Was it not ever so? People fear that which they do not know.
Sadly, the endless list goes on and on:
Fear of flying, for plane newbies.
Fear of other cultures for those less travelled.
And if you're a parochial parent, fear of that odd new neighbor who hangs a teddy bear off his porch eaves. Actually, that last one’s kinda weird. Still, all one has to really do is… ask.
With his deeper-than-it-seems short script Teddy Bear, writer Anthony Cawood demonstrates how stereotyping can result in tragic misunderstandings.
Bear’s simple plot reels in readers quick: a group of mollycoddling young moms find themselves biting their nails over the new arrival on their street – a mysterious stranger who moves in at night, and immediately hangs a teddy bear out to decorate. Alpha pack fuss-budget Janet is stridently loud – anyone who does must be a pedophile! Right?
Future discoveries heighten the cliques’ worries. It turns out the newcomer on the block is: A man. Very old. And a foreigner. All red flags – if one’s mind works that way.
One childless woman in Janet’s social circle (Pat) extends a timid olive branch to the new neighbor. After speaking to him briefly, Pat rules him to be… quirky but harmless. But the others aren’t convinced.
As usual, it’s Janet that who voices their dark concerns:
JANET
But what about the Teddy?
An unanswerable question. Who knows?
Before long, the situation rolls out of control. Especially when Janet’s son accidentally throws a ball into the new neighbor’s garden. He ventures over it to retrieve it – trespassing on the lawn.
Is Pat the sane one here? Or will Janet's worst fears come true?
No matter which scenario plays out, Teddy Bear is a clever drama that uses everyday situations to assert its message: that judging someone before you get to know them leads to the worst kinds of risks….
That guy who does a load of STS reviews and writes when he's not working or reading superfluous interesting articles. My filmmakers Rushmore is Nolan, Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Eastwood. Psychological thrillers, crime, and dramas are my thing, but I'm impartial to anything that's written well and with heart. Surprisingly successful at helping STS writers get optioned.Read more
Award-winning screenwriter with one feature produced and a further four features optioned or in pre-production. In addition to features, over forty short scripts produced/sold/optioned - including ten filmed. Also occasionally pens screenwriting articles, interviews with writers and filmmakers, and even a short story or two. You can find out more at www.anthonycawood.co.ukRead more