novella Extreme Close-Up by Julie Jaret
Selected for The Writers Lab supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman
LOGLINE
A divorced photographer whose confidence, career and sex life have dried up is forced to confront desire and self-worth when a forbidden younger man reappears in her life.
SYNOPSIS
Lisa Taylor desperately needs to reignite her passion for life. Her shit-paying job is boring her to death, she can't bear to look in the mirror, and she hasn't been with a man since her ex, Vance, left. Three years later, the bastard's still controlling Lisa's finances and her self-esteem is stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
Then one morning, a golden god unexpectedly shows up to mow her lawn. He turns out to be the son of Lisa's ex-BFF, Elena (now married to Vance). And he's no longer "Brady," the beautiful tween football star with an intellect nobody but Lisa has ever acknowledged. Braden's now 23, and unsure what to do with his life since an injury ended his football career before it began.
Over the course of the film, Lisa and Braden help each other become their favorite versions of themselves. But the journey is the thing. And Lisa’s journey involves getting emotionally and physically intimate with a beautiful young guy, speaking for the rest of us, saying, "Fuck you, world, we're not unloveable or invisible.”
That’s not just fun to watch. It’s empowering.
WHY NOW?
The market is primed for bold, taboo-breaking romance. Global phenomena like HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry and A24’s Babygirl prove audiences are hungry for authentic, provocative love stories that challenge conventions.
Extreme Close-Up will leverage this momentum, targeting the highly-engaged demographic of women over 35 with a story about reclaiming agency, sexuality and self-worth. By pairing sharp comedy with genuine emotional stakes, our film taps into a growing demand for narratives that confront age-based invisibility while remaining entertaining, sexy and deeply human.