Submission Samples from the Family Genre

Title: Apps

Logline: A dysfunctional family trapped in the Apps store learns to love again.

Synopsis: James has a crappy life. He's bullied in school, rejected by the girl of his dreams and to make his life really complete, has to take care of his younger sister. His parents should never have had kids and do their best to prove the point by never being around. James finds he can escape into the App store on his phone and have fantastic fun and adventures. The perfect escape especially because Ella, the beautiful girl he meets in the App store, has the hots for him. He decides to stay in the App store. Why not? The why not becomes apparent when Ella reveals her evil side, trapping James and his family in apps that will certainly kill them. Will James save himself and his family or die in the App world? Who is Ella and why does she need to kill them? Wouldn't you like to know?

Title: Pond Puckster

Logline: A spoiled city youth hockey star must leave his home and spend a winter with cousins on a rural Maine farm, where the only hockey is played on a pond.

Synopsis: Ten year-old Jason lives for hockey and has everything that a young star could ever want - the best equipment that money can buy, and a spot on the prestigious Junior Terriers. But months after the death of his father, Jason's dream season crashes to a halt when his mother tells him that they have no more money. Forced out of their wealthy suburban Boston home, Jason must move in with his stoic Uncle John, his wise and loving (and heavy) Aunt Susan, and his six rough-and-tumble cousins in northern Maine. The older boys scare Jason, working in the potato fields is awful, and being fifty miles from the nearest indoor rink, Jason can't even play organized hockey! The screenplay follows Jason through his winter in Glenville, where the only hockey is played on a pond. It chronicles the joys, sorrows, excitement and fun of that "most important time" of Jason's life. We see a young Acadian boy raised far from his roots learn more about family, life and hockey than he had ever dreamed.

Title: Shades of Bliss

Logline: When Santa loses his sunglasses, a jaded, narcissistic New York City divorced businessman finds them on Christmas. He sees the world through Santa's eyes and tries to reconcile with his kids.

Synopsis: After Santa delivers the wrong presents for some kids due to near-sightedness caused by manmade pollution, his elves create a pair of sunglasses for him. When his sleigh narrowly avoids a jetliner, Santa loses them. The sunglasses are found by a jaded, narcissistic New York City divorced businessman Owen Castor who has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Estranged from his family and friends and going through the motions again this holiday, Owen finds the glasses and sees charity and love all around him. He vows to repair all of his broken relationships, especially with his 13-year-old son Billy and 16-year-old daughter Delfina. But Owen's kids doubt his sincerity and his initial attempts at reconciliation fall flat. Meanwhile, Santa's elves track down the sunglasses and want them returned to Santa, but Owen refuses unless they agree to use their magic to help him regain the love and trust of his kids.

Title: Last Night Stand

Logline: An anguishing, middle class husband and father, puts his passionless marriage on the line for just one night- a night which will turn his and his family's ordinary life upside down!

Synopsis: In Last Night Stand, middle class husband and father, Rick Millwood, who desperately longs for attention from his harried, professional wife Kim, anguishes over the temptations of greener pastures. While he and his wife finally get away to a couples only resort for a weekend, Rick is offered the rewards of a discreet, one-night stand by a vacationing counterpart- risk free! The title takes its name from the end result- which finds Rick with no way out after his "one- night-only" mistress dies in his arms! Last Night Stand, which is so relevant to today's marital/relational society, is my first completed screenplay. Though I have written small circulation type items over the years, it was mostly for leisure. This screenplay is registered with the Writer's Guild West (Reg.#1118021-3/10/06). I thank you for your time and consideration.

Title: Bottom of the ninth

Logline: A bullheaded major league pitching prospect and his spirited wife separate after years of marriage. Their young boy, determined to get them back together, enlists the help of a ghost.

Synopsis: Cal Douglas throws a ball against a barn door as his mother, Rachel, and father, Ben, argue yet again about Ben's fledgling baseball career. Finally, she gives him an ultimatum. "Its either the game or us?" Ben chooses the game and is thrown out of the house. Ben stands, suitcase in hand, in front of Wright Field, home of the beloved Penciltown Ponies, contemplating his dismal future, when the team pours out of the locker room exclaiming that he's being sent up to the Chicago White Sox. Ben is ecstatic but Rachel is less than enthusiastic; after all, her husband just told her he would rather play baseball than continue with their relationship so she refuses to join him in Chicago. Ben becomes an instant sensation and adoring women throw themselves at his feet. Rachel dips her foot in the dating pool and becomes a sensation in Penciltown. Cal prays to the heavens above for help. His prayers are answered when Ben's recently deceased father returns to help repair the splintered family

Title: Peanut Butter Christmas

Logline: No one will ever forget the Christmas it was all about the peanut butter.

