Elysian Fields
Rudderless Young Man Meets Suicidal Girl--What Else Could It Be but Love?
Noah Beckett
I came up with the story of Elysian Fields during the summer of 1993, just after finishing high school. At the time, I was working in Maryland with my friend Jonathan O'Beirne, and while driving samples between labs for his father's biomedical start-up where we both worked, we would kick around ideas for the story as a movie.
Over time, Jonathan added so many ideas to the original story that Noah Beckett, the main character, became a hybrid of us both. A year later, while he was taking a screenwriting class at the School of Visual Arts, Jonathan chose to write a short version of Elysian Fields as his final project.
The Original Draft
It was a first attempt. And like many first attempts, Jono's script ran into a lot of problems. All of our friends read and liked the script, and they marked it up with useful notes. And in the end, neither of us did anything with the script for almost ten years.
The Rewrite
While I was living in Chicago after finishing grad school, during the same jobless summer that gave you "Superman XIII: We'll Always Have Metropolis" and "Flowerbox," Jono and I started talking about doing a rewrite of his old script. I found my copy of it, which still had tons of Post-it notes in the margins and the scribbled marginalia of many friends, and I started to think of ways to revitalize it.
That summer, fall, and half of the winter of 2003, I worked through all the old ideas, scrapping some and keeping others. The story remained more or less the same, but the tone and images changed considerably. Once I stopped trying to preserve the good bits from the first draft and concentrated on reconstructing the entire thing with them in mind, the script really started to flow.
Critique
The final version--my first attempt at a feature-length, and one of my first attempts at dramatic screenwriting--is a heavy on the dialogue, and a bit too clever and too expository. But I was I think justifiably proud of my debut feature effort. I still stand by some of my characters' chattiness (they are talkers all, as are all of my characters), but I think that the Chinese restaurant scene would be better if less were said instead of more.
If I were to rework it again, I would have Lorelei die rather than suffer in a hospital. Yet I still feel that if this script were shot in a Wes Anderson style, and most importantly, if it had the soundtrack I hear when I read it (specifically, with the song "Idylls of the King" by the Mountain Goats at the end), it would be quite powerful even as is.
My Favorite Scene
Let me draw your attention to just one part. In terms of cinematic effect, my best screenwriting moment appears here (pages 49-52 in the full script). The combination of Lorelei's version of the story with the ironic presentation of what really happened to Emma would be wonderful to see on film. If nothing else, that is the one gem from this script that I would love one day to see produced.
Download Elysian Fields.
Elysian Fields
FADE IN:
EXT. BAY BRIDGE - DAY
The Bay Bridge at dawn: a metallic green station wagon
crosses over to Maryland's Eastern Shore. Beneath the bridge
stretch the Kent Narrows, low marshes amid which several
skipjacks dredge.
NOAH (V.O.)
Just a... Anything, a piece of sand, a
bit of glass—-anything that irritates or
scratches, gets under the skin. Like a
burr under the saddle, you know? Digging
in and cutting up that tender flesh, the
soft underbelly.
Behind the wheel of the station wagon is NOAH BECKETT, a 20
year-old with a black eye and a split lip. At first we hear
only the ocean-like RUSH OF AIR coming in through his car
window (out of which a thin tendril of cigarette smoke
escapes). Then Noah begins to speak.
NOAH (CONT'D)
But the little guy takes and wraps it up
in his bed, softens the edges, making a
lovely little tumor out of it. Sure, it
still presses into his side and causes
discomfort, but he keeps on rolling it
and worrying it and working at it, see?
Wrapping it up again and again until it's
a pretty little ball. I mean, I know,
it's kind of overly metaphorical, but
there's a lesson to be learned from that.
All that suffering and worrying-
microscopic to us but probably cosmically
huge to him, right?--all that suffering
and worrying leads, in the end, to
something beautiful. Maybe he doesn't
even know what he's made of it, but it's
beautiful all the same... And some of
them don't survive its removal. But some
of them do...
FADE TO:
MONTAGE - PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY - CREDITS
A series of shots of the various conveyor belts and bottle
fillers of a pharmaceutical factory.
The names of the actors are superimposed over these images,
accompanied by the Willy Wonka classic "Pure Imagination." As
the music dissolves into silence, we...
FADE TO:
INT. NOAH'S BATHROOM - MORNING
While shaving, Noah wipes the fogged mirror with a towel. For
a moment his reflection is clear-—we see him for the first
time without his black eye and split lip--and he regards it
as though it were a stranger's. When the mirror fogs up
again, he draws a simple straight-mouthed face in the
moisture.
NANCY (O.S.)
(shouting from downstairs)
Noah! Could you please come down here?
Maggie's gonna be late!
INT. STAIRCASE - FOLLOW
Noah runs downstairs to the living room where his nine year
old sister, MAGGIE, is planted in front of a TV.
NOAH
Ready, Mags?... Ah, learning, I see.
INSERT - TELEVISION
A cartoon depicts white settlers elbowing Native Americans
off the edge of the continental United States into the ocean.
TELEVISION
(singing)
"Oh, elbow room, elbow room
Got to, got to get us
Some elbow room.
It's the West or bust,
In God we trust,
There's a new land out there."
INT. LIVING ROOM - SAME
Noah's father, BILL, enters. He is in his late forties,
dressed for work, and carrying a spill-proof coffee mug.
NOAH
Do you really think she should be
watching that crap?
Bill shrugs and continues toward the front door. Noah shakes
his head as his mother, NANCY, rushes into the room
frantically searching for something. She is in her mid
forties and dressed up.
NANCY
All right, Maggie, let's go. Noah's
gonna...
Nancy stops and looks at Noah's T-shirt, which is emblazoned
with a large anarchy symbol.
NANCY (CONT'D)
What's this?
NOAH
What?... Seriously, Mom, you guys
shouldn't let Mags...
NOAH (CONT'D)
...watch that stuff. You know what that
does to a child's mind?
NANCY
You're not seriously going to wear that
out of the house, are you?
NOAH (CONT'D)
You stop letting her watch that
revisionist crap, and I'll stop being
your little Antichrist...
He kisses Nancy on the cheek to check her reaction. She
recoils slightly from him, scoffing.
INT. HALLWAY - FOLLOW
Noah follows his mother down the hall to the kitchen.
NOAH
(noticing her outfit)
What, you got a thing this morning?
Nancy checks her watch as she continues her search.
NANCY
I have to meet Father Conlon in twenty
minutes... Where are those raffle
tickets?
NOAH
Ah, Father Conlon. I've heard he touches
young people in a special way.
Nancy rushes off to the kitchen, searching for the raffle
tickets.
NANCY (O.S.)
I won't stand for that blasphemy in my
house!
NOAH
(looking up and winking)
Just kiddin', Jesus.
Nancy comes back with Maggie's lunch box, which she thrusts
into Noah's unexpecting hands.
NANCY
Well, your humor's not appreciated. Now,
would you please?
NOAH
Yeah, yeah... C'mon, kid... Enough
neurotoxins for one morning.
BACK TO LIVING ROOM
Maggie runs to the foyer ahead of Noah.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I gotta work till five. And I'm going
over to Casey's after--
NANCY
Again?
NOAH
After busting my ass hauling platters and
kegs around all day--
NANCY
Who's gonna pick up your sister?
NOAH
I guess Dad'll have to.
NANCY
(sighing)
I guess it's up to me. Again...
MOVING BACK DOWN HALLWAY
Noah follows Nancy as she stalks down the hallway.
NOAH
Well, jeez, it's not like you're her
mother or anything...
NANCY
Don't get smart.
NOAH
You remember where the school is, right?
Down at the end of the via dolorosa?
Noah pretends to be up on the cross as he backs down the
hallway. Nancy glares at him.
LIVING ROOM
NANCY (O.S.)
Noah, what did I just--
Noah leaves out the front door, slamming it behind him.
