Borrowed Chairs in a Church Basement
In the fluorescent-lit honesty of a support group, a man listens to the litany of strangers' regrets and wonders if the woman beside him is speaking her truth or just borrowing theirs.
# Borrowed Chairs in a Church Basement
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A man attending an addiction support meeting with his newly sober girlfriend believes he is there to support her, only to discover through her raw confession that his presence is a painful reminder of the wreckage she's caused, forcing him to confront the vast difference between observing and understanding.
## Themes
* **The Voyeurism of Support:** Explores the fine line between genuine support and intrusive observation, questioning whether an outsider can ever truly empathize without becoming a "tourist" in someone else's pain.
* **The Burden of Kindness:** Examines how acts of love and care can be perceived as a form of debt by someone grappling with shame, turning support into a source of pressure and resentment.
* **The Language of Wreckage:** Contrasts the sterile, detached language of an observer with the raw, visceral vocabulary of lived trauma, highlighting the communication chasm between an addict and their loved one.
## Stakes
The survival of their relationship is at stake, as the narrator's well-intentioned but naive presence threatens to shatter his girlfriend's fragile sobriety and expose the unbridgeable gap in their shared reality.
## Synopsis
DAVID, a well-meaning boyfriend, accompanies his girlfriend, ISLA, to an addiction support meeting in a drab church basement. Isla, 32 days sober, is tense and reluctant, having accused David of being a "tourist" in her recovery. David observes the proceedings with the detached air of an anthropologist, analyzing the other members and the worn-out rituals of confession. He sees them not as fellow humans in pain, but as characters in a drama he is watching.
As members share stories of lost children and stolen cheques, David feels a distant pity. He attempts a small gesture of comfort, brushing Isla's sleeve, but she flinches away as if shocked, deepening his sense of being an intruder. The mundane, oppressive atmosphere of the room—the hum of fluorescent lights, the smell of damp concrete—is a backdrop for the quiet desperation.
The meeting is about to close when Isla, to David's horror, decides to speak. Her voice is steady as she introduces herself. But her confession is not what he expects. She doesn't speak of the past, but of the present. She reveals that David’s recent small acts of kindness—fixing a squeaky door, making her toast—have become unbearable. Each gesture of love feels like an indictment of her failure, a spotlight on the mess she has made of their lives. She calls his support "documenting the wreckage."
Tears stream down her face as she admits that his presence, meant to be a comfort, makes her want to use more than anything else, just to escape the weight of his goodness and her own self-loathing. The room's attention shifts to David, his face a mask of shock and dawning horror. He is no longer an observer; he is the subject of her pain.
The meeting ends. Another recovering addict offers Isla a simple, knowing pat on the arm—a gesture of solidarity David now understands he hasn't earned the right to give. Outside in the cold night air, Isla walks ahead of him. She finally turns and says, "See? Now you know." The words confirm the devastating truth: he thought he was helping her heal, but he was actually part of the wound.
## Character Breakdown
* **DAVID (20s-30s):** The narrator. Perceptive, loving, and analytical. He approaches Isla's recovery with a sense of intellectual understanding, believing his stable presence is the ultimate form of support. He is a problem-solver who sees addiction as a condition to be managed, not a reality to be lived.
* **Psychological Arc:** David begins the story as a confident, supportive partner who sees himself as an anchor in Isla's storm. He ends the story completely stripped of this illusion, forced to recognize that his "support" is perceived as judgment. He transforms from a naive observer into a man painfully aware of his own ignorance and the profound, isolating nature of his girlfriend's struggle.
* **ISLA (20s-30s):** Thirty-two days sober. Her sobriety is a fragile, high-wire act. She is hyper-aware of David's gaze and feels crushed by the weight of her past and the burden of his unwavering love. While she loves him, she resents that he has become a witness to, and a participant in, her private war with herself. Her honesty is a desperate attempt to make him understand a truth he cannot see.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE RITUAL:** David and Isla sit in a church basement support group. David observes the scene with an outsider's eye—the tired faces, the bad coffee, the "liturgy" of confession. He feels like a "tourist."
