There's something special -- at least to me -- about those screwball, over-the-top, situation-gone-from-bad-to-loony comedies of yesteryear. Snowed Under is no less effective than the classic greats.
Alan Tanner is a playwright with a rotten case of what we call writer's block. It's so bad that his play is set to begin practice in one week, but he still doesn't have a third act.
To that, let's add the screwball situations.
- He's seeing a new girl who won't leave him alone so he can write during his retreat to the country cottage.
- His producer sends his first ex-wife to help him finish the work like she did when they were married.
- His second ex-wife and her lawyer are arriving to either take his back alimony or, failing that, send him to jail until he does pay it.
- They're about to be snowed in together.
So, as you can predict, hijinks ensue. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say it's not a good day for our hero, Alan Tanner.
One of my favorite parts is when Alan tries to explain writer's block to his housekeeper, Mrs. Canterbury.
MRS. CANTERBURY: I figured you’d be coming up again sooner or later. Nice to see somebody in the old place again.ALAN: I thought, if I drove up here for even one night, I could crash through the wall . . .MRS. CANTERBURY: . . . crash through the wall . . !ALAN: Of my writer’s block. I just can’t seem to get any work done.MRS. CANTERBURY: Mmph. If Luke used that excuse in the barn, the work’d just keep piling up, anyway!
I love this way of looking at writer's block. It's something that only creatives seem to run into. I've often heard that plumbers don't get plumbers' block. Electricians don't get electricians' block. Middle managers don't get middle managers' block. Nor do marketing consultants don't get marketing consultant's block. They either work through any "funks" or they lose paying business opportunities.
