A fun little project to demonstrate the use of subtext.
LIBERAL COOKIES
by
Laurie Ashbourne Sacks
The formatting online isn’t great so if you’d rather download it CLICK HERE.
FADE IN:
INT. NEWS STUDIO SOUNDSTAGE - DAY
IN PROGRESS: an infamous cable news program presents opposing
sides of a political ‘interview’.
A female conservative professional, (40’s) sits at a high-
gloss table. She struggles to remain unflappable despite a
malfunctioning earpiece.
ON-SCREEN ID: MAUREEN COLLINS / REPUBLICAN PARTY CONSULTANT
Next to Maureen is a fit, bald and genuinely happy man also
in his 40’s. Though professionally dressed, most would choose
him to have a beer with over Maureen.
ON-SCREEN ID: WILLIAM MATHESON / DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONSULTANT
The ANCHOR, (30’s) a buzz-cut man that looks like a bowling
team capatain sits across from them. He’s stuffed into a suit
that presents maturity but in general he seems constipated.
MAUREEN
(taps earpiece)
... the tea bag people
(correcting)
The tea party people are doing...
Matheson CRACKS UP at her guffaw, she brushes him off to
recover.
MAUREEN
They are doing what the American
people...
MATHESON
(laughing over)
Sorry.
Matheson can’t help but chuckle on her every other word. For
some reason this makes her push her earpiece even more.
MAUREEN
This is a teachable moment...
MATHESON
(jovial)
Sorry, but it goes to prove, just
because you take the name of a
movement that was successful during
the birth of our nation, it doesn’t
mean you have the sense to use it.
Maureen yanks the earpiece off, tosses it across the high
gloss surface. She spins her chair until her back faces
(news) camera and hops down.
ANCHOR
Maureen, William, Thank you. I
imagine this debate will continue
well beyond the congressional
recess.
Matheson fights back his giggles.
Maureen turns toward him and stomps her heel. Her teeth block
her angry spurts of breath.
EXT. VIRGINIA ESTATE - DAY
A heavily tinted S.U.V. enters the circular drive and
continues around back before screeching to a stop outside a
multi-car garage.
Government issued Virginia tags read: BI PRTISN
William Matheson jumps from the driver seat and runs into the
massive expanse of grass. He stops over a large chocolate lab
that’s clearly dead.
Matheson whips his head around frantic.
Maureen catches up, her heels clogged with divets.
MAUREEN
No! All you had to do this morning
was crate him.
MATHESON
He’s a dog not a criminal.
MAUREEN
Thanks to that rationale, he’s
dead... Shit, Devin will be home in
two hours.
EXT. VIRGINIA ESTATE - LATER
Maureen and Matheson dig the dog’s grave. His half is much
deeper as she struggles in her heels. They fling dirt with
each word.
MATHESON
I wish you’d let me handle this.
MAUREEN
I did. Dig, we’ve got a half an
hour.
He walks out a measurement of the dogs length, then does the
same walk along the gravesite and nods.
MATHESON
He was such a sweet dog.
MAUREEN
I swear he could live on those
treats Devin gave...
Matheson purses his lips trying not to make a note of her
guffaw. She gives him a hard stare and raises her shovel in
his direction.
MATHESON
I could use a treat, Oreo?
He pulls a snack bag out of his suit, in it 2 Oreos remain.
MAUREEN
Food? At a time like this?
MATHESON
Not food, an Oreo.
She flings a scoop of dirt onto his side of the hole.
MAUREEN
Do you eat it?
MATHESON
Everything’s not so black and
white.
MAUREEN
Oreo’s are.
He takes a cookie and separates it. Pointing his tongue like
Gene Simmons, he penetrates the cream, it’s orgasmic. He
voraciously chomps on the cookie sides, exhales like he needs
a cigarette.
He turns on the euphoric charm, hands her the other cookie as
he finishes the hole. She grabs it with force.
MAUREEN
That is not the right way to eat an
Oreo.
(biting)
They should be enjoyed as a logical
cohesive unit.
He gives a ‘whatever’ glance, climbs out and grabs the dog’s
hind legs, drags him.
He lines the dogs body up with the long side of the grave.
Perfect length.
They each stand by an end and squat to push.
MATHESON
It’s the Dunkers who drive me
insane.
MAUREEN
But, they consume it right.
They roll the dog into the hole so his backside hits bottom.
He rests his hands on her waist and pulls her close.
MATHESON
Who knew a cookie could spark such
passion.
They turn to look at the dog. It’s body snug in the hole. But
his stiff legs stick straight above ground by about 10
inches.
They both push on the legs -- which don’t give -- stiff as
wood. Maureen looks at her watch.
MAUREEN
You have five minutes. I don’t do
double stuff.
She hands him his shovel and walks off.
INT. COLLINS/MATHESON HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON
DEVIN MATHESON, (10) enters home from school. He dumps his
backpack in the hall, a step later he tosses his jacket
toward a chair, misses. Every step another article is shed...
KITCHEN -
Devin enters, barefoot, tee shirt untucked. He opens the
fridge and stares.
Maureen stands at the powder room door watching him. She
takes a deep breath and shakes her head to an automated wide-
eyed smile that comes with her years of on-air practice.
She’s on.
MAUREEN
Hi Sweetie, you’re home from school
already? House recess started today
so your father and I are both here
too. How was your recess? Can I get
you a snack?
Devin turns from his refrigerator induced trance. He slaps a
gallon of milk on the counter and plops onto a stool.
DEVIN
Sure. How ‘bout some Oreos?
Maureen’s knees buckle as she holds back tears of irony.
MAUREEN
(back to ‘on’)
Of course.
She moves to the pantry and pulls out the cookies.
MAUREEN
Your dad and I were just discussing
how good and wholesome these are.
She stacks them onto a small plate with a little too much
care then sets the plate in front of Devin.
She slides a gentle hand over his shoulder, contemplates how
to break THE news.
MAUREEN
Silly me. I forgot to get you a
glass.
She turns toward the cabinets.
Devin picks up a cookie and considers it.
Maureen returns, pours the milk.
MAUREEN
Devin, honey, when we came home...
Devin twists the two black cookies apart and caresses the
creme filling with his tongue.
Maureen drops the gallon of milk. Bawls hysterically.
FADE TO BLACK.
1st 10 pages 