"Ditch Day"

“25 words or less” – A group of high school seniors in 1995 ditch class to have one more day of fun together before going their separate ways after graduation

Full Summary:
It’s a Friday morning in early June of 1995 and the temperature is supposed to break 80 degrees in the small Rhode Island suburb where Marcus Appleby lives. Marcus is a popular high school senior set to graduate in a week and already preparing for his new life in college. As he sits at the breakfast table watching the local weatherman talk up the beautiful day, only one thought passes through his mind – ditching school.

Quickly, he organizes a ditch day at the beach with eight of his closest friends, along with two other students, as a final “hoorah” before they all go their separate ways after graduation.

There’s Marcus, not only the leader of the high school pack, but also an anti-war advocate who rails against his friends’ pro-military stance. His relationship with his attractive prom date, Stacey, is confusing to say the least but he’s determined to figure out their status by the end of ditch day so they can enjoy their summer together.

His best friend, Johnny, is a contradiction in terms – a free spirit from a four generation military family destined to uphold tradition and join the Army after high school.

Marcus’ other friend, Vincent, has had a secret crush on their friend Karen for a long time and contemplates finally telling her before he starts a summer internship at Cantor Fitzgerald in NYC. Will Vincent be too nervous to make the first move? If he does, will Karen reciprocate?

Vincent’s younger brother, Joey, manages to weasel his way into the group after finding out Vincent’s intentions to ditch and threatening to tell their parents unless he takes him with them. At the beach he’s secretly plied with Vodka and smoked up by his brother’s friend, Charlie O, a real degenerate drunk and drug addict who’s pretty much defined as a fuck up, a harmless fuck up though, by his fellow classmates.

Two other friends that ditch are Robert and Jodi, a combustible couple who constantly argue and fight with each other but manage to stay together through thick and thin in high school. The littlest thing that Jodi does will set Robert off but she’s always good about standing up for herself and giving as good as she gets…which is not always a good move.

And then there’s Stanley, the nerdy outcast of the group. Showing his heart, Marcus invites him along on ditch day when he sees him walking to school by himself. Although his friends think it’s a prank, Marcus assures them and Stanley that it’s no joke and that he really wants him to come along so he can have some carefree fun for once in his life. At the beach he becomes friendly with Sandy, a tough girl who’s initially very condescending since she only knows him as the quiet dork of the class, but she eventually softens up once she gets to know him.

Set to a rap & hip hop soundtrack to pay homage to how the African-American culture was a focal point for suburban white kids growing up in the 1990s, the story follows the eleven characters as they enjoy their carefree ditch day in high school during a time of peace, tranquility and economic prosperity then fast forwards at the end to show where they are ten years later during a much different time of insecurity, turbulence and economic recession in 2005.
Ditch Day Screenplay