Chasing Mayflies
ACTION ADVENTURE COMEDY DRAMA FAMILY RELIGIOUS COMEDY ADVENTURE RELIGIOUS DRAMA FAMILY
2000s
Vincent Donovan
Logline
From the Union Leader review - “Chasing Mayflies,” is a rallying call that mixes regret with redemption, sentiment with sarcasm. Jack Nagle is a Vietnam veteran whose rash actions and need for an adrenaline rush has ruined relationships with family and friends. Facing imminent death, the hard-hitting gambler decides to right some wrongs, but conventional death-bed apologies aren’t enough. He enlists the help of childhood friend Dennis, a widower with a serious Juicy Fruit gum habit and an overwhelming compulsion to stick to life inside the lines. To mend fences, the duo knocks down some emotional and physical barriers...In movie terms, it’s a bit like “Dead Poets Society” meets “Bucket List.”
Genre
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Religious,Comedy,Adventure,Religious,Drama,Family
Short Summary
What would you do if your best friend’s last wish was to help him escape from a hospice so he could “take care of a few things?”
Dennis finds that Jack's "bucket-list on steroids" is not a tale of self-absorption, but a well-considered plan to touch his estranged family and seek forgiveness - and he planned the biggest makeover for Dennis.
Setting
Merrimack Valley (Salem, N.H and Haverhill, MA)
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth,Quest
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message, Philosophical Questions,Philosophical Questions,Happy Ending
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Dennis Sullivan
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Faithful, Funny, Modest, Obedient, Blunt, Complex, Outspoken, Perseverance, Secretive, Strong Moral Code,Complex,Outspoken,Modest,Obedient,Religious,Funny,Selfless,Strong Moral Code,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Jack Nagle
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous, Aggressive, Badass, Blunt, Desperate, Heroic, Manipulative, Complex, Decisive, Funny, Masculine, Patriotic, Confident, Outspoken, Engaging, Religious, Secretive, Villainous,Aspiring,Underdog,Masculine,Aggressive,Complex,Crazy,Lone Wolf,Religious,Empathetic,Engaging,Heroic,Strong Moral Code,Leader
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Development Pitch
In movie terms - the "Dead Poets Society" meets the "Bucket List." What would you do if your best friend's last wish was to help him escape from a hospice so he could "take casre of a few things?" The initial dilemma for Dennis Sullivan is not the anger he will incur from Jack Nagle’s family, or how to manage a terminally ill curmudgeon who mistakenly believes he know everyone. He can even humor Jack’s desire to become like a mayfly—one of those nasty spring bugs with a lifespan of only a few days but are unforgettable monsters. The quandary for Dennis is why help someone that was painfully absent when he needed a friend. Guilted into this late odyssey, Dennis soon finds the road to hell is truly paved with good intentions and it takes courage, faith, and a generous dose of anarchy to change the destination. He also discovers his best friend’s “bucket list on steroids” is not a tale of self-absorption at all, but rather a well-considered plan to seek redemption and touch his estranged family. And Jack plan’s the biggest makeover of all for Dennis.