2. **THE FLINCH:** David listens to other members share stories of profound loss. He glances at Isla, seeing her tension. He reaches out to touch her sleeve in a gesture of support, but she flinches away, a clear rejection.
3. **THE CONFESSIONAL:** Isla unexpectedly decides to share. The room's focus, and David's, sharpens. He braces himself, thinking he knows what's coming.
4. **THE RECKONING:** Isla speaks. She doesn't talk about grand betrayals, but about David's small acts of kindness. She confesses that his love feels like a constant documentation of her failure, making her want to use more than ever. Every head turns to David. He is exposed.
5. **THE AFTERMATH:** The meeting ends with a prayer David doesn't know. He is frozen, unable to offer the comfort he thought he was there to provide. Another member gives Isla a simple, knowing pat on the arm—a gesture David cannot make.
6. **"NOW YOU KNOW":** Outside, in the cold night, Isla confronts him with the truth. "See? Now you know." The words land, confirming the new, painful chasm between them. David is left silent, his understanding of their relationship shattered.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visuals:** The style will be intimate, naturalistic, and claustrophobic. The lighting in the church basement is harsh and unflattering (humming fluorescents, sickly yellows), creating a sense of oppressive reality. This will contrast sharply with the cold, clean darkness of the city night outside. The camera will rely on handheld close-ups to capture micro-expressions: the tension in Isla's clasped hands, the flicker of shame in a speaker's eyes, and the slow, dawning horror on David's face. The focus is on raw, unadorned human emotion.
* **Tone:** The tone is one of quiet devastation and raw emotional intimacy. It is grounded, melancholic, and deeply empathetic, avoiding melodrama in favor of brutal honesty. It aligns with the character-driven intensity of **Kenneth Lonergan's *Manchester by the Sea***, the painful and complex relationship dynamics in ***Blue Valentine***, and the unflinching look at the personal cost of addiction found in ***Beautiful Boy***.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A man attending an addiction support meeting with his newly sober girlfriend believes he is there to support her, only to discover through her raw confession that his presence is a painful reminder of the wreckage she's caused, forcing him to confront the vast difference between observing and understanding.
## Themes
* **The Voyeurism of Support:** Explores the fine line between genuine support and intrusive observation, questioning whether an outsider can ever truly empathize without becoming a "tourist" in someone else's pain.
* **The Burden of Kindness:** Examines how acts of love and care can be perceived as a form of debt by someone grappling with shame, turning support into a source of pressure and resentment.
* **The Language of Wreckage:** Contrasts the sterile, detached language of an observer with the raw, visceral vocabulary of lived trauma, highlighting the communication chasm between an addict and their loved one.
## Stakes
The survival of their relationship is at stake, as the narrator's well-intentioned but naive presence threatens to shatter his girlfriend's fragile sobriety and expose the unbridgeable gap in their shared reality.
## Synopsis
DAVID, a well-meaning boyfriend, accompanies his girlfriend, ISLA, to an addiction support meeting in a drab church basement. Isla, 32 days sober, is tense and reluctant, having accused David of being a "tourist" in her recovery. David observes the proceedings with the detached air of an anthropologist, analyzing the other members and the worn-out rituals of confession. He sees them not as fellow humans in pain, but as characters in a drama he is watching.
As members share stories of lost children and stolen cheques, David feels a distant pity. He attempts a small gesture of comfort, brushing Isla's sleeve, but she flinches away as if shocked, deepening his sense of being an intruder. The mundane, oppressive atmosphere of the room—the hum of fluorescent lights, the smell of damp concrete—is a backdrop for the quiet desperation.
