The Great Tree Rescue

### **Title:** The Great Tree Rescue

**Logline:** When a fierce blizzard strands their parents and threatens to cancel Christmas, a determined brother and sister team up to secretly rescue their most important family tradition: the Christmas tree.

**Synopsis:**
Trapped at home during a massive snowstorm, ten-year-old MARK and his seven-year-old sister NANCY learn their parents won't make it home in time to put up the Christmas tree. Faced with Nancy's crushing disappointment, Mark makes a bold decision: they will do it themselves. Their mission becomes a series of escalating challenges, transforming their familiar house into a landscape of adventure. They battle the elements to drag the heavy fir tree inside from the snow-covered porch, venture into the spooky garage to find the rusty tree stand, and ascend to the shadowy attic for the decorations. Their greatest challenge lies in a seemingly impossible, tangled mess of Christmas lights, a puzzle they solve by working together and sharing memories of Christmases past. In a moment of pure triumph, they succeed in lighting the tree, filling their dark living room with a warm, magical glow and proving that they can create their own Christmas magic, even in the middle of a storm. Their victory is interrupted by a sudden, unexpected knock at the door.

**Character Breakdown:**

* **MARK (10):** The reluctant leader. Weighed down by the responsibility of being the older brother, he tries to project a confidence he doesn't always feel. His journey is one of stepping up, moving from quiet resignation to proactive determination, all fueled by a fierce love for his little sister. He's practical, resourceful, and braver than he thinks.

* **NANCY (7):** The heart of the operation. An imaginative and sensitive soul whose world is built on promises and traditions. Her initial heartbreak is the catalyst for the entire adventure. While physically small, she possesses a surprising amount of grit and provides the emotional encouragement Mark needs to keep going. She is rarely seen without her one-eyed teddy bear, BARNABY.

**Scene Beats:**

* **THE EMPTY CORNER:** We open on a quiet, cold living room. The blizzard rages outside, a blue-white blur against the windows. An empty corner waits expectantly. The mood is one of disappointment and broken promises.

* **THE PROMISE OF TOMORROW:** Mark confirms their parents are stuck due to the snow. He delivers the news with the heavy finality of a ten-year-old trying to be an adult. Nancy’s lower lip trembles—the emotional stakes are set.

* **THE CRAZY IDEA:** Seeing Nancy's devastation, a spark ignites in Mark. He proposes they put up the tree themselves as a surprise. The atmosphere shifts instantly from despair to a conspiratorial, adventurous hope.

* **GEARING UP:** A charming, tactile sequence of the kids struggling into their oversized winter gear—a stuck zipper on a pink parka, puddle boots for a blizzard, a hated woolly hat. It grounds their grand adventure in a relatable, childlike reality.

* **THE BATTLE WITH THE FIR:** Their first major physical obstacle. The kids versus the massive, snow-laden fir tree on the porch. Shot to emphasize their small scale against the heavy tree and the deep snow. They succeed through grunts, slips, and sheer, uncoordinated teamwork.

* **THE GARAGE QUEST:** The mission to find the tree stand takes them into the dark, shadowy garage. Long, creepy shadows are cast by a single bare bulb. It's a mini-horror movie moment, overcome by Mark's feigned bravery for Nancy's sake. They emerge, triumphant, with a rusty, forgotten relic.

* **THE ATTIC ASCENT:** Upping the stakes, they face the even spookier attic, accessed by a creaky, pull-down ladder. The flashlight beam cuts through a dusty darkness, revealing forgotten objects like ghosts under sheets. This is the heart of the "forbidden" zone.

* **THE IMPOSSIBLE KNOT:** They confront their main antagonist: a massive, tangled ball of old Christmas lights. It looks hopeless. Mark's confidence wavers. This is the puzzle that requires more than just brute force.

* **A PUZZLE OF MEMORIES:** As they painstakingly work on the wires, they begin to talk, sharing memories sparked by the task—Dad almost falling off the ladder, a single blue light that wouldn't work. The untangling of the lights becomes intertwined with the untangling of their shared family history, strengthening their bond.

* **LET THERE BE LIGHT:** The climax of their efforts. Mark plugs in the string of lights. A beat of suspense, then—CLICK. One by one, the fat, colorful bulbs flicker to life, casting a warm, magical glow that transforms the room and banishes the shadows. It is a moment of pure, earned triumph.

* **A QUIET VICTORY:** The kids stand back, admiring their work. The blizzard outside feels a world away. They have created a safe, warm bubble of Christmas, all on their own. The room is filled with the smell of pine and the soft hum of the lights.

* **THE KNOCK:** A sharp, sudden knock on the front door cuts through their quiet moment, startling them and the audience. The outside world has just broken in.

**Visual Style:**

* **A TALE OF TWO WORLDS:** The visual language will be built on a stark contrast. **Outside:** Cold, chaotic, and desaturated. The blizzard will be shot with a blueish, monochromatic palette, emphasizing its power and impersonality. **Inside:** Warm, intimate, and golden. The interior of the house will be lit with soft, practical sources (lamps, a crackling fireplace), creating a feeling of a cozy sanctuary. This contrast will become more pronounced as the children succeed.

* **CHILD'S-EYE VIEW:** The camera will often be positioned at Mark and Nancy's eye level. This will make the tree feel enormous, the attic ladder impossibly high, and the garage shadows more menacing. It immerses the audience fully in their perspective, making their challenges and triumphs feel larger than life.

* **THE MAGIC OF LIGHT:** Light is a key visual motif. The film begins in dim, grey light. The first spark of warmth comes from the fireplace. The true transformation, however, comes from the Christmas lights. Their glow should feel magical and transformative, painting the room in rich, jewel-toned colors (reds, greens, blues) that feel vibrant and alive against the bleakness of the storm. The final shot before the knock should be a painterly tableau of the two small children bathed in the glow of their accomplishment.