; for use with Interactive Stories program by Todd Lewis and Anthony Stuchel
;
; Copyright 1996, Softdisk Publishing
; All Rights Reserved
;
;----------------------------------------
$DOC
INTS ; driver tag
1 ; major version
1 ; minor version
$EOC
$ABOUT
A Romantic Comedy to Make Your Own ; game title
Linda S. Davis ; author
1.00 ; version [Rev 1]
Copyright 1996, Softdisk Publishing
$EOC
$PUZZLE 0
You get to relive one of your favorite romantic comedies. "Murphy's Romance," which was directed by Martin Ritt in 1985, is a fun little romantic comedy with four interesting characters. Do you want to be Murphy, Emma, Bobby Jack, or Jake?
^Murphy Jones (played by James Garner)
^^1
^Emma Moriarty (played by Sally Field)
^^22
^Bobby Jack (played by Brian Kerwin)
^^40
^Jake Moriarty (played by Corey Haim)
^^59
$EOC
$PUZZLE 1
You chose Murphy. He is a widower who took his wife's death very hard. When he meets Emma, something magical happens--he begins to feel young again. Murphy realizes that this might be his last chance at happiness but Bobby Jack's arrival causes him to reconsider. He's not sure he wants to compete with the younger man who used to be Emma's husband.
^Murphy decides to pursue Emma.
^^2
^Murphy decides to stand back and let Bobby Jack have Emma.
^^17
$EOC
$PUZZLE 2
Murphy decides to pursue Emma but suffers some initial setbacks. Despite his best efforts, things just aren't working out the way he expected.
^These are just setbacks.
^^3
^Murphy feels totally rejected.
^^11
^This is Emma's way of accepting his advances.
^^14
$EOC
$PUZZLE 3
Not letting these setbacks get the best of him, Murphy continues to court Emma.
^He begins to feel discouraged.
^^4
^He continues. Maybe Emma will change her mind.
^^5
^He begins to lose interest.
^^10
$EOC
$PUZZLE 4
Murphy begins to feel discouraged, though. He's not a young man any more and chasing women is tiring work. The continued setbacks take their toll on his resolve and he decides that maybe his life isn't so lonely after all and gives up chasing Emma.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 5
He hopes that Emma will change her mind but just when Murphy decides that Emma will never understand how much he cares for her, Emma starts chasing him. This is quite an unexpected development.
^Scared witless by the sudden change, Murphy backs off.
^^6
^Birds sing, flowers bloom, and Murphy is in love.
^^7
$EOC
$PUZZLE 6
He decides to back off from chasing Emma. He realizes too late, though, that this was his last chance for happiness. Murphy becomes a bitter old man. He sells the drugstore as well as his prized antique car and becomes a recluse only leaving his house for the occasional trip to the corner grocery for food.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 7
Murphy falls in love. He is a tad bit uneasy, though, about the fact that he's suddenly become the chasee.
^He gets over-anxious.
^^8
^He does something really sweet.
^^9
$EOC
$PUZZLE 8
Emboldened by her pursuit of him, Murphy gets over-anxious and tries to take certain liberties with Emma. Emma misinterprets his actions as an attempt to take advantage of her and she slaps him, vowing never to speak to him again. Murphy is totally mystified by this change of heart and gives up women.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 9
This is the age old tale of boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy chases girl only to suffer some initial setbacks. Boy does something really sweet and girl falls for boy. They live happily ever after. BO-RING! You could have at least tried to be a little more original. Of course, this IS a romantic comedy so I guess it's supposed to end this way.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 10
But Murphy begins to lose interest. Chasing women just isn't as much fun as it used to be. Maybe it's the script. Maybe if he switched to another movie, it might be more fun. He could drop the romantic comedy and go back to westerns. Westerns--where men were men and women were objects of beauty. It might be more fun to chase Jody Foster in "Maverick." They just don't make movies like they used to.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 11
Murphy feels rejected. He hasn't pursued a woman in years. He was happily married most of his life and never planned on having to get back into the dating game. Emma's rejection is disconcerting.
^He keeps trying because he's stubborn.
^^12
^He gives up because it's just too difficult.
