The Hunger Artist
Logline
High school art teacher Carl Rittenhaur is in line to inherit the family farm, but his guilt over the deaths of his parents burdens him from claiming his legacy. His life gets a jolt when his ex-fiancé, who had once pulled him from depression and later abandoned him at the altar, returns to town with her two-year-old daughter in tow. She is in the last throes of a custody battle with the girl’s father, and Carl has been mysteriously named in the hearings. Tangled in an old romance and a corrupt family court system, Carl must find where his true hunger lies, either for his birthright and all its memories, or for this new family that may be his salvation.
Genre
Drama, Family
Short Summary
Carl Rittenhaur, living in guilt over the deaths of his parents, is named in the child custody case of his ex-fiance, his true love. He becomes increasingly re-involved in her life, trying to both help her and her daughter, and rekindle the love he lost.
Setting
Virginia Piedmont, Florida, cross-country drive from Florida north to Lake Erie
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Voyage and Return
Plot - Other Elements
Philosophical Questions
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity, Nudity
Main Character Details
Name: Carl Rittenhour
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Naive, Romantic, Desperate, Faithful, Perseverance, Selfless, Strong Moral Code, Underdog, Honorable, Insecure
Additional Character Details
Name: Miriam Boyd
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Role: Tempter
Key Traits: Charming, Complex, Desperate, Manipulative, Secretive, Seductive, Uneducated, Beautiful
Additional Character Details
Name: Ed Groeper
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Villainous, Aggressive, Blunt, Confident, Decisive, Masculine
Additional Character Details
Name: Annaliese Groeper
Age: 2
Gender: Female
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Adventurous, Charming