Geppetto
Genre: Family Film/Fantasy Adventure
Logline
Full Synopsis
Michael Geppetto is a former professional soccer player whose life has unraveled after a career-ending injury. Now a bitter, alcoholic youth soccer coach, he struggles to connect with his losing team—and more importantly, with his estranged son, Eric. His personal failures have cost him his marriage, his family, and his sense of purpose.
One night, while working in his garage workshop, Michael acquires a discarded wooden mannequin shaped like a boy. In a moment of desperation, he begins speaking to it as if it were his son—only for the impossible to happen: the boy comes to life. Calling himself “Marty,” the wooden child is innocent, curious, and eager to understand the world.
As Marty becomes part of Michael’s life, he brings an unexpected spark—both to Michael’s struggling soccer team and to his hardened heart. With uncanny athletic ability, Marty transforms the team into winners, while quietly pushing Michael to confront his drinking, his anger, and his inability to communicate with his son.
Through fragments of memory and dreams, Marty reveals he is in fact Pinocchio—a magical being created long ago, brought back for a purpose: to help heal what is broken.
As the team advances toward a championship showdown, tensions rise when Michael’s son joins the rival team, forcing father and son onto opposing sides. Meanwhile, outsiders begin to suspect Marty’s true nature, threatening to expose and exploit him.
In the climactic match, victory is no longer just about soccer—it becomes a test of courage, trust, and redemption. With Marty’s influence, Michael learns to lead with compassion instead of anger, ultimately reconnecting with Eric through honesty and love.
In the end, Michael regains what he thought he’d lost forever: his son. And Marty—having fulfilled his purpose—finds something he never had before: a heart, not of flesh, but of belonging.
