About Split Ends The Movie
Manningtree,
New Jersey is a little town on the brink of extinction. The 19th century
storefronts of Old Town are being threatened by an international development
cabal, North Sea Assets. North Sea is preparing to raze Old Town and replace
it with a massive mall/luxury condo complex named – incongruously – Cortona.
If Cortona is built, a dozen mom and pop businesses will be bought out and
uprooted, and if anyone refuses to sell, North Sea Assets is prepared to use
eminent domain law to pry the Old Towners off of their property.
When
our story begins, Cortona has a great shot at being approved. Manningtree’s
portly Mayor, Tiny Provenzano, has a vested interest in Cortona’s success,
and North Sea’s point man, the charming Warren Brown, is determined to
remove any obstacle in its way.
That obstacle is Scottish-born Lizzie Munro. She owns and operates The
Paisley Set hair salon in Manningtree. Lizzie is over 40, vibrant, witty,
and quite capable of attracting male attention. Her salon caters to the
locals, and while Lizzie’s not making a fortune in the beauty game, she
earns enough to get by and keep three local beauticians employed –
worldly-wise Jacquie, bohemian waif Ashley, and a wry Pakistani immigrant,
Mehar. They’re a tight group who work together and occasionally meet for a
meal at MacIntosh’s, the local pub.
Lizzie’s love life is full of split ends. She has carried on with Len
French, the owner of a coffee shop in Old Town, another business slated for
the bulldozers. Len’s marriage to mousy DEANNE is on the rocks, or more
accurately, on life support, but he is hesitant to pull the plug. His
relationship with Lizzie might just be the town’s worst-kept secret.
Although Lizzie is an intelligent gal, she has, like many women, settled for
less than she deserves. Len has filled a void in Lizzie’s life, but now
their relationship is no longer enough.
When
Lizzie receives official notice from the Town of Manningtree that the powers
that be intend to plop the grotesque Cortona right in the middle of Old
Town, Lizzie vows to fight the invasion. Invoking the spirit of her
countryman, William Wallace, aka Braveheart, Lizzie enlists the aid of
antique dealer Bernie Depper, her Paisley Set staff, Tiny’s Aunt Connie
Provenzano, and the whole town, in her struggle to fend off the developers.
Just when the local drama begins to heat up, a new leading man walks into
Lizzie’s life. He’s romantic, considerate, passionate … and, unfortunately,
the enemy. It’s none other than Warren Brown, under cover – and under the
covers – in the service of North Sea Assets. Is Lizzie headed for
heartbreak? Is Old Town headed for the wrecking ball?