^^13
$EOC
$PUZZLE 12
He keeps trying, though, because he's stubborn. Having been out of the dating game for a while, Murphy just doesn't know when to quit. His stubbornness does not pay off and Emma dumps him for good. Murphy sells the drugstore and moves out of town. No one ever hears from him again. However, someone bearing an uncanny resemblance to Murphy can be seen in an old detective series in syndication.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 13
Murphy gives up. Lo-ser! Doesn't he know that the good guy always gets the girl in romantic comedies? All he had to do was hang in there and things would have worked out. Instead, he's doomed to spend the rest of his days playing fiddle with a country western band on Saturday nights. If he keeps this up then movie moguls will decide that he's lost his touch and he'll wind up playing second fiddle to Mel Gibson. OOPS! Too late.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 14
Murphy decides that Emma really does like him (she really does), so he feels quite studly. Chasing women isn't as difficult as he thought it would be or maybe they just make it easier to catch them nowadays. His success isn't necessarily a good thing, though.
^He's scared off because it was just too easy.
^^15
^He brags to his friends because that's what guys do.
^^16
$EOC
$PUZZLE 15
The chase was too easy. A little scared, Murphy decides he's had enough excitement. Going back to his comfortable life, he finds it all too easy to get back into the well-worn rut that was his previous existence. Just the same, warm spring days and glorious sunsets spent alone bring about a nagging feeling that something, or maybe it's someone, is missing.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 16
He forgets the common lore that kissing and telling will get a person into trouble, puffs up his male ego, and tells all and then some. Not surprisingly, Emma finds out and becomes quite enraged. She unceremoniously dumps Murphy leaving him slightly bewildered but none the worse for wear. He's lucky. She could have been scripted to be more like someone out of "Fatal Attraction."
$EOC
$PUZZLE 17
Because of this, he decides to not get in Bobby Jack's way. Murphy can't help but monitor the situation, though, because he's still attracted to Emma.
^Murphy becomes jealous of Bobby Jack.
^^18
^Murphy discovers that Bobby Jack has been lying to Emma.
^^19
$EOC
$PUZZLE 18
Watching the two of them together, Murphy becomes jealous and decides to tell Bobby Jack about his feelings for Emma. Bobby Jack is enraged by Murphy's boldness, and taking Murphy's prized antique car, Bobby Jack runs over Murphy. With Murphy dead and Bobby Jack in jail, Emma marries the city manager who installs a new parking meter in front of the drugstore.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 19
Murphy finds out that Bobby Jack, who is not known for his honesty, is misleading Emma.
^Murphy tells Emma.
^^20
^Murphy confronts Bobby Jack.
^^21
$EOC
$PUZZLE 20
Murphy can't stand the thought of Emma being misled by Bobby Jack so he tells her of Bobby Jack's dishonesty. To his surprise, Emma is not grateful for the news. Instead, she blames the bearer of the bad news and tells Murphy to go away and not to come back. Dismayed by this, Murphy drops out of her life.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 21
Murphy confronts Bobby Jack about his deception which enrages Bobby Jack. He beats Murphy so badly that he has to be admitted to the hospital. While there, Murphy is accidentally exposed to a deadly virus which results in his death.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 22
You chose Emma, a single parent trying to make it on her own. She's working hard to get this done while doing her best to raise Jake right. She's lonely though.
^She works on her own to set up a home and business.
^^23
^She gets back together with Bobby Jack.
^^35
$EOC
$PUZZLE 23
Despite this, she sets her personal life aside for the time being, opting to concentrate her efforts on a home and a business.
^She applies for a loan.
^^24
^She rejuvenates the ranch on her own.
^^31
^She looks for an easy way out.
^^34
$EOC
$PUZZLE 24
Funds are tight and fixing up the ranch is expensive, so Emma makes the rounds of the local financial institutions to get a loan to tide her over until the ranch starts supporting itself.
^Emma is turned down for the loan.
^^25
^Emma gets the loan.
^^28
$EOC
$PUZZLE 25
She gets turned down, though. Being turned down for the loan is just one more example of how badly things are going in her life. Emma is badly discouraged by this.
^She gives up.
^^26
^She asks Murphy for the money.
^^27
$EOC
$PUZZLE 26
It's just too much so Emma gives up. While understanding that setbacks are a standard plot device in romantic comedies, Sally Field is completely devastated by the desperate situation the scriptwriters have put her character in. Deciding she's had enough of the movie business, Sally retires from her acting career and is currently resting on her laurels, flanked by her two Oscars.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 27
Having sensed that Murphy is sympathetic to her, Emma approaches him for the money she needs. Murphy turns her down also. Disappointed, Emma returns to the ranch still determined to make a success of it. To her surprise, Murphy buys a horse and boards it at her ranch. Others follow suit and Emma is able to survive without the loan. The next sequence of events is inevitable since this is a romantic comedy.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 28
Much to her surprise, Emma is approved for a loan. She's confident now that she'll be able to make the boarding farm a success.
