Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, a dutiful wife marries an Army enlistee and dreams of a happy marriage, to discover that she can only find true love by thinking for herself and challenging the authority figures in her life—her husband, her family, and even
her government.

AWARDS:
Carole Wagener's screenplay, The Girl with the Dark Red Hair, is one of five semifinalists at the 2024 Glendale International Film Festival. The festival is held September 26-October 1 in Glendale, California.

The screenplay features three 1960s songs by Merrell Fankhauser and original music, including the theme song, "Girl with the Dark Red Hair" by her son, A.J. Nicholas. A.J. also helped design the movie poster for the main character, Carissa, using A.I. generation.

In June 2024, the feature-length drama, a fictional adaptation of her memoir, The Hardest Year: A Love Story in Letters During the Vietnam War, also qualified for the Reno-Tahoe Fellowship quarterfinals.

Carole credits her screenwriting teacher, Edward Pomerantz, and FilmFreeway.com for her successes.re!