B.F.F.

When a moonshining would-be actor and his childhood B.F.F. decide to get married, their chaotic wedding becomes the battleground where revenge, political scandal, and community redemption collide — and a ruined town gets one last chance to rally around its own.

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Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

The screenplay's unique selling proposition is its authentic portrayal of working-class life in Flint, Michigan, combining regional specificity with universal themes of friendship and resilience. The unconventional central relationship between an older working-class man and younger privileged woman provides fresh perspective on redemption and personal growth, while the backdrop of economic decline adds social relevance rarely explored in mainstream cinema.

AI Verdict & Suggestions

Ratings are subjective. So you get different engines' ratings to compare.

Hover over verdict cards for Executive Summaries

GPT5
 Recommend
Gemini
 Consider
Grok
 Consider
Claude
 Recommend
DeepSeek
 Consider
Average Score: 7.3
Key Takeaways
For the Writer:
The script has a big, winning heart—memorable setpieces, a clear emotional throughline between Joe and Lacy, and a vivid Flint milieu—but it’s weighed down by tonal wobble and too many underresolved subplots. Your next draft should ruthlessly clarify the core throughline (Joe–Lacy–community), choose one or two supporting arcs to deepen (e.g., the shooting/investigation OR John’s political fall), and strip or fold remaining threads into that spine. Tighten tone (decide where the script is tender vs. broad comedy), make Lacy’s motivations and trauma chronological and earned, and either justify or remove the more miraculous payoff beats so the finale feels earned rather than convenient.
For Executives:
B.F.F. is commercially promising as a mid‑budget adult dramedy with strong local color, crowd-pleasing setpieces (the barn/wedding) and an emotionally resonant core—elements that can play well in festivals and specialty theatrical/streaming windows. Risks: the current draft’s tonal inconsistency, sprawling subplots (police/political threads, moonshining legalities), and deus‑ex resolutions create buyer hesitation and potential budget creep (stunts, large ensemble scenes, music rights/celebrity cameo). Recommended: green-light only after a focused rewrite that tightens stakes, reduces extraneous characters, and either fully commits to the satire/politics or excises it to protect the film’s emotional center and marketability.
Story Facts
Genres:
Drama 55% Romance 35% Comedy 25% Action 15% Crime 10% Thriller 10%

Setting: Present day, with flashbacks to a year earlier, Flint, Michigan, primarily in urban and rural settings, including a barn, a house, and various outdoor locations

Themes: Resilience and Hope in Adversity, The American Dream and Its Corruption, Personal Loss and Grief, Flawed Human Relationships and Redemption, Self-Discovery and Authenticity, Addiction and its Consequences, Justice and Injustice, The Power of Art and Performance

Conflict & Stakes: The main conflicts revolve around Joe's relationship with Lacy amidst familial and societal pressures, personal struggles with addiction, and the threat of violence from Bob and others, with stakes including personal safety, love, and the future of their dreams.

Mood: Bittersweet and introspective, with moments of humor and tension.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The juxtaposition of personal struggles against the backdrop of urban decay in Flint, Michigan.
  • Major Twist: The revelation of Joe's past as a teacher and the complexities of his relationship with Lacy.
  • Distinctive Setting: The use of Flint, Michigan, as a character in itself, representing socio-economic challenges.
  • Innovative Ideas: The integration of humor within serious themes, creating a balance that resonates with audiences.
  • Unique Characters: A diverse cast that reflects various aspects of society, from the struggling working class to the political elite.

Comparable Scripts: The Pursuit of Happyness, Good Will Hunting, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Florida Project, Lady Bird, The Wrestler, Manchester by the Sea, The Fault in Our Stars, The Blind Side

Data Says…
Feature in Alpha - Could have inaccuracies

Our stats model looked at how your scores work together and ranked the changes most likely to move your overall rating next draft. Ordered by the most reliable gains first.