^She starts dating the loan officer.
^^29
^She completes the renovation of the ranch.
^^30
$EOC
$PUZZLE 29
With her newfound confidence, Emma starts dating the loan officer. It turns out that the loan officer, played by Burt Reynolds, recently lost his wife. In his loneliness, he welcomes the opportunity for a relationship with Emma although he can't quite shake off a feeling of deja vu.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 30
Soon the ranch is a rousing success. However, Emma feels that something is missing from her life. After several months of quiet unease, Emma disappears into the night with Jake, never to be heard from again. Rumor has it, though, that they joined a religious cult. This could never be confirmed.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 31
Her hard work pays off.
^The ranch is completely renovated.
^^32
^Emma makes an unexpected discovery.
^^33
$EOC
$PUZZLE 32
The completed ranch is a great success. She is so successful that she has to hire people to help her take care of everything. She makes so much money that she turns the ranch over to Jake after he graduates from high school. Having done this, she takes half of the profits, establishes a trust fund for herself, and spends the rest of her life traveling the world and seeing the sites.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 33
While replacing the ceiling in the house, Emma discovers a rather large trunk tucked away in the rafters. Inside the trunk, she finds a small fortune in gold doubloons. Rich beyond their wildest dreams, Emma and Jake escape the humdrum life of horse boarding and join the jet set crowd in Miami.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 34
She makes the mistake of trying to take shortcuts, though. These work for a while but then start backfiring. As a result, Emma loses everything. Bobby Jack loses interest in her. Murphy begins to wonder what he ever saw in her. Jake runs away to California to be a movie star. See what happens when you try to take the easy way out?
$EOC
$PUZZLE 35
Loneliness can cause people to do things they might not do under other circumstances. So it is with Emma. She knows that Bobby Jack is bad news but still she tries to renew their relationship.
^Her efforts work.
^^36
^Bobby Jack is disappointed that she makes it easy.
^^37
$EOC
$PUZZLE 36
Bobby Jack is happy to be back with Emma but she starts to have some doubts. Her moment of weakness comes while they are working together in the barn and they literally take a roll in the hay. Having renewed her commitment to him, Emma finds herself sharing him with his second wife and their twins. Emma spends the rest of her miserable life taking care of one set of babies after another.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 37
Bobby Jack, who was in it for the chase, is disappointed that Emma jumped at the chance to get back with him. He rejects her advances.
^Emma is devastated.
^^38
^Emma is philosophical.
^^39
$EOC
$PUZZLE 38
This devastates Emma and she totally falls apart. She eats too much and soon she weighs so much that she can't get upstairs to go to bed. In a desperate attempt to pull herself out of the depths of misery, she agrees to be a guest on a talk show where the subject of discussion is "Women Who Chase After the Wrong Man and Eat Themselves Out of House and Home."
$EOC
$PUZZLE 39
Emma decides that Bobby Jack's rejection is actually a blessing in disguise. She soon recovers her self esteem. During Open House at the high school, Emma meets Jake's science teacher. Shortly thereafter, Emma and the science teacher begin dating. They fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 40
You chose Bobby Jack. He is Emma's ex-husband. He has never really grown up and he's not sure what he wants out of life. He goes to see Emma because she was his childhood sweetheart.
^Bobby Jack hopes to regain Emma's affection.
^^41
^Bobby Jack just wants to use her.
^^54
$EOC
$PUZZLE 41
He also truly cares for her.
^She rejects him.
^^42
^She encourages him.
^^49
$EOC
$PUZZLE 42
Emma rejects him, though. Bobby Jack knows rejection when he sees it, at least he thinks he does.
^He continues to pursue Emma.
^^43
^He gives up.
^^48
$EOC
$PUZZLE 43
But Bobby Jack is a little slow to catch on sometimes. He continues to chase Emma even though she hasn't encouraged him.
^Emma has a change of heart.
^^44
^Emma will never take him back.
^^45
$EOC
$PUZZLE 44
Things work out for him, though. To his surprise, Bobby Jack actually gets the girl. Now he has to decide what to do about his second wife and their two twins. This is such a dilemma for him that he runs out on both Emma and his second wife and all the kids. They never see or hear from him again, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 45
Finally, Bobby Jack accepts the fact that Emma is through with him.
^He goes back to his second wife.
^^46
^He finds someone completely new.
