Treatment

Timeframe/Setting/Look/Feel

  • The film is set in present day northwest Texas
  • The photography is to be filmic HD and color.
  • Shots will take advantage of the beauty of the area, the endless landscape, the big sky, the perfect sunsets.
  • The feel must capture the culture of the area, the contrast of ranch like houses and land vs. the rundown shacks and junk-pile yards.
  • The actors must convey an accurate representation of the townsfolk. Best to recruit from the pool of actors that are from Texas.
  • The film will be written as a 90-minute feature.

Story Elements

  • The story is about a young man, JT, who is trying to find himself after graduating high school. He is of humble means, as his whole family live off time-honored careers in oil drilling. His destiny seems written in stone, to be the next in his family to don the boots and man the rigs.
  • But our protagonist has a gift. A gift that has spawned during his years at high school. This gift is not, however, the fact that he's the all-time highest achieving wide-receiver his high school...or county for that matter, has ever seen. He holds this particular gift to himself. He just happens to play the guitar - a six string acoustic given to him by his grandfather who disappeared from town his freshman year, shortly after giving it to him.
  • His family speculates as to the reasons the old man took off. Some say it was the longtime feud between the old man and JT's father, Jim. Others say the old timer just plain didn't fit in with the people in Archer county. There is another theory, that JT's grandfather went off to become a singer and has been quite successful.
  • Jim also notices that in the past few years he is having trouble with his son, JT. JT is losing interest in the things they used to do together, mainly sports and oil drilling. The animosity is building and that tension is obvious.
  • There is also a love interest with JT. Not the head cheerleader he had throughout highschool, but the local beef-jerky smokehouse register girl.
  • The spot where JT goes to play his guitar is a very scenic area where an old house burnt down years ago. The love interest shows up while he is playing there and tell him about how the house burnt down years ago and the rumors about it being haunted. She points out her "art" on the walls, some really nice portraits painted right on the walls. She jokes that both he and her are "closet artists."
  • Of course there will be an antagonist, the high school rival of JT. Dirk has since become sheriff's deputy. He also gets along with Jim better than JT does.
  • Jim and his wife are talking about JT. It is revealed to the audience that the grandfather was actually killed on the highway as he drove to sing at a big venue in Dallas. It was his dream to be a singer, but he never made it. It was withheld from JT by his father.
  • A disaster at the oil rig occurs. Jim gets wounded. JT feels guilty for the accident since he was supposed to be responsible for preventing the accident or something along those lines.
  • As his alternate life seems to be taking off, JT is to perform at a very popular dance hall, Dirk shows up to arrest him for the negligence at the rig.
  • Now JT must do some serious soul searching. He has ruined his father's - and possibly his family's lives. He decides to do something about it...to fulfill his destiny. He breaks off his budding romance with the love interest in a heartbreaking way. He dons on the boots and hard-hat and hits the rigs.
  • JT is doing so well as a true roughneck that he has earned a promotion. He is set to lead a team out of Houston and leaves in a week.
  • Another confrontation with Dirk, but it end up as amends. They are now friends, or at least, can tolerate each other.
  • His proud father, still healing from his injuries, gives him his blessings. He also sees JT hurting inside. His miserable son is enduring more pain than Jim could ever have. Jim makes a decision to tell JT the truth about his grandfather. Jim says the his father was a dreamer like JT, and the talent and aspirations just didn't fit well with the people of ArcherCounty. JT was just like his grandfather.
  • JT lets out the years of frustrations and anger to his father. How could he lie like that? Keep something like that from him? He tells his father that he hates him, that he will never forgive him. He tells him to take the roughneck job and shove it.
  • JT packs his things and leaves town that night.
  • In Dallas, JT sets up in a crappy motel. He tries to get jobs at local bars performing and gets turned down. One place tells him that he has to pay a "stage rental" of 500 dollars. He get very frustrated at one of the more rude club managers, and gets a beating from the bouncers.
  • He has hit a low point. He is asked to leave the motel as he has not paid for additional rental. He settles into his truck for the night, starting to sob. Just then, there is knocking on the window. He looks over and there's a nasty looking old vagrant. The vagrant asks for money and JT tells him he has none. The old man sees the guitar and tells JT about how he used to have a guitar like that and wanted to be a singer. He lost his chance and now has to live on the streets asking for change and eating garbage. He says that he wishes things could have been different, that he never gave up. JT looks away and tells the bum that he didn't have a choice, he's kicked out of the motel and no one will give him a job. The bum tells him "At least you have the clothes on your back, and whatever's in that luggage." JT looks over and the vagrant is gone. He looks through his luggage and comes up with an envelope. He opens it, and there's a letter. It's from his father, explaining his fears that his only son could perish going after his wild dreams made him keep the truth from JT. He explains how proud he is and that he could never be that strong. He tells him that enclosed is a check, for 20 thousand, his inheritance. He tells him to go after his dream.
  • JT goes straight to the club and pays the 500 dollars. He gets up on stage and sings. After the amazing performance, he sees his love interest in the audience.
  • But she doesn't share the grin that every other audience member has on their face. JT excitedly approaches her, then sees the long face. He asks what's wrong, and we cut to:
  • A funeral. His father, Jim, has died from his injuries. JT is feeling guilty as ever.
  • After the funeral, JT decides to clear out some things from the work site and he finds evidence that Dirk is responsible for the accident that killed his father.
  • JT finds Dirk and a ruckuss ensues. He reveals the proof that Dirk messed up and caused his father's death. Dirk is arrested.
  • JT visits his father's grave and tells his father how sorry he is that he didn't come back, that he left so abruptly, etc. etc. His mother shows up. They have a conversation and his mother tells JT that his father once tried to start a rock band. She tells him that he tried so hard that he almost lost his job at the rig. He was trying for his father's approval and expected JT to do the same, but forgot that everyone must find their own way. Jim even said that the night he died, how proud he was of JT and happy about his talents.
  • The love interest shows up. Both her and JT's mom tell JT to get in that truck and take that blessing from his grandfather and go make it happen. JT hugs his mother and runs to the truck. JT and the girl exchange some funny little quip being "closet artists" and then he kisses her. He gives his mom one last glance before they get in the truck and drive off.

The End