Thorns and Roses – Richard Beszhak | Screenwriter

"An edgy exploration of the distance a parent can go."

- Reader

logline:

Perfectionist mother and master gardener, Rachel, has bodies buried in her yard.
When her husband Adam uncovers the truth, he finds she’s hiding much, much more.

synopsis:

act one

Rachel is a competitive, perfectionist mother and housewife. Everything about her home and family is perfect. She has two children, junior high aged Olivia and a high schooler named Madison. Rachel is heavily involved in all thing’s sports, school and hobbies and you do NOT want to be the one who questions the perfection of those girls. Rachel’s husband and the girl’s stepfather Adam is a good man and terrific provider. He understands to leave all the decision making about the girls to Rachel until the day he announces that he’s getting quotes for a swimming pool. The problem is, in addition to her smothering tendencies, Rachel is also a master gardener and putting in a pool would disturb her perfect garden not to mention possibly expose the bodies buried around the yard.

act two

Rachel is busy composting a recent kill in her garden shed when she is discovered by Adam. This new revelation isn’t helped by the fact a subtle detective has begun to snoop around and take the approach of befriending Rachel. Reluctantly and fearfully deciding that keeping the family together is best for the girls, Adam must now learn to live with a murderer as well as the possibility the detective may be getting close. He too will do anything for those daughters. As though that isn’t enough it comes time for the second reveal, and we learn that Rachel isn’t a murderer at all. Turns out that trauma from the girl’s biological father has made a cold and calculated psychopath out of Madison. All of Rachel’s burials have actually been cover-ups, pardon the pun, for Madison’s victims. You’ll thoroughly enjoy the montage of all of Madison’s kills and the whys.

act three

Adam goes through several creepy moments learning to live this new life. He contemplates taking Oliva and making a run for it. So, here we are with a murderous teen, an accomplice mother, an innocent little sister, a conflicted stepfather, and a cop getting close. It all comes to a head with a confrontation in the family’s home. Sorry, but not all of them can survive. Maybe some bodies could go beneath a new swimming pool?

comps:

Lovely Bones

The Good Son

The Bad Seed

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