One Star

Description

This is the untold story of the, until now, nameless and faceless innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph in their time of need, his one-star B&B, and a workday from hell. John’s Fawlty Towers-esque B&B is understaffed, and the staff that are there are all unhelpful in their own unique ways. To make matters worse, they are completely ill-prepared for the influx of guests due to the Roman census, and there are rumors that the Messiah is coming to town, looking for a place to stay. Our film begins with the staff\'s morning meeting in John’s inn, after a scathing one-star review from the night before. Today is critical to the survival of his family business. If he’s ever going to claw back the reputation of his B&B, John knows he needs to somehow perform a miracle and get the place ready for a very important guest.An extremely rattled John, his flirtatious wife (Deborah), his simple-but-well-meaning maid (Betsey), and his stubborn, insubordinate butler (Jethro) get to work on preparing the B&B for the arrival of the Messiah. Guests keep piling in. Complaints keep piling up. And with a to-do list on the blackboard as long as Psalm 119, John is inching towards a breakdown. Everything that could possibly go wrong does, and everything that couldn’t possibly go wrong also does. Deborah flirts with anyone that could pass for the Son of God to gather intel and to get a rise out of her distracted husband. Unfortunately, her investigative skills aren’t up to scratch, and the team loses time pandering to a random shepherd. Betsey, in a bid to clean the place top-to-bottom, wipes off the to-do list, leading to absolute chaos. Rooms are triple booked, a goat is smuggled past a “No Animals Allowed” sign, and latrines are tipped out onto arriving guests. Mary and Joseph are shouted at to go and sleep in the stable. Three wise men are given wrong directions, and guests are complaining about the North Star\'s light outside their windows. The rating and reputation of the inn hangs in the balance.Just as the inn descends into total mayhem, an older guest, well-traveled and amused, sits back and chuckles at the chaos unfolding around him. “I’ve stayed in places much worse, my friend,” he tells John with a grin. “At least here, there’s heart.” He watched John, sweating and desperate, offer Mary and Joseph the barn, despite his shouting. He saw Betsey scrubbing day and night, determined but exhausted. Jethro, with his grumbling, still managed to slip him seconds of the terrible slop. Deborah, in her flirtatious way, kept him company—a lonely old man grateful for the conversation. He lay awake, listening to an angelic choir outside the window, starlight pouring in. Even the sneaky goat turned into a welcomed friend. Looking around, John begins to see things differently. It’s not perfection that matters, but the effort and care. The old man’s words make it clear: “Good enough” is good enough.

Biblical Connection

I’ve always been fascinated by storytelling from different perspectives. One of the most iconic narratives in the Bible is the innkeeper\'s story in Luke 2:1-7, where Mary and Joseph are turned away from an inn. What captivates me is the striking contrast between this universally known tale and the innkeeper’s unknown perspective and motives. For centuries, he has been cast as a villain, but what if he simply had a bad day? This notion resonates with my belief that no one is perfect, and as long as we are trying, that is good enough. I want to give the innkeeper a second chance and adapt the story to focus on his perspective, with Mary and Joseph as brief cameos in his chaotic day. I’ve also adapted it to resonate with today’s audience, incorporating modern language and experiences, from “Karen” reviews to dealing with unhelpful colleagues. This story lends itself beautifully to one of my favourite comedic styles—British farce. Through humour, I aim to show that humanity lies not in perfection but in our efforts and intentions. Exploring this famous night in history through the inn next door excites me, and I hope it does you!