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Daycare Drama/Suspense, 00:10:00
Logline: A happily-married woman discovers that her husband is molding their son to be a spy. Director: The Baldomero Brothers Writer: Joshua A. Cohen Producer: Joshua A. Cohen
This was the first film we made just to make (i.e. no contests or rules).
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FADE IN:
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
CREDITS INTERCUT WITH:
PETER (30's, average, white) and JASMINE (30's, Chinese, pretty) roll around playfully under white sheets. LEE (4, mixed) joins them for tickling and hugging. Jasmine snuggles up to Peter, looking up at him lovingly. They kiss each other passionately, as Peter strokes her forehead.
INT. KITCHEN - MORNING
The happy family eats. Jasmine gives Peter a sexy, knowing wink.
LEE Hey, mommy! Guess what.
JASMINE What's that, dear?
LEE Today in daycare we're gonna make diarrheas!
JASMINE Do you mean dioramas?
LEE Yeah, that's it!
They all share a smile.
LEE (CONT'D) Mommy, can I clean up the table?
Jasmine and Peter look at each other, surprised and happy.
JASMINE Of course you can, dear.
LEE Thanks, mommy!
Despite not being tall enough to reach everything, he eagerly clears the table of dishes and food.
JASMINE Honey, can you take him to daycare? I'm catching up with Hailey. 2.
PETER Sure. No prob.
JASMINE Thanks, hon. I haven't seen her in months.
Lee comes over and hugs Peter. He tussles Lee's hair.
EXT. DAYCARE HOME - DAY
Peter drives through a security gate and up to a fun, funky house alongside other PARENTS and CHILDREN. He helps Lee out of the car and walks him inside:
INT. DAYCARE HOME - SAME
Lee runs inside toward ERIC (middle-aged, nerdy).
LEE Eric!
Lee gives him a fierce hug.
ERIC Good morning, Lee. Go put your things in your cubby.
LEE Okay!
Lee runs off. Eric and Peter get serious.
PETER How's he doing?
ERIC Learning more every day.
PETER And the others?
ERIC They're making progress, but Lee is by far the head of the class.
PETER Good. I'll see you later.
They shake hands and part. On his way out Peter shares a knowing nod with another PARENT. 3.
EXT. CAFE - DAY
Jasmine drinks iced tea with her friend HAILEY (pregnant).
HAILEY So how's that new daycare working out?
JASMINE It's so wonderful. It seems like Lee is getting smarter by the day, he's always happy, he gets along well with everyone. I couldn't ask for anything more.
HAILEY That's great, Jas. What's it called again?
JASMINE Umm... G.E.C.A.P.?
HAILEY Hm. What does that stand for?
JASMINE I don't know. A friend of Peter's recommended it, and all the kids there seemed happy, and the security is great.
Hailey rubs her tummy.
HAILEY I'm driving Jimmy crazy.
JASMINE It's worth it. This is the happiest I've ever been. (beat) So, tell me... what have you been doing to keep busy?
HAILEY Oh, thank God. I thought I was the only one who got bored.
JASMINE Oh, no, I picked up several hobbies while I was pregnant.
HAILEY Well, actually, Jimmy turned me on to these things called Blogs. 4.
JASMINE Oh, yeah, I read a couple.
HAILEY There's this one conspiracy site that's a total hoot.
JASMINE Really.
HAILEY Oh, yeah. There are militias keeping visitors from the future locked up... we've been cloning humans for years... the government is running secret daycare cent --
JASMINE (interrupting) -- Sounds a regular Inquirer.
HAILEY Hey, just out of curiosity, that daycare you have Lee in... that isn't the one in that funky house near Mountain's Edge, is it?
JASMINE Um, yeah, why? (beat) Hailey, what is it?
HAILEY Well, it was mentioned in that blog.
JASMINE But it's all fake right?
HAILEY Yeah... I'm sure it is.
JASMINE Hailey, what did the blog say?
HAILEY Nothing... I'm sure it was fake.
JASMINE What did it say!?
HAILEY It said they're... performing experiments on the kids. 5.
Fear overtakes Jasmine's face. She jumps up from the table, spilling her tea, and runs for the door.
HAILEY (CONT'D) Jasmine, wait!
