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INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

ANDREW, late-30's, unshaven and apparently sleep-deprived, stabs at his dinner plate angrily. His daughters, SUSANNA, 8, and POLLY, 5, eye their food reluctantly.

POLLY

(whiney)

I miss mom's cooking.

ANDREW

Shut up and eat it!

The girls are unfazed by dad's outburst.

SUSANNA

Aren't you supposed to microwave these?

On each of their plates sits a slim brick of popcorn kernels and butter-flavored chemicals.

ANDREW

If that's still on your plate when I finish this, I'm eating it.

Susanna tries to fork her unpopped envelope of dinner, but can't penetrate the surface and instead sends her food gliding off the plate onto the kitchen floor.

Polly starts crying.