Bench Seats
The Story:
We open on a SUV navigating a twisting country road. Inside, Dani and her wife, Erin, both in their late 30’s, are in the middle of an argument they’ve clearly had before. When a frustrated Dani turns up the radio to end the argument, she hears a song that jolts her memory back to the summer of 1989 – it’s the last day of third grade and she’s riding shotgun in her mom’s whale of a Buick, lamenting the end of the year. To cheer her up, her mom, Susan, makes the car “dance” to the same song adult Dani heard in the present day.
Dani’s memories of that summer, crisscrossing Long Island in the Buick, unfold in a series of vignettes, and we slowly put together the pieces of her family life: her parents are newly divorced; money is tight while her mom, Susan, is going back to school; and Dani is just trying to process it all as she grows into a new age of maturity and independence.
Cast
Arielle Goldman
Dan Lauria
Neil Vincent Smith
Aiden Sierra
Sarah Steele
Annie Braverman
Shavanna Calder
Jordan Baker
Mélisa Breiner-Sanders
Courtney DeStefano
Writer, Director, Editor
The Team
Melisa Breiner-Sanders
Producer
Marcy Robinson
Colorist
Liza Gipsova
Cinematographer
Kristina James
Composer
T.V. Alexander
Production Designer
The screenplay presents a touching exploration of the complexities within mother-daughter relationships. It skillfully weaves between past and present, allowing the audience to witness the profound impact of Dani's childhood experiences on her adult life.
- Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards
“‘Bench Seats’ is a really special screenplay. There are wonderfully human moments throughout the script and attention to detail that absolutely captures our attention. We empathize with Dani and with Susan and the final scene where Susan is alone in the Buick is an absolute gut punch.”
- Slamdance
“The combination of unique, specific details, well-orchestrated moments of conflict, and overall thematic connection gives this script a real sense of narrative weight and heft despite the ethereal, vignette-driven nature of the plot.”
-WeScreenplay Short Script Lab
