… FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay) Written by BEN CLIFFORD
A couple planning a special evening for their anniversary have exactly one hour until their guest of honor arrives.
Another top entry from September’s OWC comes my personal favorite of the bunch – a witty, surprisingly dark, pitch-black comedy from writer, Ben Clifford, about a middle-aged couple seemingly trying to add a little excitement to their marriage on the night of their anniversary.
With one hour before their “dinner guest” arrives, David and Doreen nervously prepare for the special occasion. Why are they nervous, you ask? Well, this is the first time either of them has done (or is about to do) something like this – a menage e trois, as the French like to call it. At least that’s what it seems like they’re preparing for before their guest – a handsome stud they found on a dating app – arrives.
As the hour winds down, we’re continuously provided a countdown of sorts to remind us how much time is left before their guest arrives. And as the countdown gets closer, the couple grows even more anxious, as do we, the audience. And David begins to have second thoughts.
DAVID
Like, I know we talked about it. I know we
both agreed on a guy. I just don’t remember how.
The whole week is such a blur.
DOREEN
Would you be asking me this if Mark was a
beautiful young woman?
DAVID
That’s not the point.
DOREEN
It absolutely is! Why is there an expectation
that I would be okay with leaving my comfort
zone and not you?
DAVID
I’ve never done this with a man.
Full of hilarious banter between the couple as they continue to rehearse their plan, the awkwardness feels like something we’d be experiencing if it were us and our significant other. It just feels genuine … .
And then comes the ending. I won’t reveal the plot-turn here in this review, but let’s just say we’re taken into a completely different, unexpected direction. And I absolutely loved it!
BUDGET: Shoe string. Only two on-screen characters and a house/apartment. This would be super easy to film.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Ben Clifford is an Australian screenwriter interested in writing drama and comedy. He’s greatly inspired by the works of Peter Weir, Harmony Korine, the Marx Brothers, Todd Solondz, Andrea Arnold, and Cate Shortland. Ben can be reached at: cliffordben502(a)gmail.
Read: … FOR DUMMIES (10-page short dark comedy screenplay)
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*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: 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.
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