Nurture

By Zane Rubin, with Chris Levitus

Pru Crissman (34) is the kind of person you can’t seem to take your eyes off — poised, put-together, and charming — she often comes off as the smartest person in the room. For Pru though, it’s her 16-year-old son Arlen that she measures her success by.

Pru and Arlen have the type of parent/child bond we all dream of. Full of mutual respect, support, and inside jokes, Arlen is Pru’s world — despite the traumatic memories of how, while still in high school, she became pregnant with him. A single mom, the two of them have grown up together, and their bond couldn’t be stronger.

Until… his school calls. Arlen’s been accused of sexual assault.

And now Pru’s world is forever rocked.

Nurture is the story of a young mother’s relentless pursuit of the truth. A frenetic journey during one very long day, which forces her to confront the trauma of her past, and exposes the grey areas of consent that can be exploited so easily. Is nature or nurture responsible for a child’s behavior? Is Pru in the process of proving her son’s innocence, or proving his guilt

Starring Melissa Benoist (SUPERGIRL/WHIPLASH) Melissa will star in and produce the series THE GIRLS ON THE BUS for HBO Max, which will premiere on Thursday, March 14th, 2024.  She was last seen in the Paramount TV miniseries WACO, opposite Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch, and Pete Berg’s PATRIOTS DAY opposite Mark Wahlberg for CBS Films, as well as in Imagine Entertainment's film LOWRIDERS, opposite Demian Bichir, for Universal Studios. In 2019, she starred as the title role in BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL on Broadway. Melissa is best known for her role as the title role in the series SUPERGIRL for Warner Bros and DC Entertainment. Previous credits include the Oscar winning film, WHIPLASH, opposite Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, for director Damien Chazelle, the adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel THE LONGEST RIDE for Fox 2000, as well as Dan Fogelman's DANNY COLLINS, opposite Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer and Annette Bening. 

Writer/Director Zane Rubin is a filmmaker from Los Angeles. Since directing her first feature at the ripe age of sixteen, Zane has made several shorts, including her most recent: MADDIE. She created and directed the digital series THAT’S HOW I LOST THE LAST ONE for Comedy Central and R.I.P. for Super Deluxe. Her horror short CREAT(E)URE premiered at Canneseries and is on Hulu under Bite Size Halloween. Her work has been featured on Vimeo Staff Picks, Huffington Post, Film School Rejects, Short of the Week, Film Shortage, NoBudge, NOWNESS, BUST and Vulture.

Co-Writer Chris Levitus is Zane’s longtime creative partner, having collaborated with her as a writer, editor, and producer on multiple award-winning projects. A filmmaker in his own right, Chris co-wrote the short Pink Grapefruit which premiered at Sundance and won the jury prize at SXSW.

Produced by Olivia Wingate for WINGATE MEDIA and Melissa Benoist and Sahar Kashi for 3 GOOD THINGS

Charlene Lee is attached as casting director.

CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH FINANCE PARTNERS - MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST