COWBOY
GENRE
ROMANCE HISTORICAL FICTION DRAMA
Core Theme
LOVE, ACCEPTANCE
TIME PERIOD
1960s & '70s
COMPARABLE TITLES
A THOUSAND ACRES, PLACES IN THE HEART
CHARACTER LIST
• JIM DAVIS: LEAD, EARNEST, HONORABLE.
• TRISH WALLACE: LEAD, CUTE, FREE SPIRIT, AFRAID OF COMMITMENT.
• BAINES DAVIS: GRUFF, UNAPPROACHABLE, JIM’S FATHER
• JOHN HENRY DAVIS: HOMETOWN BOY, STRONG, MACHO, JIM’S OLDER BROTHER
• JACK “POTTS” POTTER: WEALTHY AND WELL-MANNERED, JIM’S FRIEND FROM THE MILITARY
• JOEL ZIPPEN: INTELLECTUAL, DEPENDABLE, JIM’S COLLEGE FRIEND
• LINDA SUE: BEAUTIFUL, CRAFTY, LOVING, FORMER SCHOOLMATE, JIM’S SISTER-IN-LAW
Logline
Jim Davis grows up in a small Texas town where the most important people in one's life were his parents, pastor, teachers, and coach. When this cowboy meets a flower child while attend a liberal New England University, it turns both their worlds upside down as each other's values are sorely tested.
Target Audiences
Age: 55+,18-34,35-54
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
Texas, New England, New York
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Year Published: 2018
Starting Description
The second son of a hard as nails Texas rancher, leaves home for the army. After his discharge, he attends a liberal New England college where his traditional values are severely challenged. There he is captivated by a flower child who guides him through the country's changing mores.
Ending Description
After she runs away and breaks his heart, he returns home and reconciles with his estranged father and brother. His girlfriend, who stayed in Boston because she feared any commitment, has a change of heart and shows up in Texas where his "Tinkerbell in blue jeans," agrees to marry her "cowboy."
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-1-4787-9873-6
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity,Substance Abuse,Nudity
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Philosophical Questions
Plot - Premise
Quest,Voyage and Return
Main Character Details
Name: Jim Davis
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Charming,Confident,Engaging,Flexible,Heroic,Leader,Obedient,Patriotic,Funny,Romantic,Aspiring,Decisive,Empathetic,Honorable,Modest,Sexy
Additional Character Details
Name: Trish Wallace
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Tempter
Key Traits: Charming,Complex,Adventurous,Sexy,Selfless,Romantic,Seductive,Unapologetic,Naive,Insecure,Flexible,Engaging,Empathetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Joel Richman
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Role: sidekick
Key Traits: Aggressive,Charming,Aspiring,Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Faithful,Visionary,Funny,Leader,Educated,Flexible,Confident,Adventurous
Additional Character Details
Name: Baines Davis
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Aggressive,Complex,Desperate,Insecure,Masculine,Uneducated,Religious,Blunt,Secretive,Unapologetic,Lone Wolf
Genre
Drama, Romance
Brief
When a Texas cowboy leaves enlisted life for a liberal New England college, he falls in love with a flower child who opens up his mind and challenges his heart.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: EXCELLENT
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: EXCELLENT
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, it is accurate.
Draw of Story
The character of Jim learning to make his way in the world as he grows and matures.
Possible Drawbacks
Sometimes the romance gets a bit sappy.
Use of Special Effects
No.
Primary Hook of Story
The character arc of the story is engaging.
Fanbase Potential
Most likely it would be a moderate fanbase.
Awards Potential
Mos likely not. Not that kind of story.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
A Thousand Acres, Places in the Heart
What’s New About the Story
It's a pretty typical love story, but its large scope makes it unique.
Lead Characters
They are very strongly developed with a lot of subtext.
Uniqueness of Story
It is a pretty average story.
Possible Formats
Film - Studio, Film - Indie, Film - Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
Consider
Brief
When a Texas cowboy leaves enlisted life for a liberal New England college, he falls in love with a flower child who opens up his mind and challenges his heart.
What We Liked
- The well-crafted relationships between the characters and their emotional journey over a span of years makes this an engaging story.
- The theme is timeless, accessible and will resonate with audiences, making it extremely marketable.
- The strong character development makes this an ideal candidate for adaptation into a feature.
- The evolving love story between Jim and Trish (not unlike Forrest Gump and Jenny) could be adapted successfully into a television miniseries.
- Key points: Character driven; Expansive timeline; Explores universal values; Strong love story; Appealing characters.
Synopsis
Jim Davis grew up in Texas as the second son of Baines Davis, an erasable rancher. He has his heartbroken when his school crush moves away. Later, he breaks another’s heart when he ultimately rejects Linda Sue. To make Jim jealous, she ends up marrying his brother, John Henry. After leaving home for college, Baines calls Jim home and suggests that he drop out of school and enlist to fight in Vietnam. Always trying to please his father, Jim agrees.
Jim enrolls in officer training where he meets Jack “Potts” Potter, who is from a wealthy military family. Jim and Potts quickly become best friends. As Jim moves through the ranks, he becomes close with a general and gets engaged to his daughter, Michelle. Jim soon realizes that he doesn’t want to continue on this path. He plans to leave the military and use money provided by the GI bill to finish college. Michelle is not supportive and they break off their engagement.
Jim enrolls at a liberal college in Connecticut. He quickly finds a place to live with a group of roommates and he becomes good friends with doctoral student, Joel Zippen. During an encounter group, Jim meets a charming girl named Trish Wallace. The two soon become inseparable. Trish introduces him to marijuana and LSD. He misses a lot of classes because of his substance abuse. Jim falls in love with Trish, but she becomes skittish and gets back together with her old boyfriend Alec. When she nearly dies from bad drugs, Jim rescues her and saves her life.
When she is well again, Jim wants to take her with him back to Texas. She makes an effort, but ultimately she can’t commit and moves back home with her parents in Boston. Jim goes back to Texas on his own, reconciles with his family and goes back to school to finish his degree. After some time away, Trish realizes that she is in love with Jim and ready to commit to him. She travels to Texas where she meets his family and consents to marry him.
They plan to start their new life together as the book comes to an end.