EXT. OUTSIDE OF HOUSE - SAME
Noah drives his station wagon away from his house. Maggie
sits in the backseat reading a thoroughbred book for pre
adolescents. Their neighborhood is typically middle-class
suburban: picket fences, manicured lawns, children waiting
for buses, and so on.
INT. CAR - MOMENTS LATER
NOAH
Why do you insist on sitting back there
instead of up front like a normal human
being?
MAGGIE
(angry, eyes pasted to book)
Shhh! The chauffeur's supposed to keep
quiet.
EXT. OUTSKIRTS - SAME
Approaching town, the car passes junk yards, abandoned
granaries, and shabby row houses. A poor black man with a
weathered face walks along the street. He turns and stares at
Noah as the car zips past.
INT. CAR - SAME
Nearing their destination, Noah and Maggie enter a relatively
prosperous district of quaint shops and attractive houses.
NOAH
Mags, if you wanna poison your mind, at
least let me help you do it properly.
Those cartoons and that stuff you read
are full of shit, and--
MAGGIE
Dad says you're full of shit. He says
that if you don't get your act together
they're--
NOAH
Well, Dad's full of shit, too, okay?
Lesson number one: everyone is full of
shit... Believe me, your parents--
MAGGIE
Stop there...
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL - SAME
After they pull up to the curb, Maggie opens her door to get
out. In the background is a well maintained Catholic school.
Two NUNS stroll solemnly down the sidewalk near the car.
Maggie grabs her book bag and lunch box.
MAGGIE
They're your parents, too, dumbass...
NOAH
(resignedly)
Yeah, well...
SISTER MARY CATHERINE (a.k.a. "Sister Merciless") looks over
at the car. As though blaming him for his sister's expletive,
she leans in to glare at Noah. Nun and sinner recognize each
other. Noah winces/smiles at her then drives away.
The Sister narrows her eyes at Noah as he departs. She places
a hand on Maggie's shoulder and guides her toward the school.
CUT TO:
EXT. O'MALLY'S - LATER
Noah enters a small seafood restaurant and bar on Market
Street. Its exterior sports a New England-brand of tackiness:
lobster traps, fishing nets, an old barrel, etc.
INT. O'MALLY'S KITCHEN - SAME
Noah crosses through a filthy room cluttered with the
implements of cookery. By the stove, a mustachioed MEXICAN
smokes a cigarette.
NOAH
Hola, Freddie. Donde estan los payasos?
FREDDIE
Out back, man... Hey, you wanna chorizo
omelette?
EXT. ALLEY - FOLLOW
Noah walks out behind the restaurant to find his two 21-year
old coworkers practicing equilibristics. CASEY, a tall blond,
wears an apron and a cook's hat and balances a broomstick on
his chin. Overweight and ruddy, ED balances a ladder on his.
NOAH
Casey... Edmouth... This is a blatant
violation of Charlie's no-clowning rule.
CASEY
Charlie's not even coming in today.
NOAH
What is this anyway?
ED
For The Rustics' Buster Keaton Festival
next month. We're working toward having
me balance the ladder, with Casey on top
balancing a broomstick.
NOAH
Somebody's gonna crack his skull...
Speaking of--guess who I just saw...
Sister Merciless! She's out in the street
collecting souls.
ED
(dropping the ladder to cross
himself)
My God, she's still alive.
NOAH
You're lucky, Casey. You never had to
feel the rap of ruler on knuckle that
Sister Merciless loved to dole out.
ED
And you never had to listen to the sermon
on the Muscular Jesus.
(imitating an old English lady)
"He was no weakling, Our Lord. He was a
strapping fellow indeed!"
NOAH
She didn't have an English accent...
Casey missteps, and the broom clatters to the ground.
CASEY
Ahhh!... Eh?
NOAH
Lesbians in medieval garb...
(reacting to Casey's confusion)
Nothing.
CASEY
You're coming tonight, yeah?
NOAH
No, I thought I'd just stay at home by
myself instead.
CUT TO:
INT. LIQUOR STORE - EVENING
Noah, Casey, and Ed enter a liquor store and begin shopping
for alcohol. Casey and Ed juggle bottles and limes while
loading up the shopping cart.
CASEY
Listen, no. We start by driving out to
Ocean City, dip our feet in the Atlantic,
then head out cross country.
NOAH
To end up where?
ED
Alaska!
NOAH
Alaska?
ED
Yeah! Get a job on one of those fishing
boats, hauling in salmon or something...
CASEY
Jesus, yeah. You have any idea how much
those guys make?
NOAH
Do you have any idea how many of them get
washed overboard?
CASEY
All right then, all right. How about
this? Drive out to San Francisco. And
from there work as stevedores--
NOAH
Oh, God...
ED
Stevedores?
CASEY
You know, guys that haul shit on and off
boats--
NOAH
Longshoremen.
CASEY
Exactly, yeah. Longshoremen... But along
the way--this is what I would do--along
the way write an ethnography.
ED
(confused)
Where are you going with this one, man?
CASEY
A history of the American people. Right?
I already have a title.
NOAH
What is it?
CASEY
I don't wanna spoil it... But the best
part--after we ship out as stevedores...
We sail to Japan!
NOAH
Aw, Christ.
CASEY
To see my homeland!
NOAH
You're not Japanese!
CASEY
True, my people's customs are different
from those of the mainland Japa--
NOAH
What "mainland"? It's all islands.
CASEY
In any case, we go to Okinawa--splendid
isle of my nativity--and along the way I
write the great American story of
returning to one's roots.
ED
Told through the eyes of a little
Japanese boy...
CASEY
Some people-- Now some people want to
have their finger on the pulse of their
generation. Me, I wanna have my hand up
the skirt of my generation.
NOAH
Cute.
ED
A picaresque!
CASEY
Indeed.
ED
I'd do it. Fuck it, let's do it!
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Casey and Edmouth's party is in full swing. A long pan
showcases the three-foot tall gravity bong they've
constructed, their homemade still for making absinth, and the
hydroponics lab where they grow pot.
The party has a Willy Wonka theme: Casey is dressed as the
famous confectioner. He cuts limes at a table. Noah is
dressed as Charlie Bucket. In the background, Ed (bulging out
of Augustus Gloop-like lederhosen) amuses guests by preparing
drinks a la Tom Cruise in "Cocktail."
NOAH
What are you gonna to do—-sell all your
shit?
CASEY
I'll put it in storage.
NOAH
You don't even have a car!
CASEY
I'll sell my katana blade--with the
mother-of-pearl inlays and--
NOAH
You're insane.
CASEY
(playfully grabbing Noah's
face)
We are the music makers, and we are the
dreamers of dreams...
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
The apartment is full of carousing young people in costume.
Everyone is having a great time except Noah. He walks over to
the couch, beer in hand, and sits between two lip-locked
Violet Beauregardes and a mute Mr. Slugworth who offers him a
bowl.
NOAH'S POV - DOORWAY
Through the kitchen door, Noah sees Casey impressing a crowd
with hat and cane tricks. One observer is an attractive young
Veruca Salt: LORELEI SHEPARD, a petite blond, 19 at most.
Noah watches her walk out to the back porch then immediately
gets up to follow her. Ed takes Noah's place on the couch.
INT. BACK PORCH - FOLLOW
Noah opens the sliding-glass door to find Lorelei alone on
the porch, holding a gobstopper-like chunk of rock candy and
sucking on another. Startled, she turns around.
NOAH
Oh, sorry.
LORELEI
No, no, come on out.
(licking her fingers)
Mmm. Hi. Lorelei...
NOAH
How ya doing?
Noah wipes his hand and offers it. Lorelei turns to reach for
a bottle of beer sitting on the railing. Left holding the
baby, Noah glances up at the overcast sky and holds out his
hand as though checking for rain.
LORELEI
And you are?
NOAH
Uh, fine, thanks.
LORELEI
Mmnn?
NOAH
Oh... Uh, Noah.
LORELEI
Would you like a gobstopper?
LORELEI (CONT'D)
It's the last one.
NOAH
No, thank you. My gob is fine, no...
stopping required.
