Burden

Faith, trust, and alien abductions
"Burden" follows the slow, often wry disintegration of a relationship. Mark and Susan have been together for five years, and despite Mark's occasional bouts of depression, they have always had a strong bond, prompting envy and jealousy from their friends. A movie rental sets in motion events that test their relationship's strength and their faith in each other.
When Mark's suppressed memory of being abducted by aliens is uncovered while he is watching an alien-abduction film, Susan is forced to deal with the repercussions. Though she tries to be supportive, it grows increasingly difficult as Mark becomes obsessed with alien-abduction chat rooms and refuses to leave the house. With all the keen observational wit and incisive, self-deprecating dialogue of "Mid-Life," "Burden" is Joe Ollmann at the top of his form. Another hallmark of Ollmann's style--his ability to write page-turning stories--is in strong evidence throughout. With a self-aware quip and an ever-finer drawn line, Ollmann has done it again.