Cole (2009) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A young man must weigh escape, romance, and creative ambition against the needs of his troubled family.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Town He Wants to Leave

Cole lives in Lytton and longs to escape his small-town existence. His dysfunctional family forms the background to that desire.

Key Events

• Life in Lytton — Cole lives in Lytton and feels confined by his small-town existence. Characters: Cole Location: Lytton
• Dysfunctional Family — Cole's family environment is presented as dysfunctional. Characters: Cole, Maybelline, Bobby Location: Lytton
• Escape Dream — Cole longs to escape his small-town existence. Characters: Cole Location: Lytton
• University Acceptance — Cole is accepted into a creative writing program in Vancouver. Characters: Cole Location: Lytton

A Door to Vancouver

Cole is accepted into a university creative writing program in Vancouver. The opportunity offers him a possible life beyond Lytton.

Key Events

• Leaving Lytton — The university opportunity gives Cole a path away from Lytton. Characters: Cole Location: Lytton
• Vancouver Arrival — Cole enters a new stage of life in Vancouver. Characters: Cole Location: Vancouver
• Creative Writing Program — Cole begins his university creative writing studies. Characters: Cole Location: Vancouver university

Love in a New City

In Vancouver, Cole begins his creative writing studies and starts a romance with Serafina. His new relationship deepens his attachment to his new life.

Key Events

• Meeting Serafina — Cole meets Serafina after arriving in Vancouver. Characters: Cole, Serafina Location: Vancouver
• Romance Begins — Cole and Serafina begin a romantic relationship. Characters: Cole, Serafina Location: Vancouver
• Maybelline's Marriage — Maybelline is identified as Bobby's wife within an abusive marriage. Characters: Maybelline, Bobby Location: Lytton

The Cost of Leaving

Back home, Maybelline remains in an abusive marriage with Bobby, while Cole's family and friends struggle without him. These pressures challenge the freedom Cole sought.

Key Events

• Abusive Home Pressure — Bobby's abuse contributes to the difficulties facing Cole's family at home. Characters: Maybelline, Bobby, Cole Location: Lytton
• Home Struggles — Cole's family and friends struggle to survive without his presence. Characters: Cole, Maybelline, Bobby Location: Lytton
• Divided Loyalties — Cole is pulled between his Vancouver life and his family back home. Characters: Cole, Serafina, Maybelline Location: Vancouver and Lytton

The Choice Before Cole

Cole is forced to weigh his Vancouver future and romance against the survival needs of his family back home. The film centers on this unresolved moral and emotional choice.

Key Events

• The Difficult Choice — Cole faces a difficult choice involving his future and his struggling family. Characters: Cole, Serafina, Maybelline, Bobby Location: Vancouver and Lytton
• Competing Futures — The central conflict remains Cole's choice between escape and family responsibility. Characters: Cole, Serafina, Maybelline Location: Vancouver and Lytton

Story Breakdown

• Lytton Origins — Cole's small-town background establishes his desire for a different life.
  • Small-Town Existence — Cole comes from Lytton and longs to escape its limitations.
  • Longing for Escape — His dissatisfaction motivates his pursuit of a future elsewhere.
• Family Strain — The family environment is dysfunctional and difficult to leave behind.
  • Troubled Household — Cole's family is described as dysfunctional.
  • Maybelline's Vulnerability — Maybelline faces difficulties within her abusive marriage to Bobby.
• University Opportunity — Acceptance into a Vancouver creative writing program gives Cole a possible escape route.
  • Creative Writing — Cole is accepted into a university creative writing program.
  • Vancouver Move — The program takes Cole away from Lytton and into a new environment.
• Vancouver Romance — Cole's new life includes a developing romance with Serafina.
  • Meeting Serafina — Cole meets Serafina after entering the Vancouver setting.
  • Romantic Attachment — Cole and Serafina begin a romance.
• Homeward Pressure — Cole's absence has consequences for the people who remain in Lytton.
  • Survival Struggles — Cole's friends and family struggle to survive without his presence.
  • Bobby's Abuse — Bobby's abusive behavior is part of Maybelline's home difficulties.
• The Central Choice — Cole must confront the conflict between personal freedom and family responsibility.
  • New Future — Vancouver offers Cole education, creative development, and romance.
  • Family Responsibility — The condition of his family makes leaving emotionally and practically difficult.

Directed by

Carl Bessai

Key Cast

• Kandyse McClure — Serafina
• Sonja Bennett — Maybelline
• Richard de Klerk — Cole
• Chad Willett — Bobby
• Stephen E. Miller — Professor Jackson