Love on Both Sides: A Screenplay Divided Into Parts (Part One)
Synopsis: Sam, a 23 year old Black millennial who’s just begun a career in sports media, struggles to navigate through that world while maintaining a steady relationship with his ambitious girlfriend Lisa — the first Black girl Sam has ever dated.
Main characters:
Sam Waters-23 years old, works camera on the set of a local sports news program. He is an affable human being, but has a bitter side due to the circumstances he lives in
Lisa Rashaad-also 23, she dreams of being an elementary school teacher, but is frustrated by the corruptions of the public education system. She has a dedicated passion to always speak truth no matter the circumstances. She works as an organizer for a non-profit organization while babysitting for a rich white lady to help pay the bills.
Blane Sharpton-a loud, boisterous mid 40s Black man who is one of the anchors on the sports news program where Sam works.
ACT ONE:
OPENING SCENE
INT: SPORTS SHOW STUDIO
A dimly lit sports news studio suddenly becomes bright. We see CAMLIN ARTHUR — sports personality, a calm, reserved white guy — the host of “NEW MILLENNIUM SPORTS!” introduce the show.
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Camlin Arthur here with New Millenium Sports, we had quite an afternoon in the sports world here in Indiana: number 7 basketball recruit in the nation Cody White committed to UCLA and we have him here in the studio for an interview, but before that we have breaking news — local soccer player Jeffrey Wilers has broken his ankle in an unrelated injury, with more on that here’s Blane Sharpton and Janise Wells, my co-anchors with more.”
JANISE WELLS is a 29 year old Black woman with curly, frizzy hair, and a striking smile.
JANISE WELLS: “Yes, it’s very tragic news Camlin. Jeffrey was playing a pickup game of basketball when he landed awkwardly on his right ankle — breaking it in an injury which may put him out for the entire season.”
BLANE SHARPTON (bluntly): “Stupid, just stupid.”
BLANE SHARPTON is a middle-aged, slightly overweight Black man with a loud and boisterous sports personality.
JANISE WELLS: “Yes it’s just unnerving to think that such a casual basketball game could turn into —
BLANE SHARPTON: “No it’s stupid that he was out out hoopin’ on his day off when he should have been using that time to rest.”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Wait — Blane let me get this straight — you’re upset with the young man simply because he wanted to have some fun with his friends?”
JANISE WELLS: “It’s not like he was playing football.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “It doesn’t matter, that young man was being an ass and he landed on his ankle and broke it like an ass. If I’m his coach it doesn’t matter if he recovers in 2 weeks, I’m sitting him out for the season.”
Janise and Camlin stare awkwardly at Blane for the ignorance he just spouted.
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Alright, let’s shift gears: we have Cody White here with us in the studio, coming off a career high season of 26.8 points a game, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and just a hair shy of 3 blocks.”
JANISE WELLS (interjects): “Real quick, I would like to wish Jeffrey Wilers a speedy recovery.”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Yes, we all here at New Millennium Sports wish Jeffrey a speedy recovery and will keep him in our thoughts and prayers.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “I won’t. Stupid ass.”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “He didn’t have his cup of coffee this morning.”
Janise has a good laugh at this joke. Blane keeps a blank, tired expression on his face as his co-anchors share a laugh.
CAMLIN ARTHUR (shifting gears): “Alright now Cody White is here in the studio, let’s give him a warm welcome!”
CODY WHITE, a 6'10 white basketball player (Power Forward/Center) with an innocent face and friendly demeanor walks onto the set and takes a seat between Camlin and Blane.
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Cody, we’re delighted to have you in the studio today.”
CODY WHITE: “I’m delighted to be here Camlin.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “Now Cody I have a question for you, how did it feel to finally defeat your ultimate rival the North City Devil Dogs this season?”
CODY WHITE: “Oh it felt great. They were always the team we could never get past my entire time at North Tech so it was certainly satisfying to go into North City and beat them the way that we did.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “You know, my alma mater is North City.”
