Olive, a 7-year old girl, watches a Miss America pageant and mimics the waving while her dysfunctional family prepares for a local beauty pageant. Olive's grandfather, an addict, coaches her while her troubled teen cousin works out and her overworked mother picks up her brother. The introduction establishes Olive as the protagonist and introduces her supporting ensemble cast that includes her failed motivational speaker uncle, silent cousin, addicted grandfather, and stressed mother.

1. SEQUENCE ONE
Introduce Protagonist: Olive, a slightly plump 7-year old with glasses mimics the waving style
of Miss America while watching a VHS tape of a past pageant. Although, she is part of an
ensemble and it could be argued there are multiple protagonists, Olive is the only character who
never actively opposes another character.
Introduce Supporting Characters (Ensemble):
Richard – a failed motivational speaker and life coach presents his 9 Step "Refuse to Lose"
program to a sparsely filled classroom.
Dewayne – an apathetic troubled teen who has taken a Nietzschean vow of silence until he can
become a test pilot works out in his room: push-ups, pull-ups, weights.
Grandpa – a foul-mouthed addict and Olive's pageant coach – evicted from a retirement home
for doing heroin – snorts up in the family bathroom.
Sheryl – an overworked and pissed-off wife, worried sister, and loving mother nervously smokes
a cigarette while driving to pick up her brother Frank.
Script