Miami Subs (a study in impersonal communications)

[Camera enters Miami Subs and a wide angle of everyone in the restaurant. It's clear that practically all of them are yuppies, or at least dressed in yuppy attire. It's also quite apparent that all of these people have modern technology communication devices with them as well. View of one man on a cellular phone. View of a woman on a lap-top. View of a couple talking, and a ringing in one of their pockets makes the conversation stop as the person gets out a phone.]

[Camera view following a man named J.P. as he walks into the restaurant with briefcase in hand. He quickly takes a seat making no effort at ordering at all. He pulls out a cellular phone -- view of phone, and a list of numbers, one which is pointed out with his finger is labelled MIAMI SUBS -- he dials the number.]

[Span over to a view of a worker at the front of the restaurant picking up the phone.]

Worker: Hello? ... Burger combo & a Perrier? ... Certainly, sir. I'll deliver it in a few minutes.

[View of J.P. on the phone]

J.P.: Thanks -- ooh, I've got a call at the other end -- [Split screen -- a woman, K.C. in a car on carphone]

K.C.: J.P.!

J.P.: K.C.!

K.C.: [Calmly] I'm on my way over.

J.P.: Can I call in your order for you?

K.C.: No thanks, I'll do it when I get there.

J.P.: [Smiling, yet no more emotional than before] Ah, the rugged individual. [Quickly] See you in a bit then.

[Staring off in an almost annoyed manner, he pulls the phone from his ear in a quick motion, clicks on a button, casts the phone off in a direction behind him, and pulls another one out of his briefcase.]

[At that moment, zooming out, K.C. joins him at the table. View of K.C. putting down her briefcase and a quick glance toward J.P. who is staring off into space like an unused device with no purpose. K.C. picks up her phone & dials him. J.P. comes back to life at the sound of the phone ringing.]

[Solo angle for their first lines, and then to a shot of them both at the table.]

K.C.: [Into phone] How y'doin', J.P.?

J.P.: [Into phone] Just fine, K.C. and you?

K.C.: Great, how was that meeting today?

J.P.: [Quite happily] Just splendid! I fired four people in twenty-three minutes!

K.C.: [Enthusiastically] That's a personal best, isn't it J.P.?

J.P.: Hey, it was great talking with you, but I've got a multi-million dollar block-buster deal to make. Later.

[They both hang up simultaneously. A waitress places J.P.'s meal in front of him, and he pulls out his own cutlery and begins to eat.]

[View of K.C., she pulls out her portable fax machine & a laptop. Time passes and she's printed out an order to fax. She faxes it to the front desk at Miami Subs & the phone rings. She picks up the phone, and the camera angle widens to include a man, M.T., half way across the restaurant who's calling her.]

M.T.: [On phone to K.C.] Hey K.C., this is M.T. over about 25 feet from you. [They both look at eachother & wave] I just noticed your intriguing ordering methods and I must complement you on your impersonal skills.

K.C.: Well, thanks a lot, M.T. I try my best.

[View of M.T. alone.]

M.T.: [In a kinda-sleazy slow voice] Saaaay, how about you call me up later tonight so we can discuss some more advanced impersonal skills, and...oooh...possibly conduct a chat session on the 'net with a remote possibility of cybersex later on?

[View of K.C. & J.P. J.P. is dialing on his phone]

K.C.: [Happily] Sounds great, M.T.! Hey, I've got a call on the other end -- [she hangs up & connects to the other call]

J.P.: [On phone to K.C.] I couldn't help but notice the interaction between M.T. and you. [K.C. smiles] Boy, you little devil!

[They put down the phones and laugh out loud to each other and suddenly, alarmed as if they did something wrong, they go back to their phones and laugh on the phones instead. Zoom out as they laugh and the waitress delivers K.C.'s meal.]

[Fade to black]

Todd Zadow


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