Okay, so as I mentioned last week, this week I’m sharing an excerpt from the movie script I’m currently working on. It was inspired by one of my favorite scenes from the movie “Jungle Fever.”
To be clear, no one has hired me to write this script; I’m not working on anyone’s project. I just subscribe to the notion of writing the movies I want to see, so that’s what I’m doing. And who knows what will happen. Hopefully, someday, many people will see it. But for now you get to read it, at least a bit of it.
This script does have a name, however, I won’t be sharing that just yet, as it has changed — could possibly change again.
To give you a little background what the movie is about, it’s a love-triangle between three co-workers. I’ll leave it at that for now.
In this scene we join Raya, a main character, who’s hanging out with friends at her friend Janae’s house. All five of these women have known each other a very long time, some dating back to college. They are all in their late-30s, early-40s. And as I’m writing this, I’m realizing that I should probably add some of this into the script itself. Bear with me, I have no formal training in scriptwriting. I literally skimmed through a couple books and watched a handful of YouTube videos to learn. This is still a very rough draft, not quite in the beginning stages, but still has a ways to go.
What else can I tell you, oh yes, everyone in this scene is black, and they are all between the sizes of 6 and 10 except for Lisa who is around a size 20. The Youtuber is really skinny, like no curves straight up and down, size 0 skinny.
Also, I’m not a wine drinker, so the wines that I mention my not even make sense. I will have to research them for accuracy later.
All though this scene is about 6 pages, and it’s supposed to be a minute a page, these ladies are quick, so I think it would probably run about two minutes of screen time, but I’m not sure.
Come back next week to read about how I wrote this scene, and how I continue to write and edit it for that matter. That’s right, it’s a How I Write post. We haven’t had one of those in a minute.
But anyway, without further ado, here’s my living room scene inspired by the living room scene from “Jungle Fever.” Hope you enjoy it, but if you don’t, that’s okay too.
int. Janae’s house – night
Raya and her friends, JANAE, LISA, LASHAUNDA, and KEISHA are sitting in the family room surrounded by food and wine, talking.
Janae
So how did that meeting with your agent go?
Raya
He wants me to do a rewrite talkin’ ‘bout it should be less academic, more mass appeal.
keisha
See I told you. It’s a memoir not a textbook.
Raya
It’s a compilation of autoethnographic essays.
Lashaunda
A what?
Raya
He wants me to add more about my love life.
(a beat)
What love life? That’s a totally nonexistent concept for me right now.
lisa
I’d definitely push back on that. You’re a respected scholar trying to solidify your place in academia. You don’t want a sleazy tell-all-ish type book to be a part of your literary canon.
Janae
I’m sorry, I have to disagree. How is she going to be a leading authority on black women’s experience in the workplace when she’s stifled in her own career by antiquated criterion regarding who’s worthy of being considered an academic scholar? It’s ok if people know that she has a life beyond the hallowed halls of a dusty old library.
Keisha
Mmm hmmm, especially if you want to sell books.
Lisa
All I’m saying is be true to yourself. If you really wanted to incorporate your love life, I imagine you would have already done so. Don’t feel pressured to do it just because your agent wants you to. Not to mention it never hurts to be known solely for your intellectual prowess rather than your romantic dalliances, just sayin.
Lashaunda
Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute.
(doing a wind back dance as she speaks.)
Wind it back now ya’ll. Wind it back.
(Looking at Raya)
Did you just say your love life is nonexistent?
raya
(as if to say what’s you’re point)
It is.
Lashaunda
Girl please, every time I look up you going on another date with a new man.
Raya takes in her response then waves her off.
Lashaunda
Don’t make me start naming names. ‘Cause I’ll name ‘em.
Raya
And? Going out on dates doesn’t exactly equate to a love life. And by the way, I don’t always date several men at the same time. When Tyrell and I were together he was the only guy I was dating?
Lisa
Were you guys ever really together?
Raya
Yes, Lisa, we were together. In fact it was almost a year. Then that hideous stick figure came along.
(as if she got an epiphany)
Why would he want to fuck Olive Oil when he could fuck me?
