Hey friends! I haven’t written a romantic comedy in a while and those are the most fun to write. Well I guess this is more romantic than comedy, because frankly I am trying to make you cry.
Memories of Tomorrow
Our main character Tom, played by Arnie Hammer, parks his car out in front of a lovely home. The lawn is littered with children’s toys and he trips over one on his way to the door. His friend Doug, played by Seth Rogen, answers the door while yelling through the house at his wife and kids. They walk into a man cave.
Tom is clearly jealous of Doug’s family life though Doug jokingly complains. Doug asks him about his love life. A montage of failed dates follows as Tom explains and the two friends laugh. Doug encourages him before his wife yells down to take the kids out. Tom accompanies them to a fair and walks around with the kids.
He finds a tent of antiques. An old woman looks at him funny after noticing the group of children that are not his. She says something strange about love and makes him but a strange chest. “This chest has a twin. I sold it recently to a pretty lady. This one, I think should be yours.” He reluctantly buys it and brings it home.
He opens the chest up and inside there is a lone VHS tape. There is a label on it that says “First Christmas.” It’s a tape of a woman opening a present, but the voice behind the camera is familiar to him. The woman opens the gift and starts to cry. The cameraman puts the camera down and walks over to kiss his wife. He is shocked to see the man is him.
He goes to put it back in the trunk and there is another tape. The label says “Jets vs. Giants” and he seems disappointed, but when putting the tape in it is a little league game. He hears his voice again and the voice of his wife cheering his son on in the game. His son hits a home run and his wife calls him out on the camera for crying. There is a beep, and she checks a pager. She says she has to run. She walks away toward the parking lot. There is an ambulance in the lot. The tape ends.
He goes back to the fair to find the old woman. He keeps asking her whom she sold the other chest to. The old woman gets weird and says, “You know who. You’ve seen her. I can’t help you find her. But she’s out there. Patience.”
Doug knocks on a door and Tom yells that it is open. Doug finds Tom sitting next to a pile of tapes. He clearly hasn’t left the house and has only been watching the tapes. There is a board with events written all over it. Tom explains that there has to be enough evidence to help him find her. Doug doesn’t believe him until Tom puts in a tape labeled “Doug’s Speech” and it’s his best man speech. It’s a terrible speech. Doug apologizes for the bad speech and believes his friend. A montage of tapes follow; birthdays, vacations, more Christmases, and graduations of their kids.
He falls asleep talking to the mystery woman. Saying he’ll find her and that he loves her. He wakes up and finds a new tape that reads “50th.” It’s an anniversary party and he’s giving a speech about how much his wife means to him. It’s a loving speech and Tom cries. His wife gets up and gives an even more passionate speech. He looks at the screen with love but that’s when she mentions the first day they meet. Its today.
He runs out of his house and into his car. He’s looks so happy and begins to cry. “I’m coming to get you.” SLAM. He gets in a car accident. We hear an ambulance and he opens is eyes on his way to the hospital. Above him is the woman from the tapes. She is an EMT. He looks at her and cries. She tells him to calm down, that he’ll be ok. He says, “It ‘s ok. Everything is perfect. I found you. I love you.” She looks confused but he grabs her hand. “We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. The chest. It’s all there. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.” He dies.
We cut and she’s at home digging through the basement. She finds the other chest and opens it. She puts in a tape and cries as it plays. The credits begin to while we watch another tape. It’s Doug and his family having a BBQ and we see the young woman (who I forgot to name or cast) there with them. She has become close to them. The film fades out as she sits in a chair next to an empty one looking at it longingly.
The end.
I’m welling up Peter. THANKS