For Now (8 pages in pdf format) by Paul Knauer

A year after losing her husband, a widow struggles with whether to date again.

February, (along with all things Saint Valentine) may technically be coming to a close, but for all of you hopeless and hopeful romantic filmmakers out there we’re continuing along the RomCom theme with another pearl of a script just waiting to be picked up.

The Bridges Of Madison County, Harold & Maude, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Hope Springs, (to name a few) are films with what in common? All are proof that just as Frankie (Sinatra) sang way back in 1965: Love Isn’t Just For The Young. Proof also that there’s a demographic you may not have thought of tapping into but that it’s one highly in demand.

And so, the spotlight for today shines on Paul Knauer’s romantic comedy, For Now.

The opening scene of For Now finds us in a retirement community with Adel, a widowed lady in her seventies sitting alone and nursing a cup of coffee. A very nervous Warren, also in his seventies, slides into the seat across from her…

It’s February 14th, and Warren has just summoned up the courage to ask Adel out on a date. Only trouble is Adel’s a hard sell. She feels blessed enough to have known her soul mate in life and she’s not looking for a replacement. No-one could possibly fill the shoes of her beloved Jimmy.

            WARREN
… Listen… I was wondering
if – maybe – you might want to go to
the Olive Garden tonight? With me.
Endless breadsticks.

            ADEL
     (shakes her head)
It’s Valentine’s Day.

     That’s kinda the point, says Warren.

            WARREN
… See, when a guy – that’s me
likes a gal – that’s you – sometimes
they eat breadsticks together. And,
sometimes, they do it on Valentine’s
Day.

At which point we discover that although Warren has eyes only for Adel he’s hot property amongst the other ladies in the retirement community. In fact a long line of eligible women are queued up outside his door all clamouring for his affections and they come bearing Valentine’s gifts.

As Jimmy says to Adel:

            JIMMY
This guy’s more popular
than a chocolate fountain at a
Kansas City brunch.

Huh? Now Jimmy’s talking to Adel? Who is this guy? Has Warren got competition from a dead man? But he dropped off the peg a year ago, right? Then again, maybe he’s alive. A huge bouquet of roses were just delivered to Adel and the name on the card reads: Jimmy.

Hmm, what’s going on? Well, you’re just going to have to delve into the script to find out.

Suffice to say, For Now is a heartwarming and touching romantic comedy sprinkled with whimsical dialogue gems and astute observations about love and loss, and finding love again when you least expect it.

Filmmakers: Want your own feel-good start to the year? Better get on it then, now!

For Now (previous title: Blessing) placed Writer’s Choice runner-up in the SimplyScripts Romantic Comedy challenge.

About the Writer Paul Knauer is an optioned screenwriter working from the Kansas City area. His primary focus is slightly absurdist comedy (features and pilots), but his portfolio also includes several thriller features, along with shorts in multiple genres. His first script, OH, BROTHER!, placed second in the Fresh Voices sitcom category and was subsequently optioned. You can see more of Paul’s work at PaulKWrites.com.

Read For Now (9 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: L. Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.