60 FEET UNDER is a semi-contained suspense thriller, with the second and third acts set almost entirely underground. It's a commercial script (likely PG-13) written for broad appeal, with a target audience of 18-35. The production budget would be small to medium, as there are minimal effects and a small cast (five characters). The role of Lincoln is written for a leading man-type - someone with the ability to connect emotionally, but handle moderate physical challenges. Think Channing Tatum.
Quick setup:
Lincoln Casper (mid to late 30s) is a widower in the midst of losing his only daughter. Ever since her Mom passed, Ali Casper's (late teens) anxiety has grown worse. Her claustrophobia has progressed to the point she can no longer go in the house, she can't go to school and she barely even interacts anymore. Lincoln deals with his own anxiety. But, of course, he hasn't told his daughter. She needs strength from him, not weakness. He knows, though, he's got to do something.
He decides to take her on a trip to the most open place he can think of: the Grand Canyon. It takes some convincing, but Ali agrees to the trip, helped by the addition of friend Tucker's prized convertible. It's barely manageable, but it works.
Their first overnight on the road takes place at a small campground in Kansas. It's been closed for 20 years, but Lincoln and Ali don't know that. The office is run by an older couple, Roger and Bonnie. They're nice enough, but Bonnie is stuck in the past. It seems dementia has taken hold, and she's convinced that Ali is her lost daughter. When it's time to leave, Bonnie can't live with the thought. Roger just wants his wife to be happy (it's been awhile since he's seen that). So, as Bonnie becomes more distraught, he becomes more insistent: They'll stay, just for a couple days.
Of course, Lincoln sees things otherwise, and when things turn ugly, he's knocked out. He and Ali are taken hostage and held inside an abandoned, underground missile silo.
60 FEET UNDER is the story of their attempts to escape and Lincoln's attempts to reconnect with his daughter.
