Coffee Dates

By
Sarah Stevenson
INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
PAN DOWN A LINE OF PEOPLE: A 23-yr-old woman, JEANETTE, is
standing at the end of a short line in a coffee shop. She is
wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her hair is messy and she
looks tired. She holds up her wrist and looks down at her
watch.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: Watch says that the time is 7:45 a.m.
INT. A DIFFERENT COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
PAN DOWN A LINE OF PEOPLE: In a different coffee shop, a
25-yr-old man, JEREMY, is standing near the front of a long
line. He looks rather uncomfortable here, as this coffee
shop is very busy.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
MEDIUM P.O.V. of Person at Counter: Jeanette is now at the
front of the line (in the less busy coffee shop) ordering
coffee.
INT. A DIFFERENT COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
PAN: Jeremy, coffee in hand, looks around the shop for a
place to sit, but the place is too crowded so he walks to
the exit.
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP: Jeremy looks out the door and spots the
coffee shop across the street. He pushes the door open and
walks out.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
PAN: Jeanette has her coffee and makes her way to a table
near the right side of the cafe. She wipes off some crumbs
from the table with a napkin.
CLOSE-UP: Jeanettes hand touches the back of the chair,
about to pull it out.
WIDE: Jeremy, now in the same coffee shop as Jeanette, pulls
out his chair at the exact same time she does. Hearing the
identical noises, they both immediately look up at each
other. They are facing directly across from each other
(Jeremy on left, Jeanette on right), with only one table in
between their individual tables.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy stares awkwardly.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeanette stares awkwardly.
WIDE: They both hesitantly sit down in the otherwise empty
coffee shop. Their comfort levels have been violated. They
both slowly pull out books from their bags and start
reading. Then, they both take sips from their coffee at the
same time. They make eye contact but quickly look back down.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy smiles.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeanette smiles.
CUT TO BLACK
INT. OTHER COFFEE SHOP - NEXT MORNING
PAN DOWN LINE OF PEOPLE: Jeremy is standing in line wearing
different clothes, as this is a new day. He looks at his
watch.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: The watch says 7:45 a.m.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
WIDE: Jeremy and Jeanette arrive to their same tables as the
day before, at the same time, repeating the first incident.
They stare at each other briefly and then sit down. [Pause]
Jeanette realizes she did not get coffee yet and awkwardly
gets up to walk to the counter.
MEDIUM: Jeremy pulls his phone out of his pocket and types
something.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: Jeremy has pulled up Google on his phone,
and the search bar says, "How to get girls to talk to you."
CLOSEUP: Jeremy looks around as though afraid someone will
see his phone screen.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: The screen shows one of the Google results,
which is titled, "Why Women Love Guys with Puppies."
MEDIUM RACK FOCUS SHOT FROM JEREMYS P.O.V.: Jeanette sits
down with her coffee. She pulls out a book and starts
reading.
WIDE: Jeremy, having his epiphany, excitedly gets up and
exits. Jeanette is left sitting in shock.
CUT TO BLACK
3.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - NEXT MORNING
WIDE: Jeanette is sitting at her table reading again.
TRACKING SHOT: Jeremy, whom we see from the waste up,
arrives at his table, his hair nicely combed.
TILT: We see that Jeremy is holding a leash and that he has
brought a puppy with him. He sits down and lifts the puppy
to his lap.
MEDIUM: Jeanette looks bewildered at the sight of the puppy.
WIDE: The puppy walks over to Jeanettes table.
MEDIUM: Jeanette sneezes, as though allergic to dogs.
WIDE: Jeanette, sneezing again, closes her book.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy watches sadly as we hear Jeanette
getting up, sneezing repeatedly. We hear her push her chair
in, walk away, and exit.
CLOSEUP: She leaves her book lying on the table after
placing a book mark in it.
WIDE: Jeremy is looking very dejected, but when he notices
the book on the table, he runs over to pick it up.
PAN from Jeremys P.O.V. into book.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy turns to a bookmarked page. A quote
in the book is underlined.
EXTREME CLOSEUP:"Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a
slightly disturbing operation, like having an enema" (George
Orwell, 1985).
TILT FROM BOOK TO JEREMYS FACE: Jeremy looks perplexed. He
then looks up from the book with a look of hope on his face.
