Love on Both Sides: A Screenplay Divided into Parts (Part Three)

If you missed Part Two, CLICK HERE.

INT: LIVING ROOM, WATERS RESIDENCE

NEIL: “Hey so what’s Lisa like man?

SAM: “She’s cool, but sometimes I get an underlying sense that she’s —

NEIL: “Don’t be so pessimistic bro, she’s not cheatin’ on you.”

SAM: “Nigga can I finish? Sometimes I think she has some misconceived ideas about Black guys.”

NEIL (confused): “Misconceived? But she’s Black.”

SAM: “Yeah I know.”

NEIL: “Makes no sense.”

Sam sits up on the couch.

SAM: “She grew up in Carmel.”

NEIL: (wincing) “Oooohhhhh.”

SAM: “Yeah.”

NEIL: “But are both her parents Black?”

SAM: “Yeah, I haven’t met ’em yet though. Goin’ to this weekend.”

NEIL: “Good luck big bro.”

SAM: “Right on.”

Sam diverts his attention back to the TV.

INT: SURREAL CORPORATE HALLWAY

Camera moves inward through this surreal hallway

SHOT-Sam walks stoically through the hallway on the left side

SHOT-elevator doors are seen in the near distance, the elevator dings and the doors start to open.

Sam shows slight anxiety as the elevator doors start to open.

We slowly begin to see 3 men dressed in suits as the doors open. Before Sam can really see the men…..

INT: LIVING ROOM, WATERS RESIDENCE

Sam awakens from the couch. It’s now deep into the night, the only light in the room comes from the TV.

INT: BREAK ROOM

The next day.

Sam sits at a generic table, eating a club sandwich and drinking Sprite.

Blane Sharpton walks into the room with a coffee cup.

BLANE SHARPTON: (muttering) “Cold ass Starbucks bullshit, this ain’t even hot.”

He walks to the microwave and sees Sam sitting.

BLANE SHARPTON: “Ay what’s good youngin?”

INT: INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

Lisa lays back on a pool chair in a one-piece swimsuit, completely lounging

POOL SHOT-A group of roughly 7–14 kids play in the pool.

A little white girl by the age of about 7 — KENZIE, wearing a kiddie life preserver, swims her way to the edge of the pool.

KENZIE: “Lisa! Lisa! Lisa! Lisa!”

LISA (becoming more alert): “What is it Kenzie?”

KENZIE: “Can you come here Lisa?”

Lisa gets up and walks towards the edge of the pool.

LISA: “Is there a problem?”

KENZIE: “Well I was playin’ Marco Polo with my new friend Earl and we started fussin’ over whether he tagged me or not and he told me I’m wrong cause I have white privilege

LISA (unsure how to respond): “Oh. Well Earl probably just overheard his parents talking about that. I don’t think that has anything to do with your Marco Polo game.”

KENZIE: “If it doesn’t have anything to do with it, then why’d he say it Lisa?”

LISA: “Well, um. Have you learned about slavery in school yet Kenzie?”

KENZIE: “No, but I overheard Grandma talkin’ about the 12 Years a Slave movie and how it’ll never surpass Gran Torino.”

LISA: “Well Kenzie, once hundreds of years ago Black people were kept by white people as slaves.”

KENZIE: “You mean my parents would have owned someone with your skin?”

LISA: “Yes Kenzie. It was a very bad time in our country’s history. Now eventually, the slaves were set free, but then something else bad got started called systematic oppression.”

KENZIE (stumbling over words): “Systematic oppression?”

LISA: “Yes Kenzie. That means economically speaking Black people don’t have as many opportunities as white people. Do you know what economically means?

KENZIE: “No.”

LISA: “It basically just means how much money you can make.”

KENZIE: “So is true when they say that America is the land of freedom and opportunity?”

LISA: “Well Kenzie, for you it is. Because of systematic oppression, a Black person will have less opportunity than a white person. So since you were born white, you have white privilege. That’s what your friend Earl was talking about.”

KENZIE: “Oh.”

LISA: “Do you have any more questions for me Kenzie?”

KENZIE: “No. I’m gonna go play now.”

LISA: “Okay” (gets up and walks back to her seat)

Kenzie goes back into the area of the pool where all the kids are playing.

Lisa comfortably lays back down. Her phone begins ringing. She answers it.

LISA: “Hey Sam. Yeah it’s my nanny day, I’m at the pool with Kenzie (pause). Shut up, not my fault you work for sports news (laughs). You know I’m teasing (pause). Well it’s funny you ask, she told me she was playin’ with a friend and…” (looks out at the pool and stops)

Kenzie and EARL, a little Black boy of about 8, are in an argument. Camera briefly focuses on them.

KENZIE: “I’m sorry Earl, I can’t stop my white privilege!”

EARL: “I won! Your white privilege won’t let me win!”

KENZIE: “Oh my god you didn’t win!”

Camera goes back to Lisa

LISA (on phone): “Here I’ll call you back, I have to deal with something.” (hangs up)

Lisa walks over to the area of the pool where Kenzie and Earl are playing.

EARL: “You’re just a snowflake!”

Lisa interrupts the argument.

LISA: “What is going on here?”

KENZIE: “He won’t stop sayin’ I have white privilege.”

EARL: “She’s tryin’ to cheat!”

LISA: “Hey relax little man, it’s just a game. Kenzie, I’m sorry but you were born with white privilege so you can’t do anything about it. Now what’s going on with your game here?”

Suddenly, a middle-aged white woman, CAROL, whose there with her daughter LOIS walks up.

CAROL: “How old is your kid?”

LISA: “Oh she’s not mine, I work as a nanny.”

CAROL: “What compels you to speak to her that way?”

LISA: “What way? It’s the truth.”

CAROL: (leans in) “Can I tell you something? These kids don’t understand all that race shit.”

LISA: “Excuse me?”

CAROL: “Hey don’t shoot me I’m just the messenger, I’m not like that at all. Me and my husband, we will be voting for either Cory Booker or Kamala Harris and we only watch Trevor Noah. Don’t think I’m one of them.”

LISA: (confused) “One of who?”

CAROL: “You know! One of these white assholes so overloaded with privilege they’re completely unaware of the unconscious oppression they’re perpetuating. Now see with our son Lorenzo we tried to educate him on race but it just makes him sad and confuses him. Just let him enjoy his time as a kid, right?”

LISA (reluctantly biting her tongue): “I hear you, thanks.”

Carol walks away, giving Lisa a little Black power fist as she walks away. Lisa awkwardly returns the gesture.

END OF PART THREE.

Well that wraps things up for today! I am moving from my apartment over the course of the next few days, so Part Four of Love on Both Sides will be up next Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of your week!