My new movie idea for 2004: Call it Lost at Sea, a poignant exploration of the strangely intense bond that forms with people trapped on a cruise ship for 7 days and 6 nights.
An Orange County surfer dragged along for his grandparent's 50th anniversary meets a 50-ish divorcee from the Valley with a fondness for slushy drinks. There'd be way too much karaoke, insulated excursions at each port of call to inject some local color, and plenty of poolside scenes (cue the Baywatch bikini montage). The supporting cast could include a sympathetic bartender, a hapless purser, a coked up cruise director, and a comically lecherous ship's doctor.
When the boat returns to LA, the sunburned lovers exchange AIM usernames. but the audience knows it's over. Not because the divorcee's custody agreement limits her AIM time to alternate weekends, but because it's just too damn far to maintain a relationship between Orange County and the Valley.
