Beneath the Glass

### **Beneath the Glass**
**A Film/TV Treatment**

**1. Logline**

On the brink of financial collapse, the pragmatic daughter of a local hockey legend must secure a last-ditch Christmas Day deal with a powerful investor that could save her community’s beloved rink, but risks sacrificing its soul and her father’s legacy in the process.

**2. Synopsis**

On a frigid Christmas Eve in the decaying office of the Blackwood Harbour community rink, MAURA O’CONNELL is overwhelmed by a mountain of debt that threatens to close the club for good. With her pragmatic friend JASON, she faces the grim reality: the rink's infrastructure is failing, and funds are non-existent. Their only hope is a Christmas Day meeting with a wealthy businessman, MR. ALBRIGHT. The situation is complicated by Maura's father, DECLAN, the club's founder and a local hero from the legendary '98 championship team. Declan refuses to acknowledge the severity of the crisis, insisting that the "O'Connell spirit" and community grit—the very things that built the rink—are all that's needed to save it. As Maura grapples with her father’s stubborn idealism and the crushing weight of responsibility for her son and community, the stakes are raised when Jason reveals Albright is bringing a "consultant" to "streamline" operations. Maura realizes the meeting is not a simple plea for help, but a high-stakes negotiation that could force her to choose between the club's survival and its very identity.

**3. Character Breakdown**

* **MAURA O’CONNELL (30s):** Pragmatic, weary, and burdened by the weight of a legacy she never asked for. A single mother, she is fiercely protective of her son and the community the rink represents. She is the grounded, modern counterpoint to her father's romanticized view of the past, forced to make impossible choices with the club's future on her shoulders.

* **JASON (30s):** A loyal friend and the club's de facto business manager. He is a realist who understands the cold, hard numbers. He respects Declan and the club's history but knows that nostalgia doesn't pay the bills. He serves as Maura's anchor to reality, providing measured advice and quiet support.

* **DECLAN O’CONNELL (60s):** A former hockey hero, built like the defenseman he once was. He is the heart and soul of the O'Connell Junior Jets, but he is trapped in the glory of the past—specifically, the improbable 1998 championship win. Boisterous, proud, and deeply sentimental, he sees the rink not as a business, but as a living monument to community, honour, and perseverance. His denial of the financial crisis is his greatest flaw and Maura's biggest obstacle.

**4. Scene Beats**

* **THE WEIGHT OF WINTER:** In the cold, grim rink office, Maura stares out at the empty arena, overwhelmed by a stack of bills. The setting is established: old, decaying, but full of history. Jason grounds the scene with practical concerns—the failing boiler and ice plant. The financial crisis is immediate and tangible.

* **LEGACY VS. LEDGER:** Maura confronts the myth of her father's "Spirit of '98" fund, dismissing it as a legend that can't solve their real-world problems. The central conflict is established: her father's romantic past versus her pragmatic present.

* **THE CHRISTMAS DAY ULTIMATUM:** Jason reminds Maura of their meeting tomorrow—Christmas Day—with Mr. Albright. The timing underscores the desperation of their situation. Maura’s bitter reaction reveals the pressure she is under.

* **THE GHOST OF '98 ARRIVES:** Declan O'Connell enters, full of bluster and bravado, bringing the cold and the scent of the rink with him. He immediately clashes with Maura's somber mood, urging her to remember the "O'Connell spirit."

* **THE UNBRIDGABLE DIVIDE:** The core family argument unfolds. Maura presents the facts of their insolvency with invoices and balance sheets. Declan counters with anecdotes of past victories and speeches about "soul" and "grit," dismissing her concerns as a lack of faith.

* **A MOMENT OF VULNERABILITY:** While searching for a file, Maura finds a childhood drawing from her son, Cian. This is a quiet, powerful beat that solidifies her motivation: she is fighting for the next generation's dreams, not just preserving the past.

* **THE CRACK IN THE ARMOR:** Declan’s boisterousness fades as he sees Maura's desperation. He softens, acknowledging her intelligence (like her late mother's) but still struggles to accept the reality of the situation. He delivers a quiet, profound speech about the club's true purpose: building character and community.

* **THE NEW THREAT:** Jason drops the bombshell: Mr. Albright is bringing a "consultant" to "streamline" operations. The word hangs in the air, shifting the dynamic from a potential partnership to a hostile takeover.

* **A FATHER'S DECREE:** Declan's pride is wounded. He warns Maura that "streamlining" means cutting the club's heart out. In a moment of rare, bittersweet wisdom, he tasks her with discerning which changes are necessary and which threaten their core identity, reminding her: "An O'Connell does not beg. We negotiate."

* **THE LONELY VIGIL:** The scene ends with Maura alone at her desk, the festive Christmas lights outside mocking her internal dread. She holds a puck, a tangible piece of the legacy she must now defend. The weight of her father's words, the community's future, and the impending meeting settle upon her. She is resolved, but terrified.

**5. Visual Style**

* **Palette & Tone:** A stark contrast between two worlds. The interior of the rink office is desaturated and cold—dominated by institutional greys, faded blues, and the sickly yellow of old fluorescent lights. The world outside the window is alive with the warm, vibrant, almost dreamlike colours of the town's Christmas lights. This visual dichotomy reflects Maura’s internal conflict between grim reality and fragile hope.

* **Texture:** The world is tactile and worn. We see and feel the grime on the window, the peeling paint on filing cabinets, the deep scars in Declan’s desk, the rust on lockers, and the worn fabric of their coats. The rink is a character, its age and decay telling a story of a thousand battles fought on and off the ice.

* **Lighting:** The office is lit by a harsh, flickering overhead fluorescent that creates a sense of unease and clinical pressure. The only warmth comes from a small desk lamp and the glow of the Christmas lights bleeding in from outside. The faded team photos on the wall should be lit to feel like sacred, almost ghostly relics of a bygone era.

* **Camera:** The camera should feel intimate and observational. Handheld shots during tense conversations will enhance the feeling of instability. Slow pushes in on Maura’s face will capture her quiet desperation. The window will be used as a recurring motif, framing Maura as trapped between the cold, dying institution and the vibrant community she is trying to save.