A young stand-up comic finds success in a man’s world by becoming one, much to the chagrin of her family and friends. Decades later, he mentors his first love’s Gen Z grandchild, who must deal with the rise of the same hatred and discrimination he faced generations earlier.
Set in 1970s Brooklyn, NY, the early 90’s Suburbia, and Atlanta, Georgia in our time, this fictional BioPic/Retrospective explores the evolution of gender identity and the reemergence of hate as a national political strategy. The film features the music of Pat Benatar, Hart, and Foreigner and an iconic 1977 black and gold Pontiac Trans Am Firebird.
ACT ONE
We’re in Brooklyn, NY, circa 1970, and an Atlanta Comedy Club in the present.
Roberta Mitchell, age 11, wants to be Burt Reynolds when she grows up. She stands up in her Catholic Middle School classroom, confesses to something she didn't do, and receives a brutal dose of corporal punishment. She and the actual offender, Maria Cortez, become close friends. They soon begin to grapple with feelings they are only beginning to understand and desires society will force them to deny.
Burt THE Freeman is a Reynolds look-a-like stand-up comic.
He’s fascinated by the power of words, what things are called, and how labels drive behaviors. Burt’s opening monologue sets up the story. In it, he introduces the idea that what we call one another can have deadly power.
This proves to be prophetic.
The tone is dramatic, comedic, and emotionally provocative.
ACT TWO
After High School, social and religious pressures keep Roberta and her first crush, Maria, from openly expressing their love. While they remain friends and help one another realize their dreams, the unrelenting pressures and their respective approaches to handling them force them apart. The split leaves each empty, lonely, bitter, and with much to regret. However, neither has the tools nor support to do anything about it. So, their lives continue to grow apart.
Burt secretly mentors Luna Cortez, Maria’s grandchild, an on-the-rise stand-up comic with immense potential and a fast-growing social media following.
The two disagree about almost everything, including what's funny, but especially politics. Their unyielding political positions threaten to drive them apart permanently. When Luna cannot decide whether coming out is a rising star's duty or pure folly, given the dangers of doing so in present-day America, Burt scolds her and tells her that she's missing the point entirely. The schism between the two widens, and the story heads inexorably toward a crisis. The characters must confront the need to afford others what they want, unconditional love and acceptance, lest their lives be defined by their pig-headedness and marked by their growing spiritual desolation.
ACT THREE
When all seems lost, a higher truth begins to restore their relationships.
They learn that love isn't about what you get but what you get to give.
The world, however, has yet to embrace that philosophy. Violence against "the other" runs rampant. Like an out-of-control blaze, HATE consumes the country. However, in their case, it has a name and a face—a stalker out for blood.
During a live television broadcast, an assassin fires at Luna.
Burt takes the bullet.
WRAP-UP
Death gives way to resurrection.
We leave the characters determined to fight the religious, socio-economic, and political leaders who use unlimited marketing budgets powered by AI and social media algorithms to pit us against one another and profit from the ensuing carnage.
Our heroes are now well-prepared to face that challenge together.
With a bit of help from the audience, they might even prevail.
TRANS AM
Who did you want to be?
A sequel or a spin-out series?
It’s certainly a possibility!
Copyright © 2023, 2024 INdieSPIRE - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy