12 - Script

CUT FROM BLACK

TITLE: FIN

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
Fin of red 1957 Chevy Impala convertible driving
somewhere in the West. A car passes going the other
way.

TITLE: PLACE: Los Angeles

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
POV driving on freeway in rain.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
People with umbrellas standing on corner.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
People with umbrella walking over bridge.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
People walk across downtown intersection with
umbrellas, bus in background.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
Rain and shadow on pavement.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
LA river wide, medium, close. We see graffiti
swamped by high water.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
Large man walking with umbrella.

WE HEAR: THUNDER

MUSIC STOPS

FIRST WOMAN
I've been here one year and I've lived
through an earthquake, fires, floods...

SECOND WOMAN
The rains...it just keeps coming...the
floods...the hillsides are coming down...
you can't get to and from work and it's
just a mess.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
People walking against high winds, umbrella reversed.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
Family walking in the rain. Children protected by
plastic bags.

THIRD WOMAN
You survive by natural instincts, you
go with the flow.

SFX: THUNDER

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
Woman's foot stepping across swollen gutter.

MUSIC RESTARTS

EXTERIOR - LA RIVER- DAY
Prow of buttress in rapids. The rains have stopped,
only the floods remain.

EXTERIOR - BEACH - EVENING
Waves breaking on beach.

EXTERIOR - OCEAN - NIGHT
Tanker at night.

EXTERIOR - AIRPORT - NIGHT
Airplane lights come on.

EXTERIOR - OCEAN - NIGHT
Landing lights over water.

EXTERIOR - AIRPORT - NIGHT
Airplane landing at night.
SFX jet passing overhead.

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
Camera pans over the city and over the ocean.

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
The panning city lights converge with a passing car.

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
It is TONY, a handsome man in his 30's, driving on
Melrose. He approaches an intersection that is
blocked by a truck. He flashes his headlights
signaling to the truck to move and let him by but
the truck stops. TONY is stuck.

EXTERIOR - LA -DAY
ALLEN, a stout comedian, at a temp job, answering
phones.

TALK SHOW HOST (V.O.)
And we're back with "Interpreting
Your Dreams." And I believe we
have Allen in Hollywood on line...
12. Hello Allen...are you there?
Hello..?

ALLEN has the TALK SHOW HOST on hold so he doesn't
hear her.

ALLEN
Okay...hold on. Yeah I'll take care of
you in a second...I'm transferring
you over..

TALK SHOW HOST
We are live on the air....Hello...?

ALLEN
Hello.? Yeah okay I've got somebody else
on hold...I'm going to transfer you
over. It might be a second, just hold on.

TALK SHOW HOST
(aside) I'm on hold..

EXTERIOR - THE BIG ISLAND FROM ABOVE - DAY
The Big Island floats in sparkling light. WE HEAR a
radio show filtered through the small speaker of an
old radio.

TALK SHOW HOST
Okay, we're going to have to go...

ALLEN
Okay, oh doctor.

TALK SHOW HOST
Hello?

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE FROM ABOVE - DAY
We see rooftops of ranch buildings from high above.
We HEAR the sound of a plane flying overhead. We
HEAR ALLEN'S voice.

ALLEN
Are you there?

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
The Ranch House stands isolated in a dry island
valley. The plane passes overhead.

TALK SHOW HOST
You're live on the air.

INSERT VIEW on RADIO. We HEAR

ALLEN
Can I use my real name on the radio?

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL is sitting in front of a mirror putting
on her makeup. She is listening to the broadcast.
She pays attention to ALLEN's dream when he says the
word "invisible".

The TALK SHOW HOST speaks flatly, angrily.

TALK SHOW HOST
What is your dream?

ALLEN
First of all I'm invisible. I see
myself looking in a mirror. I'm
having this dream almost every night.

MARIE-NOEL listens more carefully to the radio.

TALK SHOW HOST
Yes?

VIEW ON: A Sparkling lake.

VIEW ON: MARIE-NOEL throwing bouquet at her wedding.

ALLEN
And the next thing you know I'm
getting married. I don't know to
whom....

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL looks in the mirror again; the
conversation on the radio affirms something she
knows to be true.

TALK SHOW HOST
And how long have you been having
this dream?

ALLEN
Like an entire solid month.

TALK SHOW HOST
Uh huh...

EXTERIOR - LA HARBOR - DAY
A truck wipes the frame and we see MARIE-NOEL
walking along the highway at a leisurely pace.

ALLEN
Then all of a sudden I see myself
walking down a road by the harbor....

The TALK SHOW HOST interrupts. WE HEAR a telephone
ring.

TALK SHOW HOST
And how do you feel at this point
in the dream?

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
TONY, having been stopped by the truck, cuts down a
side street to get around the gridlock. We HEAR
ALLEN's phone RING.

ALLEN
Can you hold on for one second...
Hello.

TALK SHOW HOST
No, actually we can't...Hello?

INTERIOR - OFFICE - DAY
ALLEN is trying to juggle too many things at once.
He tries to transfer incoming calls without losing
them. He has the TALK SHOW HOST on hold again.

ALLEN
Yeah, I've got two other lines.
Can you hold a second? Great....

TALK SHOW HOST
Hello! Allen from Hollywood!

ALLEN
Hello...yeah...hold on. I can
transfer you now.

EXTERIOR - HARBOR - DAY
A MAN fixes the tire of an old Mercedes as MARIE-
NOEL walks into frame. MARIE-NOEL stoops down and
looks at his face. The man has no awareness of her.
She is invisible.

TALK SHOW HOST
Are you there? Hello?

ALLEN
Hi. Hi. Sorry.

TALK SHOW HOST
Allen we don't have the time....

ALLEN
Sorry..

TALK SHOW HOST
Allen we're on the air and you
can not put me on hold.

ALLEN
I'm really sorry....

TALK SHOW HOST
Go on with your dream Allen.

ALLEN
Am I on?

TALK SHOW HOST
Yes.

ALLEN
Okay. I'm walking along the road down
by the harbor, and I'm invisible, and
I go around looking at people knowing
that they can't even see me and in
this dream.....

INTERIOR - CAR - DAY
MARIE-NOEL is now in the car with the driver who
fixed the flat. The driver cannot see her and MARIE-
NOEL flicks his ear to tease him and test her
invisibility.

ALLEN
... I ride around with people. I get
in their cars, I go all over town.

INTERIOR - OFFICE - DAY
ALLEN has risen to a peak in energy.

ALLEN
I mean here...this, this, this.

TALK SHOW HOST
And how does it feel to you?

VIEW on PHONE: WE HEAR a RING

ALLEN
Can you hold on a second?

NOTE: DISCONTINUITY - Glasses disappear from
ALLEN's Hand.

VIEW ON ALLEN
He turns to a colleague in the office while the TALK
SHOW HOST languishes on hold.

ALLEN
I've got two juice commercials. I'm
like the spokesman for the company now.
I got a Baske and Robbins, and I'm on
avail for a couple of beer things that
are going on..