EXT. DAYCARE HOME - LATER
Jasmine comes to a SCREECHING HALT in front of the gate and POUNDS on the callbox.
JASMINE Open the door! Please! I need to see my son.
No answer. Peter drives up next to her. The gate opens automatically.
JASMINE (CONT'D) Peter! Thank God! You won't believe what I just heard.
PETER I know.
JASMINE What? What do you mean?
PETER Come on inside. I'll show you.
INT. DAYCARE HOME - SAME
Peter leads her through the house.
JASMINE Where is --
Peter shushes her. He leads her into an A/V room, in which random colors and patterns highlight the darkness. All the children lay awkwardly in a circle, their heads close to each other. They each wear headphones.
JASMINE What is this?
Peter takes her hand, leads her out of the room, and closes the door behind them. Eric walks up to them.
ERIC Sir, why is she here?
PETER It's okay. We can tell her. 6.
ERIC We don't have clearance for this.
PETER I'm giving us clearance.
Beat.
ERIC This is a bad idea, sir.
JASMINE Will you please tell me what's going on!?
PETER Have a seat. Please.
She sits on the couch while he stands over her.
PETER Eric, please make us some tea.
ERIC Yes, sir.
Eric walks to the kitchen.
PETER What you saw in there is a new pilot program for the Company.
JASMINE You mean the CIA? Are you serious?
PETER Baby, we only have about 20 years before China overtakes America as the premier superpower in the world. If we aren't in a real war with them, we will be in a cold war.
JASMINE So? What does this have to do with Lee?
PETER We decided --
JASMINE -- "We?" 7.
PETER I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you. I've been with the Company for the last 12 years.
JASMINE I don't believe this.
Eric brings them tea, then shares a private look with Peter.
PETER "It" was decided that we couldn't wait 20 years to start infiltrating China with a spy network. We had to start preparing well ahead of time.
Jasmine takes a sip of tea, tries to process everything.
JASMINE Are you saying that... they're training Lee to spy? On my home country!?
PETER No. (beat) I'm saying we engineered him to be a spy. Now we're programming him using deep-trance hypnotic suggestion.
JASMINE (defeated) You're a monster...
PETER No, I'm a patriot. I do this so that no one else has to.
JASMINE That's our child in there!
PETER Yes, I know. That's why he's there.
JASMINE I'm getting my son out of here now.
From behind her, Eric presses down on her shoulders to make her stay put. 8.
PETER By the time he reaches puberty, he'll be fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, know everything we know about Chinese history, economy, government and military, and be able to recite the entire CIA clandestine operations manual. But since we're programming all this subconsciously, he won't even be aware that he knows it. He'll have a simple and happy childhood.
JASMINE Who are you?
PETER I'm the head of the Genetically Engineered Clandestine Agent Program. G.E.C.A.P. And you're my loving wife.
She starts getting groggy. Her hands get heavy, and she drops the tea cup with a CRASH.
JASMINE (CONT'D) What did you give me?
PETER Just a little something to help you calm down.
She tries to stand again, but her knees give out. Peter catches her and helps her down to the ground, cradling her head.
PETER (CONT'D) This is for his own good... and yours and mine and everyone else's in America. Now, I need to know... can you go along with this?
Beat.
JASMINE (falling asleep) I'll... kill... you...
He registers disappointment, then kisses her passionately, but she's too woozy to kiss back or fight him off. She passes out.
ERIC Transport to the chamber in Langley? 9.
Peter strokes Jasmine's forehead, then grudgingly nods. Eric picks her up and throws her over his shoulder.
DIP TO BLACK.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Peter, Jasmine & Lee eat dinner. Jasmine is distant, staring off into space.
LEE Mommy, guess what we did while you were gone!
Jasmine doesn't acknowledge him.
LEE (CONT'D) Mommy? (beat) Daddy, what's wrong with mommy?
PETER Mommy just got back from her own school, and she learned so much, that she's still trying to understand it all.
LEE Maybe we could go to school together!
PETER Maybe. Eat your veggies.
LEE Okay!
CLOSE ON: Jasmine, still staring off into space. Her eye twitches.
FADE OUT.
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In Production:
Completed:
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