The meeting is about to close when Isla, to David's horror, decides to speak. Her voice is steady as she introduces herself. But her confession is not what he expects. She doesn't speak of the past, but of the present. She reveals that David’s recent small acts of kindness—fixing a squeaky door, making her toast—have become unbearable. Each gesture of love feels like an indictment of her failure, a spotlight on the mess she has made of their lives. She calls his support "documenting the wreckage."
Tears stream down her face as she admits that his presence, meant to be a comfort, makes her want to use more than anything else, just to escape the weight of his goodness and her own self-loathing. The room's attention shifts to David, his face a mask of shock and dawning horror. He is no longer an observer; he is the subject of her pain.
The meeting ends. Another recovering addict offers Isla a simple, knowing pat on the arm—a gesture of solidarity David now understands he hasn't earned the right to give. Outside in the cold night air, Isla walks ahead of him. She finally turns and says, "See? Now you know." The words confirm the devastating truth: he thought he was helping her heal, but he was actually part of the wound.
## Character Breakdown
* **DAVID (20s-30s):** The narrator. Perceptive, loving, and analytical. He approaches Isla's recovery with a sense of intellectual understanding, believing his stable presence is the ultimate form of support. He is a problem-solver who sees addiction as a condition to be managed, not a reality to be lived.
* **Psychological Arc:** David begins the story as a confident, supportive partner who sees himself as an anchor in Isla's storm. He ends the story completely stripped of this illusion, forced to recognize that his "support" is perceived as judgment. He transforms from a naive observer into a man painfully aware of his own ignorance and the profound, isolating nature of his girlfriend's struggle.
* **ISLA (20s-30s):** Thirty-two days sober. Her sobriety is a fragile, high-wire act. She is hyper-aware of David's gaze and feels crushed by the weight of her past and the burden of his unwavering love. While she loves him, she resents that he has become a witness to, and a participant in, her private war with herself. Her honesty is a desperate attempt to make him understand a truth he cannot see.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE RITUAL:** David and Isla sit in a church basement support group. David observes the scene with an outsider's eye—the tired faces, the bad coffee, the "liturgy" of confession. He feels like a "tourist."
2. **THE FLINCH:** David listens to other members share stories of profound loss. He glances at Isla, seeing her tension. He reaches out to touch her sleeve in a gesture of support, but she flinches away, a clear rejection.
3. **THE CONFESSIONAL:** Isla unexpectedly decides to share. The room's focus, and David's, sharpens. He braces himself, thinking he knows what's coming.
4. **THE RECKONING:** Isla speaks. She doesn't talk about grand betrayals, but about David's small acts of kindness. She confesses that his love feels like a constant documentation of her failure, making her want to use more than ever. Every head turns to David. He is exposed.
5. **THE AFTERMATH:** The meeting ends with a prayer David doesn't know. He is frozen, unable to offer the comfort he thought he was there to provide. Another member gives Isla a simple, knowing pat on the arm—a gesture David cannot make.
6. **"NOW YOU KNOW":** Outside, in the cold night, Isla confronts him with the truth. "See? Now you know." The words land, confirming the new, painful chasm between them. David is left silent, his understanding of their relationship shattered.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visuals:** The style will be intimate, naturalistic, and claustrophobic. The lighting in the church basement is harsh and unflattering (humming fluorescents, sickly yellows), creating a sense of oppressive reality. This will contrast sharply with the cold, clean darkness of the city night outside. The camera will rely on handheld close-ups to capture micro-expressions: the tension in Isla's clasped hands, the flicker of shame in a speaker's eyes, and the slow, dawning horror on David's face. The focus is on raw, unadorned human emotion.
* **Tone:** The tone is one of quiet devastation and raw emotional intimacy. It is grounded, melancholic, and deeply empathetic, avoiding melodrama in favor of brutal honesty. It aligns with the character-driven intensity of **Kenneth Lonergan's *Manchester by the Sea***, the painful and complex relationship dynamics in ***Blue Valentine***, and the unflinching look at the personal cost of addiction found in ***Beautiful Boy***.