| 2/23/2006 |
IN MY HEAD... IN MY HEEEEEAD... Part 1
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Perhaps, this will make me seem like a complete schizo. I swear I'm not. I get ideas for movies or novels quite frequently. I'll get flashes of what I think might be a really funny scene. Or maybe it's a dramatic monologue from one character to another. The problem for me is fleshing those scenes out into something substantial.
I had a flash of a scene last night. This is how it plays out.
Let me set the mood a little. The story/movie/whatever... would take place in Seattle. The male lead would narrate at times in Grey's Anatomy fashion. The cast is in their late 20s early 30s.
CHARACTERS:
Joe - Male lead. Attractive looking. A free-lance writer who just landed an advice column in a major Seattle newspaper.
Greg - Joe's partner. Restaurant owner, but moonlights in the bar of his place as a bartender and keeps the rowdy ones under control.
Dan & Yumi - Dan is a music columnist and good friend of Joe's. They've worked together for year since Joe first moved to Seattle. Yumi meet Dan when she was the drummer for an all Asian all girl rock band. Hair pulled back in two Mickey Mouse-esque buns.
Abby - Female lead. A reaqcuainted friend of Joe's since high school. Very sweet 'girl-next-door' type. Petite. Loosely pulled back brown hair. A photographer by trade who recently moved back to Seattle to help her sick Mother.
Adam & Maggie - Neighbors of Joe & Greg and have quickly become good friends.
SETTING:
A modest house in the suburbs or Seattle. It's a rainy late afternoon. There was supposed to be a BBQ but the rain has put a damper on that.
Joe is writing at a coffee shop when Abby walks in and orders. The motion slows and Joe begins to narrarate. Most likely this is shown as a set of breif scenes rather than narration. But for the sake of the idea right now it's all voice over.
JOE: [voice over] Abby is a dear friend who I screwed over a long time ago. She was my date to prom when no other girl would give me the time of day. She was my best friend. We'd managed to keep our relationship platonic even though I knew that she would've been happy to have done otherwise.
The summer after graduation, I made plans to go off to college and Abby planned to live aboard in Europe on her Father's dime, honing her photographic skills. As one last hurrah the the whole high school gang got together for a drunken night of memories and last requests. After imbibing my own private brewery Abby got her wish and we had sex. It was the first and only time I every slept with a woman. I felt horrible that I might have taken advantage of Abby in a drunken state and avoided her for the remainder of the time till I left for college.
It wasn't until the Fall of my Junior year that I ran into Abby again. She had returned from Europe presumably and had enrolled in classes. The two years that we hadn't seen each other, a lot had changed. While away she had experimented with drugs and the party scene while I had experimented with [pause] men.
That's when I met Greg. He was a football player and well liked on campus. I was surpised when I found out he was gay, but even more surprised to hear him ask me for my number. We hung out all the time, but Greg and I didn't officially become a couple until a few year or so after we'd both graduated. He worked as a bartender in college and once he graduated worked his way up through the ranks and was now part owner in his own place.
In college when Abby found out that I was gay it only seemed to fuel her party-hard behavior. I tried to make amends for possibly ruining a friendship back in high school, but her behavior made it difficult. I met Greg, graduated, moved in, and moved on with my life. Finally landing the job I always wanted, writing for a major daily paper.
And now here she was again... I almost didn't recognize from the last time I saw her passed out on top of some frat guy. I didn't know if she's recognize or even want to speak to me. But I was going to try anyway...
JOE: Abby?
ABBY: Joe? Oh my God?! How are you?
JOE: I'm good. It's been so long. I wasn't sure you'd recognize me after... what... five years?
ABBY: [very smiley and chipper] Seven actually. It's been TOO long.
JOE: Wow! That long... [nervously] So, uh... how are you?
ABBY: GOOD! Good.
JOE: Good.
ABBY: Well... not good. I'm back in Seattle because my Mom is ill. She has cancer.
JOE: Oh man! I'm so sorry. How is she doing?
ABBY: [still trying to stay perky and upbeat, but slipping] It's difficult for her. She's getting by, but really could use the family support. You know, like, since my Dad passed away a few years ago.
JOE: Abby?! Wow! I had no idea. I'm sorry! Are you ok?
ABBY: Yeah! Yeah... I'm fine. I'm just, [looking at her watch] ...I'm sorry. I was on my way to a meeting to hopefully sell some of my photos. I hate to run off like this.
JOE: [apologetically] Of course! No it's cool.
ABBY: Maybe we could get together sometime have coffee and catch-up.
JOE: That'd be great! How about here? Same time tomorrow?
ABBY: It's a date! Well, not like a DATE date.. [laughs] but yeah... coffee and talking. Sounds good!
JOE: [laughs] Sounds good. Oh wait.... even better. Greg and I are having a BBQ this Saturday.
ABBY: Greg?
JOE: Yeah, Greg. [ignoring the obviously uneasy look on Abby's face] You should come. Let me give you one of my cards. If you'd like to go just give me call and I'll give you directions. [pause] Oh! Greg! You remember him... from college? The guy I was dating.
ABBY: No. Yeah... of course I remember. I guess I'm just shocked to hear you are still... together... and... everything.
JOE: [slowly] Yeee-ah. Look, if this is too awkward I understand, but I'd really like to catch up and you could meet some people and Greg cooks. It'll be fun! I promise. No heavy lifting. [smies]
ABBY: [scoffs] Pfft! Me? It's just... [uneasily takes the business card] Wow advice columnist for the [Seattle paper]. I'm impressed. Well, I have a question for you. What do you tell a girl who is stunned to get one of the biggest surprise of the year?
JOE: How about... "You're gonna be late for your meeting."
ABBY: [spacey] Huh? Oh my God! My meeting! Bye! I gotta r-... Bye! I'll call you. Really!
JOE: [waving a kind of leaning towards her] I look forward to it!
Next Scene Tomorrow. |
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I posted this @ 2/23/2006 12:25:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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