The Misunderstood: Children of the Sun

1 The Misunderstood: Children of the Sun

By Michael Stax Dixson & Richard Shaw Brown WGA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGISTRATION # 977444

Synopsis

In 1966 the Misunderstood, an ambitious anti-war rock band from small town California, set off on a mission to England. In swinging sixties London they forge a revolutionary new psychedelic sound, but on the very brink of international success the heart of the band is ripped out when their lead singer is drafted by the US Army. Torn from stardom and faced with war or prison he miraculously escapes from boot camp and embarks on a spiritual journey to mystical India, living for seven years as a monk in a primitive ashram. With the discovery of a secret ruby mine, and magical jewels, he becomes embroiled in further extraordinary adventures, his fugitive life forcing him to live in the shadows, one step ahead of the authorities. Children of the Sun is the thrilling true-life saga of the greatest lost rock band of the 1960s and one young man’s quest for spiritual peace, personal freedom, and survival. . First he gets murdered then his adventure begins

The story begins in India in 1947; a time of violent upheaval, the partition of India and Pakistan, when thousands are murdered in riots and fighting. Hrisikesh is an old Indian monk who is fleeing the chaos and slaughter atop a train bound for the holy town of Rishikesh at the foot of the Himalayas. Hrisikesh Baba arrives at his destination only to be shot and killed in a blood-soaked melee. In a stunning montage sequence, the soul of Hrisikesh is swept down a glowing tunnel, past ancient images and into a womb – in America, where he is reborn as Richard Shaw- Brown II.

The next scene opens in Southern California; 1965. Rick aka Hrisikesh is 18 years old, a surfer and lead singer in a pioneer psychedelic rock band, The Misunderstood; based in Riverside, California. Rick and his group are completely wrapped up in their revolutionary anti-war music and their ambition to share it with the world. But they are severely constrained by the limited horizons of their small-town locality and the grand hopes of their old-fashioned parents. To complicate matters, the Vietnam War is escalating and the threat of the military draft looms over the band members and their entire generation. Rick’s Father is an Air-force Colonel so the values between son and Father are in constant conflict.

Encouraged by their mentor, an English disc jockey named John Ravenscroft (later famous as the BBC’s John Peel) the Misunderstood decides to relocate to London, England, where their music might find a more receptive audience. After a period of poverty and hardship, a bonding between the players and their audience develops, set against the colorfully exciting backdrop of Psychedelic “swinging 60s” London. The Misunderstood captivates their audiences in droves, and is signed to a deal with Fontana Records. Behind the scenes though, two greedy managers battle for control over Rick and the group's soul. A lavish media-launch press reception announces the release of “I Can Take You To The Sun,” the Misunderstood’s first single which is met with rave reviews. The Misunderstood are poised on the brink of a major breakthrough, but Rick’s numerous draft notices from home finally catch up with him in London. Placing his trust in his management and record-company lawyers, he follows their advice and returns to California to face the draft, fully expecting to be 2 exempted from the military. Instead, he is thrown directly into boot camp, where he undergoes a nightmarish indoctrination into the US Army. He realizes the military is trying to turn him into a killing machine, and Rick resists every step of the way, despite violent repercussions from other recruits.

On the eve of his shipment to Vietnam, Rick flees boot camp and becomes a fugitive; living life in the shadows; without money, country, freedom or identity. Meanwhile the band back in London disintegrates without their lead singer-song writer. Hiding out first in Haight Ashbury during the Summer of Flowers and Love he meets an old Indian, Swami Bhaktivedanta (Swamiji), who initiates him with the name “Hrisikesh,” and advises he should go join Swamiji in India. Before departure to India, Rick is captured by the Military Police, but manages to escape through Hollywood to London, where he is sheltered by guitar-legend Jeff Beck and John Peel. Now deeply immersed in Eastern religion, Rick’s ultimate goal remains to reach India, where he hopes to find sanctuary and peace with the Swami.

Traveling under an assumed ID he finally finds his way to the obscure temple-town of Vrindavan in Northern India. Unable to meet Swami Bhakti Vedanta, he takes shelter with another Guru, Swami Bon (Gurudev), in an ancient Ashram. For seven years Rick – now Hrisikesh – lives as a monk, his head shaved, courageously enduring and overcoming the challenges of strict religious discipline, rancid food, unspeakable health conditions and extreme illness. Simultaneously, he discovers revitalizing knowledge and spiritual peace. This peace is devastated when a dispute breaks out among the two Indian Gurus, the American FBI and the U.S. Military; again over the ownership of Hrisikesh’s soul. Hrisikesh’s dynamic personality and relentless search for emotional contentment create greater ambitions within him. So, in 1971 he is swept up in the Indo-Pakistan War’s violence; yet he endures to build two schools. In this period India’s highest leaders befriend Hrisikesh, including India's President Sri V.V. Giri, who helps him escape from India; just as the U.S. authorities are closing in on him.

Evading capture yet again, Hrisikesh finds a new sanctuary in Katmandu, Nepal, at the end of the hippie trail in the foothills of the Himalayas. Here news reaches him from an old friend about the discovery of a secret ruby mine in Southern India. Returning to India barefoot and bereft of any ID, Hrisikesh is asked to sell rough gemstones in the labyrinth of Bombay; thereby awakening a new calling within him. Finally back in Nepal and through the wise counsel of a charismatic old Himalayan hermit named Kali Baba, he discovers an ancient secret about flawless gems and their significance within the astrological realm. His newfound visions for gemstone- talisman designs take him on many exotically dangerous missions -- to mysterious Bali and mystical Nepal -- but his fugitive past continues to haunt him and thwart his ambitions. With the FBI constantly on his trail unscrupulous people in whom he confides dupe Hrisi. Consequently, he is left destitute in Asia; his rope is running out... fast.

Just as all appears lost – with the Feds closing in -- Rick meets new friends who inform him the U.S. Government has granted an amnesty to all Vietnam War "conscientious objectors." With newfound hope and help, Hrisikesh returns to the United States -- after 12 years on the run -- slipping across the border from Mexico. His family had presumed Rick was dead in India many years ago. But, in a deeply emotional scene, they are reunited: Rick and his father can at last make amends. However, Rick must now turn himself in to the authorities and face all charges against him as an outlaw. After a brief, comical return to the Army, and some nail- biting twists and turns within the legal system, he is finally granted freedom. Then a chance meeting with a lady psychic, leads to a stunning revelation and the key to Hrisikesh’s past life and ultimate destiny.