Hoping to avoid further embarrassment, Noah accepts the candy
from Lorelei's hand and puts it in his mouth.
LORELEI
Like the whale?
Noah looks at her quizzically before catching on.
NOAH
Oh... No. The Ark.
LORELEI
What?
NOAH
Like the Ark?...
NOAH (CONT'D)
Hmm, where's my drink?
LORELEI
Oh, duh, right. I wasn't raised too
religiously.
Lorelei hands Noah her beer. He takes a sip with his eyes
closed.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Lucky you.
Noah goes to set the beer back on the railing but
accidentally knocks it off. They lean over the railing, then
hear the bottle SMASH a couple stories below. Someone YELLS
up from the courtyard.
NOAH (CONT'D)
(matter-of-factly)
So, you wanna go inside?
INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER
Noah and Lorelei sit on the floor by a coffee table, playing
Jenga.
LORELEI
So what do you do? You're a student
or...?
NOAH
Ah, no. Well, I was. But--it's a long
story. How about you?
LORELEI
I'm working towards becoming a singer.
But right now I guess I'm just, well,
unemployed.
NOAH
You know O'Malley's downtown? We go
through a waitress like once a week.
LORELEI
So there's an opening?
NOAH
I could ask. Or Casey. We could maybe set
you up with Charlie.
LORELEI
Thanks. You're awesome!
NOAH
So... But you said you want to be a
singer?
LORELEI
Yeah! You should come to my gig next
week.
NOAH
That'd be great. Where? When?
LORELEI
Friday at Bartleby's?
NOAH
(dubious)
Oh, well, yeah. That's--that's a great
place.
As he reaches for another piece, someone jostles the table,
causing the tower to fall. Lorelei laughs.
LORELEI
I win!
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S KITCHEN - LATER
Noah leans over a counter as Casey meticulously arranges
dried bits of marijuana in a small plant pot. Behind them, on
the balcony, Ed breathes fire to impress the Violets.
CASEY
You see, it is the marijuana bonsai's
delicate nature that--
NOAH
Yeah, yeah, great... So what's the deal
with that girl Lorelei?
CASEY
(cocking an eyebrow in
suspicion)
Lorelei?
NOAH
Yeah. How do you know her?
CASEY
Well. Lorelei used to take voice lessons
downstairs from The Rustics' studio... So
Ed and I have known her since she was
like sixteen and--
NOAH
Does she have a boyfriend?
CASEY
Hmm. Nooo... I see little wheels turning
in your head, Noah. And I think it's
about time I toss in my tiny sabots...
NOAH
She's cute.
CASEY
I know.
NOAH
So what's the problem? Why the sabotage?
CASEY
Lorelei is like the bonsai, Noah-san. Be
gentle.
INT. HALLWAY - LATER
The party has slipped into a somewhat psychedelic mode. Most
of the guests are seated; others slow dance to music playing.
The lights have dimmed, and someone has turned on a spinning
light display in the living room.
Blue and red lights play across Noah and Lorelei's faces as
they stand close to one another in the hall. Without a word,
Lorelei grabs a pack of cigarettes from Noah's shirt pocket
then kisses his lips briefly but with feeling. She pulls
away, removes a cigarette, and lights it. Blowing the smoke
in his face, she then returns the pack to his pocket.
LORELEI
Have you ever been to California?
Noah doesn't answer. They pause and stare at each other. He
smiles, bewildered and fascinated.
NOAH
How do you do that?
LORELEI
What?
NOAH
You have this uncanny ability to change
the subject when least expected.
LORELEI
Shhh.
She winks and motions for him to follow her down the hallway.
NOAH
You know, I think Styx named a song after
you...
INT. ED'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Lorelei pulls Noah into Ed's bedroom (tastefully decorated
with a print of "Water Snakes"). The PARTY NOISE flares and,
as the door closes with an audible CLICK, dies away. Lorelei
sits on the corner of Ed's bed.
As she lowers her cigarette, Noah takes her hand and pulls
her up to him. He kisses her in a "PG" manner--she reaches
down and grabs his ass in a decidedly "R" fashion.
Suddenly, Ed busts in with a Violet on each arm. He's
carrying a large cock-and-balls shaped bowl.
ED
Whoa, sorry folks.
Noah takes a step away from Lorelei, as though trying to hide
the obvious fact they were just kissing.
ED (CONT'D)
Listen, Noah. You guys mind--
NOAH
No, no, that's fine.
ED
The girls were looking for a place to
flop. You know...
NOAH
No problem, Edmouth.
LORELEI
Have fun.
INT. HALLWAY - FOLLOW
Noah and Lorelei exit Ed's room, but Lorelei stops outside
the door.
LORELEI
Hold on a sec.
NOAH
(motioning to the bathroom
door)
I'm just gonna...
As Noah enters the bathroom, Lorelei steps back into Ed's
room and closes the door most of the way.
INT. BATHROOM - FOLLOW
As he urinates, Noah barely makes out the conversation in the
adjacent room.
LORELEI (O.S.)
(muffled)
Can I just get a hit off that?
ED (O.S.)
(muffled)
Listen, Casey told me you really
shouldn't--
LORELEI (O.S.)
(muffled)
Oh, c'mon!
ED (O.S.)
(muffled)
Sorry, Lor. He was pretty clear that--
Noah exits the bathroom and finds Casey outside the door.
CASEY
There you are! What's up?
NOAH
Well, you know.
LORELEI (O.S.)
(muffled but loud)
Suck my dick, Ed!
Lorelei exits Ed's room, slamming the door behind her. She
hears the Violets make catty remarks about her as she quickly
collects herself, smiles weakly at Casey, and grabs Noah's
arm.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
Let's go for a walk...
Casey watches them walk down the hall and narrows his eyes.
EXT. BAKER PARK - NIGHT
Despite a light drizzle, Lorelei and Noah go for a walk. The
wide lawn they stroll across is lit by the street lights
lining the edges of the park and the bright kliegs aimed up
at the band shell and the carillon in the distance.
EXT. CARILLON - FOLLOW
They continue walking down a brick path toward the park's
centerpiece: a tall, Gothic carillon.
LORELEI
One time me and my mom went inside.
There's a big piano at the top, and the
guy bangs the keys with his fists.
She pretends to play a carillon.
NOAH
Looks like me at the piano lessons my
parents made me take.
They sit on bench along the path, the tower rising behind
them.
LORELEI
It's lovely isn't it?
NOAH
I guess it is. I don't know, it's
something I've always kind of taken for
granted.
Lorelei leans over to kiss him again. Suddenly, the slight
drizzle begins to turn into a downpour.
EXT. GAZEBO - SAME
Noah and Lorelei, dripping wet, run to take shelter in a
nearby gazebo.
LORELEI
Think I make a good Veruca Salt?
NOAH
Fantastic.
LORELEI
(singing)
I want a drink...
I want a cocktail...
Lemons and tonic
And wild histrionics--
Hey, barkeep! Step on it!
Give it to me... now!
She's outrageously theatrical in her performance of this
dipsomaniacal version of "I Want It Now," but Noah finds her
charming all the same.
NOAH
(chuckling)
Very nice.
LORELEI
God, I love gazebos!
NOAH
Yeah, well, they're, you know, pretty and
white, and they keep the rain out...
LORELEI
I don't know, they just always make me
think of, like, debutantes and "Gone with
the Wind."
NOAH
Okay, so Vivian Leigh and slavery and--
LORELEI
No, silly. You know, "The Sound of
Music"!
Lorelei runs around the gazebo Liesl-style as she sings.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
"I am sixteen going on seventeen,
I know that I'm naive.
Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet,
And willingly I believe."
NOAH
You know, you actually have a nice voice.
LORELEI
Do I, actually?
NOAH
I didn't mean--
Lorelei dances around Noah, gently stroking his cheek as she
sings.
LORELEI
"I need someone older and wiser,
Telling me what to do.
You are seventeen going on eighteen,
I'll depend on you."
