The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… The Resident
17 
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… How to Write a Movie in 21 Days
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… Taking a Turn for the Words
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… Just Keep Typing
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… The Resident
- The Screenplay Diary: “Between Love and Orgasms”… Based on a True Story?
[media-credit name="Universal Pictures (1984)" align="alignleft" width="565"]
[/media-credit]The secondary character in a film can do one (or several) thing(s) to help a screen story come to life… or pull the plug on a story’s failing life-support… quicker than that brilliant soliloquy you’ve already written 100 pages in advance, for your lead character to monologue during the great, big, Shyamalanesque, didn’t-see-it-coming reveal at the end of the final scene. The secondary character can inform the plot, move the story along in both actions and words… especially when the lead characters are stuck hip-deep in some kind of lead character, existential quicksand (like all lead characters tend to be).
The right kind of secondary character, good guy or bad guy, lights the fire… or kicks the ass… of the leads. And a great secondary character, whether it’s Heath Ledger’s The Joker in The Dark Knight, or Ken Jeong’s Leslie Chow in the Hangover, or even Anthony Michael Hall’s Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles, the best secondary character is usually a scene stealer.
In The Screenplay Diary, I have introduced one particular secondary character, Buddy. In this entry, Buddy’s last for a while, this secondary character is introduced (with the audience) to his own secondary character. The supporting actor’s “supporting actor”. Kind of like John Cusack’s Bryce… standing side by side with Farmer Ted… in Sixteen Candles.
In “Between Love and Orgasms”, the secondary character of Buddy, best friend and messenger company boss to the script’s main character, Robbie, encounters own best-supporting nemesis in a character known as “The Resident”.
INT. Office – NIGHT.
Robbie and Buddy sit in swivel chairs… Buddy working the dispatch computer, Robbie on his iPhone. The clock on the wall reads “11:49”.
Out of the frame, the loud sound of a large office access door, opening and closing.
A MAN… Black, early thirties, wearing horn rimmed glasses and a cardigan… enters, without speaking. He walks through the frame, straight to the MEN’S ROOM.
ROBBIE
(texting)
Who’s that?
BUDDY
(half in Tagalog)
Ang aking bagong kasama. My new roommate.
ROBBIE
(not looking up)
Where’d ya find him?
BUDDY
He works days… here… in customer service.
At the edge of the frame, the men’s room door squeaks open. The man walks through again. He makes no eye contact with Robbie or Buddy. Out of the frame again, break room kitchen noise is heard… dishes, microwave, a can falling from a soda vending machine.
ROBBIE
(still texting)
Then why is he here… now?
The kitchen sounds go silent. The man carries a bowl of popcorn and a can of soda into the main office area. He gives a blank look at Buddy and Robbie, and then heads to his office cubicle. He sits at the desk, and begins to watch a movie from Netflix on his desktop company computer.
BUDDY
He lives here… now.
The man giggles at something while watching his movie.
ROBBIE
For how long now?
BUDDY
Ng ilang araw… sa isang lingo. About a week.
ROBBIE
When is he leaving?
BUDDY
I didn’t ask.
ROBBIE
Every night?
BUDDY
Every night.
LOUD BELLY LAUGHTER booms from the cubicle.
ROBBIE
So he’s a resident.
Robbie gets up to leave.
BUDDY
Don’t go.
ROBBIE
Why?
BUDDY
Siya ay mabaliw.
ROBBY
(tilts head)
Hmm?
BUDDY
(whispers)
He’s cray-see.
The man appears, seemingly from nowhere, staring blankly at Buddy and Robbie.
THE RESIDENT
Anyone want popcorn?
The man heads back to the break room without waiting for an answer.
ROBBIE
I’m outta here.
And I’m outta here… till next time.
The Screenplay Diary: "Between Love and Orgasms"... The Resident,
Blogger, screenwriter, bloody awful poet. A writer of too many beginnings, and not enough endings. View My Profile
Tags: Anthony Michael Hall, Between Love and Orgasms, Bill Friday, Expats Post, Farmer Ted, Friday On Friday, Heath Ledger, It's Always Friday, John Cusack, Ken Jeong, Leslie Chow, M. Night Shyamalan, Sixteen Candles, The Dark Night, The Hangover, The Joker, The Resident, The Screenplay Diary
“My name is Bill Friday, and I approve this message. And on election day… oh, wait. Never mind.”
Yay!! So cool to read this Bill. I’ve never read a script, so I found it interesting to read the post in this layout and to learn more about the secondary character.
And you know when I read Tagalog…I automatically think of Happyslip
Do you know her? Huge fan of her and I always imitate her, driving Cilla crazy hehe.
To bad about the intestines huh?? hehe.
I LOOOOOOVE Happy Slip!!!!!!!!!!
(“Chrish-tine, don’t porget yur happey shlip”) http://www.youtube.com/user/happyslip?feature=results_main
And I like my intestines right where they are, thank you very much.
NO WAY! AH How Cool!:D You don’t want to know how often I watched her videos. Morning Meest, Mixed Nuts, Auntie’s laugh, Dad’s Disaster…I memorized it all haha.
And the Manny Pacquiao fight!!!
I will not gobble up your intestines. Benjamin is still dangerously close to the edge though.
You know, poor Buddy is trying to have a conversation with Robbie, and all he’s doing is texting away! Buddy just wants bro time
Hasn’t everyone worked with someone who eventually lived out of the office? Just me?
Ms. Tonic…
Buddy is doing just fine. Robbie just has some other things on his mind right now. He and Buddy are bros for life. As for the intestines, let’s hope The Resident isn’t hungry for more than popcorn with his Netflix.
You are so, so right about the secondary character. In some TV sitcoms they make the show. Will and Grace pops to mind. Anyway, Farmer Ted may be one of the best secondary character’s ever created and acted brilliantly by Anthony Michael Hall.
Thanks for another peek into the screenplay. But I want to read the whole thing. It’s just who I am…haha
AND I wanna see on the big screen!!
And I want you to review in on the big screen too!!!
(next peek… next week)
I think it’s been longer than next week…………time for some more writing billy boy
hmmm I find myself wondering if anyone actually gets away with something like this? I bet somewhere someone does. LOL Nice installment.