Daniel Petrie

An aging patriarch unites all of his family members for his birthday, but the familial assemblage is teeming with personal and social problems. A man's family reunites for his 77th birthday. He loves all of his children and grandchildren; he doesn't exactly connect with his children, but he connects with his grandchildren much better. When he tells them what he really wants for his birthday, they do what they can to grant his wish. —rcs0411@yahoo.com

Edna McCauley buys her husband a new car for his birthday. While the two are out driving, they have a terrible accident. Both are killed, but Edna, after seeing a great white light and a mysterious group of people, wakes up in a hospital. Apparently, she died, but has come back to life. She's also suffered permanent spinal damage and must walk with braces and crutches. Devastated, Edna goes home to Texas to recuperate, reuniting with her beloved grandmother Pearl and her hard, loveless father, John Harper. While at a family barbecue, Edna touches a little girl who has a serious nosebleed, seeming to stop the ordinarily serious bleeding with her touch. Edna actually feels the heat in her own hand. Grandmother Pearl tells her of a woman she once knew who, after a similar back from death experience, returned with the power to heal. Edna touches her own crippled legs, gradually able to walk without braces or crutches. With her abilities becoming known, townsfolk bring Cal Carpenter, an attractive young man stabbed in a barfight, for Edna's healing touch. She saves his life. Later, they become lovers. It isn't long before Edna's healing people daily. But some feel apprehensive about her power, since it doesn't necessarily involve preaching the gospel. Cal's father, a zealot, even suggests her powers are satanic. Cal begins to fear her power, and he eventually walks out on her after an argument. Edna's father John, accuses her of being a whore for sleeping with Cal, ordering her off his property. Edna goes to a university, where two scientists want to study her abilities. She dazzles them with the strength of her gift, strong enough that she's able to bend a beam of laser light. She also enables a severely crippled woman to walk again, taking the woman's weaknesses into herself, then dispelling it - a dazzling display that nonetheless frightens Cal, who's now so fearful of Edna's gift it has rendered him impotent. When Edna senses that her father John is dying, she goes home, standing at the dying man's bedside. She wonders aloud what made him so incapable of love, reminding him of the abortion he ordered on her when she was a young girl. It left her sterile forever. She tells him she loves him nonetheless, and he dies after claiming to see the same bright light. Once again, Cal fears her, thinking that she's Jesus returned. Edna assures him that she's not, but Cal, increasingly disturbed, takes a rifle, shooting at Edna as she talks to some followers in the country. He wounds her. After Cal is jailed, Edna decides to take off for parts unknown, saying farewell to Grandma Pearl, who understands that the power of love is Edna's only true gift. The years go by and Edna ends up a recluse, running a tiny gas station in the desert. A young couple pass through in their R.V. with a boy, Bobby, who's dying of cancer. Edna talks to the boy, laying her healing hands on his cancerous body. Although they don't know it yet, she has healed the child. The boy thanks her, but it is Edna, all too happy to express her gift, who thanks the child who has allowed her to heal him...

Rick, still in his 30's, works full-time as a lifeguard on the beaches of Los Angeles. When he meets his divorced high school girlfriend and her five-year-old son after fifteen years, he considers switching to a more "serious" job. Rick is in his 30s, but still works full-time as a lifeguard on the beaches of Los Angeles, California. He enjoys the fun of it, but even more, the silent moments. However, when he meets his divorced high school girlfriend and her five-year-old son at their fifteen year class reunion, he considers switching to a more "serious" job. —Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> Rick Carlson, who is in his 30s, works as a Los Angeles County lifeguard, until a few events might forever change his life. He deals with a seventeen-year old female, a new Los Angeles area resident, and an old high school buddy who is a Porsche dealer. Along the way, he attends his fifteen year high school reunion, and falls for his ex-high school sweetheart, now a divorced mother. He has to choose whether to change careers, either as a Porsche dealer, or remain as a lifeguard.

The Younger family consists of Mama and her college-age daughter Beneatha, her son Walter and his wife Ruth, and her 10 year old grandson Travis. The family has lived in the same cramped Chicago apartment for years. Walter is a chauffeur and Ruth works as a part-time maid. Mama has just retired as she is expecting a $10,000 life insurance check from her deceased husband's estate. Walter is very dissatisfied with his life and wants the $10,000 to open a liquor store with his friends. Ruth feels the money is Mama's to spend as she wishes and neither of them approve of Walter's dream. While waiting for the check to arrive, Walter has grown angry and bitter. He snaps at Travis and Beneatha, poking fun at his sister's dream of becoming a doctor. After school, Travis earns money by carrying groceries at the nearby supermarket. Mama worries because he doesn't have a proper bedroom and sleeps on the living room sofa. She is also worried about Ruth, who reveals that she is pregnant but hasn't told Walter yet. They can't afford more children. Beneatha's college friend from Africa, a Mr. Asagai, drops by. At Beneatha's request, he has borrowed a traditional African costume for her to wear. She reluctantly introduces him to Mama after warning her not to ask him "stupid" questions about Africa. Mr. Asagai is very good-natured and takes Mama's questions in stride. When the check arrives, Walter begs Mama yet again to let him borrow the money. He got one of his friends to write up a business plan, which Mama refuses to read. She uses part of the check to buy a house in Clybourne Park, which is an all-white neighborhood. The family will have much more room and Mama can plant a garden in the back yard. The rest of the money is set aside for Beneatha's education. Walter is furious and goes on a three-day drinking binge. His employer calls and says if he isn't back at work the next day he is fired. Mama goes to the bar and listens to Walter cry because he will never have his dream now. At last she relents and gives him the rest of the money. He and his friends give their combined cash to Willie, who is going to bribe certain officials to speed up their application for a liquor license. Only Willie leaves town instead, stealing the money of his friends. While all this was going on, an official from the Clybourne Park Home Association pays the Youngers a visit. In a nutshell, the white citizens don't want the Youngers moving into their neighborhood. The man offers Mama more than she paid to cancel the sale. But despite Walter's losing the money and likely his job, they decide to move after all.