Johnny Hangtime
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Johnny Hangtime is a children's book by Dan Gutman about a stunt kid named Johnny Thyme, or his pseudonym, Johnny Hangtime. The book centres on Johnny attempting a stunt that killed his father, Joe Thyme, when Johnny was ten years old. Joe died when he was asked to do a stunt in which he was supposed to fly a motorboat with wings over Niagara Falls, to the horror of Johnny, who was watching.
[edit] Plot
The book is told in first-person through the eyes of Johnny. When the book begins, Johnny is shooting a movie called New York Nightmare, starring a famous but obnoxious teen actor named Ricky Corvette. Ricky claims he does all his own stunts, and the truth is only known inside the movie business, as Johnny does the stunts for all of Ricky's movies. His eccentric director, Roland Rivers, is in love with Johnny's mother, Meredith, who worries for her son's safety constantly. Johnny then describes his past to the reader, after wrapping up New York Nightmare and beginning the new school year being helplessy bullied by a kid named Boris Bonner.
Johnny describes how he got into stunting after Joe's death. Johnny had always been a hyperactive child, and his mother naturally worried, not wanting to lose two family members. Meredith recommended sports, but Johnny was never intrigued by any of them. Meredith then sends him to a psychologist, but Johnny spends the second $100 his mother gives him on a pair of roller skates. Johnny crashes performing a trick, and is met shortly after by Roland Rivers, who offers him money to perform a roller skate stunt for a Ricky Corvette movie filming nearby, Skate Fever. When Meredith finds out about the missed therapy sessions, she reluctantly allows Johnny to follow in his father's footsteps.
Meanwhile, Johnny is shooting a new movie, Great Adventure. He hurts his ankle doing a stunt and is mocked by Boris Bonner after Johnny tells him he hurt the ankle falling down stairs. Later, after shooting another scene, Bonner again bullies Johnny right before Christmas vacation. Johnny finally gets fed up with Boris and gets into a fight with him, though this is quickly separated by Roland, who happened to drive by. Johnny tells Roland he does not want to be a stunt kid anymore, but then Roland tells him he is working on his dream movie, Two Birds, One Stone. The film features little plot, just wall-to-wall action throughout the entire film, produced by Paramount. Johnny is enthusiastic. However, Roland tells him the film will attempt a Niagara Falls scene similar to the one that killed Joe Thyme. Johnny does not hesitate, but he gives Meredith an edited copy of the script so she will let him be in the movie. He tries to figure out a way to tell her about the scene. He finds it tragically when the family's beloved horse, Squirt, which was used in a stunt for Two Birds, One Stone, had to be euthanasia after breaking his leg. Roland tells Meredith all precautions will be made to prevent future injury, and that every precaution will be taken for the Niagara Falls scene Meredith did not know about. Meredith is furious, but it is too late to back out of the movie due to contract obligations. Meanwhile, Johnny becomes increasingly angry at Ricky Corvette, lying to preserve his image. He stands up to Ricky after Ricky asks him for a Mountain Dew, and earns respect around the movie set.
The night before the dangerous stunt, Johnny cannot sleep, and goes to the observation deck. Surprisingly, he finds Joe Thyme there, who had heard the movie was being filmed in the falls. He reveals to Johnny that he owed money to people (possibly bookies) who he couldn't pay back, so after the boat went over the falls, he decides to start a new life in Canada and change his name. Johnny calls him a coward, but Joe tells him not to do the stunt, but Johnny refuses. He walks back to the hotel hating his father.
The next day, Roland meets Joe, his idol, who asks him to cut the scene. With Meredith and Joe against him, Roland faces a dilemma. But his problem is solved when Ricky Corvette comes forward and says he is going to do the stunt himself. Feeling he made Ricky do that when he stood up to him, Johnny desperately tries to talk Ricky out of it. But Ricky tells him he has been jealous of Johnny his whole career, and wants to prove himself. But Ricky falls off the helicopter he was supposed to grab on to, and falls down the waterfall.
Ricky lives, but his career is ruined. However, the movie has too large a budget to cancel. Roland then asks Johnny to act the seven lines of dialogue Ricky had in the movie, for one million dollars. In the final scene, he has to kiss a beautiful teen actress, Augusta Wind, who the press had reported was Ricky's girlfriend. Johnny reluctantly agrees and is relieved to find out to Ricky-Augusta relationship was a fabricated story.
When Two Birds, One Stone, comes out, Johnny is finally credited, and becomes an instant superstar when the secret about Ricky Corvette is revealed. Roland begins to write a sequel, Three Birds, Two Stones, but when it comes out, Johnny becomes exclusively an actor.
In an epilogue, Roland and Meredith are finally dating. Roland no longer makes action movies, instead he makes a sequel to My Dinner with Andre. Johnny is obviously no longer bullied, as he has taken Ricky's spot. He is living the life of a star, being with Augusta, shooting movies and making a fortune. Johnny decides to forgive his father, saying he "might give him a call".
