forever song
synopsis
an original screenplay by J. Thomas Wells
In ancient Indonesia, small prehistoric eggs were vibrant living amulets that participated in the sound and songs of their hosts. Known as the Telur Suci, they also fueled the immortality of the Gru’kiba, the Indonesian firebird. Thousands of them were lost to her voracious appetite, they were thought to be extinct.
In modern times, Romeo, a Starbucks barista in America, discovers 99 of them in a shipment of coffee beans from Indonesia. And being the only one close enough to the canister to hear their delicate sound, he is alone in their rescue from the coffee grinder, a kind act that cost him his job.
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Meanwhile the Telur Suci’s entourage is close behind: their guardian, Galdifore, an Indonesian Shaman, and the firebird who is desperate for another fix.
While Galdifore is appointing Romeo as steward for the magic eggs the firebird drops screeching from the sky. The shaman’s giant hawk fends off the attack but it leaves Romeo in doubt as to his new duties. He is happily distracted by a family phone call and hops on a cross country bus to a family reunion. On the bus he meets Juliet, a college flunkout whose ruin and salvation is through the words of Shakespeare. When she hears the magic eggs she too becomes enchanted, not just with the eggs, but with Romeo.
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Now on the west coast, the destiny of the eggs becomes apparent to Romeo, and the Beanos, their professional tag, swiftly rise to fame in the music industry. Juliet’s father severs their budding relationship upon arrival in LA but she finds her feet in a Shakespearean troupe.
All vectors merge at the Beanos huge outdoor concert in San Bernardino with Romeo as the MC and Juliet in the audience. Galdifore has several times seen evidence of the firebird on their trail, so now mounted on his giant hawk, he patrols the skies over the concert.
Under heavy cloud cover the Gru’kiba gets past the shaman, and in the middle of the concert she drops screeching to the stage. Running against the fleeing crowd comes Juliet, who jumps breathless onto the stage and into the path of the firebird. Undaunted she takes a stand with her only weapon, her voice and the words of the Bard, “To be or not to be, that is the question … “
The duel of fire and Shakespeare’s words have an unexpected but positive outcome. But the Beanos are now silent, traumatized by the firebird’s attack.
Galdifore intervenes and distributes the eggs into the audience to be worn again as amulets wrapped against the vocal chords of individuals singing along with the performance. This eventually re-awakens the eggs who again participates in the concert which then ascends to new heights. And in these new heights a second miracle happens, the eggs begin to hatch.
At the outset of the film Romeo and Juliet are sharing this tale with their two grandchildren. Now they continue, telling the end of the tale, answering their questions as the final outcome unfolds.
Afterwards Romeo and the grandkids are out for an evening walk discussing and wondering about the fate of the hatched birds. They then hear their faint sound in the distance. As they approach the source of the sound they see a large flock of the birds flutter into the air.