Log Line
A liberal-minded executive, who overworks to compensate for being childless, takes drastic measures to save her marriage after learning her husband got a one-night-stand pregnant.
Script Info
Script Type: Feature
Genre: Drama
Length: 97 pages
Est. Budget: Less than $1M
Screenplay Synopsis
Eight years later, Valerie immerses herself in her editing career after facing she'll never have a child. One evening, Valerie comes home late again and finds Jared, miffed, cooking dinner. After an icy evening, she vows to work less.
A few days later, Valerie misses a planned intimate dinner at home to cover a local shooting. Thinking their marriage is over, Jared goes to a bar and hooks up with a gorgeous woman he barely knows. When Jared doesn't come home that night, Valerie realizes her marriage is in real trouble and that she wants to save it. She resigns as Chief Editor and takes a less-demanding position.
Valerie and Jared put the spark back into their marriage, doing the fun things they used to do together. Life is right in the Howarth household until Jared discovers that CANDICE, 20s, is pregnant. After a DNA test proves the child is his, Jared confesses to Valerie, and their relationship suffers.
Shortly after, Candice threatens to have an abortion, so Jared begs Valerie to adopt the child. After much consideration, Valerie and Jared meet with an attorney to gather information. During the meeting, they learn they will have to support Candice during the pregnancy as well as cover all her medical expenses. To alleviate some of the costs, Valerie and Jared move Candice into their home.
Just as things calm down in the household, Candice wrecks her car, and they learn she has cervical cancer. Candice undergoes chemotherapy and the couple support Candice, both physically and financially. Throughout this process, Valerie and Candice bond in a meaningful way. They go through the holiday season together, and just as this quasi-family clicks, Jared dies during an armed robbery.
The new situation causes Candice to reconsider the adoption. After much soul searching, Valerie decides to support Candice regardless of the outcome. After a difficult birth, the women learn Candice's cancer is back with a vengeance and that the child is of mixed race. Once they confirm the child is Jared's, Candice realizes her unknown father was black. Both women accept the child's ethnicity.
Financially sound with Jared's life insurance money and still unsure if Candice will allow her to adopt the child, Valerie quits her job and writes a book at home while caring for Candice and the baby. Through Valerie's sacrifice, Candice learns the real meaning of love and realizes Valerie is already the baby's mother. Candice signs the adoption papers, and Valerie takes steps to assure the child will never forget his birth mother.
About This Screenplay
EVOLVEMENT is written along the lines of films like STEPMOM and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, but it is its own story. I believe the heart-wrenching and the character-changing events will appeal to a wide audience. It has a strong female lead and a diverse cast in both race and sexuality.This screenplay was chosen for the 2019 online publication "The Budget List" [www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/TheBudgetList2018.pdf].