MERCY (6-page short drama screenplay) by Mark Moore

An ailing elderly man and his loving wife revisit defining moments in his past.

Everyone who lives to be old reaches a point in their life when their bodies aren’t what they used to be and their minds aren’t as sharp as they once were. We all hope to grow old someday, but when we do, it can be a difficult to accept everything that comes with age.

Aaron Lewis is especially finding it difficult to accept in Mark Moore’s touching, mature drama, Mercy.

Aaron, now 69 years old, isn’t just struggling with his age – he also has a serious condition that renders him almost completely physically helpless. He was once an athletic mountain climber – according to him, he could’ve climbed Mount Everest if he wanted to. And he could play the saxophone like nobody’s business – Aaron “The Lungs” Lewis is what they used to call him.

But now, he’s barely able to do anything on his own. Luckily, his loving and loyal wife, Mary is there for him, waiting on him hand and foot. The story opens as she prepares him a cup of tea. Unfortunately, Aaron can’t even sip tea on his own and needs her to hold the cup to his mouth.

As they take a trip down memory lane, looking over old photos, remembering just how fulfilling of a life Aaron has lived, it also makes Aaron miss the old days when he was playing the sax, climbing mountains and throwing the baseball around with his son. Not only that, but he feels like he’s now just a burden on everybody because of his condition.

Now, some may find the ending of this story somewhat controversial. But, if you have a soul, it will tug at the old heart strings regardless. This is a story that feels very real and handles the subject matter with great sensitivity without compromising authenticity. Sure to snag up some film festival awards, I highly recommend this to any filmmakers looking for a low-budget, COVID friendly production.

BUDGET: Low. Minimal location (most of it taking place in a house) and minimal cast (two main characters, a few supporting characters with no dialogue).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Mark Moore is an aspiring screenwriter originally from Ireland, currently residing in Upstate New York. He has had multiple shorts produced, including several award winners while also having sold two other shorts. Though a versatile writer, Mark enjoys writing comedy and drama screenplays. Mark can be reached at mmrem24 (a) yahoo

Read: MERCY (6-page short drama screenplay)

Discuss on the Discussion Board

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

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.