When Sarah Hale took up her letter-writing campaign to five presidents over a period of seventeen years, I don't think this was the type of Thanksgiving she was fighting for.
- - - ACT ONE - - -
INT. - DINING ROOM.
It is Thanksgiving. DOC is seated silently at the table. He is picking at a plate with a minimal amount of traditional Thanksgiving fare. To his right is his five-year-old son TISH, who is crying. TISH also has a plate before him. It looks relatively untouched. GRANDFATHER sits at the head of the table. He is silent, as well.
DOC
(with teeth clenched)
(with teeth clenched)
Eat your broccoli! Eat. Your. Broccoli!
TISH
(crying)
(crying)
I want my Mommy!
CRISSY, TISH's mother, enters the room, stomping her feet in exaggerated steps. She is in her early 40s, but behaves like a teenager. She seems harried and annoyed.
CRISSY
(yelling at TISH)
I have to get my work done! I need to finish my report! If I don't finish, I will lose my tenure and I will lose my job!
DOC does not look up from his plate. TISH begins to cry harder. A door slams. DOC gets up from the table and leaves the room. A door slams again. TISH gets up, but is called back to the table by GRANDFATHER. DOC returns to the dining room.
DOC
C'mon. We are leaving.
DOC, CRISSY and TISH exit.
- - - END SCENE - - -
- - - ACT TWO - - -
INT. - DINING ROOM.
It is minutes after DOC, CRISSY and TISH have exited. WARD (DOC's younger brother) and his daughters BG and PEALY enter the dining room. The telephone rings. BG answers. It is SIMONE, WARD's wife. WARD has explained that SIMONE is "not feeling well." She is at home and has chosen not to join her family because she is currently angry with GRANDFATHER. However, she has called to make sure that WARD brings a sampling of food from GRANDFATHER's house for her.
BG
(speaking into the telephone)
Yes, he is making a platter for you.
SIMONE
(through the telephone)
* * * indiscernible chatter * * *
BG
(speaking into the telephone)
Okay.
BG and PEALY seat themselves at the dining room table. Everyone eats silently. Dinner is rushed. WARD finishes and gathers his children, escorting them towards the door. He is holding a covered plate with dinner for SIMONE. WARD, BG and PEALY exit. GRANDMOTHER and GRANDFATHER begin clearing the dining room table.
- - - CURTAIN - - -
www.joshpincusiscrying.com
CRISSY
(yelling at TISH)
I have to get my work done! I need to finish my report! If I don't finish, I will lose my tenure and I will lose my job!
DOC does not look up from his plate. TISH begins to cry harder. A door slams. DOC gets up from the table and leaves the room. A door slams again. TISH gets up, but is called back to the table by GRANDFATHER. DOC returns to the dining room.
DOC
C'mon. We are leaving.
DOC, CRISSY and TISH exit.
- - - END SCENE - - -
- - - ACT TWO - - -
INT. - DINING ROOM.
It is minutes after DOC, CRISSY and TISH have exited. WARD (DOC's younger brother) and his daughters BG and PEALY enter the dining room. The telephone rings. BG answers. It is SIMONE, WARD's wife. WARD has explained that SIMONE is "not feeling well." She is at home and has chosen not to join her family because she is currently angry with GRANDFATHER. However, she has called to make sure that WARD brings a sampling of food from GRANDFATHER's house for her.
BG
(speaking into the telephone)
Yes, he is making a platter for you.
SIMONE
(through the telephone)
* * * indiscernible chatter * * *
BG
(speaking into the telephone)
Okay.
BG and PEALY seat themselves at the dining room table. Everyone eats silently. Dinner is rushed. WARD finishes and gathers his children, escorting them towards the door. He is holding a covered plate with dinner for SIMONE. WARD, BG and PEALY exit. GRANDMOTHER and GRANDFATHER begin clearing the dining room table.
- - - CURTAIN - - -
www.joshpincusiscrying.com
Don't you just love holidays? I think we all love the Rockwell myths though :)
ReplyDelete