DADDY, CEO

LOGLINE: Derek Wilson is a father of two and the workaholic CEO

of Helios, Inc. in 2016 New York. After the loss of his wife,
Derek struggles to raise his two rambunctious children while
working in the cutthroat business world. But when Sam Bennett, a
Child Protective Services social worker, tells Derek that he must
decide between his kids and the job he has struggled all his life
for, Derek is forced to realize the importance of family and the
unconditional love he has for his children.
Act One
Derek Wilson, the 35 year old CEO of Helios, Inc. prepares
for Monday morning as always- he wakes up to the bedside dual
alarm/coffee maker in a half empty king bed, grabs his mug of
straight black coffee from the dispenser, brushes his teeth,
further straightens his starched, very expensive suit, and walks
out to his car.
Suddenly, a young girl- his daughter, Amalie- shouts that he
was supposed to take her to school today. Derek glances pointedly
at his watch and attempts to conceal his displeasure in being
delayed for work. He tells her to get Liam out, too, and
impatiently pushes them into the car. Liam begins to sing
nonsense loudly and obnoxiously in the back seat.
Upon arriving at school, Liam is still singing, and Derek
grips the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turn white.
Amalie says loudly that she forgot her lunch box at home, and
Derek snaps angrily at his daughter for being stupid. When she
seems about to burst into tears, Derek bites his lip but says
nothing. As she and Liam walk toward the school, Derek shouts,
Have a nice day through the car window, but only Liam looks
back to wave.
On the street, a woman is observing these events, and drives
off once Derek leaves.
Derek arrives at work just barely in time for an important
conference regarding Helios, Inc.s major product launch in three
weeks. He leads the discussion with authority and enthusiasm.
The VP of Helios, Inc., James Webber, walks with Derek,
congratulating him on their companys success and the success of
the upcoming project. Mid-conversation, Derek receives a call
about his daughter getting into a fight at school. He and James

DADDY, CEO Jordan Long and Abigail Mechley

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joke briefly about how awful kids are, and Derek leaves for the
elementary school.
Derek discusses his daughters behavior with the principal,
who notes that this has happened countless times over the past
six months- since Kate died. Derek says it wont happen again,
and moves to take Amalie back to the car.
Sam Bennett, Child Protective Services social worker, steps
from the side of the room and introduces herself to Derek as the
person who will be monitoring his care over the next three weeks,
explaining that the principal notified her of the recurring
misbehavior and suspected some degree of neglect. Sam tells Derek
that he has three weeks to prove that his children are in good
hands. Derek smirks and tells Sam to have a nice day before
leading his kids out of school.
On the way home, Derek tells Amalie to stop picking fights.
Amalie wont look at him. Liam starts singing a nursery rhyme.
Act Two
Sunday night, two weeks before the project launch, and Derek
is trying to juggle paperwork and spend enough time with his kids
to seem less distant. He takes his kids out to get ice cream,
knowing that he is under surveillance by the CPS. Amalie gets
vanilla, and Liam gets strawberry. Amalie and Liam get into a
fight in the back seat, and Amalies vanilla ice cream is knocked
out of her hand and onto the leather seat. Derek tries to handle
it calmly, and cleans out the car himself once they arrive home.
Derek goes into work on Monday morning and has another
conference concerning the product launch. Derek becomes
distracted and VP James Webber pulls him aside to ask what
Dereks problem is, emphasizing that this product launch is
everything they ever wanted and more. When Derek mentions that
his kids are on his mind, James tells him that hes got to learn
how to ignore the little brats. Derek agrees.
One week before the Helios product launch, Derek is in his
home office working on a mountain of paperwork. Liam walks in and
tugs Dereks pants leg. Derek pulls him off and asks Liam what he
wants. Liam responds with a big smile that he wants to do his
daddys makeup. Irritated, Derek tells Liam to go play with his
sister or something, and Liams eyes begin to swell with tears.
Derek glances out the window and relents. Liam is back to his
hyperactive self, running to get the different makeup kits.

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Liam is smearing makeup onto Dereks face, and Derek begins

to smile and reciprocate interest. A knock at the door comes
halfway through the makeover, and Derek is embarrassed to see
that Sam Bennett has stopped by. He tries to wipe the makeup off
casually but only smears it worse. Liam rushes to the door to
greet Sam and tell her all about the makeover he gave daddy. Sam
comments that Derek has been doing well, and reminds him that the
deadline is in two weeks.
James invites Derek out for drinks four days before the
Helios product launch, and they discuss again how kids are all
just troublemakers and not worth the effort. Derek nods but
doesnt offer much else in agreement.
The next day, Derek has a horrible hangover and attempts to
barricade himself in his home office for an online corporate
video chat meeting. He is sipping coffee and discussing the
product launch.
In the other room, Amalie and Liam are playing loudly,
banging pots and pans and running around the house. Derek yells
out politely for them to keep it down. The kids continue to make
tons of noise.
After about five minutes of this, Derek exits the web
conference, a grimace on his face. He goes into the living room,
where toilet paper and other items are thrown across the room.
Derek grabs Amalie and Liam by the arms and screams at them
for being rude little brats.
Sam Bennett, who was about to drop by for another check in,
hears Derek screaming at Amalie and Liam, and bursts into the
house. Derek stops screaming and realizes what has just happened,
his face turns white. Sam berates Derek, telling him that shes
seen enough and that hed better get your damn temper under
control. She takes the kids back to her car and shouts, I hope
your job was worth it.
Act Three
At the first court session (an emergency session held one
day before the Helios product launch), Derek is able to see his
kids momentarily. They run through a door with tears in their
eyes and ask whats going on. Amelie has her arms crossed, and
her eyes are shut by tears. Derek tells her that hes sorry he

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got mad at her before, that daddy had no excuse to yell at her,
and that hes going to get her and Liam back.
Sam Bennett tells Derek that he needs to make some major
changes in his life if he hopes to see more of his kids than just
occasional visits. Derek leaves the courthouse.
Derek returns to work the morning of the Helios product
launch and approaches James Webber. Derek says that he isnt able
to do the launch, and James responds aggressively that its all
theyve ever worked for. When Derek does not respond, James
starts yelling with increased volume about how its been their
blood and sweat and tears, their lifes work.
Derek quietly says No. James freezes his vigorous arm
waving to loudly say No? Derek looks him in the eye and tells
him that his two kids are the only things that really matter, and
that hes sorry it took so long to figure out. Screw that, my
kids are my blood, and my sweat, and my tears. Derek tells James
that having kids isnt just about dealing with little brats
constantly. Derek looks at his portrait on the office wall and
sighs, saying that he will be stepping down as CEO because he can
no longer sacrifice his family for his job. Derek goes into an
elevator and leaves, giving James a thumbs up before the elevator
closes.
Derek calls Sam Bennett to say that hes ready to give his
plan for caring for his children, and arranges a court hearing.
Derek explains that he has quit his position as CEO of Helios,
but that the funds he has earned and saved already will be more
than sufficient to provide for his children even through college.
He states his intention to be a stay-at-home dad, and to give his
kids stability and family. The gavel pounds, and the court allows
him to take his kids back home.
On the way Derek pulls over at an ice cream shop for the
kids again, giving Amelie vanilla and Liam strawberry. When they
look at the ice cream guardedly, tears well up in Dereks eyes
and he pulls them in for a hug, promising that his children are
so much more important to him than his car. Amalie says that she
misses mommy, and Derek responds that he does too, every minute
of every day. Derek, smiling, promises that things will be better
from now on.