I'm Thinking Oscars

Jeremy’s Screenplay:  In a post-apocalyptic world with an energy crisis, children intentionally misbehave to get coal from Santa in “The Legend Of Kringle” 

God save me, I actually almost want to see that movie.  

Well, before you make up your mind, do note that it's not the silly action romp you may be thinking.  It's actually much darker.  I'm shooting for a PG-13 rating at minimum, since some scenes contain graphic violence, coarse language, and disturbing images.  

The MPAA can go home for the day, I guess.

So, in a far-off dystopian future, the war-ravaged remains of earth's civilizations stand: crumbling buildings, ash-darkened skies, and wandering nomadic tribes of people huddled around burning barrels with fuel running low.  Long ago, the internet and virtually all books and records were destroyed, and the lines between factual history and urban legend have been blurred.  New religions have sprouted up based on passed-down stories of times gone by.  People worship the saviors of olden times, including Jesus, Vishnu, the Elements, and Tom Hanks.  Classic fairy tales and morality stories have taken on truth as people tell the verses of Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Alice in Wonderland, believing the events the same way we now believe the fantasized lives of cowboys and medieval knights.  One story in particular, has developed a wide band of followers.  The story of a benevolent old man from the north who donates toys to needy children once every year...the Legend of Santa Claus.  

Hopeful that Kris Kringle, "Kringle," as he is known, survived the war and has passed his mantle down to an apprentice waiting for worthy followers, a nation of young people (not unlike the Neverland kids in Disney's "Hook," but far less cartoony) realize their need is not for charity and distractions, but for survival.  The classic tale of Kringle contained a clause (for obvious reasons, we will avoid use of the word "clause" in the film itself) wherein misbehaving children will receive a stocking full of coal on Christmas Eve.  Knowing that the coal is the difference between life and death for themselves and their families (See?  The film has a heart, too), and knowing there are merely 12 days left until Christmas (We'll throw that one in there, just to see if anyone in the audience gets it), the kids, led by a main protagonist (I'm thinking "The Walking Dead"'s Chandler Riggs) go on a crime spree unequaled in cinema.  We see the aftermath of these actions...entire cities on fire, beaten people lie dying in the street, explosions ring out in the distance, gangs of children mercilessly beating random people with bats and chains, tire tracks weaving around a trail of bodies...it's really quite gruesome, which is where we get our PG-13 rating...maybe even stretching into R territory.  Snow starts to fall, and the angry mob settles, knowing that it's Christmas Eve, and they've done all they can.  Our hero returns to his home, says his last prayers to Kringle and goes to bed, too anxious to fall asleep, jumping at every random noise, and counting the minutes until December 25th and the salvation of his society. 

Needless to say, Chandler wakes up on Christmas morning not to a stocking full of coal, but to a despondent family who has lost all hope.  Our hero, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, returns to bed, reaches below and pulls out a small book....we zoom in on the cover..."The Easter Bunny."  Fade to black. Roll Credits.

Later on, we can start buzz for the sequel, "The Legend Of Kringle II: The Search For Santa" in which a slightly older Chandler leads an expedition to the North Pole to find out what ever became of "Kringle."