WE HEAR another RING. A hand in the foreground
picks up a phone. ALLEN goes back to the line of
the TALK SHOW HOST.

COLLEAGUE
Hello...

ALLEN
Dr. Powell I'm back....

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
TONY continues his shortcut around the gridlock. His
car passes camera in a suburban neighborhood.

TALK SHOW HOST
I think we're running out of time
here Allen.

ALLEN
Sorry to put you on hold....You
see then I get out of the car...

EXTERIOR - LA - EVENING
ALLEN walks from his job to his car.

ALLEN
...and I walk all day...

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL walks down Hollywood Blvd. Creatures of
the night surround her.

ALLEN
...and all night.

TALK SHOW HOST
Don't put me on hold...

EXTERIOR - LA - NIGHT
ALLEN walking on a back street.

ALLEN
No, no, no, no. I'm at work. I'm at work.

TALK SHOW HOST
Is this a real call?

ALLEN
What do you think? Do you think I'd
make a fake call in the middle of work?

EXTERIOR - SIDE STREET LA - NIGHT
TONY turns the corner and heads back to Melrose
toward a point beyond the gridlock.

TALK SHOW HOST
I'm feeling very left out here because
you're not telling me how you feel.
I'm telling you....

EXTERIOR - MELROSE BLVD.- NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL walks toward camera as ALLEN enters frame
on the left. ALLEN and MARIE-NOEL pass at the corner.
Neither notices the other. TONY pulls into the frame
at the intersection and MARIE-NOEL sees TONY who
does not notice either ALLEN or MARIE-NOEL. MARIE-
NOEL runs to TONY'S convertible car and jumps in the
back. She rides joyfully as TONY speeds off.

ALLEN
And then this really strange thing
happens.

TALK SHOW HOST
What do you do for a living?

ALLEN
While I'm walking...I'm an Actor...

TALK SHOW HOST
So in other words you are in limbo in
your daily life.

ALLEN
I'm walking, and I see myself walking,
but I don't stop, I just keep on walking.

TALK SHOW HOST
You must be feeling invisible in your
daily life and it's coming out in your
dreams.

ALLEN
I want to know what you think about the
dream, let me finish it! Can you hold on
a second please?

TALK SHOW HOST
You can not put me on hold....I'm sorry
but we're going to have to go to Mike
in Downey on line 13. Thank you very much
for calling.

TITLE: "START HERE"

EXTERIOR - LA - SUNRISE
We see a distant mountain silhouetted against the
morning light. We HEAR a plane in the distance. The
plane is visible as a speck in the frame and flies
close to the mountain. The sun rises to the opening
cadence of:

MUSIC: MOZART SYMPHONY 34 #1

The plane grows more faint as the sun continues to
rise.

EXTERIOR - PARK - SUNRISE
TONY and MARIE-NOEL walk across a playing field.
They look behind them fearfully.

MUSIC: Evan Lurie "Deception"

TONY
Come on...

MARIE-NOEL
This isn't the way we came.

TONY
Yes it is.

TITLE: "ACTOR CREDIT"

EXTERIOR - PARK - SUNRISE
TONY and MARIE-NOEL arrive at a park bench. They
sit on top of it, resting, waiting, then they
interrupt each other.

TONY
Let's not.

MARIE-NOEL
Let's not. Sorry.

TONY
We'll just go home and we'll wait it out.

MARIE-NOEL
This place stinks!

MARIE-NOEL stands up and moves to the other side of
the bench, her back towards TONY.

EXTERIOR - PALACE - NIGHT
BRENDA walks through the rain toward the doors of
the concert. Wawa guitar bursts from the inside
through the unopened doors. BRENDA looks murderous
in her wild hair and hot pants.

INTERIOR - HALLOWEEN PARTY
TONY and MARIE-NOEL wander separately around the
party as costumed hipsters sway with the music. TWO
WOMEN react in horror as something unseen occurs
which causes the crowd to panic. A SHEEP is left
standing in the empty hall.

TITLE: "ACTOR CREDIT"

EXTERIOR - BENCH IN SAME PARK - SUNRISE
TONY and MARIE-NOEL both scratch their ears at the
same time. A faint sound of thunder causes TONY to
look into the distance. They interrupt each other
again.

TONY
Let's not.

MARIE-NOEL
You know.....You know, at this point I'm
blaming it all on bad karma. This is how
we die, man. I wish they'd just get it
over with.

MUSIC STARTS

TONY
Don't give up. I mean nothing has happened
to us. She'll probably be at the boat waiting
for us when we get there.

EXTERIOR - ADJACENT STREET - SUNRISE
BRENDA fast walks on a street next to the park. As
she approaches, she suddenly stops. WE HEAR the
sound of rain. It is a clear morning. Perplexed,
she laughs.

EXTERIOR - PARK - SUNRISE
TONY and MARIE-NOEL walk urgently through a wooded
section of the park. The sound of thunder gets
louder and louder getting closer to them. TONY grabs
MARIE-NOEL'S arm as the fearful sound passes close
to them without incident.

EXTERIOR - ADJACENT STREET - SUNRISE
BRENDA walks past the camera, still perplexed by the
odd occurrence.

EXTERIOR - LA - SUNRISE
We see the mountain again and continue to HEAR the
airplane.

EXTERIOR - WEST LOS ANGELES - SUNRISE
The fog is coming in. Tops of buildings disappear.

TONY
Let's not be naive about the earthquake...

EXTERIOR - CENTURY CITY FROM THE AIR - SUNRISE
The fog gets thicker...

TONY
It's a good sign...

VIEW on WILSHIRE BLVD...Thick Fog.

TONY
That's what saved us.

EXTERIOR - LA - SUNRISE
We see the silhouette of buildings from a distance.
The sun rises above them.

EXTERIOR - PARK - SUNRISE
TONY and MARIE-NOEL continue to walk urgently
through a wooded section of the park.

MARIE-NOEL
Let me tell you, I had a premonition. I had
the worst feeling when she said she was going
to go up and see the band.

EXTERIOR - PARK - DAY
TONY and MARIE-NOEL walk along, totally engulfed in
fog.

MARIE-NOEL
What if we get it for not warning her?

THEIR POV
We see a sheep standing beside a tree in the fog.

EXTERIOR - PARK - MORNING
Through a fog we see a sheep standing next to a tree.
MARIE-NOEL and TONY arrive at the tree. They are
horrified.

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S BEDROOM - MORNING
ALLEN's phone rings. He wakes suddenly and sits up
in bed; his answering machine goes on.

We HEAR MUSIC: "Be My Baby"
coming from a source outside of the bedroom.

ALLEN'S VOICE
Hi this is ALLEN at 969-8895. I'm not
home right now but if you want to leave
me a message I'll get back to you as soon
as you can...

ALLEN listens for a minute. He is not quite awake.

TITLE: "Actor Credit"

ALLEN gets up and walks to the mirror waiting for
his long message to end. He looks melodramatically
at his face. We HEAR THUNDER. He pulls at his face.
He sits back down on his bed waiting to see if
someone is on the line.

ALLEN'S VOICE
If it's important and during the day you
can call me at Knapp Communications. The
number is (213) 932-1465. Uh, I should be
there all day. And if it's not important
and you don't want to call me there leave
a message on this machine but don't hang
up I really hate that and, uh,that's it, bye.

We HEAR a BEEP but no one is on the line. ALLEN's
head hits the pillow and he flashes to.

Clip of Scorcese's Mean Streets. Where Keitel's head
hits the pillow.

ALLEN walking satisfied.

SCENE FROM ALLEN's Pizza commercial, elbows out.

EXTERIOR - STREET IN FRONT OF ALAN'S APARTMENT
Camera dollies past a pickup truck. The back of the
truck is filled with shopping carts. A man is
loading shopping carts into the truck. As the camera
reaches the door of the truck we hear the source of
the loud music. We see EUGENE, a homeless man, who
has his hand out to the driver of the truck. The
truck pulls away and EUGENE looks around in
confusion. We HEAR THUNDER. EUGENE looks at ALLEN's
building.

SCENE FROM ALLEN's deodorant commercial, elbows in.

Back to ALLEN rubbing his eyes

TITLE: "Director Credit"

CUT TO BLACK

SILENCE

MUSIC: Bach: Well Tempered Clavier #10

Rack focus: MOON

INTERIOR - ISLAND - NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL is sitting in the dark, smoking a
cigarette.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
My despair has a strange shape. It doesn't
hurt like something that hurts your body.
It's seeing the continuity.....

TITLE: MARIE-NOEL at about the time of the tragic
loss of her half-sister.

VIEW ON TONY, speaking to MARIE-NOEL.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
.....of something hopeless going on and on
year after year.....

VIEW ON Los Angeles at night

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
....When I close my eyes I see the city....

EXTERIOR - 24HR GAS STATION - NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL walks aimlessly.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
But when I go out all I see are clues and
patterns.....

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL writes at an old desk. Wind blows
through an open window.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
...or the endless wait for coincidence.

EXTERIOR - 24HR GAS STATION - NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL is at a loss. She has exhausted her
options.

MARIE-NOEL
Events slowly unfold with the possibility
that my patience will become accidental waste.

VIEW on MARIE-NOEL speaking to TONY.

MARIE-NOEL
But at the same time I see that it's exactly
what put Mom in the position she was always in.

TONY
The first time you feel sexual you see fate
all around you? Is that what you want?

MARIE-NOEL
Yes, and I really deserve it.

TONY
I have the feeling that that's dad's only
motive.

VIEW of Eclipse of the Moon.

TONY
They think we are selfish...

TITLE: TONY in the city, FILMORE on the island.

TONY
They think we should procreate.

TONY breathes a sigh.

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)
So there were two guys and what were their
names?

EXTERIOR - FRONT YARD OF ALLEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT
ALLEN squints from the bright news camera lights.

ALLEN
Not two guys, a girl and a guy. They were
related. Marie-Noel that's her name, not very
Greek I know...

INTERVIEWER
And she was the one you were married to?

ALLEN
Yes.

INTERVIEWER
Who own this house?

ALLEN
I do, I mean we did.

MUSIC STARTS

EXTERIOR - LOS ANGELES - DAY
TONY across railroad tracks.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
You stand to lose everything you worked
for in the last 60 years. The ranch,
our inheritance....

EXTERIOR - LOS ANGELES - DAY
TONY walks on the sidewalk next to a busy street
flipping a coin.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
Why have you set out to prove everything is
here by chance?

EXTERIOR - ISLAND BACK COUNTRY - DAY
MARIE-NOEL walks across a grassy field and sees a
vortex of oak leaves swirling under a tree. We see
she is suddenly disturbed by her own feelings.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
I wasn't too young to know what happened the
last time we were found out. You don't act
like I'm the next to die.

EXTERIOR - FRONT YARD OF ALLEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT
ALLEN continues his interview.

ALLEN
It started this way.

INTERVIEWER
So you're an actor?

ALLEN
Yes. I'm an actor. That's where I met
the guy.

INTERIOR - ELEVATOR - DAY
ALLEN stands inside elevator and TONY gets in.

ALLEN
I met him at a casting call for a commercial...
He said his name was Tony.

EXTERIOR - HOLLYWOOD - DAY
ALLEN walks along the sidewalk on his way to a
casting call.

ALLEN
I was late...

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S TEMP JOB - DAY
ALLEN talks on the phone wearing sunglasses.

ALLEN
So I had to make up an excuse for work..

WIDER view on ALLEN at work.

ALLEN
Some temp job I was working downtown.

VIEW on Rainy sky with jet and palm tree.

VIEW on LA river.

VIEW on PEOPLE at bus stop.

ALLEN
It was raining, and there was this flood and
everybody was jittery.

EXTERIOR - FRONT YARD OF ALLEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT
ALLEN continues his interview.

ALLEN
Because something that big in nature doesn't
usually happen around here except an earthquake,
or your occasional rare winter snowstorm every
ten or twenty years.

EXTERIOR - AGAINST BLACK - NIGHT
MARIE-NOEL speaks to TONY.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
I know why you're so happy all the time.
This place is a free lunch.

VIEW of TONY flipping coin.

VIEW of cliffs on island.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
Reality is a refraction from a physical
process. The sum of the stars is nothing.

MUSIC BUILDS, we hear WIND

VIEW of trees blowing.

VIEW of MARIE-NOEL writing.

EXTERIOR - LOS ANGELES - DAY
We PAN with an ambulance as it passes. Tony walks
along flipping coin. Walking across crosswalk, he
changes his direction. Comes to an intersection.

MUSIC STOPS

We HEAR: City street ambiance.

TONY flips again, sees "Heads" walks on.

EXTERIOR - Los Angeles - DAY
Comes to an impasse, gives up.

MUSIC: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concert for Piano &
Orchestra #20

EXTERIOR - FRONT YARD OF ALLEN'S HOUSE - NIGHT
ALLEN continues his interview.

TITLE: ALLEN'S tabloid interview, at the end, after
it was all over.

CAMERA MAN
Okay, ready to roll.

INTERVIEWER
What's your name?

ALLEN
Allen.

INTERVIEWER
And you were kidnapped by aliens, did you say?

ALLEN
No, no, no, no. I was involved with this woman
and this guy.

INTERVIEWER
Wait, wait, wait, let me understand this... you
were involved with a goddess? Like a Greek
goddess?

ALLEN
With a Greek, Zeus, Athena type goddess.

INTERVIEWER
Where is she now?

ALLEN
She's like hunting quail in the Sierras now.

INTERVIEWER
What?

ALLEN
She left me for dirt.

INTERVIEWER
And were you married?

ALLEN
Yeah, we were married right before....

TITLE: "Allen at about the time the disasters
started"

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
ALLEN waits in an empty apartment, tired of life.

