The Azalea Saloon

Coming-of-age Western thriller (spec script)

Kill to live. Live to kill.

A fearless cowgirl guns down bandits after they kill her parents, but her determination to protect her family’s saloon is threatened by bloodthirsty surviving outlaws.

An action-packed, coming-of-age revisionist Western feature script, The Azalea Saloon is True Grit meets Unforgiven.

The Azalea Saloon is inspired by the writer’s personal journey of carving out a different path to that of his parents and wider family: the causes, consequences and conflicting emotions.

SYNOPSIS

Hazel Johnson is a tough 19-year-old Cherokee-white cowgirl who loves guns. The Azalea - her family’s popular old saloon in the desert embodies her parents’ uncompromising acceptance of all races and commitment to non-violence, adopting a strict ‘no guns inside’ policy. A notorious group of bandits take exception to The Azalea’s philosophy and ruthlessly murder the stubbornly proud Johnson elders. Against her parents’ wishes, Hazel hides out with her brothers and guns down the mob, sparing its youngest member, Geoffrey, after he bravely decides against revealing their whereabouts. One of the sinister outlaws, James, survives his flesh wound. Hazel gives Geoffrey an ultimatum: carve an ‘X’ through James’ eye - and stay at The Azalea - or flee with him. Despite Hazel’s whiskey-loving, jealous older brother Bobbie insisting the duo be killed, she resolutely refuses. Geoffrey marks James, who rides away.

One year later, lovestruck Hazel and Geoffrey lead the running of a refreshed saloon. Everyone is scared of Hazel’s reputation and authority - and the ‘no guns’ policy is long gone. Meanwhile, James and his volatile, merciless Cherokee wife, Cheryl, remain on the run, evading bounty hunters and killing anyone who gets in their way. At Hazel and Geoffrey’s wedding party, Cheryl - face unknown to anyone - seduces Bobbie, who has descended into full-blown alcoholism and possesses an unhinged envy of Hazel and Geoffrey. The happy couple depart for their honeymoon, although Hazel has serious doubts about leaving Bobbie in charge of The Azalea. Fuelled by murderous revenge, James returns. He and Cheryl who disturbingly switch between passion and detest for one another - ply Bobbie with whiskey and manipulate him to go along with their plan to kill the family’s allies and lure Hazel and Geoffrey back to the saloon via Hazel’s impressionable younger brother, Martin.

On their honeymoon - fishing at a lake - Hazel opens up to Geoffrey about her inner demons concerning the blood on her hands, rejecting her parents’ philosophy and protecting her family at all costs. When Martin arrives in a panic, the trio ride like the wind, only to painfully discover the fate of their allies, before returning to The Azalea. Although Bobbie deceives his family, riddled with guilt and shame, he can’t go through with the outlaws’ vengeful plan. He desperately resorts to unsuccessfully shooting himself. In a nail-biting standoff, James and Cheryl outwit Hazel and co. before tying the group up. Ultimately, with all hope seemingly lost, Hazel uses her cunning to manipulate James against Cheryl, convincing him that she slept with Bobbie after the wedding party, which happens to be true. In a moment of madness, the explosive villains shoot each other, allowing Hazel to break free and fire the fatal shot at James, as she regretfully accepts she has to kill once more for her family to live.