Synopsis

Randall Cook is a brutish, homophobic soldier in his mid forties. A die hard 'grunt', a 'man's man', he is thrown out of the army in disgrace for his politically incorrect attitudes and finds himself homeless after his wife dumps him for the man from the carpet warehouse. After a lifetime in the protected world of the military, Randall is spectacularly ill equipped for civilian life. Even Lisa, his cynical, acid-tongued daughter despairs that he will ever crack the confusing business of surviving in the 'real' world.

Randall finally finds work, as a bodyguard, only to find to his horror that his first job is at a celebrity gay wedding. At the party he clashes with Carl - a gay man in his early thirties who is the very essence of everything that Randall despises. Later, when Randall almost chokes to death on a peanut, Carl saves his life with an emergency tracheotomy.

After a spell in hospital, Carl (with Lisa's help) persuades a reluctant Randall to return the favour and help him recover some belongings from Vicente - a violent former boyfriend. A crazy fight kicks off, resulting in Vicente's accidental death. Desperate to cover the crime, Randall and Carl take Vicente's body to Scotland where Randall has a buddy with a boat.

The two men set out to sea on a voyage which ends in disaster as the boat hits a rock and sinks. Adrift on the open ocean in a tiny rubber dinghy, these two polar opposites of the masculine spectrum are forced into a life and death survival situation which will slowly, painfully, and humorously, strip away their prejudices and fears. Randall emerges from this experience as a changed man. Having risked his life to save his new friend, he is now ready to start a new life in that wonderfully bizarre place known as the real world.

Matt Dickinson - screenwriter

Matt Dickinson's screenwriting credits include 'Cloud Cuckoo Land' (which he also directed), 'Upgrade' (optioned by Transfilm 2006) and 'Snow Red' (optioned by Doris Inc. 2007).

His best-selling account of his ascent of Everest's deadly North Face was published as 'The Death Zone' in the UK, and 'The Other Side of Everest' in the USA and has received widespread critical acclaim.

Matt's other writing credits include two novels; 'High Risk' and 'Black Ice', both published by Random House.