Sample  One:

 

Opening

 

(From Part One of the YouTube video series)

 

 

INT. BEL-AIR APARTMENTS - NIGHT

 

It is late Thanksgiving night of 1959 at the Bel-Air Apartments, a historic three-story red and white brick building in the upper west side of Portland, Oregon.

 

From the second floor a very small three-year-old boy peers through the railing, looking at the eerie, sort of ghostly, reflection in the mirror of four adults, two men and two women. The older, frail woman, eighty-year-old Henrietta, is the little boy’s grandmother.

 

The small boy’s name is Chris Seaborn.

 

The older man wears glasses. At forty-five years old he is six feet tall with jet black hair and is in excellent physical condition. There is a threatening, menacing nature about the man. As if he will explode at any second. This is John Seaborn, the boy’s father.

 

From his observation point, the boy is straining to hear the muffled voices of the four adults below him when suddenly...

 

JOHN

No one asked your opinion, you old Jewish fuck.

 

Startled, afraid and trembling, Chris jumps as he watches his father powerfully and without hesitation backhand the elderly Henrietta to the ground.

 

Through the railing, Chris continues to watch as Nora moves to assist her stricken mother. As she does, she happens to look up, making eye-contact with her toddler son.

 

YOUNG CHRIS

                                                                                Why did daddy hit grandma, mommy?

 

 

 

Sample Two:

 

Beating

 

(From Part Eight in the YouTube video series)

 

INT. CHARLES’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

 

Fourteen-year-old Charles is in his room near the top of the main stairs that runs from the second floor to the large front hallway.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT

 

JOHN

Where the god damned fuck is everybody.

 

INT. CHRIS’S BEDROOM

 

Chris is immediately up from his desk crossing to the open door.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

Coming out into the hallway, Chris is about four feet from his father.

 

JOHN

You worthless fucking sons-of-bitches.

 

Even though Chris is feet away from his father, John’s violent anger is directed at Charles. Charles is at the open door of his bedroom. He is separated from his father by the main stairs.

 

John goes to his left to go around the stairs to get to Charles. Charles runs to his left, heading directly for his brother who is still standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

 

John is on the move and is moving fast. Likewise, Charles is moving fast. Charles pretty much picks small Chris up and throws him backwards into Chris’s room.

 

Chris goes flying into the side of his king-sized bed. Charles runs in behind Chris, slams the door and locks it.

 

JOHN

                                                                                Open this fucking door.

 

John is pounding on the door.

 

INT. CHRIS’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

Shaking, the boys are huddled on the floor by the closed and locked door.

 

CHRIS

                                                                                What do we do?

 

CHARLES

Not open the door would be a good idea.

 

John comes through the back door from the bathroom into Chris’s room and is suddenly towering over the boys.

 

CHARLES

                                                                                Oh, shit.

 

JOHN

                                                                                You worthless prick.

 

John picks up Charles by the back of his neck then with both hands, John violently throws Charles clear over Chris’s king-sized bed. Charles hits the wall with a thud and sinks to the floor.

 

John goes around the bed and picks up Charles off the floor. With his left hand, he pins Charles against the wall and with his right hand starts violently backhanding Charles across the face.

 

CHRIS

(yelling)

                                                                                 Leave him alone.

 

While still holding Charles with his left hand, John picks up the small Chris with his right hand and sends him sailing backwards into the sofa in Chris’s room.

 

JOHN

(to Chris)

                                                                                 I’ll deal with you later.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

Nora is outside the bedroom door.

 

NORA

(frantically trying to open Chris’s locked bedroom door)

                                                                                 Open the door.

 

INT. CHRIS’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

Chris gets up and quickly moves to the door and unlocks it. As Nora enters, she sees John beating the hell out of Charles’s face.

 

NORA

                                                                                  John! Leave your sons alone! John!

 

CHRIS

(coming up beside John)

                                                                                  Leave him alone.

 

NORA

                                                                                  Oh my god.

 

Nora turns and runs out of the room. She flies down the main front stairs.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR FRONT HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

Nora throws open the large glass front door and runs out into the middle of the busy four lanes of Thirty-Ninth Avenue.

 

NORA

Help! Police! Help! He’s killing my sons!

 

Chris looks out his front window. There is a police car, lights flashing, parked in front of the house.

 

CHRIS

(hysterical to John)

                                                                                  The police are coming. You’d better stop.

 

POLICE OFFICER (O.S.)

                                                                                  Hello? Mr. Seaborn? Portland Police.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

Chris comes out into the hallway and collapses at the railing of the stairs.

 

CHRIS

(barely getting the word out)

                                                                                   Help.

 

Through the railing, Chris sees the officer at the base of the stairs. Nora is behind the officer.

 

POLICE OFFICER

                                                                                   Mr. Seaborn?

 

John suddenly appears at the door to the second floor bathroom. Looking and acting normal (the psychomotor epileptic seizure being over), he moves to the top of the stairs.

 

JOHN

(normal voice)

                                                                                   Is there a problem, officer?

 

POLICE OFFICER

                                                                                   Are you Mr. Seaborn?