CODY WHITE: “Oh it is? I didn’t know that.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “Yep and I got some beef with what you and your boys did to the locker rooms after the game….”
CODY WHITE: “Wait first may I say, Janise — you look even more lovely in person than you do on TV…”
JANISE WELLS: “Thank you!”
CODY WHITE: “….and Camlin you’re gonna have to tell me where you get your ties from.”
CAMLIN ARTHUR (flattered): “It’s a studio secret Cody, studio secret.”
Cody chuckles.
BLANE SHARPTON: “Well, hold up I wasn’t finished with my question…now I got some serious beef…”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Will you give it a rest Blane, we are here to celebrate the young man’s accomplishments and you’re chastising him over a minuscule little high school prank.”
JANISE WELLS: “You always do this.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “Minuscule? Minuscule? He vandalized the snapshot photo of my game winner versus his punk-ass school back in ’87 WHICH has gone down in sports history.”
CODY WHITE: “Dude, no one talks about that game anymore.”
Short pause.
BLANE SHARPTON: “Was it you?”
CODY WHITE: “Okay, now you’re trying to accuse me of things over a 30 year old game…”
BLANE SHARPTON: “I actually have the picture of the atrocious vandalization, can we show that now?”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Jesus Christ (BLEEPED OUT) Blane, this isn’t appropriate at all…”
Before Camlin or Janise can intervene, Blane displays the picture on the big screen.
The original photo is a basketball leaving Blane Sharpton’s hands on a game-winning, step-back mid-range jumper.
The “atrocious vandalization:” there is a talk bubble right about Blane’s mouth with the words saying — “I am a worthless fuck tard, my wife left me when she discovered I had premature ejaculation and hemorrhoids. This game is the only worthwhile 2 hours of my entire life.”
Everyone seems shocked.
JANISE WELLS: “Okay what does that say, I can’t even —
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “Um — it says: “I am a worthless (BLEEP) tard, my wife left me when she discovered I had premature (BLEEEEEP) and hemorrhoids. This game is the only worthwhile 2 hours of my entire life.”
Silence.
CODY WHITE: “I’m sorry Blane that someone wrote such a terrible thing about you and made it that personal.”
BLANE SHARPTON (in doubt): “Yeah…yeah.”
CODY WHITE: “No I’m sorry dude, that’s seriously (BLEEEEP)ed up.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “And now you cussin’ on my show?”
JANISE WELLS: “Blane, you couldn’t stop saying ass.”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “You’re the one that wanted the audience to see the photo Blane.”
CODY WHITE: “I mean, I knew you were rough around the edges dude but I wasn’t expecting this.”
BLANE SHARPTON: “Just admit that you did it, I know you did it! (stands up) You primadonna-ass white boy!”
CODY WHITE (stands up): “You wanna go? I’ll kick your diabetic ass!”
CAMLIN ARTHUR: “O-kay, well emotions are running a little high in the studio today, must be the sun. We’ll be right back after these commercial breaks.”
Cody and Blane can be overheard arguing some more as the camera pans out.
IF you made it all the way to this part I would like to say: thank you for taking the time out of your day to read the opening scene for this screenplay I’m working out.
I originally started working on this script last year (spring 2018) and submitted an outline of the screenplay to the Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Residency for Screenplay in hopes it would be made into a feature film.
Unfortunately, Love on Both Sides was not accepted (only one screenplay was chosen), but I honestly rushed my outline right before the deadline and did not devote as much time as I desired into making a compelling story. The scene above was not rushed and was actually originally written outside of a McDonald’s on a warm weekday afternoon.
I will be continuing to publish the screenplay for Love on Both Sides here on Medium by breaking it up into parts which I will release twice a week — Wednesdays and Fridays.
I would greatly appreciate your feedback, the comments section is open! If you like this feel free to applaud and give me a follow as well! Stay blessed!
-Mike C. Wilson
