A Jolly Encounter by Jason K. Allen

Two young hikers encounter a mysterious backpacker with a candy cane phone and a penchant for milk and cookies.

            NICK
How long have you had those boots,
Ted? Looks like they’ve seen
better days.

            TED
Well, it’s been about… Wait, how
do you know my name?

For many people, hiking is a paradoxical hobby – a chance to rest, yet keep fit at the same time. Undisturbed trails provide a calm backdrop for exercise… combined with walks of the meditative kind.

As Jason K. Allen’s A Jolly Encounter opens, two young ramblers – Ted and Melanie – are doing just that.

But their quiet hike through the great outdoors is soon interrupted: by an enigmatic man who calls himself “Nick”.

Nick? He looks odd at first glance. Yes, he owns a candy cane phone. And he’s got a sweet tooth for gingerbread men – even though he’s trying to lose weight.

And Nick’s other traits are strange as well. Somehow, he knows both Ted and Melanie’s names, though they’ve never met him before. As the strangers settle down and chat, the duo form an educated guess as to who “Nick” is. Not surprisingly, they’re ardent fans!

From there, a more serious discussion develops: one that stands the cinematic test of time. What moral virtues should Ted and Melanie cultivate in themselves? What’s Nick’s work in relation to human nature? Or to Nature itself? And that’s the aim of all great films – candy coating universal themes in entertainment, helping the “medicine” go down. There’s even an unexpected twist at the end… one that will fill your audience with delight.

Like Pixar did with its classics, Jolly can be seen from many sides. A gentle story to amuse kids, with an adult message at its nougat core.

Are you a comic director who likes satire? Chuckles with morals on the side? Then choose Jolly for a read. It’s got mass appeal, sharp dialogue… and if you end up being the good little boy or girl who brings it to the screen, you may find some gifts (like festival awards) under your Christmas tree!

Budget: Pretty low. All you need is the great outdoors, some even greater actors. Oh – and a nice red suit.

About the writer: Jason K. Allen is a writer and filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee. His screenwriting credits include the short films AMERICAN SOCK, which won Best Screenplay at the 2014 San Diego Film Awards, and AUTUMN LOVERS, winner of the Audience Award at the 2013 Artlightenment Festival in Nashville. He also wrote the feature film LUCKY FRITZ starring Julia Dietze (IRON SKY) and Corey Feldman. You can contact Jason at allen.jason.k (at) gmail. See IMDB for his complete credits.

About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp “AT” gmail.com. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on @HamishP95.

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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.