NARRATIVE - YOU DON’t Know Jack
Narrative Series
Title: You Don't Know Jack
TRT: 30 minute episodic
Project Status: In Development
Logline
When a recently divorced, financially-strapped, self-help enthusiast is entrusted with his naive daughters, ages 11 and 15, in New York City the summer of 1988, he relishes exposing their suburban minds to outrageous city escapades as he develops a personal growth seminar that “will” turn him into a millionaire—with the girls’ help.
Synopsis
Free-spirit JACK WRIGHT has yet to make his mark. It’s 1988, Gordon Gekko declared “Greed is good”, and Jack is determined to become a millionaire via his new personal growth seminar, “You Don’t Know Jack… Yet!” But not without the help from his two daughters, ages 11 and 15, whom he puts to work folding flyers and phonebanking potential attendees after they are dumped on him by his ex for a summer in New York City, a far cry from the Tucson suburbs they know.
It’s not all unpaid family labor in a crappy illegal sublet in the West Village. Jack relishes the opportunity to open their sheltered eyes to the wonders of the city, even if that includes sleazy bars and midnight shows at the theater. Boy, do those girls have a weird and off-putting summer ahead! Jack hopes, in the process, they will be moved to forgive him for cheating on their mother, or at least, be too distracted to care!
The series is an irreverent, fun, and heartfelt look at a dysfunctional family finding trust and love for each other after an ugly divorce— with the help of wacky and flat-out inappropriate adventures along the way.
It’s also a testament to the 80’s when hair was big but dreams were even bigger and morals were highly questionable. It will capture the zeitgeist of the period in all of its nostalgic charm and ridiculousness through the lens of 21st century views on sexism, heterosexism, classism, and racism.
Additional Project Information
Family, coming of age, and pursuit of success stories are always relatable and engaging engines for episodic series. What makes a story from 1988 especially relevant is that the ‘80s set the stage for today’s socio-economic problems. Reagan’s conservative policies resulted in rising homelessness, unprecedented income disparity, homophobia, a backlash against women’s rights, and civil rights losses for BIPOC that we have yet to recover from. On top of this, the “YUPPIE” exodus to the suburbs left poor people and racial minorities in cities burdened by high unemployment rates, crumbling infrastructures, and deteriorating schools. Despite this gritty reality, people were still unabashedly optimistic, the New Age movement (think chakras and crystals) boomed, and the richest got richer. Fun contrasts to expose!
Writer/Director Andrea Ashton’s instinct for capturing what it is to be human has resulted in short films and pilots that win awards, charm hearts, and rack up tens of thousands of views. She’s been a second-rounder for both Sundance and Film Independent Labs and her early film work is archived at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an honor reserved for movies they feel represent significant contributions to the art and science of motion pictures. Her projects are smart, edgy, unafraid of tackling uncomfortable subjects, and exhibit an unexpected and enjoyably subversive sense of humor. A member of NYWIFT, Cinefemme, and NYC Women Filmmakers, she’s an active proponent of bringing more female voices to screens big and little.
Team
Creator: Andrea Ashton
Financials
TBD
Seeking
Producing Partners, Production Company
Rights Available
All Rights Available
Project Website
Contact
Andrea Ashton
andreaashton99@gmail.com