EXTERIOR - ALLEN'S BUILDING - DAY
TONY walks past the building still flipping a coin.

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S BUILDING - DAY
WE HEAR a door slam. Off Screen: ALLEN and ARTEMIS
(as AUGUST) walk into living room. AUGUST leads the
way in, glances into the room on the left.

WE HEAR Door slam. Off Screen. ALLEN and AUGUST (as ARTEMIS) walk into living room. AUGUST leads the way in, glances into the bedroom on the left.
ALLEN
Look around. It's a 1 bedroom, 1/2 bath
in the hall and full vanity...laundry
downstairs.

AUGUST
Is it quiet?

ALLEN
Very quiet. Where you from?

August stops in left of frame, turns to ALLEN.

AUGUST
Nashville.

ALLEN
First time in LA?

AUGUST
Yeah, I just got a "Seventeen" cover and
everyone said I should come here.

ALLEN
Where are you staying?

AUGUST
With my Aunt.

ALLEN
Do you act?

August approaches the camera. She is wearing 1/2
moon earrings.

AUGUST
No, just modeling for now. But I've heard about
some really great workshops from my agent.

AUGUST feels satisfied with what she sees as she
gazes into the bedroom. ALLEN draws closer.

ALLEN
I'm an actor. TV commercials, some stage.
I know just about everybody in town, free
advice, comes with the rent.

AUGUST.
How much is it?

ALLEN
Well, the first month's free. You've got
to come up with some kind of security deposit,
figure one month and then the last month
and that comes to half the price published
in the ad.

AUGUST.
(No response)

ALLEN
Does that seem like a lot?

AUGUST
Well for Tennessee standards, but I don't know.

ALLEN
Do you know why the apartment's only half per
month of the going rate for this size apartment
in Hollywood?

AUGUST.
No.

ALLEN
Because I sleep here 1 night a week.

AUGUST looks at the bedroom, looks in, shocked by
what she has just heard. She seems confused for a
moment. She turns and faces ALLEN. ALLEN stares at
her while blocking the doorway. She hesitates and
makes him budge. ALLEN backs off and August slowly
walks out of the apartment. ALLEN is left standing
alone in the empty apartment.

MUSIC: Bach Concerto in D Minor

EXTERIOR - DISNEYLAND - DAY
TONY walks along the street and sees the Monorail
pass.

VIEW on TONY as he walks past the Big Donut.

VIEW on TONY as he walks past the theme restaurant
at LAX.

VIEW on TONY as he walks past the Chinese Theater in
Hollywood. TONY looks at people he passes.

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S APARTMENT - DAY
ALLEN in corridor. Allen exits and three people come
out of their apartments simultaneously.

WE HEAR a TELEPHONE

EXTERIOR - STREET IN LOS ANGELES - DAY
EUGENE walks along the street. He hears a pay phone
ring. Eugene picks it up and HEARS a voice.

VOICE
TONY, are you there? Come on!
Pick up the phone!

EUGENE panics and runs off.

MUSIC: Guy Klucevsek's "Reprieve."

INTERIOR - BLACK BARBERSHOP - DAY
We PAN from the pay phone in the barber shop where a
man is on the phone...

VOICE
TONY, are you there, Tony! Tony! Tony!

...and find TONY at the door looking at the coin. It
indicates he should go into a Barber shop. TONY
looks inside the Barber shop and sees threatening
faces. He enters anyway. Goes up to GUY SELLING SODA
who takes the coin out of TONY's hand and gives him
a soda. TONY is puzzled.

DISSOLVE:

Tony is siting in a chair with a cloth wrapped up to
his neck. The barber looks at TONY'S hair. TONY is
trying to open the can but can't figure it out.

TONY
Do you have a church key?

Everybody in the barbershop laughs. The barber opens
the soda for him.

BARBER
What will it be?

TONY
I'll......

Thugs slowly get up from their chairs, dropping
their magazines, surrounding TONY.

GUYS
Yeah, what'll it be man?

TONY looks around at the 8 mean faces around him.

TONY
I want to cure my passive aggressive
personality. From now on when I want
something I'm going to ask for it.
I'm going to learn how to be more
observant of signs and consider how
other people might need clearer signals
from me.

GUY 1
Why don't you get a job. That's what
the man says....

GUY 2
...You look good, you'd do great in
an interview.

GUY 1
Join a group. Do something for other
people.

GUY 3
Go up and talk to people. See if you
have someone in common...

GUY 4
Do some charity work...

ALL
Mingle..Be creative. Take chances.
Take ownership.

GUY 3
Ride the bus....

MUSIC: Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor Op 23, No.5

INTERIOR - OFFICE - DAY
A woman sits in the shadows of a government welfare
office.

BRENDA
This case is a mess. We don't know what is
going on with the child. No, no, no, no,
no no, the couple is stonewalling. Nobody has
seen the child, in what, 15 years.
Every visit is marked "guardian unavailable".
Nobody bothers because it's the island. And
get this, the couple, they're not married. No.
They're the step-children of the owner of
the island who is now deceased...

EXTERIOR - CATALINA EXPRESS TERMINAL - EARLY MORNING
BRENDA walks into the terminal.

BRENDA (continuing)
...I have a sniff writ and I'm going out
there next week.

EXTERIOR - OFF AVALON - DAY
The Catalina Express pulls into the harbor. BRENDA
steps onto the prow of the boat letting off steam.

MUSIC: Beethoven Violin Sonata #4 D Major

VIEW of Parasail in AVALON HARBOR

EXTERIOR - AVALON HARBOR - DAY
The CATALINA EXPRESS pulls up to the DOCK.

VIEW on The Casino, a Catalina Landmark.

We HEAR the sound of coffee cups.

INTERIOR - ISLAND OFFICE - DAY
DAVE, an opposing Attorney, and TOSHI, his assistant,
meet across the table with TONY and his attorney
DOOLITTLE.

DOOLITTLE
The is your meeting so why don't we get down
to business.

DAVE
Sounds fine.

DOOLITTLE
Call Boston if you want. I don't think the
time change will make any difference

Nervous looks among lawyers. TONY is oblivious.

DAVE
Your name is Filmore West, correct?

TONY does not answer.

DOOLITTLE
We're requesting an environmental impact study
on the employment angle in Avalon.

DAVE
Are you kidding? Any loss in jobs will be
absorbed in the Federal tourism franchise.
Employment will double, property and leases
will increase in value. The overall benefit
will be stunning to the average citizen of
Avalon.

DOOLITTLE
What if we tell everybody about the national
resources here. If you'll remember your history
gentlemen, the civil war was won by the
collateral in the Treasury created by the
California gold rush. We think the government
needs a big hit of cash right now to cure the
deficit. Remember what Churchill said, a great
government never has to face the truth nor pay
cash.

DAVE
Could we have a moment?

DOOLITTLE and TOSHI stand and walk from the table.

EXTERIOR - AVALON DOCK - DAYBRENDA storms off the
boat.

