The Contract Year

PITCH PERFECT meets SEMI-PRO in a comedy a Black List evaluator called, “a unique and fun premise that could support a summer blockbuster.” D.J. BECKETT is the self-absorbed dance director of the South Beach Surfsations, a successful dance team in the Great American Basketball League. He’s underpaid and on the verge of creating “Becky Style,” a dance that will have the world “shook.” The Surf’s owner tires of D.J. and includes him in a trade to the Travisburg Twisters, the worst franchise in the league, and its equally bad dancers, the Twister Girls. Also included are veteran players JOE and JANIS. They arrive in Travisburg and meet EMMY, who wears many hats, including dance assistant. She aspires to cure cancer to honor her late mother. She takes D.J. to his place, a tiny home in the woods. She helps D.J. realize he’s in the final year of his contract, which means he could land a big payday elsewhere if he can have a great season with the Twister Girls. He makes it his mission to turn them into league’s best dance team. D.J. fires the current dancers and tells them they’ll have to audition to regain their spots. This earns him an enemy, the tough AMBER-LYNNE. One evening, she and her boyfriend try to scare off D.J. by hitching his tiny home to a pickup and driving it out of town. Panicked, D.J. calls Emmy, who comes to his rescue. She invites him to stay with her. He accepts. She tells him it hurts when he makes fun of Travisburg, which he does often. D.J. holds auditions and puts together a ragtag team. He’s encouraged by the dancing of GABRIELA, an illegal Mexican immigrant. He reminds the dancers that the league secretly sends out judges after the All-Star break to pick the best dance team. He is then confronted by MOTHER RICHARDS, the franchise matriarch. She thinks D.J. is a perversion and demands that her son LOWELL, the franchise owner, fire D.J. Lowell says he can’t. She storms off. Flustered, D.J. insults an autistic dancer. Amber-Lynne pounces and threatens to break his arm. D.J. apologizes and, thanks to Joe’s advice, learns he has to become a leader if he’s to achieve his goal. Further complicating things is Janis, who wants D.J. D.J. likes him but thinks it wouldn’t work. Opening night arrives and D.J. and the Girls are confronted by Mother Richards. With her is the reunited TRAVISBURG TAPPERS, a tap dance troupe. She presents a dance-off challenge: let the fans decide the season’s dance team. D.J. accepts. The Twister Girls beat the Tappers. Things are looking up. The new Twister Girls are a hit. Amber-Lynne is coaching the rookies, and Emmy joins the team after another dancer skips town. D.J. names Amber-Lynne team captain and they celebrate at a bar. At the bar, a guy hits on one of the dancers. D.J. tries to protect her. The guy throws a punch. Amber-Lynne stops it and breaks his arm. Later, D.J. learns that the dance director in L.A. is retiring at season’s end. He wants that job and the All-Star break is approaching. He tells the Girls he is doubling the number of practices—but doesn’t tell them the reason why. They say they can’t because they have regular jobs. They can’t be in two places at once. Desperate, D.J. takes on their day jobs while Amber-Lynne directs the team. In a hilarious montage we see D.J. drive an Uber, farm pigs, stock paint cans, work in a nursing home, do Emmy’s jobs, and serve food in a topless diner. He comes to accept the people of Travisburg and they come to accept him. Even Lowell notices and tells D.J. he hopes he’ll stick around. All-Star break passes. D.J. and the Girls get wind that the judges are in town for tomorrow’s game. The Girls panic. They’re good, but they could be better. They want to do something amazing. D.J. agrees to teach them “Becky Style.” They work all night to perfect it. Game day arrives. D.J. is fried. Lovesick Janis approaches and D.J. blows up at him. Janis is dejected. Emmy arrives with D.J.’S PARENTS, who are paying him a surprise visit. They are the last people he wants to see. Unresolved issues about his sexuality and their difficulty to accept it are revealed. D.J. and the Girls are again confronted by Mother Richards and the Tappers. She also has the cops with her because Amber-Lynne broke the arm of her favorite handyman. She threatens to arrest her and makes overtures about deporting Gabriela unless D.J. quits and leaves town. D.J. has no choice. He quits and leaves the arena. Mother Richards fires the Girls and makes the Tappers the new dance team. Emmy drives D.J. to the airport. They see a huge tornado heading toward the arena. D.J. worries about his parents. They return. The game’s been canceled and everyone is hunkering down. D.J finds his parents and they reconcile in an emotional scene. D.J. walks off to collect himself and hears kids singing. They tell him they sing when they’re scared. He tells them he dances when he’s scared. It gives him an idea. He finds the Girls and says they still owe the fans a show. The tornado misses the arena. But everyone is still scared. The lights go down, a spotlight hits the court, the kids appear and begin to sing. One of the Girls joins them then is joined by the other dancers. The music kicks in and they unveil “Becky Style,” setting off a joyous dance party. Even Mother Richards is moved. She reinstates D.J. and the Girls. All is forgiven. Time passes and the Twisters take on the Surf to see who will play L.A. in the finals. D.J. is approached by L.A.’s owner. He offers D.J. the dance director job and a million dollars. The Twisters lose just as D.J. learns the Girls have been voted number one. Lowell and the fans still celebrate an amazing season. D.J. makes a touching speech about acceptance then announces the Girls are number one. Everyone is thrilled. Joe advises D.J. to take the L.A. job. D.J. knows he’s right. He tells the Girls. They’re sad but understand. It’s a million dollars. The Girls say goodbye to D.J. at the airport. He gives Emmy money to pursue cancer research. He arrives in L.A. It’s the big time. He’s surprised to see Janis, who signed with L.A. D.J smiles. Maybe it could work out between them after all.