Cut the Cord
Genre: Coming-Of-Age Dramedy
Stowe Story Labs Selected Project 2018
Quarterfinalist: PAGE International 2018, Screencraft Fellowship 2018, Screencraft Comedy 2018, Scriptapalooza 2017
Logline: An awkward recent college grad struggles to stand up to her country club cartel of a Southern family until she starts working as a jack-of-all trades handy-woman for her landlord and is forced to unclog pipes, wrangle a possum, and fight a swarm of maggots with a little help from the perceptive kid next door and his candy addict, wisecracking little sister.
Synopsis
Devils Wears Prada meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding set in the South
A blue jay launches across the Nashville skyline, sweeps across the yard of a quaint bungalow and drops a dung bomb on Mary Katherine, or Kat as she likes to be called. But in the South, you don't mess with names, so it's Mary Katherine to her mother, always in pearls, Bunny Harrington Sinclair Vanderwoodsen, the kingpin of Kat's country club cartel of a family.
SPLAT! The bird dropping blots the Entertainment Beat magazine open on Kat's chest. Out-cold post faint, sprawled on her front lawn; art supplies, portfolio scattered around her static body, Kat doesn't even notice.
Just graduated, Kat spent the day pounding the pavement, trudged home to open her mailbox and discover her boyfriend's ex is on the cover of the magazine.
Seriously? Could the day get any worse?... Yes, yes it can.
The country club cartel invades. Lacking in self-confidence and too nice for her own good, Kat is in the habit of catering to the wants and dreams of her family and friends. Kat has saved enough money to get through the summer in hopes of starting a career as an artist in Nashville, just out of reach of Kingpin Bunny's extensive network. So the time is NOW for Kat to stand up to her family and follow her dreams.
Or maybe not... Kat's roommates move out unexpectedly derailing her plan.
Maybe Bunny Harrington Sinclair Vanderwoodsen has a point...
Kat folds to the kingpin, bless her heart, and moves back home to Knoxville.
No, no, no! Come on Kat!
But Kat to her family is like a hair in a biscuit. Per usual, Kat's family immediately takes advantage of her, so Kat makes a deal with the family next door back in Nashville, her landlords, to work as a handy-woman and babysitter, then sneaks back to Nashville before Bunny can set her up with the "perfect" job at the firm where she will meet the "right" man.
Working for the landlord exposes Kat to an array of challenges. Amongst the chaos, Kat manages to befriend the perceptive neighbor kid and his wisecracking, candy addict little sister who have a knack for putting Kat's problems in perspective. Kat's creativity and hard work lead her to two job opportunities.
But although Kingpin Bunny is not physically in Nashville, her psychological reach is strong and plagues Kat in her nightmares. Unable to break free, Kat says yes to her mother's dream job instead of taking a risk on a less stable job that would advance her goals.
Juggling the job of Bunny's dreams and her responsibilities to her landlord, Kat loses her desire to paint and becomes increasingly torn between her family and herself. As Kat tackles each new dilemma in her job for her landlords; unclogging pipes, wrangling a possum, fighting a sward of maggots, Kat gains confidence and learns to stand up to her shallow boyfriend and finally Kingpin Bunny.
A blue jay launches across the Nashville skyline, sweeps across the yard of a quaint bungalow and drops a dung bomb on Mary Katherine, or Kat as she likes to be called. But in the South, you don't mess with names, so it's Mary Katherine to her mother, always in pearls, Bunny Harrington Sinclair Vanderwoodsen, the kingpin of Kat's country club cartel of a family.
SPLAT! The bird dropping blots the Entertainment Beat magazine open on Kat's chest. Out-cold post faint, sprawled on her front lawn; art supplies, portfolio scattered around her static body, Kat doesn't even notice.
Just graduated, Kat spent the day pounding the pavement, trudged home to open her mailbox and discover her boyfriend's ex is on the cover of the magazine.
Seriously? Could the day get any worse?... Yes, yes it can.
The country club cartel invades. Lacking in self-confidence and too nice for her own good, Kat is in the habit of catering to the wants and dreams of her family and friends. Kat has saved enough money to get through the summer in hopes of starting a career as an artist in Nashville, just out of reach of Kingpin Bunny's extensive network. So the time is NOW for Kat to stand up to her family and follow her dreams.
Or maybe not... Kat's roommates move out unexpectedly derailing her plan.
Maybe Bunny Harrington Sinclair Vanderwoodsen has a point...
Kat folds to the kingpin, bless her heart, and moves back home to Knoxville.
No, no, no! Come on Kat!
But Kat to her family is like a hair in a biscuit. Per usual, Kat's family immediately takes advantage of her, so Kat makes a deal with the family next door back in Nashville, her landlords, to work as a handy-woman and babysitter, then sneaks back to Nashville before Bunny can set her up with the "perfect" job at the firm where she will meet the "right" man.
Working for the landlord exposes Kat to an array of challenges. Amongst the chaos, Kat manages to befriend the perceptive neighbor kid and his wisecracking, candy addict little sister who have a knack for putting Kat's problems in perspective. Kat's creativity and hard work lead her to two job opportunities.
But although Kingpin Bunny is not physically in Nashville, her psychological reach is strong and plagues Kat in her nightmares. Unable to break free, Kat says yes to her mother's dream job instead of taking a risk on a less stable job that would advance her goals.
Juggling the job of Bunny's dreams and her responsibilities to her landlord, Kat loses her desire to paint and becomes increasingly torn between her family and herself. As Kat tackles each new dilemma in her job for her landlords; unclogging pipes, wrangling a possum, fighting a sward of maggots, Kat gains confidence and learns to stand up to her shallow boyfriend and finally Kingpin Bunny.
