A modern coming-of-age story about a teen-age girl learning to stand up to racism and bullying and the fears she has within herself.

SYNOPSIS:

With the help of a mysterious stranger, Becky LaCroix finds the strength to face the threats of a racist bully whose mission in life appears to be making Becky fearful and afraid. Classmate Patty Butler’s intimidation and bullying affects every part of Becky’s life — even overshadowing Becky’s passion for music. Her love for playing the flute is tainted by Patty, who holds the spot of First Chair in the school band with an iron fist.

Against the backdrop of an everyday town, we see systemic and endemic racism played out throughout generations, resulting in hatred and ignorance shown by Patty, and the struggle and strife experienced by Becky at the hands of her nemesis.

The two girls are locked in a battle handed down through years of intolerance and oppression...

...and “The Lesson” looks at how destructive that type of legacy can be.

Fighting against these seemingly insurmountable odds takes courage — courage which most 13-year-olds have yet to gain. In “The Lesson,” Becky gets hers with the help of Erica Morales, a visiting soldier and fellow flautist who encounters Becky while she is practicing her flute outside her home. Over several encounters and with some sage advice, Erica not only helps Becky gain confidence in her skill as a flautist, but also gives Becky the strength to stand up to her bully... and enter a competition which could change the trajectory of the rest of her life.

From a review by the Chicago Screenplay Awards:

"At its core, 'The Lesson' is a simple moral delivered through an incredibly earnest tone. It’s a script where everything really does work out all right, and earns this happy ending with genuinely good characters. That type of sweetness can be rare in a market saturated with gritty realism granting this short another unique element."

"A wonderfully earnest tone and heartfelt dialogue are calling cards for this script."

"The lines used are loaded with very specific details making this world feel rich and lived in...it provides a lot of clarity to character intentions and motivations and matches the simple story telling and earnest tone. The dialogue was great at playing to reader emotions and stood out as a highlight of many scenes."

WINNER, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival, Best Unproduced Short Script, June 2021

WINNER, New Jersey Film Awards, Best Short Screenplay, February 2021

WINNER, Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Best Unproduced Script, December 2020

WINNER, Long Island East-End Film Festival, Best Screenplay - Drama Short, November 2020

WINNER, Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Short Script, October 2020

NOMINEE, Accord Cine Fest, Best Short Screenplay, April 2021

HONORABLE MENTION, Niagara Falls International Short Festival, Best Unproduced Script, December 2020

FINALIST, 4Theatre Selections, Best Screenplay, October, 2021

FINALIST, Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition, Best Short Screenplay, May 2021

SEMI-FINALIST, Chicago Screenplay Awards, Best Short Script, February 2021

SEMI-FINALIST, Festigious Los Angeles International Film Festival, Best Short Script, October 2020

OFFICIAL SELECTION, Hollywood on the Tiber Film Awards, Best Short Script, December 2021

OFFICIAL SELECTION, Vesuvius International Film Fest, Best Script, January 2021

OFFICIAL SELECTION, Kalakari Film Fest, Free Film Category, May 2021

30 BEST SCREENPLAYS, Los Angeles Film Awards, October 2020

100 BEST PROJECTS, Los Angeles Film Awards, October 2020

50 BEST FILMS & SCREENPLAYS, Festigious Los Angeles International Film Festival, October 2020

A producer and a director are attached to this film. Interested investors should contact me here. Legitimate inquiries only.

THE LESSON

Copyright 2021 by Vincent Scuro

All Rights Reserved

WGAw Registration #2073806