Feature Film

Title: Red Kite

Genre: Drama | Romance

 

This is low budget, high drama feature, which will be using local talent for the majority of the infront and behind camera talent. Tonally this will be similar to the grainy down to earth style of some of the UK’s classics like; Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth (1997), Mike Leighs Secrets & Lies (1996), Naked (1993), Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland (1999), Karel Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)

It will have a no holds barred looks at society we are currently living in and how a woman’s struggle to overcome societies prejudices to better herself emotionally and on a more materialistic level. Target audience is the art house 18-50 professionals range.

 

Premise:

One woman’s struggle to better her life

 

Log Line:

Joanne trying to improve her life after the death of her child and escaping her alcoholic husband. Can she overcome all the obstacles to better herself?

 

Elevator Pitch:

On the verge of success, a failed businesswoman student has a severe accident while teaching a yoga class. She must study while paralysed before losing everything financially and emotionally, to become a successful business guru and falls in love with a nurse.

 

Synopsis:

Joanne Patterson is an aspiring business lady, trying to learn her trade.

After breaking up with her husband and losing her home she needs money.

To fund her attendance to business class, she becomes a yoga instructor and builds a group of quirky friends from the class.

Nervous nerdy female best friend, gay exuberant male friend, slightly jaded wise friend, man hater after being divorced multiple times.

They all badger her to improve herself, stating she can always do better.

Disaster strikes when a car crashes into the yoga class hall and causes an accident, hitting Joanne and paralysing her. It is her ex-husband who was drink driving trying to cope with the anniversary of their child’s death five years ago. She almost dies from the injuries when travelling in the ambulance to Accident and Emergency with her best friend, who breaks down in tears thinking this is the last moment they have together.

Paralysed from the neck down, while in hospital she studies and reads, learning how to become a successful business lady, taking, taking online webinars etc.

The physiotherapist who is helping her recover is David and becomes a love interest. She recovers and becomes successful in yoga franchise and falls in love with David. Decides to run a small town yoga company in middle America [Iowa] after turning her back on the chance of a big successful franchise.

 

 

Beat Sheet:

 

1. Opening images (1)

Main character hoovering her perfect large beautiful lounge

 

2. Theme Started (5)

Unspoken tense of relationship due to the death of their young child, today is the anniversary of his death, going theme throughout feature in regards to the child’s favourite toy and hobby, a red kite.

 

3. Set-Up (1-10)

Hoovering in house, speeding time with husband i.e. To distant, control freak, OCD cleaner.

 

4. Catalyst (12)

Main character comes back from evening class to find the husband in bed with next door neighbour.

 

5. Debate (12-25)

Where to live, / emotional turmoil, need to get a job to survive.

 

6.  Break into Two (25)

Working in yoga class, in line for new job and life. Disaster strikes when drunk driver crashes into her as she is walking back from class. Hospital / paralysed from chest down.

 

7. B-Story (30)

David is introduced, helping to recuperate etc. as her nurse.

 

8. Fun and Games (30-55)

Chemistry building between main character and David. Coming in to see her more, taking her out into the hospital gardens, local area. Jokes and pranks with the wheelchair

 

9. Midpoint (55)

Complications with recovery + learning business books and trying and failing to fill out application forms for courses.

 

10. Bad guy close In (55-75)

The ex-husband comes back into her life to try and win back the main character. David and ex conflict about what is best (and whom is best) for her and fight.

 

11. All is lost (75)

David losses job at a tribunal because of the fight and affair with a patient.

 

12. Dark night of the Soul (75-85)

Gets depressed, thinks its all her fault, doesn’t want to carry on learning and dislikes bedside manner of her nurse - stern nurse with no emotion.

 

13. Break into three (85)

Decides to carry on and get the letter in the end from the college about the course. Finds out that best friend sent the application in without her knowing - she threw form into bin but friend plucked it out and sent with telling college of situation.

 

14. Finale (85-110)

Five years later – hoovering again to replicate opening scene., but reveals to show a plush business office. Gets successful job after course, starts a successful yoga company. Gets back with David. Gets offer to move abroad with job OR be with David. Gives it all up and move to small town to start a local community yoga class.

 

15 Final Image (110)

Rolling out yoga matt and starting a class, nice happy pull out from hall to show idyllic life. Shows the name of the new company, it is named Red Kite, in memory of her late child.

 

Cast Biographies:

 

Joanne

Having grown up in a suburb commuter town on the fringe of a large city, she has had an insular upbringing. Family projecting the nuclear family life style and forcing her to marry the first man she had a relationship with. Even since she has been harbouring a desire to expand her horizons but having her wings clipped by her downbeat husband. Being pregnant at a young age, which her spouse advised who improve her outlook in life, this spiraled into depression once their five-year-old died in a lake accident which she blames on her husband. Her life is starting to improve after stating evening classes in business school while also practicing her yoga classes.

 

Glynn

Having grown up in a large family environment where you are only heard by being the most aggressive both verbally and physically, he only knows how to communication in the most alpha male way. Once finding someone he can control from early on, he married out of convenience rather than any romantically emotions. He works in a macho environment of a Sales department for a large international pharmacological company where it is dog eat dog environment. They all work hard and play hard. Having his best friend from primary school George, working in the highest levels of the Police force has benefits when the playing gets out of hand. Thinking that having a child with his wife would improve his prospective of climbing the corporate ladder at work, disaster struck when he lost his young child in a local park when flirting with one of his mistresses. He hit the bottle hard, as he does not know how to communicate his feelings and thinks doing so is a sign of weakness.

 

Susie

Being a single child from an unhappy, broken family unit, her only solace came from her connection to her best friend Joanne. Even when relapsing back into drug addiction, borrowing money for her next guaranteed business adventure which never succeed. Joanne was always there to bail her out, or be a shoulder to cry one. Never one to find the best in people and always thinking that her best friend can do better with her our life than staying in a destructive relationship which will eventually bring her to an early funeral.

 

Maureen

Living in a small suburb always felt like she was a large fish in a small pond. Having to be the centre of attention for all occasions, she wants and needs the soulless love of any man to try and fill the gap left after her childhood crush deciding to choose the safe option and marry Joanne. Multiple marriages and as many children later, she still cannot replace the gaping hole left, and living close to Glynn is the only way she can handle the emptiness. The Stepford Wives lifestyle she leads is just a mask, on way to cover up the raw hatred she feels towards her neighbour and she will do anything possible to try and get her obsession back.

 

David

Growing up as single child of a loving family, but having to watch his Mother slowly die by Leukaemia. He went into the medical profession to give back to the society and help others who require it. Never to stand back on anything he is emotionally attached too.

 

George

Best friend of Glyn since Primary school, after a troubled childhood, he defied the norm and decided to join the police force. Has raised through the ranks with dedication and blackmail to reach Superintendent.

 

Jessie

Work colleague of Glynn at the pharmacological company, has been in love with him for five years but has never devolved her true feelings to him as she is too scared that Glyn will end their friendship.

 

Jack

Son of Maureen, still living at home while at college, has always been rumoured that Glyn might be his father.

 

Daniel

Son of Glyn and Joanne who died aged five in a local park, drowned in the lake while out with his father. He adored flying kites and his favourite was a beautifully ornate red one hand made by his father.

 

 

Script extract:

Please find below the opening scenes for the feature.