Eat

Written By Jonathan Camden

Jfcamden@gmail.com

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT A hand towel lays by a sink. Off-screen we hear the sounds of vomiting coming from a WOMAN. Eventually, she finishes and then reaches for the towel. This is the first time we see her. She's a relatively young woBoyfriend but appears incredibly unhealthy. She's very skinny, her skin looks like hell, and her teeth are yellow. The woman wipes her mouth with the towel. INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER A BOYFRIEND sits in his recliner while watching "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and eating an Arby's sandwich. The woman walks in. BOYFRIEND Jesus Christ, were you throwing up again? WOMAN Yeah. Her voice is tiny. She doesn't sound like she's soft-spoken. She sounds like her voice was just beaten out of her. She sits down on the nearby couch. WOMAN (CONT'D) I haven't been feeling too good recently. The boyfriend looks over to the coffee table that is near the couch she is sitting on and sees her sandwich is only haft eaten. He waits for her to pick it up but she doesn't. BOYFRIEND Dammit, Christine, do you think I work my ass off to pay for food just so you can let it sit there on the table? CHRISTINE I'm not hungry. BOYFRIEND Not hungry? How the hell can you not be hungry? You're as skinny as a freaking Slim Jim! It's like the only attractive thing about you. Christine sinks back in her chair. Her boyfriend sees that she still isn't eating.

BOYFRIEND (CONT'D) Eat! Christine picks up the sandwich and starts to nibble on it. When her husband looks back at the TV, she spits the bite into her napkin. INT. BOOK STORE - THE NEXT DAY Christine is a cashier at a book store. She is resting her head on the counter and in the middle of sleeping. Suddenly, a hand nudges her awake. WOMAN (O.S.) Ma'am? Christine springs to consciousness. She has bags under her eyes. WOMAN (CONT'D) I'd like to buy this book. The woman places a book on the counter. CHRISTINE Oh, yeah, sure, sure. Christine scans the book, prints out a receipt, and bags it all up. She hands it to the woman. CHRISTINE (CONT'D) Here you are. Have a nice day. WOBOYFRIEND Thank you. The woman takes the bag and exits the store. Christine looks over to see her BOSS, a man in his forties that appears to be losing his hair, glaring at her. CHRISTINE Oh shit. He walks over. BOSS What the hell was that? CHRISTINE I'm sorry. BOSS This is the third time I've caught you sleeping on the job.

CHRISTINE I didn't mean to. BOSS Do you not want to work here? Cause I'm up to my ass in job applications and could have someone in here to replace you before you could even bat an eye. CHRISTINE It won't happen again. I promise. BOSS It better not. He walks off. Christine sits in her chair and looks depressed. From a distance, two female BOOK STORE EMPLOYEES have a conversation while looking at Christine. BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #1 Poor thing. BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #2 What do you mean? BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #1 Look at her! She looks like shit. BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #2 Why is that? BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #1 Not sure. I heard her boyfriend is abusive. The second employee becomes shocked. BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #2 Are you saying he beats her? BOOK STORE EMPLOYEE #1 I don't think so. I've never seen her come in with any bruises or anything. I think he just treats her like shit. See how skinny she is? Nobody that skinny is happy. Both girls give Christine looks of pity. INT. BOOK STORE (SELF-HELP SECTION) - LATER Christine pushes a cart of books through the self-help section of the store. She shelves book after book.

Eventually, she grabs one from the cart that grabs her attention. She looks at the cover. INSERT - BOOK COVER "I HATE FOOD The Five-Step Guide to Overcoming Eating Disorders" BACK TO SCENE She stares at this book for a little while. Eventually, she tucks it in under her arm and continues to shelve books. EXT. BOOK STORE - LATER THAT EVENING The sun is starting to go down. Christine exits the store. BOSS (O.S.) Wait! Christine turns around and sees her boss walking towards her. BOSS (CONT'D) Wait, Christine. CHRISTINE Yeah? BOSS Look, I'm sorry for being so harsh with you today. CHRISTINE It's fine. BOSS No, it's not fine. You're a great employee and you're obviously not feeling well. CHRISTINE I'm okay, really. BOSS Why don't you take tomorrow off? CHRISTINE But I've already used all my sick days. BOSS Don't worry. Just relax and get better.

CHRISTINE (beat) Well, thanks. BOSS No problem. Christine starts to walk away. BOSS (CONT'D) Oh, and Christine? Christine turns back around. CHRISTINE Yeah? BOSS If you were going through something, like something bad, you know I'm always here for you, right? CHRISTINE Uh...yeah. I know. BOSS Okay good. Well, I'll let you head home. Have a good night. CHRISTINE Thanks. You too. Christine walks away and goes to her car. She unlocks it and gets in. INT. CHRISTINE'S CAR - MOMENTS LATER Christine sets her purse down in the passenger seat. She looks over at it and sees the eating disorder book sticking out of the top. She stares at it for a few seconds before driving off. INT. LIVING ROOM - THE NEXT MORNING Christine's boyfriend is wearing overalls with the logo for a garage on it. The overalls are covered with oil and grease stains. BOYFRIEND (loudly) Christine, I'm going to work! Christine walks into the room. She's wearing a baggy t-shirt

and pajama pants. Her clothes are small but still hang off her. CHRISTINE Bye. BOYFRIEND That's it? Bye? CHRISTINE What else do you want? BOYFRIEND I'm gonna be surrounded by a bunch of dudes who smell like shit for the next ten hours. Give me something to hold me over. Christine makes a depressed sigh. Then, she lifts up her shirt and reveals her breasts to him. He smiles. BOYFRIEND Now that's what daddy wanted to see. Alright, I'll see you later. Her boyfriend leaves. She puts her shirt back down. Christine sits down on the couch and takes out the self-help book from her purse which has been on the nearby table. She opens it up and begins to read. The AUTHOR is a middle aged woman. AUTHOR (V.O.) Introduction. Do you hate eating? Does the thought of food moving down your throat repulse you to no end? Do you feel like you're fat even though your ribs are already bulging from your sides? Christine feels her ribs. Then she continues to read. AUTHOR (CONT'D) If so, then you have a problem. No, you are not the exception. Your circumstances do not matter. You have a problem. But with every problem comes a solution, and that is exactly what I'm offering. I plan to take you on a journey from misery to good health in just five simple steps. Now, that doesn't seem so bad does it? Five is (MORE)