Synopsis: Friday Dec 24. Employees of Parthie's Peanut Butter factory await their usual yearly bonus. Retiring founder, William Parthie, feels his employees have lost their spirit. VP, E. Finch, pushed a merger on Parthie with the help of his lackeys, Frank, Judith and Tiddwell. Parthie informs the workers that their bonus is a jar of Parthie's Peanut Butter. Workers aren't happy. Many throw or give their jars away and some accept it in the spirit with which it is given. Finch gives his and his minion's peanut butter to a destitute man intentionally mocking him with this insincere gesture. On the 26th Parthie announces that the bonuses were in the peanut butter in the form of certificates that can be redeemed at the bank no questions asked. Those who threw their jars away search in vain. Finch, Judith, Frank and Tiddwell search the city for the bum with their jars. Whether by fate or by design, everyone gets what they deserve.

Title: Princess For A Day

Logline: A deserving girl wins a date with a prince. WGA#1188457 WGA#1152946

Synopsis: Jenny was a high achiever whose life was the picture of suburban bliss until age 15, when it was shattered by her father's untimely death. By 18, she remain quite accomplished as a 4.0 student whose academic achievements were exceeded only by her status on the tennis courts. She was on the fast track for a Stanford scholarship. Jenny went about her daily activities with seriousness, and in isolation, never noticing she had forgotten how to have fun. Then, a magazine contest arrived in the mail. One lucky girl would become "Princess For A Day." Jenny dismissed the contest as a product of adolescent fantasy. Yet, her mother knew it was exactly what Jenny needed. The contest would serve as a catalyst, instigating a chain reaction of events that would reunite old friends, and break Jenny out of her shell. This story is about more than winning a contest. It is about dreams, hopes, and two girls who learn about themselves, one another, and the true meaning of friendship.

Title: Birds of a Feather

Logline: Having a passion for the environment, a bodybuilder who thinks his marriage is perfect has to make a choice between loyalty to his wife or loyalty to their two children.

Synopsis: Leonard Henderson thinks that he has the perfect marriage. After marrying somebody with an undiagnosed mental illness, he is unprepared to deal with the realities that the person that he made a vow to for life has a personality disorder that makes her self-centered, egotistical, abusive, and exploitive of Leonard and their two children. Using the children as a pawn to get what she wants both monetarily and emotionally, it would appear that the wife in this story would get full custody of their two children on the basis that she is a stay at home mom with the father in this story working full time. However, she makes a stupid decision and crosses the line by putting the welfare of the two children in danger. The father ends up with full custody of his two children and the father and the two children move on to much better times.

Title: Lucy in London

Logline: A talented 12-year-old American girl wins the role of "Annie" in a professional London production without her mother's knowledge and must survive until opening night to prove her talent to her mother.

Synopsis: Talented and spunky Lucy O'Malley dreams of a life of stardom to escape two executive-level working parents who are never home and a mean teenage sister fed up playing the mom role. While accompanying their mother to London on a business trip, Lucy convinces her sister and English step-cousin to pose as her parents so she can audition for the role of "Annie" in the West End production. The show opens in six days and the young starlet just walked out leaving the production team in disarray. Lucy wows them and wins the role. For six action-packed and hilarious days, Lucy learns the role, pretends her sister and cousin are her parents, evades her mother, deals with the cast and crew (some friendly, some not) all to get her one chance to prove her talent to her mother. In a suspenseful yet meaningful ending, Lucy gets what she wants, but similar to "Orphan Annie," not in the way she expected. Top 13 Finalist, 2009 Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition.

Title: LadyBug Girl

Logline: A 12 year old girl is given superpowers by ladybugs. She foils evil doers, resolves a world crisis, etc. At middle age, she renounces her special powers, but is successful in real life.

Synopsis: Writers Guild of America East Screenplay Registration #122240. It is summer in an American countryside when preteen MANDY receives special powers from ladybugs. She experiences a series of dangerous episodes she helps resolve. As a young adult, she is a member of a local rescue squad. MANDY is then hired to solve a major natural catastrophe. At mid-age, she decides to give up her superpowers, and senses her innate womanly powers. She marries, & has children. Due to her combined successful adventures, she is appointed special international diplomat for the United Nations. * Five original song lyrics move along this family based entertainment.