THE FAN
Sports Dramedy Thriller
When a wholesome but obsessive Montreal Canadiens hockey fan unwittingly get entangled with gambling criminals, he is forced into a cheating scheme interfering with the Stanley Cup final, testing his loyalty, ethics and humanity.
Status: In development
Comédie dramatique / Thriller / Sport
Lorsqu'un fan obsessif des Canadiens de Montréal se retrouve malgré lui mêlé à un réseau de jeux illégaux, il est forcé d'interférer avec la finale de la Coupe Stanley, et voit sa loyauté, son éthique et son humanité mises à rude épreuve.
Statut: En développement
SYNOPSIS
SYNOPSIS
LUDOVIC (LUDO) D’AMOUR (37) is a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan whose life revolves around watching televised hockey at his neighbourhood bar. At thirty-seven, he still lives with his parents and can’t hold a steady job. But Ludo isn’t a total loser: his charm and tenderness make him a beloved figure in his community, although a buried traumatic past looms over his cheerful self. Three times a week, he joins his autistic cousin GUS (33) and other regulars at Double’s Sport Bar to watch the Habs play. Never seen without their lucky jerseys, he and Gus obsessively make sure to respect their various superstitions which amuses the others. The Canadiens’s performances truly rule their emotions, sending them down the gutter and up in the clouds weekly.
One night, after a devastating loss, Ludo is particularly drunk and plays an unfamiliar face at pool. He is cocky and sloppy. After the STRANGER (50s) retorts by making a snarky comment about Gus’s condition, the situation escalates, and Ludo ends up accidentally putting the stranger’s eye out in self-defence and running off. After a few days of hiding and more losses from the Habs, he is unwilling to keep breaking his game rituals, and cautiously returns to Double’s to watch the match, hoping his return will grant the team an important victory. He is quickly accosted by the now one-eyed stranger and his two dodgy accomplices seeking revenge. Ludo is offered a choice: an eye for an eye, or his help in a secret scheme. Refusing to negotiate with them at first, he eventually caves in when they threaten to take Gus’s eye instead. And thus, as the Canadiens fortuitously win their game and secure their place in the Stanley Cup final, Ludo is thrust into a mysterious mission for the vengeful crooks.
LUDOVIC (LUDO) D’AMOUR (37) is a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan whose life revolves around watching televised hockey at his neighbourhood bar. At thirty-seven, he still lives with his parents and can’t hold a steady job. But Ludo isn’t a total loser: his charm and tenderness make him a beloved figure in his community, although a buried traumatic past looms over his cheerful self. Three times a week, he joins his autistic cousin GUS (33) and other regulars at Double’s Sport Bar to watch the Habs play. Never seen without their lucky jerseys, he and Gus obsessively make sure to respect their various superstitions which amuses the others. The Canadiens’s performances truly rule their emotions, sending them down the gutter and up in the clouds weekly.
One night, after a devastating loss, Ludo is particularly drunk and plays an unfamiliar face at pool. He is cocky and sloppy. After the STRANGER (50s) retorts by making a snarky comment about Gus’s condition, the situation escalates, and Ludo ends up accidentally putting the stranger’s eye out in self-defence and running off. After a few days of hiding and more losses from the Habs, he is unwilling to keep breaking his game rituals, and cautiously returns to Double’s to watch the match, hoping his return will grant the team an important victory. He is quickly accosted by the now one-eyed stranger and his two dodgy accomplices seeking revenge. Ludo is offered a choice: an eye for an eye, or his help in a secret scheme. Refusing to negotiate with them at first, he eventually caves in when they threaten to take Gus’s eye instead. And thus, as the Canadiens fortuitously win their game and secure their place in the Stanley Cup final, Ludo is thrust into a mysterious mission for the vengeful crooks.
ACT II
Ludo is initially kept in the dark, obeying the crooks’ strange directives. He first gets himself hired as a dishwasher at a downtown diner, which ironically makes his family proud. While his father JACQUOT (72) looks down on his life, his mother FLORIDA (68) appears to have been enabling her son for years, letting him stay in their basement, cooking his meals and doing his laundry, seemingly out of pity for something that happened to him a few years earlier. Ludo’s sister ANTONIA (41, divorced supermom), though loving, has also been pressuring him to get his life together. Sworn to secrecy, he pretends to have finally agreed to straighten himself out.
As Ludo is encouraged by the one-eyed man to get to know the ins and outs of the diner kitchen, the Montréal – L.A. final series starts, and the objective behind the mission becomes clear. The one-eyed stranger is part of a criminal gambling group who plans to meddle with the Stanley Cup final by giving food poisoning to the Canadiens’s rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, at a team dinner before a decisive game. Ludo is the inconspicuous man on the inside who will carry out the deed in the secured kitchen of the diner, booked out for the Kings. This task is extremely conflicting for Ludo, whose lifelong dream is to see the Canadiens win the cup, but who also disagrees with the ethics of cheating while being terrified to see Gus or himself hurt. Fear and the growing possibility of a Montreal cup eventually get the better of him, and he involves himself in the mission completely.
