When polio takes the legs of the beautiful young wife of an up-and-coming local politician, she tries her entire life to stand up on her own two feet, after having 9 children. 1950, 60's, 70's

SYNOPSIS:

HUNT and ‘THE KID’

Genre – Family Drama Romance Pages - 90

Time – 50’s-60’s-70’s Rating – PG-13

Setting – Rural New York M = Marilyn, ‘The Kid’

H = Hunter

Act I

1954 - McGraths Tavern - Irish bagpipes play as beautiful, Marilyn, 23, ‘the Kid’, (M), jigs hard on

St. Patrick's Day. Hubby Hunter, 25, (H), their 3 Kids and Friends party. H is asked to run for office.

Months Later – M is quarantined. Dr. Salk meets M and H with the news. Polio has taken M’s legs.

Rehab hospital - Dr. Madden and M go head to head. Reality sets in.

Mayor’s Office – H is elected Town Mayor and pretty Meg is hired as his secretary. M comes home.

1957 - New Home - H and buddies build a new home to accommodate M and the Kids.

St. James Rectory – M and H discuss birth control with Monsignor.

Swimming Pool – M and Judy (friend) discuss H’s probability of ‘cheating’, as Kids swim.

Master Bedroom – M tells H she wants more children. H deviates, but they make love anyway.

Hospital - 9 Months Later – M gives birth to 1st child with polio but H is at a meeting in Albany.

Act II

1963 – Saw Mill Dam - A roaring crowd welcomes Bobby Kennedy as he helicopters in to endorse H.

M, on crutches, sings the national anthem on stage with 6 Kids running about. Meg takes charge. Insecurity festers within M.

Grammar School – M volunteers and is confronted by daughter Faith and her friends about polio.

Kitchen – M cooks dinner. She is crabby, drinking wine, ordering the Kids around…waiting for H to come home. Finally, H comes home, drunk. M makes a confession at the dinner table. “I did not fall on the ice, I did not break my legs, I have polio and I will not get any better”. She apologizes and announces she is pregnant again. Hunt pops a bottle of champagne for M and requests a moment of silence. H tells the Kids Bobby Kennedy was shot and he disappears into the basement. Silence as they turn on the news.

Court House – The Family attends the swearing-in of H as County Executive and Meg as his ‘right hand’.

Many Years later - Kitchen – M, a bit vinous, enters in the dark on her crutches. M falls and crashes onto the floor. She sits there bruised. H discovers her. They have a bitter argument. H bought a log cabin in the mountains without asking M. He is never home. M wants a divorce. H laughs at her. M is serious.

Act III

NY Thruway – M gets in her handicapped van and drives north past Albany to the mountains. Freedom!

Log Cabin – M navigates up to the beautiful cabin but destroys the doors with her electric wheelchair to get to the toilet. M enjoys the solitude and falls asleep on a couch.

FLASHBACK – M dancing and singing as a young starlet before polio.

Log Cabin –Knock Knock! H has sent Sheriff to check on M. M takes advantage of a special moment of pleasure when Sheriff picks her up and puts her into her wheelchair to head home.

Many Many Years Later – Bathroom - M soaks in her handicapped jacuzzi. H steps out of the shower.

H helps M hook up her remote ‘cocoon’ that lifts M and tracks her along the ceiling to their bedroom. They banter about their 50-Anniversary weekend party at the cabin. Daughters and grandchildren come and go as M and H get dressed, excited for the big event. Meg calls and M invites Meg to the party.

Log Cabin – On a huge lawn a tent is set - dinner for 60. A band plays. Grandkids, daughters, sons, in-laws, nieces, and nephews play volleyball, horseshoes, and target shoot near a bar and dancefloor. At dinner, Hunter, Jr. leads a prayer. H and M toast their devoted love. Various funny stories surface. The band kicks it up and everyone heads to the dance floor. M puts her electric jazzy wheelchair into motion. Everyone dances until daughter Faith kills the music. On piano, Faith plays a family favorite. Everyone claps and chants for M to sing. H comes to M side. Reluctantly, but beautifully, M sings ‘How Lucky You Are’. The family cherishes this moment forever. The love and music flow to THE END.