Blue Eighteen – Drama
Logline: Banned from her daughter’s wedding and hell-bent on vengeance, the suicidal mother of the bride begs a meddlesome paraplegic to drive her from Seattle to Iowa to rescue the bride and murder her family of sexual predators.
PITCH:
Beautiful middle-aged BETH picks up the baby-tooth-necklace wedding gift for daughter, ALYSSA. Hours later, lonely wheelchair-bound apartment neighbor, ANDRE, irritated by a barking dog, discovers Beth in a pool of vomit from a suicide attempt. Andre inveigles himself into her life, learns the suicide attempt was prompted by her exclusion from Alyssa’s wedding and helps plan her lethal revenge.
SYNOPSIS
Act 1 Summary
An unlikely friendship develops between BETH and ANDRE over a suicide attempt. Vowing lethal vengeance on the sexually disturbed relatives who have stolen ALYSSA’S allegiance, Beth persuades Andre to drive her from Seattle to Iowa where the wedding will be held. They sing Elvis songs and exchange blunt, sometimes funny banter about shame, abuse, betrayal, and suicide methods: pills, gunshot, or train. They share the stories of their broken lives, how Andre’s son was conceived and killed, how Beth’s ex-husband inflicted emotional torture, and how her mother, RUTH, buried family skeletons.
Act 2 Summary
Beth reveals her grandfather, a prominent local pediatrician, sexually abused her as a child and Ruth allowed it because she craved his influence and wealth. Andre teaches Beth to shoot a gun. Day before the wedding they arrive in Iowa. Andre camps. Beth torches the grave of her grandfather. Returning early, she surprises Andre, discovers he can walk. She’s furious, suicidal, retreats to her motel. Later she’s awakened by a Facetime call. Andre stands on railroad tracks to commit suicide, go to hell, find and punish her grandfather. Tells her she doesn’t need to kill anyone; he’ll take care of it.
Act 3 Summary
Wedding day. Beth arrives at the church with a loaded gun, uncovers postcards Andre has written to his dead son, has an epiphany about family. She leaves the weapon, barges into the ceremony, admits her failures as a mother, but proclaims, unlike Ruth, she protected Alyssa from sexual abuse. Ruth goes apoplectic, calls Beth a liar. Beth’s cousin speaks up, affirms the grandfather abused him too. A member of the congregation also confirms. Ruth protests but Alyssa realizes the truth, has Ruth thrown out. Beth walks Alyssa down the aisle, discovers Andre is there. Afterward Beth and Alyssa have a moment of reconciliation, Ruth is confronted by an attorney and Andre and Beth realize their friendship is stronger than their personal demons.
Michael Meyers
WGA number: XXXX
PO Box 563
West Linn, OR 97068
503-636-4940
* “Recommend” - WeScreenplay
* “Consider” - WeScreenplay
* Quarterfinalist - Diverse Voices 2022
Coverage from WeScreenplay:
“…the reason movies exist!
Overall Impression: 100th percentile
“…a perfect cocktail of emotions.”
“…high stakes and a strong hook.”
“…absolutely dripping with charisma, originality and wit.”
“…the type of film to win awards for amazing performances.”
“…everything you want in a script.”
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