Logline

In Georgian England, a young woman with an overactive imagination travels for the first time to the big city where she must learn to distinguish between friends and enemies, rogues and heroes, imagined dangers and very real ones..

One-page treatment

In Georgian England a young woman leaves her small town for the first time to travel to the big city. Catherine is a ferocious reader of sensational novels, and imagines dangers at every turn. Unfortunately, no highwaymen assault her carriage, and she arrives safely with her guardians: Mr. & Mrs. Allen.

Her first stop is the local library, where she meets an intriguing young man who shares her interest in Gothic literature. Their encounter is cut short, and Catherine returns to the townhouse to prepare for her first ball. That night her initial excitement evaporates. Instead of dashing gentlemen sweeping her off her feet, it’s crowded, and the Allens do not have any acquaintances in town. Amidst the sea of people, Catherine languishes in her isolation, unable to meet anyone without breaking the decorums of the time period. Her mood shifts when she runs into the man from the library: Henry Tilney. After being formally introduced, Catherine has her dance partner. His charm and wit endear him to her even more. 

The next morning brings even better news: Catherine’s brother arrives. He introduces her to his friend, John Thorpe, and his beautiful sister Isabella. The two girls hit it off right away, but pushy John does not score any points with Catherine. His constant boasting and uncouth vocabulary make his company undesirable. John declares he must dance with Catherine without asking her permission. Luckily, who should swoop in to save her, but the handsome Henry Tilney. 

Catherine also meets Henry’s stern father General Tilney, and his quiet sister Eleanor. In private, John brags to the General that he is hoping to marry Catherine, and wrongly believes her to be the heiress to Mr. & Mrs. Allen’s wealth. Obsessed with money the General invites Catherine to their family estate: Northanger Abbey. Expecting a spooky manor, Catherine is excited to tag along, especially because it gets her away from John Thorpe. 

Upon arrival Catherine is disappointed to see that Northanger is a modern building, but she doesn’t give up on her Gothic fancies. In a vulnerable moment Eleanor shares that her cold father never loved his wife. Suspecting him of foul play, Catherine begins to investigate, but again, finds nothing. Her wild suspicions come to light in front of Henry, who is taken aback at Catherine’s criminal conjectures about his father. Her imagination has gone too far. 

The General finds out that Catherine, while from a good family, is no rich heiress after all. He sends her home without a chaperone for the long journey. Upon her return Catherine finds out that her brother had gotten engaged to Isabella Thorpe, but she dropped him for a richer man. The siblings commiserate over their respective heartbreaks, when Henry arrives on a horse, windswept and gorgeous. 

Defying his father he proposes marriage to Catherine. He has loved her all along for her unaffected loyal personality. 

Catherine has mastered her adventures: an unfamiliar big city, an unwanted suitor, and an evil General. And, she got her Prince Charming in the end.

Why now?

While we are fans of  the 2007 Jon Jones adaptation of Northanger Abbey, we believe it’s time for a fresh version that leans  into the sharp satire of the original book with colorblind casting.

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