Title : Brian and the River Horse

Click for : .pdf version of the full screenplay  and full synopsis

Writer : Julie Henson (aka Julie Stewart)

Copyright Status : Registered with The Writers Guild of America (West) under my married name - Julie Stewart - Reg N° : 1169773

Log Line : Six year old Brian kidnaps a baby hippo for his terminally ill mother in the mistaken belief that this will make her “as good as new”. This is a life-affirming story about the power of a child’s imagination and determination.

Comment Log Line : A heart-warming but nostalgia-free, family drama, showing the power of a child’s determination and imagination.

Market Audience : “Life is Beautiful”, “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Bringing Up Baby”

Genre : Family drama/comedy

Setting of Story : In the present – “anytown” in any country. Most of the action takes place in (1) a reasonably spacious family home and garden, (2) one enclosed area and some general open areas of a zoo and (3) the corridors, a public ward and a side ward of a hospital.

Background to Story: The hospital discharges Brian’s mother. He thinks that this is good news, but the continued withdrawal of his father, aggression of his sister and depression of his grandfather confuse him. Then he finds the answer to all their problems.

Marketablity : This film could be made on a low budget and would work well as a television film or perhaps even a one or two part drama. It would work well commercially as it could be aimed at children of all ages as well as adults. It also raises issues about death and childhood anxiety, which may be helpful to both children and adults.

Synopsis : Whilst her family is coming to terms with Alice’s imminent death, Brian misunderstands a comment made by his father and convinces himself that all his mother needs is a little rest and a baby pygmy hippo in order to be “as good as new”. Alice was a hippo keeper before her illness and her favourite hippo has had a baby - Amber. Alice is too sick to visit Amber herself.

Although the impetus for Brian’s quest is the terminal illness of his mother the story is nostalgia-free. We are unsure if he really understands the situation, but clearly, the changed dynamics within his family are having a profound effect upon him. He seems to be coping through play, especially with his friend, Robbie. However, there are signs of his internal distress. The plucking of petals off flowers is a powerful recurring motif as are his “pretend play” episodes, which decrease in frequency as his character arc develops with his understanding of the reality of the situation.

Brian and Robbie hatch a plan to kidnap Amber. Alice unwittingly gives them advice about the care of a baby hippo. As soon as they persuade Grandfather Joe to take them to the zoo in a van, their adventure begins. Using some unlikely objects – a defunct ice-cream cart, a megaphone, cardboard masks, sugar-free lollipops, and a folding canoe – they carry out a successful kidnap. They get past zookeepers, security cameras, guards, television cameras and a zoo full of visitors. Back home they find Brian’s mother on medication and barely aware of their presence. Then she collapses and has to go back into hospital.

This is failure – their lowest point.

Undeterred, they realize that now they must take Amber to visit Alice in hospital. They have converted some of their antagonists into allies and together they work out a plan to get the pungent and unhygienic wild animal into the sterile world of the hospital.

They get her past a drunk, a receptionist, a nurse and a doctor. When Amber escapes, a ward full of resourceful no-nonsense old women and their mint humbugs turns out to be very useful.