She spins into Noah's arms, and very nearly kisses him before
suddenly pulling away again.
NOAH
Do you still take voice lessons?
LORELEI
(smiling)
Hmm. Someone's been asking around about
me.
She pirouettes playfully.
NOAH
(embarrassed)
Casey... He just happened to mention--
LORELEI
To answer your question: no. I pretty
much stopped after I had to go away...
But I've known Casey for years...
NOAH
(a little puzzled)
Ah.
LORELEI
God, wouldn't it be great to be high
right now?
NOAH
I don't really--
LORELEI
And just run naked in the rain. You ever
done that? Run around in the rain without
any clothes on?
NOAH
Naked, yeah. Well, maybe once or--
LORELEI
God, I'd so love to be stoned now...
Noah chuckles, not taking her seriously.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
You have a car?
NOAH
Yeah, the, um, station wagon over there.
LORELEI
I'll race you.
Lorelei kicks off her shoes and removes her white kneehighs.
Holding her dress up over her head, she dashes through the
rain. Collecting her shoes and socks, Noah runs after her.
NOAH
Jesus...
(shouting)
Hey! Behave!
LORELEI (O.S.)
I'm being have!
EXT. STREET - SAME
Cheerfully whistling the last couple bars of "Singin' in the
Rain," they hop into the back of Noah's station wagon.
INT. STATION WAGON - FOLLOW
Soaked to the bone, Lorelei grabs an old wool blanket and
starts to wrap herself up in it.
LORELEI
No fair! You didn't take off a single
piece of clothing.
NOAH
(laughing)
You're crazy. Look at you! You must be
freezing.
LORELEI
So warm me up.
She invites him under the blanket.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
You don't have anything here, do you?
NOAH
Any what?
LORELEI
I don't know. Like, pot or--
NOAH
No. I mean, I don't really do--
LORELEI
Maybe we should go back to Casey's then.
NOAH
(mildly annoyed)
Let's just chill out a bit. I know my
station wagon isn't the most--
LORELEI
I'm sorry. I must sound so stupid. You
probably think I'm some kind of huge
pothead. It's just, I don't get out
much...
NOAH
It's fine, really. I just--I'd kinda like
to stay here. With you.
They begin to kiss again--this time a little more intensely.
Soon the windows are fogged, creating an atmosphere of
comfortable isolation.
Lorelei places her hands on Noah's face while they kiss.
Noticing scratches and marks on her forearms, he touches them
lightly with his fingertips. Lorelei pulls her arm away,
scratching it self-consciously and obviously avoiding a
conversation about what appear to be several fine scars.
LORELEI
The thing is, I just... I wanna feel
good, you know?
(whispering in his ear)
Help me feel good.
What had been a bit of playful kissing and petting quickly
becomes more serious. Surprised by her intensity, Noah at
once tries to slow things down while letting himself be
carried away with excitement. She starts to slide her dress
up, and he pushes it back down.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
(frustrated, trance-like)
Fuck me.
NOAH
Lorelei...
LORELEI
I want you to.
NOAH
Let's just take things—-
LORELEI
Oh, Noah, please.
Lorelei holds him even tighter, kissing him passionately,
placing his hands on her body and touching his.
They awkwardly remove their wet clothes beneath the blanket.
The back of the station wagon is cramped and cluttered, their
embraces clumsy and hasty. Lorelei tries to pull Noah on top
of her and he accidentally pulls her hair. She moves on top
of him but her head hits the roof. The only comfortable
position they can find is with Lorelei's back to him.
NOAH
(coming up for air)
I think I might have a condom in the
glove compartment... After all, it's a
glove compartment.
LORELEI
No... Condoms ruin it. I wanna feel you.
Lorelei has an addict's vacuity in her eyes, and she seems to
pay less attention to Noah than she does to her own pleasure.
Noah appears to be in a mild state of shock as they begin to
have sex. As she approaches her climax, Lorelei begs him:
LORELEI (CONT'D)
Come with me.
NOAH
(whispering hesitantly)
We shouldn't.
LORELEI
(moaning, distant)
Inside me...
NOAH
What if...?
LORELEI
Don't worry!
She sounds almost angry with his hesitation. But this anger
melts away at once.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
Please, I need you to.
As Noah is on the verge of making his decision, there is a
loud BANG on the car window.
EXT. STREET - SAME
Five teenaged OOMPAH-LOOMPAHS laugh and rock Noah's car.
OOMPAH-LOOMPAH 1
Everything going all right in there?
LORELEI (O.S.)
(from inside the station wagon)
Assholes!
OOMPAH-LOOMPAHS
(laughing and singing in off
key chorus)
"Give it to me now!"
NOAH (O.S.)
Will you guys shut up? What do you want?
OOMPAH-LOOMPAH 2
Casey asked where you were--said to make
sure you weren't doing anything he would
do.
NOAH (O.S.)
Well, just... GO AWAY, would you?
OOMPAH-LOOMPAH 1
C'mon, boys. Let's go round the corner
where the fudge is made...
The Ooompah-Loompahs run away through the park, hooting and
toilet papering the trees and the fountain.
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S BEDROOM - LATER
Casey's room is full of kana charts, tatami mats, shoji
screens, and a stack of Japanese porn. Above his futon hangs
a katana blade and a print of "The Great Wave of Kanawaga."
Peeking in, Noah and Lorelei find Casey lying in his silk
kimono amid a mass of girls and guys, rounding out the
evening with some hedonistic activities. Casey sets down the
mouthpiece of his bedside hookah and eyes them suspiciously.
CASEY
My Ooompah-Loompahs found you, did they?
Just a little midnight walk, hmm?
LORELEI
Casey, I really fucking hate it when you
act all like you're my dad or something.
First, you get to Ed, and then--
CASEY
(sternly, paternally)
Lorelei...
She storms out. Casey puffs on his hookah and raises an
eyebrow at Noah.
NOAH
(confused)
We'll just... crash in the living room.
Casey HUMS disapprovingly.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - SAME
Noah and Lorelei lay side by side uncomfortably on the couch,
which is hardly big enough for both of them. Lorelei is still
visibly angry.
LORELEI
Would you mind moving onto the floor?
NOAH
Oh, no. Sure.
LORELEI
It's just, the couch is kind of narrow
and lumpy...
NOAH
Yeah, well, pretty much half the town has
spent a night on it.
Noah lays in front of the couch, staring up at the ceiling
and listening to Lorelei's soft breathing.
NOAH (CONT'D)
(softly)
Goodnight.
Lorelei doesn't answer.
INT. NOAH'S BATHROOM - DREAM
Noah looks at the face he has drawn in the fogged mirror.
Suddenly alarmed, he looks down at the toilet, which begins
to overflow. Water spills out, quickly covering the floor.
Noah pads barefooted to the door but finds it locked. We
briefly see the door from the other side, the handle jiggling
as water seeps out from underneath.
The bathroom has filled up to Noah's chest. It starts to rise
over his head. He's as frantic as a drowning rat.
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - MORNING
Noah wakes to Woody Woodpecker's cartoon laugh blaring on the
TV. Still on the floor, Noah sits up to see who has turned on
the TV. Ed sits between the two Violets (each of whom is
wearing one of his oversized T-shirts) on the couch. Lorelei
is gone. Mystified, Noah shakes his head.
CUT TO:
EXT. BANDSHELL - DAY
A chilly autumn afternoon. Noah walks with Casey and Ed near
the park's band shell. Casey is up on tall stilts, and Ed
rides behind him on a unicycle as they pass juggling clubs.
CASEY (O.S.)
That's great. Just fuckin' great. I've
known this girl since forever. She's like
a little sister to me. And you! You screw
her in the back of your car!
NOAH
It's my mom's car technically--
CASEY (O.S.)
The unmitigated audacity!
ED
(in a funny voice)
How it was?
NOAH
It was... It was bizarre.
ED
Bizarre good or bizarre bad?
CASEY (O.S.)
(childishly blocking them out)
La la la la...
NOAH
You done?
