The true story of Audrey Mae Sheppard, the sole inspiration and primary driving force behind history's greatest country & western artist.
Type:
Feature
Status:
For sale
Page Count:
117pp
Genre:
Biography, Comedy, Drama, History, Music
Budget:
Independent
Age Rating:
13+
Based On:
True life biopic.
Synopsis/Details
Stricken with an unidentified spinal disease, a teenage Hank Williams resorts to pain pills and whiskey to relieve his chronic back pain. To ease his suffering, Hank's mother, LILLIE buys him an acoustic guitar at a local pharmacy and Hank quickly befriends a black street performer named TEE-TOT, who agrees to teach him to play. In time, Hank's talent shines in a local contest. As his career burgeons, Lillie takes on the role of manager, but when Hank meets AUDREY MAE SHEPPARD, a brash but dynamic young woman who sees great promise in him, Audrey and Lillie are quickly at odds. Audrey will let nothing stand in the way of her unique and relentless efforts to not only make Hank Williams the greatest country & western singer that ever lived, but simply to save him from himself, a task she ultimately ends up both succeeding and failing at. Throughout the story, we hear the narrative voice of Hank in the present, as he describes the profound affect his wife had on his life and career. In time, the culmination of Hank's reflection fully reveals that were it not for Audrey Sheppard, there simply would not have been a Hank Williams.
All Accolades & Coverage

BlackList analyst #1:

“This is a riveting portrayal of Audrey Sheppard as a shrewd businesswoman -- and it’s exciting to see just how she’ll handle each of the curve-balls that come with managing Hank’s career. Each moment between them is truly magnetic and moments where their marriage begins deteriorating become just as heartfelt as the ones when they were filled with hope, promise, and young love and there's a clear sense of Audrey being Hank’s better half. The love that they have for each other is the core and beating heart of this script -- that’s what makes this journey so powerful; that Hank really could not have achieved anything without Audrey’s doing. Each of Hank’s successes are Audrey’s successes. Each of Hank’s downfalls are hers as well. You’ve shown just how inextricably they’re tied to each other and how this isn’t a biopic of him, but one of her and who she was at the time.”

BlackList analyst #2:

"Larger-than-life characters and hilariously outlandish situations make this drama a standout. HANK WILLIAMS is a reserved young man with a severe back pain and an unwavering love of the guitar. Solid exposition of Hank’s coming-of-age gives insight into his hardships and personality. The fascinating character arc Hank undergoes from meek to engaging to out-of-control is due in no small part to the influence of his wife AUDREY. Audrey is the center of the story and for good reason. She is a spitfire who steals each scene with her gun-toting, sharp-talking chutzpah. Conflict is well-sewn and colorfully described in the narrative as Hank’s mom LILLIE takes umbrage to Audrey’s brash style. Hank’s antics when he drinks, Audrey’s outbursts when she negotiates, and the tantalizing glimpse into the life of a musician all make this drama highly entertaining. With its recognizable lead character, an element of musicality, and an unconventional love story at its center, this project could be playing in theaters now and stands to draw a wide audience that includes, but is not limited to fans of Americana, country music aficionados and biopics."

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Submitted: 2017-Dec-09
Last Updated: 2019-Jun-10
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Catherine E Greene's picture

The Writer: Mat Raymond

Southern born, Southern bred, LA based. I miss fried okra and Grapico. Raised on Van Halen, not Van Hagar, Bon Scott not Bon Jovi, John Hughes not Judd Apatow. Background in music + film. UCLA TV Writing program... for a minute. I write (mostly) biopics about obscure subjects that speak to me and I promise they will speak to you, too. I wrote a TV show about accounting fraud and the raiders of the largest cookie jars on earth. Favorite movies are Amelie, Rachel Getting Married, 200 Cigarettes, Pump Up The Volume, Rushmore, A Few Good Men, Bottlerocket, Good Will Hunting, Days of Thunder, The Firm, Young Guns II, Dazed And Confused, Fletch, Elizabethtown, The Goonies, COBB, The Player,… Go to bio
Mat Raymond's picture
Law Firm: Greenberg + Glusker
Lawyer: Mark Muir