She lives in Ohio

Andrew Luft
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:46:22 PDT

Before the big screen, before an actor reads, before the assembly of a set, and before the word "film" is even uttered, a screenplay is written. The successful screenplay acts as a blueprint, or dramatic instructions, for a team of filmmakers. This screenplay may evolve over time, shrinking and expanding to fit the unique vision of a director or producer; as it should. The screenwriter's job is to write a story that is strong enough to withstand this trial period between page and screen. While the minute details may change, the story beating at the screenplay's center should survive, unphased. If the writer is in control, the screenplay will demand to someday be made into a film. She Lives in Ohio is a screenplay of the coming-of-age genre, part drama and part comedy. The story follows Jess, a typical LA teenager, as she navigates changes in both her family structure and her natural surroundings. Jess is torn from the comfort of her mother's side and shipped out east to Ohio, where she and her older brother will spend the summer with their eccentric Aunt Carrie. What begins as a colorful nightmare, soon turns into an exploration of Jess's roots that reveals more about her identity than she ever could have anticipated. In keeping with the coming-of-age genre, She Lives in Ohio depicts a pivotal moment in the protagonist's life as she is thrust out of her youth and into the reality of adulthood. However, unlike the classic coming-of-age narrative, the screenplay does not rely on internal monologue or voice-over. Rather, the story punctuates dialogue with manicured action, snippets of Midwest culture, and portraits of hobbyists and artists. Each character has her practice, her own way of integrating into her environment, which shows how she copes with her given position. This variety of themes serves to reflect the screenwriter's own fascination with the social roles that we both seek and are assigned.