Brief

In the suburbs of middle America, two couples engage in a growing political and social media fight.
Their passionate disagreement, though superficially focused on politics, is fed by assumptions about
class, economics, immigration, and race.

What We Liked

- Poignant, topical story;
- Small cast and contained production - even with big message;
- Character driven arcs that allow for award potential;
- Each chapter has a different point of view, including those of strong female characters;
- Timely plot about polarization and divisiveness;
- Suspense and engaging pace until the tragic end. The Civil War At Home is a political
statement that starts with snarky comments and ends with murder.

Synopsis

Anytown, USA. Kevin, mid 30s, is a successful marketing consultant who appears to have it all. A
gorgeous Hispanic wife named Marina, good kids, a new car every year. He is a liberal, incredibly
educated man. Rick, late 40s, is a conservative working-class man who appears to be quite simple,
both in mind and body. A stable wife named Kate, who has been supportive through even the
toughest of times. Rick is a toilet paper salesman and loves Sean Hannity almost as much as Jesus.
Kevin had an incredibly difficult upbringing. His mom suffered from depression, and his father was in
recovery after battling an 8-year meth addiction. He harbors the opposite childhood from one what
would expect given his outward appearance. Rick’s family is a staple in town. They have been there
for generations, and they even have streets named after their family. They might not have money, but
they were in fact born into a sense of belonging.
The Trump audio scandal hits the presidential election. Rick and Kevin double down on where they
stand politically, and they both become incredibly outward with their support or hate for the politician.
The confusion also involves Kate and Marina.
TRUMP IS ELECTED. Kevin writes a blog post that goes viral on the topic of teaching his children to
love and not hate. It goes viral, setting into motion a twisted set of back and forth between the men.
That is when Marina says “enough is enough” and invites the couple over for dinner. At dinner, Kate
becomes jealous of Marina when she catches her husband staring at the beautiful woman. Everyone
is now unraveling.
One final facebook post sets the finale into motion. From calling Rick a Nazi to quips about Kevin’s
new career as a writer, it seems like the twister has spun out of control. Rick responds by putting a
sign saying “If you want to stay out of jail, do not come into the country”, which Marina sees as a
direct jab at her. She texts Rick asking if “we could talk” and “can we meet tomorrow morning” at the
local coffee shop. Kate reads the text and assumes it was about a secret affair the two are entangled
in. She grabs a butcher knife, immediately walks across the street, and kills Marina’s dog - then she
notices the sign her husband had put up earlier that day. But it’s too late. Rick is off his meds and
takes a gun that was meant for him and aims at Kevin, Kevin aims at Rick, and the two are dead
before the women knew what to do.

About The Author

Dustin McKissen is a a two-time ""Top Voice"" on LinkedIn, where his columns have been read by more than 15 million people. He is also a columnist or contributor at Inc, CNBC, Venturebeat, CNN, and Entrepreneur Quarterly.