^^47
$EOC
$PUZZLE 46
He goes back to his second wife but he never really grows up, convinced that the fountain of youth lies in chasing women. Eventually, wife number two leaves him but that just gives him a new excuse to womanize. On his 40th birthday, he wakes to the realization that he could be the poster boy for men suffering from the Peter Pan syndrome. This only bothers him for a short time, though.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 47
He decides to find someone completely new and spends the rest of his life wandering from relationship to relationship always imagining that the next one will be THE special one. His inability to make a lasting commitment dooms all relationships from the start and he spends the rest of his life wondering "what if."
$EOC
$PUZZLE 48
Having given it his best shot, Bobby Jack resigns himself to the fact that he'll never win Emma back. He finally gives up that particular fantasy and settles down to life with his second wife and their kids. He and his second wife live as happily together as can rightfully be expected in this day and age.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 49
Emma encourages him in his pursuit.
^Bobby Jack is scared off.
^^50
^Bobby Jack continues his pursuit.
^^51
$EOC
$PUZZLE 50
Her encouragement scares him, though. Like many philanderers, Bobby Jack was in it for the pursuit. Believing that she might actually want him back is one of the scariest thoughts he's had in quite a while. He didn't really want to catch her. Bobby Jack leaves to find some other woman to pursue.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 51
All Bobby Jack needed was a little encouragement. Now he's convinced that Emma wants him back.
^Murphy challenges Bobby Jack.
^^52
^Emma rejects him.
^^53
$EOC
$PUZZLE 52
But Murphy challenges him for Emma and Bobby Jack is very surprised. He and Murphy decide to settle things the "old fashioned way" by fighting over her. Emma is disgusted by this and tells both of them to get out of her life. They each go their separate ways never to meet again.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 53
But then Emma rejects him. At first he thinks that she's just toying with his affection. Soon, though, he realizes that she's serious. He gives up women and decides it's time for a lifestyle change. Having played with the idea of becoming a priest when he was much younger, Bobby Jack joins a monastery and becomes a monk.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 54
Bobby Jack doubts that he'll ever win Emma back but he figures he can get her to help him out financially, at least for the time being. He decides to use her affection for him to his advantage.
^Emma sees right through this.
^^55
^Emma is blind to this particular ploy.
^^56
$EOC
$PUZZLE 55
Emma is no fool, though, and she's been around the block a time or two with Bobby Jack. She uses him to help her around the ranch knowing he hopes to get money from her. When he realizes that she's not going to give him any money, he leaves and never bothers her again.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 56
Emma doesn't see this, though. Because Bobby Jack is adept at emotional blackmail, he gets Emma to do what he wants. It's really convenient that she doesn't recognize what's going on.
^Bobby Jack continues to take advantage of Emma.
^^57
^Bobby Jack has a change of heart.
^^58
$EOC
$PUZZLE 57
But Emma finally comes to the realization that Bobby Jack has been taking advantage of her. Disillusioned, she gives up men and refuses to have anything to do with either Bobby Jack or Murphy. She spends the rest of her life running the ranch on her own, not wanting a man to support her.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 58
Then Bobby Jack sees the error of his ways. He apologizes to Emma and gives back all the money she gave him. He goes back to his second wife and children and works hard to support them. Things aren't easy but he works hard to achieve his small piece of the American dream.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 59
You chose Jake. He has been through a lot but he's a tough kid and is relatively unscathed. He knows that renovating the ranch will be a lot of work.
^Jake decides to help his mom as best as he can.
^^60
^Jake decides that he'd rather worry about himself.
^^69
$EOC
$PUZZLE 60
Jake wants to help his mom as best as he can.
^He looks for a new husband for his mom.
^^61
^He helps renovate the ranch.
^^68
$EOC
$PUZZLE 61
He decides that his mom needs to find a new husband. He's looked around and has determined that there are only two likely candidates.
^Murphy
^^62
^Bobby Jack
^^65
$EOC
$PUZZLE 62
Of these, Jake thinks Murphy is the best choice to be his new dad. He does what he can to get his mom to like Murphy and to get Murphy to notice his mom.
^His mom and Murphy start liking each other.
^^63
^Things don't work out.
^^64
$EOC
$PUZZLE 63
Jake's' efforts succeed. His mom and Murphy like each other and start dating. Jake is just as happy as can be for he knows that they will have a typical fairy tale ending.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 64
His mom and Murphy just don't like each other, though. Jake decides to get out of the matchmaking business and get on with his life. He may not know what kind of man his mom is looking for but he does know what kind of girl he wants.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 65
Jake wants his mom to be happy and he still loves his dad. He thinks that if he loves both of them, they should be able to love each other.
