Right, so I have a bit of a problem, I write scripts for the lulz, I'm currently writing a tv series and I asked a friend to read one of the episodes and after reading it, she took great offense to one of the scenes claiming that NO ONE at least no parent with any level of empathy would react the way the character does in this scene to the death of their child (if it means anything, she's a parent herself and I'm not). So I'm hoping people will at least look at it and give their opinion on whether or not the scene is realistic. To set the scene, the previous night. Maxi(ne) saw her son being murdered by her ex-husband. After crying all night, she's worn herself out. Lucas is her next door neighbour and friend. INT. MAXI’S FRONT ROOM. DAY
Maxi is huddled on the couch staring silently into the distance, her eyes are bloated from crying. The front room is noticeably tidier than the last time.
LUCAS
(Softly)
Hey.
MAXI snaps back to reality, looking at Lucas she raises a weak smile.
MAXI
Hi.
LUCAS sits next to her.
LUCAS
How are you holding?
MAXI
Better than I thought I would be for some reason.
LUCAS
Huh?
MAXI
This is gonna sound weird but…for a while…I always wondered how I would react if anything happened to Jack. I always imagined I would cry for the rest of my life or something unable to control myself…after all, he was all I had left. But here I am, I’m trying to force myself to cry some more because that’s what I should be doing…but I can’t…does that…mean I never cared for him?
LUCAS
No.
MAXI
Feels that way…it feels I never cared, I should be crying, unable to function properly but…I’m not feeling anything, does that make me a bad person?
LUCAS
No, It just means you’re strong.
MAXI
(Scoffs)
Strong…yeah…I wasn’t strong when Paul attacked him…I just stood there…it’s like I couldn’t believe what was happening, I couldn’t move, I just stood there and allowed it to happen…
LUCAS
You shouldn’t blame yourself-
MAXI
Oh yeah? Then who should I blame? I promised Jack that I would protect him, no matter what. I wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen to him…I failed Lucas, I failed him.
LUCAS
No you didn’t, Paul did…he failed him as a father, as a Human being. It’s his fault all of this happened, that’s the only reason right now that the cops are out there looking for him, if you want someone to blame, blame him.
MAXI
That’s just it…even though I saw all of it with my own eyes, I can’t force myself blame him.
LUCAS
I-
MAXI
No, hear me out. I know Paul…I’ve known him a lot longer than I would like to, I know what makes him tick, I know how he works and everything he does but that night…there was something different about him-
LUCAS
Don’t-
MAXI
No, listen- last night, that wasn’t Paul.
LUCAS
What do mean that wasn’t him?
MAXI
I’ve had a lot of time to think about it-and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I mean- yeah it was him- but- it- he…something didn’t seem right…
LUCAS
You’re still in shock, I know it’s hard to believe but the man you saw that night was Paul, he attacked his own son. He knew what he was doing when he did it…that’s why he ran…there’s no other way to look at it.
MAXI
I guess you’re right…
My friend argues that a parent would show more emotion than Maxi shows in this scene, her lack of reaction suggests she never cared for her son so she's in different to the event regardless and I'm arguing because every body reacts to everything differently, there is no textbook way to react to an event no matter how big or small it is as a result it's possible for a person e.g 1 in 6.5billion to react this way not because she doesn't care but because she's too rocked by the event to know how to react.
PLEASE let me know what your opinions on the matter is please.
PS One/2/p/3slim/Vita owner. I survived the Apocalyps3/Collaps3 and all I got was this lousy signature.
Xbox One: What are you doing Dave?