7 AUTHOR (CONT'D) nothing. Just turn the page and your new life will begin. Christine turns the page. AUTHOR (CONT'D) Step one: Realizing you're worth it. INT. GYM - THE NEXT DAY Christine is walking on a treadmill. AUTHOR (V.O.) We're all pressured by society to meet certain standards. But sometimes, things just don't work out. And when we can't meet these standards, oftentimes we lose our sense of self-worth. But you are worth it. You deserve to get better. You do. Now, say it. CHRISTINE I deserve to get better. AUTHOR (V.O.) Again. CHRISTINE (with more emphasis) I deserve to get better. AUTHOR (V.O.) Now scream it! CHRISTINE (screaming) I deserve to get better! People look at her like she's crazy. She cowers a bit due to embarrassment. INT. CHRISTINE'S HOUSE - LATER Christine is looking at a computer. AUTHOR (V.O.) Step two: seek help. There is no wrong way to do this. Call an old friend. Seek out therapy. Or even better, join a support group.

Christine is searching through the google search results for "eating disorder support groups" and clicks on one of their websites. INT. ACTIVITY ROOM - THE NEXT DAY There is a group of people sitting in a circle of chairs. They range from incredibly fat to incredibly skinny. A WOMAN is crying and in the middle of a story that everyone is listening to. WOMAN It's like no matter how much weight I lose it'll never be good enough. Christine enters. Everyone turns their attention to her. CHRISTINE Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Please keep going. Every turns their attention back to the woman who continues her story. WOMAN Every time she looks at my I feel so much judgment! INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER THAT WEEK Christine is sitting on her couch and writing in a notebook. AUTHOR (V.O.) Step three: chart your progress. Keep a journal of your successes. Every little thing counts. Did you eat an extra snack today? Write it down! Christine takes a bite of a granola bar and then continues to write. INT. MOVIE THEATER - DAYS LATER Christine sits in a movie theater and is watching a movie. AUTHOR (V.O.) Step four may be the most important out of anything you do on your road to recovery. And it can be summed up in two words: have fun! Don't obsess over your problems. Find something that makes you happy and do it as much as you can.

The movie is revealed to be an old film by the three stooges. Christine laughs at their antics. AUTHOR (CONT'D) As the great author Henry David Thoreau would say, suck the marrow out of life! INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER THAT WEEK Christine sits nervously on her couch. AUTHOR (V.O.) Well, it looks like you've made it to the fifth and final step. It's the home stretch. The bottom of the ninth. The after-credits scene in a movie telling you who's going to join the Avengers. But this one won't be easy. Now, what you need to do is prevent your disorder from ever coming back. To do this, you have to cut out any of the bad influences in your life. What activates your eating disorder? Figure it out. Christine's boyfriend enters the house. AUTHOR (CONT'D) And cut it out. BOYFRIEND Hey. CHRISTINE Uh, hi. BOYFRIEND You got dinner ready? CHRISTINE Uh, no. BOYFRIEND No? Christine, what the hell? I work all day and you can't evenCHRISTINE I need to talk to you. He pauses, kinda surprised that she cut him off.

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BOYFRIEND About what? CHRISTINE I don't think we should see each other anymore. He gets confused. BOYFRIEND What? CHRISTINE I'm not happy. You don't make me happy. BOYFRIEND I don't make you happy? I pay for the food you eat. I bought you that necklace you like. Plus ICHRISTINE You treat me like property. You assume that buying me things will make me happy but it won't. You don't love me. You don't care about me. You make me feel terrible about myself. Look at me! Christine gestures to her body and the boyfriend looks at it. CHRISTINE (CONT'D) I look terrible! This is what you've done to me! The boyfriend pauses. BOYFRIEND Look, Christine, ICHRISTINE Get out. He gives her a look that says "What?". CHRISTINE (CONT'D) GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!! Her screaming terrifies him and he runs out. She slams the door shut. Christine pauses. She waits. And waits. And waits.

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INT. ARBY'S - LATER Christine stands at the front of the line. A CASHIER stands there. CASHIER Can I take your order? CHRISTINE Uh...yeah. I'd like to umm...have your small roast beef sandwich. CASHIER Alright, that'll beCHRISTINE Wait, no. (beat) Give me your large. CASHIER Alright! Anything elCHRISTINE And a huge thing of fries. And a large Coke. Throw in an apple turnover too. And a big chocolate shake! CASHIER Wow, okay! That's quite a meal. Are you celebrating something? CHRISTINE Yeah, I guess you could say so. CASHIER Okay, that'll be right out! INT. ARBY'S - MINUTES LATER Christine sits down with a tray full of all the food she just orders. She stares at it all. She pauses nervously. Christine swallows nervously. She doesn't know where to begin. Eventually, she reaches for her sandwich. Christine starts to eat it. She likes it. Christine smiles. Then, she begins to cry. FADE TO BLACK. THE END.