SCRIPTS

DOG'S DINNER

Marie can't leave when she finds out her husband has been unfaithful so subtle revenge is the only way she can live with it and move on with life on her terms.

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FADE IN

1)INT Marie and Mick Martin's kitchen - early morning.

MARIE (46), plain, no make-up, long dark hair with grey streaks tied back in a ponytail, is at the kitchen worktop packing up two lunch boxes. A big dog drools and slavers as it watches her.

MARIE

(Shouts)

Michael! We'll be off soon. Don't forget to take your lunch when you go.

MICK (46) young looking and handsome enters the kitchen. He boots the dog. It yelps. Marie rushes to comfort it and glares at Mick.

MICK

(Putting his coat on)

Well, keep the dirty fucking thing out of the kitchen, then.



2)EXT.SUPERMARKET - 8am

The landscape is icy and bleak. Doom and gloom news is on the radio. A builder's van pulls up outside of the front of a big busy supermarket.


3) INT.VAn. 8am

MARIE catches her reflection in the passenger side wing mirror, frowns, and pulls at her face.

MARIE

I think I'll start wearing make-up again, maybe get my hair cut...

MICK

No - I hate tarts who dress up like a dog's dinner.

Marie sighs and undoes her seat belt.



4) EXT. SUPERMARKET CAR PARK - SAME TIME

Blonde, glamorous JUDY (26) watches unnoticed as Marie gets

out of the van and walks towards the supermarket front door.

Judy totters towards the van on high heels.

Mick checks his rear-view mirror, sees Judy approaching hurriedly.

He quickly starts the van but before he can move off her face appears at the window and she is knocking on the glass.

He winds the window down.


5)INT. SUPERMARKET STAFF ROOM - MORNING

DAVE, the security man, is sitting at a table with a cup of tea when Marie walks in.

DAVE

Hi Marie. Good weekend?

Marie walks towards her locker as she speaks.

MARIE

Yeah, great thanks. Grace came over on Saturday night to give her mum a rest.

DAVE

How old is she now?

MARIE

Debbie? She's 27. Grace is 2, bless her. She wears us out though.

DAVE

Your daughter's 27! You don't look old enough.

MARIE

We married young.


6)INT. VAN - SAME TIME

Judy leans into the van. Mick's body faces forward but his face is turned sideways. He looks at her buxom cleavage. He keeps the engine running.

JUDY

Can you get over tonight?

MICK

No.

JUDY

Oh go on. I've got something special for you.

MICK

It's over...If Marie found out ....

Mick begins to wind up the window but Judy puts her hand on it.

JUDY

She'd what? Throw you out? Great. We can be together.

MICK

Oh grow up. Like I'd leave my family for you. You knew the score.

Judy pulls her fingers out as Mick drives off.

She stands and shouts after him.

JUDY

Fuck you then!


7)INT. SUPERMARKET STAFF ROOM - MORNING

Judy throws the door open in a temper as she enters the staff room. Marie and Dave throw each other a glance as Judy heads towards her locker.

DAVE

What's up with you this morning?

JUDY

Men! They're such twats!

MARIE

Ah, but what would we do without them?

JUDY

We wouldn't cry so much.



8)INT. SUPERMARKET CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK - 10am.

Judy is sitting behind the desk but she's not busy. She watches Marie in a nearby aisle laughing and chatting happily to a customer.

Judy slips her phone out of her pocket. She looks around, can't see anyone watching her, and then writes and sends a text before slipping the phone back into her pocket.

She looks around again and sees Dave smiling at her from the shop floor.



9)INT. SUPERMARKET STAFF ROOM - lunchtime 12 noon.

Marie goes into her locker. She is singing happily to herself. She gets her phone out and looks at it.

Marie's face stiffens as she reads a text. She slumps into a chair and leans over. Her head is in her knees. She looks pale and sick. She sits up, looks at her phone again, stands, wipes her eyes, pulls her uniform off, grabs her things and then marches out of the staff room.


10)INT. SUPERMARKET CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK

Judy and Marie's mouths move silently. Music is playing on the supermarket tannoy.

Marie slaps Judy's face and walks off and out of the supermarket. Dave goes towards a disheveled Judy.


11)INT STAFF ROOM - LUNCHTIME - 12.30

Judy paces and gets out her phone. She holds it to her ear as it rings but Mick's OS voice mail kicks in. She hangs up and begins to text. Dave watches her.

