I need help with a story I'm developing?

Question

I'm developing a story for a movie I'm going to make this summer, I dont want to get into too much detail but basically a man lost some memory that he believes was from a car accident, and is taking a train to meet his wife for their anniversary, which they spend at a special tree, which is a recurring element, and on the train he has flashbacks of their first kiss by the tree, proposing to her by the tree, etc. When he gets to the tree he sees a coffin and a funeral set up and realizes that he wasn't in the car accident he thought had taken his memory, but his wife was and died, and he temporarily lost his memory because of post-traumatic stress. In the final scene he will put the present he was planning to give her for their anniversary (a "significant object" i have been calling it), on the coffin, and i want it to be something that relates to a memory they had by the special tree. I can't think of what the "significant object" should be. Anyone have any ideas?

Answer 1

Sounds like a sweet story, let me know when its completed =]

well a few people say leaves... i was gonna say that but then i decided not to cuz it sounds a lil cheesy

Instead i'm going to say some sort of gifts, like maybe the first bday gift the wife gave her hubby (while they are by that special tree?) or something they first worked on together or something like that

Answer 2

maybe a necklace of a tree? a locket with a picture? too practical?

maybe she wore something often like ribbons in her hair... and he tied  her ribbons on the tree i.e. yellow ribbons on trees are used as a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one... all depending on what emotions you want to leave up in the air at the end of your movie.

or an ornament they add to the tree like as if its christmas.

or carving of initials in the tree...

or did you want a more of a "nothing last forever" feeling... then maybe you can go with flowers or a bird in a cage... which will eventually too have to die in the future

idk those all may be too obvious. ill think about it haha

Answer 3

A leaf from the tree which they had kept between pages of a book.  Maybe a book of poems by Emily Dickensen (?).....who wrote "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree".........

Answer 4

I think it should be a little sapling (baby tree) to signify that in death there can be new life, and through his memories coming back the man is basically being reborn into the world he had forgotten. But I think he should plant in on her grave or something, to add to the dramatic effect and emotional effect. I was gonna say a leaf but that's way to cliche.