Danny's Sides

BACK STORY:

This is a scene from a feature length script which happens late at night, having just hours ago having gone through DANNY's father's funeral.

DANNY is woken on hearing the sounds of sobbing. So he goes to the living room to find his mother awake and crying. DANNY goes to comfort her but is tormented by a secret he is keeping. A secret of how he let down his father. A father that meant the world to him. DANNY's baseball team, of which he is the star, are scheduled to play the deciding game of the league championship that next day.

SELF TAPING NOTES:

Frame yourself in a Medium Shot
Look off to one side of camera when delivering lines. Not in profile.
Sides should be delivered in one take (no edits) *you can film multiple takes but only send what you think is your best performance
Make sure audio is good and that your lines are understood

Danny walks into the living room and sits beside his mother and she kisses his cheek. He tries to smile, but can’t, and finding it hard to look at her he looks away.

MARY

What is it? Something bothering you?

Awkward pause. After a deep breath, Danny looks at his mother.

DANNY

I should have been there, Mum.

MARY

(confused)

What are you talking about?

DANNY

The day Dad died. I should have been there.

MARY

Where?

DANNY

On the boat. I should have been with him on the boat.

MARY

I don’t understand.

DANNY

Dad wanted me to be there. He asked me to help him take the boat out of

the water. But, I told him I couldn’t. I told him...the team had a practice. But we didn’t.

Again Danny looks away

DANNY

Instead...I went to the beach with Dale and Ray.

Danny looks back to his mother

And Dad died!

Danny loses control of his emotions and starts to sob.Mary puts her arm around her son and draws him towards her, in an effort to comfort him.

MARY

Danny. It wasn’t your fault.

DANNY

But, I should have been there. I might have been able to ---

MARY

What? Keep him from dying? Listen to me. The doctor told me...your father...had a massive heart attack. Now that could have happened anywhere. Anytime. Were

you going to be...EVERYWHERE?

DANNY

I felt like I was leaving him behind at the cemetery this afternoon.

MARY

Your father isn’t lying in the ground. And do you know what? I’m sure, he’ll be at your game tomorrow.

DANNY

I’m not going to play.

MARY

What?

DANNY

I’m not going to play in the game tomorrow, Mom. I don’t have it in me.

MARY

Let me tell something. With you playing baseball, you gave your father a very special gift. The opportunity to relive his youth.

DANNY

That’s just it, Mom. I was playing for him. He was the baseball in me.