Blue Collar
Setting:
Takes place during the financial crisis of 2008
House:
Small home (maybe 3 bedrooms + 1 bathroom)
The home always looks crowded with stuff, family photos over the years hang on the
walls.
Two of the bedrooms are divides into the “girls room” & the “boys room”
Characters –
Mom (Kim/Kimberly, 45)
A full-time mom of four kids, and a full-time construction worker, that will do anything for
her family.
A construction worker for 19 years
o Went into the trade right after high school
o Brick layer
Got married and had kids young
Her world is her family
Dad (William, 57)
Will do anything for his children, financially, otherwise emotionally distant. He still cares
about his kids, but doesn’t know how to form relationship.
Lost his job after stock market crash
o Worked in telecommunication
Tough outer-shell
Uses blind rage to deal with emotions or problems
Eldest (Spencer, 17)
A hardworking more mature for his age, adolescent, that focuses on bronze over brains.
Only one of his siblings to have a job
o Sometimes will give his mother extra money for bills
o Works as a mechanic assistant for a car dealership
Plays hockey, in a lower level
Doesn’t enjoy school or education
Very rowdy with friends
Middle (Dylan, 16)
A popular guy that enjoys dating, he’s in a relationship with a girl that always takes up
his time.
He has taken money from his parents, fights with his mom
He will constantly go party with friends
A true teenager
Center of attention, flirtatious
Middle (Sebastian, 13)
A bright, popular and well-rounded adolescent that will do anything to help his mom in
any way
Hard working, smart kid
The well-rounded popular kid
Aware of his mother’s money issues and tries to help any way he can
o Mowing neighbours’ lawns, shovelling snow
Plays hockey, intermediate level
o Costs his family the most in money
o Travels for sport
Mediates a lot of arguments between the siblings
Youngest (Emma, 11)
A young smart adolescent with self-confidence issues and anger issues. She doesn’t
fully understand where she belongs.
Hardworking when it comes to school
Doesn’t have many friends, mostly hangs out with siblings
Fights with brothers, a lot
Always seems to be aware of her parent’s struggle, her monologue would take
us through the story.
Eldest (Natalie, 17)
A popular girl in school, Natalie can be manipulative for her own gain or amusement,
but will always defend her siblings.
Fights with Kim, a lot, mostly about sharing a room with April
Center of attention, flirtatious
Helps with April’s tantrums
Key Plot Details
Open with William on the phone, he’s getting laid off over the phone
- Orrrr alone in the evening, before Kim gets home from work
William tells Kim
NEXT DAY – MORNING - SEPT
Kim wakes up kids, in order;
- Sebastian
- Emma
- Dylan
- Spencer
As each kid wakes up, they shower/get ready/eat breakfast
The kids go to school.
Kim goes to work, William goes job hunting
Kim works as a construction worker, most of the time, she’s the only female on the site.
A group of women pass the construction site, they see Kim, they begin going on about
“how they could never do her job, it’s too manly”
Back at home we see William making phone calls, he’s calling friends asking for work
In a montage style we see this happening over a span of few days.
One of the nights there’s a hockey game, Sebastian is getting ready for the game,
Natalie is making dinner.
Kim is at work, William is sitting in front of the television in the living room, he’s out cold.
At the hockey game, Sebastian breaks his stick and needs to get a new one
Late that evening after the hockey game, Kim and William discusses taking out a
second mortgage to pay for everything their kids need.
- Each kid has added expenses, glasses, new shoes, new hockey equipment, money
for a field trip, ext.
AT THE BANK
Kim goes to the bank to get a second mortgage taken out on the house.
MALL
Later that same day, Kim takes the kids shopping to get them everything they have
been asking for.
Kim tells the kids to “not tell their dad how much everything cost”
HOME
Started as joking around between siblings turns into a big fight because Spencer hurt
Emma. Everyone’s gets mad, William comes up and screams at the kids to be quiet.
Later that night, Emma is heading to the bathroom, she hears her mom quietly yelling at
her dad for what happened. Her mother is saying not to use blind rage
The two fight for a moment, Emma wanders off to the bathroom
MONTHS LATER - JAN
Kim and the kids are going to Sebastian’s hockey tournament. As they’re leaving, Kim
tries to convince William to come, but he refuses. The two don’t say hug or anything as
they depart.
Dylan brings his girlfriend; the family is annoyed by this.
MONTHS LATER – MAY
Kim and Dylan have a fight about him stealing money from her. Dylan leaves and goes
to his girlfriend’s house.
William still asleep on the couch.
Later that night, Kim is going through her bills, she is doing the math for everything she
owes. Sebastian comes downstairs, Kim hides everything under other papers.
Sebastian looks at her confused.
MONTHS LATER - JUN
Kim and the kids are going camping. Kim tries to convince William to come, but again
he refuses. He claims it’s because of Kim’s mother, who lives in their basement.
As they drive off we can see Kim is upset.
We see them camping for a bit, maybe a fight between Dylan and Andrea?
William begins a new job,
