THE LAST STAND
Bob McCrea left the mean streets of Oakland, California behind when he went to college.
He returned as a mild mannered accountant, fresh out of college, trying to
provide for his family. Barely able to make ends meet, Bob is worried about what will happen
after his pretty and pregnant wife Sherry gives birth to their son.
When Bob bumps into homeboy Matt Rogers at his high school reunion, he is offered the chance of
a lifetime. Rogers' boss, Felix Jeffries, is looking for an accountant to help keep the IRS off his
back. The pay is great, there's medical and dental, generous vacation time and incentives.
"What's the catch?"
THE CATCH IS, Felix Jeffries is the notorious head of Oakland's most ruthless criminal organization. A cold blooded heroin importer who is famous for his generosity during the holidays and his violence whenever anyone crosses him.
Providing money for his
family is more important to Bob than bending a few laws, so he takes the job.
SEVEN YEARS LATER, Bob has had enough of the Felix Jeffries. When he's
approached by the FBI, he agrees to take the stand against his boss in court. Felix gets life in prison, and Bob, Sherry, and their son Tommy are placed in the Witness
Relocation Program.
THREE YEARS LATER: Bob, Sherry, and Tommy live in a quiet suburban neighborhood miles away from the mean streets of Oakland. They've had the
chance to start their lives over again, to erase their old mistakes.
But from out of the past comes Matt Rogers. The gang has found Bob and his family. Now
they want him to return to Oakland for a "trial". A mob trial, where Bob can explain why he ratted
out Felix Jeffries, so that a "jury" of gangsters can pass sentence on him. "You're an accountant,
right? We want to hold you accountable for your actions, that's all," Rogers explains.
WHEN BOB REFUSES this "reasonable request", an army of gang-bangers descends upon his
peaceful suburban neighborhood. The requests become less reasonable, and threats escalate
into violence. The police are unsympathetic, and easily bought off by the mobsters. Vicious
criminals follow Sherry and Tommy wherever they go. Their house is ransacked, their dog is
killed, and soon it is up to Bob to take a stand.
ARMED ONLY with a 30-30 lever action rifle and common household items, Bob must
defend his family against the army of gang-bangers. His suburban home becomes his last stand,
which he will defend to his death. Because Bob has learned that providing money for his family,
isn't as important as providing love, protection, and understanding.
"THE LAST STAND" is an action thriller in the tradition of "Straw Dogs", "The River Wild",
"Cape Fear", and Howard Hawk's "Rio Bravo"; about a common man whose debts from the past
come back to haunt him.
Debts which can only be repaid in blood.
"THE LAST STAND" a screenplay by William C. Martell
For a copy of this script... E-mail me! wcmartell@ScriptSecrets.Net
To read the script online... THE LAST STAND.
Back to script menu... CLICK HERE.
MY BIO:
I've written 19 films that were carelessly slapped onto celluloid: 3 for HBO, 2 for Showtime, 2 for USA Net, and a whole bunch of CineMax Originals (which is what happens when an HBO movie goes really, really wrong). I've been on some film festival juries, including Raindance in London (twice - once with Mike Figgis and Saffron Burrows, once with Lennie James and Edgar Wright - back to "jury duty" in October of 2009). Roger Ebert discussed my work with Gene Siskel on his 1997 "If We Picked The Winners" Oscar show. I'm quoted a few times in Bordwell's great book "The Way Hollywood tells It". My USA Net flick HARD EVIDENCE was released on video the same day as the Julia Roberts' film Something To Talk About and out-rented it in the USA. In 2007 I had two films released on DVD on the same day and both made the top 10 rentals.