MUSIC: Mendolshon: Symphony #4 in A, Op. 90
(Italian)

DOOLITTLE
We're looking very good here. Just don't give
them anything they can use. Do not say anything.

INTERIOR - ISLAND OFFICE - DAY
DAVE and TOSHI stand and walk to the corner of the
room.

DAVE
What if we bring up the legality of him
impersonating his grandfather.

TOSHI
I think we need something stronger. Any
sexual harassment suits or child abuse.
He's a guardian.

EXTERIOR - AVALON INFORMATION BOOTH - DAY
BRENDA enters frame and speaks with an OFFICER.

BRENDA
Hello, I'm from the department of Human
Services in LA. I'm looking for a missing
child who may be somewhere on the island.

SHERIDAN
Name?

BRENDA
A Marie-Christine West? Her guardian is a
Mr. Filmore West.

INTERIOR - INN ON MT. ADA - DAY
TONY and DOOLITTLE as they confer.

TONY
I think I know what's going on here.

DOOLITTLE
Good, good, good, good, just don't say anything.

EXTERIOR - AVALON INFORMATION BOOTH - DAY
BRENDA continues to speak with the OFFICER.

BRENDA
Did they have a child with them? Or did they
take this child with them?

The OFFICER interrupts BRENDA.

OFFICER
They're brats. They're very unpopular
around here. They're keeping the property
values from tripling.

BRENDA
Great, where can I find them?

SHERIDAN
Probably France. What would you do if you
owned all of Catalina and Anacapa..?

MUSIC: Beethoven String Quartet #8 in E minor Op.59
#2 Trk #1

EXTERIOR - AVALON - DAY
BRENDA walks, somewhat dazed, past the store fronts
of AVALON.

OFFICER
...all the way to San Miguel including
the Big Island which has gold deposits
and the IRS are looking for them?

BRENDA's expression changes. She becomes maniacal.

INTERIOR - INN ON MT. ADA - DAY
DAVE and TOSHI sit down again, ready with a response.

DOOLITTLE
Don't say anything.

OPPOSING ATTORNEY hands TONY the documents.

DAVE
I'd like to direct your attention to the
signatures on these documents.

DOOLITTLE rips the document out of DAVE'S hand.

DOOLITTLE
This is intolerable!

DAVE
One is a reconveyence of a second deed of
trust, and the other is your recent letter
to us. You would have been 4 years old at
the time of the first document.

WE HEAR the sound of a small earthquake. ALL PARTIES
loo up and around and it stops.

EXTERIOR - AVALON - DAY
BRENDA is alarmed at the earthquake. She spins,
disoriented.

INTERIOR - INN ON MT. ADA - DAY
TONY has a knowing look on his face. The earthquake
is a good sign.

TONY
You guys believe in fairy tales don't you?

DAVE
We want to know who you are.

TONY
This reminds me of the Tempest where the
rightful Duke is robbed of his kingdom by
his evil brother...

TOSHI
Were you born in this country?

TONY
...and the evil brother puts the good Duke
and his daughter out to sea in a small boat
to die. And at the end of the story....

DOOLITTLE
My client is using a figure of speech.

DAVE
Then where are we going with this, guys?

TONY
You two are going to jail.

DOOLITTLE
We're saying....you don't have enough money.

TONY turns to TOSHI.

TONY
What do you say next?

TOSHI
We're just representing the United States
Government in an attempt to take what the
people have a right to.

TONY
Big Brother. Orwell! No, no, That's too recent.

DOOLITTLE
The situation is irreversible.

DOOLITTLE tries to keep TONY from standing up.

DAVE
What are you going to do? Act it out for us.

TONY heats up.

TONY
...And it's raining and hailing and lightning's
striking and you guys think that I'm dead, but
I'm not. I'm really back in the big island with
my daughter.

DOOLITTLE puts his hand on TONY'S shoulder to
restrain him.

TONY
And you know what we're doing. Playing chess,
and having a picnic!

TONY stands up to leave and crashes into a waiter
who trips and spills dishes on the floor.

MUSIC: BACH Concerto in D minor

EXTERIOR - AVALON HARBOR - DAY
Tourist boats come and go.

INTERIOR - AVALON CLOTHING SHIP - DAY
BRENDA looks at a map of the Channel Islands. She
sees the Big Island. A woman behind the counter
comes up to her.

COUNTER PERSON
Hi. Can I help you?

BRENDA
Which way to the Big Island?

The camera tilts up to a map of the Channel islands.

EXTERIOR - THE BIG ISLAND - DAY
We pan up to reveal the Big Island in the middle of
the Channel.

EXTERIOR - THE BIG ISLAND - DAY
TONY's boat enters the harbor.

EXTERIOR - THE BIG ISLAND - DAY
TONY's boat docks old fishing pier.

INSERT: Water lapping over rocks.

WE HEAR: SEAGULLS, then a HELICOPTER approaching
overhead.

EXTERIOR - THE BIG ISLAND DOCK - DAY
The RANCH HAND runs to TONY'S boat to help him
unload supplies.

VIEW of HELICOPTER passing overhead.

TIGHTER VIEW ON TONY and RANCH HAND

RANCH HAND
You must have slept a long time.

TONY
I've been sleeping a lot lately.

RANCH HAND
Yeah about 2 years.

The RANCH HAND helps TONY unload supplies from the
boat. TONY starts walking down the dock with an
outboard motor.

RANCH HAND
A woman named Reggie Swan confirmed she'll
arrive March 4th. She'll be staying until
September. I got the bunk house all ready
for her.

The RANCH HAND goes back for a second box as TONY
continues down the dock.

RANCH HAND
There have been quite a few fly-overs by
the park service. The last 6 months
there has been surf on the North point.
Anyone who can afford a boat has been
streaming up here like freeway commuters.

TONY
Yeah.

RANCH HAND
This thing with the surfers has become
some sort of a cult. There have been a
few entries on the South shore, young men
looking for Marie-Noel...I vacated them
immediately.

TONY
Uh huh.

RANCH HAND
The park service has been on the island
almost full time, as expected, and the
monk from the monastery arrived for
another year.

EXTERIOR - ISLAND SHORELINE FROM MOUNTAIN TOP - DAY
The sun kicks off the water.

EXTERIOR - BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF MARIE-NOEL'S HIDEOUT -
DAY
The hideout is nestled under eucalyptus trees in an
island canyon.

MUSIC: SCHUBERT'S WINTERREISE

EXTERIOR - HIDEOUT - DAY
It is a hot sunny day. MARIE-NOEL sits in a hammock
reading.

VIEW ON BOOK: She is reading War and Peace.

INTERIOR - HOUSE - DAY
BRENDA stands inside the house by the window. She
holds MARIE-NOEL'S bow and arrow. She raises it
slowly, aiming at MARIE-NOEL. BRENDA looks angry and
possessed.

BRENDA'S POV
The lethal arrowhead is pointed at MARIE-NOEL'S
head.

CLOSER VIEW ON BRENDA
BRENDA is about to release the arrow when she HEARS
a PUPPY.

