Title from Tigs. Which actually stands for Titles Instantly Generated Simulator. Wait, did you think I’ve been talking about a real person all these weeks?
Saturday Matinee Club
We open midday in a cemetery. Everyone wears black as a priest talks about the dead. We are told that the deceased, Thomas, died young after a lengthy battle with cancer. The camera pans around the crowd as it talks about the friends of the deceased and we are given glimpses of the rest of the Saturday Matinee Club who are here to bury their friend.
Later at Thomas’ house they all break away from family and other mourners and meet in Thomas’ room. The room is covered in movie posters and paraphernalia. Tyler is the first to speak up and starts the conversation about what movie they will be watching the following Saturday. Movies are held in his basement and the day before the funeral was the first time in years they have ever cancelled. Thomas even scheduled chemo and other doctor visits around the club.
Tyler wants to push forward and get back to normalcy. He says that they should watch ‘50/50’ or something on brand to help them remember and grieve. Kayla is shocked that the others even want to meet yet. She says she isn’t ready and thinks that they should cancel and wait until it feels right. Gene thinks that a true comedy would serve them best as a distraction, and suggests ‘Caddyshack’. Lauren points to a poster for Thomas’ favorite film ‘Repulsion.’
They begin to argue against each idea. Kayla storms out angry with them all. Tyler pushes too hard on the others trying to sound smarter and more mature than he actually is. He gets mad at Gene for what he feels is ignoring the true issue. Lauren is surprised that the simple idea of celebrating what Thomas loved is ignored just because they think a horror film is inappropriate. Kayla who says everyone downstairs can hear them breaks up the argument. They leave and say they’ll discuss it later.
The following week is told from each of their perspectives and jumps back and forth. We keep cutting back to Tyler as he works all week researching grief and loss. He watches a couple films that deal with these as well taking notes and makes a chart about each of his friends and what they are going through and how they are dealing with it.
Kayla’s family hardly speaks. The dinner table is silent and you can tell if one of her parents actually spoke up it would be in a shout and an agreement would start up. She doesn’t go to school for a day or two and stays inside. She avoids her friends and does little. She watches movies at high volume over the sounds of her parents fighting.
Gene has 3 older brothers. Two of which are above high school age and still live at home. They talk still about their past athletic achievement. Gene is pudgy and jokes with them making them laugh even though what they start to say is insulting to him. He’s bullied at school but keeps cracking jokes and hoping to get out of situations with humor. He watches comedies and stand up sets, practicing bits.
Lauren spends her week mad that no one is celebrating Thomas. She tries to put together a vigil at the school. She fights with the principal about keeping up decorations on his locker. She watches movies that week coming off a list of Thomas’ favorites. She clearly isn’t taking the best care of herself.
They all continue to squabble all week about how each of them is dealing with the death. They still argue over what they’ll do come Saturday. Lauren yells about how this isn’t what Thomas would want. Tyler yells about it being more what they need with Kayla answering she needs time and Gene answering normalcy. They part ways once again angry at one another.
Saturday is here and they we follow Tyler again. He’s getting his things together to head to Thomas’. He decides he’s going to still go and watch something. He arrives at the basement and finds Lauren already there. She’s moving some decorations around to include some more Thomas. They start laughing at an old story about Thomas and we see Gene and Kayla have arrived adding to the story. They sit and other stories start and they laugh and cry together talking about Thomas. Tyler asks if they want to put a movie on. Lauren replies not yet, let’s keep doing this for a while.