Perturbed by the comment, Lisa rolls her eyes. Raya reaches for a few pretzels on the coffee table, and doesn’t see her, still baffled regarding the answer to her own question. Keisha pours herself a glass of Moscato and sips it.
Keisha
Mmm, Shaunda this Moscato is really good.
Lashaunda
(pleased)
You like it? I got it from the dollar store.
Keisha stops sipping and exchanges looks with all the other ladies, but LaShaunda isn’t fazed.
Janae
I didn’t know they carried alcohol there.
Lashaunda
Yeah, they carry everything.
Keisha
Well they shouldn’t.
Keisha puts the Moscato down and looks through the other bottles.
Keisha
Who brought the Pinot Noir?
Lisa
I did.
Keisha is relieved, confident that Lisa is too bougie too ever buy anything from the dollar store, let alone wine. She knows Lisa will only bring the best, so she pours herself a glass.
lashaunda
But what gets me is when I got up to the register not only did they NOT card me, but they had the nerve to charge me three dollars. I said, “why you call it the dollar store if you gon charge people three dollars?”
raya
And since when does being on YouTube qualify you to teach at a university? I’ve worked my ass off to get a teaching job again, not to mention the eight years of school, graduating with honors from both undergrad and grad schools, publishing mounds of scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, and what? She just posts a few silly videos and she’s in?
Lashaunda picks up her phone and begins to pull up the YouTube channel.
lashaunda
I think I know who you talkin’ ‘bout. She got a channel called Troyly Yours. She just had an episode not too long ago called Troy Goes to College. She’s pretty popular too, she got over a million followers.
Raya gives her a look.
Lashaunda
What? My daughter watches her.
LaShaunda has her channel up on her phone.
Lashaunda
Here’s her channel. This gotta be her? ‘Cause like I said when my daughter was watching and I happen to see some of it, I was like ain’t that Raya’s school?
Keisha
Let me see.
Keisha gets up from her armchair and goes over to Lashaunda. Janae is sitting on the same couch as LaShaunda, and leans over to see. Raya stays seated on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Lisa stays seated as well in a club chair at the top of the table. She remains quiet, eating grapes and cheese, appearing annoyed by it all.
lashaunda
(to Raya)
Have you seen her channel? Come see it.
Raya
What I want to see it for?
Lashaunda, keisha, and Janae
She’s seen it.
Raya purses her lips, while Keisha, Lashaunda and Janae take in the video.
keisha
(distorting her face)
That’s her?
(looking at Raya)
I’m sorry but you look way better than her, tons better.
Keisha and Janae go back to where they were, while Lashaunda turns the video off.
raya
Okay! I mean I could see if she was like one of those young, hot, smart chicks, I’d be like, cool, I get it. But that? She’s not cute, she’s skin and bones, and word on campus is she’s dumb as rocks. How you gon ghost me and end up with that? It’s insulting.
Keisha
These men nowadays.
raya
And the thing is we were so good together. I swear I thought he was the one.
janae
He still could be, you never know.
LASHauNDA
Janae please, fuck him.
Janae shrugs, clears empty plates and glasses and takes them to the adjoining kitchen.
lashaunda (cont’d)
What about that hottie Jeff you been seeing, how’s that going?
Raya
(waving it off)
Girl, I’m not thinking about his ass.
Lashaunda
See, that’s your problem. You know what they say, the best way to get over one man is to get under another one. You just need to get you some. Before long, this dude won’t even matter.
raya
Who says I haven’t gotten me some? I just haven’t slept with Jeff.
LaShaunda looks on with approval. She and Keisha raise their glasses to that.
raya
But honestly, it’s not even about that anymore. Being with Tyrell made me realize I don’t want to keep dating all these different guys. It helped me come to a place where I actually admitted to myself that I want something stable, I like stable.
janae
(from the kitchen)
Maybe that realization is the gift your relationship with him came to give you.
raya
Hmp, what a fucked-up way to be benevolent.
And Scene…for now.
Okay, so that’s it ya’ll. This scene is much longer, but I thought I’d give you a little taste. I hope you liked it. I really like these characters, especially the main characters, and I really love this story. Hopefully one day you’ll be able to see it in a theatre near you!
Until next week!
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