After getting struck by lightning, a middle-aged golf club designer is transformed into a musical savant; restoring a childhood dream but uprooting his stable life.

SYNOPSIS:

Sparked is a comedy-fantasy feature about one man’s battle against the doldrums of suburbia, and his unexpected call to artistic genius. It taps into themes of magical realism against a rich backdrop of 1970s Europe, Chicago and Hawaii and is similar in tone to films such as “A Serious Man” and “The Shape of Water”, where sensitive characters are freed from their stale lives and transformed by a supernatural and mysterious force.

Our main character is FRANK GROTTO, (50s) a golf club designer living in 1970s suburban Chicago. Sleepwalking through a midlife crisis at a job only his father wanted him to do, we meet him on the same day he is presenting a new club at a company event, with support from his wife WENDY DARIO (40s). In a moment of unexpected charisma, he hoists the club into the air and is struck by lightning, collapsing onstage.

After the accident, he faces legal battles from the company he works for and other strange troubles which gradually make him feel more and more like he’s been “cursed”. He even loses his beautiful afro from the side effects of the accident, (burnt hair follicles), further straining the already drifting relationship between him and his wife. This drift is expanded even more as she starts exploring the advice of psychics and her spiritual girlfriends.

One night Frank grabs an old violin from the closet, reigniting childhood memories of being a famous musician which were doused by his father. In this process, he quickly discovers the lightning strike has made him a musical savant. His new talent takes him across the country as a Ripley’s Believe it or Not style performer. TONY MACKEY (50s), a shady yet charming friend from his past, convinces Frank to become his manager as the media requests pile in. Soon Frank becomes exhausted by the nonstop touring, distance from his wife, and lack of creative freedom from Tony, so he heads for a new life in Europe to find his artistic voice and gain classical training.

While in Europe, Tony badmouths Frank on TV, essentially stunting his American career, and Wendy leaves him for a spiritual guru in Hawaii. During Frank’s travels, he has a musical awakening in Vienna from a mystical meeting with who he believes to be Johannes Brahms at Mahler’s historic music cabin in Steinbach. After this Frank feels called to go to Prague to begin his next chapter. Upon arrival in Prague, he changes his name to Otto Langstrom to distance himself from his American life. In Prague, he falls in love with ANNABELLE MONA, (30s) a quiet, and driven first chair cellist, who doesn’t care (or even know) about his lack of afro, as she helps him regain his sense of confidence and style. He begins collaborating and learning from her at the Prague Symphony, where he has secured a new position, after a round of grueling auditions hosted by conductor FRANCIS HALLS (70s).

As they grow closer, Frank out of shame from his accident and a desire to reinvent himself, starts constructing a bed of lies about his past, including his marriage, the lightning accident, and his musical training. The relationship deepens, and before Frank is about to ask Annabelle to move in with him, she catches a re-run of an American variety show with Frank, and his lies are quickly shattered. She confronts Frank about this, but he is in denial and won't admit anything. Annabelle breaks up with him.

Desperate, Frank tries to get his old life back — but it’s far too late. His old golf company wants nothing to do with him, (they’ve faced a series of lawsuits from golfers trying to electrocute themselves with a club for instant talent). Tony’s also not picking up the phone and Wendy just shares spiritual platitudes with Frank that don’t soothe the wound, but instead amplify his pain and loneliness. Amidst his depression, Frank is distracted at work and loses his role as first chair at the Prague Symphony before their winter concert. Ousted from his community, he makes one last ditch effort to try and win back Annabelle (from her partner Lee) by performing an original song.

However, in the process of performing, he is electrocuted by an electric violin he has rented just for the occasion. As Lee makes fun of Frank, Annabelle rushes to his side to help. As Frank recovers at the hospital, he realizes he has somehow lost his savant powers.

With nothing to lose, he teeters on the ledge of the hospital balcony, considering a jump to his death, but is saved last minute by a visit from Francis, who convinces him to make amends with Annabelle. Soon after, Frank and Annabelle meet at a local park. At first, she doesn’t listen to him and the two barely recover their connection, but later as Lee is caught “intimately mentoring” (aka cheating on) Anabelle with another musician, she and Frank have another reunion where she finally forgives him and decides to help him regain the musical skills he has lost, as long as he is always honest with her. As Frank is relearning the violin, and accepting this savant-less chapter of his life, he designs a new electric violin that is much safer and elegant; thus finally integrating his design skills into something he has a passion for (as opposed to golf).

A FEW MONTHS LATER: Frank holds his first showcase of his newly designed electric violin and Tony shows up to “support him”, and so does LLOYD FITZ (40s) a kind man from the NDSA (Natural Disaster Survivors Anonymous) group, a community which Frank used to frequent back in Chicago post-accident. After a successful show, Tony tries to smooth-talk Frank into a newly revised music deal, promising him all the creative freedom he could ever want. It’s a lot of money, and it almost wins Frank over, but in a rare moment of assertion, he summons the courage to finally call Tony out on all of his two-faced, controlling ways, and Tony finally backs off with Lloyd acting as de facto security, physically removing him from the green room.

That night, Lloyd, Frank, and Annabelle all go out for drinks. On the walk home, Frank passes by a homeless gypsy-looking man on the street, who reminds him of Brahms from Steinbach. He decides to give him some money, surprising Annabelle who isn’t used to seeing this generous side of him.

As the trio walks away, a haunting, slow violin melody begins to play. As we rise above the city, the weather becomes stormier. Frank, feeling panicked almost has a heart attack from the chilling fear of being struck again as he stares at the skeletons adorned on the famous Astronomical Prague Orlo Clock. He seeks safety in an alleyway in Annabelle’s arms as the lightning strikes the clock, its impact ringing across the square, seeming to stop time. After a tense beat, which the whole neighborhood seems to feel…the hands of time continue. Unbroken by the strike.

Annabelle helps Franks back to his feet. Lloyd is there by Frank’s side too, encouraging him to relax with some NDSA breathing techniques. As they all leave the square, we discover the source of music to be from the Brahms-character playing a dusty violin to a few passersby and late-night drunks around him. There is a gentle, almost fatherly look of pride in his eyes, as he watches the trio walk away.

CUT TO BLACK.

End Note: I am drawn to, and believe in this story because I have always been fascinated by people who have had their dreams deferred, especially when it comes to the father and son dynamic. Whether in playing music, acting, singing, or other outlets. I’ve known many people who were incredibly talented but didn’t feel the courage or weren’t “sparked” enough to develop this creative interest and make it their main focus. I want Frank’s story as whimsical, funny, and dark as it might seem, to ultimately inspire others to realize their inner spark.