DAVE

Don't you think you've done enough? What on earth did you see in him anyway? He must be twice your age.

JUDY

Oh don't. I know. I've messed up big time but that's not the half of it...

(Pause, she looks at Dave.)

I think I'm pregnant.


12)EXT. BUILDING SITE

Mick's phone bleeps as a text from Judy comes through. He throws his shovel into a pile of cement and reads it. His face changes as he absorbs the severity of the message.

MICK

Bitch!

He goes towards his van, gets in and drives off site and onto the main road.


13)INT. VAN - 12.45pm

Sad, "end of relationship" ,music plays on the radio. Mick holds his phone to his ear as he drives. He hangs up when he hears Marie's OS voice mail come on.


14)EXT.STREET - SAME TIME

The same music plays as Marie walks through town against the crowd which is moving in the opposite direction. Her phone rings. She ignores it and continues walking. It rings again. She ignores it.


15)INT. SUPERMARKET STAFF ROOM - 1pm

Judy is looking in a mirror, and straightening her hair.

Dave watches.

DAVE

Have you done a test?

JUDY

Not yet but I'm two weeks late.

DAVE

I'll get you a kit from the pharmacy.

Dave leaves the staffroom. Judy smiles.


16)EXT. STREET - 1.15PM

The same music plays as Marie walks up a hill.

Mick's builder's van approaches her from behind.

It indicates to pull out of the busy line of traffic.

The horn sounds but Marie keeps walking.

The van pulls further ahead of her.

It stops and the door flings open.

Marie stops, pauses, and then gets in.


17)INT SUPERMARKET STAFF ROOM TOILETS - 1.30pm

Dave hands Judy the pregnancy test kit. She goes into the toilets while he waits outside.

DAVE

Anything yet?

JUDY

(OS)

No. It needs a bit longer.


18)INT MARIE AND MICK'S LOUNGE - same time.

The big dog rushes towards Marie as she walks into the lounge followed by Mick. The dog scurries backwards when it spots Mick.

MICK

Get out!

He chases the dog into the kitchen and shuts the door leading to the lounge.

Marie sits in a chair. Mick sits down opposite her. She looks at the happy family photos scattered around the room on walls and in cabinets.

Mick watches her intently. A tear falls silently down her cheek.

MICK

I never meant for you to know.

Marie glares at him and then suddenly jumps up from her chair and lunges towards him. She is slapping, kicking and punching him.

Mick can easily subdue Marie. He wrestles her to the ground.

The fight makes him amorous.

They are both on the floor. He is on top. He tries to kiss her and pushes his hand up her skirt. She can't shout because his mouth is over hers. She puts her hands on his shoulders and pushes but she can't shift him. She manages to bring her foot up to his chest and with a last ditch effort of strength, she kicks him back off her.

They are both on the floor, resting back on their elbows, facing each other, out of breath and panting heavily. After a few moments Marie speaks.


MARIE

Why Mick? Why?

MICK

I was flattered. An old git like me getting a young thing like that.

MARIE

You disgust me.

MICK

Is that why you push me away night after night?

There is a long, silent and awkward pause between them. Marie simmers and then blows.


MARIE

(raging)

Sex! Is this what this is about? Sex! How the hell do I have time for sex running around after you lot? I'm so damn tired all the time...

MICK

A man needs it, Marie. I need it.

Marie tries to pull him up from the floor but he digs in and she isn't strong enough to move him.

MARIE

Just get out! Please. Leave me with some dignity.

She falls back on the floor in a sitting position and cries.


19)EXT. SUPERMARKET FRONT - 3pm.

Judy is at the supermarket front. She takes her phone out of her bag and calls Mick. There is no answer and so she begins to send a text.

20)INT. MICK AND MARIE'S LOUNGE - 3pm

Mick's phone bleeps as Judy's text comes through. He looks at it, sees it's from her and then throws the phone in temper at the wall. It smashes.


21)INT. MARIE AND MICK'S BEDROOM - same time.

Marie lies on the bed alone. She is weeping deep, grieving heavy sounding sobs.

She gets off the bed, moves to the wardrobe and pulls out a suitcase and grabs clothes randomly out of drawers.

The suitcase won't shut. In a rage she sweeps it off the bed. It lies turned upside down on the floor with clothes sticking out from underneath it.


22)INT. MARIE AND MICK'S LOUNGE

Mick clears up the pieces of his broken phone. The dog is sitting behind the door when he comes out.