 

JOHN

                                                                                   I am.

 

POLICE OFFICER

                                                                                  Where are your sons, Mr. Seaborn?

 

JOHN

(confused)

                                                                                   I...I don’t know.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR FRONT HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS

 

Nora and the officer are at the base of the stairs.

 

NORA

                                                                                  Officer, you need to arrest my husband and

                                                                                  remove him from the house.

 

POLICE OFFICER

                                                                                  I can’t just arrest someone, Mrs. Seaborn.

 

NORA

                                                                                  Now, I’m an attorney, an officer of the court and

                                                                                  thus I outrank you. Police Commissioner Ivancie

                                                                                  is a very old friend and knows all about my husband’s

                                                                                  mental illness. Unless you want to be walking a beat

                                                                                  downtown, I strongly suggest that you follow my

                                                                                  instructions and without delay. Do I make myself clear,

                                                                                  officer?

 

JOHN

                                                                                 If I were you, officer, I would do exactly as my wife says.

                                                                                 She really is an attorney and a personal friend of the

                                                                                 Commissioner.

 

Nora watches as the officer handcuffs John and takes him from the house. Then she runs up the stairs.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

Nora finds Chris on the floor shaking, crying hysterically.

 

NORA

                                                                                  Oh my god, Chris. Come on, honey. Get up off the floor

                                                                                  and come over and sit down.

 

CHRIS

(hysterical)

                                                                                  Leave me alone. Where were you? You’re supposed to

                                                                                  protect us from him.

 

NORA

(trying to calm the situation)

                                                                                  Chris, I ran for police. Your dad was out of control. I

                                                                                  needed to get help to protect you and your brother.

 

Nora makes an effort to help Chris up from the floor.

 

CHRIS

(screaming)

                                                                                  Leave me alone!

 

NORA

                                                                                  Where’s your brother, Chris? Where’s Charles?

 

CHRIS

                                                                                   I...I don’t know. He was in my room. Dad was

                                                                                   beating Charles.

 

Nora turns from Chris and quickly enters Chris’s room.

 

INT. CHRIS’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

Not finding Charles, Nora quickly exits back out into the hallway.

 

INT. GARDEN MANOR UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

 

With another concerned look at Chris, Nora quickly crosses the hallway to Charles’s closed bedroom door and opens it.

 

INT. CHARLES’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

 

NORA

                                                                                      Charles? Honey?

 

The room is all dark inside. Nora does not bother to turn on the light, hearing sobs from behind Charles’s closed closet door.

 

NORA

                                                                                      Charles?

 

Nora slowly turns the knob on the closet door and opens it.

 

INT. CHARLES’S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS

 

The closet is a good-sized walk-in space. There is a small window. The light from the street light softly lights the closet space.

 

NORA

                                                                                       Oh, Charles.

 

Charles is sitting on the floor, holding his knees to his chest. He is trembling violently. Slowly, Nora gets down on the floor with Charles. Sitting beside him, she puts her arm around his shoulders.

 

CHARLES

(tears are streaming down his bruised face)

                                                                                       Why?

 

NORA

(gently)

                                                                                       Why what, honey?

 

CHARLES

                                                                                       Why...why does he have to be like that?

 

NORA

                                                                                       Your father is a very sick man, Charles.

                                                                                       Remember how Dr. Sata explained it all

                                                                                       to us last year?

 

CHARLES

                                                                                       Where’s Chris? Is he okay?

 

NORA

                                                                                       He’s shaken up but he’s okay. He’s right out

                                                                                       there in the hallway. Shall we go and see him.

 

Charles does not move.

 

CHARLES

                                                                                       I tried to protect him. I tried as best as I could.

 

NORA

                                                                                       And you protected him real well, Charles. No

                                                                                       brother could have done better.

CHARLES

                                                                                       I didn’t do anything wrong. Why did he...He doesn’t

                                                                                       love me. He doesn’t love either of us.

 

With her left hand, Nora turns Charles’s face to her. From the street light in the window, now she can see the bruises on his handsome face.

 

NORA

                                                                                       Oh, no, Charles. Oh no. Your father, when he is in

                                                                                       his right mind he loves you and your brother...so very

                                                                                       much. You are not there on the sidelines of your soccer

                                                                                       games when he will tell any parent willing to listen of

                                                                                       how proud he is of you making the Varsity team

                                                                                       as a freshman. Frankly, it’s almost embarrassing. I can’t

                                                                                       enjoy your game because your father is so busy talking

                                                                                       you up. He could be your press agent.

 

Nora’s little joke finally elicits a laugh, a small one but a laugh, from her number one son.

 

NORA

                                                                                       And he’s equally bad with your brother’s theater

                                                                                       productions. He’ll out clap anyone in the audience.

                                                                                       He’s clapping even before Chris has even said a line

                                                                                       on stage.

 

Charles laughs…a little.

 

NORA

                                                                                       Oh, no, Charles. Your father loves you and your

                                                                                       brother so very much. He considers the two of you

                                                                                       his only accomplishments in life. You need to know

                                                                                       this and, I hope, you’ll remember it. Always.