A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story

Margaret grows up in the South under the stern expectations of her mother, May Belle. She dreams of becoming a writer, but May Belle pushes her toward a medical career. The tension between ambition and parental demand shapes her early outlook and choices.

She attracts the attention of Clifford West Henry, a well-born young man from New York. They fall in love despite their different backgrounds and families. This relationship hints at a future that could defy her mother's plans.

Clifford is drafted into the Army and sent to France. He sustains injuries from a German bombing and dies in a French hospital. His death shatters Margaret's hopes for the future they imagined together.

Margaret is sent to Smith College to study medicine as her mother demands. She hates the curriculum and yearns to return to Clifford. The stifling path pushes her toward a different life even as she remains under her mother's influence.

A phone call confirms that Clifford died in a French hospital, leaving Margaret crushed and directionless. She experiences profound grief while confronted with the choices left open to her. This news marks a transitional moment as she reevaluates her life goals.

A month after Clifford's death, May Belle dies in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Margaret returns home to Atlanta to care for her father and to find a new place in society. The twin losses intensify her sense of displacement and force new decisions.

Margaret tries to gain full membership in the Atlanta Junior League but is shocked when she is refused after a sensual dance. The incident reveals the hypocrisy of high society and pushes her toward forging her own path. It becomes a catalyst for her independence.

Red Upshaw and John Marsh notice Margaret and are instantly drawn to her. She is initially wary of Red's womanizing, yet the attraction hints at a complicated relationship ahead. Both men become central to her future in ways she cannot yet foresee.

Despite family opposition to their engagement, Margaret marries Red Upshaw when he leaves his old job behind. She begins working at a newspaper as an interviewer, gradually gaining experience and becoming a respected reporter. Their marriage is passionate but soon encounters strain from Red's restlessness.

Red goes to Texas, and seven months later returns, suspecting Margaret of an affair with John. They clash violently, and Red beats Margaret, shattering the fragile balance of their marriage. The next acts set the stage for dramatic upheaval in her life.

John Marsh pays to remove Red from town and gives Margaret a gun to defend herself if Red returns. Soon after, Margaret and John begin a relationship and eventually marry in 1925. This marks a turning point as she moves from a turbulent marriage to a new partnership.

Margaret works on her first novel, Gone with the Wind, which becomes a colossal success. The fortune and fame do little to repair her strained relationship with John. The work cements her enduring legacy even as her personal life remains unsettled.

Red visits Margaret, bringing a sense of closure after their earlier conflict and announcing that he is getting married soon. His appearance keeps the past alive in her present as she continues to navigate fame and love.

The end credits reveal that Red commits suicide not long after, closing his turbulent chapter. Margaret continues to live, dying later in 1949 after being struck by a reckless driver. Her life spans war, love, ambition, and tragedy.