Code of the Heart
A socially anxious coding student finally works up the courage to confess his crush on a brilliant classmate
with help from his chaotic best friend, only to discover that love, like programming,
is full of bugs, surprises, and moments that compile perfectly.
Not every script needs an off-the-hook premise. Sure, Inception had its merits. Rocky, Mrs. Doubtfire and a whole host of other tales did, too.
Then there are little slice-of-life vignettes which resonate with one’s humanity. No, they’re not loud, flashy water-cooler argue-about-what-happened yarns. Instead, they’re sweet stories which people automatically empathize with. Tales like these don’t break the block-buster bank. Instead, they’re content to quietly warm one’s heart.
Matthew Montgomery’s Code of the Heart falls into that genre. No debugging needed there.
Protagonist Rory (21) is a kid most of us can relate to. Not necessarily his major (programming). But Rory’s awkward, social clumsiness – and yearning to connect with more than just machines – is a goal familiar to us all.
Code of the Heart opens in a lecture hall. Hudded over his latest coding project, Rory hesitantly types in code (even academically, Rory’s not the boldest of guys) . But it’s the HANDWRITTEN symbols in his notes that catches BFF Ben’s eye. On Rory’s notebook, the letters “R+D” stand out. No, that doesn’t mean research and development. Rather, the “D” symbolizes Rory’s crush: a fellow programming student named DeClan.
BEN (O.S.)
Lost in the land of semicolons again, Rory?
Rory jumps, startled. BEN (M/20, athletic build, friendly smile) leans over from the next seat.
RORY
Holy shit, Ben! Don’t do that.
I was, uh, debugging.
BEN
Right. Debugging your eyes glued to
Declan over there. Seriously, Rory,
you should say something. He’s not
gonna magically realize you’re head-
over-heels if you keep staring.
Yuuuuup, Ben’s THAT kind of BFF: the supportive and yet snarky type. Where Rory sees code, Ben sees chemistry. So he pushes Rory to ask DeClan out.
RORY
Are you kidding me? I can’t even
order a pizza over the phone
without even stuttering.
Ben doesn’t take defeat for an answer. That’s not what guys like him do.
BEN
...Look, just talk to him. What’s the worst
that could happen?
RORY
Rejection. Humiliation. Eternal
loneliness. Public shaming...
BEN
(interrupts)
Okay, maybe dial back the drama a
little. Just try saying hi. Here,
I’ll help you.
RORY
I don’t know, Ben. I don’t even
know if he’s...uh, you know.
BEN
Gay? Bi? Dude, have you seen his
flannel collection? He’s
practically waving a rainbow flag.
Besides, I heard him talking about
a drag race last week.
RORY
(hopeful)
Really?
BEN
Really. Now, let’s get to work,
Romeo. Operation: Get Rory a Date
is a go!
Every adventure begins with a first step – but thats always easier said than done. Soon, Ben’s hard at work coaching Rory on get-to-know-you lines. ‘Cause – let’s face it – even though DeClan’s the whiz-kid of the programming department, “I like how you code” probably won’t break the ice.
Neither will Ben’s other social debugging recs. Including the idea for Rory to envision DeClan as a slice of pizza, to neutralize his social fear. Talk about “cheesy” – metaphorically and literally! But effective in the dating “game”? Uh, no.
Will Rory manage to connect with his crush – or end up admiring him forever from afar? That’s no Mission Impossible goal, but it’s a journey almost all of us have experienced in our youth. Seeing it anew through Rory (and Ben’s) eyes is a touch of comfy nostalgia. With three main college age characters and just a few settings, Code of the Heart is a small, sweet journey. And a very budget friendly shoot!