Written by: Emilio Medina
Genre: Historical Drama, Action, and Adventure
Logline: After losing his child to a miscarriage, a naïve firefighter battles with grief and the devastating Chicago Fire in hopes of saving the city and his family.
ELIJAH WILLIAMS is a hero to the city and his family. He’s the best firefighter Chicago has and a loving father to his family. After a long day, he arrives home and finds a disturbing scene… his second child has passed away during birth. LYNNE, Elijah’s wife, and NALA, their firstborn, are torn beyond belief. However, their time to grieve is short-lived. Elijah’s partner LIAM knocks on the door, informing him that a fire has been reported at a nearby farm and he needs help to stop it. To hide his grief, Elijah leaves his family to do what he does best, fight fires. This causes a ripple in his relationship with Lynne, who is heartbroken and upset with Elijah’s decision.
His adventure sets off with his partner as they battle the blaze, yet trouble emerges as Elijah is shaken up with a flurry of emotions. He makes costly mistakes that make the fire unstable as it travels toward a neighboring town. Meanwhile, Lynne seeks guidance through faith/prayer that their family may become firm and whole again. Back in the ever-quickly burning town, a FATHER and his BABY become trapped in their cellar. Elijah and Liam come to aid. The piercing screams of the baby strike a nerve with Elijah, and he becomes overwhelmed with pain/anger. Through his poor judgment, he fails to save the Father but manages to rescue the Baby.
A big group of firefighters arrive to help put out the flames during the rescue (However, embers fly across the river creating separate fires). After noticing Elijah’s mistakes, Liam sends him to the Fire chief’s office to be relieved of his duties. When he arrives home, he and Lynne get into a heated argument which is interrupted by hordes of people running from the city in fear. Smoke and an orange hue fill the sky. Chicago is on fire. The three of them gather belongings and run for their lives. Elijah is separated from his family during an incident on the riverbank. He eventually runs into Liam, who is fighting to reach the water tower in the heart of Chicago.
Meanwhile, Lynne and Nala run into PAT, a citizen who helps them survive. They make their way to a nearby church that won’t succumb to the flames (Limestone foundation). At the water tower, the duo fixes the pumps but is trapped. The two have a deep conversation where Liam learns of his second child passing away. Liam bravely decides to sacrifice himself to help Elijah escape. Realizing that his heart was in the wrong place, Elijah gives up on defending the city and chooses to save his family. He finds a trail that leads him to the church and protects his family in the nick of time before the building comes crashing down. He learns the meaning of family, how important they are and that through them, it can heal any wound—even the loss of a child.
Please contact the writer to read the full script – emmedina@chapman.edu