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Not About Money

A gal of principle gets her career derailed, goes up against a large corporation with a discrimination lawsuit, and ultimately changes the culture for women in business.

Coverage: Adam Harris Engelhard, Buffalo 8

Ellen, a dedicated corporate woman, gets promoted into management of a large corporation. Oblivious that the “good ol’ boy network” is at play, she is destined to fail. Her career is soon undermined by a network of peers and a regime of corporate male management who don't want her there.

Her job is deliberately made difficult, she is written up without cause, and is ridiculed in meetings. Other tactics are used to drive her out and make her job miserable, including moving equipment out of her office, locking her office door, and picking up her company car from her driveway with a tow truck.

A paper trail of scathing documentation is created against her. A supportive male management friend tries to help, but gets threatened by his superiors and can no longer risk being involved as Ellen’s confidant.

Ellen has a relationship with Matt, a recently divorced gentleman, who is tormented with guilt for leaving his wife and suffers from his limited attention to his children due to his relationship with Ellen. He struggles to keep a balance between them, but he must leave her in order to have peace in his life.

Co-worker Marcie overhears a closed-door conversation and alerts Ellen that management wants to drive her out. She decides to fight back for the sake of principle, even if it means losing her job.

Ellen finds a good attorney, but when she wants to retire, he sends her a letter withdrawing from her case. After some discussion, they are able to work out their differences and she agrees to keep working.

While Ellen is heartbroken over the loss of her relationship with Matt, she accepts that he needs to move on. She tries a singles “mixer” and meets Steve. They become enamored with one another, and a new relationship ensues.

Ellen wins her case and throws a Victory Party to thank those who supported her. Her attorney mistakenly overpays her portion of the settlement and cancels the check. Ellen never checks the amount before making the deposit and proves that her case is not about money. In the months that follow, her case sets the change in the Corporation’s culture for the advancement of women in business.

Written by:
Format:
Screenplay
In the Vein Of:
Devil Wears Prada
Erin Brockovich
Dark Waters
Posted:
01/20/2020
Updated:
04/08/2024
Author Bio:
Pamela Green has been writing for several years and picked up an agent and script coach on her very first screenplay. She later worked with a literary manager to hone her skills. Many of her scripts have placed in contests, and between herself and her script coach, they have credits for 2 produced films, 6 optioned scripts and two outright sales. https://www.ellenblend.com/screenplays-by-pamela-green.html

Contest Results:
Emerging Screenwriters (Quarterfinalist) [2021]
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