UNSAID (8-page short drama screenplay) by DAVID LAMBERTSON

An unhappily married woman contemplates leaving her husband and finally confronts him about it…

Relationships aren’t easy, especially when it’s a relationship you don’t want to be in. But as difficult as relationships like these can be, sometimes there are factors involved that make leaving even more difficult. Especially when marriage is one of those factors.

In David Lambertson’s dialogue-driven, September OWC winner, “Unsaid”, the story’s protagonist, Jennifer, isn’t happy with her marriage. It’s made pretty clear as she and her husband, Derek, watch TV from separate couches. As she sips a glass of wine, watching him guzzle beer and inhale nachos while watching football, she contemplates the possibility of leaving him. She’s been thinking about this for a long time. And, after a few glasses of wine, she finally musters up the courage to end things then and there.

Turns out that Jennifer didn’t even want to get married to Derek in the first place. So, why go through it? Well, it turns out that the reason they got married is the same reason why Jennifer ends up second-guessing her decision – their daughter, Emma.

I won’t give away too much. But though this may seem like a straight-forward marriage drama at first, the unique structure gives the story an unexpected level of depth that hits even harder. It reminded me somewhat of the bittersweet final sequence in “La La Land”, though much more grounded and with opposite circumstances.

The dialogue and the character work here is about as good as it gets in a story like this. And the subject matter is handled with such realism, it’ll strike a chord with anyone who’s ever been in a relationship. It sure as hell struck a chord with me.

BUDGET: Shoe-string – three actors (one child) and a house.

ABOUT THE WRITER: David Lambertson: I took up writing rather late in life having already been retired before I put pen to paper (okay – finger to computer key) for the first time. My favorite genres to read and write are dramedies and romantic comedies. In addition to this short, I have written four features; “The Last Statesman” (a 2015 PAGE finalist and a Nicholl’s and BlueCat quarter-finalist), “The Beginning of The End and The End” (a PAGE Semi-Finalist). “Taking Stock” (a drama) and a new comedy – “Screw You Tube”. Want to learn more? Reach Dave at dlambertson (at) hotmail! And visit his website.

Read UNSAID (8-page short drama screenplay)

Discuss this script 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.