A professor and contract lawyer work together to draw up and sell a marriage contract that guarantees a happy ending.

SYNOPSIS:

RICK AND TINA - INVENTORS OF THE BETA MARRIAGE The beta marriage was invented by contract lawyer RICK and research social scientist TINA. The former couple have lunch dates that cancel and they have lunch. A conversation about marriage develops. While not entirely invented out of necessity, there were financial incentives for RICK. And academic curiosity on TINA’s part. They come up with a tech-inspired “Beta” union, in which marriages would be subject to a trial period, much like a new app or software product. In this scenario, newlyweds would test-run the union for six months, a year or two years in order to work out any kinks or bugs and then choose to proceed with the marriage or dissolve the partnership without any of the nasty consequences of a formal divorce. TINA will write a book and appear on various TV programs and RICK will promote this new marriage as part of his law firm’s advertising. RICK AND TINA’S HISTORY Halt in midstream. RICK and TINA were recently “almost” married. It began with a "platform migration" (a cross-country move) and a "bandwidth challenge" (cohabitation in a 450-sq.-ft. New York apartment). There was a "false start" (botched marriage proposal). Then, an emergency "deglitching" (couples therapy). They tried to "take the product public" before we were ready (she wrote about their relationship in the Psychology Today magazine). And then, finally, they "abandoned launch". There were simply "too many bugs". NOTE: I would like to make the entire move an extended analogy, which compares marriage to software. It might be simply a RICK and TINA text each other or share the same software. They might both be experimenting with software and have been unable to find software that will meet their needs. It might be more pervasive than just that. RICK’S LEGAL EXPERIENCE RICK has handled one divorce in his legal history and it didn’t go well. It was ugly; there was a gun and police and no one was happy. RICK lost money in handling on the divorce, if you calculate the broken windows and destroyed office furniture. RICK vows never to handle a divorce again. Simple contract law is his only joy. TINA’S ACADEMIC HISTORY TINA’s Ph.D. advisors have always encouraged her to think outside the box and to revolutionize her approach to everything. There is a reasonable amount of pressure for her research to be bias in favor of a new marriage paradigm. TINA’s grandmother was a famous feminist and she feels this urge to make her mark as well. MAIN PLOT -- THE RICH AND TINA STORY RICK is getting wealthy writing all these contracts. TINA is becoming an academic celebrity. RICK and TINA how will all this effect them personally? Will they resume their romance. Will they ensue a beta marriage? Or will the make the big leap. THE ENDING A professor and contract lawyer work together to draw up and sell a marriage contract that guarantees a happy ending. They promise the public a happy ending... if they part at the end of the time period... it is better than divorce and (by contract) a happy ending. If they remain married at the end of the contract, then that is a happy ending. Now what REALLY makes this movie is... that by listening to all the debate and criticism, RICK and TINA are drawn into traditional marriage and THUS guaranteed a happy ending. In the end, RICK and TINA realize their idea is B.S. and this draws them together. PLOTTING They might be screwups themselves… but I think they will need to reject beta marriage for themselves. Of course they are advocating this idea for everyone else. Perhaps they talk about getting back together again… and even they talk about beta marriage but in the end… if it is a romantic comedy they reject it. Or in the second act perhaps they tell everyone they have a beta marrage.. .but in reality they have snuck off to Vegas and done the real “marriage” thing. Of course it will ruin their credibility if the public finds out they did the real deal. I haven’t gotten my plot clear… maybe I need a woman’s point of view. SUBPLOTS I need some plot ideas that cover the couples their idea effect. Maybe, friends of theirs … maybe he has a sister and she has a brother who are considering the beta marriage? Friends, co-workers. Anyway they see this type of marriage isn’t necessarily good for their friends and family, but they have invested their credibility in the idea. I’m thinking the sub plot is they go around trying to correct the mistakes they have made. BETA MARRIAGE LINKS