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The filthy kind

When a young addict named Jimmy faces a life-changing choice as small as tying his shoelaces, his future splits in two: in one path, he catches the bus, finds love, and redeems himself in the army; in the other, he misses it, falling back into addiction, tragedy, and a dark spiral of murder and buried secrets.

Jimmy, a troubled young man battling addiction, has spent years caught in a cycle of drugs, grief, and self-destruction. When tragedy strikes close to home, he makes the bold decision to change his life, starting with an interview at the army recruitment office.

But fate hinges on the smallest of choices. Approaching the bus stop, Jimmy notices his shoelaces are undone—an ordinary moment that splits his future into two extraordinary paths.

In one version, Jimmy ignores the laces and catches the bus, where he meets the love of his life. Their connection fuels his determination to stay clean, and soon he enlists, facing the brutality of war in Iraq but discovering discipline, purpose, and the fragile hope of redemption.

In the other version, Jimmy pauses to tie his laces and misses the bus. Instead, he bumps into an old friend from his drug-using days. Drawn back into a dangerous underworld, Jimmy spirals into addiction once more, only to uncover shocking truths—a trail of murder, buried bodies, and a filthy secret that threatens to consume him entirely.

Two lives. Two fates. One choice that changes everything.

Script Excerpt
Written by:
Format:
Screenplay
In the Vein Of:
Sliding doors
trainspotting
Posted:
09/26/2025
Updated:
09/26/2025
Author Bio:
James Kearney is a writer, performer, and student whose life and art are deeply shaped by his remarkable journey of recovery. A dry alcoholic, James has been clean and sober since 10:00am on 18th September 2011, a milestone that marks the turning point from years of addiction to alcohol, crack, and heroin into a new chapter of hope, growth, and creativity.

The dark times of his past, marked by struggle and survival, continue to inspire and inform much of his writing, where themes of pain, resilience, and human vulnerability are met with wit, raw honesty, and sometimes dark comedy.

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Contest Results:
20/20 (Honorable Mention) [2018]
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