Line #18 Film/Grayson


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grayson_9.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''While others will come to accept that [Batman's] crusade has come to an end, for Dick Grayson it begins again.'']]
3
4	''Grayson'' is a 2004 ShortFilm by director John Fiorella revolving around Dick Grayson, former protege to Franchise/{{Batman}}, who has apparently been murdered. To avenge him, husband and dad Grayson puts on his old tights, vest, and mask and dives into Gotham's underworld to find out who killed his former mentor. However, a litany of characters, from Chief O'Hara and throughout the DC Universe from Franchise/{{Superman}} to Franchise/GreenLantern[[note]]either Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner[[/note]] defy Grayson's attempts to uncover the truth.
5
6	The film is in the form of a [[RealTrailerFakeMovie trailer]] for a fictitious movie with the same name. There exists a full-length screenplay based on the trailer, though due to copyright issues it is [[{{Defictionalization}} never planned to be made]]. Despite a DC moratorium on fan films, Grayson is considered one of the best and most imaginative.
7
8	Here's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyfQ7RMOXs link]] to the trailer and you can find an interesting “behind the scenes” documentary [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBVoiHOJf0Q here]]. The original feature-length screenplay can be found [[https://www.batmanfanfilms.com/scripts/?fanscript=8 here]] and a revised draft [[https://thescriptsavant.com/movies/Grayson.pdf here]].
9
10	----
11	!!''Grayson'' provides examples of the following tropes:
12
13	* AdaptationalVillainy: Chief O'Hara is present as a CorruptCop, as opposed to an ally to Batman and Commissioner Gordon.
14	* AmbiguousSituation: Done deliberately thanks to the film taking the form of a trailer:
15	** There is a shot of Dick angsting while a Batman silhouette stands ominously in the background. Commentary acknowledges the mysterious nature of that shot and leaves it up in the air whether or not that's just a Batsuit on display, Batman is revealed to be [[FakingTheDead actually alive]], or Dick is hallucinating seeing him.
16	** The shot of Batgirl beating up criminals. As with the above, it's left to the viewer's interpretation whether or not this is just a flashback or if Barbara is joining her husband in returning to superheroics.
17	%%* BackInTheSaddle: Grayson.
18	%%* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Grayson.
19	* DarkerAndEdgier: By all accounts, this short film seems to be a grittier version of the [[Series/Batman1966 60s Batman TV Show]].
20	* DrivingQuestion: Who killed Batman? And why don't they want Grayson involved?
21	* EnsembleCast: or almost certainly would be, if Hollywood were to make such a movie, and pick actors to play the various superheroes and villains.
22	* FaceHeelTurn: Chief O'Hara. All is known is that he wants Robin "out of the equation".
23	* FanonDiscontinuity:[[invoked]] In the DC universe, Dick Grayson does go solo, but under the name ''Nightwing'', not as Robin. In this film, Grayson reprises his Robin alter ego. The director discusses this in the "behind the scenes" footage saying it was a deliberate decision as Robin is far better known than Nightwing by the general public outside of comic fans.
24	* GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger: O'Hara gives this to someone while also yelling at them.
25	* HappilyMarried: Dick and Barbara, until he put on the costume again.
26	* MaleGaze: Selina Kyle is introduced with a shot of her ass as she does a SupermodelStrut.
27	* MythologyGag:
28	** The fanfilm is ripe with references to the [[Series/Batman1966 60s Batman show]], right down to having Chief O'Hara as a major character.
29	** The Joker has long green fingernails, similar to his appearance in ''ComicBook/ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth''.
30	* NoodleIncident: Grayson seems to have a negative history with Superman, if the scene of Grayson knocking a comics shelf which includes a Superman comic is anything to go by.
31	* NoSell: Grayson tries to punch Superman, only for this reaction to happen.
32	* OffTheShelfFX: The Batman memorial statue was a figure painted gray and made to look large through forced perspective, the same technique was used for the shot where Superman lifts an armoured right car (a toy about a foot long in real life). The shot of the underside of the car was the directors own car on a car lift at a local body shop. Also, the body bag Batman is zipped up in was simply a garment bag and the bullets Grayson blocks with a metal plate are simple fireworks taped to a board and set off.
33	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Throughout the short, the Joker is as LaughingMad as ever. However, when taking aim at Chief O'Hara and the child he's holding, he's noticeably frowning.
34	* RealTrailerFakeMovie: of a literal sort: ''Grayson'' is the name of a long-form movie based on the trailer presented in (as) this film, which was never made.
35	* RetiredBadass: Barbara, the former Batgirl. When she learned Dick is putting on the suit, she took their daughter and left him until he stops.
36	* RevisedEnding: The original screenplay draft ended on an ambiguous 'what now' note as [[spoiler:Superman broke free from his brainwashing and no one was sure what to do next]]. The revised draft continued past it and had [[spoiler:Bethany adopted by Dick and Barbara, and Superman enlisting Robin's help against Darkseid]].
37	* SecretKeeper: Gordon and apparently O'Hara know Grayson is Robin. O'Hara may also know Clark is Superman and Grayson definitely does.
38	* SupermodelStrut: Selina walks up to Chief O'Hara while doing a deliberate, confident strut.
39	* SkywardScream: Wonder Woman, at the sight of Superman's body.
40	%%* {{Suburbia}}: Grayson's life at the time of the film.
41	* TakingTheBullet: Robin dives in front of O'Hara and a baby to shield them from getting shot by the Joker.
42	* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: The actor playing O'Hara's Irish accent is over broad in a couple of lines making him sound slightly comical.
43	* ZippingUpTheBodybag: [[spoiler: Batman]] at the start of the film.

Context Film / Grayson