Dinner with the Smiths

SUB-CATEGORY: Dark comedy, screenplay

SCENE
BLACK AND WHITE.

FADE UP FROM BLACK.

EXT. A MODEST, CLEAN, NICE HOUSE—EVENING. Nice nostalgic, soft music. CUT. This is the home of the SMITHS [Jeff, Margret and little Tommy].

INT. SMITH’S HOUSE, DINNING ROOM. The family is gathered around the table, except MARGRET she enters from the kitchen with the main course and puts it on the table. JEFF puts his paper in the fourth and empty chair. They all sit and prepare to eat.



CROSS-DISSOLVE to TOMMY’S BEDROOM.

TOMMY is playing with RALPHIE. They are wearing army helmets and have toy guns (preferably made of wood).



Slight pause; TOMMY looks about, surveying the battlefield.



CUT to LIVING ROOM, JEFF and MARGARET are sitting in silence. JEFF is reading a book and MARGARET is crocheting a blanket. Maybe some classical music plays softly. We hear a loud thud from upstairs. JEFF and MARGARET look up towards the roof inquisitively.



THEY BOTH go back to their perspective hobbies. Another loud thud is heard and they both look up again, then to each other. They sigh in some unspoken understanding of the situation. MARGARET puts her blanket down, JEFF places his book down.


THEY rise and make their way through the house and up the stairs. ENTERING TOMMY’S BEDROOM they discover a horrific site. RALPHIE has been bludgeoned to death by TOMMY in a fit of rage. He beat him to death with his wooden gun. TOMMY looks to his parents.



CROSS-DISSOLVE to EXT. of HOUSE.

CROSS-DISSOLVE into TOMMY’S BEDROOM. The family stands around the stuffed duffle bag.



JEFF goes to reach for the duffle bag; suddenly RALPHIE starts moaning and squirming. In haste, JEFF grabs TOMMY’S baseball bat leaning against the dresser—JEFF quickly pounds the duffle bag until RALPHIE is silent and motionless. JEFF breathes heavily, and then sighs.



CROSS-DISSOLVE.

EXT. SMITH’S HOME, NIGHT—BACKYARD. JEFF is digging a hole with TOMMY. MARGARET watches from an upstairs window. CROSS-DISSOLVE.

INT. PARENTS BEDROOM, LATER THAT NIGHT. JEFF and MARGARET sleep in their own twin-size beds. They are both awake.



SLIGHT PAUSE.



JEFF rolls over in bed.


FADE TO BLACK.

MORE COMING...

I liked it, but then again I didn't. Some lines were funny, such as "if you're gonna kill your friends, finish the job". But it seemed kind of drawn out in a way. I liked the ending. It leaves it open for a whole feature length film about a murderous family, (kind of like that movie Otis). I'd like to continue reading, that's for sure.

Max, you must of missed the huge "MORE COMING..."

Yeah, it is a full-length screenplay. This is just a beginning and it's not completely set in stone what you see here either, because this is mainly some stuff I've written. Mary and I will need to polish it together and get all the details worked out.

Nope, did not miss it. That's why I said I'd like to continue reading...

So what you're saying is, I'm the silly one? Understandable. I read you wrong.

I liked it, and I too am looking forward to what comes next. I always enjoy dark humor. You combine the dark humor with some absurdity, and the result is a pretty darn good script. Keep it up.

I really liked the part about More Coming. Not being set in stone is a major plus. This is my first ever script read and I must say, it was similar to reading a story except for the extra scroll-wheel workout. I cant check back right away though because I'm watching a chic-flic(linsay lohan)and I like to watch it in slo-mo. Good news is they just called and my tree is totally deconked.