In honor of my brother the screenwriter, I present to you a three-minute short:
FADE IN
INT. LIVING ROOM -- AFTERNOON
A small body squirms, belly down, on a dirty carpet floor. Colorful toys surround BABY
ZOË, six months old. She wears a stylish
hoodie, pink terrycloth "
skort", and shoes too big for her little squat feet. She chews on a crinkly STAR TOY.
She catches sight of herself in the mirror.
She is looking
gooooood.
The voice of her mother, BETH, interrupts the reverie.
BETH (O.C.)
Zoë!
Zoë, look over here!
(whistling)
Hey, boogie!
Squirt!
(odd duck noises,
squeeks, etc.)
ZOË turns to her mother, flashing a dimpled grin.
Soon her attention turns back to the STAR TOY.
With one last glance at her mother...
ZOË attacks.
She gnaws all five points of STAR TOY, drool coating her hands and
hoodie. BETH continues to make
embarrassing animal noises in hopes of catching
ZOË'S attention, but to no avail.
Suddenly,
ZOË freezes. Something on the coffee table catches her eye.
She studies it, cheeks full of contemplation.
ZOË
(high-pitched shriek)
BETH retrieves the forbidden object - a half-consumed BOTTLE of GINGER ALE. She places it on the carpet just out of reach of
ZOË, who is panting with excitement.
ZOË finds this incredibly frustrating and unfair.
But soon
ZOË'S determination - and the lure of shiny plastic - propels her forward. She shimmies and stretches for the GINGER ALE, slowly creeping her way across the rug. She is just about there...
When gravity foils her plan.
ZOË
(angry crying)
Exhausted,
ZOË faceplants.
At which point BETH scoops her up and carries her upstairs for a nap.
FADE OUT
