The Baker Shop Twins

Created by Carolyn Goodyear, The Pitch 2014

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Description

Like Lourdes, people flock from miles away to Homer and Betsy Baker’s legendary cupcake shop, whose cupcakes, sometimes, have miraculous effects – allegedly! The secret, family recipe is traditionally passed down to the eldest son. After 20 childless years, these simpletons visit their DR who enlightens them on the correct way to conceive. Their Stork-watching book is replaced with the Kama Sutra. Betsy falls pregnant with un-identical twins, Eddie and Billy. Eddie is unfairly born first after punching Billy out of the way! Neanderthal-like Eddie, is ginger, excessively hairy and Homer’s favourite son. Metrosexual Billy - brunette and un-hairy lives in Eddie’s shadow and longs for his father’s love. Growing up, he tried relentlessly to steal back the birth-right that Eddie stole from him by trying to engineer Eddie’s ‘accidental’ death. Homer, now ancient, dying and blind summons Eddie. Billy, realising this is his last opportunity to trump his brother, locks Eddie up. With the help of his mother, Billy disguises himself as his hairy, smelly, larger twin and goes to his father’s bed in the hope of fooling him into revealing the birth-right to him, instead of Eddie. This is a stylistic, quirky comedy using some narration and visual effects.

Biblical Connection

In Genesis 25 and 27, the story of fighting twins, Jacob and Esau is told. They are born to Isaac aged 60 and his younger wife Rebekah. Esau, the eldest, is a hairy red head and a hunter. Jacob has smooth skin and prefers to stay at home. As the eldest, Jacob will receive a birth-right and blessing from his father before he dies. In ‘The Baker Shop Twins’ these story characteristics have been translated into a contemporary setting of a lucrative cup-cake shop, run by Homer Baker and his much younger, gold–digging wife, Betsy. The birth-right/blessing, is a secret cupcake recipe. Sibling rivalry is as real today as it was in biblical times. Jacob resents Esau who is his father’s favourite son. He’s jealous of Esau and his birth-right and this resentment manifests itself into revenge. With the help of his mother, Jacob disguises himself as his brother, cheats Esau out of his birth-right and cons his dying, blind father into giving it to him instead. Jealousy and hurt can make people do extreme things and this story illustrates the length that this bitter brother will go to. Although a comedy, this film has an underlying sadness to it.