BRENDA'S POV on PUPPY
A cute Dalmatian looks up at her, longing to be
picked up.

VIEW ON BRENDA
BRENDA puts down the bow and arrow to pick up the
PUPPY. As soon as she reaches for the PUPPY...

EXTERIOR - ISLAND HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL puts down her reading and goes into the
house.

VIEW ON BRENDA
...The PUPPY skitters away. BRENDA follows it.

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
EUGENE stands outside the ranch house. He stares
with a blank expression on his face, as if he does
not know what he is doing there.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE KITCHEN - DAY
She enters and starts looking for something missing.
The house has become a reading library, opened books
everywhere. There is a gas cooking stove in a rustic
kitchen.

INTERIOR - ELSEWHERE IN RANCH HOUSE - DAY
The PUPPY runs through the house.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE KITCHEN - DAY
MARIE-NOEL continues her search, we see a crude
sleeping area, an office, a couch and a fireplace.
She is a visitor. She lives out of suitcases.

VIEW on DOOR

The PUPPY runs out the door and BRENDA follows.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL continues her search in the dining room.
She looks under the table, on the mantle.

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DOORSTEP
EUGENE enters the house with a heavy step.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL continues her search in TONY's office.
She sits down a desk and rummages through it.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
EUGENE walks through the house.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL can't find what she is looking for on the
messy writing desk, or in the drawers. She HEARS a
CAR HORN and bolts out of frame.

INTERIOR - KITCHEN - DAY
MARIE-NOEL runs into the kitchen and sees the sheep.

MARIE-NOEL
Where have you been. He's here.

MARIE-NOEL opens the door for TONY who is still
wearing his suit and carries food in a cardboard box.
The sheep looks up at him. He turns to MARIE-NOEL
and hands her a dress box.

MARIE-NOEL
Dresses?

TONY
More in the boat.

MARIE-NOEL
Books?

TONY
Likewise.

MARIE-NOEL
How was LA?

TONY
A dry hole.

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
EUGENE runs away from the house.

INTERIOR - KITCHEN - DAY
Tony sits down and stacks packages of Pop Tarts in
front of him. He opens a package and starts eating
voraciously. The sheep is standing next to him and
he strokes it. MARIE-NOEL sits down and starts
reading the LA TIMES. She looks up.

MARIE-NOEL
Why did you let the animals go? Here's
a story about animals that caused erosion
on the Channel Islands. We don't need any
more attention right now.

TONY
I scattered them for their own
protection. And it doesn't bother me
because any animal, no matter where it
starts, turns out the same.

TONY eats pop tarts.

MARIE-NOEL
Do you remember seeing my moon earrings
anywhere have you?

TONY
The ones you were wearing the night .....

MARIE-NOEL
The night of the great unpleasantness?

MARIE-NOEL gets up and starts looking for something
in the kitchen drawer. TONY sees War and Peace on
the kitchen table.

TONY
Is there anything about Halloween in
Edgar Allen Poe?

MARIE-NOEL sits up and stops the conversation.

MUSIC Starts: Heavy Rock

FLASH BACK: Halloween Concert. VIEW on audience
Dancing..The show on stage..Image of death..View on
Sheep in fog.

MUSIC Stops

MARIE-NOEL
OK, let's just stop talking about it....

TONY
I guess it's about time. It was starting
to bug me.

VIEW ON MARIE-NOEL
She thinks about the night they lost MARIE-CHRISTINE.

MUSIC: Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites - Suite #2
Prelude S 1008

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
20 November, the mirror never reflects my
despair, just water running in the sink.

MUSIC STOPS

VIEW on TONY'S hands opening up pop tarts. TONY
looks at her.

TONY
You can stop living out of suitcases and
fix the place up?

MARIE-NOEL
Oh, and you can go and enjoy your life in
LA.

TONY
What's that supposed to mean?

MARIE-NOEL
You get to come and go as you please and
I'm stuck here in this dirty hideout.

TONY
I'm in the same situation you are.
Moving or sitting still is the same
thing, they're everywhere.

MARIE-NOEL
What about the government?

TONY
I think we can stall the government
until the next gubernatorial election.

MARIE-NOEL
Forget it.

She thinks about herself and her own dilemma.

MUSIC: Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites - Suite #2
Prelude S 1008

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
If my dilemma is the dilemma of art, what
would the art character do?

MUSIC STOPS

MARIE-NOEL starts looking under books.

TONY
If anything happens to me you
should take the train East...

TONY points East.

TONY
...We both came from the West. I think
we'll be heading that way.

MARIE-NOEL
Well, you'll be all set up in LA if
anything happens to me.

He pauses and doesn't answer right away.

TONY
We've had a good life. We've been lucky.
All these extra years are for stories.
There's nothing left to do except to see
how we fit into them.

MARIE-NOEL becomes silent and distracted, digging in
a drawer.

MARIE-NOEL
You know, I've looked everywhere. There
are no references to two people leaving a
Halloween party anywhere in Western, Eastern,
Sumerian, or comic book literature.

TONY
I thought we were going to drop that.

MARIE-NOEL
What was your mother's favorite book?

TONY
How should I know?

MARIE-NOEL
We both should have written these things
down. That's why I have a diary now.

MARIE-NOEL looks at TONY in the eye.

TONY
You'll know what to do when the time
comes.

MARIE-NOEL
I protest in advance any role where I
am resolved as ineffective, irrelevant,
marginal, unable to influence, yet always
influenced and, in short, any role where I
am victimized by circumstance. These are
my politics and someone's going to have
to deal with them.

TONY
Good.

EXTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
The house stands in the afternoon light.

MUSIC: Ravel String Quartet in F

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL sits at the writing desk. Light and a
warm breeze comes in the window.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
16, November. You asked me to remember the
time before I came here. I remember a
shipwreck and a storm that washed out all
the roads.

INTERIOR - RANCH HOUSE - DAY
MARIE-NOEL stands at the doorway in a beautiful
dress, eyes closed.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
I remember a dream from my childhood. In
the dream a prince comes from the sea...

EXTERIOR - PIER - DAY
TONY walk toward his boat.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
...and lives with me and my old father.
There was England,..

INTERIOR - OLD MINING CAMP - DAY
MARIE-NOEL writes in her diary on an old sink.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O.)
...back stage with my mother all those
years while I grew so slowly. France,
India...

EXTERIOR - ISLAND - DAY
TONY'S boat steams out to sea.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O)
French Indochina...

VIEW of OCEAN with Cacti.

MARIE-NOEL (V.O)
then here...beside the arbitrary sea.

MUSIC: Vierne: Finale from Symphony #1

EXTERIOR - MOUNTAINSIDE - DAY
BRENDA tries to catch the puppy but it gets away
from her. She realizes she has been tricked and
stands up, angry at ZEUS. We start to PAN and cut
to..

