A Lost Love

Logline

After a terrible accident, a cheating, abusive married man suffers self-induced amnesia in order to make amends with the family he has alienated.

Synopsis

Bill Gershing has lost his way as a husband and father. Following the death of his mom, he turns to alcohol to drown his sorrow. Drinking makes him abusive. He physically and mentally abuses his wife Jessica, and mentally abuses their 16-year-old daughter Katie. Jessica also believe strongly that he is having an affair, only she doesn’t know who the other woman is.


Following the worst beating yet, Jessica makes the tough decision to leave Bill. Katie and she go to stay with a relative while Bill claims to be working late, only he is seeing his mistress and drinks more than he should before his drive home. He falls asleep at the wheel and totals his car.


Jessica arrives at the hospital to find that besides a few broken bones and a concussion, Bill has amnesia. He can’t remember who he is or anything about his life. Feeling like she needs to take care of her husband, Jessica takes Bill home and looks after him. At first, Bill is quiet as well as happy to remain distant to his loved ones but as he gets to know them, he becomes very pleasant. A good relationship begins to develop between Jessica and him, the way it used to be long ago before  things went to hell.


Their good friends Ted and Laura check in on Bill. Laura is especially drawn to Bill, as she is the woman he was having an affair with. Despite her advances, Bill is repulsed instead of intrigued. When Ted gets a promotion and can spend much more time at home with his wife, Laura is miserable that Ted will be around more when she wants to make Bill remember his feelings for her.


Bill struggles to remember anything about his life, using photo albums to help. A few things come back, mainly his old feelings for Jessica and Katie. As both act strangely around him when he asks questions, he realizes that he wasn’t the great guy he feels that he was. The truth comes out and he is so shocked that he runs off.


Jessica finds Bill at a carnival. They manage to work things out and enjoy the festivities, just like the old days. At home, Ted and Laura barge in, Ted upset about the affair he uncovered. Jessica can’t believe it. When Bill tells Laura there is no future between them, she becomes suicidal and calls Bill from a bridge to tell him good-bye.


Bill realizes where Laura is and arrives just in time to see her jump. He dives in to save her but it’s too late. Following her funeral, Bill makes one last attempt at saving his marriage. Jessica realizes Bill is now the man she fell in love with and decides her marriage is worth the effort to save it.

First Five Pages

A Lost Love first 5 pages.pdf