A MATTER OF TRUST

"YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON A MOTHER'S LOVE"

“tHE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN SAVE HIM, IS THE ONE WHO ABANDONED HIM”

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LOGLINE

“A promiscuous Broadway star must reconnect with his estranged biological mother when tragedy strikes his seemingly perfect life.”

WHAT HOLLYWOOD IS SAYING ABOUT "A MATTER OF TRUST"

“An entertaining story full of colorful characters and compelling plot twists” – Bulletproof Script Coverage

“A highly engaging musical romantic comedy” – Screencraft Fellowship

“A heartfelt, energetic, action-packed romantic comedy; with a jolting dark twist” – Wescreenplay

“A very clever concept with a strong story” – Billy Joel’s creative team

pitch video

“A MATTER OF TRUST” IS MUSICAL ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT A MOTHER AND SON’S STRUGGLE FOR ACCEPTANCE IN EACH OTHER’S PARALLELL WORLDS.”

SYNOPSIS

Jamie Broadway, New York’s undisputed king of stage has a complicated personal life, centered around unresolved abandonment issues surrounding his estranged biological mother Katie Mitchell, a once famous Broadway actress herself.

Starring in his current role of Billy Joel in the smash hit musical “Piano Man”, Jamie looks set to nab his fifth Tony award, but while Jamie’s life in the spotlight seems perfect, in the darkness behind closed doors his life is an emotionless turnstile of fleeting relationships driven by Jamie’s reluctance to open his heart to any woman because (as he says) “the only woman who should have loved him, couldn’t.”

Fueled by a burning desire to be more successful than his mother, while sleeping with half of the upper west side is Jamie’s way of PUNISHING Katie FOR walking out on him as a baby, but when a chance meeting with Virginia Rodwell; a much younger, legally blind cheerleader for the New York Jets occurs, Jamie’s heart begins to open for the first time in his life.

While Jamie and Virginia’s naïve relationship grows, the unsavory past of the peripheral characters in the story comes to light and begins to put pressure onto Jamie & Virginia, adding to Virginia’s already fragile mental state as a result of her life-long disability.

When Virginia plunges from Jamie’s eleventh floor balcony on a cold winter’s night, an unhinged detective with a personal tie to Virginia sets his sights on Jamie, thrusting him into a spotlight that he never auditioned for.

Facing a life behind bars, Jamie must release decades of resentment and anger to connect with the only person who can save this playboy Broadway star; the mother who abandoned him. 

Can Jamie forgive his mother, or will his pride get in the way of redemption?

With his grief as his compass, Jamie looks for ways to turn his heartbreak into a force for good, while his best friend, and one-time lover, Stella puts her unrequited love for Jamie aside to mend the rift between these two entertainment powerhouses.

Will Broadway’s biggest mother-and-son duo put their strained past aside and combine forces to honor Virginia, while turning their shared grief into something that can change lives around the world, or is there too much resentment to heal decades of pain between them?

It all comes down to..

“A matter of trust”

What sets “A MATTER OF TRUST” apart from all musical movies that have come before it, is how it combines 13 toe-tapping hits by legendary songwriter Billy Joel with 7 catchy original songs by up-and-coming composer J. D Moorea, driving the narrative forward in an incredibly exciting way.

“A MATTER OF TRUST” is a unique story that captures the essence of redemption, and the transformative power of a mother’s love 

SOUNDTRACK

A Matter of Trust

Say Goodbye to Hollywood

Uptown Girl

New York State of Mind

Angry Young Man

Big Shot

Just the Way You Are

Tell Her About it

Movin’ Out

Honesty

you’re only human

For Eternity (Original)

Light of Day (Original)

Another Night (Original)

Piano Man

Only the Good Die Young

How Could You (Original)

What Tomorrow Brings (Original)

The One (Original)

Touch the Stars (Original)

ORIGINAL MUSIC FEATURED

THE BACKSTORY BEHIND "A MATTER OF TRUST"

When J.D Moorea (then known as Dan Shearin) retired from entertaining, after starring in over thirty Broadway-style shows on cruise ships, he never imagined that the next decade would upend his life beyond anyone’s worst nightmares. 

In 2007 during HIS decade-long career as the lead male singer in production shows for Princess Cruises, j.d performed in a show called “Piano Man” which was a tribute to Billy Joel’s music. Even as a child of the 70’s and 80’s”, it was only at that point (at sea) that HE truly grasped how much audiences loved Billy’s music. j.d received countless standing ovations for HIS role in that show, and thus the birth of an idea to use Billy’s music in a movie script.

