THE INSTIGATOR

                                                             By

                                                      Tom Porter

                                                             &

                                                    Maggie Grant

What would our lives as Americans or films for that matter, be like today without The First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech or Freedom of the Press?  People all over the world are imprisoned or die fighting for these rights everyday.

Americans are very fortunate to have these rights due to The John Peter Zenger Trial and the young colonists’ brave and tenacious spirit. These brave men and women drew the line in the sand for the British to say no more to their 

tyrannical reign over their freedom of expression and desire to know the truth. 

John Peter Zenger was a New York printer and journalist whose famous acquittal in a libel suit (1735) established the first important victory for Freedom of the Press and Speech throughout the English colonies, the Zenger trial became a landmark on America's path to the protection of these inalienable rights that Americans fight for and cherish everyday.

The entire fate and future of the Free Press of the young and burgeoning United States in 1735, rests upon the weary shoulders of a cantankerous, outspoken, whiskey loving, yet brilliant, retired attorney, Andrew Hamilton played by (Ed Asner Attached) to fight for these very freedoms that we enjoy today. 

Hamilton constructs one of the most brilliant defenses in the History of American Jurisprudence. His  defense is still taught in Law Schools across the US even today, 281 years later. 

In the British colonial city of New York, during the fall of 1735, a German Immigrant printer named John Peter Zenger (MATTHEW MODINE) agreed to allow his newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal to be used by local attorney James Alexander (ED BEGLEY, JR.) as a vehicle to anonymously criticize the tyrannical policies of Governor William Cosby.

An enraged Cosby publicly attacked the newspaper, burned the issues and threw Zenger in jail. Chief Justice James Delancey  (MALCOLM McDOWELL) disbarred any attorney who attempted to aid the beleaguered printer. Ultimately, no attorney had the courage to come to Zenger’s defense as he languished in a cold jail cell, for fear of ramifications from Cosby.

In desperation, James Alexander’s wife, Maria travels to Philadelphia to convince famed trial lawyer Andrew Hamilton to come out of retirement to help the printer, now threatened with execution for not revealing the names of Cosby's anonymous critics.

Throughout the trial a physically deteriorating Hamilton battles a brilliant Judge Delancey and the Governor's capable Attorney General Richard Bradley (BRUCE DAVISON) in a near-hopeless legal fight to establish free speech and a free press on the emerging American continent. 

Cosby is ever-present; urging, cajoling and threatening his minions to steam-roll the aging barrister who's guile and ingenuity seemed poised to topple the dictatorial governor.

Stopped repeatedly by his opponents, Hamilton is forced to improvise one astounding line after another in a legendary defense.

This was an unprecedented case and still stands today as the greatest defense in the history of jurisprudence for Freedom of Speech, The Press are our greatest liberties as Americans.

This is a very current subject that would appeal to a very large Domestic and International Demographic. People are interested in the origins of America, laws and what transpired to bring them about. With the success of  Lincoln,  The New World, Good Night and Good Luck, Cold Mountain, The Last Of The Mohicans, Amistad, The Patriot, 12 Years A Slave, Gangs of New York and Glory, we feel that 

The Instigator, will have its own place in the long list of very successful films about our great American History.

The themes of the film are pride, courage, tenacity, the willingness to put one’s life on the line for liberty and freedom in a dramatic, enlightening and entertaining way. The Instigator celebrates who we are as Americans, how hard we fought to get to this place and more importantly, how hard we will fight to keep these liberties we so cherish.

Coverage: 

“The Instigator is an interesting journalistic true story that has yet to be told on-screen. There are a variety of story elements that make this feel like “prestige” material. High concept value with large mass appeal. “Bobby Hoppey, Manager Feature Slate Echo Lake Entertainment

THE INSTIGATOR is the first in a trilogy of films depicting the brave beginnings of Colonial America. The trilogy will end with signing of The Bill Of Rights.

Barbara Bain, Attached

Your generosity will help us secure the financing for the film. The budget is currently at $11,000,000. 

Your donation will help us in many ways:

1) secure final funding

2) start pre-production

Ed, Liza and I thank you for your help!

Maggie