Dumped by his spouse during an adoption process, a meek, orderly, dutiful gay father turns into a blackmailing emotional-Rambo to fight for his son, prove his worth and embrace the beautiful messiness of parenthood.

SYNOPSIS:

A semi-autobiographical story about parenthood and self-worth through the lens of second-parent adoption.

Tonal comps: GIFTED and TROOP ZERO

Eric Meyers is an insecure real estate agent whose slogan is “Let me find you a house to make you a home.” And now…it’s his turn. He is ecstatic about the upcoming birth of his first child through a surrogate. Unfortunately, his husband, Sam, is late to the birth...and everything thereafter. Sam has nothing to worry about - he’s the biological father. But as the non-biological father, Eric must endure New York’s hypocritical, tedious home study and adoption process that ONLY applies to same-sex couples. (Truth).

When the process finally begins, Eric discovers Sam’s affair with his boss, the Mayor of New York City. Sam leaves, forcing Eric to juggle the truth to keep the home study process going and also, to protect his son from becoming a part of the drama. A formerly voiceless Eric must now trudge unfamiliar territory to get what he wants, ranging from blackmail to his personal horrors…coaching sports and the ego-blasting feat of asking for help, after realizing he can't do it alone. His goofball sister and estranged mother come to the emotional rescue.

He “puts on a happy face” and tells “white lies” to his son. But kids are smart. And his feisty six-year-old son is hell-bent on hearing the truth. To Eric, a million little lies justify a greater truth, especially when that truth is in the best interest of a child.

In the end, Eric doesn’t win the adoption. But he learns to be a better father and tell his son the truth. He embraces the messiness of parenthood, and the worth within himself. He fights alongside an unlikely ally, the mayor’s wife, who had been trudging a parallel path. Sam goes to jail on fraud, and Eric is assigned legal guardianship, and with it, a new home and a chance for a new life with his son.

THE HOMESTUDY