When a 60-year-old Midwestern housewife becomes a sudden widow after her husband dies in a freak accident involving a ladder, a big city mobster shows up, insisting she settle the debt he left behind due to his secret online gambling habit. This unexpected financial fiasco forces her to rekindle the budding acting career she’d abandoned in her 20s and return to Hollywood… because nothing says "midlife crisis" like paying off a mobster with a comeback acting gig.

SYNOPSIS:

Meet Emma and Bob Cramer, your average Midwestern hardware store owners with a flair for amateur theater—and a marriage that's lasted longer than the lifespan of Bob's favorite rickety ladder. Their 35 years of blissful ignorance comes to a screeching halt when Bob, in an unfortunate ladder finale, bites the dust, revealing a secret gambling debt that's as surprising as his ladder skills were lacking.

Enter Derek Tobasco whose threats make the town gossip seem like a friendly chat over a cup of tea. Maise, one of Emma's daughters, probably armed with a questionable sense of financial advice, convinces her that the true Hollywood path to riches is paved with aging actresses dusting off their dreams. Emma, initially horrified at the idea, reluctantly packs her bags for LA, where she discovers that Hollywood's love for older women is as scarce as a good deal at a going-out-of-business sale.

But wait, the plot thickens! Turns out, Tinseltown is in dire need of "real women" for the historical biopic "The Donner Party Women." Enter Emma, Midwest charm and original facial features, who secures the lead role and an Oscar nomination with the help of a pushy agent called Gwen Winter.

Now Emma's got more offers than a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, a surplus of cash, and a bit of selective memory loss. Life's a glitzy blur until Derek the Mobster reappears, jogging her memory about the debt. Now, with newfound fame, a British rocker boyfriend named Sean, and the debt questionably hanging over her head, Emma faces the ultimate dilemma: pay up and settle down or disappear into the Hollywood sunset with her rockstar beau.