INTERIOR - RESTROOM IN AVALON - DAY
BRENDA has same expression looking in a mirror. She
realizes that something is wrong. She sees that her
fingernails are painted dark red, her hair is puffed out
and frightful, she has dark makeup on lips and eyes.
She tries to remove the makeup and nail polish and
pull herself together. She realizes that she is in
the Men's room.

EXTERIOR - AVALON - DAY
BRENDA, having corrected herself, walks toward the
boat going back to the mainland.

EXTERIOR - ANOTHER PART OF THE HARBOR - DAY
REGGIE stands forgotten at the end of the dock,
surrounded by a very floral luggage.

MUSIC: BACH Toccata in D major

TITLE: "2 Years later"

MUSIC: Bach Toccata in D Major

TITLE: "2 Years later"

EXTERIOR - ALLEN'S BUILDING - DAY
Morning light.

INTERIOR - ALLEN'S BUILDING - DAY
ALLEN asleep on couch. He has gained 50 pounds.
There are empty beer cans and empty pizza boxes on
the floor. A WOMAN unlocks the door and we follow
her into the apartment. She is tired from a business
trip. She sees ALLEN.

WOMAN
What are you doing in my apartment? What
are you doing here?

ALLEN wakes up, startled, rubbing his eyes.

WOMAN
And who's pizza is this? Excuse me!

ALLEN
Calm down. We weren't expecting you for
a while, we had the exterminator come in
like you requested...

WOMAN
Oh you did?

H. TOM appears from the next room, groggy.

WOMAN
And who the hell is this?

ALLEN (aside to H. TOM)
Take this stuff out for her.

H. TOM starts frantically collecting the garbage.

WOMAN
You've got pizza in my place...you're
lying here. Who's clothes are these?

ALLEN picks up his bag of things. H. TOM finishes
his cleanup.

ALLEN
There's no pizza here; there's no clothes
here.

WOMAN
You had no permission to come into my
place. A guy sleeping in my bedroom,
sleeping on my couch.

ALLEN
I'm going to request to the board that
you perhaps should be kicked out for your
bad sculpture.

ALLEN and H. TOM exit.

WOMAN
Oh you are? Get the hell out of here.
What kind of manager are you anyway?

The WOMAN slams the door and shakes her head in
amazement.

MUSIC: Arne Mellnas Transparence

EXTERIOR - AUNT DEBBIE'S HOUSE - DAY
A green cab pulls up in front of a garish Encino
home. JULIENNE gets out, dressed plainly, with one
suitcase. The cab leaves and she gives a skeptical
once over to the house. She is about to begin her
new life. Is this it? She walks up the pathway to
the door and notices a great quantity of mushrooms
growing on the front lawn. She steps over the
flowers, kneels down and picks up one of the
mushrooms. She looks at it and wonders.

VIEW of SUN
A partial eclipse is in progress.

EXTERIOR - HOLLYWOOD - DAY
We see AUNT DEBBIE taking her daily constitutional
on Hollywood Blvd. She is wearing a blue and white
terry cloth jump suit and tennis shoes. She is fast
walking through obstacles before her on the sidewalk.
She is a determined and physically fit 65 year old.

MUSIC: Dvorzak Cello Concerto in B minor op 104

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
The camera pans from AUNT DEBBIE to ALLEN to H. TOM
who all converge at the same street corner.

ALLEN
Hi, Aunt Debbie?

AUNT DEBBIE
What's that on your face?

ALLEN fingers his unshaven face.

AUNT DEBBIE
Did you move that refrigerator to my new
building?

ALLEN
Yes.

AUNT DEBBIE
Liar. Your car doesn't work.

FLASHBACK:
ALLEN and H. TOM stand next to ALLEN'S broken down
car.

AUNT DEBBIE
Who's this?

H. TOM
I'm his assistant ma'am.

ALLEN
Shut up!

FLASHBACK:
H. TOM shaves in a park fountain surrounded by
homeless people.

AUNT DEBBIE
Does he pay rent?

H. TOM
No ma'am. When I find a job I'm going to
pay rent.

ALLEN
He picks up my residual checks and he's a
really good plumber.

AUNT DEBBIE
Did you steal another car from a tourist?

FLASHBACK:
Two JAPANESE tourists admire a star on Hollywood
Blvd. as ALLEN and H. TOM make off with their car.

H. TOM
No ma'am.

ALLEN
Shut up!
(to AUNT DEBBIE)
No we didn't.

AUNT DEBBIE
That refrigerator, did you strap it on
top of the car?

FLASHBACK:
The stolen car rolls through and intersection with
the refrigerator strapped to the top.

ALLEN
No!

AUNT DEBBIE
And then did you ditch their car?

FLASHBACK:
From above, ALLEN and H. TOM remove the refrigerator
from the top of the rental car.

H. TOM
No ma'am. The car was towed...

ALLEN
Shut up!

ALLEN pushes H. TOM.

AUNT DEBBIE
So you faked homelessness and begged for
free chicken.

FLASHBACK:
ALLEN and H. TOM stand at the window of a fast food
stand faking homelessness. ALLEN has Will Work For
Food written on his stomach.

ALLEN
What are you saying Aunt Debbie?

AUNT DEBBIE
The refrigerator is all scraped up and has
no freon. And you smell rancid. And why
are you so fat!

AUNT DEBBIE exits, ALLEN knows she is not finished
and counts..

ALLEN
One, two, three..

AUNT DEBBIE
Your cousin just arrived. When you see
her, be sociable!

DEBBIE finally exits.

ALLEN
You know I've been having these dreams
lately where my mother finds me floating
down the river in a little wicker basket
and it turns out that (shouts in the
direction of AUNT DEBBIE) I am not
related to you!

MUSIC: JOHN ADAMS "Fearful Symmetries"

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
TONY continues his search, flipping a coin to
indicate the direction he should search. He tires of
this and turns around, walking aimless around LA.

EXTERIOR - BUS BENCH - DAY
TONY sits on a bench talking to several people. They
are annoyed and walk away. A weird man with an odd
head dress sits next to TONY. Tony gets up and
leaves.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
TONY walks off and walks into a line of workers
carrying 2x4s. He ducks and almost gets decapitated, takes
refuge at a bus bench. A MUSICIAN is sitting on the
far end of the bus bench reading.

TONY
Do you have the time?

MUSICIAN
2:30.

TONY
Do you mind if I ask you a question?

MUSICIAN
Yes.

TONY
Why are you her right now?

MUSICIAN
What?

TONY
Why did you come up just this minute?

MUSICIAN
I'm going to work, man.

TONY
Is this the bus you always take?

MUSICIAN
No, I'm late.

TONY
You're late! Why are you late?

MUSICIAN
I overslept, man.

TONY
Nothing caused you to be late?

MUSICIAN
I'm just sitting here waiting for
the bus. What's the big deal? Do you
have to talk to me?

THE MUSICIAN gets up in frustration and leaves. Tony
exits frame in foreground. A runaway car careens
into the bench going backwards and destroys the
bench where they just sat.

VIEW
A Tire rolls up the hill propelled by the crash.
TONY and the man re-enter frame.

