Movie plots

I was asleep in a motel room recently and I woke from such a perfect new movie plot.  It was unusual, but not too far-fetched.  There were plot twists and crises.  It had a mildly science fiction feel, but near future, so accessible for non-geek audiences.  I sat up and wrote down what now appears to be a poetic but rather hallucinogenic dream sequence that is entirely unusable as a screenplay.

Still, I had such a strong sense of purpose, such a passionate certainty that my little dream was about to morph into an award-winning film that rather than put the nail in that coffin, I e-filed it where I put all my writing ideas that have potential legs.  Since almost every one of these ideas comes to me immediately post-REM, this file is metaphorically bulging with bright hopes yet to be doused by the cold water of 9am.

I have no such illusions about last night's dream, though it was powerful and the emotions pull on me still.  I was knee-deep in water talking to a long lost high school friend when the sun went down and a storm came up.  He was on a fishing boat and one huge wave separated us.  I frantically swam backwards to catch up and by sheer force of will, landed us both on a nearby beach.

Ten yards ahead in the sand was an authentic thai restaurant.  My friend was local.  We began walking up the dirt path to the lean-to and I noticed that my swimsuit was dripping so I stepped to one side and began wringing it out.  Looking down I saw that I was watering their local garden with my swim wear.  Looking up, I saw my friend, nearly at the hut entrance, observing my behaviour with obvious horror.

He walked back to me and began steering me away from the building by the elbow.  "What are you doing?" I asked.  When he wouldn't answer I pulled away and said, "Look.  I know I'm an embarassing gringo here.  But that's who I am.  I assure you there's no place you can take me where you will be safe from my cultural slips and blundering faux pas.  I'm hungry.  We eat here.  We eat now."  I tugged his arm and reluctantly he followed me back to the shack on the beach, where I ordered, smiling as much as I could and trying not to step on/lean against or brush past anything that might be fragile or precarious.

The meal was delicious.