Synopsis/Details
Title: CINEMA 4
Written by: Curt Sell
Category: Feature
Genre: Comedy
Writer: Curt Sell
A wayward adolescent, shunned by his selfish older brother, searches for direction in life at the local cinema until the neighborhood lush becomes his unlikely father figure.
Cinema 4 is a dramatic comedy Coming-of-age story for family audiences.
STORY:
In 1986, Jake Morris is a wayward adolescent yearning for the attention of his teenage brother, Teddy, and distant father. As his home life deteriorates, Jake escapes by projecting himself into a world of imagination conjured by the movies he watches at his hometown theater, Cinema 4. One day, Jake sneaks into a packed Top Gun screening with his Teddy and imagines himself in the cockpit as a young version of Maverick. If only he wasn’t the unwanted third wheel in real life.
While riding his bike, Jake meets middle-aged Barry, a beer-guzzling neighbor dismissed by most as a harmless lush. Despite Barry’s inappropriate stories, Jake sees something others don’t and starts looking to him for advice. At school, Jake convinces his friends to serenade their teacher, Ms. Butterfield, with a scene mimicking the “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” scene from Top Gun. Soon he daydreams about starring in another movie recreating the Ferris Bueller parade on his middle school campus mimicking the “Twist and Shout” scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Jake later spots his crush Wendy at a grocery store, only to be embarrassed by Barry again. Though awkward, he appreciates the odd friendship. When Teddy continues to ignore him despite being bullied, Barry teaches him how to use ninja-throwing stars, boosting his confidence. With a bit of training, Jake confronts the neighborhood bullies and finally stands up for himself.
In an otherwise empty theater, the movie Platoon helps Jake realize that his relationship with Teddy is like the feud between Elias and Barnes, pushing him to let go of his need for approval. With this newfound acceptance, Jake seizes his own Hollywood ending, surprising Wendy with a kiss after school and letting go of the need for his family’s attention.
