A forty-year-old husband and father chases his dream job while trying to stay happy enough to live a life he's afraid to lose.

SYNOPSIS:

INT. ZWICK HOME, OFFICE - DAY

A small home office. It’s Saturday. CASSIDY ZWICK (40) pecks away at a screenplay. The phone rings. It’s MEGAN (18), a freshman at his alma mater, The University of Florida. She is obviously reading a script, asking about Cassidy’s experience since he graduated, and ultimately asking for a donation.

Cass – as he likes to be call - not only refuses to make even the smallest donation, he lectures Megan on his sad state of affairs and gives her an overdose of reality. Regular jobs just don’t pay enough if you’re just working for money.

Cassidy feels bad. He donates five dollars and tells Megan to keep his number and call him any time for any advice. For now, his best advice to her: “Sometimes, you have to go off-script.”

As he finishes the call, his wife, DALIA (40) walks in with their twins, HALEY and LEV (8). She gives him a little guff for missing their soccer game. Yet another. But he wouldn’t have time to write if he didn’t. One day, he’s going to look back and miss these days. Or not.

Things get even more uncomfortable when they realize that they can’t pay their property tax bill. Looks like it’s time to ask Dalia’s dad to foot yet another bill. After all, it’s his fault they’re in this mess. And it’s probably not a good time for Cass to tell Dalia he’s not joining them for a film about talking vegetables because his Rock star friend is in town and asked to meet up. An actual rock star. Well, former rock star.

EXT. COFFEE SHOP – DAY

Cass has coffee with his friend since elementary school, DEON GODD (40), fka Dudley Godrick. Singer-songwriter with a monster hit in the early 2000s, fruitlessly grasping onto his last straws of relevance. The two catch up. Cass expounds on his growing dissatisfaction with working a “regular job,” something Deon never had to do.

In the midst of Cass’ sob story, a couple of fans recognize Deon and insist on a selfie with him. Deon gives his own take on life and the difficulties of success in the music biz. Meanwhile, he’s signing t-shirts for Cass to sell online. But only a few. He doesn’t want to dilute the value of his brand. Cass is ever thankful. In exchange, Deon invites himself to Cass’ family Thanksgiving. Cass will use the extra cash to take his kids to the Dodgers game. His Phillies are in town.

EXT. DODGER STADIUM – DAY

Cass and the kids get their seats. Not bad. Could be better. They have enough food and drink for the rest of the game, and it wasn’t cheap. The first pitch is being thrown out by the children of a fallen vet. Haley and Lev think they’re so lucky to get to do it. Cass explains their father died. “Would you like me to die so you could go and throw out the first pitch?” Of course not. “Cause I would.”

Lev takes a bite of his hot dog. Not good. Throws it on the floor. Cass is pissed. “I can’t afford to buy you food you don’t eat. You’re paying for that.”

INT. BYTCO, OFFICE – DAY

The front office of a family-owned computer hardware manufacturing plant. As visually boring as it sounds. Cass arrives at his three-person front office to greet his coworkers, bookkeeper JILL (40s) and salesman MORRIS. Pleasant enough and more like family after seven years together.

It’s 10:15am. A little early for Cass, his coworkers tease. But Cass has to take the kids to school every morning. Traffic’s bad. It’s always something. But what his time at work lacks in quantity it’s made up for in quality. He helps Morris with a spreadsheet and Jill with a bank rec. As seemingly blasé about his work as he is, he seems to have some value to his coworkers.

Cassidy’s bosses, EDGAR BLOOM (75) and his daughter BESS BLOOM POLSKY (45), owners of BYTCO, conservative-minded folk, are less appreciative of his care-free attitude. The familiar sound of a phone page to Jill, asking if Cass is in, dampens any levity.

EDGAR’S OFFICE

Edgar presides over a closed-door meeting with Cass. Bess included. They’re not happy with his attitude. And if he applies himself and focuses on the job, full time, he could one day made $1,500 per week. As tempting as that offer is (not), Cass is content devoting as little time and energy to a job he has no interest in.

How does Cass expect to raise a family? He expected to be paid more from the get-go. When he got too far behind, having to live off credit cards, a bankruptcy and a loan consolidation, he gave up on that dream and moved on to something that would make him happy.

But do you think Edgar or Bess wanted to be running a hardware manufacturing plant? No, but the money they get makes up for the dissatisfaction. But Edgar won’t be around forever and they want Cass to take over. He’ll think about it.

INT. SAGEBRUSH CANTINA – NIGHT

Cass and Dalia are dressy for one of Dalia’s wrap parties. As much as Cass enjoys free food, he’s not fond of mingling, and now we see why. He has no good answer for “What do you do for a living?” He doesn’t make a living. A good living for a single 25-year old. Too bad he’s a married 40-year old with kids. So he mumbles through those conversations a few times a night. And when he admits to being a writer, he’s inevitably asked, “Anything I know?” Of course not. He’s unproduced. Very unproduced. But the ever-supportive Dalia talks him up about how close he is to selling a script. It almost makes it worse.

EXT. MANSION – DAY

It’s Thanksgiving. Cass and Dalia have aluminum foil covered serving dishes. Deon has a great bottle of wine. The kids carry nothing. At least they can ring the bell. Dalia’s mother, PAULINE, answers. Warm and welcoming. They’re late so they take their seats.

At the table, they all say something that they’re thankful for. As it goes from person to person, we suddenly see BESS, Cassidy’s boss, at the table. And next to her, Edgar. They are not only Cassidy’s bosses, but his sister-in-law and father-in-law. A work discussion devolves into an argument and eventually into an all out war of words, culminating in Cass excusing himself from the table. Asked what he’s doing, he replies. “I’m going off script.”