Santa Barbara — 1986. In the wake of her father's death, Chandler 'Cherry' Benward begins to fall into self-destructive patterns, leading to her subsequent arrest. With a helicopter mother desperate for her daughter back, Cherry is sent to New Mexico to live with her Vietnam vet uncle and his intensely religious wife; perhaps a fresh start is just what Cherry needs to begin her journey to self-discovery. 

Logline:

Genre:

Coming-of-age

The Script:

Created in association with the Elon University Screenwriting BFA, Cherry Bomb is a feature-length script that explores the political, social, and religious pressures of 1980s small-town America. With a variety of deadpan, absurd, eccentric, and authentically relatable characters, the film is a witty yet devastating exploration of grief and the coping mechanisms we find to live with it.

Elon University’s 2024 BFA Cinema and Television Arts Showcase. Pictured: The 2024 BFA Screenwriting cohort.

In the vein of films like Lady Bird, ‘Cherry Bomb’ is a story of young adult angst and coping with grief coupled with the greater themes of self reflection, identity and accepting reality. Set in the late 1980s, It follows the growth, of Cherry Benward as she navigates her early twenties and grapples with decisions that could change the trajectory of her whole life.

Brief:

Creation:

The ‘Cherry Bomb’ proof-of-concept serves as a mood piece; it is an introduction of character and setting. Using scenes from the feature length screenplay, the short film drops the audience in Cherry’s conflicted, angsty world. From chaotic bedroom in California to awkwardly rigid grief support group in small-town New Mexico to eventual emotional breakthrough at a lousy house party, this is all about getting to know the layers that have made, and continue to mold the way Cherry approaches life. The proof-of-concept was shot over three days with a full cast and crew of over sixteen people. The short premiered in the Screenwriting section of the 2024 Cinema and Television Arts BFA showcase at Turner Theatre.

PHOTOS