Monday, March 20, 2006
A Poly Tale
The setting is Marin County, early 1970s. The main characters in our drama are Robert, Mariana and Clea. Robert is a surgeon, early 40s, married to Mariana with two children. He is a chronic philanderer, she has lived life somewhat in a bubble. Vaguely aware of his cheating on her, she prefers to hide her head in the sand.
Robert begins an affair with Clea, a rather independent woman who is an artist. Concurrently with this, Clea forms a friendship of her own with Mariana. The couple do not know of the other's interest in the new woman, until Mariana decides she would like to invite the "new" woman home to meet Robert.
Clea discovers her lover is actually married to her new friend. She finds this somewhat dismaying, although she does not let on to Mariana. Neither does Robert, who feels rather amused by the whole situation and he's determined to work the two women to his advantage.
Over a night of dinner and hot-tubbing, the mood turns more intimate, and the trio end up having a sexual encounter together.
The story develops into the love affair between the two women. Clea continues to see Robert, but the women decide to keep him distant from THEIR own little secret.
This continues for a while, until it can't anymore. When Robert discovers that his own wife is seeing Clea on her own, he is hurt and angry. What is sauce for him was not supposed to serve as sauce for his wife too.
The couple don't divorce, but the story ends with the wife reaffirming she will stay married to Robert, but continue her own separate affair with Clea.
"You can't have the love of both men and women," he tells her in the final scene.
"I think I can."
"No you can't, it's not possible."
"We'll see," she tells him, as we fade quickly to black.
This was the screenplay story that got me into the American Film Institute in the early 80s. It also got me my first agent.
And oddly enough, nowhere in the script does the word "polyamorous," or "bisexual," or "gay" ever occur.
How odd is that?
- - - - - -
Robert begins an affair with Clea, a rather independent woman who is an artist. Concurrently with this, Clea forms a friendship of her own with Mariana. The couple do not know of the other's interest in the new woman, until Mariana decides she would like to invite the "new" woman home to meet Robert.
Clea discovers her lover is actually married to her new friend. She finds this somewhat dismaying, although she does not let on to Mariana. Neither does Robert, who feels rather amused by the whole situation and he's determined to work the two women to his advantage.
Over a night of dinner and hot-tubbing, the mood turns more intimate, and the trio end up having a sexual encounter together.
The story develops into the love affair between the two women. Clea continues to see Robert, but the women decide to keep him distant from THEIR own little secret.
This continues for a while, until it can't anymore. When Robert discovers that his own wife is seeing Clea on her own, he is hurt and angry. What is sauce for him was not supposed to serve as sauce for his wife too.
The couple don't divorce, but the story ends with the wife reaffirming she will stay married to Robert, but continue her own separate affair with Clea.
"You can't have the love of both men and women," he tells her in the final scene.
"I think I can."
"No you can't, it's not possible."
"We'll see," she tells him, as we fade quickly to black.
This was the screenplay story that got me into the American Film Institute in the early 80s. It also got me my first agent.
And oddly enough, nowhere in the script does the word "polyamorous," or "bisexual," or "gay" ever occur.
How odd is that?
- - - - - -
