Pondweed Productions Punchline

The Punchline

(A Short Film Synopsis)

By

Steve Deery

The mobile phone sits on the polished granite kitchen island. It lights up and vibrates as ‘Gary’ is displayed on the screen. It rings again. A coffee mug is placed casually beside the phone. A hand reaches slowly toward the phone and lifts it. Liz (32) puts the phone to her ear and answers with a muted ‘Hi’.  

Sitting perched on the edge of the high stool she leans over the counter, her hair fallen across her face. She replies calmly to Gary’s questions. ‘No. really, I’m fine.’ … ‘Honestly, it doesn’t.’ Her tone softens, almost sympathetic, in reply to Gary’s concerns. ‘I know, I know.’  Her tone lifts as she rises from the stool. But we are again denied the pleasure of seeing her youthful face as she turns away toward the sink.

Looking down at the large bunch of flowers on the counter top she lifts them. ‘Yes, I saw them when I got up this morning.’  But she avoids eye contact again by moving toward the end of the kitchen counter as she listens to Gary speak. She stops by the bin and puts her foot on the pedal. The lid pops up. ‘No, really I love lilies’. She stuffs the flowers, heads down, into the already half full bin. Coolly she reassures Gary, ‘No really, they are beautiful.’

Returning to the counter top she hides the deceit in her voice as she does her face ‘I’ve put them in water.’ She picks up the greeting card emblazoned on the front with ‘I love you’. She concurs with Gary again. ‘I know you do.’… ‘I’ll see you later.’ …  She hangs up in almost affectionate tones ‘Me too, bye, bye.’ She flips the card open, reads if cursively, then throws it dismissively into the open kitchen draw.   

She turns away again and walks back toward the granite topped unit. She casually lifts up her coffee cup and taking a sip hides her lying face. She returns the cup and places the phone next to it. Her empty hand reaches out to grip the already extended handle of a large packed suitcase. She turns away again and walks toward the door and opening she stops. Only as she deserts the scene does the deceitful Liz turn to reveal her face.

But before she does we are once again offered a glimpse of Gary’s affection for Liz. His discarded card lies open in the draw. It reads, ‘I promise it will never happen again.’ It lies atop a pile of cards, they all read. ‘I love you.’

Liz now stares coldly back into the kitchen. She turns her bruised and battered face away for the last time and closes the door.

The mobile phone sits on the polished granite kitchen island. It lights up and vibrates as ‘Gary’ is displayed on the screen. It rings again…

The End