OUT TO LUNCH - a black comedy about food, our national obsession. Morgan, a sous chef, studies cannibalism to find the next food fad. When his wife dies from bad hotel chicken at a veterinarian convention, the tragic-stricken single father struggles to raise his food-phobic child. This family is out to lunch.
INT. KITCHEN - CRACK OF DAWN
A cyclone of food preparation. Peeling, dicing, pounding, kneading. It's the work of wildly disheveled Morgan Claybourne, fortyish chef extraordinaire. As he hammers an ice pick through a coconut, the phone RINGS. He glances over. BAM! The ice pick penetrates the shell. He slips in a straw and sips out some coconut milk.
His sleepy wife NANCY straggles in, wearing a lab coat, followed by an entourage of pets -- APHRODITE, the pregnant cat, NARCISSUS, her mate, ACHILLES, ZEUS and HECTOR, the hounds. Landing on Morgan's head is PEGASUS, the parakeet. The pets are all well trained. They stand up simultaneously and beg Morgan for treats.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAWN
A raggedy life-sized doll sits at a baby grand, her hands resting on the ivory keys. On her head is a crisp, white toque. Around her neck is a stethoscope. Nancy grabs the stethoscope and scurries out the door.
In two seconds flat, she's back. Morgan, standing there with her black leather bag, looks down and shakes his head. Nancy has forgotten her pants.
INT. SCUZZY APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING
Through gated windows, Nancy unravels a BOA that's constricted around its owner, a paranoid GOTH. He's surrounded by cheap dime store weapons - squirt guns, ray guns, rubber knives.
INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING
Morgan throws off the covers, revealing a stuffed serpent entwined around his 8-year-old daughter JUSTINE. She sits up for breakfast in bed. A coconut filled fruit salad, a giant bread patty with a scoop of pepper jelly and a glass of milk.
Morgan disappears in the bathroom and comes out waving Justine's toothbrush. She takes it and her sinister KOOKY THE KLOWN DOLL into the bathroom. A RUSH of water in the sink OS.
Morgan burrows through clothes draped over a laptop, through piles of toys on the floor and finally unearths Justine's school books.
INT. BATHROOM - EARLY MORNING
Justine's SINGING LOUDLY as she brushes Kooky's razor sharp incisors.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING
Nancy returns and collides with Morgan.
NANCY
Snake alarm. The new weapon for
unwanted intruders.
Morgan dips her and plants a kiss. She yawns a big one.
NANCY
(continues)
Sorry. These hours are killing me.
He opens the front door and pushes Nancy through it.
NANCY
(continues)
What are you doing?!
He throws her over his shoulder and carries her out.
MORGAN
Happy Anniversary, darling.
NANCY
Again?!
He puts her down on the baby grand. A DISSONANT crash of keys.
A cyclone of food preparation. Peeling, dicing, pounding, kneading. It's the work of wildly disheveled Morgan Claybourne, fortyish chef extraordinaire. As he hammers an ice pick through a coconut, the phone RINGS. He glances over. BAM! The ice pick penetrates the shell. He slips in a straw and sips out some coconut milk.
His sleepy wife NANCY straggles in, wearing a lab coat, followed by an entourage of pets -- APHRODITE, the pregnant cat, NARCISSUS, her mate, ACHILLES, ZEUS and HECTOR, the hounds. Landing on Morgan's head is PEGASUS, the parakeet. The pets are all well trained. They stand up simultaneously and beg Morgan for treats.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAWN
A raggedy life-sized doll sits at a baby grand, her hands resting on the ivory keys. On her head is a crisp, white toque. Around her neck is a stethoscope. Nancy grabs the stethoscope and scurries out the door.
In two seconds flat, she's back. Morgan, standing there with her black leather bag, looks down and shakes his head. Nancy has forgotten her pants.
INT. SCUZZY APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING
Through gated windows, Nancy unravels a BOA that's constricted around its owner, a paranoid GOTH. He's surrounded by cheap dime store weapons - squirt guns, ray guns, rubber knives.
INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING
Morgan throws off the covers, revealing a stuffed serpent entwined around his 8-year-old daughter JUSTINE. She sits up for breakfast in bed. A coconut filled fruit salad, a giant bread patty with a scoop of pepper jelly and a glass of milk.
Morgan disappears in the bathroom and comes out waving Justine's toothbrush. She takes it and her sinister KOOKY THE KLOWN DOLL into the bathroom. A RUSH of water in the sink OS.
Morgan burrows through clothes draped over a laptop, through piles of toys on the floor and finally unearths Justine's school books.
INT. BATHROOM - EARLY MORNING
Justine's SINGING LOUDLY as she brushes Kooky's razor sharp incisors.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING
Nancy returns and collides with Morgan.
NANCY
Snake alarm. The new weapon for
unwanted intruders.
Morgan dips her and plants a kiss. She yawns a big one.
NANCY
(continues)
Sorry. These hours are killing me.
He opens the front door and pushes Nancy through it.
NANCY
(continues)
What are you doing?!
He throws her over his shoulder and carries her out.
MORGAN
Happy Anniversary, darling.
NANCY
Again?!
He puts her down on the baby grand. A DISSONANT crash of keys.
