After her drag queen brother is brutally assaulted, a shy ordinary girl goes against the religious values of her small town, on her own journey of self-discovery to win a stiletto marathon in his honor.

SYNOPSIS:

CATALENE GRANDISE is an unobtrusive, shy, ordinary girl who idolizes her older brother, LEON, a prodigal drag queen and beautician. When Leon is brutally assaulted and left for dead by her longtime bully, Catalene enters a stiletto marathon to win money for his cosmetology tuition. Under the weight of her father’s archaic ideas of masculinity and her mother’s need for validation from their church community, Catalene overcomes goliath-like obstacles to remake herself in her brother’s image and win the marathon. Incidentally, with the help of her brother’s drag family, Catalene defines her own image and changes the perspectives everyone around her.

Act 1:

CATALENE and LEON GRANDISE are at home with their mother, SABLE GRANDISE, when they’re visited by a beaten and battered PATRICIA ANNE VINCENT. As is the routine, Leon extends compassion to Patricia Anne, putting his beautician skills to work to repair her bruised face. Patricia Anne shows she is anything but a friend when she denies Leon membership in the church choir, because of his sexual orientation. Later, Leon encounters Patricia Anne’s son and Catalene’s longtime nemesis, HARRISON, at a gay bar. Harrison brutally assaults Leon and leaves him for dead. Conflicted with his son’s sexuality and his own ideals of proper masculinity, LEON “SENIOR” GRANDISE doesn’t react when he gets the call that Leon is in the ICU. The emotional uphill battle for Sable and Catalene however, is just beginning. Doctors put Leon in a medicinal coma, and it isn’t long before the rest of the town hears about it. As a result, Senior’s route at work is cut. While picking up her brother’s things from his club, Catalene finds a flyer for a stiletto marathon, offering money to the winners. She later decides to enter. Her cousin, RUDY, learns that obstacle one in the marathon is in a bar and decides to teach Catalene how to drink.

Act 2:

Catalene tells her parents about entering the marathon. Senior isn’t thrilled but accepts it. Sable is intrigued, agreeing to take Catalene to buy herself some new stilettoes. Catalene begins practicing walking in heels. When she learns Catalene is entering a marathon, Patricia Anne confronts Catalene, warning her that it will ruin her mother’s reputation in the churchs. This catalyzes Catalene’s alcohol abuse. Rudy progresses Catalene’s training, teaching her to run. Meanwhile, Leon awakes from his coma and meets the loyal, kindhearted NURSE RICHARD. When hearing that Leon is awake, Harrison bullying intensifies. The Grandise family happily visits Leon often, save for Senior who struggles to provide for his family in Leon’s absence, resulting in Sable getting a job. Sable and Catalene struggle with the church’s self-righteous reaction to Leon’s assault. Patricia Anne prompts Sable to try and convince Leon to withdraw his report to the police, naming Harrison as his assaulter. Leon finally confronts his mother about her inability to defend herself and her children. Though her family is falling apart, Catalene continues practicing for the race, enlisting the help of the drag Empress, Miss Pritty Kitty, and Leon’s drag sister, Charity. After weeks of their instruction, Catalene is hopeful about the marathon until Harrison attempts to rape her. She escapes his advances but is mentally and physically scarred. A drunken spiral ensues, and she quits the marathon. When Leon hears about Harrison’s attack on Catalene, he feels as if life is moving forward, while stagnantly recovers, unable to protect his family.

Act 3:

Sable realizes that her inability to protect her children has been a great detriment. She confronts Catalene’s alcoholism and encourages to start practicing for the race again. Now struggling with physical therapy, Leon voices his frustration to Nurse Richard. Nurse Richard encourages Leon to keep going. With new self-realization, Sable confronts Senior about his inability to accept Leon and be the father Leon needs. She then challenges Patricia Anne about Harrison’s crimes and being a hypocrite, leaving Patricia Anne’s reputation ruined. The Vincents’ luck runs out completely when police arrest Harrison for Leon’s assault. Senior heeds Sable’s advice and mends fences with Leon. Catalene, newly motivated, runs the marathon but is devistated when her ankle breaks, only steps from the finish line. To everyone’s surprise, Senior resolves carries Cataline to the end, taking second place. Catalene maintains that she’ll pay her winnings towards Leon’s cosmetology tuition. The movie ends a year following, with the family celebrating Leon. Sable and Senior have learned to fully support their children. Catalene has shed her trepidation and is the woman she always idolized, inside and out.