^Jake wants them to get back together again.
^^66
^Jake decides this might be a bad idea.
^^67
$EOC
$PUZZLE 66
Jake refuses to give up the dream of reconciliation between his parents. He begins living in a fantasy world where his mom and dad and he are living happily together. Emma finds it necessary to enter them into family counseling. Eventually, Jake comes to accept the fact that his parents won't get back together again.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 67
Finally, Jake recognizes that although both his mom and dad are basically good people, they just shouldn't be married to each other. By accepting each of them with their flaws and their good points, Jake matures greatly. Once he has accepted that his dad is not the best choice for his mom, he decides to fix his mom up with Murphy.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 68
He helps get the ranch up and running. Then he starts hanging out with local cowboys and begins learning roping and riding. After he graduates from high school, he starts competing on the rodeo circuit to earn money for college. He succeeds beyond his wildest dreams and becomes a big name cowboy on the rodeo circuit.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 69
But Jake is tired of worrying about money and working hard every day for something he doesn't really believe in. He decides to take care of himself.
^He joins a gang at school.
^^70
^He joins a rock band.
^^77
$EOC
$PUZZLE 70
He joins a gang at school. His gang is different than most gangs, though. The gang at his school considers themselves to be some type of modern cowboy gang.
^Jake participates in an initiation rite.
^^71
^Jake becomes a graffiti artist.
^^74
$EOC
$PUZZLE 71
Jake doesn't know at first exactly what's involved in his gang's special initiation rite. The way the other gangmembers refer to the rite makes him uncomfortable. He wants to belong but he doesn't want to get himself into a situation where there's no way for him to get out.
^Jake goes along with the initiation.
^^72
^Jake quits the gang.
^^73
$EOC
$PUZZLE 72
Jake is taken to a nearby field for the initiation. He is told that he has to tip a sleeping cow as his initiation rite. He is crushed to death in a tragic accident, though, when the cow tips the wrong way.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 73
Jake takes the safe way out and quits the cowboy gang before he gets too involved. He returns to his boring, but normal, life. He grows up to be a reliable citizen and good family man blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The other choice had a much more interesting outcome.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 74
As part of his gang activities, Jake begins working with gang graffiti artists and discovers that he has great artistic talent. Drawing his designs throughout the county, Jake produces ever more elaborate murals. Growing bolder, he begins taking risks by climbing water towers and hanging off the sides of bridges to display his artistry.
^Jake is arrested.
^^75
^Jake is discovered.
^^76
$EOC
$PUZZLE 75
But Jake is arrested and eventually sentenced to six months in a special rehabilitation center for graffiti artists. He is programmed to use his talents for good. This is followed by 200 hours of community service which is spent removing graffiti from buildings and structures throughout the county. Jake repents and promises never to commit graffiti again.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 76
Then Jake is discovered by a well-known artist who sees Jake painting his latest masterpiece. Intrigued by what he sees, the artist offers him a full scholarship to a famous art school. Jake seizes the opportunity and becomes a well-known artist in his own right.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 77
Like many teenagers before him, Jake has a dream of becoming a big success in a rock and roll band. Not sure he has what it takes, Jake decides to take a chance and give it a whirl.
^He becomes a success.
^^78
^He is a miserable failure as a rock star.
^^81
$EOC
$PUZZLE 78
Jake becomes a successful rock star but that doesn't necessarily mean that he gets to live happily ever after. Many successful rock stars end up unhappy or dead.
^There could be a happy ending.
^^79
^Or there could be a not so happy ending.
^^80
$EOC
$PUZZLE 79
Jake tours the world with his rock and roll band. He never lets the rock and roll scene go to his head and he stays away from drugs and alcohol. If you believe this, I've got some swamp land in Arizona I'd like to sell you.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 80
Jake tours the world with his rock and roll band. The rock and roll scene does go to his head and he finds that he can't stay away from drugs or alcohol. He burns out at an early age and his mother gets him admitted to a drug abuse clinic. If he's lucky, he'll clean up his act. If he's not, he'll probably be dead before too long.
$EOC
$PUZZLE 81
Despite everything, Jake just can't make a success of it. He goes back to the ranch to spend some time with his mother and get his act together. Eventually, his mother asks him to be her partner running the ranch and promises to leave the business to him when she dies. He accepts and they both live happily ever after.