When a chance meeting and a friendly coffee with a much younger legally blind N.R.L cheerleader named Breeana Robinson unexpectedly led to romance, no one could have predicted the chain of events that would lead to Breeana’s untimely death at only twenty-one, but more so that IT would eventually lead to J.D being charged with Breeana’s murder six years to the day after she plunged from their apartment balcony; especially when her death was originally deemed as suicide by police. 

As J.D’s decades-long philandering playboy past on cruise ships came to light through an unrelenting media’s thirst for a salacious story, the police crumbled, and despite a lack of evidence, or any clear motive, they manufactured a scenario that was destined to fail, in order to justify a murder charge. 

Despite the odds, and most of the country being firmly against him (thanks to the extensive unbalanced media reports around the world), J.D was determined to clear his name, while making sure that Breeana’s death wasn’t in vain.

As fate would have it, God chose an entertainer with a passion for screenwriting to be thrust into the upheaval that J.D has experienced so that this story could be shared with the world, while honoring the life of an incredibly inspiring young woman with a disability. 

After five long years being on bail for murder, J.D’s long-held proclamation of innocence was justified when the Department of Public Prosecutions finally admitted that they did not have enough evidence to continue the case and dropped the charges. Long before Jayden Daniel Moorea had all charges dropped in relation to Breeana’s death, he penned the up-tempo, musical romantic comedy, but for legal reasons it is only now that the details can be made public.

This screenplay and its ensuing movie are sure to make you laugh out loud, break your heart and even tap your foot while singing along to the catchy musical numbers by both Billy Joel and J.D Moorea himself. Most importantly though, it will make you believe that no matter who you are, or what you have done; you are worth of love.

THE CHARACTERS

JAMIE BROADWAY, (35) charismatic star of New York’s theatre scene who harbors a dark secret about his family. In the spotlight Jamie is as smooth as they come, but behind closed doors he is full of anger and resentment, and lacks emotional intelligence.

Jamie cannot forgive his biological mother Katie for abandoning him as a baby. Jamie’s “mommy issues” has led to a revolving door of beautiful women coming and going from Jamie’s Manhattan apartment as he endeavors to punish Katie for what she did to him.

CASTING: Think Zac Efron, Nick Jonas, or Austin Butler.

The role requires a strong singer with a range from tenor to baritone.

KATIE MITCHELL, (53) classy and posses model looks. A former superstar of the stage having starred in both lead roles in Chicago and premiered the role of Belle in Beauty & The Beast. While her life seems perfect, she holds much regret over the choice she made as an eighteen-year-old to give her baby son up for adoption to pursue her dream of being on Broadway.

Katie wants nothing more than to reconcile with her son Jamie, but she can’t find a way to make him forgive her.

CASTING: Think Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Lopez, or Nicole Kidman.

The role requires a strong singer.

MARCO DALEY, (62) an unhinged hard-nosed detective with a checkered professional and personal past. Marco is Virginia’s estranged father and Eileen’s ex-husband who is the antagonist who sets his sights on Jamie after his daughter’s untimely death.

a man with a very questionable past, who uses his position of power to manipulate those he encounters.

CASTING: Think George Clooney, or ben aflect

VIRGINIA RODWELL, (21) petite, legally blind cheerleader for the New York Jets. The pinnacle of naivety but despite her disability and overpowering and controlling mother, Virginia is a powerhouse of a dancer. Her inspirational persona is the only one to crack open Jamie’s hardened heart, but even she inadvertently breaks his heart in the end.

casting: Think Sadi Sink, or emma myers 

STELLA, (32) strong female dance captain and philosophy major. A no-nonsense former lover of Jamie’s but now his best friend and biggest supporter. Stella is determined to cure Jamie of his hatred for his mother Katie and have them reunited.

The role requires a strong singer.

casting: Think Melissa Benoist, or Demi Lovato

EILEEN RODWELL, (52) A former Broadway actress herself, but the years since haven’t been kind to Eileen. The pounds have piled on and her bitter attitude towards the industry and life itself has everyone cowering in her wake; including her talented daughter Virginia. Eileen’s controlling ways with her daughter come from a bitter disappointment in her career and an abusive ex-husband. No one will take her daughter away from her, so look out anyone who tries to.

casting: Think Keala Settle, or Melissa McCarthy.

The role is more of an acting role with only some chorus singing required.

THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE - THE NOVEL

COMING SOON

How I wrote a fiction / non-fiction hybrid screenplay

“A Matter of trust” feature-length screenplay is © Copyright 2021. All rights reserved

Writer’s Guild of America West registration #2109407. Effective 3/24/2021