'Hardcore': Calabasas Senior Named Presidential Scholar For Screenplay

CALABASAS, CA — During the summer leading into her senior year at Viewpoint School, Madeleine Case's grandfather was diagnosed with brain cancer.

At the same time, Case's aunt was pregnant. Case and her family grappled with a heavy dichotomy, celebrating one new life while facing the loss of another.

Based on that, Case wrote a screenplay that summer, titled "Hardcore," that would win Case recognition as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, a title shared by only 19 other teenagers in the United States.

"There was this interesting loss of life [alongside] excitement for new life that emerged, and it was really complicated and hard to navigate, and that sort of inspired the story," she said. "I was also really sad, so I decided to be creative and do something with that."

Case, 18, is now a senior at Viewpoint School. "Hardcore" tells a dramatic love story that skews the viewer's sense of time. The story follows Sarah, a young photographer who falls in love with a drummer. Sarah finds herself "suspended between life, death and motherhood and is forced to make life-altering choices," Case said. The script was made into a movie in Case's film class this year.

She added: “It has sort of a complex story structure in that it takes place in the past and the present, and you sort of find out over the course of the film how the past led to the present and what happened to them," Case said.

Case was nominated to apply for the National Scholar title by YoungArts, an organization that hosts a competition for young artists in the United States to qualify for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts honor.

Case applied for YoungArts at her film teacher's suggestion. The award came as no surprise to Case's film teacher, Monica Hoenig.

“With her script, 'Hardcore,' Madeleine fuses a complicated story structure with a profound subject matter to create an emotional impact and start a conversation with her audience. It is no surprise that Madeleine is a U.S. Presidential Scholar Award recipient, she is a well-rounded person who excelled in the arts for years exhibiting maturity and talent,” Hoenig said in a news release from Viewpoint.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selected 20 15- to 18-year-old students for the award, representing a variety of artistic mediums, including writing, design arts, voice, visual arts and dance. Select YoungArts participants were evaluated for the honor in a weeklong competition.

Case was among only three California students recognized.

The honor would usually include a meet-and-greet with President Joe Biden; that was canceled this year because of COVID-19.

"Scholars are selected annually by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, based on academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and writing ability. Every year, thousands of candidates qualify for the program based on outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, and through nominations made by Chief State School Officers or YoungArts," YoungArts said on its website.

Case has always loved storytelling, she said.

"My dad’s a writer. He’s a playwright, and I spent a lot of my childhood going on road trips along the Southwest with him, so we had a lot of car time. We would fill the time by verbally telling stories and putting together narratives. … This is how both our brains operated, and we played into each other’s creative crazy."

Case is headed to Vassar College in the fall to study film and international development — a completely different creative outlet. But first, she'll travel Europe with her friends this summer.

"Hardcore" will premiere on Friday at Viewpoint School at 7 p.m. Watch the trailer for "Hardcore" here.