When a Hollywood movie executive heads south to attend his mother's funeral, his haunted past catches up to him when he witnesses his younger brother going down the same path as their abusive, alcoholic father.

CHECK YER TEARS AT THE DOOR

CHECK YER TEARS

AT THE DOOR

Act 1

Scene 1

A WHISPERING WIND IS HEARD BEFORE A GAUZY YELLOW LIGHT COMES

UP ON A DILAPIDATED MISSISSIPPI FARM HOUSE STAGE LEFT. A

BROKEN WINDOWPANE AND ITS GLASS DANGLES, FALLS IN CERTAIN

SPOTS. A BURNT OUT YELLOW CURTAIN DRIFTS TO AND FRO. MORE

SOUNDS OF BARN DOORS AS THEY RUMBLE ON THEIR HINGES. THE

WIND ASCENDS, HOWLS. LEAVES RUSTLE IN A NOW VIOLENT WIND.

TREE LIMBS CRACK AND SWIRL. A SOFT LIME GREEN LIGHTS UP

STAGE RIGHT. IT IS THE RUSTIC KITCHEN THAT IS QUIET,

PEACEFUL. WATER SEEPS FROM AN OLD FAUCET. DIRTY DISHES

LINGER IN A 1/8 FULL BASIN OF SALLOW WATER. THERE IS AN

OVERALL FEELING OF DECAY HERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OLD

PHOTOS OF THIS FAMILY -- NOSTALGIA LINGERS IN DIFFERENT SPOTS

ON SET AS WELL (THREE GRIFFIN & HOWE RIFLES WITH DAMASCUS

BARRELS HANG ON A RACK, A DEER'S HEAD REPRESENTING ONE OF

THEIR HUNTER TROPHIES IS OVER A WOODEN MANTLE, AND A LAS

VEGAS ROAD SIGN STANDS IN A CORNER EXTREME STAGE RIGHT). WE

HEAR SOUNDS OF FOOTSTEPS FROM THE BACK OF THIS HOUSE. THEY

STOP. START. STOP. HANK WILLIAMS MUSIC COMES IN SOFTLY.

SLIM enters. Sits at oak table that holds a red, plastic

ashtray and various guns and cars type of magazines. He

lights ‘rig, drinks Jack from a snifter. He shuffles a deck

of cards. Over and over, superstitiously shuffling them.

SAM (V.O.)

-- It has a lot to do with throwing

up. Not jealousy. That's just

projection...

Scene 2

ON A SET DETACHED FROM MAIN STAGE, A WHITE LIGHT SHOOTS DOWN

ONTO A VERY CLEAN SET -- IT HOLDS A BLACK DESK, MOVIE SCRIPT

STACKS ON IT -- AND IN A GRAY BOOK CASE BEHIND HIM. A RED

SWIVEL CHAIR, RED SHARPIES, A BLACK SPEAKER PHONE AND LAPTOP.

AND OLD FILM POSTER FOR: