A mother must win
A feature film in development
by writer director Catherine Craig
They only get one childhood
It shouldn't be this
logline
A mother living in a women’s shelter, battling a physically abusive husband and a broken support system, enlists the help of a special FX film crew to defend against his attacks and save her children.
synopsis
Cady Langton, a fiercely protective mother and talented camerawoman, finds herself at a crisis point when her abusive husband’s attacks cause her and her children, Prism and Parker, to flee to a women’s shelter.
Determined to give her children a safe childhood, but low on resources, Cady grabs the only helping hands she can find; the guys at a special FX film company. Can she get them to step out of their imaginary world to help her in her very real world?
two worlds
Cady and her children must navigate two unique and contrasting worlds.
The world of a domestic violence shelter, where women face the chilling reality of homicidal violence...
shelter
…not only from their abusers but from the abusers targeting the other women, and…
OddFX, a funky all-male special FX shop where Cady reluctantly takes a job to fulfill shelter work requirements.
OddFX
OddFX is a world of vivid imagination, where violence is carefully crafted as an illusion, in sharp contrast to the real-world brutality endured by the women at the shelter.
It is also a world of joyous creativity and unbridled imagination where every day men work to create something never seen before.
Exiting her situation wasn't the escape Cady thought it would be. Instead, she found a world indifferent, where people often didn't care, believe, or respect the experiences of battered women. Her belief in safety, hope, and compassion have been violently dismantled by trauma. Her imagination, once vibrant and hopeful, had been shattered, leaving her unable to envision a way out or a future. she needs to find clarity—the ability to think, to reorient herself to stay alive.
Prism and Parker desperately want to protect their mother. Fearing that talking to authorities will only escalate the situation, they remain silent. 'Daddy will get you,' they've learned from past experiences. They need people they can trust to act on their behalf.
The guys at OddFX need to step out of their imaginary worlds and into the real one.
Can Cady learn to blow up her past and trust the men around her?
Will Prism and Parker escape their troubled world and experience the magical, creative childhood their mother so desperately wants them to have?
characters
Cady Langton (30s) Intelligent, talented, guarded, protective of her children, self-sufficient, and not prone to suffer fools. In shock and shocked by the dilemma she finds herself in. Alienated from society—trying to reenter but wary of the cost. She is the best camera operator at OddFX.
cady langton
Barrett Jones, owner of OddFX, (50+) a brilliant man living an arrested childhood making special FX. Revered by a small world-wide following. He helps Cady get her foot in the door and becomes her mentor.
barrett jones
Prism Langton (8) A talented child whose abilities and welfare are overlooked with all that is going on. She tries to mediate between her mother and father and protect her younger brother. When it becomes too much, she escapes into dis-association by twirling. She wants help her with her science project.
prism langton
parker
langton
Parker Langton (6) keeps his vision and interest centered closely around him. Prism is his only constant as they shuttle between parents.
sergeant wu
Sergeant Wu (40s) real tired of seeing dead women. It's all life and death for her. She's lost touch with the nuances.
teisha ramos
Teisha (30s), befriends Cady and her children, guiding them through the challenges of shelter life. Her greatest love is Frida, her loyal dog.
yamiah and rocky
Rocky and Yamaha are two of the seven brilliant and talented men (a playful nod to the Seven Dwarves) who have traveled from diverse corners of the world to work under the guidance of Barrett Jones.
thena jones
Thena Jones (50+) Unlike Barrett, Thena, his wife is deeply grounded in the real world. She wants Barrett to step outside his curtained-off-world and into the real world before he loses his studio. She sees Cady as an opportunity to get him there.
screenplay recognition
"The strength of the narrative is its originality. This is a unique, singular story with a particular selection of elements which combine in a manner that has not been done in any other film. That is noteworthy and reflective of a writer with a voice and the courage to express it." The Black List
"The script deals with the issues of sexism, domestic violence, and self defense in very real and vivid ways that sends a powerful message, but it does it in an extremely cinematic way." The Black List
"This is a very strong concept for the Indy genre and it takes on a powerful female protagonist as well as a wide array of thought provoking and politically topical issues." The Black List
The Writers Lab · Stowe · Sundance
OddFX was selected for the prestigious The Writers Lab, sponsored by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, as well as the Stowe Narrative Screenwriting Retreat. Additionally, OddFX has been a finalist twice for the Sundance Screenwriting Lab.
tone
director's statement
This story explores the power of voice, the need for male responsibility, an examination of physical violence versus movie violence, and the importance of imagination, creativity, and joy. In the 1980s, I was one of the first women studied by the nascent UC Berkeley Center for Domestic Violence. They told me my journal was a gift to them, as it provided their first insight into the mind of a battered woman. The first book on domestic violence in the U.S., Battered Wives, wasn't published until 1976.
Giving them my journal taught me that the power of my voice can create change. My second key lesson came when I became the first female animation FX camerawoman at George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic and I learned everything is easier to accomplish when you're not being beaten."
Behind this independent film's quirks and emotional depth lie years of research, analysis, and interviews with women, therapists, and educators. Men talking to men can save lives.
The first book on domestic violence, Battered Wives, wasn’t published until 1976. Before that, references were rare—often dismissing women as masochistic in self-help books. In the 1980s, the University of California at Berkeley founded the Center for Domestic Violence, and I was one of their first patients. I disassociated during questioning, so I handed them my journal. They told me it was a gift—the first clear insight into a battered woman’s mind. Sharing my story taught me the power of finding and using my voice.
The second lesson I learned is that everything is easier when you aren’t getting beaten.
OddFX is not a biopic. Cady is a carefully crafted archetype designed for universal resonance, informed by years of research and interviews with women, therapists, and educators. Violence against women is preventable when men challenge harmful norms by promoting equality, modeling respect, and holding each other accountable. Peer education can shift social attitudes, reduce violence, and foster safer communities (White Ribbon, CDC, UN Women).
OddFX is a woman's journey, crafted to engage a male audience.
Please join us in this venture.
recommendations
"Catherine is a dedicated and talented artist with experience in all aspects of the film industry. As an archivist and part of the American Zoetrope family, Catherine preserved and worked with distributors for many of my films. Since that time, I have followed her career with great interest. She is a camerawoman, artist, and screenwriter. My hope is that she be given the opportunity to combine all those unique skills and create her vision for the big screen."
writer, director, producer
francis coppola
janet healy
"Catherine Craig and I have been friends and colleagues for many years. Her extensive filmography includes more than thirty five feature films, many of them the biggest blockbusters of their time. Catherine’s well respected professional talents range from fine arts painting to computer graphics wizardry, and she is also a highly regarded camerawoman and film archivist.
"In the past few years she has also found success as a screenwriter. Her partly autobiographical, award winning screenplay, OddFX showcases her creativity in a particularly poignant and original way. It is the quirky, fascinating journey of an independent woman who is determined to persevere for the sake of her children. The characterizations are rich and the setting hip. I look forward to witnessing Catherine Craig’s enormous artistry and filmmaking talent as t