CASEY (O.S.)
Yeah, yeah. I'm done...
NOAH
It was just... intense. I don't know what
else to say.
CASEY (O.S.)
That's it? That's all you've got?
NOAH
Oh, so now you wanna know?
CASEY (O.S.)
Well, you could at least make your
travesties interesting!
NOAH
I'm just not used to that, you know? I
didn't even try, and then...
CASEY (O.S.)
There you are, doing the humpty-hump in
the back of mom's car.
Casey accompanies his comment with pelvic gyrations, which
nearly cause him to fall off the stilts.
NOAH
What the hell was that thing in your
room, man?
CASEY (O.S.)
(ignoring the question)
So you're gonna call her and blah blah
blah...
NOAH
That's the thing, right? Last night, we
crash in the front room. And this
morning, she just takes off.
CASEY (O.S.)
Ah, here we go.
NOAH
What's that supposed to mean?
CASEY (O.S.)
I don't know what I should and shouldn't
say.
NOAH
Like what?
CASEY (O.S.)
Just... I know you like her. I mean,
obviously, look at you. But don't throw
yourself into it too much. Take your
time.
NOAH
What? Why?
(to Ed)
What's he being so cryptic about?
ED
Lorelei can be a little erratic.
CASEY (O.S.)
I'm just trying to protect both of you.
NOAH
Well, Jesus! I mean, I just met her. What
am I--
CASEY (O.S.)
I know, I know... Don't worry about it. I
just thought a heads-up--
NOAH
Casey, what's Japanese for "Go fuck
yourself"?
Noah begins to stalk off.
CASEY
C'mon, man! That's not what I... Noah?
Noah!
Casey tries to run after Noah but falls into a nearby bush.
EXT. BARTLEBY'S - NIGHT
Noah approaches the front of a small cafe and stops to read
the sandwich board.
INSERT - SANDWICH BOARD
OPEN MIC NIGHT
7-11 PM
"Bottomless Coffee Special"
INT. BARTLEBY'S - FOLLOW
A dozen or so PATRONS sit at several small tables sipping
coffee. The cafe has the feel of a beatnik poetry venue; it's
lit only by the small candles on the tables.
A FOLK SINGER finishes her slightly off-key tune as Noah
takes a seat at the back of the room. Then an EMCEE, complete
with goatee and black turtleneck, takes the stage.
EMCEE
Thank you, Charlotte. Everybody give it
up for Charlotte Gale.
The crowd applauds halfheartedly, and the hum of conversation
grows louder.
EMCEE (CONT'D)
Our next performer is gracing the
Bartleby stage for the first time
tonight. So I want everyone to give a
warm welcome to Miss Lorelei Shepard.
Most of the patrons applaud softly, but three GIRLS sitting
up front clap loudly, hooting in support.
Noah's face lights up as Lorelei takes the stage, an acoustic
guitar slung over her shoulder. She wears a tight white
tanktop and a pair of hip-hugging jeans, and has her hair
pulled back in a pair of ponytails.
LORELEI
(nervously)
Thank you...
A feedback squeal takes Lorelei aback. She clears her throat.
The hum of conversation grows even louder.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
I thought I'd play an old standard for
you guys tonight. Let me just...
(tuning the guitar)
OK...
She strums the opening chords of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
and begins to slip into a more confident performance mode.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
"I'm not a girl who misses much. Do do do
do do do. Oh, yeah..."
She sings the song with coy girlish sexiness, her voice soft
and meek until she reaches the chorus. Then she strums the
guitar forcibly and flips her ponytails.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
... "Mother Superior jump the gun! Mother
Superior jump the gun!"
The crowd seems a little shocked. Noah smiles. The girls in
the front cheer. Lorelei's intensity abates, and she returns
to a soft sexy tone for several lines. At the end of the
song, she again kicks it up a notch.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
"When I hold you in my arms, and I feel
your finger on my trigger..."
The girls cheer again. Lorelei finishes her song, and leaves
the stage to join the girls in front. The crowd gives her
lukewarm applause as the emcee takes the mic.
EMCEE
Lorelei Shepard, everybody. Next up, Nick
Mullinix is gonna sing us some Simon and
Garfunkel.
As another performer takes to the stage to perform "Kathy's
Song," Noah approaches Lorelei's table. She leans over to zip
up the bottom of a soft guitar case. Her friends chatter
behind her.
NOAH
That was great!
LORELEI
Oh, hey.... No. It wasn't.
NOAH
Really, you sounded fantastic.
Both seem embarrassed and nervous to see each other again.
One of the girls at the table whispers something--perhaps
about Noah--and two of them burst out laughing. Lorelei casts
them an importunate disapproving glare.
Lorelei starts to tuck a book into the guitar case. Noah
crouches and looks closer at the picture on the cover: Venus
skating to shore on her half-shell.
NOAH (CONT'D)
What's this?
Lorelei quickly shoves the book into her case.
LORELEI
Just my Lyric Book.
Noah smiles and leans in closer to her.
NOAH
It's great to see you again... I wasn't
sure if I would. I didn't get your
number.
LORELEI
It's not... I just don't give out my
number much.
Noah is thrown off by her behavior. She looks around the room
nervously and fidgets as they talk, as though she feels
trapped in the conversation.
NOAH
But, well, it's good to see you... Maybe
sometime we could--maybe we could arrange
to, you know, get together some night.
LORELEI
Yeah. No, that would be... Sure.
NOAH
Oh, and Charlie--my manager--he says you
can come in on Thursday. If you're free.
At around noon.
LORELEI
Charlie? Oh, right. Oh, great, thanks!...
Listen, my dad is gonna be here in a few
minutes. I just have to say goodbye to
some friends and--
NOAH
No, that's fine. Sure.
LORELEI
I'm sorry. I'd... Well, it was nice to
see you again.
NOAH
Yeah.
LORELEI
But I'll see you Thursday, right?
NOAH
Yeah, definitely.
LORELEI
Cool. Okay.
NOAH
Great. Um, good night then? Nice to see
you.
Lorelei has already turned to talk to her girlfriends. One of
them laughs loudly again as Noah slowly walks toward the
door, visibly confused about what just happened.
INT. O'MALLEY'S - MORNING
Noah sits at the bar flicking cocktail straws into a pint
glass several feet away. CHARLIE, the manager/bartender,
approaches and looks at his watch.
CHARLIE
This girl's a friend of yours, huh?
NOAH
Something probably just came up.
Charlie winks at him and clacks his tongue.
EXT. VIDEO STORE - DAY
Noah parks at a video store. Stepping out of his car with a
video in hand, he notices Lorelei coming out of the store.
NOAH
(calling to her)
Hey! Lorelei!
Lorelei squints in his direction and stands still as he jogs
over to her.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Hey, what's up?
LORELEI
Hi, Noah.
NOAH
Where were you the other morning?
LORELEI
When?
NOAH
Thursday... To meet Charlie?
LORELEI
Oh, shit, the restaurant! I'm sorry.
Jeez.
NOAH
Well, I mean...
LORELEI
No, really. I just... I was up late the
night before and I ended up sleeping
in... I should have called or something.
NOAH
No big deal. I mean, whatever. But I
don't know about Charlie now... If he'll--
LORELEI
Actually, I sort of already found
something. I think it might work out.
She opens her coat and points to a nametag with the video
store logo on her shirt.
NOAH
(sighing)
Are you just... I mean, are you avoiding
me or something? Did I--
LORELEI
No, no.
NOAH
Have I done something that--
LORELEI
No, I'm not avoiding you... I'm just. I
don't know. I just am sort of stepping
back. I'm kind of trying to not go in the
wrong direction.
NOAH
Okay, but... Can we go in a direction? I
mean, you know, maybe we could talk now
and then? Or hang out?
LORELEI
Yeah, well...
NOAH
Listen, I'm not trying to pressure you
into anything. I don't have some kind of
big expectation that I want you to
fulfill or something. And I don't think
that... that what we did is like some
kind of huge deal that means that you
have to do something.
