Fault by Steven Clark

Technology can solve most ills – except when social conditioning plays a part….

Over the past few decades, treatment of mental health has improved leaps and bounds. Today, we’re revolted at how the mentally unwell were whisked away to asylums and had experiments forced on them – like cogs in the pharmaceutical machine.

Of course, problems still exist today. Especially when it comes to children; many of whom suffer from agonizing emotional distress – yet are far too scared to face the truth.

Steven Clark’s Fault tackles this tricky topic with respect. On page 1, we’re introduced to a seemingly typical teenage situation: young Mary Kate is holed up in her room – doing nothing, saying nothing, and refusing everything offered by her father, David. It’s a common condition – for any age.

But what isn’t common is the “cure”. After having her brain scanned thoroughly, Mary Kate’s doctor installs a small chip in her arm. The teen seems deeply nervous, but her mother Abby’s desperate to have the procedure done.

After the implant’s complete, the doctor pulls Abby aside for a word of warning. The chip treatment can sometimes be – let’s say – “too perfect” for its own good. But Abby’s mother is convinced. If anything will save her Mary Kate, this technology is the way.

And technology doesn’t make mistakes – right?

Will the treatment worked as intended? Or will there be a tragic glitch – sending an already troubled family down a darker path? With these answers come profound insights: regarding how society views troubled children. Not to mention, how they view themselves.

A short script that discusses big, unsettling ideas head on, Fault will shine bright with the right actors. Pair candid, raw performances with a skilled director – and the result will be troubling. But faultless, nonetheless.

Budget: Relatively low. One doctor’s office, one house – that’s it.

About the writer: Based in upstate, NY, Steven Clark is the writer of over 30 short scripts, several of which are under option, in pre-production, or have already been made into films. On A Clear Night, a family Christmas feature aimed at a Hallmark Channel-type audience, is currently in the works. Steven can be reached at Steamroller138 (a) gmail. Check out his website BadRepScript.weebly.com and his other screenplays.

Read Fault (8 pages in PDF format)

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp (a) gmail. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.