Karen Ross

Last year, I started working with a company that asked me to write a screenplay based on my book.  So, I did.

The following is the pitch I made to a few producers who were interested in hearing about it.

lt’s such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for taking t he time to talk with me today. I’m Karen Ross and I’d like to introduce you to my screenplay, “The Struggle for Kathy’s Soul.” The screenplay is based on a book by the same name that I just recently republished. Actually, I wrote 3 versions of the book, one in first person with Susan narrating it, one in first person with Kathy narrating it and one in 3rd person with both versions combined. I’ve been a psychotherapist for most of my adult life, so I felt very comfortable and qualified to write this very emotional drama.

The story follows two young social workers in the 1970’s near Los Angeles. Susan is an easy going, free spirited woman who goes with the flow and makes decisions based on her feelings. She is very open to trying new things and has experimented having sex with women. Kathy was raised in a strict Catholic home, with strict Christian values. She follows the rules and plans her life at every turn. She dreams of having a husband and children, a family of her own. However, when she meets Susan and feels an attraction to her, she is frightened and confused. She must struggle between her devotion to God and her love for this incredible woman. They work together helping young children through the foster care system and spend many hours together. As they begin getting closer, they both realize this is a special bond. And, although there are many warning signs not to, they cannot resist acting on their feelings. They form an incredibly close emotional and sexual relationship. They each give each other the one thing each has longed for. Kathy gives Susan open, honest communication and provides her with a strong and trusting emotional relationship. Susan gives Kathy unconditional love, total acceptance and the freedom to be herself. They move in together and, at first, are deliriously happy. But life catches up to them and they must start making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.

The screenplay also has some wonderful supporting characters. Joey and Teresa. two of the foster children Susan desperately wants to make life easier for are certainly adorable kids that audiences will fall in love with. Laura Ellis is Kathy’s elementary school teacher who shows up later in the story and becomes such a wonderful source of support for her. Mary Collins, the foster mother who not only opens her home to foster kids, she also opens her heart. And Gloria Norris, the therapist who helps Susan look at her life more realistically.

I sincerely believe the world is ready for a movie like this. I believe the LGBTQ community is hungry for a drama that presents a same sex relationship in a positive way. I believe young people as well as mature audiences will love this movie. And they will love Kathy and Susan. They are real, vulnerable, good women who are interested in making the world a better place. It is also educational , as the deep and honest conversations that the characters discuss, will help the audience understand the motives behind their decisions. A look at the foster and adoption care system will add insight and understanding to a very complex process.

As you’ve probably guessed, what I’m most proud of in this screenplay are the characters. They are both wonderful human beings struggling, like all of us, with the complexities of human relationships. Together, they create an emotional and dramatically rich journey. The tone of the movie is a mix between a psychological drama and a beautiful love story. It reminds me of the classic TV limited series, “The Thornbirds.”, which also deals with love and religion. Besides being a wonderful story, it can be economically made. Most of the scenes take place indoors so it does not involve expensive locales or costly special effects to create excitement. It is just an honest portrail of identity, love, and acceptance. It’s timely. It’s honest. It’s different.

One last thing I would like to ad. The screenplay is very flexible. It can be expanded into a limited series very easily. Remember when I told you I wrote it three different ways. That’s a lot of material. For an example, I wrote whole chapters on both women from the time they were small children until just before they met. There is also a chapter on a vacation to Mexico where all kinds of interesting things happen.

I hope I have covered everything I intended to. Again, thank you so much for listening and for you time. If you have any questions or comments, I’m open to hearing them.