Murder One
I’m in the camp of liberals who think Democratic messaging fails to illustrate the true danger of the right-wing fascist ideology we’re up against. I’m (obviously) not a real screenwriter, but I have a lot of concept ideas for ads I’d like to see shown on TV—not just in liberal social media bubbles—so I’m going to start posting some of those ideas here. The (draft) long-form ad below would ideally be shown during programming with a strong female viewership of all ages.
FADE IN:
INT. JAIL CELL – DAY
An attractive young woman in her early 20s, MADISON, dressed in an orange prison suit, faces the camera as a prison guard slams the jail cell door, locking her in. She grips the bars and stares at the camera as the voiceover begins.
MADISON (V.O.)
How did I get here? I was just a college student who wanted to enjoy what were supposed to be some of the best years of my life. I wanted to have fun, to study, to get myself ready for a future—a good, normal life. Even though I know how I got here, it all seems like a nightmare…something that was never supposed to happen in the United States of America.
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS – DAY
Madison is walking on campus, holding hands with an attractive, preppy-looking male student, BUCKLEY. They are both laughing and talking, until he pulls her to him and they start making out.
MADISON (V.O.)
When I started dating Buckley, I was happy. He was good-looking, and from a wealthy, powerful political family. I thought that was a good thing at the time. He treated me well. But I was still only 21—I didn’t want to be locked into a serious relationship. And I couldn’t quite see myself with Buckley forever. And then he started to show his true colors…
CUT TO:
EXT. LOCAL COLLEGE BAR – NIGHT
Buckley is sitting in his car outside a local college dive bar, staring toward the entrance. Madison and her friend CHLOE are laughing and leaving the bar, slightly drunk. Buckley opens the car door and approaches them. Madison looks at him, startled, as he approaches. Buckley grabs Madison’s arm and pulls her toward him.
BUCKLEY
You said you were just going to Chloe’s apartment to watch movies tonight. Not out to some bar! How dare you lie to me!
MADISON
You followed me? What the hell? We changed our minds and decided to go out! What’s the big deal?
CHLOE (TRYING TO STEP BETWEEN MADISON AND BUCKLEY)
Hey, leave her alone. It was my idea to get out.
BUCKLEY (LIGHTLY PUSHING CHLOE OUT OF THE WAY)
Mind your business! This is between me and Madison!
MADISON
This is bullshit! I don’t have to take this. We’re done! I never want to see you again!
BUCKLEY (SHOUTING)
You can’t end things with me!
MADISON
The hell I can’t! It’s over now! Buh-bye!
Closeup of Buckley’s face, giving a Kavanaugh-esque sneer.
BUCKLEY
You’ll pay for this, bitch!
CUT TO:
INT. CAR, BACK SEAT OF UBER/LYFT – NIGHT
CHLOE
What an asshole! You were only dating a few months and now he thinks he owns you!
MADISON (CRYING)
I didn’t know he was such a control freak! I can’t believe I even stayed with him that long!
CHLOE (PUTTING HER HAND ON MADISON’S BACK TO COMFORT HER)
You’ll forget that loser soon enough.! Hopefully our spring break ski trip to Whistler will help cheer you up!
MADISON
I can’t wait! I really need to get away!
MADISON (V.O.)
It was a great trip. And probably the last trip I’ll ever take.
FADE TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE COLLEGE DORM – DAY
A car pulls up. Madison, dressed in a snowboarding outfit, holding a duffel bag and her snowboard, exits Chloe’s car and waves.
MADISON
Thanks again, Chloe! I really needed that! We should go to Whistler every year!
Madison waves and then shuffles toward the door to the dorm. While she’s fumbling with her luggage and snowboarding equipment, a police car pulls up, and two officers get out of the car and approach Madison.
OFFICER 1
Madison Jones?
MADISON
Yes, officer?
OFFICER 1
Madison Jones, you’re under arrest for murder.
MADISON
WHAT? There must be some kind of mistake!
OFFICER 2
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law…
MADISON (V.O.)
Buckley had his revenge. He called the police and told them I went to Canada to have an abortion. Since in an abortion there IS no body, his word against mine was all the evidence he needed to have me arrested.
Officer 1 pulls Madison’s arms behind her back and puts handcuffs on her as onlookers watch.
INT. COURTROOM – DAY
Madison is on the witness stand, being cross-examined by the PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR
Miss Jones, how long did you date Buckley Worthington?
MADISON
About three months.
PROSECUTOR
And did he treat you well?
MADISON
Well, yeah, at first…
PROSECUTOR
Took you out to dinner…bought you flowers?
MADISON
Yes to dinner…I think one rose.
PROSECUTOR
And did you and Mr. Worthington have sex, even though you weren’t married?
MADISON
Yes, probably after dating a month or so.
PROSECUTOR
How many times?
MADISON
I’m not sure…10?
PROSECUTOR
Mr. Worthington testified that the two of you had sex on more than a dozen separate occasions. Is that correct?
MADISON
I’m not sure. It could be. But we used condoms—condoms aren’t illegal yet!
PROSECUTOR
Just answer the question.
CUT TO THE JURY BOX:
The camera pans over THE JURY, seven white men and five white women. Five of the men look like bikers/Oathkeeper/white supremacist types in their 40s/50s/60s, but dressed for court. Two are elderly men in bow ties. Four of the five women are in their 60s/70s and look very prim and proper. The one younger (40ish) woman appears to be a fundamentalist Christian with no makeup, long hair, country bumpkin dress and a necklace with a huge cross, and a stern, judgmental, constipated look on her face. (Similar to the character of Carrie’s mother in the Stephen King movie.) Everyone in the jury looks disgusted by Madison’s admission that she had sex.
