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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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