The Azalea Saloon

Revisionist Western thriller - spec script.

A fearless young cowgirl kills a group of outlaws after they gun-down her parents, but a bloodthirsty survivor and his cunning wife manipulate the girl’s alcoholic brother to seek revenge.

Synopsis

Hazel Johnson is a tough fifteen-year-old white-Indian, sharp-shooting cowgirl. After her parents are murdered by a notorious group of misfit bandits after their saloon, she takes it on herself to protect her home and brothers by shooting the gang to death. The youngest member of the mob, Geoffrey, is spared by Hazel after he takes pity on the siblings and decides against revealing their hideout. Another outlaw, James, survives and manages to escape. Despite Hazel’s drunken older brother Bobbie insisting Geoffrey should die, Hazel takes him under her wing at The Azalea.

Five years later, Hazel and Geoffrey marry and lead the running of a refreshed Azalea. Meanwhile, James and his overbearing wife, Cheryl, having been on the run, plot to murder the family to avenge the killings and Geoffrey’s betrayal of the gang. Bobbie descends into alcoholism and is taken advantage of by James and Cheryl, who prey on his fragility and jealousy of Hazel and Geoffrey.

Throughout the story, Hazel courageously leads by example as the head of the family. She fights for The Azalea’s uncompromising acceptance of all races and commitment to non-violence. Ultimately, Bobbie redeems himself at the death, and the family survive, but The Azalea goes up in flames.

The Azalea Saloon is a modern rethinking of the Western genre akin to Unforgiven and Dances with Wolves, which tells a story of family pride, honour, betrayal, redemption and humanitarian progress.