Sides by Breakdown Services - Actors Access

DEBATERS

Written by

Alex Heller

Revision: September 21, 2023

alexrheller@gmail.com
INT. NICE CAR - EARLY MORNING

A pair of middle-aged female hands attacks a mane of thick,

dark curls, attempting to tidy them. These hands belong to
MEERA (late 40s), sitting in the drivers seat, mother of
ANUBHAV (15) nervous teenager in passenger seat.

We pull out to see ANUBHAV, squirming in an ill-fitting suit

and loosely-tied tie. The digital car clock reads 6:13 AM--
it’s still DARK outside.

ANUBHAV
(annoyed)
I’m late.

MEERA

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(in Hindi)
You need to look professional. The
judges will notice.

ANUBHAV
(mumbling, English)
No they won’t.

MEERA
They might. We shouldn’t take the
risk.

She finally stops grooming him, and faces him squarely.

MEERA (CONT’D)
(intensely)
Do you want to practice it once for
me?

A beat.

ANUBHAV
No.

He jumps out of the car.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS

Clutching an unwieldy briefcase, we see Anubhav jump out of

his mom’s car and run towards the HIGH SCHOOL. Meera gazes
after him through the window, which has a decal that reads
“MY CHILD IS A PRINCETON GRADUATE”

Meanwhile, behind their car, a much older, shittier car

swerves into a parking spot. BETHANY (60s) gets out of the
car, then running into TED (60s). He nods to her.
 2.

TED
Morning.

BETHANY
(grumbling)
No kidding.

They walk together towards the school, both carrying bags of

their own. They’re dressed much more casually than the
students.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING

QUICK MONTAGE of various debaters getting ready for the

tournament, over UPBEAT MUSIC. This includes:

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- Someone’s feet (in untied dress shoes) pacing

- The vicious tear of a yellow piece of legal pad paper

- A hand clutching an energy drink

- The gavel of a presiding officer hitting the podium

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY

A young debater, REPRESENTATIVE YANG, stands at the front of

a high school classroom, clutching a legal pad. Her words are
slightly distorted through her retainer. The lapel of her
Kohl’s suit jacket is razor sharp. Still, she is fiercely
intimidating.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG
--But there is a logical fallacy in
his argument--

The whiteboard behind her reads “BILL 303: A BILL TO INCREASE

THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE TO BENEFIT OUR WORKERS”.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG (CONT’D)

(mid-speech)
--he explained that automation is
BOTH already happening AND that we
should evade it. So which is it,
Senator?

We see REPRESENTATIVE MEDJOVIC looking fired up at his desk,

quivering in anticipation of the cross-examination.

All FIFTEEN STUDENT DEBATERS in the room are feverishly

taking notes.
 3.

Most are South or East Asian, and all kids are wearing
somewhat ill-fitting corporate formalwear. ANUBHAV is among
them.

There are also TWO JUDGES sitting in the back of the room,
Bethany and Ted. Bethany is texting furiously from her Apple
Watch. TED is carefully opening a little plastic coffee
creamer.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG (CONT’D)

UC Berkeley, January 2021--In
states without a $15 minimum wage,
40% of those workers rely on public
support. So companies profit
because labor is cheap, and we end
up paying what wages SHOULD be in

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the form of welfare--resulting in
more than one hundred and seven
billion dollars per year. Look, I’m
happy to help Americans who hit
genuine hard times, but I am NOT
happy to prop up cheap companies
using welfare programs at the cost
of our taxpayers. That is why we
must PASS today’s legislation. Lift
the minimum wage and lift our
constituents out of poverty.
AFFIRM.

The students are wide-eyed at how good that speech was. We

see one of them mouth to another: “HOLY SHIT.”

The PRESIDING OFFICER (P.O.) (the student who is “in charge”)

sits at the teacher’s desk in the front of the room. She
smacks her gavel.

PRESIDING OFFICER
Thank you for that three minute and
twelve second speech. All those
with questions, please rise.

We stay with a shell-shocked Anubhav as other representatives

stand to question the speaker.

We see a QUICK MONTAGE of pieces of the questioning process--

intercut with Anubhav’s deepening anxiety.

DEBATER
Isn’t it an unrealistic jump for
businesses to go from 7.25 an hour
to 15...
 4.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG
...Jump? As the legislation states,
it’s an incremental increase--

At the end of the montage, the P.O. gavels Yang down.

PRESIDING OFFICER
Seeing as that was a speech in the
affirmation, I will now call for a
speech in the negation. Speakers,
please rise.

Anubhav looks around the room, his hands shaking while

clutching his sweaty notepad. The vibe is palpably tense--no
one wants to follow Yang.

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PRESIDING OFFICER (O.S.) (CONT’D)
The chair encourages full
participation...

Ted is finishing a thought on his handwritten notes, which

read “EVIDENCE--SOLID. DELIVERY--EXPERT.” He looks up at the
room when he notices the silence.

Bethany stops texting to look up as well, pursing her lips at

the students.

BETHANY
(to Ted)
What’s happening?

TED
Waiting on the next speaker.

Bethany clears her throat with bravado, and rises.

BETHANY
Hey guys. Y’all need to take this
seriously, okay?

Everyone looks pretty serious already, but nods. Bethany

clasps a hand over her heart.

BETHANY (CONT’D)
I was a public school teacher for
31 years. Debate coach for 18. Ted
here teaches US History. Some of
you might recognize him.

TED
(awkwardly)
Morning.
 5.

Awkward beat. Bethany scans the room and her eyes land on
Anubhav.

BETHANY
(to Ted, about Anubhav)
Has he spoken yet?

