The Funny Thing About Road Kill
GENRE: Dramedy
TYPE: Feature Screenplay
LOGLINE: A rebellious film school dropout is forced to produce a documentary about road kill.
NO. PAGES: 89
SYNOPSIS:
On a whim, JOSH CARLETTI (20’s) ‘accidentally’ repaves a neighborhood street with an elderly woman’s pet poodle. In a plea deal that would allow Josh to avoid jail time for the heartless act, a judge demands that he write, direct and produce a documentary about road killed animals. To help him with his project, Josh enlists his best friend and fellow student, STEWART WILLIAMS (20’s). When Josh suggests that a volunteer production assistant is also needed, Stewart recruits a pretty coffee shop bus girl, KATIE (20’s), for whom he is secretly smitten. Katie has absolutely no relevant work experience, but is smart, worldly-wise and eager to get away from the dark roast snob shop. The three embark on a cross country trip that will change each of them forever.
Josh’s harsh demeanor—first experienced by Katie during her trial-by-fire interview—immediately surfaces on the road when a desert coyote lopes into the path of their SUV. Additional encounters with various animals, dead and alive, slowly reveal aspects of the trio’s unique personalities. And Josh’s filmmaking talents are very evident through his keen instincts for story and drama. Katie eventually sees through Josh’s cold and demanding persona and, through events while filming and Katie’s efforts, Josh’s warmer, sensitive side surfaces. Meanwhile, Stewart realizes his fantasies about Katie are going up in smoke, so he creates some real smoke, and fire, as retribution.
Josh ultimately discovers that big time success can be achieved without sacrificing compassion and love. And he may have stumbled on a delicious solution to world hunger along the way. Yummy!