Genre: Comedy

Format: Short Film

Summary:
Grief doesn’t always manifest itself as sadness or anger. Sometimes it comes through in denial or protectiveness or competition. This is the case when older siblings are deciding what to do with their late mother’s ashes.
After an unfortunate miscommunication, youngest sibling, BESS, takes it upon herself to divide the matriarch’s ashes to share with her brother and sisters. SADIE, the second oldest, is aghast when she walks in on Bess dumping “Mama’s remains” into ziploc bags.
Ever the mediator, older brother, BERNARD, intervenes. That is until the eldest sister, ERNESTINE, enters the kitchen on a mission to smooth her grief with the time tested method…cleaning. None of the younger siblings wants to be the one to tell Ernie that mama is in plastic bags so they clam up and pray she leaves quickly. But Sadie can’t contain herself when Ernie’s cleaning might accidentally wash mama down the drain. She storms out of the kitchen in horror leaving Bess and Bernard as the only barrier between Ernie and the urn stuffed with sandwich sized plastic bags as mama’s final resting place.

Cast of Characters:
Bess
Bess is the baby sister of four. She’s always trying to find the best way to fix something and stay out of trouble. Smart. Sneaky.

Bernard
Bernard is the only boy. Keeps himself out of trouble. The good, practical son. Always being pulled into helping fix his sisters’ messes.

Sadie
Sadie is the middle sister. Struggling to be heard. Loved her mother. Thinks she loved mom the most so it’s only fair it be recognized. Respected.

Ernestine
Ernestine the oldest. The most responsible. Don’t embarrass her. She is the de facto keeper of the honor of the family.