Current Events > Scenario: An interracial couple is in a very unhappy marriage with high stakes.

(+) Yeah! (+)

TL;DR: The married couple is no longer in love with each other, but if their marriage fails, then the absolute rulers of this society will forever bar future interracial couples from tying the knot; however, remaining together is having a negative impact on their personal lives.

In an alternate world where interracial marriage and miscegenation are still strictly illegal, a young Black man and a young White woman fall madly in love with each other, and--despite the extreme societal backlash--are committed to one another. They've gotten to the point where they want to marry, as they believe that true love cares not what color the involved's skin is.

Though the powers-that-be are vehemently against it, they eventually decide to allow them to marry, but fold their marriage in as part of a long-term social experiment. If the couple remains married until one of them dies of old age or otherwise natural causes, then they will permanent repeal all laws that ban interracial marriage and miscegenation. However, should the marriage fail at any point before then--including if either is caught with an extramarital lover--then they will take it as proof that people of different races are not compatible with one another, and will ensure that those laws remain set in stone for good.

Fast-forward ten years later, and the couple are no longer in love with each other, but are still married. Their drifting-apart had nothing to do with their races; they simply just fell out of love over time. However, despite this, they put up a public facade that they are still very much inseparable, even attending social gatherings with their children, and coaching them to behave like a strong family unit. Behind the scenes, the husband and wife make each other miserable, to the point that the husband sometimes stays with a relative the next town over.

Though they have privately discussed the possibility of divorce, they know that if they go through with it, they would be forever condemning future relationships like theirs--some that will actually reach the point of "'til death do they part"--to never being able to tie the knot or even be together for long. On the other hand, remaining in this marriage is taking a clear toll on their mental and emotional well-being. Additionally, seeing other people in secret carries far too many risks and would instantly cause the rulers to declare the experiment a failure if caught or exposed. Either way, all eyes are on them and the ultimate fate of their marriage.

Should this couple divorce for their mental well-being, despite what is at risk with their union? Or should they remain married for a better future, despite no longer being fond of each other?

Uh...

You really shouldn't be sharing this with us.

You should be turning this into a screenplay and trying to sell it to an independent studio. This seems like a movie that could be made for cheap.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Uh...

I guess it is a touchy topic. Obviously, interracial marriage is a good thing, but in this case, the cards are kind of stacked against the couple.

FortuneCookie posted...

You really shouldn't be sharing this with us.

You should be turning this into a screenplay and trying to sell it to an independent studio. This seems like a movie that could be made for cheap.

This and many other ideas/concepts I have floating around my head. >_>

Solar_Crimson posted...

This and many other ideas/concepts I have floating around my head. >_>

Go for it.

I have ideas, but most of them would require a budget of $200 to $400 million to turn into movies. That's part of the reason I'm working on a novel instead. If you have an idea that can be turned into an indie film for a fraction of what a summer blockbuster costs, there's no reason not to go through with it.

if they kill themselves or each other would that still fulfill the "until one of them dies" requirement?

edit: oh you said natural causes. I feel like they should just stick it out for the good of the future

FortuneCookie posted...

I have ideas, but most of them would require a budget of $200 to $400 million to turn into movies. That's part of the reason I'm working on a novel instead. If you have an idea that can be turned into an indie film for a fraction of what a summer blockbuster costs, there's no reason not to go through with it.

That describes most of my ideas as well. They're more on the action/fantasy side, so the budget required to make them work would be insane, and that's not getting into other elements that could make the idea itself a hard sell to any would-be interested parties (some elements of which I would not budge on).

thronedfire2 posted...

if they kill themselves or each other would that still fulfill the "until one of them dies" requirement?

edit: oh you said natural causes. I feel like they should just stick it out for the good of the future

Yeah, them killing each other, or just one killing the other, is an auto-fail for the experiment. As would them paying someone to do it for them.

Throw in some Tech mumbo jumbo, where an AI robot follows them around to make sure they stay faithful, only to have them hack into it to cover their struggling relationship, and you have an episode for the next season of Black Mirror.

Seems like the problem is a shitty government that should be torn down and replaced.

They should do whats good for them, the future can be changed through other, better ways.

How far does "natural causes" go? For example, if they deliberately catch a deadly disease, does that still count as natural causes? What if they catch one accidentally but then refuse treatment?

Trumble posted...

How far does "natural causes" go? For example, if they deliberately catch a deadly disease, does that still count as natural causes? What if they catch one accidentally but then refuse treatment?

If it's proven to be an intentional exposure, then the experiment fails.

If they refuse treatment, it depends on how far along they are in their illness if said treatment would be of any significant use. If they're at a point where the treatment would easily and quickly cure (or contain) it, and they still refuse, it would be interpreted as an intentional attempt to kill themselves, and thus would be considered a failure for the experiment.

Solar_Crimson posted...

That describes most of my ideas as well. They're more on the action/fantasy side, so the budget required to make them work would be insane, and that's not getting into other elements that could make the idea itself a hard sell to any would-be interested parties (some elements of which I would not budge on).

"Could we maybe hire Chris Pratt in this role instead?"

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