Echoes of Broken Promises

NOTE FROM WRITER: For many people, Father's Day is a day of celebration, but for others, it's painful — maybe even a trigger. I've always dreaded Father's Day. Whether you have a great relationship with your father, one that's strained or none at all (like me), elements of this story may be relatable.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

ANTHONY (30s) – A married father of two. A true family man, memories of his absentee father make Father’s Day painful. Loving and with high moral standards, he’s determined to be the kind of father (and role model) he never had.

CECILIA (30s) – Anthony’s supportive, understanding wife. Mellow, she’s the calm in his storm.

TONY (50s) – Anthony’s selfish, absentee father who’s full of bravado. Weathered but used-car-guy slick, he’s big on promises, yet falls short on delivery and decency in general.

ELI (7) – Anthony and Cecilia’s sweet son. He adores his fun, hands-on father. He’s not sure what to think of his recently-resurfaced grandfather — who is, in fact, a stranger.

SYNOPSIS:

Set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Father’s Day has always been “just another day” for ANTHONY. Despite growing up with a pathetic role model, he’s a devoted father to his own two children. When his unreliable, blowhard father, TONY, shows up unexpectedly with all of his phony grandeur, Anthony’s forced to relive the hurt from his youth as he tries to protect his own son, ELI, from the same.

Despite Anthony’s attempts to shut him down, Tony invites him and Eli to a professional baseball game, putting Anthony in an awkward position. As Tony flashes the tickets and brags about the great seats, protective Anthony initially refuses the offer as the promises sound all too familiar. Disappointed, Eli wants to go to the game and pleads his case. Anthony, who has always craved a good relationship with his father, reluctantly agrees to go.

When Tony calls on game day feigning illness, Anthony smells a rat. Determined to take Eli to the game — a promise is a promise — he splurges on tickets in the same section as Tony’s, only a few rows lower, knowing full well that Tony will be there with others. Eli’s thrilled to attend the game, but doesn’t fully understand that his grandfather is a liar. When Anthony spots Tony ascending the steps with a floozy and her young son, he confronts him. Busted, all Tony can do is make more empty promises — revealing his true colors to stunned Eli. Tony ultimately spends more time watching Anthony and Eli’s sweet interactions than the game, which was fed-up Anthony’s shrewd plan. Chastened, Tony sees the kind of bond he and Anthony could’ve had.

"Echoes of Broken Promises" explores intertwined yet contrasting father/son relationships — one joyful, the other a cautionary tale. It shows how overcoming life’s disappointments by learning from the mistakes of others can empower people to create their own “happily ever after.”