Pippin and Lulu

Ireland, Christmastime: a scruffy dachshund puppy is raffled off in a pub. Pippin's only friend is Feeny, a GreatDane philosopher who teaches him to “chase his dreams like a car.” So Pippin escapes to Paris and finds work at a bawdy but charming flophouse for starlets. Warned about a glamorous dancer, Zsa-Zsa (“a surrealist and a heartbreaker, an impossible dream for an earnest little sausage like yourself”) Pippin nevertheless falls madly in love. Zsa-Zsa takes him on a cruel carousel ride before tossing him aside for a “rich brute with clumsy paws and jowls hanging down to his collarbones.” Saved by rescue dogs who teach “lovelorn gombeens” to “be their own heroes, and rescue themselves from themselves,” Pippin attempts a new identity: a dashing boulevardier. Though he makes a fine fool of himself, he falls ears-over-muzzle in love with the soulful servant girl, Lulu - who was there all along - and loves him back.

  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    family, holiday, rom com, comedy, animation
  • Number of Pages:
    108
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, French, Italian
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Writer Biography

I'm a writer and artist currently living in the U.S. and working as a freelance journalist in the New York Metro area. I'm married to a journalist and have two grown children -- one who is an opera singer, the other, a world traveler. I've always loved animals and am a serial pet rescuer. I lived for years in Paris, studied art and married in Florence. I've always been dedicated to both literature and visual art, and have a BFA in Visual Communication from Pratt Institute in New York City. Halfway through an MFA in Creative Writing, I'm currently writing 3 books: a narrative nonfiction journalism book, a historical novel, and a graphic novel to accompany my script, "Pippin and Lulu."

As a professional journalist, my work has been published on many national news sites -- NBC News, The Today Show, TODAY Moms, CNBC, The Street.com, The Gothamist, etc -- and printed in NJ Monthly Magazine and law journals. I've worked as a professor of International Media, and Media Ethics and Law.

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Writer Statement

When on a Covid hiatus from my MFA studies, I wrote "Pippin and Lulu," a family friendly, whimsical rom-com with a bit of Christmas flair. I consider it an antidote to what have been, in my opinion, dark years marked by wars, political unrest, and a pandemic. "Pippin and Lulu" is the escape so many of us need right now: immersion into a world of hope, laughter, romance and beauty.

This international story was influenced by the paintings of Toulouse Lautrec and Maira Kalman, and the wisdom of famous writers and poets. I've always been captivated by stylish and visually spectacular films like "Fantasia," "Amelie," "Isle of Dogs," "The Artist," and "The Secret of Kells." I also love any fanciful film set in The City of Lights such as, "An American in Paris," "Midnight in Paris," "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris."

"Pippin and Lulu" is truly an international film. It begins in Ireland, winds up in Paris, and the characters (canine, feline and human) all hail from Europe and the US. I envision it as a blend of live action and animation. The technique used in "Paddington Bear" inspired me. "Pippin and Lulu" has a sweet, nostalgic feeling that grandparents will love as much as parents and kids.