EXTERIOR - BUS BENCH - AS BEFORE
The car has a roof rack with a bike on it. A man
runs up the car holding a bicycle tire. TONY and
the man look at the damage. The man despairs.

CAR MAN
Oh my god! I can't fucking believe this!
My car must have popped out of park! It
could have hit you. Oh my god, I can't
believe this...800 bucks...Oh my god!

TONY runs in Panic.

MUSIC: Guy Klucevsek "Reprieve"

VIEW ON TONY
The tire does not fall from its own weight, it
starts rolling back down the hill.

CAR MAN
Call 911!

EXTERIOR - STREET - DAY
TONY runs down the street and notices that the wheel
starts chasing him.

TONY runs down the hill trying to escape from the
runaway tire.

VIEW ON TONY
Looking inside the Truck. Camera follows TONY in.
He looks back in terror.

TONY'S POV the tire gains on the truck..

SEQUENCE:
The Truck stops for a cat.
The doors shut.
The light crosses Tony's face and goes black.
SFX Doors lock
THE Rolling tire innocently hits the truck and gets
stuck.
A purring cat walks away from the truck.

MUSIC: Guy Klucevsek "Loosening up the Queen"

EXTERIOR - DOWNTOWN LA - DAY
TRUCK moves along freeway headed across town.

EXTERIOR - PARK - DAY
ALLEN and H. TOM sit eating their "begged for"
chicken.

ALLEN
I have a genius IQ. My parents would
have killed if I went into business.
They'd love it.

MUSIC: Bach Suite #2 S. 1008

ALLEN
If they were alive, you know what I'd tell
them? I'd tell them I'm a temp in an
insurance company.

H. TOM
If you assign everything to infantile
motives, life becomes boring. Your
religion only explains your sex life.

ALLEN
You're not listening. I don't want to be
poor. But it's not like I'm doing some I
gotta starve thing here. If I had enough
money I'd be happy.

H. TOM
And then again you may be right, for all
the wrong reasons. Twenty years in the
mind is unfortunately not twenty years in
the body and it get worse and worse as
you go.

ALLEN
Not me. I keep my nut real low. Basically
I live off my relatives. You know? Free
rent. All the chicks I can pluck from my
aunt's building. All I need is one national
commercial a year and I can live like a
king.

H. TOM
Things are stranger in other places.

ALLEN
Where do you get these things you say,
man. Are you still on acid?

H. TOM
I just say things that come into my head,
because they're more enjoyable than my
own thoughts.

We pull back to reveal ALLEN and H. TOM eating lunch
under a monument to the F-104.

EXTERIOR - AUNT DEBBIE'S BACKYARD - DAY
JULIENNE is sitting at a table in the sun, balancing
her check book. She notices that the amount of one
check, #1527, is the same as the number of the check.

MUSIC: Tahitian choir
Segue to:

MUSIC: A. Corelli Concerto VII
Segue to:

MUSIC: Prokofiev Romeo and Juliette

JULIENNE looks up and Aunt DEBBIE passes in front of
her.

JULIENNE
There's two choices for me right now.
I'm either pregnant or feeling a false
pregnancy. The first one is impossible.

AUNT DEBBIE
Are you trying to tell your mother that
you're knocked up?

JULIENNE
Incredible weather we're having.

AUNT DEBBIE
I hate it because it makes my skin dry,
especially my private parts.

JULIENNE
In Maine, it's been frozen for two months.

AUNT DEBBIE
Why are you here anyway?

JULIENNE
To take care of you. I thought that giving
it all up and taking care of my old
mother would be the simplest life
possible. What you're telling me about my
cousin Allen is upsetting.

AUNT DEBBIE
Criminy....You sure feel sorry for
yourself.

JULIENNE
Damn right! I didn't come here to get
drawn into slum-lording. What did you
get into mom?

AUNT DEBBIE likes to change the subject mid sentence,
and wander freely the world of denigration.

AUNT DEBBIE
My dear husband, bless his soul THE
BASTARD.(with a twinkle in her eye) He
was very good to me..

JULIENNE
You always said that.....

AUNT DEBBIE
It was my idea, not his! Now you're
cousin Allen is the bastard.

JULIENNE
Look mom, I came out here because I
needed to. I've went through a time with
so many regrets. I got ostentatious and
solemn and I hated myself, and anyone who
behaved the same way. Independence works
better alone. I'm a girl Shane, you know
the gunfighter who hung up his guns.

AUNT DEBBIE
You didn't give them enough sex, that's
your own fault.

JULIENNE
Too many people in my past have been
hurt, and all of them named Tony.

AUNT DEBBIE
Have you seen all these mushrooms around
the house?

JULIENNE
Fato Profungus... I believe they're called.

AUNT DEBBIE
You would know that. But don't eat them.
Mrs. Johnson up the street says they
make you horny. And when are you going to
learn to drive?

JULIENNE
Probably never. I like walking.

EXTERIOR - THE VALLEY - DAY
JULIENNE walks along Ventura Blvd. looking at
store fronts.

EXTERIOR - LA - DAY
TONY walks in garment district.

EXTERIOR - THE VALLEY- DAY
JULIENNE walks along the street in front of a home
with a motor home parked in front of it.

EXTERIOR - ANOTHER PART OF LA
TONY walks on Hollywood Blvd., looking for clues in
people's faces.

MUSIC: Guy Klucevsek "Blue Window"

EXTERIOR - FOREST LAWN - DAY
We pull back from a "help wanted" sign as the truck
pulls into the driveway of the cemetery.

EXTERIOR - MORTUARY - DAY
Two guys open the back of the truck and we see TONY
standing in a trance in the back of the truck.

INTERIOR - MORTUARY OFFICE - DAY
The MORTICIAN sits down at his desk to interview
TONY.

MORTICIAN
And what qualifies you for this job?

TONY
Well, what is the job?

MORTICIAN
State privacy laws require that we watch over
our guests day and night from the minute they
arrive to the day of the funeral.

TONY
You mean the bodies?

MORTICIAN
Yes. You're the body watcher.

TONY
Oh. The body watcher.

MORTICIAN
Well, do you have any questions?

TONY
Oh, no.

MORTICIAN
I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

TONY
Okay.

MORTICIAN
For example, why do you want this job?

TONY
I want to meet people.

MORTICIAN
Dead people?

TONY
No, no. If I work at night I'll meet people
during the day. See, I don't sleep much at
night.

MORTICIAN
You have two lives? I have two lives. I've
always wanted to be a stand up comic. Do
you mind if I show you some of my material?

TONY
Go ahead.

MORTICIAN
A man says to his doctor he can't remember
things from one minute to the next the
doctor says, "How long has this been going
on?" The man says, "How long has what been
going on?"

TONY laughs.

TONY
That's good.

INTERIOR - MORGUE - NIGHT
TONY reads.

MUSIC: "Frascilita" from Lisa Germano "Geek the
Girl"

Several angles. TIME PASSES.