The Champagne Bottle, Joshua's Project : Movies : Amazon Studios

The Champagne Bottle

A young man, Nick, is forced to confront his biggest fear, his own sexuality. Amidst the struggle to complete his thesis film, paranoia and overwhelming sexual pressure spiral Nick into a deep psychosis, with devastating consequences.

Project collaboration: By Permission

Full synopsis

Synopsis: Sexuality is a dangerous thing.

Nick is a student completing his Masters Degree in film production. Though clearly talented and dedicated, Nick lacks the raw passion - the liberation - to successfully execute his films. Somehow, he always manages to fall short in the eyes of his professor and fellow students.

Despite his best intentions, Nick is impaired by an ailment which he has kept secret. When Nick witnesses sexual acts, they immobilize him. They control him. When this happens, Nick's world falls into an overwhelming, nauseating slow motion in which the only cure is to vomit. It is this, Nick's fear of sexual liberation, that holds him back from achieving his true potential.

Nick is also, unfortunately, the pariah of his program. His lack-of-interest in drinking and partying label him as the "outcast," and Nick is the constant subject of bullying and torment. His only true friend is a fellow student - Myra - a wild party animal open to sexual experimentation.

When the harassment becomes too much for Nick to handle, he makes the most important decision of his life - to quit the program. But in the final moments before announcing his decision to his professor, Nick meets the new transfer student, Jason.

Jason is the polar-opposite of Nick; he's suave, charming and in complete control of his sexuality. And, for some reason, Jason chooses Nick as his new friend. The very act of being befriended deters Nick from leaving, and he returns to his commitment of making a feature film.

Though the friendship between Nick and Jason is an unlikely one, it blossoms over a period of months, but as Nick starts to become suspicious of Jason’s motives, the friendship begins to dissolve. Jason starts to put the moves on Nick – tries to get him into bed – but of course, Nick rebukes his attempts.

Amidst this conflict is the struggle for Nick to find time for Myra, who is less-than-pleased at being shoved aside. Frustrated with how Nick's time is being monopolized, Myra calls Nick out and, in a heated exchange of words, the two have a falling out.

Now with Myra out of the picture, Nick is able to fully devote himself to Jason, and when all the pressures in Nick's life become too much to handle, Nick gives in to his urges. Finally, Nick receives sexual liberation. And for the first time, Nick is able to overcome his impairment.

Having seemly conquered his biggest fear, Nick experiences a temporary surge in confidence. He gets his film back on track and everything starts to fall into place. However, this confidence is quickly dashed by a sex-tape that Jason secretly made of him and Nick. When Nick sees the tape, old habits return and Nick is back at square one. Refusing to be the old, weak Nick, however, Nick submits the sex tape in place of his rough-cut, leading to his unanticipated expulsion from the course.

Now, with nothing left to lose, Nick seeks revenge on Jason, leading to unfortunate consequences and numerous revelations.

Latest Work

Creative Notes:

Though this may be the third version of the script, this is the first version uploaded to Amazon Studios. Based on the feedback the writer received from the Bluecat Screenplay Competition and numerous re-reads, many changes and additions have been made. In this version, the complicated relationship between Nick and his fellow students is more developed and, ultimately, much stronger.