The Accidental Terrorist
ADVENTURE BIOGRAPHICAL COMEDY CRIME YOUNG ADULT SUSPENSE/THRILLER FUNNY MEMOIR
1980s & '90s
William Shunn
Logline
Bill, a disillusioned Mormon missionary in Canada, makes a run for the border and home. The Church catches him and strong-arms him into resuming his mission. When a newer missionary then tries to run away, Bill feels he has no option but to stop him ... by phoning in a bomb threat.
Genre
Adventure,Biographical,Comedy,Crime,Young Adult,Suspense/Thriller,Funny,Memoir
Short Summary
Pressured by his Mormon family, 19-year-old Bill embarks on a two-year mission to Canada. After weeks of fruitless knocking on doors, he's had enough, and he hops a bus out of town. Church leaders intercept him in Montana and convince him to give the mission another try.
In Calgary, thinking it his duty, Bill makes a false bomb threat to keep a younger missionary from running away. His arrest makes him an inadvertent folk hero to the locals. After a short jail term Bill thinks he'll finally get sent home, but the Church reassigns him to Idaho instead.
Setting
Calgary, Alberta, Canada; plus various locations in rural Alberta and Montana
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth,Rebellion Against 'The One',Voyage and Return
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Philosophical Questions
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Main Character Details
Name: Bill Shunn
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Desperate,Empathetic,Skillful,Sarcastic,Funny,Engaging,Educated,Insecure,Naive,Lone Wolf,Clumsy,Religious,Secretive,Underdog
Additional Character Details
Name: President Tuttle
Age: 55
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Religious,Outspoken,Educated,Leader,Confident,Aggressive,Charming,Manipulative,Sophisticated,Unapologetic,Villainous,Power Hungry,Masculine,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Elder Fowler
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Role: mentor
Key Traits: Masculine,Strong Moral Code,Honorable,Uneducated,Charming,Confident,Engaging,Flexible,Modest,Obedient,Religious,Blunt,Outspoken,Funny,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Elder Dedman
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Role: tempter
Key Traits: Aggressive,Confident,Crazy,Narcisstic,Masculine,Religious,Outspoken,Manipulative,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic
Development Pitch
Bill, 19, is a college student whose Mormon father pressures him to become a missionary. His true desire is to finish college, write science fiction novels and spend time with his girlfriend. But Bill has deferred to authority all his life, so he reluctantly accepts an assignment to proselytize in Canada. In Alberta a foul-mouthed but friendly missionary named Elder Fowler shows Bill the ropes, training him to knock on doors and preach without being too big a jerk. Still, Bill can’t help fantasizing about getting himself sent home early. Bill's homesickness only grows when Fowler's own mission ends. The Church sends as replacement a slacker named Elder Dedman, who spends all his time playing arcade games and pranking Bill. At the end of his rope, Bill sneaks out one night to catch a bus homeward. The Church puts out an APB. After dodging pursuers at the border, Bill is intercepted by a bishop in Great Falls, Montana, who convinces him to go back. In Calgary, the mission president welcomes Bill with open arms but hints that Dedman is being punished for letting him run away. In Calgary Bill tries to start afresh, but soon a younger missionary, Elder Finn, tries to enlist his help in running away. Unable to dissuade Finn, Bill phones in a bomb threat to stop his plane. Bill’s arrest and trial make him into an inadvertent folk hero. After his one-day jail sentence, Bill is sure he'll finally be sent home. Instead the Church reassigns him to Idaho, a fate worse than death.