THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES

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COMING HOME
By Jennifer Ford

GENRE: Action, Drama
LOGLINE: When a hard-core Navy SEAL returns home on leave, he finds his home is missing- the address no longer exists, and as his memories clash with reality, he must discover the truth about himself and his past, while avoiding military forces sent to capture him.

SYNOPSIS:

Johnny “DB” Walker loves being a SEAL; it’s everything he’s ever wanted and makes him the man he knows he’s meant to be. His team disperses for some hard-earned R&R stateside and Johnny prepares for another face off with his antagonistic dad, a retired marine and his only family. But when Johnny reaches his small hometown, his house doesn’t exist. In fact, it may have never existed! Johnny’s confusion and paranoia grow when his attempts to call his dad and teammate are met with disconnected numbers. Johnny retreats to his favorite café, where a virtual stranger embraces him and claims to be his best friend. Painful and disconnected memories of this stranger further imbalance Johnny. He can’t remember this man, but his gut says Rafe can be trusted. Searching for answers, Johnny goes with Rafe. Memories clash with the reality he discovers; Johnny has a fiancé, an extended family, and they know him by a completely different name. None of this can be real. Johnny calls the naval base for help. They send a JAG to retrieve him, but a SWAT team arrives, sending Johnny on the run along with Rafe, and Johnny’s supposed fiancé, Clara. Johnny seeks to find out who he was as Gavin, while he works to determine why the military is using force to capture him. Clara is hiding something from him, something she hopes Johnny will never remember. To prove to his companions that he’s not just paranoid and the military is seeking him, Johnny sets a trap. He sends Rafe with their phones to draw their pursuers, while Johnny and Clara hide in a remote family cabin. When Johnny ends up in the very place he proposed to Clara, his memories of being Gavin leak in. They’re still two men in his mind, but Johnny’s affection for Clara is real. Rafe informs them the trap is sprung, and Johnny and Clara prepare to flee, but the cabin is overcome before they can escape. While in the act of subduing his opponents, Johnny has a flashback; Clara cheated on him. Feeling like he’s breaking in half, Johnny runs from his memories and the soldiers who claim to want to help him. He takes Clara and they join Rafe at a new location. Clara refuses to lose her man again. There’s a strange spot on the back of Johnny’s skull that when pressed, sends him into convulsions and reveals his memories of being Gavin. Gavin comes to terms with who he really is only to face what drove him to become Johnny in the first place. Clara not only had a one-night stand, but she became pregnant. The origin that Gavin wasn’t the father was only revealed when Clara had a miscarriage. The weight of losing his child and lover crushes Gavin again. His confidence is broken and the SEAL he became is stripped away along with all traces of Johnny. Clara becomes defensive of the reality she had to face alone, and her insults strike deep. Gavin seeks space to think, and when Clara and Rafe try to follow, a military crew knocks out Rafe and kidnaps Clara. Gavin returns too late to save Clara, and his anger turns to despair. Rafe reminds Gavin of his SEAL training and instills hope. Gavin locates where Clara is being held and infiltrates the building. The rescue is a success, but Gavin realizes he can’t continue fighting against his brothers in arms. He secures Clara with Rafe and turns himself in. Clara won’t give up on Gavin, and she calls her affluent father for help. They determine who is affiliated with the secret program holding Gavin in the hopes of manipulating a link. They catch a break when the Senator backing the program is a close friend to Clara’s father. Gavin returns to the naval compound where he was first changed into Johnny Walker. He can’t deal with Clara’s painful betrayal and he remembers just what escape being a SEAL gave him. He wants to forget the pain, which means forgetting Clara, and he requests to be erased so he can become Johnny forever. While permissions are obtained to proceed with the transformation, Gavin is challenged in his reasons for pursuing a permanent change. His conviction is rattled, but he stubbornly sticks with his choice to erase the past and start anew. Back home, Clara makes a video of the people who know and love Gavin. Rafe and her father assist to get it all done in time, while fighting for a chance to communicate with Gavin before it’s too late. Just as they’re beginning the brain erasing procedure on Gavin, the command in charge halts everything. Clara is brought in for a final meeting with Gavin. With the help of her video, she helps Gavin realize all he will lose, and in turn, how many will lose someone they love if he leaves. Clara owns her past mistakes, and in doing so starts the healing process for Gavin to move forward. Gavin finally realizes his pain isn’t worth losing his family, friends, and life over. He decides to leave the SEAL training program as Gavin to do the hard work to heal. When Gavin is finally able to return home, he makes amends with his family and friends. He and Clara start over slowly. Gavin has a new goal in life, and he uses the technology that turned him into a SEAL to help other military personnel break free of PTSD. He attributes his success to learning the value of family and embracing help from those who love you.

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