MOUNTAIN LIONS
Screenplay Synopsis

Sammy, a rebellious young man, returns home to a small mountain town to bury his hated and abusive father. He's left his ex-wife and baby son behind. His growing alcoholism has gotten the better of him. When he arrives, his older brother, the new sheriff, informs Sammy that their father's last wish was to have his ashes spread atop a foreboding mountain. Sammy rejects the trek up this dangerous mountain, but is ultimately persuaded by his older brother who has long forgiven their father's abusive past.

On the trek up the mountain, Sammy's older brother tries to reconnect with him. Sammy will have none of it. He can't understand how his older brother can so easily forgive and forget their mutual, tortured past. Sammy can't move on. His brother tries to defuse Sammy's hatred, but Sammy's frustration at life is no match for him. What started out as a road to redemption has quickly turned into painful old wounds. To top it all off, a mountain thunderstorm emerges out of nowhere.

As the rain turns to snow, years of pent up rage are released in a fight between the two brothers. Sammy accidentally sends his older brother over a cliff into the ravine below. His legs are instantly shattered. Full of grief, frustration and self-loathing, Sammy must now find the courage to get his brother out of this mess and find their way home through this torturous blizzard.

Sammy creates a sled to pull his injured brother along. Completely disoriented by the storm, he treads through sleet and snow trying desperately to find a way off the mountain. In the process, Sammy is confronted by his own fears and insecurities as he battles the elements and his own haunted past. An eerily familiar mountain lion emerges from time to time to help Sammy at the brink of despair. He finally makes it to an abandoned cabin where Sammy reveals the truth about his mother's "accidental" death.

Sammy is purged of his demons, the snow finally breaks, and the light of the new day is upon them. Sammy emerges from the ordeal a man in place of a bitter boy. The burden of his mother's death is lifted. His forgiveness for his father, and himself, is now complete. Sammy returns to his ex-wife and baby son to begin life anew.

Genre: Drama
Low/Medium Budget

by Josh Christofferson