Honestly, I thought we had some kind of
connection. If I'm coming on too strong--
LORELEI
You're not coming on too strong. I just,
I don't know, this is what I do... But
for me, it's complicated and sometimes I
wig out a little.
NOAH
I don't want to weird you out or scare
you off, so... But if ever you want to
hang out, and--
LORELEI
How about Friday?
NOAH
(mildly shocked)
Well, yeah. Sure.
LORELEI
We could maybe get together for a kind of
date--but just as friends?
CUT TO:
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT
Noah and Lorelei sit across from one another at a Chinese
restaurant. Between them are various dishes, which they have
partially finished, and a pot of tea.
NOAH
I used to do all that stuff... Pot, acid,
you know... But then I just stopped. Part
of it was that I was interested in the
experimentation side. Like I thought I
was Aldous Huxley or something, opening
my mind to altered consciousness. But
then I realized that, basically, I was
just getting high a lot, and that it
wasn't even something I enjoyed all that
much.
LORELEI
So then you just quit...
NOAH
Well, yeah. I mean, part of it, too, was
that my brother got arrested and had to
go through rehab in jail. And he was
really a mess, doing much worse stuff
than I ever tried.
But seeing him get hauled away was a wake
up call... And more than that, it was
what Aaron's getting arrested did to my
mom and dad. It's just like, after that,
both of them became totally different. My
mom's still balancing between a glass of
wine and devoting herself to the church.
And my... ...dad is just, I don't know,
an emotional parapelegic--like three
words at dinner, you know? So I've pretty
much made it my mission in life to be
nothing like Aaron.
LORELEI
You used to look up to him, huh?
NOAH
No. No, he was pretty much always a
motherfucker. He used to kick the shit
out of me when I was little... Anyway, he
got out a year ago, and none of us has
seen him since.
LORELEI
That's awful.
NOAH
Eh. Actually, it was worse when he was
still in jail. Mom knew where he was, and
she used to drag us all down to see him
at Christmas.
EXT. JAIL - DAY
AARON sits before the glass of a visitor's booth at the
prison (decorated with a cheap silver garland). He looks
angry and depressed. Bill coolly regards his delinquent son
as Nancy weeps melodramatically. In the corner sits Maggie,
playing cat's cradle by herself. Noah paces behind them, not
looking at his brother. No one speaks.
RETURN TO CHINESE RESTAURANT
NOAH
So, it's really all for the best...
LORELEI
Hmm.
NOAH
Hmm?
LORELEI
Nothing.
NOAH
What?
LORELEI
What the hell are you even doing here,
Noah?
Noah looks around the room, feigning confusion.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
I mean, in this crappy little town. You
could be anywhere. New York, San
Francisco... Why aren't you in college?
NOAH
I don't really want to talk about this...
LORELEI
Tell me.
NOAH
(as though bored with hearing
himself)
I graduated from high school a year early
and ended up getting into Johns Hopkins.
At first, I was really excited. But then,
by spring semester, there was no just
wind whatsoever left in my sails. It all
seemed completely... meaningless.
LORELEI
What's that supposed to mean?
NOAH
It was full of pretentious kids who all
thought it was leading them down some
golden path. But to me, it didn't seem to
be leading anywhere... I mean, I just
have this thing. It's difficult to
imagine anything to do--to study, to work
for--that really means something, that's
really worth the effort. So college was
just this thing. It was so obviously
relative that I couldn't take it
seriously.
LORELEI
What does that have to do with anything?
You should totally be in school right
now, Noah.
NOAH
But--
LORELEI
It's just so stupid of you. And selfish.
Somebody like me would never get the
chance to go to that school. And you, you
just left! For no reason! You talk about
how stupid people here are, but here...
you are. To me, that's even stupider...
What have you been doing here that, even
relatively, is more meaningful than
stupid college stuff?
NOAH
Listen, Casey and Ed alone are more
interesting, intelligent, and educational
than any of the eggheads at Hopkins.
LORELEI
So, what, you're just gonna hide out here
then? Just cool your heels and wait?
NOAH
No... I'm--
LORELEI
You're afraid. You're afraid to, like, be
out in the world. You should totally just
go somewhere, Noah. Do something. Jesus,
I mean, live!
NOAH
(earnestly)
You know, that's what I like most about
you, Lorelei. You're so alive.
She shakes her head, smiling sarcastically, and quickly
traces over the pattern on her place mat several times with
her index finger. But Noah persists.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I envy that about you.
A WAITRESS comes to the table with the check and a fortune
cookie. Suddenly, Lorelei becomes much more chipper and
changes the subject.
LORELEI
Open your mouth and close your eyes, and
you will get a big surprise.
Noah does as told, and Lorelei shoves half of the fortune
cookie in his mouth.
NOAH
You gonna eat the other half?
LORELEI
Yep.
NOAH
So what's our fortune?
CUT TO:
INT. LORELEI'S FRIEND'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
A small gathering of Lorelei's friends. Four GIRLS and five
GUYS, all of them 19- and 20-year-olds, drink cheap beer in a
messy living room. Noah and Lorelei sit on the edge of a
sofa; Noah seems uncomfortable.
A MEATHEAD with a crew cut has captivated the attention of
his similarly stupid-looking friends.
MEATHEAD 1
(imitating an old Chinese man)
Confucius say, "Man who walk middle of
road get run over by bus."
Noah rubs his temples as though suffering from a headache.
The others laugh. A second MEATHEAD opens a bottle of beer
with his teeth and hands it to Noah, who smiles weakly as he
takes it.
MEATHEAD 2
(to Noah)
C'mon, man, you know any good ones?
NOAH
Ah, no... No. Ethnic humor has never
really been my forte... I prefer knock
knock jokes.
Lorelei suppresses a smile.
MEATHEAD 3
How 'bout this one? What did the fag say
to the other fag at the bar?... "Can I
push in your stool?"
As the others laugh, Noah looks to Lorelei and winces to
signal he's having a bad time. She crinkles her brow in a
"What's the matter?" kind of way.
NOAH
(mouthing to Lorelei)
Can we...?
One of the girls notices Noah nodding toward the door.
GIRL 1
What'sa matter. Don't like a good gay
joke?
Noah rolls his eyes, then notices that everyone is staring at
him. Fed up, he decides to throw down.
NOAH
I just don't understand how a group of
guys who spent high school snapping
towels in the locker room and patting
each other's asses can possibly have
anything to say against homosexuals.
MEATHEAD 2
(shocked and stupid)
What are you saying?
GIRL 2
Maybe he's a fag--that's why he's getting
all upset.
MEATHEAD 3
Yeah, where's your gay little butt
buddies at, guy?
Noah confronts them with an intense calmness and a steely
gaze.
NOAH
Yeah, that's it. I am a faggot. I'm a big
queer.
GIRL 2
What, you like it in the ass?
NOAH
(now with a weary calmness)
That's right. I love it in the ass. I was
just imagining getting pounded right now.
MEATHEAD 1
I'll fuckin' pound you!
Two of them hold him back as he jumps up. Lorelei grabs their
coats and pulls Noah toward the door.
EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER
Lorelei and Noah exit the apartment building. Lorelei is
laughing and tugging at his arm to pull him out. Noah glares
over his shoulder, ready to fight.
LORELEI
You "like it in the ass"?
Suddenly, Noah's intensity and anger melts away.
NOAH
I'm sorry... I just... Sometimes I get
carried away. I didn't mean to ruin the
whole night--
LORELEI
Bah! Don't worry about it. They're just a
bunch of dippy twats I hung out with in
high school.
NOAH
Well, I'm sorry anyway.
Lorelei looks into his eyes.
NOAH (CONT'D)
(innocently)
What?
LORELEI
Nothing. Just... You're sweet.
She gives him a little kiss on the lips, and they look at
each other for a moment. They share another, longer kiss--one
that looks like it might lead to something. Letting the kiss
drop, Lorelei playfully tugs at Noah's collar.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
C'mon, let's go out. Take me somewhere
fun.