All the debaters whip their heads towards Anubhav.

ANUBHAV
I--I...don’t think I can...

TED
It’s alright...

ANUBHAV

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It’s just, I--I prepared an aff
speech. I don’t...have a neg.

Bethany looks him up and down.

BETHANY
(patronizing)
Honey, this is debate. Things are
not gonna go how you practiced.
They’re gonna go how they go. And
you’ve gotta participate in real
time. Okay?

A long beat.

ANUBHAV
(barely audible)
Okay.

Anubhav stands up and moves to the front of the room,

carrying his legal pad. All eyes in the chamber are on him.
When he gets to the front, he clears his throat.

ANUBHAV (CONT’D)
I--I thank the chair.
(glancing at notes)
Fellow representatives... er, there
is definitely a need to help our
poorest constituents...but I’m here
to tell you that Bill 303 is not
gonna do that.

Anubhav pauses to gauge the reactions of the room.

ANUBHAV (CONT’D)
(starting awkwardly,
gaining momentum)
(MORE)
 6.

ANUBHAV (CONT’D)
As, um, Business Insider explains
in June of 2019, in Arkansas, the
median monthly rent is 950 dollars,
and the minimum wage is 9.25. In
Massachusetts, the median monthly
rent is 2250 dollars, the min wage
is increasing to 15. Ultimately,
states set their own min wages
because they, well, know the cost
of living. And so, even though
Representative Yang argues for
equality... we see here that we
can’t equally increase the federal
wage, because the cost of living
isn’t equal.

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Anubhav notices that Bethany and Ted seem to whisper in the
back.

Anubhav looks down at his notes. He begins to panic, the

words blurring. Finally, he rushes to conclude his speech.

ANUBHAV (CONT’D (CONT’D)

In conclusion, basically, well, we
live in a democracy, and states
should be allowed to operate in the
way that they choose to. Fail this
bill to maintain our democracy--to
maintain... America.
(a beat)
Negate.

A beat. The P.O. gavels.

PRESIDING OFFICER
Thank you for that brief speech
of... 45 seconds. Questions?

Instantly, the hands of about EIGHT DIFFERENT STUDENTS shoot

into the air. Anubhav looks like he’s going to be sick. The
P.O. scans the classroom, glances at her seating chart.

PRESIDING OFFICER (CONT’D)

Representative Yang, Representative
Vidziiuunas--

Bethany narrows her eyes at Anubhav. She quietly scoffs. Ted

is adding a second sugar packet into his cold coffee.

BETHANY
(murmuring to Ted)
Does he know his school district’s
tax bracket?? This is a joke.
 7.

TED
I think he’s doing his best.

Bethany scoffs.

BETHANY
Children of doctors. These kids are
a riot.

TED
(trying to calm her)
Um, maybe--

Suddenly, Bethany raises her hand.

BETHANY

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So just to clarify, sir. You stated
it’s “un-democratic” to raise
minimum wage?

The kids stare back blankly.

ANUBHAV
Uhm...

BETHANY
In other words, it’s un-American to
make more than 7.25?

ANUBHAV
I wasn’t...

REPRESENTATIVE YANG
Judges, is this--

BETHANY
--Have either of you ever worked a
job before?

The vibe in the chamber has gotten weird. Debaters whisper

amongst themselves, which Bethany notices.

BETHANY (CONT’D)
It’s okay y’all, this is what JV is
about. Learning.

Anubhav doesn’t know how to respond.

ANUBHAV
I’m only 15, so I haven’t yet.

BETHANY
Ever heard of babysitting?
 8.

Anubhav just stares. The silence in the room is

uncomfortable. Ted seems taken aback by Bethany’s brazenness.

BETHANY (CONT’D)
(looking for backup)
Mr. Robbins?

TED
(uncomfortable)
Well I...I used to mow lawns.

Bethany nods smugly to the kids.

TED (CONT’D)
(awkwardly)
But um, it’s hard to work when

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you’re a kid.

ANUBHAV
Yeah, I don’t really have time.

Ted nods like “fair.”

Suddenly, Representative Yang stands up--gently trying to get

back to the debate. She clears her throat.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG
(to Anubhav)
Ahem--excellent speech Senator.

Anubhav nods shyly.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG (CONT’D)

My question is this--let’s say
you’re a small business owner,
you’re running, um,--

She glances at Bethany.

BETHANY
--A lawn-mowing business.

A beat.

REPRESENTATIVE YANG
--A lawn-mowing business, okay, so
why would you raise your mowers’
wages without a federal mandate?

A beat. Anubhav seems to loosen up just the tiniest bit. He

ponders for a moment, intensely consulting his legal pad.
 9.

Ted avidly drinks his cold sugary coffee, fully awake now--
ready for a show. Even Bethany is starting to become
invested.

Anubhav clears his throat, gaining the judges’ attention.

ANUBHAV
Well--if my mowing business can’t
afford to pay the mandated wage, it
will go under, and my um, mowers,
won’t be able to mow at all.

Yang offers a curt nod, and a wry half-smile. She mouths

(only so he can see) “Nice.”

In the judge’s corner, we see that all the judges seem to be

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fully paying attention to Anubhav.

ANUBHAV (CONT’D)
(awkwardly)
I think Americans would rather have
a lower paying job--or a job they
don’t like--than no job at all.

Anubhav looks to the judges. They seem to be watching with

some modicum of newfound respect, while also questioning
their life’s choices.

We’re with Bethany as she turns to whisper to Ted. She hates

to admit it but...

BETHANY
(murmuring)
That kid’s going places.

CUT TO BLACK.