Screenplay: Secret Under the Sundance Lights

Genre:Drama / Mystery / Psychological

Logline:

When Hollywood legend Robert Redford dies at his Sundance, Utah home, his death is declared natural. But a young journalist, Clara Evans, uncovers unsettling clues suggesting his passing may be tied to a decades-old family secret. As she digs deeper, she unravels a web of betrayal, hidden truths, and a mysterious death from 1983, threatening to tarnish Redford’s legacy and the Sundance empire.

Main Characters:

Clara Evans: A 28-year-old ambitious journalist, sharp and determined, but haunted by a need to prove herself.

James Redford (fictional, not the real son): Robert Redford’s surviving son, manager of the Sundance resort, hiding a family secret.

Eleanor “Ellie” Redford: Robert’s widow, who knows more than she lets on.

Detective Marcus Holt: A local Utah detective, pressured to close the case quickly but sensing something amiss.

Siddhartha Shankar (flashbacks): Shauna Redford’s former boyfriend, whose mysterious 1983 death is central to the story.

Detailed Plot:

Act 1: The Spark

Scene 1: The Death AnnouncementSetting: A foggy morning in Sundance, Utah. The camera pans over snow-capped mountains and the luxurious Sundance resort. News of Robert Redford’s death floods TV screens, with clips of his iconic roles.

Clara Evans, struggling at a small Salt Lake City newspaper, receives an anonymous letter: “Redford’s death was no accident. Seek the truth at Sundance.” Attached is an old photo of Redford with an unidentified young man.

Intrigued by the chance to break a big story, Clara decides to investigate.

Scene 2: The Redford FamilyClara arrives at the Sundance resort to interview the Redford family. James Redford, the son, is cold and dismissive, refusing to discuss his father’s death. Ellie Redford, the widow, is polite but guarded, insisting Robert died of old age.

Clara notices family photos in the house lack one member: Shauna Redford, the daughter, who has stayed out of the public eye since her boyfriend’s death in 1983.

Act 2: Unraveling the Past

Scene 3: Digging DeeperClara uncovers details about the 1983 case: Siddhartha Shankar, Shauna’s boyfriend, was shot dead in their apartment. The case was ruled an accident caused by Shankar’s roommate, but no one was prosecuted. Clara suspects a cover-up.

She tracks down a former Sundance employee who reveals that Robert Redford paid a large sum to “resolve” the incident, though details remain unclear.

Clara receives a threatening phone call: “Stop digging, or you’ll regret it.”

Scene 4: Family SecretsClara sneaks into James’s office at the Sundance resort and finds an old document: a 1983 contract transferring part of Sundance’s land to an unknown company, signed shortly after Shankar’s death.

She also discovers a torn letter from Shauna to her father, accusing him of “ruining her life.” The letter hints at Robert’s involvement in Shankar’s death.

Scene 5: ConfrontationClara confronts James, who admits the Redford family paid to hush up Shankar’s case to protect Robert’s reputation and the Sundance resort. However, he insists his father’s death is unrelated.

Detective Holt, after Clara shares her findings, reviews Redford’s autopsy report and finds an anomaly: traces of a sedative in Robert’s system, not prescribed.

Act 3: The Truth Revealed

Scene 6: The Hidden TruthClara locates Shauna Redford, now living reclusively in a small town. Shauna reveals that her father, Robert, hired someone to “deal with” Shankar, believing he was exploiting Shauna and threatening the family’s reputation. The incident was staged as an accident, but Shauna never forgave her father.

Shauna admits she visited Robert days before his death and left sedatives in the house, but denies killing him. She says, “I just wanted him to face what he did.”

Scene 7: Redford’s DeathDetective Holt discovers that Ellie, Robert’s wife, accidentally mixed sedatives into his tea, mistaking them for a health supplement. Ellie knew about Robert’s role in Shankar’s death and was tormented by guilt, leading to the fatal mistake.

Robert’s death wasn’t murder but a tragic accident, rooted in unresolved family secrets.

Resolution:

Scene 8: LegacyClara chooses not to publish the full story, sparing the Redford family further pain. Instead, she writes an article celebrating Robert Redford’s cinematic and environmental legacy, focusing on his Sundance Film Festival contributions.

The film closes with Clara standing before the Sundance resort, gazing at the mountains, as Redford’s voice (from an old film) narrates: “Life is about stories, and sometimes, the truth hurts more than we want to believe.”

Production Notes:

Setting: Leverage the stunning Sundance, Utah landscape, with sweeping mountain vistas and the upscale resort to create a moody, mysterious atmosphere, evoking Redford’s legacy.

Soundtrack: Acoustic, melancholic score to underscore family drama and loss.

Narrative Style: Use flashbacks to depict Redford’s iconic film moments and key events tied to Shankar’s 1983 death.

Dramatic Highlights:

The mystery of Redford’s death keeps viewers suspecting every character, from family members to outsiders.

The connection between the past (Shankar’s case) and present creates a layered story about guilt, redemption, and the cost of fame.

An open-ended resolution invites audiences to ponder: Was Redford truly culpable, or was he just protecting his family?