Original short-script. Members only. Title: “Mr. 45998223”
https://www.film-shorts.tv/wpress.cfonseca160/blog/2021/01/26/mr-45998223-script/
Dear subscriber member readers,

This post entry is an original script (c) 2021, published by www.film-shorts.tv .

Written by: Chris J. Fonseca

This script is for a short-film. It is a work of fiction and satire (all rights reserved).

If you would like to produce this script, permission must be granted first, by original author or legal successor to Mr. Fonseca’s company.

SCRIPT

Title: ‘Permission granted, Mr. 45998223″

Narration (male voice): “Meet Mr. 45998223”.

Visual:
[We see a slim man wearing a t-shirt, standing in place with a blank look on his face (like he’s been to hell and back).
On his t-shirt is imprint of his number; and a bar coded strip below the number. He’s in a room that appears to be a dingy processing office of some sort.]

[Cut to the reverse viewpoint (his own)]

[We see a female clerk. She’s been working here a long time; it is evident by appearance.]

Clerk: Mr. 45998223.

Man: Yes?

Clerk: Is that your name?

Man: Um.. well, no, but it’s my num…

Clerk: Sir! Don’t waste my time! Is that your name?!

Man: Uh… well, it’s my number.

Clerk: (as she chews her gum, she then sticks her tongue in her cheek with an open mouth, and types the number into her computer for reception purposes)

[The computer is processing information and soon displays his name and profile information to the clerk]

Clerk: Sir, are you male or female?

Man: I’m male. I went to court and proved it last year. I was granted permission to state my authentic gender and race, last year, mam.

Clerk: (silent)

[Clerk types more details into her computer]

[We watch Man, silent, as he stands, waiting for clerk to finish typing] [He scratches his face with his finger]

Clerk: (Pause) Ok, Mr. 45998223, come with me. [She gets up from her computer desk and walks to an adjacent door]

[Man follows clerk to another room] [They walk into an adjacent room through that doorway]

[There is a desk there; also a chair for man, the desk between them, and a chair for clerk]

[Next to the desk, is a man who puts stacks of paper onto the desk]

[Clerk takes each stack and places, in order, onto the desk. She motions for man to sit at the chair in front of her, then takes a seat herself]

Clerk: Mr. 45998223, do you know how lucky you are?

Man: Excuse me? Lucky? [He looks puzzled]

Clerk: I asked you a question sir… do you know how lucky you are?!

Man: No.. not really… I don’t. Why? I came to apply here for my licenses to exist!

Clerk: Sir, don’t be snide with me… you have been approved of a “class 3” existence.

[We see a blank stare on man’s face. (He doesn’t know what that means)]

Clerk: That means that you have been granted permission to marry, to do business, AND to have children.

Man: Well, that’s good, because I expected no less.

(Pause)

Man: I was told that I only have to sign a paper today, for acknowledgement of my existence and permission to marry.

Clerk: Well it’s not quite that simple sir. We have four stacks assigned to you Mr…. um…. 45998223.

[Pause in speech, as both stare each other down]

[We see the four stacks of paper on the desk between both persons]

Clerk: This first stack, is your conditions and terms for marriage [She points to it]. This second stack, is your agreement for business practice rules and conditions [She points to it]. This third stack, is your conditions for having children [She points to it]. This fourth stack, is your conditions for leaving our country [She points to it].

(Pause)

Clerk: You were almost required to agree to stack 5, but they rescinded that one for you.

[We see man’s blank stare and jaw drop]

Man: And what was stack 5 for?

Clerk: Agreement not to make jokes about our country’s entertainment or propaganda, per civil code 559933772200.

[Man’s blank stare back]

Clerk: Any questions Mr. 45998223?

Man: Just one.

Clerk: Go ahead sir. We haven’t got all day. I have other people waiting in line outside.

Man: Uh… yeah… where’s the exit?

[Fade to black] copyright date: 01-26-2021

[suggested songs at fade-to-black (with permission not yet granted nor inquired)]

1. “Hello (turn your radio on)” by: Shakespeare’s Sister [1992]
2. “You Want It Darker” by: Leonard Cohen [2016]