ACT II
Ludo is initially kept in the dark, obeying the crooks’ strange directives. He first gets himself hired as a dishwasher at a downtown diner, which ironically makes his family proud. While his father JACQUOT (72) looks down on his life, his mother FLORIDA (68) appears to have been enabling her son for years, letting him stay in their basement, cooking his meals and doing his laundry, seemingly out of pity for something that happened to him a few years earlier. Ludo’s sister ANTONIA (41, divorced supermom), though loving, has also been pressuring him to get his life together. Sworn to secrecy, he pretends to have finally agreed to straighten himself out.
As Ludo is encouraged by the one-eyed man to get to know the ins and outs of the diner kitchen, the Montréal – L.A. final series starts, and the objective behind the mission becomes clear. The one-eyed stranger is part of a criminal gambling group who plans to meddle with the Stanley Cup final by giving food poisoning to the Canadiens’s rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, at a team dinner before a decisive game. Ludo is the inconspicuous man on the inside who will carry out the deed in the secured kitchen of the diner, booked out for the Kings. This task is extremely conflicting for Ludo, whose lifelong dream is to see the Canadiens win the cup, but who also disagrees with the ethics of cheating while being terrified to see Gus or himself hurt. Fear and the growing possibility of a Montreal cup eventually get the better of him, and he involves himself in the mission completely.
While his family is impressed to see him so hard at work, the only one who doesn’t buy Ludo’s new life is Gus, who feels neglected and can see through his bullshit. A rift grows between them. We meet Ludo’s ex-wife OLIVE (38) who is remarried but remains close with Jacquot and Florida and pays them a visit. Ludo does everything to avoid her and has a tearful breakdown in a closet, only to be found by Gus who begins to empathize. While Gus encourages him to see Olive, Ludo admits she reminds him too much of TOMMY. A flashback montage:
Ludo and Olive are happily married and give birth to a son named TOMMY. He grows up to share his dad’s passion for hockey: Ludo teaches him how to skate on outdoor rinks in the winter, watches the Habs with him. When prompted to make a wish on 11:11, Tommy reveals to his dad that his greatest wish is to see the Canadiens win the cup. One night, Ludo babysits Tommy (now 6) at home with Gus. They watch a playoff game on TV together but after a period must put a reluctant Tommy to bed. As the second period starts, Ludo does cocaine in the kitchen while Gus watches. None of them notice Tommy creeping out of his bedroom to peek at the TV from the top of the stairs. None of them hear him inching closer, climbing onto the railing to get a better look. Stretching his neck out to glimpse at the screen. Slipping. Falling.
Back in the present, Gus consoles a heartbroken Ludo as best he can. In their conversation we understand that most of their superstitions related to the Canadiens actually came as a result of that night, out of irrational fear of repeating fatal patterns. Gus asks Ludo why he hasn’t been around lately. Ludo tells Gus he was given a secret mission but omits to mention the coercion and threats made on both of them. Gus wants to help. Ludo refuses and promises him he will watch the final with him.
While his family is impressed to see him so hard at work, the only one who doesn’t buy Ludo’s new life is Gus, who feels neglected and can see through his bullshit. A rift grows between them. We meet Ludo’s ex-wife OLIVE (38) who is remarried but remains close with Jacquot and Florida and pays them a visit. Ludo does everything to avoid her and has a tearful breakdown in a closet, only to be found by Gus who begins to empathize. While Gus encourages him to see Olive, Ludo admits she reminds him too much of TOMMY. A flashback montage:
Ludo and Olive are happily married and give birth to a son named TOMMY. He grows up to share his dad’s passion for hockey: Ludo teaches him how to skate on outdoor rinks in the winter, watches the Habs with him. When prompted to make a wish on 11:11, Tommy reveals to his dad that his greatest wish is to see the Canadiens win the cup. One night, Ludo babysits Tommy (now 6) at home with Gus. They watch a playoff game on TV together but after a period must put a reluctant Tommy to bed. As the second period starts, Ludo does cocaine in the kitchen while Gus watches. None of them notice Tommy creeping out of his bedroom to peek at the TV from the top of the stairs. None of them hear him inching closer, climbing onto the railing to get a better look. Stretching his neck out to glimpse at the screen. Slipping. Falling.
Back in the present, Gus consoles a heartbroken Ludo as best he can. In their conversation we understand that most of their superstitions related to the Canadiens actually came as a result of that night, out of irrational fear of repeating fatal patterns. Gus asks Ludo why he hasn’t been around lately. Ludo tells Gus he was given a secret mission but omits to mention the coercion and threats made on both of them. Gus wants to help. Ludo refuses and promises him he will watch the final with him.
