Overview
This story begins in 1970 blue-collar, suburban Boston. Our five-year-old hero, who we’ll call Shawn, finds himself an outcast amongst his fellow kindergarten classmates. Poor Shawn is not entirely sure why he’s alienated them, but he thinks it might have something to do with his Show and Tell presentations, like “Everyone Dies, Even Mr. Rogers” and “The Santa Claus Lie.” Neither were crowd-pleasers. When Shawn’s teacher bans him from the activity, his sense of inadequacy is cemented.
Without supportive parents, who wish their son were Greg Brady, Shawn moves through his elementary school years with further alienation. Yet, not all is lost for Shawn when Kenny, a new boy in town, moves in next door. Thankfully, Kenny isn’t like all the other boys in the neighborhood. He likes to read, express his creative side, and gossip about the other neighbors. They become inseparable buddies, and for a time, Shawn almost doesn’t care about his outsider status.
This relative happiness is short-lived. When puberty hits, Shawn finds himself experiencing unacceptable thoughts and desires. When Kenny describes masturbatory fantasies of The Dukes of Hazzard’s Daisy Duke, Shawn can’t understand why his erotic imaginings focus on Bo and Luke. Later in high school, Shawn slips into depression and must rely on antidepressants, at the relief of his mother who thought he was schizophrenic. Furthermore, Shawn has a particularly difficult time accepting that his beloved friend Kenny now has a girlfriend named Bonnie. Cutting his time with Kenny, Shawn secretly hopes a late-orbiting chunk of Skylab will fall on Bonnie’s head.
Filled with self-loathing, Shawn takes a job at a tacky miniature golf course prior to attending college. But when a German new worker arrives like a print-ad for Jockey underwear, Shawn perks up. Gunther, blond, blue-eyed and packed with muscle, turns out to be sophisticated and worldly. He takes Shawn to museums, art galleries, and foreign films. When it’s time for Gunther to return to Germany, he unexpectedly plants a mouthwatering kiss onto Shawn. Shawn initially stumbles with his re-awakened identity, however, he finally finds self-acceptance.
While at college, Shawn comes across a chance to have sex for the first time — with a fraternity guy. After blundering his first opportunity, he has several wild experiences until realizing he needs something more. He then attends a meeting with the Gay & Lesbian Center and meets Patrick, someone with impeccable integrity. Shawn feels Patrick would never date him. However, after a series of misunderstandings, unspoken and regrettably spoken words, Shawn learns that Patrick had been interested in him all along. And with Patrick’s help, Shawn manages to face his therapist directly and dumps him while exclaiming who he is: “Sean with an ea not an aw and Garrity with just an a. Sean Garrity. I am Sean Garrity!”
- 2022 LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival – Official Selection & Platinum Award Winner
- 2021 Page Turner Screenplays First 15 Competition – Quarter-Finalist
Appearances
Logline: After a stressed-out mother gives birth to a rare, true intersex child, she hastily decides to have the vaginal opening closed — against the wishes of her immediate family but to the hospital’s approval. A day later, the stepfather suddenly disappears, and the mother is found unconscious in a pool of her own blood.
A progressive, multi-ethnic family is shaken into a new reality when 20-something Dorothy gives birth to a different, yet healthy child. After enduring a 3-day labour, Dorothy faints after giving birth. Later, as Dorothy awakens, she overhears the doctor explaining to Dorothy’s family that the child should undergo an operation, even though the child is actually healthy. Dorothy is utterly confused. Her 20-something husband, Greg, who was thrilled at being the child’s stepfather, is at a complete loss. Dorothy’s mother, Maggie, reveals that her child was born intersex: her child has both sex organs and equal levels of male and female hormones — a rare and true intersex.
Dorothy is convinced her baby, Robert, is a boy from seeing her initial ultrasound. Exhausted from giving an arduous birth, Dorothy quickly agrees on the operation of closing the vaginal opening. Though Greg is uncertain, he goes along with Dorothy’s decision, just like he always does on most matters. Dorothy’s father, Peter, has been away on business, and Maggie pleads with Dorothy to wait until he returns the next day to get his opinion. Because of Dorothy’s strong bond with her father, Dorothy agrees but still schedules the operation to occur in two days. Dorothy’s adopted gay brother, Ken, begins researching Robert’s “condition,” and from his findings, he sides with Maggie.
Peter, a 20-year politician and Maggie’s 25-year husband, returns from campaigning and is stunned at the news of his grandchild. Peter was a stay-at-home dad for the very first few years of Dorothy’s life and sees how she needs all the support she can get; therefore he sides with Dorothy. Peter also secretly and irrationally fears Robert’s “state” may hurt his upcoming re-election. As the operation draws near, Ken, who has had identity issues himself, becomes emotionally involved in “saving” Robert. With Peter supporting Dorothy on her decision, clashes ensue. To add to the squabbles, Greg suddenly disappears. Dorothy becomes terrified that Greg has left her and Robert.
Afterwards, Peter alarmingly discovers his beloved daughter Dorothy unconscious with blood oozed from her vagina. Later in the hospital, Dorothy slips into a coma. And to everyone’s surprise, Greg shows up — but why did he leave? Will Dorothy awaken and recover? With Dorothy comatose and Robert’s operation looming, will Greg make the best decision for his child? Eventually, the emotional stress takes its toll, and Greg breaks down, revealing a deeply disturbing, dark secret. After Greg’s revelation, Maggie presses the doctor for details and discovers the unknown truth about how the medical establishment generally “takes care” of intersex babies.
- 2022 LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival – Official Selection & Silver Award Winner
- 2022 Page Turner Screenplays Feature Drama Competition – Semi-Finalist
- 2021 Page Turner Screenplays First 15 Competition – Quarter-Finalist
- 2017 Academy Nicholl Fellowships Screenwriting Competition – Positive reviews from all readings