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!Happy New Year, Mr. Kates! (Hoilday/Dramedy/Magical Realism)
A contemporary holiday tale about a grumpy old man who resides in the memory unit of nursing home, and is presented with a gripping bargain by a mystical stranger: the chance to swap his inconsequential life for that of a lost child’s, one snowy New Year's Eve.
FORBIDDEN PROVISIONS
A journalist goes undercover as an illegal migrant to get a story on how well the government is treating captured immigrants, only to uncover something grizzlier than he expected.
End It On This
Trying to salvage their chaotic love life, a careless couple hits the road, just in time for the world to end.
The Silent Rebellion
In this post-apocalyptic thriller, a group of patriots led by a fierce female band together in an attempt to save their loved ones from a tyrannical and seemingly unbeatable new social system.
She Curses Like a Sailor
The perception of women and cursing is entertained at this art opening in New York.
Lady Diogenes of the Shadow
Three retired ladies candidly discuss their baffling neighbor over morning coffee.
Perfect Beau
A Brainiac Plain Jane clones her ideal boyfriend out of her girlfriends' boyfriends' DNA for her college senior class project.
Cold Pepper
A law-abiding, church-going court stenographer becomes a one-woman vigilante 'offing' violent domestic abusers (and other twisted souls) after their third offense.
Psychotic USA
A dramedy. A satirical view of the ineptness of modern day psychiatric treatment as seen through the lens of four patients in an asylum.
Psycho-Hearts
A world renowned heart transplant surgeon is an absolute magician at finding compatible hearts for wealthy clients.