Mick looks at it drooling. He boots it but the dog scoots away and avoids his foot which doesn't connect. Mick kicks the wall instead and hurts himself.


23)EXT. SUPERMARKET FRONT - 3.15

Judy has her phone to her ear.

(VO)

Sorry, but the person you are calling is not available.

Dave approaches Judy from behind.



24)INT. MARIE AND MICK'S BEDROOM - 3.45pm

Marie is sitting on the edge of the bed. Her temper is waning, her tears have gone. She looks like a corpse, pale, lifeless, no emotion, dead.

Mick enters the room with two cups of tea. He puts them down on Marie's bedside table and kneels at her feet. He lays his head in her lap.

Marie pauses and then lifts her hand. Her face is set hard as she brings it down on Mick's head, gently. She pauses again then massages his thick dark hair.


25)INT. PUB 4pm

Judy and Dave are sitting opposite at a table. Dave's eyes focus on her cleavage. Judy is getting drunk.

Dave puts his arm around her, Judy shrugs it away. She looks miserable.

JUDY

I wanted what she had. She always looked so fucking happy it made me sick.

DAVE

But you've got to be happy that the test is negative, surely?

JUDY

Oh damn, fucking, peachy. I'm 26, no bloke, no kids, no home of my own except that grotty bedsitter I live in on my own...

Judy looks at Dave and studies him for a moment, squinting to see through blurred, drunken vision. He stands.

DAVE

Come on, I'll help you home.

Judy stands and leans on him for support.


26)INT. MARIE AND MICK'S BEDROOM - 4pm

Marie is lying on the bed. Mick is lying next to her with his head on her shoulder. The sound of a door can be heard OS slamming shut. Marie sits up.

MARIE

That'll be Michael.

Marie pushes Mick away. She gets up and straightens her clothes and smooths her hair. She wipes her red, puffy eyes.

Mick's chest is bare. He rolls over

MICK

Gimme a shout when tea's ready.


27)INT. KITCHEN - SAME TIME

Michael (15) is getting himself a drink when Marie walks into the kitchen.

MARIE

Have you had a good day, son?

MICHAEL

Same as usual. How about you?

MARIE

Me and Dad have got a bit of a cold. He's in bed.

Michael grabs a drink and leaves the kitchen. The TV is heard OS after he goes into the lounge.

Marie gets some sausages out of the fridge and some chips from the freezer. She wipes away the ice with her hand, and puts food on a tray which she puts in the oven.

Marie turns from the cooker to the kitchen sink. She catches her reflection in a mirror on the windowsill and frowns.

She goes to a kitchen drawer and digs in at the back. She pulls out a hair clip and an old lipstick.

She draws her hair up into a seductive French knot and fixes it with the clip and then puts the bright red lipstick on.

She unbuttons her blouse down so that her cleavage is just an imagination away from visible.

She looks at the new reflection of herself and smiles.


MICK (OS)

Is tea ready yet?

MARIE

Almost!



She turns back to the cooker and begins to dish up three plates of food.

The dog drools and thick, white, sticky slaver lands in two sticky pools on the floor from each side of its mouth. Marie looks at it a moment, half turns, and then turns back.

She puts some drool on Mick's plate. More slimes onto the plate as the dog sniffs it.

She puts some chips on and tosses it, adds sausage and peas, and covers with red sauce. She smiles as it sautees nicely together.

She picks up Mick's plate.

MARIE

It's ready!


FADE OUT
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 WRITTEN SCRIPTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

 I have four screenplays in progress with two ready for marketing to producers and agents for further development. Contact me for more information.

  FATHER UNKNOWN - (90 min crime drama) - When Maddy Causton runs away from home after a row with her parents she goes in search of her real dad and finds secrets better left dead.

  RENEWAL - (90 min black comedy drama) - Pretentious restaurateur Juliet's business is going down the pan in the recession but she discovers what's really important in life during an eventful family camping trip to Cornwall.

  DOG'S DINNER - (10 min short- featured above) - Marie can't leave when she finds her husband has been unfaithful so subtle revenge is the only way she can live with it and move on with life on her terms.

  DEVILS LET LOOSE - (90 min costume drama in progress) - Restoring order to a city that explodes in riots, during the industrial strife of 1911, falls to the head of the city police force. But Chief Inspector Coldman is a drunken coward whose heavy handed tactics lead to tragedy, ruination and death.