The Problem With Parenting

PANEL 1:

ESTABLISHING. EXTERIOR, MEDIUM WIDE - In front of a bistro style restaurant, several patrons are eating brunch at little tables on the sidewalk, pushed up against the plate glass windows of the Café. Seated at one of these tables is a man who appears to be in his late thirties, or possibly his early fifties (Walter), and a fashionably dressed Orangutan (Susan). They sit opposite one another, laughing and drinking coffee, having a conversation while nibbling flaky pastries and wiping crumbs from the tablecloth onto the sidewalk for little birds to gobble up.  
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Susan: “Yeah, so the article said that the percentage of women choosing not to have children doubled from 1976 to 2006,”

Susan holds her cup of coffee with both hands, her long, delicate, orange-fur covered fingers overlapping each other and making the cup look comically small; yet, when she blows gently at the rim of the cup with her long, elegant lips, as the rising steam dissipates, her gesture also looks almost sacred, like an offering.
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Walter: “Is that right?”

Susan: “Apparently.”

PANEL 2:  

CONTINUED, MEDIUM CLOSE - Susan, the orangutan, reaches over the table to squeeze Walter’s hand. He smiles, pushes his glasses up at the bridge of his nose and scrunches up his face comically, thinking. The Café is busy, with groups of mostly two and three forming a line from the hostess’ little podium out front, all waiting to be seated. Susan checks her reflection in the window beside them, and finds herself accidentally staring directly at another couple, who would feel uncomfortably close if not for the glass between them, seated just inside the Café.
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Walter: “Makes sense, I guess. I’m sure people are more career oriented now than they were then.”  

Susan: “Yeah, that’s part of it, but the article also talked about how a lot people don’t want to end up being like so many parents are today: sleep-deprived, anxiety-ridden, sexually frustrated, broke…”

PANEL 3:

CONTINUED, CLOSE, OTS - Walter seems to spring into life, talking and gesturing. A young woman waiting in line looks over, startled, and the Zebra with her belts out a few chuffing noises that sound like rusty wheels turning.  
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Walter: “Totally. Or just boring! I mean, it just seems inevitable that if you become a parent you can’t have a conversation that lasts longer than fifteen-seconds that isn’t about your kid. And even worse are helicopter parents... It’s like they read Orwell’s 1984 as a parenting guide.”

PANEL 4:

CONTINUED, CLOSE, REVERSE - Susan pushes back a bit from the table, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Susan: ”True…”

PANEL 5:  

CONTINUED, MEDIUM WIDE, OTS - Walter swings his arms out wide as he’s talking, while Susan seems more and more irritated. A number of couples waiting for their table are clearly watching Walter.
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Walter: “The other thing is how oblivious parents are to the rest of the world! You know, a couple of months ago, I was in line at the grocery store with about eight people waiting behind me, and this woman checking out in front of me spent like 10 minutes teaching her 5 year old how to use the credit card machine! And another time, I watched a guy in a store let his kid take a box of Hot Pockets right out of somebody’s hand… The only time that sort of thing would ever be acceptable is after the nuclear apocalypse, when you’re going for the last can of dog food that will feed your family. That’s it. That’s the only time.”

PANEL 6:

CONTINUED, ESTABLISHING. EXTERIOR, MEDIUM WIDE - Walter’s eyes go wide and his mouth hangs open, when Susan interrupts him before he can go on.

Susan: “Walter, I’m pregnant…”

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