A flying squirrel must overcome his sudden heights phobia to help his scurry (squirrel group) outsmart stupid men who are bent on ridding every single “pest” from 1890’s Central Park.

SYNOPSIS:

A feature in the vein of Fantastic Mr. Fox & Zootopia.

It is written from the point of view of the squirrels.

It’s the 1890's and men are building epic skyscrapers while taming wilderness wherever it blocks “progress.” Men decide that the few thousand squirrels in Central Park are a nuisance and must be removed.

HAROLD NUTGATHERER, dashing squirrel and brave flier, has his normal world shattered when he crashes to the empty ground where a tree has been uprooted. Harold now has a heights phobia whenever he looks down – tough luck for a flying squirrel. He next learns that his home, Central Park, is surrounded by men, some of whom would like to rid the place of Harold, his nerdy sister ELEANOR, his goofy pal MIKEY WALNUTS, and the gal he likes but is a little intimidated by, adventure-seeking TRINA.

Harold’s mentor, OLD FUZZTAIL, a long-winded yet wise squirrel, warns Harold about the threat of men. He invites Harold to join the squirrel resistance. Yet Harold is comfortable with his status quo — shopping at "Hole" Foods, foraging with Mikey and Eleanor. Only every time he goes to fly Harold’s knees give out, his stomach lurches, and the ground flutters nauseatingly.

Harold with Eleanor find that many scurries (groups of squirrels) within the massive park are prepared for war. Some have built medieval moats, while others have formed ninja societies. Eleanor falls in love with PETER, a “country” squirrel from the other side of the park, and they have a whirlwind romance, complete with matching sweaters and picnics.

Yet, mean, stupid men return -- Harold must rescue his sister the Central Park Menagerie. He climbs into the wrong enclosure however and happens upon Niles, a grizzly bear, who he learns is much larger than a squirrel. The bear roars and distracts men and Harold scoops up his purloined pals.

Harold becomes the leader of the Central Park squirrels, and he suggests they take the Beach Pneumatic Train (real) down to Broadway to take in a show or two. Men destroy the squirrel homes when they’re gone. Harold and his fellows must rebuild their defenses as they prepare for another invasion of bowler-hat-wearing JACK and his fellows. Eleanor uses diplomacy with other, sympathetic men. Later, these men place a sign that everyone must respect the residents (the squirrels) of the park as they go about their Very Important Business.

Yet, Jack the bowler-hat man cares not for the sign, and he and his men return and kidnap every squirrel in Harold's scurry. Jack takes Harold, Trina, and Mikey on a park-wide chase through a moat -- he gets snapped by turtles and knocked by ninjas – and pummeled from above by plums – and they finally seize the scoundrel. To remember these events, Eleanor writes a drama called “Squirrel War!” for every squirrel in the park to watch (just like on Broadway).

WHY ME/WHY NOW??: A longtime squirrel admirer, I have strode (stridden?) through Central Park and realized how much they add to our lives. Plus, men really need to be reminded that we humans aren’t the only animals living on the planet.