Story Lessons: Uncorked (2020)
How did a wine movie set in Memphis become a Netflix #1?
Uncorked tells the story of a young African American wine enthusiast who turns his back on the family BBQ business in Memphis to pursue his dream of becoming a master sommelier.
It’s an entertaining family drama that takes a realist approach and delivers something thoughtful and oftentimes beautiful.
The film’s writer/director, Prentice Penny, has previously worked on TV shows Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Insecure, but this is his first feature.
It hit the Netflix №1 spot in the US on its release on March 24th. How a Netflix #1 compares to the traditional metrics for success (ie. dollars) is still up for debate. Regardless, writer/director Prentice Penny believes the film’s surprise popularity signals an important shift in audience demand.
Talking to Cinema Blend, Penny explained, “there’s no studio begging for black father/son relationships that aren’t about basketball or rapping, or that are in the world of wine, with a black man bike riding through Paris. There’s not a lot of studios asking for that kind of movie. I think it just speaks to how people want to see more three-dimensional lives.”
Aspiring screenwriters and seasoned storytellers should rejoice at this idea. A…