1. Visual Impact (Script Level)
Big Impact Script Level
Your current Visual Impact (Script Level) score: 7.8
Typical rewrite gain: +0.45 in Visual Impact (Script Level)
Gets you ~4% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Confidence: High (based on ~2,813 similar revisions)
  • This is currently your highest-impact lever. Improving Visual Impact (Script Level) is most likely to move the overall rating next.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Visual Impact (Script Level) by about +0.45 in one rewrite.
  • Why it matters: At your level, improving this one area alone can cover a meaningful slice of the climb toward an "all Highly Recommends" script.
2. Theme (Script Level)
Big Impact Script Level
Your current Theme (Script Level) score: 8.0
Typical rewrite gain: +0.45 in Theme (Script Level)
Gets you ~4% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Confidence: High (based on ~3,490 similar revisions)
  • This is another meaningful lever. After you work on the higher-impact areas, this can still create a noticeable lift.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Theme (Script Level) by about +0.45 in one rewrite.
  • Why it matters: After you address the top item, gains here are still one of the levers that move you toward that "all Highly Recommends" zone.
3. Concept
Big Impact Scene Level
Your current Concept score: 8.1
Typical rewrite gain: +0.35 in Concept
Gets you ~3% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Confidence: High (based on ~4,150 similar revisions)
  • This is another meaningful lever. After you work on the higher-impact areas, this can still create a noticeable lift.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Concept by about +0.35 in one rewrite.
  • Why it matters: After you address the top item, gains here are still one of the levers that move you toward that "all Highly Recommends" zone.

Script Level Analysis

Writer Exec

This section delivers a top-level assessment of the screenplay’s strengths and weaknesses — covering overall quality (P/C/R/HR), character development, emotional impact, thematic depth, narrative inconsistencies, and the story’s core philosophical conflict. It helps identify what’s resonating, what needs refinement, and how the script aligns with professional standards.

Screenplay Insights

Breaks down your script along various categories.

Overall Score: 7.89
Key Suggestions:
Focus first on tightening the middle act and deepening secondary/antagonist characters (especially Bob) so emotional stakes feel earned. Consolidate or trim repetitive confrontations to create breathing room for quieter, introspective beats that reveal inner conflict. Give antagonists believable backstory moments and small, humane vulnerabilities rather than caricatured rage — shown through action and subtext, not exposition — so the wedding climax and Joe/Lacy arcs land with real weight.
Story Critique

Big-picture feedback on the story’s clarity, stakes, cohesion, and engagement.

Key Suggestions:
Tighten the story around the emotional core: Joe and Lacy’s relationship and Joe’s arc from passive dreamer to active self. Trim or combine secondary characters and side-plots that distract (many band/party threads, rehearse/garage beats, extra romances). Focus Act II on escalating emotional stakes and the consequences of characters’ choices rather than a sequence of chaotic set-pieces. Clarify John Gemm’s motive(s) and deepen the emotional fallout of violent incidents so the climax and reconciliation feel earned rather than theatrical crowd-pleasing.
Characters

Explores the depth, clarity, and arc of the main and supporting characters.

Key Suggestions:
The script’s emotional core is strong — Lacy and Joe carry a compelling blueprint of resilience and hope — but their arcs feel reactive in places and several supporting characters/readings skew toward caricature, which undercuts stakes. Prioritize tightening Lacy’s interior journey (make her change internally and proactively rather than only in response to external events), clarify Joe’s progression (use his mumbling/rocking as a purposeful motif that decreases as he gains agency), and give a few key supporting players (George, Bree, Bob) sharper, more specific vulnerabilities or consequences so their actions feel earned. Fix the melodramatic beats (notably the vomiting/overwrought breakup scene) by shifting some exposition into quieter, revealing moments (a focused flashback, a short therapy/one-on-one, or a private ritual) and redistribute emotional payoff so the wedding climax lands credibly rather than as tonal patchwork.
Emotional Analysis

Breaks down the emotional journey of the audience across the script.

Key Suggestions:
The script has powerful, raw emotional material and a deeply sympathetic lead, but the audience will likely feel emotionally exhausted by long stretches of high-intensity negative beats and several unearned character turnarounds. Rebalance the emotional arc: insert quieter 'breather' scenes after violent or chaotic peaks, plant earlier foreshadowing for major revelations (e.g., Lacy’s medical trauma), and give supporting characters (George, Linda, Hank, Bob) brief, humanizing moments so their later developments feel earned. Tighten the wedding/climax to prioritize Joe and Lacy’s emotional decision rather than spectacle, and spread smaller victories through the middle to keep hope alive and stakes credible.
Goals and Philosophical Conflict

Evaluates character motivations, obstacles, and sources of tension throughout the plot.

Key Suggestions:
The goals/philosophical analysis shows strong, clear arcs for Joe and Lacy but also a tendency to resolve deep conflicts too quickly and conveniently. Tighten the emotional logic: make the cost of choices higher, delay the community-wide reconciliation so the final payoff feels earned, and let character agency — not external plot conveniences — drive the climax. Clarify and integrate subplots (Joe’s acting, Lacy’s dance trauma/pregnancy, John’s politics) so they feed the central philosophical question (dreams vs. obligations) rather than crowding the script with competing resolutions or tonal swings.
Themes

Analysis of the themes of the screenplay and how well they’re expressed.