Game 7. This is it. Ludo wakes up with doubts about his mission but notices his apartment is being watched. He must carry this through to protect Gus. On his way to the diner, he sees the city preparing for the big game. The cup was last in Montreal in 1993 and the fans are eager to bring it home. The sight of small children in their red, white and blue uniforms throws Ludo back into grief. Unbeknownst to him, Gus follows him.
As he gets to the diner for the most important shift of his life, he is told by his boss that he has been cut from today’s service: they prefer to go with the trusted and experienced staff. Both distressed and somehow relieved, he is intercepted and taken into a car before he has time to do anything. Higher up mobsters let him know that the one-eyed man is dead and if he doesn’t manage to get in that kitchen and the Canadiens lose tonight, he can choose between owing them 56 million dollars or... The car slows down as it passes a lost Gus and two men step out and force him into another car. Ludo is horrified and released onto the street.
Game 7. This is it. Ludo wakes up with doubts about his mission but notices his apartment is being watched. He must carry this through to protect Gus. On his way to the diner, he sees the city preparing for the big game. The cup was last in Montreal in 1993 and the fans are eager to bring it home. The sight of small children in their red, white and blue uniforms throws Ludo back into grief. Unbeknownst to him, Gus follows him.
As he gets to the diner for the most important shift of his life, he is told by his boss that he has been cut from today’s service: they prefer to go with the trusted and experienced staff. Both distressed and somehow relieved, he is intercepted and taken into a car before he has time to do anything. Higher up mobsters let him know that the one-eyed man is dead and if he doesn’t manage to get in that kitchen and the Canadiens lose tonight, he can choose between owing them 56 million dollars or... The car slows down as it passes a lost Gus and two men step out and force him into another car. Ludo is horrified and released onto the street.
ACT III
Ludo must find a way to get in that kitchen, so he goes after the other scheduled dishwashers. Persuasion and charm work for some, but he is eventually forced to use more unscrupulous methods to get rid of the other guys, feeling increasingly guilty. He succeeds and ends up being called back for his shift, where he finds himself faced with the ultimate choice: will he carry out his mission to crown his team? Ludo exits the diner and hides the evidence in an alleyway, where he meets with the mobsters. He tells them the deed is done but pleads them to release Gus so he can at least watch the final with him. He offers his life against his if the Canadiens lose tonight.
Gus and Ludo are released in front of Double’s to watch the final while the mobsters wait in front. Gus is distressed but Ludo calms him down and goes through their comforting rituals to distract him from what just happened. The rest of their family and friends soon congregates at the bar to watch the game. As it starts, Ludo reveals to Gus in simple terms that he was given the opportunity to almost guarantee a Habs win. But that he has decided against it, choosing to rely solely on his faith in the Canadiens. In fact, he can’t even rely on their superstitions anymore. They must accept that the result is in the hands of fate. They cannot hold themselves responsible for every act of God or they will go mad. We understand that Ludo is also talking about letting go of his guilt for the death of his son. Olive shows up to the bar and sees Ludo talking to Gus like he used to talk to Tommy. We understand the special bond they have.
The final unfolds. It’s a tight game. Ludo refuses to surrender to superstition. He must have faith. The game goes into overtime. The mobsters are ready to seize him. And finally, the Canadiens score and win the cup, saving Ludo’s life and sending the city into raptures. The mobsters leave. Ludo is euphoric, free from his captors and ready to heal.
ACT III
Ludo must find a way to get in that kitchen, so he goes after the other scheduled dishwashers. Persuasion and charm work for some, but he is eventually forced to use more unscrupulous methods to get rid of the other guys, feeling increasingly guilty. He succeeds and ends up being called back for his shift, where he finds himself faced with the ultimate choice: will he carry out his mission to crown his team? Ludo exits the diner and hides the evidence in an alleyway, where he meets with the mobsters. He tells them the deed is done but pleads them to release Gus so he can at least watch the final with him. He offers his life against his if the Canadiens lose tonight.
Gus and Ludo are released in front of Double’s to watch the final while the mobsters wait in front. Gus is distressed but Ludo calms him down and goes through their comforting rituals to distract him from what just happened. The rest of their family and friends soon congregates at the bar to watch the game. As it starts, Ludo reveals to Gus in simple terms that he was given the opportunity to almost guarantee a Habs win. But that he has decided against it, choosing to rely solely on his faith in the Canadiens. In fact, he can’t even rely on their superstitions anymore. They must accept that the result is in the hands of fate. They cannot hold themselves responsible for every act of God or they will go mad. We understand that Ludo is also talking about letting go of his guilt for the death of his son. Olive shows up to the bar and sees Ludo talking to Gus like he used to talk to Tommy. We understand the special bond they have.
The final unfolds. It’s a tight game. Ludo refuses to surrender to superstition. He must have faith. The game goes into overtime. The mobsters are ready to seize him. And finally, the Canadiens score and win the cup, saving Ludo’s life and sending the city into raptures. The mobsters leave. Ludo is euphoric, free from his captors and ready to heal.