He grins dreamily despite the strangeness of the quote.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - NEXT MORNING
WIDE: Jeremy is sitting at his table with a book, Jeanette
is not there yet.
PAN: A BARISTA walks to Jeremy and sets down a cappuccino.
He looks into it.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: The cappuccino has a heart shape in the
foam.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
MEDIUM RACK FOCUS FROM JEREMYS P.O.V.: Jeremy looks up and
sees that Jeannette is suddenly at her table. She playfully
shrugs as though she doesnt know where the cappuccino came
from.
WIDE: A BUSINESSMAN tries to sit at the table between Jeremy
and Jeanette.
PAN across the three tables: Jeremy and Jeanette both glare
at the man maliciously.
WIDE: When the man realizes they are glaring at him, he
feels uncomfortable and leaves.
MEDIUM: Jeremy gulps down his cappuccino; he then rises,
yawns nonchalantly, and walks away out of the shot. He
leaves his book on the table.
WIDE: Jeanette, after glancing at the book, walks over and
picks it up. She turns to a book-marked page.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP: Underlined quote- "She was a dull person,
but a sensational invitation to make babies" (Kurt Vonnegut,
Slaughterhouse-Five).
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeanette looks up from the book and smiles.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - VARIOUS MORNINGS
Here will be a montage of Jeanette and Jeremy leaving behind
their books and the other person reading an underlined
quote. This montage will span over multiple mornings, so the
characters will be changing outfits. (Note: Instead of these
extreme closeups, might have medium shots of the person
reading aloud, or have animation of the words appear on the
screen.)
MEDIUM: Jeremy walks to Jeanettes table, from which she is
absent at this point. He picks up her abandoned book.
Quote: "It was like a bird of rarest spun heaven metal or
like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all
nonsense now" (Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange).
MEDIUM: Jeremy shuts the book and smiles.
MEDIUM: Jeanette walks over to Jeremys empty table and
picks up book...
Quote: "I really knew nothing about her, blinded as I was by
that burning loveliness which replaces everything else and
justifies everything" (Vladimir Nabokov, The Eye).
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy picking up book and reading.
"Hes more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of,
his and mine are the same" (Emily Bronte, Wuthering
Heights).
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeanette reading.
Quote: "There I was, way off my ambitions, getting deeper in
love every minute" (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby).
MEDIUM: Jeremy reading.
Quote: "This is impossible" (Lewis Carroll, Alice in
Wonderland).
MEDIUM: Jeanette reading.
Quote: "Only if you believe it is" (Lewis Carroll, Alice in
Wonderland).
CLOSEUP: Jeanette has a sad, concerned look on her face. She
closes the book and sets it down.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy, with book in hand, has a look of sad
confusion in his eyes.
Quote: "If you expect nothing from anybody, youre never
disappointed" (Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar).
FADE TO BLACK
INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
WIDE: Jeanette and Jeremy are sitting at their tables.
Jeremy is dressed nicely, holding flowers.
MEDIUM: He takes out a candle and lights it, trying to get
her attention. At this point he appears agitated and
desperate.
PAN FROM JEREMY TO JEANETTE: Jeanette looks down at her
coffee sadly, because she does not know how to react to this
blatant romantic gesture.
EXTREME CLOSEUP: Her cappuccino has a heart in it. She
slowly stirs the heart around.
MEDIUM: Jeremy looks quite sad and disappointed as he sits
there looking at Jeanette wishfully.
CLOSE-UP: The book on Jeanettes table says, "To live will
be an awfully big adventure" (J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan).
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
WIDE: Jeremy, feeling that the situation is hopeless, lets
the flowers fall to the floor. Jeanette sighs, rises, and
walks out the door.
MEDIUM CLOSEUP: Jeremy, still seated, lowers his head sadly.
He hears the door open and looks up.
MEDIUM: Jeanette quickly re-enters the shop.
JEANETTE
(with sudden courageous oomph)
Hey!
PAN: Jeanette walks quickly over to Jeremy. Jeremy quickly
gets up and they kiss somewhat awkwardly.
JEANETTE AND JEREMY
Do you wanna get coffee with me
some time?
CUT TO BLACK.