INT. CLUB - NIGHT
Noah and Lorelei dance together at a club in Baltimore,
acting playfully sexy and teasing each other.
Noah sits at a table to sip his drink and watch Lorelei dance
by herself. Soon she is joined by other GIRLS and a couple
GUYS. A handsome YOUNG MAN brings her a drink. He is clearly
trying to get closer to her. As she plays along, she rolls
her eyes and pulls faces at Noah, making it clear she's more
interested in free drinks than in the fellow paying for them.
This is the part where we, the audience, join Noah in eating
our hearts out with longing for the lovely Lorelei.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING LOT - LATER
They leave the dance club, crossing the parking lot to Noah's
station wagon. Behind them blinks the nightclub's neon sign,
and a stream of other patrons pours out the front door.
LORELEI
Please! Please, please, please, please...
NOAH
(teasing)
I don't know. You had quite a few
caffeinated beverages in there...
LORELEI
Oh, c'mon!
NOAH
Are you sure that fellow in the leather
pants didn't buy you a rum and coke?
LORELEI
Cross my heart and hope to die.
NOAH
All right, then, fine.
INT. STATION WAGON - MOMENTS LATER
Lorelei sits in the driver's seat of Noah's car with a huge
grin on her face.
LORELEI
Woo hoo! Where to next?
NOAH
Oh my God! Home! Jesus, it's already two
thirty... Here, take the next exit onto
ninety-five.
Noah looks longingly at the exit as they pass it.
NOAH (CONT'D)
The exit?
LORELEI
What? Oh! That one?
NOAH
Yeah, that one--the one we just passed!
LORELEI
Sorry...
NOAH
God, now we have to go around the entire
beltway.
LORELEI
I'm sorry.
NOAH
No, actually. Wait. We can just take the
next one. This one here. This one. This!
That was-- Why didn't you...
Lorelei starts laughing her head off.
LORELEI
Oh, come on. Like you have anything to do
tomorrow.
NOAH
You're never driving again.
EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - LATER
Lorelei continues to drive down a dark, empty country road on
the outskirts of Frederick.
LORELEI
That wasn't so bad... Only an hour out of
the way.
NOAH
I'm just exhausted.
LORELEI
Aww, come on. Wake up!
She shakes the wheel, swerving across both lanes.
NOAH
Whoa, whoa! Jesus!
LORELEI
What? Make ya nervous?
She swerves again, this time more wildly.
NOAH
Seriously, stop.
Lorelei steps on the gas and does another swerve.
LORELEI
Woooooo! Wake up, wake up, wake up!
The car swerves a little too far into the other lane, and
Lorelei overreacts. They begin to fishtail and end up
skidding off the road into a thin barbed-wire fence.
EXT. ROADSIDE - SAME
Noah tries to open his door, but it's too close to a fence
post.
LORELEI
Are you okay?
NOAH
(angrily)
Yes. Just get out, okay?
Lorelei opens the driver's side door and steps out. Noah
crawls over her seat to exit.
LORELEI
Oh, God! I'm sorry. Noah, I'm sorry.
Really, I was just kidding around!
Noah circles the car, inspecting for damages, and finds a
long scratch on the passenger side. On the twisted barbed
wire fence he sees a sign.
INSERT - SIGN
"NO TRESPASSING - FORT DETRICK
PROPERTY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED"
RETURN TO ROADSIDE
NOAH
Are you okay?
LORELEI
Yes. I'm so, so sorry...
NOAH
Get in. We'd better haul ass before the
M.P.s show up or something.
They get in the car and Noah drives off again.
INT. STATION WAGON - SAME
Lorelei looks genuinely upset. Her face is tear-streaked and
she is breathing heavily.
LORELEI
God, you must hate me. I'm so stupid. I'm
sorry. I'm just stupid.
Noah looks down to see that she has pulled up her sleeve and
started scratching her arm. He stops the car abruptly and
grabs her hand.
NOAH
(tenderly)
Listen. I don't hate you, and you're not
stupid. It's no big deal. It's just a
scratch.
LORELEI
But it's your mom's--
NOAH
I'll just tell her a deer jumped out onto
the road... No biggie. Just calm down.
Lorelei cries even harder. She squeezes Noah's hand and pulls
him closer to hug him. Noah kisses her teary cheek. Holding
her close, his face against hers, he seems about to kiss her
lips. But then he closes his eyes and SIGHS.
CUT TO:
EXT. LORELEI'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Noah arrives at Lorelei's house, a typical split-level
suburban home. Walking up the driveway, he notices bars in
one of the second story windows. He rings the doorbell, and
Lorelei lets him in.
INT. LORELEI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Lorelei's bedroom contains the vestiges of her girlhood: a
single four-poster bed, a miniature girl's vanity, ballet
slippers on the walls, and memorabilia from Broadway shows,
etc. Noah looks around the room and notices a small Japanese
box on the counter. He picks it up.
NOAH
So your dad's out?
LORELEI
He should be back tomorrow.
Lorelei casually takes the box from him and returns it to its
place on the vanity.
NOAH
Business trip?
LORELEI
Yeah, he's away pretty often. It's sad, I
know that he hates to be away. Then he
can't watch out for me.
NOAH
Apron strings still a little tight?
LORELEI
No, he just... He likes to be here for
me.
NOAH
Yeah, but come on. You're almost twenty
years old. Does he really--
LORELEI
He likes to... It's just... I've had a
lot of... problems in the past, and he
just likes to make sure I'm okay, all
right?
NOAH
Sure. Yeah... What kind of... problems?
LORELEI
(sighing)
I just... I used to be into some bad
things. In high school. And after... I've
kind of had a habit of... of hurting
myself.
NOAH
Like with...?
LORELEI
Like with, you know, drugs and stuff...
And I've... I don't know, I used to cut
myself now and then. You know, like
scratch myself, with my nails... Or cut.
NOAH
Your arms?
LORELEI
A few years ago they diagnosed me as
obsessive/compulsive. You know, so I
would get it into my head that if I
didn't... Well, I don't want to talk
about it.
NOAH
No. Okay. That's fine...
LORELEI
I used to get depressed, you know?
Especially after my mom died. But even
before. And I was anxious all the time.
Like crazy in my own skin, you know?
NOAH
Yeah.
LORELEI
So it was like... Scratching, or cutting,
or somehow feeling the pain on my arms,
or sometimes my legs or my... or my
face...
She shows him her arms, which are marred with dozens of small
scars. Noah touches them, as he had tried to before, and
Lorelei allows it.
NOAH
I'm mean... I've noticed. But I didn't
want to...
LORELEI
I know... The pain kind of makes me feel
alive, you know? It makes me feel somehow
separate from the bad thoughts and
feelings...
One of the marks she shows him looks disturbingly fresh.
NOAH
But Lorelei... You can't do this. You
just--
LORELEI
I know. I know. Please, really. Don't
worry about it. I'm... I'm really a lot
better now. My meds have really helped.
Lorelei subtly looks toward her vanity. As they continue to
talk, she slowly works her way in front of it, as though
protecting something.
NOAH
Meds?
LORELEI
You know. Like for a while I was on
Buspar, then Lithium for a while--but
that was too much. So then, Prozac--but
eh. Now Xanax, and...
NOAH
Jesus...
LORELEI
But... I mean, I love my meds. But I hate
them too. When I'm on them, I feel safe.
Like I can do anything. But anything I
do, I barely feel. And to even feel it, I
have to do it ten times bigger... When
I'm not on them, the only thing I can do
to make me feel real is make a mark... My
meds--they're like a big full-body condom
or something. And if I want to feel good,
I have to do twice as much to make it
real. Even though I know I shouldn't,
that I can't--I want more of everything.
Like when you have a cast on your arm,
you know? And you're trying to dig into
it with a pencil or a ruler?... It's
just, there's no balance, you know? I
just wish there could be some place in
between.
NOAH
Yeah.
LORELEI
I guess that's what Dad tries to do...
