CHRISTMAS MITZVAH
Marita welcomes many of her sons ' LGBTQ friends into her home, creating a new "family" of love and acceptance - especially for those who were rejected by their own families for declaring their true selves.
Next to join Marita's extended family is Cody. Only 17, he arrives to live at Marita's house in a circuituous way. His friend, Lee, was beaten mercilessly on the train. Afterwards, Cody's parents disown him for being gay. Lives intersect as Carlos comforts Cody at his friend's deathbed and Marita becomes his case worker. She places him in a foster home which he soon leaves to live on the streets.
Helping to search for the missing under-age Cody is Aponi, a transgendered Native American "two spirit" and friend of Marita. Aponi owns a small gift/coffee shop where Rachel and then Cody work. The group locates Cody who comes to live at Marita's house.
Tyree undergoes a transformation, leading him to have serious doubts about his sexual orientation, when he goes home for his father's funeral. There he is subjected to Biblical brainwashing, spearheaded by his siblings' pastor.
When Tyree returns home he breaks up with Pepper, his former love interest, changes jobs to work as a bookkeeper and becomes distant from Marita and the others.
With everyone at her home thriving and happy, Marita announces that she has a boyfriend, Tony, with whom she works. Cody asks Marita if one of his friends can move in and share the basement with him but this never happens. At home alone, Tyree attempts suicide, burning down Marita's house in the process.
With nowhere to live, the displaced ones must find other accommodations. Meeting with the insurance agent, Marita is told that her home insurance was not adequate to cover the cost of total replacement of her house. Only Rachel's blessing of a large inheritance from her grandmother on Christmas Eve assures a happy ending for Marita and her extended family.
Angelica Huston
Break out male role 20-30
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
La Cage aux Folles
Justine's other completed screenplays include "The Octopus Charmer"(which was also recognized as a top winner in the SkyFest I 2008 Script Competition, "Flashdrive", "Janie Loves Bollywood" (SkyFest III Honorable le Mention winner) and Me and Jackie (SkyFest IV Honorable Mention).
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!The Confession (Elevated Horror/Drama/Thriller)
A shy eight-year-old Catholic girl commits a petty crime to have a "sin" to confess to her priest, thus setting up a cascading series of horrifying events.
Radioland! (Coming of Age/Psychological/Comedy/Drama/Memoir
A naïve 12-year-old boy, falls in love with a fantasy, learns the truth about his fatally flawed hero -- a 1960s Top 40 radio deejay -- and discovers the bittersweet meaning of life.
We Wrestle Not With Flesh And Blood - 2nd TV episode of Free Indeed
Our hero is gifted to see into the supernatural if someone is in need.
Free Indeed
When our heroine sees more than what meets the natural eye, she knows she is on a divine assignment, if she doesn't free a woman from spiritual bondage the woman will die.
HOSEA
The son of the superintendent of international churches is convinced he hears a divine word which he follows, only to face ridicule from his family circle and friends and threats to lose his life from the drug and human trafficking world.
SEE JANE RUN
A young teacher moves back into her hometown.
FINDING CHRISTMAS
A woman gets threatening emails and anonymous calls about her little girl, who had drowned with her husband three years ago.
True Tears - Timeless Fairy Tale
A young princess who grew up hidden in the woods must find her father, the King, to save the kingdom from doom – His twin sister and self-appointed Sorceress Queen, who banished him about 18 years ago, uses all her powers to prevent a successful journey.
The Puzzle People
Berlin cold war aftermath: A Woman reconstructs shredded Stasi documents and stumbles upon a murder committed days after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Adapted scene from The Seven Rays
This was the Seven rays Script-a-Scene contest, for the book THE SEVEN RAYS, by Jessica Bendinger.