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 takes a job to fulfill shelter work requirements.
OddFX
OddFX
OddFX is a world of vivid imagination, where violence is a carefully crafted as an illusion, in sharp contrast to the real-world brutality endured by the women at the shelter.
Cady's imagination, an essential aspect of any person, has been shattered by trauma, leaving her unable to envision a future. Trapped in a situation she cannot comprehend, she becomes mentally paralyzed—dissociating into a blank, vulnerable state that turns into her Achilles' heel..
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
characters
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 (8) 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.
yamiah and rocky
Rocky and Yamiah (20s) are doing what the love to do. Every day they come to work to create something that has never been seen before.
Seven brilliant and hard working men work at OddFX. A nod to the seven dwarves.
thena jones
Thena Jones (50s, 60s) Unlike Barrett, Thena is deeply grounded in the real world. She knows Barrett like no other. She wants Barrett to step outside his curtained-off-world and into the real world before he loses his studio and faces retirement. She sees Cady as an opportunity to get him there.
screenlay recognition
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