OK guys, so I'm going to go out on a limb with this one and see what you guys think. Praise is good, criticism is appreciated, but let me down easy where necessary.
The Poet's Tree is kind of a love story, but with a very unusual twist. It only has one lead and it is not about a traditional relationship. Here's the plot and main story idea.
Joel Hadley is a 32 year old stock broker who's made his money and is looking to settle down, get married and begin to enjoy life a little. He finds a cottage out in "the sticks" next to a rolling river and begins "living". He's not a proud man, but the city has made him a ruthless businessman and an even tougher human being. Enter Theresa, a 29 year old bombshell. A calm, smart, well connected small-town socialite with a keen ability to push people's buttons, Theresa sometimes pushes folks to the point of anger. Joel falls fast, hard and completely for the lady who makes fun of his "button-down" clothes, washed, waxed and polished BMW and his hair that never moves...even in medium gusts.
Joel begins building his future around making Theresa's dreams come true. An entire year of life treats them well. Theresa opens her art studio, Joel gets involved in small-town politics and they seem to have it all together...until They go to bed. The next morning Joel makes Theresa's breakfast, over-easy eggs, lightly buttered toast with no crusts and a small glass of lemonade...which Joel found a great deal of humor in. Theresa doesn't come out to greet Joel as usual and she doesn't respond to his joking taunts. Theresa doesn't awake. Joel never got to tell his bride-to-be how much he loved her, how much he loved being part of her life and how much she had made him realize that money wasn't where his heart was.
Joel takes up poetry. He begins writing page after page of poem after poem to his sweetheart. He sits every day unde the tree where they had hung a tire swing as a promise to each other of a future with children. He scribles out page after page of anger, love, confusion and heartache, mostly in the form of philisophical verses...but no one can share his grief. No one can shoulder the burden of being completely alone...and he is, all alone.
He begins to find comfort in talking to the tree. He tells the tree everything that he'd have told Theresa. He crys when he's in pain, he laughs when he experiences joy and he explains away life's problems with the tree being the benefactor of his conversation.
HERE'S THE TWIST.
Joel seems to finds that his love for Theresa is stronger than he ever knew. He begins to share his stories, his work and sadness, of grief. As the stories make their way to the city, Joel finds that he's spending more and more time away from his chosen home in order to tell the world of his love. He travels from NYC to LA to Seattle to Miami, just to promote his writings...to be seen and let his work speak for him. One night, after a particularly grueling radio show, Joel goes to sleep and dreams that he is with his Theresa. He holds her, he dances with her, he runs his fingers through her hair...and then he begins to share some of his poetry. As he reads, Theresa begins to read word-for-word with him. She is annunciating every word as it was written. Her reading is so powerful that it overtakes Joel's own words. He stops and begins to listen. He hears Theresa's words so clearly that it seems as though she's right there, that she's right in front of him. And she is....except Joel isn't there. Joel died 35 years ago, and the tree that he's been sharing his life with forever is shown to be his beloved Theresa. She was the one left behind...with a child, a dream, and a broken heart. Joel finally realizes the facts as Theresa prepares to leave this world. She tells her children that She's old and tired nad that She misses their father so. As she dies, we see Joel and Theresa sitting on a dock watching the Sun go down over a giant Oak tree. The Sun's light bleeds through the trees to reveal their unearthly glow and we fade to black.
So, sure it's off-the-wall, and yes, it's going to appeal a lot more to a female viewing audience...but it's got funding and a good shot at getting some following if I can find the right talent. It's aleady entered for a standard US literary copyright and I'm expecting to see some interesting rejection letters from the people I'd like to play the lead.
So, what do you think?
MM
The Poet's Tree is kind of a love story, but with a very unusual twist. It only has one lead and it is not about a traditional relationship. Here's the plot and main story idea.
Joel Hadley is a 32 year old stock broker who's made his money and is looking to settle down, get married and begin to enjoy life a little. He finds a cottage out in "the sticks" next to a rolling river and begins "living". He's not a proud man, but the city has made him a ruthless businessman and an even tougher human being. Enter Theresa, a 29 year old bombshell. A calm, smart, well connected small-town socialite with a keen ability to push people's buttons, Theresa sometimes pushes folks to the point of anger. Joel falls fast, hard and completely for the lady who makes fun of his "button-down" clothes, washed, waxed and polished BMW and his hair that never moves...even in medium gusts.
Joel begins building his future around making Theresa's dreams come true. An entire year of life treats them well. Theresa opens her art studio, Joel gets involved in small-town politics and they seem to have it all together...until They go to bed. The next morning Joel makes Theresa's breakfast, over-easy eggs, lightly buttered toast with no crusts and a small glass of lemonade...which Joel found a great deal of humor in. Theresa doesn't come out to greet Joel as usual and she doesn't respond to his joking taunts. Theresa doesn't awake. Joel never got to tell his bride-to-be how much he loved her, how much he loved being part of her life and how much she had made him realize that money wasn't where his heart was.
Joel takes up poetry. He begins writing page after page of poem after poem to his sweetheart. He sits every day unde the tree where they had hung a tire swing as a promise to each other of a future with children. He scribles out page after page of anger, love, confusion and heartache, mostly in the form of philisophical verses...but no one can share his grief. No one can shoulder the burden of being completely alone...and he is, all alone.
He begins to find comfort in talking to the tree. He tells the tree everything that he'd have told Theresa. He crys when he's in pain, he laughs when he experiences joy and he explains away life's problems with the tree being the benefactor of his conversation.
HERE'S THE TWIST.
Joel seems to finds that his love for Theresa is stronger than he ever knew. He begins to share his stories, his work and sadness, of grief. As the stories make their way to the city, Joel finds that he's spending more and more time away from his chosen home in order to tell the world of his love. He travels from NYC to LA to Seattle to Miami, just to promote his writings...to be seen and let his work speak for him. One night, after a particularly grueling radio show, Joel goes to sleep and dreams that he is with his Theresa. He holds her, he dances with her, he runs his fingers through her hair...and then he begins to share some of his poetry. As he reads, Theresa begins to read word-for-word with him. She is annunciating every word as it was written. Her reading is so powerful that it overtakes Joel's own words. He stops and begins to listen. He hears Theresa's words so clearly that it seems as though she's right there, that she's right in front of him. And she is....except Joel isn't there. Joel died 35 years ago, and the tree that he's been sharing his life with forever is shown to be his beloved Theresa. She was the one left behind...with a child, a dream, and a broken heart. Joel finally realizes the facts as Theresa prepares to leave this world. She tells her children that She's old and tired nad that She misses their father so. As she dies, we see Joel and Theresa sitting on a dock watching the Sun go down over a giant Oak tree. The Sun's light bleeds through the trees to reveal their unearthly glow and we fade to black.
So, sure it's off-the-wall, and yes, it's going to appeal a lot more to a female viewing audience...but it's got funding and a good shot at getting some following if I can find the right talent. It's aleady entered for a standard US literary copyright and I'm expecting to see some interesting rejection letters from the people I'd like to play the lead.
So, what do you think?
MM