Expanded Screenplay Profile For The Film Speedy Scandal
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Major Events PAGEREF _Toc376339615 h 1Plot Structure PAGEREF _Toc376339616 h 1Themes PAGEREF _Toc376339617 h 3Character PAGEREF _Toc376339618 h 4
Major EventsDirected by Kang Hyeong-Cheol, the Speedy Scandal is divided into two main acts. The first act shows the protagonist, Nam Hyeon-soo in the studio while the second act shows him in his home waiting for his girlfriend. However, his girlfriend never arrives and instead, his daughter and her son steals the show. Though the first act marks the meeting of Hyeon-soo and Jae-In, it is the second act that carries the most interesting and scandalous part of the film. The first major event is the point when Hyeon-soo encountered Jae-In message during his live call radio show. The other major event is marked by the point when Jae-In and her son, Ki-Dong knock at Hyeon-soo doorstep claiming that they have come home to reunite with their father and grandfather. Another notable event is when Ki-Dong’s father, Sang-Yeoun unknowingly meets Jae-In in a chat session. Other notable events include the time when Ki-Dong went missing during her mother’s stage singing events (IMDB, 2008). Actually, this event marks the turning point of Hyeon-soo life, as a liberal man who does not give so much of an emotional attachment with his daughter and grandson, to a man who is destined to stay close to his family and provide for its material and emotional needs.
Plot StructureNam Hyeon-soo, a former kid idol is under the illusion that he is still popular even though he is now in his thirties. Perhaps this illusion of popularity is created by the fact that he currently works as a DJ in a relatively popular radio station that also offers advice and support to listeners undergoing challenging life situations. Indeed the film storyline depicts the protagonist as a popular DJ capable of solving challenging life dilemmas. The first time to meet him is in the studio during a call in show, where he plays music and asks his listeners to send him problems they would like to him to help them solve. During these interactions with his listeners, he comes across a young single mother (22 years of age), Hwang Jeong-nam, who is seeking advice on how and if it is important for her to reunite with her father whom she did not get the opportunity to share her childhood days with. The interesting part is that though this woman sent her message when the protagonist had gone for a break, he still gets the opportunity to help her when he gets back. This is after instructing his assistant to sample the most appealing situations send by the listeners. He becomes apprehensive while reading the message sent by this young single mother (IMDB, 2008). The message shows that Jeong-nam has finally decided to meet her father with her son and perhaps start a new life.
As expected, the popular DJ advices and encourages the young single mother and her son to seek a reunion with her father, as a matter of urgency. Though he feels apprehensive he does not show any clues that he could be the actual father of this young single mother and the grandfather to her seven years old son. Actually, he signs off from work and later retires to his home without giving the incidence much thought. While at home, he decides to invite his girlfriend to visit her because apparently he feels that he has the responsibility to show some romance to her, his age and his past relationship status notwithstanding. To his shock, the lady who called to seek his advice while at work comes knocking. At first, he does not give them much thought because he reasoned that the lady, who is now accompanied by her young son (seven years of age), Ki-Dong, had knocked the wrong door (IMDB, 2008). When he gets the opportunity to talk to them, he discovers that the lady, Jeong-nam, is his daughter. He also found that the name Jeong-nam was actually that of her mother and that his daughter’s real name is Jae-In.
His doubting self forces him to go the DNA way to determine the actual parental relationship between him and Jae-In. The DNA results confirm that Jae-In is his actual daughter and he has no option but to accept her. However, this marks the beginning of a thrilling family encounter. Jae-In wants to carry on with her now bulging career as a stage singer, but Hyeon-soo is not happy about this because he fears such career will expose the family’s not-so-perfect past to the public. He actually reasons that his past life with Jeong-nam and now Jae-In and her son, Ki-Dong, may affect his popularity as a DJ who also offers advice about good living. Jae-In goes ahead with her stage singing career, nonetheless and Hyeon-soo goes back to his DJ duties at the radio station. At the same time, Ki-Dong father, Bak Sang-Yeoun, emerges after he met Jae-In in a chat session. At first Sang-Yeoun thinks that Hyeon-soo and Jae-In are in a relationship and although this come to pass, it portrays him (Sang-Yeoun) as a scandalous person. Actually, a real scandal happens when Ki-Dong disappears during one of Jae-In stage singing events. The temporal disappearance however serves as awakening call to Hyeon-soo, who now discovers that he indeed is connected to Jae-In and her son (IMDB, 2008). Ultimately Hyeon-soo is determined to redeem his dark past by relinquishing some of his DJ duties just to be close with his family, Jae-In and Ki-Dong.
ThemesTwo major themes emerge strongly in the film Speedy Scandal – the theme of scandal and the theme of comedy. It is scandalous for a man only in his thirties who considers himself not married to have a daughter who is 22 years of age and who has a seven year old boy. It is more scandalous because the father is not aware that his has a daughter or even a grandson. What more, the daughter does not even know the identity of her son’s father and they only get to meet in a chat session. The scandal is taken a notch higher by the fact that the father decides to keep his new family, a secret because he does not want to “ruin” his popularity as a DJ (IMDB, 2008). This strategy does not work because the daughter is a popular public figure too who earns a living out of stage singing. Scandals seem to be following the new family because soon after Jae-in meets the father of her son, the son goes missing during one of her stage singing events.
The theme of comedy marks the storyline of the film. From the beginning, the protagonist, Hyeon-soo is depicted as a thrilling person who has lived his entire life as an entertainer and a public figure. He was an idol in his kid age and somehow he has managed to keep up this stature by becoming a DJ. Amusingly, he also uses this position to connect further with his listeners by purporting to solve their life challenges. His encounter with his daughter and grandson is a comedy in itself, it is amusing and he coincidentally offers advice to her to meet his father yet he does not realize that he is the actual father. Jae-In stage singing career is a comedy in itself and her son, Ki-Dong takes the comedy further especially in his encounter with his grandfather, Hyeon-soo (IMDB, 2008). It is even more amusing when Hyeon-soo decides to relinquish some of his DJ duties just to spend more time with his grandson and daughter.
Character
Nam Hyun-soo whose actual name is Cha Tae Hyun is a former teen idol who now earns a living as a self-built DJ. The former kid idol is the most suitable candidate for the role of a protagonist. Although the story reveals some not so good details about his past, he comes across as being ready to face his past and make amends to it (IMDB, 2008). The other major character, Jae-In, the long lost daughter of the former DJ who calls his radio show in search of her father suits this role. She may not have a dark past like her farther but her past and present situations mean that she could be in direct confrontation with her father and even feel entitled to getting some help from him. For that reason, she might even use force or intimidation to get her way (IMDB, 2008). The other equally important character in the film, Ki-Dong is portrayed as a naïve and innocent kid who finds himself at the cross of scandalous and amusing relationship involving a “celebrity” family, a popular grandfather who earns a living as DJ and a mother who is a popular stage singer.
References
IMDB (2008). Speedy scandal. Internet Movie Database, [Online], available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1360795/ (Accessed September 13, 2013).
