MARMADUKE: THE MOTION PICTURE

int. office - late afternoon

PHIL WINSLOW, 43, packs up his desk on a Friday. He throws a few papers in his brief case, and shuts it. He turns to his co-worker, CHARLES, still huddled over a spreadsheet on his computer.

phil

Well, that’s it for me this week, Charles. I'll look at that spreadsheet on Monday.

charles

Any big plans for the weekend, Phil?

PHIL

After this week? I am going to spend the whole weekend sitting on my couch.

CHARLES

You sure love that couch!

PHIL

I got a wife and two kids. That couch is the only place left in my house I can relax.

CHARLES

I hear ya, Phil. Have a good one.

int. phil’s car - afTERNOON

Phil is stuck in a rush hour commute home, he honks his horn and pounds his head on the steering wheel in frustration. He flips through the channels. One is playing “Shout” by Tears for Fears. Phil sings along with his own lyrics.

pHIL

“Couch, Couch, sit on the couch / that is the thing I can’t live without / Come on, I’m sitting on you / my couch!”

ext. winslow driveway - eVENING

Phil pulls into the driveway. It is now almost dark outside. On the way to his door, his briefcase busts open, spilling his papers all over a puddle in the driveway. He collects them and finally stumbles in the door.

int. winslow house -eVENING

He is greated by BARBARA, his daughter, and BILLY, his son, at the door.

barbara

Dad! Billy looked at my diary!

billy

Yeah, but she wrote in there that I was dork! I am not a dork!

BARBARA

If you weren’t a dork, you wouldn’t look in that diary!

Billy punches Barbara.

BILLY

Shut up!

BARBARA

Dad, he punched me.

Phil’s wife, DOTTIE walks in.

DOTTIE

Phil, what took you so long? Working late with that little blonde secretary?

pHIL

No! For the last time, I don’t even have a secretary.

DOTTIE

That’s not what Denise told me. She said that her husband said that you hired this 22 year old bimbo...

PHIL

Please, can I just sit down for a minute?

DOTTIE

Fine. But before you go in the living room, you should know that I took the kids to the animal shelter today and we...

PHIL

Please! Just save it! All I want is too sit on my sofa for five minutes without being disturbed!

int. winslow den - evENING

Phil walks into the den, breathing a sigh of relief as he walks toward the TV. Suddenly, he sees an orange shape rise just above the top of the couch.

pHIL

What is this? Some new orange pillow?

He turns to yell upstairs.

pHIL (CONT’D)

Dottie, did you get a new pillow?

DOTTIE comes running down.

DOTTIE

No... Phil, wait, I was trying to tell you, we went to the animal shelter and...

Phil goes to sit on the couch.

PHIL

Oh my God...

He turns toward the couch. We pan around to see a giant orange great dane taking up the entire couch.

DOTTIE

And bought a dog.

Billy and Barbara run in.

biLLY

We named him Marmaduke.

Phil tries to move Marmaduke from the couch.

bARBARA

He thinks it’s HIS couch!

Phil rolls his eyes back in his head and faints.

Title Card: MARMADUKE