CUT TO MADISON:
MADISON
It’s possible…it could’ve been a dozen times over the course of a couple of months.
PROSECUTOR
You had sex with a man, but then didn’t want to continue a relationship with him?
MADISON
He started to get possessive and weird…I started to be scared of him. But that doesn’t mean that I…
PROSECUTOR (WALKING TOWARD MADISON)
Miss Jones, I’d like you to read a text exchange between you and Mr. Worthington that took place near the beginning of your courtship. (Handing Madison a printout.) Please begin reading.
CUT TO:
The text exchange is shown on a screen in the courtroom. The camera pans in in the text.
MADISON (O.S., READING)
Buckley wrote, “Last night was amazing. Maybe I put a baby in you.” I texted back, “What do you mean? You used a condom.” He texted “L.O.L” I said, “That’s not funny.” He said, “Don’t worry. It’s fine. We would have a beautiful baby together.” I said, “I don’t want to have a baby until I’m in my 30s. Or maybe never. L.O.L.”
CUT TO THE JURY:
Members of the jury gasp. One of the elderly female jurors literally clutches her pearls.
CUT TO THE PROSECUTOR:
PROSECUTOR (TURNING TO THE JURY)
The evidence is right there in the text. Madison Jones didn’t want to have the baby of the man she was having sex with.
MADISON
I was still in college!
PROSECUTOR (TURNING BACK TO MADISON)
Miss Jones, can you explain why you didn’t buy any feminine hygiene products in February or March of last year?
MADISON
Excuse me?
PROSECUTOR
You had a loyalty card at the local pharmacy near campus, did you not?
MADISON
Um…yeah, I did.
PROSECUTOR (TURNING TO THE JUDGE)
Your honor, I’d like to enter into evidence three years of Madison Jones’ shopping history at her local pharmacy, demonstrating that for the previous years she purchased one variety pack of tampons approximately every two months. There’s a hole in her purchasing from February to March of last year, at the same time Mr. Worthington believes that Madison was with child.
JUDGE
Very well.
PROSECUTOR (TURNING TO MADISON)
Miss Jones, can you explain why you didn’t need to buy any menstrual products during those months when you are alleged to have been pregnant?
MADISON
I….I don’t know…I might’ve stocked up when I visited my family over Christmas…I don’t remember.
PROSECUTOR
Can you prove that? Do you have receipts?
MADISON
No…no, I don’t have…I didn’t save any receipts. I didn’t think I would need to!
PROSECUTOR (TURNING TO JURY)
How convenient.
CUT TO THE JURY:
The camera pans over the disgusted faces of the jury once again.
MADISON (V.O.)
I still naively hoped that I would be found not guilty. After all, all they had to go on was his word against mine, an innocuous text message, a missing box of tampons, and a week-long getaway out of the country. But those jury members didn’t really care about any “unborn baby.” To them, I was guilty of not obeying the will of a man I had slept with…I was guilty of being unwilling to immediately fulfill what they believed was my reason for living—to be the vessel to bring a white child into the world.
INT. COURTROOM – DAY
JUDGE
Has the jury come to a final verdict?
JURY FOREMAN
We have, your honor.
JUDGE
What say you?
JURY FOREMAN
We the jury find Madison Jones guilty of murder in the first degree for the killing of her unborn child.
CUT TO BUCKLEY
Buckley stands in the courtroom, sneers and shakes hands with his family/friends, immensely pleased with himself.
CUT TO MADISON:
Madison is being led away in handcuffs, past her parents, MR. AND MRS. JONES.
MRS. JONES (CRYING)
Madison! We love you so much! Your dad and I will do whatever we can to appeal!
MR. JONES (CHOKING UP)
Even if we have to sell our house, we’ll get you out of there! Stay strong, sweetheart!
MADISON (CRYING)
This is your fault!
MRS. JONES
No, honey we want to help!
MADISON
This is all because you and your friends voted Republican!
MRS. JONES
We didn’t know…we didn’t think it could turn out like this. How could we have known?
MR. JONES
Honey, believe us…we never thought our vote would hurt YOU!
Madison is led out of the courtroom as her mother sobs in her father’s arms.
INT. JAIL CELL – DAY
Madison grips the bars of her cell and stares straight at the camera.
MADISON
I know…you probably don’t believe something like this could REALLY could happen to anyone you know if the extremist right-wing Republicans gain absolute control over the United States. You don’t WANT to believe it, even though the warning signs are there, right in front of your face. Republican politicians, judges and justices have already signaled that they’re open to outlawing birth control as well as criminalizing abortion.
CHYRON: Scrolling Newspaper headlines warning about politicians coming after birth control, prosecuting women who have abortions for murder…putting bounties on people who help women have abortions.
MADISON (CONT’D)
You might feel safe for now if you’re lucky enough to live in a blue state, but if Republicans have their way, that won’t last forever.
CHYRON: Newspaper headline about Mitch McConnell saying he’s open to outlawing abortion across the United States.
MADISON (CONT’D)
So, before you vote in November, please remember that if you’re voting Republican because you think it’s okay for them to take away women’s rights and healthcare, the harm you inflict might not be just on some random “other”…it almost certainly will cause irreparable harm, in one way or another, to actual women you know and care about.
FADE TO BLACK
(Please forgive numerous screenwriting formatting mistakes.)
