CS of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind invites bloggers to Pitch a Movie every month. This month, it's the Buddy Film.
Examples of the Genre: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; Thelma and Louise; Midnight Cowboy; Planes Trains and Automobiles; Sex and the City; Strange Brew; The Hangover; Toy Story; Fried Green Tomatoes; Swingers; Grumpy Old Men; Sideways; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
10 words/phrases to get you started:
- You owe me! Remember that...
- I think the walls are moving...
- Leslie
- Did we forget something?
- Drinks
- Well look who just walked in...
- Road Trip
- You know I would do the same for you...
- Cellphone
- Who’s going to know?
Like with the last title I pitched, I'm not sure how much it stays within the genre...and as usual...still no name. Here goes...The words I used from the list are bold.
It opens with a wedding. It’s the usual posh, but not over the top arrangement and all seems fine except that the groom is outside smoking, very tense. This is JOSHUA KLINE. Eventually, a bridesmaid comes out; the wedding has to be started. The wedding procession begins and his bride (LESLIE) arrives at his side. He shakes his head imperceptibly, and we pan out to see he is without a best man. We arrive at the wedding ceremony, dancing, conversing and a bottle of champagne opens as we cut to a man in the shower. This is PATRICK JONES, the missing best man. He enters his bedroom where a woman lays there, post coitus – SOFIA VIERA. They have a cold conversation where, after being goaded, Patrick reveals that he doesn’t believe in weddings – that’s why he didn’t turn up at Joshua’s. After a slight spat Sofia leaves.
A couple of weeks pass and Patrick eventually turns up at the newlyweds’ home, with a bonsai tree as a gift. Leslie smiles wanly letting him in. Joshua enters the kitchen where they are and shakes his head, “Well look who just walked in…” The air is tense for a few seconds and the three sit and have breakfast as if nothing has happened, with Patrick mentioning that the gift is really from Sofia.
A few years go by peppered by the usual. The couple have a baby, and then another one – Patrick stands as the godfather for both, even though he hasn’t exactly become a “new man”. Sofia gets married and Patrick refuses to be motivated to make any romantic gesture to thwart it, though he still maintains a friendship with her. As marriages go, problems are forthcoming with Leslie and Joshua and Leslie and Patrick unwittingly have sexual encounter at low points in their lives after talking over drinks. “Who’s going to know?” a drunken Patrick whispers to her as they consummate the affair. Conversations afterward reveal that this is not the first encounter of the kind between the two.
Both wake guilt ridden and Leslie anxious to rekindle the flame her marriage severs the relationship with Patrick and suggests the idea of a road trip for the couple – to Las Vegas. Patrick is given the task of babysitting the children. Sofia, now separated from her husband, turns up to help him. While out with the two children and Sofia at the playground Patrick gets a call on his cell phone. On the way back home, Leslie and Joshua have been in an accident. Leslie has died and Joshua, just barely hanging on, pleads with Patrick to adopt the children. A distraught Patrick is reticent and Joshua implores “I’d do the same for you.” Patrick shakes his head, “I’d never have had children.” Angrily Joshua shouts, “You owe me! Remember that.” Patrick thinks he’s referring to the wedding that he missed seven years ago, but (of course) Joshua knew of the affair all along. Joshua goes into shock and dies as a frantic Patrick sits down. He leaves the hospital room to see Sofia and waiting expectantly with the children. He sighs heavily as the screen fades to black.
CAST
Joshua / James Franco
Leslie / Rosemarie DeWitt
Patrick / Derek Luke
Sofia / Sara Ramirez
Oh, how I love a tragedy. Any suggestions on a title?
