Creating Dialogue 1 (Man tries to tell his father that he is gay)

1. Creating Dialogue 1 (Man tries to tell his father that he is
gay)

2. INT. FAMILY HOME, NEW ORLEANS. DUSK
EDWARD CLARISS (18) is sat in the lounge back facing the
front door staring nervously at a muted TV screen. He
twiddles his watch in his wrist beneath his long sleeve
shirt. He looks out of the window to check on the weather
looking for a distraction. As he stares through the glass in
the window frame the front door opens and his FATHER (43)
enters and throws coat in the general direction of the coat
rack before closing the door behind him. EDWARD’s FATHER
looks into the lounge to see his son staring out of a window
paying no attention to the muted TV.
FATHER
(Puzzled and concerned)
What’s up slugger?
EDWARD’s FATHER walks into the lounge and leans against the
uneven door frame with a little discomfort.
EDWARD CLARISS
(Adamantly)
We need to talk...
FATHER
(Puzzled)
What? I thought you liked that
nickname?
EDWARD CLARISS
(Firmly)
You gave me that nickname because
of a fight.
EDWARD turns around to face his father.
EDWARD CLARISS
(A little ashamed)
A fight that I ran from but got
caught and took punches. I never
threw any...
FATHER
(Attitude of realization)
You want to talk about the fight?
(Interested with concern)
Why it happened 3 years ago?
EDWARD CLARISS
(Nervously)
Yeah, maybe...
(CONTINUED)

3. CONTINUED: 2.
FATHER
(Slightly soft)
Tell me what you want to tell me
not what you feel like you should
say.
EDWARD CLARISS
It was the end of my practical for
my physical education exam. Mr
Stein said I’d done well and then
Tommy came over to talk to me. We
ended up talking for a while and by
that time the rest of the class had
come out from changing. After what
I did it just all happened so
fast...
(Welling up slightly, shaking)
It just happened so fast...
FATHER
(Shocked and concerned)
You’re talking about what they
brutes of the class did to you
whilst Tommy ran away?
EDWARD CLARISS
(Sad and quiet)
They saw me... they saw me kiss
Tommy and then it happened so
fast...
FATHER
(Shocked)
What are you saying son?
EDWARD CLARISS
(Sad, shaking and nervously)
I’m telling you that I’m gay... As
well as what broke me that day...
Both EDWARD and his FATHER wait for a long period of time.
EDWARD stares at the TV. Then out of the window. Then back
to the TV. His FATHER just stares, watching his son. Taking
everything he had said so far in. After a while EDWARD turns
back to his FATHER.
EDWARD CLARISS
(Determined)
The brutes as you call them just
came at us. I just told Tommy to
run and that I was sorry. By the
time they got to me I had started
running in the opposite
direction... Away from Tommy...
(CONTINUED)

4. CONTINUED: 3.
FATHER
(Welling up slightly)
But they caught up to you...?
EDWARD CLARISS
(Shocked)
Yeah... And they pounded me to a
pulp and ran when some saw what was
happening...
FATHER
(Crying a little)
And three days later you found out
that Tommy had transfered to a
different college...
EDWARD CLARISS
(Quietly)
Because of me dad. He was attacked
because of me and he left. What I
did on that day broke me...
EDWARD’s FATHER walks over to the sofa. Sits down and just
pulls his son in for a soft hug.
FATHER
(Proud and Sad)
It’s okay son. It’s okay.
FADE OUT