Pursuing my untitled short film idea, I decided to continue my brainstorming by drafting a rough script of a possible scene.
The basic plot line of my proposed film is this
Absent-minded football player Jerry and over-intelligent perfectionist Rachel, two high school enemies, are forced to endure each others company on a road trip to an electronic music festival. Attempting a speedy shortcut, Jerry’s tire is busted. Stranded in the middle of nowhere they are left alone waiting for help, forced to discuss their problems.
At the point of the scene I have written, Jerry and Rachel have just begun to travel in the car with each other, and an argument ensues between them. Both are incredibly self conscious characters who deep down don’t want to travel to the electronic festival they are unfortunately driving towards, having both been motivated for separate self-conscious reasons to pretend to want to attend to their friends.
ext. a car drives along a country road
The overtly masculine banter of Triple M can be heard playing through the car radio.
RADIO
‘You’ve got to be kidding me JB! That has got to be the most feminine thing I’ve ever heard!’
Jerry is laughing as he’s driving. Rachel leans over and turns off the radio in disgust, Jerry is shocked and there is a clear awkward tension.
JERRY
Uh…did you just turn off my radio?
RACHEL
Oh wow nice discovery detective! Did you work that one all out by yourself?
JERRY
Well considering that turning off my radio is such a shitty and bitchy thing to do I found myself asking it as a question because even when witnessing it with my own eyes, turning off the radio of someone who is giving you a lift is such a bitch thing to do that I had to reconfirm what I’d seen.
RACHEL
Ok well first off I turned off your stereo you buffoon, the radio is the title for the electronic waves coming out of it. Secondly, if you played something that wasn’t a bunch of clearly overtly self-conscious men projecting a feeling of desperate emasculation across all of Melbourne’s males to quell any slight indication that their feminine thoughts didn’t-
JERRY
– OK! I don’t care or know what any of that means so since we can’t listen to the radio we can just drive in silence.
An awkward silence fills that car for some time, Jerry is noticeably upset and Rachel shows a sign of regret.
RACHEL
I was just sayi-
JERRY
– WOAH please do not talk in that way to me Rachel, I could find it Misogichistic and offensive!
RACHEL
(Giggling) Do you mean “Misogynistic?”
JERRY
(looks noticeably awkward at his mistake)
Oh cool are we correcting people again? I bet that gets you heaps of friends doesn’t it?
Rachel is upset. Jerry looks over awkwardly
JERRY
That was a joke. (Rachel is still hurt) …Lets listen to some music…
He turns the radio to his phones music. A pleasant folk love song begins to play. Rachel raises her eyes at the music and smirks.
JERRY
What?…what’s so weird?
RACHEL
Oh it’s just…all the music I could have imagined would be on your phone, I would not have expected something like this. I’m still waiting for the bit where it has some huge forced bass drop and some overtly sexist Kanye verse is mixed in.
JERRY
Oh…well I’ve never really liked that stuff so…
RACHEL
You don’t like it? Well you’re not going to have a good time at this festival then are you?
JERRY
No…well I do like it, but just not when I’m driving, it makes me wanna start like dancing and stuff you know?
RACHEL
Right…so all those times last year that shitty dance music played at formal, and at the 18ths we went to…did you have a leg injury from footy every Saturday night? Because you were certainly sitting on the side for a lot of them.
JERRY
Well…yeah…you know…I guess I don’t like it at parties either…yeah.
RACHEL
Ok…so let me get this straight, you don’t like it when you’re out or driving, so I’m guessing you only exclusively listen to it in the distance between your car and the party right?
JERRY
Jesus Christ what is this an interrogation? It’s none of your business when I listen to what and when!
RACHEL
I’m just saying it seems like you don’t really enjoy it.
JERRY
I clearly enjoy it, because otherwise I wouldn’t be going to this fucking festival would I? I’m amazed perfect bloody Rachel didn’t work that one out! Also if you haven’t noticed you’re the one that needed a lift to the festival in the first place! Yet all you’ve talked about is how much you hate electronic music which, newsflash Rachel, is the only music they’re playing there! I mean why are you even going if you hate the music so much?
RACHEL
(uncomfortably) Well thats none of your business!
JERRY
Isn’t it? Brilliant because I don’t give the slightest shit anyway! Now everyones happy!
RACHEL
Great.
JERRY
Yep!