QSWfilm

THE QUARTER-STEP WALTZ

by
RALEIGH MARCELL

contempoary comedy 94 pages
WGA Registered

CONTACT THE AUTHOR
AUTHOR'S AGENT
Mary Ann Amato

HERE
to view PDF file of the
first 10 pages of
THE QUARTER-STEP WALTZ

HOME

A lovable old cranky Cajun sugarcane farmer fends off threats to his idyllic existence from his Voodoo-queen of a sister-in-law, a loony brother who's exiled himself up in a 200 year-old live oak tree, one son who wants to start growing soybeans, and a wayward son returning home in search of his Cajun roots. But the old man can always find refuge in the form of a magical Cajun band inside his head.

Laissez les bon ton rouler--!
(Let the good times roll)

* WINNER OF TELLUIDE INDIEFEST SCREENWRITING CONTEST *

Against the backdrop of the Louisiana Suarcane Festival, a cranky lovable old Cajun sugarcane farmer�s family threatens to destroy his idyllic existence.

His youngest son, who works for an oil company, is being transferred to the end of the earth: Beaumont, Texas. The oldest son wants to drain the old man�s crawfish ponds and start growing soybeans instead of sugarcane. His voodoo-queen of a sister-in-law is a constant irritant. Her husband, the old man�s brother, ran off 10 years ago only to return this weekend and promptly take up living up in a 200 year old live oak tree.

And the old man�s ever forbearing wife doesn�t like him enjoying the only refuge he has from this strife: A magical Cajun Band inside his head which he can summon up for a waltz or a two-step when the need arises. He believes every Cajun�s got a band inside his head. That�s what makes them what they are.

Into this, the third son returns home with a new bride and a big chip on his shoulder.

In front of the family�s Cajun Inquisition, the new bride fails miserably. She�s not a Catholic. She can�t cook. And they�re not planning on having a family. Only her passionate desire to learn Cajun cooking from her new mother-in-law saves her.

The third son is not so lucky as his bride. That chip on his shoulder is his resentment over his not being a Cajun. He blames the old man for not passing on the culture and the language to him. The son can�t even dance a simple two-step.

This all comes to a head Saturday night at the Festival fais-do-do (dance) when the son blows up at having to be taught to two-step, something which ought to come naturally.

He takes refuge with his uncle up in the 200 year old live oak tree. The uncle�s exiled himself up there because he blames his voodoo-queen of a wife for destroying his taste buds over the years by deliberately feeding him increasingly bland gumbos in an effort to lure him back to Louisiana and into her arms.

Together, up in the tree, slightly drunk, the son and the uncle discover what it means to be �Cajun�.

The uncle gets his taste buds restored with a magical voodoo gumbo cooked by the queen. And the son discovers the Band that has been inside his head all along, only now he can hear it.

And to top it all off the new bride has cooked a pretty decent gumbo.

So --- Laissez les bon ton rouler---! (Let the good times roll!)

HOME

other screenplays:
BEAUTIFUL OASIS
THE LADIES OF THE SACRED SOUTH
AURORA LEIGH
ELSIE VENNER

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws