Lifelong friends and bandmates set off on their make-or-break tour, but are confronted with a culture that cares more about whether they're in love than whether they have the talent to go big. 

SYNOPSIS:

Significant Others centers around the friendship of Eamon and Ida whose band is off on their last tour before they may have to give up performing altogether. Their significant others, Eamon's wife and Ida's fiancé, send them off with love and support, but the crowds at their shows assume the band's quality sound is a product of their loving relationship. With their dreams on the line, the band decides to play with the idea of acting on stage, a little performance art. The music and their track toward getting signed comes together around this ruse. As they get closer to fulfilling their dreams, their lie gets harder to hide. Ultimately, they have to choose between making it big or making the small things right.

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

Excerpt (draft)

(pgs. 33-36)

INT. MOTEL—DAY

Two naked feet poke through the bottom of the covers as if they are of intertwined legs. Shot pans up to see covers and sheets in bunches over the legs, but then EAMON is fully clothed lying on the floor with his foot on the bed and IDA is face down fully clothed. A phone buzzes. Both grunt at each other to pick it up.

EAMON: Mine died last night.

IDA: Liver died, not phone.

EAMON struggles to get up. Finds phone behind his head inside nightstand drawer.

EAMON: Esme? What number are you calling from?

He listens for a second and then jumps on the bed startling IDA. She punches his leg. EAMON puts the call on speaker.

EAMON: Sorry. Could you say that again?

BONITA: Bonita from Hole in the Wall.

EAMON: The label?

BONITA: You catch on quick.

IDA leaps up as well.

EAMON: Cool cool cool. Umm, what's up? With you?

BONITA: Well my assistant has been calling behind you. The venues you've hit since DC really seem to think you've really got something going on.

EAMON: Yeah? I mean, sure. But couple of those nights we just opened for some more established local acts.

BONITA: Don't give me a reason to hang up. Seems like you were always the better act.

EAMON: O—K.

BONITA: So according to the tour dates you sent us a couple dozen times—

EAMON: Ha, yeah sorry.

BONITA: Well, it got you on our radar. You're off tonight as you travel to the Twin Cities?

EAMON: Yeah we're headed there tonight for one show tomorrow.

BONITA: Well I went ahead and booked a second show for you the following night in St. Paul. I want a chance to see you twice. See what kind of buzz we can create in a day or two. Maybe we start working together.

IDA jumps up and down.

EAMON: That sounds amazing, but we have a show the next night booked already for Iowa City.

BONITA: Cool. Text me the venue and we'll either get you out of that or postpone it.

EAMON: Right. Well, it's just that this is our first tour and we really want to follow through on our commitments.

Long pause. IDA gives him a what-the-fuck shrug and hit to the arm. There's nothing on the other end of the line.

EAMON: Bonita, you there?

BONITA: I was just giving you a moment to think about how stupid that last sentence was. That enough time to mull it over?

EAMON: Uhh.

BONITA: Right so you've got two shows here in the Cities and that'll give us a chance to get you into a studio to see how that sounds and talk some more.

EAMON: Holy shit. Yeah fuck Iowa.

BONITA: That's what we nobody says around here too. We'll be in touch. Where are you staying when you're here?

EAMON: Some shitty spot, umm, but I guess if you want to find somewhere—

BONITA: Sure we can afford to put you up a third night in a shitty spot. Let us know which when you get into town.

EAMON: OK, so—we get into Minneapolis and—

BONITAL Right, figure it out for a night like you were already planning to do and we'll see you at the show tomorrow. And we'll talk if there's something to talk about. If not, enjoy your shitty lodging and a second show around here on us.

EAMON: OK great.

BONITA: Drive safe.

IDA and EAMON dance together on the bed.