‘Stillwater’: Read The Screenplay For Tom McCarthy’s Long-In-The-Works Dramatic Thriller Starring Matt Damon

Fred Topel
·2 min read
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Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.

In Stillwater, a father’s tense relationship with his daughter is tested by unfathomable circumstances. Matt Damon stars as Bill, a man from Stillwater, OK who travels to France to visit his daughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin). While studying abroad, Allison was convicted of murdering her roommate, Lina. Allison was innocent, but an unforgiving French media contributed to her conviction. Bill stays in Marseilles while visiting Allison in prison.

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In France, Bill befriends Virginie (Camille Cottin) who helps him navigate the country and translate French into English for him. Bill becomes close with Virginie and her own daughter, perhaps seeking redemption for not being there for Allison when she needed him. On a furlough, Allison even sees a side of her father with Virginie’s daughter that she wishes he’d shown towards her.

McCarthy began writing the script in 2011 but was never satisfied with it, so went on to make Spotlight and produce 13 Reasons Why. Returning to the idea seven years later, he began a new draft with Marcus Hinchey, with the focus turning to Bill and the lengths to which he goes to find the real killer and vindicate his daughter. McCarthy enlisted Thomas Bidegain and Noé Debré to help contribute authenticity to the French portion of the story, which ultimately was filmed in Marseilles, with some scenes in Oklahoma.

“In terms of this particular movie, Thomas, Noé and I talked about allowing the story to go where it wanted to, to sort of push the audience in terms of an expectation again of a journey,” McCarthy said during a panel with Damon earlier this month at Deadline’s Contenders Film: New York event. “It’s not just a thriller, it’s not just a drama, it’s not just a love story. It changes lanes quite a bit, so we had to keep a lot of balls in the air.”

Stillwater premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival before opening in theaters via Focus Features on July 30.

Click below to read the full screenplay.

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