O.K. so I've got a work-in-progress. Let me try something a little
different:
One of the things that I hate (and I mean hate) are scenes (in film or television) where living characters interact and get wisdom/guidance from the dearly departed ( like HBO's Six Feet Under). This is wrong. In reality, upon suffering a loss, the "best" that can happen to a survivor is to dream that the deceased is still alive -- but then wake to cold reality.
Hamlet is haunted by his father because vengence is needed. So to not offend my own rules for the dead, I propose a scenario where Indy -- already involved in his own storyline -- starts having dreams about his father. Notably, there is already a well-established place in the films for when Indiana Jones sleeps: Indy sleeps when he travels. In the dreams, Indy learns that his father has passed, is not at peace, and, as in Hamlet, that the death must be avenged. Indiana thus must deal with not just his own dilemma (in my story, the Bad-Sallah situation) but also investigating his father's demise.
Now here is where Hovitosking's and Palehorse's good and valuable input comes in. Indy has to both find where the father's remains are and then he has to figure out where Henry Senior has to be put-to-rest in order for the father to find peace. So unlike past films where Indy uses his skill to plunder, he must deconstruct what happened at some location(s) (the archeaolgist's search for remains) and figure out what to do with dad (a timely issue for a lot of Boomers whose parents are dying). One of the other themes I've talked about in the past is the repatriation of artifacts as both (i) the only real remaining issue in archeaology, and (ii) being the concept necessary to bring the Indy character full circle. Ideally, the burying of Henry would be tied with the repatriation of some not-necessarily mystical object (the resolution of the Bad-Sallah storyline). (And, as an aside, what if the villain, as in Hamlet, is someone who had ursurped Henry Senior's place at some time in the past? There is one notable figure in this respect. Any guesses?).
What I like is that the Henry-Senior-as-ghost character is activley integrated into the story in a way that links back to LC and in a role that is more than just setting the stage at the beginning of the adventure (a la Marcus Brody in RotLA). In other words, Henry Senior just won't be an old man giving some dry nuggets of wisdom. Importantly, "killing" Henry Senior also re-establishes Indy as a sole figure, a strong hero finishing unfinished business (insert reference to the appropriate Western film here). This is important because LC's greatest flaw is how much the Indy character falls into the father's shadow. But, I agree that the biggest strike against this approach is that this story is, in a certain extent, another search for Henry and therefore a lot like LC. I think the
differentiating factor is to have IJ caught up in some other intrigue and have the Henry storyline in the early part of the story being subservient. Eden is a heavy concept and is likely more than I want to pursue. But I'm open to suggestions. . . . . . .
At least I've gotten away from Indy having to tote his father's corpse
around. I can just imagine an airport scene: "And you'll be checking
how many bags sir?"
I've been kicking around an appropriate Indy IV since I first joined
the Raven. I realize now that my problem was rejecting LC instead of
embracing it. I now have a story that will -- to dramatic effect -- use elements from both Raiders and LC, ranging from Sallah's large family and home in Cairo, to the nagging issue of the consequences of Henry Senior having drunk from the cup-of-Christ. But most importantly, I've got the
larger story. For me (melodramatically), this is the equivalent of Indy putting his spade into the ground on top the Well of Souls. Which is not to say I'll write it. For years, I just wanted to come up with a story that worked for me -- and this is pretty much it.
Working Title?
Indiana Jones and The Raiders' Real Reward