Key Suggestions:
The script has a powerful, emotionally rich core — a working-class love story set against a decaying Flint — and a clear central theme of resilience. To make that power land harder, tighten the narrative around one clear emotional throughline (Joe and Lacy), prune or consolidate episodic detours and characters that dilute momentum, and steady the tone (balance dark comedy, violence and sentiment so they support rather than jar). Make each scene either advance character arc or raise stakes; otherwise cut or repurpose it. Clarify Lacy’s pivotal choices (why she leaves, why she returns, why she ultimately pauses/reconciles) and Joe’s inner shift so their arcs feel earned rather than event-driven. Finally, streamline subplots (moonshine business, band, politics) so they echo the central theme instead of competing with it.
Logic & Inconsistencies

Highlights any contradictions, plot holes, or logic gaps that may confuse viewers.

Key Suggestions:
The script has a strong emotional core and vivid sense of place, but it currently undermines that core with uneven character behavior, late-stage revelations, and repetitive set-pieces. Tighten character arcs by planting motivations and trauma earlier (so actions like Lacy’s volatility or Joe’s sudden violence feel earned), consolidate redundant party scenes into two purposeful set pieces, and fix key plot logistics (who shot/attacked Joe, the robbery aftermath, the foreclosure/process server) so cause-and-effect is clear. Make major reversals (Linda’s sobriety, John’s surprise concert/fireworks) believable by adding small foreshadowing beats rather than relying on last-minute miracles. These changes will preserve the script’s emotional payoff while improving credibility and pacing.

Scene Analysis

All of your scenes analyzed individually and compared, so you can zero in on what to improve.

Scene-Level Percentile Chart
Hover over the graph to see more details about each score.
Go to Scene Analysis

Other Analyses

Writer Exec

This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.

Unique Voice

Assesses the distinctiveness and personality of the writer's voice.

Key Suggestions:
Your voice — raw, colloquial, and unflinching — is the screenplay’s greatest asset. Preserve that authenticity, but sharpen the storytelling: choose a clearer throughline (who changes and why), trim or consolidate repetitive set-pieces, and tighten pacing so the gritty dialogue lands with emotional payoff rather than fatigue. Keep the dark humor and moral ambiguity, but let quieter moments breathe to reveal character growth and make the big confrontations earned.
Writer's Craft

Analyzes the writing to help the writer be aware of their skill and improve.

Key Suggestions:
You have a strong foundation: vivid dialogue, a clear sense of place and tonal mix of dark humor and pathos, and many compelling scenes. The highest-leverage improvement is to deepen character interiority — give clearer, specific wants, fears and turning-point choices for your protagonist(s) so that scenes not only show action but reveal why each character acts. Do this by creating concise backstories, identifying each character’s single emotional spine, and reworking 3–5 pivotal scenes (inciting incident, midpoint, pre-climax, climax) so those beats force characters into meaningful, irreversible choices that reflect theme. Add subtext to dialogue and sprinkle tighter thematic callbacks (water, survival, redemption) through emotional decisions rather than exposition.
Memorable Lines
Spotlights standout dialogue lines with emotional or thematic power.
Tropes
Highlights common or genre-specific tropes found in the script.
World Building

Evaluates the depth, consistency, and immersion of the story's world.

Key Suggestions:
The world you built is rich and specific — Flint as a character, moonshine culture, and blue-collar music-drenched atmosphere give the script strong texture. That said, the script currently spreads emotional weight across too many plot threads, tonal shifts, and supporting characters which dilutes the core relationship and thematic payoff. Tighten the world so every location, cultural detail, and violent incident directly serves Joe and Lacy’s arc and the central themes (dreams vs. survival, self-truth). Reduce or consolidate characters, clarify motives (especially John, Al, and the town’s reaction), and decide on a dominant tone (gritty drama with occasional dark humor or crowd-pleasing dramedy) to avoid audience confusion and strengthen emotional resonance.
Correlations

Identifies patterns in scene scores.

Key Suggestions:
The analysis shows your script’s greatest strength is its high-emotion, confrontational scenes — these consistently drive character change and deliver the story’s most memorable moments. To sharpen the script, ensure those emotional peaks always have clear, causal consequences that advance plot and stakes; conversely, prune or rework reflective sequences that linger without moving the story. Use humor deliberately to puncture tension and deepen characterization, and give confrontational beats a single, specific catalyst so tension converts reliably into plot motion rather than atmosphere alone.
Loglines
Presents logline variations based on theme, genre, and hook.