Blueberry Buckle at the Borealis Bazaar

Logline: Residents of a small town fight developers in the Far North

[ca1]Synopsis

When Lucy Sam, owner of the Borealis Hotel, finds out two developers from (horrors) Seattle plan to tear down her small Alaskan town of Tuklut and replace it with a brighter, shinier, more touristy version of itself, she refuses to get involved. She’s stood up for what’s right before and knows no good can come of it.

But when the outsiders build a fake village in which her Indian family is forced to pretend they’re Eskimos, Lucy’s so incensed she’s forced to step in. Unfortunately, the locals are too distracted by their petty problems to help. Andy Warren's parents keep escaping from the Farthest North Nursing Home; two members of the Borealis Bazaar Committee fight over which of them is the best homemaker; and Doc Pederson just wants a day off. To complicate matters, Lucy falls for one of the developers.

On a deeper level, “Blueberry Buckle,” which takes place over the course of a year, is about the importance of historic preservation, expressing one’s talent, and honoring the pure human spirit. Part “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain” with bits of “Groundhog Day” and “Doc Martin” thrown in, “Blueberry Buckle” will appeal to viewers who enjoy stories about the drama of small-town life and the quirky inhabitants who live in them.

Partial list of characters:

Main characters (in order of appearance):

Lucy Sam: Part-Indian-part-white beauty known for her exquisite bead work and distrust of men

Sarah McDougal: Sweet mute who saved her sister from a house fire

Nora Simpson: Canadian-born widow known for her Welsh cookies and being the worst driver in town

Andy Westcott: Owner of Andy's Gas, Towing and Auspicious Tours, who can't accept the fact that his parents are dying

Twyla Jasperson: Overly serious, 16-year-old high-school student yearning to leave home

Ben Wilkins: Ex-mayor of Tuklut and editor of the Tundra Times, who has to deal with an incompetent staff, advertisers behind on their payments, and his need for more sunshine

Two Strangers From Out of Town: Real-estate developers from Seattle. Includes Stranger No. 1 (the bad, bad guy) and Stranger No. 2 the good, bad guy)

Minor characters (although they don’t consider themselves minor):

Rev. Wally Magnusen: Minister of St. Michael's All Saints and Sinners Community Church

Carlotta Simpson: Nora Babcock's domestic-arts nemesis

Gail Knox: People person and office manager of Tundra Times

Pat Kendall: Master gardener and self-proclaimed nutritionist who thinks all problems can be solved with whole-wheat flour and fresh produce

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EXT.TWO STREET.DAY

The clock/thermometer outside Frozen Assets Bank reads 9:47

a.m./35 degrees.

INT.BOREALIS HOTEL.DAY

LUCY SAM dusts the dust-free check-in desk. SARAH MCDOUGAL

sits on a faded horse-hair chair while polishing one of the

campaign buttons covering her long, man’s overcoat. After

hearing a CRASH as NORA BABCOCK’s 20-year-old, primo Buick

plows into the porch before lumbering on, they run to the

window.

LUCY SAM

Just Nora on her way to the

Borealis Bazaar Committee meeting.

Hope she doesn’t do too much damage

along the way. Better warn the

troops.

Lucy dials her cell phone while Sarah cuddles close.

LUCY SAM

Morning, Andy. Nora should be

hitting your place right about now.

How’re things going?

INT.ANDY’S GAS, TOWING AND AUSPICIOUS TOURS.DAY

ANDY WESTCOTT, dressed in overalls, sits on a greasy folding

chair while holding a greasy cup of coffee and talking into

a greasy speaker phone. His business is housed in a Quonset

hut.

ANDY WESTCOTT

Fine, if you don’t count the fact

that my folks escaped from Northern

Lights Nursing Home. Again. Oh,

there goes the sandwich sign. Some

day, someone’s going to get hurt.

Bert holds down the receiver button on his phone, releases

it and dials.

INT.JASPERSON HOUSE.DAY

TWYLA JASPERSON, wearing eyeglasses and a Husky High School

letter sweater, sits at the kitchen table, tapping away on

her laptop while holding the phone to her ear.

TWYLA JASPERSON

Okay. I’ll call Ben.

INT.TUNDRA TIIMES OFFICE.DAY

BEN WILKINS scowls while reading a list of advertisers

behind on their payments: Foxtail Deli, 3 months overdue;

Betty’s Books, 4 months late; Andy’s Gas, Towing and

Auspicious Tours, 6 months behind. When the phone rings, he

picks it up.

BEN WILKINS

Gottcha.

Ben hangs up and dials while looking out the window.

BEN WILKINS

Hi, Rev. Nora just veered off into

the tundra. Now she’s clipping the

corner at Three Street and Tailing

Pile Lane.

INT.ST. MICHAEL’S ALL SAINTS AND SINNERS COMMUNITY CHURCH

OFFICE.DAY

REV. WALLY MAGNUSEN, wearing a plaid wool shirt and

turn-around collar, sets the phone down and walks into the

social hall where three women ` CARLOTTA SIMPSON, GAIL KNOX

and PAT KENDALL - sit around a table while piecing together

a quilt top. In the center of the table sits a dish of

blueberry buckle, a sweet dessert.

REV. M

Hi, girls.

The women look up, smiling. They like being called "girls."

REV. M

Nora’s on her way. We should hear

her any second now.

CARLOTTA SIMPSON

Have some of my blueberry buckle,

Rev. M.

REV. M

Don’t mind....

Everyone stops what they’re doing when they hear a loud BANG

as Nora’s car crashes into the back of the log building.

EXT.ST. MICHAEL’S ALL SAINTS AND SINNERS COMMUNITY

CHURCH.DAY

Nora sits in her car. After grinding the engine a couple

times and causing the car to lurch into reverse, she

eventually manages to shut the engine off. She picks up the

plate of Welsh cookies sitting beside her on the front seat,

gets out of the car and walks into the church, her emergency

call button swinging from the moose-suede strap around her

neck.

INT.ST. MICHAEL’S ALL SAINTS AND SINNERS COMMUNITY CHURCH

SOCIAL HALL.DAY

Nora walks in, holding the plate of cookies high, like an

offering.

REV. M.

Blueberry buckle and Welsh cakes.

What can I say?

Carlotta looks miffed.

CARLOTTA SIMPSON

Welsh cakes aren’t Alaskan.

NORA BABCOCK

Blueberries aren’t in season.

Gail looks at Pat. The two women roll their eyes.

GAIL KNOX

(silently, to Pat)

Here we go again.

Nora sets the plate of cookies on the table, nudging the

dish of blueberry buckle ever so slightly off to the side,

before sitting down. Carlotta peers at the part of the quilt

she’s working on.

CARLOTTA SIMPSON

Hope these stitches are small

enough. Who’s going to quilt the

center square this year?

NORA BABCOCK

You quilted the center square last

year.

PAT KENDALL

I hear it’s going to be a bad year

for mosquitoes.

REV. M.

(looking relieved)

That’ll keep out the rabble.

Everyone laughs.

REV. M.

Now get back to work. The bazaar is

only eight months away.

[ca1]

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