What the heck are you doing?

After a successful filming and distribution of a holiday film, "The Christmas Ride," we are ready to make another! Holiday stories are ways to add something familiar to an audience and this time we are going for Thanksgiving. There really aren't many movies focused on that holiday so it seems like a great opportunity. Plus who doesn't love food fights and dysfunctional families? "Home For Thanksgiving" has all of that! With the $7,500 we are raising, we would be able to pay all the actors for their time, lock in an Airbnb location to shoot uninterrupted, and have food for on screen as well as to feed everyone. Remaining funds needed would be brought on by Bouncy Boxer Media or with stretch goals to bring more crew.

Who is part of "Home For Thanksgiving?"

So far behind the camera it's just a sole crew member, Stefanie Davis. For "The Christmas Ride," she was able to film a completely improvised rideshare type movie all on her own. For a one location ensemble movie with food styling, this is a new challenge. Stefanie has been making films under her company, Bouncy Boxer Media, since 2014 and has learned quite a bit along the way. Through investing with her personal funds, she was able to take risks and learn what works as well as what doesn't.

Alongside Stefanie are Producers Lexi Balestrieri and Chelsea Wolf. They have both been part of Bouncy Boxer Media since 2014 and have been stepping behind the camera as projects have progressed. For this feature, they will both be part of cast as well as taking on Producer roles to support the film as a whole. 

Cast

Leading this story as Martha, the widowed matriarch of the Winthrop family is Sallie Glaner. This story being told from a senior woman is very important and we are so lucky to have Sallie. Martha's character is thrown into an emotional roller coaster as she tries to stay strong for her family while dealing with her first holiday without her husband, Tom. To carry an entire film and be the central focus is a challenge that Sallie is skilled to take on.

Martha has two daughters: Anna and Trish. Anna, played by Rebecca Goldman, is the older sister who has a good head on her shoulders. She raised a headstrong daughter and is a comforting tie to the family. Although she can be naive, she is observant to what's happening around her. Trish, played by Chelsea Wolf, is a newly divorced woman who is trying to balance raising two kids while seeking happiness. When Rich shows up, her thoughts and emotions go all over the place.

Anna has one daughter: Ginger. Ginger, played by Nicole Acosta, is a college student who has come home for Thanksgiving with her new boyfriend, Chad. She has an open mind and is a natural caregiver. She likes to have fun and wants to make everyone happy. When she breaks one of Martha's rules, she is reminded how important respecting boundaries are. Chad, played by Joshua Trevilcock, is a vegan who worships the ground that Ginger walks on. He understands the holiday is about turkey, but doesn't back down from his personal beliefs. He is the kind of guy who befriends everyone he meets and always likes to make a great first impression. His impression on Martha doesn't go well at first, but he is determined to butter her up (non-dairy of course).

Trish's ex husband, Rich, is ultimately our antagonist. Matt Winter has taken the role of Rich. Rich is a great dad, but not the greatest husband. When he cheated on Trish, she immediately shut down. Now that the divorce is final and he's been on the road to recovery through AA, he realizes what a mistake he's made and convinces Martha to let him come to Thanksgiving with the kids. As Trish and Rich interact, the tension and frustration take a toll which reflects upon the rest of the guests. We recently worked with Matt on "The Christmas Ride" and he was an absolute joy to work with. 

Martha's neighbors and friends, Jeff and Lana, offer support and guidance for Martha's future. Jeff and Lana are the neighbors everyone wishes they had. When Tom passed away, they made it a mission to routinely check on Martha. Lana went through loss with her brother the year before and she has tremendous empathy for Martha. Jeff doesn't realize his own shortcomings as far as getting older, but doesn't let that get in the way to help Martha with her appliances.

Trish's friend Vera comes to dinner to not be alone. Vera's kids are all over the country and cannot make it to Thanksgiving this year. Trish invites her to their dinner since Rich has the kids. Vera, played by Krishna Ward, has been a support system for Trish throughout the divorce process and just wants to see her happy again.

Trish and Rich's kids, Ethan and Shelby, will be played by real life siblings Fletcher and Lucy Hammond. Both have been acting for a while in commercials as well as film and we are excited to have them bring some life to this story.

Our AI helper, Lexi (see what we did there), will be voiced by Lexi Balestrieri. This gives the story a more modern setting as most of us use a robotic helper to navigate our lives. She also provides comedic relief as we don't always see eye to eye with our AI helpers.

Why Thanksgiving?

It's our favorite holiday! Who doesn't love a holiday all about food and giving thanks for all we have especially after the two years the world has recently experienced. A Thanksgiving movie brings a natural production value with the food and the ensemble can keep the story going. 

What can I compare this to?

The overall story type is comparable to "The Party" and "August: Osage County" where an ensemble slowly reveal secrets that affect everyone. The comedic tones of "This Is Where I Leave You" offer the dysfunctional family as a whole to be enjoyable and relatable. Visually the colors will bring all the feelings of autumn to make it aesthetically pleasing to watch. A color palette of orange (adventurous), maroon (hunger), green (natural), brown (security), and yellow (optimism) plus textures of lace, yarn, and etched glass will take you back to your family dinners with all the feelings of warmth.

Here are some of our actual props we've already collected through thrift and antique shopping:

What have you done before that I can watch?

Bouncy Boxer Media has produced and self-distributed two feature films ("Hot Mess In A Wedding Dress" and "The Christmas Ride") and several short films. To see our prior work, you can begin at our YouTube channel (and don't forget to hit that subscribe button).

Is this movie something I can watch with my family?

Yes! There will only be one "F bomb" to be used as a comedic moment between Martha and Ginger. Other than that, no vulgar language will be involved in this script. The story is targeted to be watched with your family, especially with your parents/grandparents. 

Why Florida?

During the holiday season, Florida is definitely a warm place to visit. Hence why we have so many "snowbirds" migrating at that time. Telling holiday stories in a warm place like Tampa can show a different side to the holidays. Plus it's where we live so it's more cost effective.

Can you really do this as a one woman crew and in less than 10 days?

The biggest thing that Bouncy Boxer Media prides itself on is the ability to "fix it in pre production." By taking the time to properly plan the shots, offer prep time, and hire talented actors, the end goal will be achieved. "Hot Mess In A Wedding Dress" was filmed in 8 days with a small crew and cast filmed in multiple locations. "The Christmas Ride" was filmed over 5 days as a one woman crew with several ensemble characters coming in and out of the story with minimal locations. The concept for "Home For Thanksgiving" that consists of one location with an ensemble cast of professional actors is definitely achievable with the proper planning. Since this is our third feature film, we have learned along the way on how to make this successful. Plus we always budget a pickup day so we expect the unexpected.

How can I contribute to more Bouncy projects?

Contact us directly at [email protected] and we can schedule a meeting over Zoom or in person to discuss our other projects in development. We have several scripts that are ready to shoot, sell, or rework right now. Our focus is feature films, documentaries, and episodic content. Short films will continue in between to keep skills sharp and experiment with new techniques. 

Stretch Goals

Once we reach the $7,500 goal, we would love to keep getting more cash flow so we can add the following:

Full crew for first weekend with the big food fight - $9,000 goal

Travel stipends for out of town talent and additional funds for post production - $11,000 goal

While additional crew members would be a great deal of help, if we are not able to make stretch goals we will still film. Whatever is raised (even if it's just the 80% greenlight) will be used to make this movie happen! Thank you for visiting this page and taking the time to look at our project.