Zander The Great

COMPS: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID meets BIG FISH WORLD: In suburban Austin, TX, helicopter moms, HOAs, and school principals spoil everyone’s fun. Luckily, they can’t keep daydreamers from accessing their imaginations, a fantasy world that includes giant girls, monstrous dolphins, and talking toes. Austin, Texas – Present Day… ZANDER (11; a whirlwind of energy, both in body and mind) may not have a cell phone or armpit hair, but he has a lot on his mind. Constantly in motion or daydreaming of scenarios where he faces his fears (and usually wins), Zander’s overactive imagination constantly gets him in trouble with school bullies, who taunt him for believing his eccentric dad’s tall tales (turns out, tetherball was not created by medieval soldiers hitting a decapitated head attached to CPAP headgear). Determined to gain respect from the school bullies, Zander sets out to be the school's best tetherball player - “King Tetherball.” Zander’s mom KATE (40; resilient, loving, and the force keeping her family together) has a lot on her mind, too. Kate sees the best in her child and husband. But recently hired as the elementary school secretary, Kate can’t ignore Zander’s problems at school – when he gets in trouble, so does Kate. Then the HOA hits her with stupid fines for having an unkept lawn. Kate’s patience as the main caregiver is wearing thin – especially as her husband HENRY (45; struggling with PTSD) began living in the woods behind their home dressed in a ghillie suit. Comforted by a pretend game he plays with Zander, Henry fluctuates between living in reality and fantasy. Set on coaxing him home, Kate leaves dinners in Tupperware containers for him in their backyard. When Zander overhears his principal suggest Kate have him tested for ADHD, he befriends ELI (11; a monotoned brainiac). Eli explains ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That makes sense to Zander. Since his dad retreated to the woods and his mom has gotten a job, he’s received a lot less attention. A deficit, even! In the school cafeteria, Zander pockets treats for his dad. Eager to get attention before he dies of ADHD, Zander forgets he’s grounded and heads into the woods to spill his worries to “King Henry” after school. Henry can’t help Zander grow underarm hair like his BFF RYAN (11; a style maven), but he can teach him a military technique to help him beat the bullies at tetherball - OODA: Observe, Orient, Determine, Act. The tetherball court at Zander’s school is dominated by scary giant girl DAKOTA (11; an awkward early bloomer). As Zander quickly discovers that OODA hones his hyperactive mind, he teaches OODA to Ryan and Eli and asks them to help him train to beat the “giant” silent Dakota at tetherball. It works! Zander finally beats Dakota and is shocked when she speaks. It turns out she’s not mean. She’s just an awkward tween. The boys welcome her into their group, which focuses on training Zander to beat the school’s worst bully GRANT (11; athletic and bona fide mean). Meanwhile, in the grownup world, a school nurse and cafeteria worker suspect neglect at Zander’s home due to bruises on his forearms (from tetherball) and him snatching leftovers from kids’ food trays (for Henry). To coerce Henry into coming back home, Kate stops leaving food outside and forbids Zander from bringing him lunch scraps. When the school nurse overhears Kate giving Zander these instructions, she becomes more concerned and calls Child Protective Services. The next day, a neighbor spots hungry Henry stealing vegetables from her garden and calls the police. Fliers are printed at the school to warn everyone about the scary vegetable stealer. Instead of distributing the fliers, Kate sneaks them in her purse as a SOCIAL WORKER shows up at the school. Worried that they’ll lose Zander if the police or CPS discover Henry is in the woods, Kate leaves work and grabs Zander – they must find Henry ASAP. In the woods, Zander and Kate find Henry injured and unable to walk. Zander dashes home to get Kate’s cell phone and finds the Social Worker at his house. As he leads her through the woods, he teaches her OODA. By the time they reach Henry and Kate, the Social Worker is convinced the family belongs together and Henry needs medical help. The next morning on the playground, Grant humiliates Zander by sharing a video of Henry being rolled into an ambulance. Furious, Zander challenges Grant to a tetherball match on the upcoming Field Day. Grant insists they play right away. Zander serves the ball. Grant slams it back and yells "Where’d they take your dad? The zoo?!" Zander loses focus, as well as the game. Crushed, Zander swears off tetherball and his ambitions to be King Tetherball. Kate and his friends are sad to see him lose faith in himself. So, Kate researches “how to make a DIY tetherball court cheap.” When Zander finds her building a court in their backyard, he grudgingly agrees to help. The next day, Eli, Ryan, and Dakota convince him to keep training to beat Grant at tetherball on Field Day, committing to practice with him at his home. Four days later, Kate brings Henry home from the hospital and shows off her DIY tetherball court. When joyful shrieks from the nearby school playground startle Henry, Kate calms him by explaining it’s Field Day – "Don’t worry. I told Zander we wouldn’t be there. With the crowd and screaming kids, I didn’t think you’d want to go." Henry replies, "But I do." At the school tetherball court, Zander faces Grant with great skill. During the match, Zander uses OODA to observe the crowd. He notes GRANT’S DAD yelling angrily at Grant. He spots Kate and Henry in the crowd, smiling at him with unconditional love. Sympathetic to Grant for not having kind parents like his, Zander purposely loses the match, allowing Grant to win his father’s approval. Grateful to Zander for the win, Grant promises to be his bodyguard in middle school. As Zander and his parents walk home from Field Day, Henry smiles at his son. "You’re pretty great. You know that, right?" Zander ponders, "Yeah." And they step inside their home together. ZANDER THE GREAT is a comedy with heart about friendship and unconditional love that will leave anyone who has ever felt left out feel seen and accepted.