A lazy but gifted high-school kid blackmails his adulterous parents and uses the money to start his own business, in an attempt to woo the girl of his dreams.

Hi Richiev, thanks for the comment.

I think the answer is if our characters were capable of doing everything at the beginning of the movie, then we wouldn’t really have a movie. If John McClane could tell his wife how he felt then we wouldn’t have Die Hard.

In this case he does make an attempt, but it’s lame and doesn’t work. He sees her with a rich guy with a nice car and (incorrectly) decides that’s what he needs to do to win her over. Of course later in the movie he also realizes that this is wrong and he should have just talked to her. I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there who will tell you asking a girl out on a date isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. For some it may be the hardest.

Also he doesn’t need to blackmail his parents, but they tell him to do something with his life and won’t give him the money he needs, then he catches them out and makes the most of the opportunity.

Hi Craig, thanks for the comment.

Yes, both parents without the other one knowing.

I was thinking of changing gifted but lazy – to brainy slacker. But I’m not sure if it’s any better.

And changing girl of his dreams to crush, or sweetheart. I don’t think I’ll give any more details on her as she doesn’t play that much of a role as a character. She’s just the treasure at the end. It’s more about him getting off his ass and doing something that makes him a better person.

And yes, Good Charlotte summed it up well. She goes with the rich guy with the nice car, so he believes that’s what he needs.

Hi Craig, thanks for the comment.

Yes, both parents without the other one knowing.

I was thinking of changing gifted but lazy ? to brainy slacker. But I?m not sure if it?s any better.

And changing girl of his dreams to crush, or sweetheart. I don?t think I?ll give any more details on her as she doesn?t play that much of a role as a character. She?s just the treasure at the end. It?s more about him getting off his ass and doing something that makes him a better person.

And yes, Good Charlotte summed it up well. She goes with the rich guy with the nice car, so he believes that?s what he needs.

You guys are both right. Because in reality the girl plays a minor part, it’s just adding her gives the story some direction.

In reality he NEEDS to stop being lazy and use his talents to do something with his life. He decides to start his own business, but needs start-up money.

The inciting incident is discovering his parents cheating. So he decides to use this to get that money (after asking them normally).

His goal is really to start his own business and make money, but that seems like a vague goal to put in a logline. So to say he’s doing it to impress a girl seems to add an endpoint. The reality of it is that it changes vastly during the movie, but that can’t all be included in the logline.

Do you guys think I should focus on the starting a business, rather than the girl?

Thanks Craig. Evil Ferris Bueller, I never thought of it like that but it’s perfect. Although Ferris was pretty evil in his own right.

Definitely a comedy (or at least dramedy). I think his growth is to stop being lazy, but that’s hard to include outside of saying he is lazy. I will try to reword it maybe.