With the privileges he sets up for me and
all that.
NOAH
Privileges?
LORELEI
Yeah. I can go out one night if I earn
enough points by--
NOAH
He really does that? He has like a
system?
LORELEI
I know it sounds weird, Noah, but I'm a
lot more social now. But a
relationship...
NOAH
Lorelei...
LORELEI
Noah, I want to talk about it... I mean,
do you still think about the party at
Casey's, and--
NOAH
Yeah... Well, yeah. Of course.
LORELEI
But I hope that... I don't know.
NOAH
No, don't worry. It's not--
LORELEI
I just... I don't think I can do anything
more than this right now. Maybe one day.
But right now, I like you too much, you
know? I just... I only need a friend. Not
a boyfriend...
NOAH
I know. And I'm here for you... No
pressure.
LORELEI
I know.
They hug.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
You wanna watch a movie?
Noah smiles and squeezes her hand.
INT. LORELEI'S BASEMENT - LATER
As Lorelei and Noah doze off on the couch, the blue and white
flicker of late-night television plays across their faces.
LORELEI
I'm comfortable.
NOAH
It is better than Casey's couch.
LORELEI
No, I mean with you. I feel very
comfortable telling you things.
Noah smiles and lets his hand slide down to rest on her head.
He plays with her hair absently but affectionately.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
I don't think I've felt so much like
myself around anyone since Emma.
NOAH
Emma?
LORELEI
Emma was great...
NOAH
Who is she?
LORELEI
She's a girl. At camp.
NOAH
So tell me about her.
Lorelei closes her eyes and sinks deeper into the couch. She
narrates her story in a sleepy voice as we slip into a dream
like flashback.
FADE TO:
INT. ROOM AT AN INSTITUTION - NIGHT
While Lorelei is small and slim, EMMA is taller, more buxom,
Kate Winslet-ish. They share a tiny single bed at what
appears to be an institution.
LORELEI (V.O.)
We shared a small room. Just the two of
us. And at night sometimes--well, it was
cold and we were away from home--so she
would let me crawl in bed with her, to
keep warm.
Holding each other, Lorelei and Emma kiss girlishly. Lorelei
moves to lie on top of Emma, and they look into each other's
eyes, smiling innocently.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The bed seemed huge, lying there with
Emma. I'd imagine we were in this, like,
king-size surrounded by drapes...
And she had the greatest butt. She wasn't
fat or anything, not at all--but she had
this great big butt.
Lorelei lays her head on Emma's pillow-like butt and closes
her eyes.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Like a pillow. I used to love cuddling up
to her, having something to hold on to...
And we used to play pooh sticks at the
park--
NOAH (V.O.)
Pooh sticks?
LORELEI (V.O.)
Yeah. You see, you stand on a bridge--we
used to go to this little creek that had
a small wooden bridge over it--and you
each drop a stick in the water.
From above, we see Lorelei and Emma lying in the bed, the
sheet pulled up to their chins. Both of them seem to be
suppressing giggles as they stare up at the ceiling. Lorelei
closes her eyes tight, purses her lips, and shakes her head,
as though she were in the middle of trying to win a bicycle
race.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Then you run to the other side--and
you've already chosen a finish line--and
whoever's stick gets there first wins.
Emma suddenly throws her head back ecstatically and curls
over sideways into a ball, laughing.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Emma always used to win.
FADE TO:
EXT. A SMALL BRIDGE - DAY
A GROUP OF GIRLS, apple-cheeked and blinking in the sunlight
of an all-too-perfect afternoon, stroll through a lovely
Eastern Shore town. It's autumn and a bit chilly out, but the
sky is exceptionally clear and blue.
LORELEI (V.O.)
Oh, and she painted this picture once. In
oil, even. Of a river flowing out to sea,
with all these little people living on
its banks.
They begin to cross the bridge in slow motion, Lorelei and
Emma walking arm in arm, laughing with the other girls. Emma
is lovely and wears a fetching light blue coat. She kisses
Lorelei on the cheek, and Lorelei giggles.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
She was from Rock Hall--we went there
once together--and she used to talk all
about the fishermen and crabbers on the
Eastern Shore with their boats and nets.
Another GIRL comes up to Lorelei, pulling her arm to get her
to come to the far side of the bridge. All the girls rush to
a BALLOON VENDOR. In that instant, the girls fail to notice
that Emma is no longer with the group.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And she was obsessed, really obsessed,
with Greek mythology. She was so smart,
she knew all the characters and gods and
stuff. And she used to tell me about this
place, this perfect place, and how people
ride dolphins out over the ocean to get
there.
Lorelei, smiling brightly with a balloon in hand, turns
around to see Emma standing atop the cement guardrail of the
bridge. She does not scream for the others as Emma turns her
head, looks directly at her, and smiles--but the balloon
slips from her hand and flies away.
LORELEI (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I used to think about that when we laid
in bed together, like we were floating
out to sea on a king-size mattress-boat
with drapes for sails. Just like the
painting.
Suddenly, one of the girls near the far side of the bridge
screams (silently). The girls look down to see Emma's body
floating past them, pooh stick-like.
NOAH (V.O.)
Do you guys still see each other?
CUT TO:
REACTION SHOT - LORELEI
Lorelei stands before the other girls, who are screaming and
crying behind her. She faces the opposite direction, looking
toward the spot from which Emma just jumped.
We hear Noah's question as we watch her placid expression,
and she replies to him in the flashback:
LORELEI
(expressionless)
No. She moved to California with her
family.
CUT TO:
INT. LORELEI'S BASEMENT - SAME
Lorelei hears the front door open upstairs, followed by heavy
footsteps. She jumps up and rouses Noah.
LORELEI
(whispering frantically)
Oh, shit. Noah, you gotta go... You gotta
go.
NOAH
What? Why?
She points to a window on the far side of the room.
LORELEI
The window! Just... Just go!
Noah unlocks the window and starts to crawl out.
FATHER (O.S.)
(calling down the stairs)
Laur?
They hear footsteps descending. Though confused and slow to
react, Noah manages to make it out without being seen.
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Noah, Casey, Edmouth, the two Violets, and Lorelei sit around
the kitchen table, cards in hand. Next to Lorelei is JESSE
SUSKIND, a 19-year-old with interesting facial hair, two
earrings, and cigarette behind his ear. Everyone is nearly
naked, except for Jesse, who wears a sweater, a coat, a pimp
hat, and a feather boa. On the table are more articles of
clothing, from belts to socks.
Everyone looks anxiously at Jesse. Their cards are already
down, and Jesse slowly lowers his to reveal three aces and a
pair of kings.
CASEY
DUDE, how the fuck? You're like out of a
Kenny Rogers song!
JESSE
You gotta know when to hold 'em.
ED
That's my last sock.
VIOLET 1
Shut up, Ed. At least you have a top on.
ED
Yeah, but remember where I had that
sock...
Both Violets lean over to glance under the table.
JESSE
Pay up, everybody. Pay up!
The group sighs collectively as they cede their losses. Noah
is down to his boxers; Lorelei is about to give up her bra.
Then Jesse offers her the boa so she can cover herself.
LORELEI
Thank you!
JESSE
(out of the corner of his
mouth)
We're on the same team, right?
She giggles and flips her hair. Noah notices Jesse caressing
Lorelei's knee. Meanwhile, Casey has been shuffling and
dealing the cards with showman's flair.
VIOLET 2
Last hand? It's getting cold in here.
CASEY
I was gonna use that trick I had up my
sleeve. Now I don't have any sleeves!
Ante up. I bet my... boxers.
ED
Tee-shirt.
VIOLETS 1 & 2
Panties.
LORELEI
Boa.
CASEY
Bah!
JESSE
(shifting through his winnings)
Hmm. My... coat.
NOAH
(annoyed)
Underpants.
ED
Who says "underpants"?
They go around the table, sliding cards across to Casey and
receiving some back. When Noah gets his two cards, he smiles
then tries to keep a poker face.
CASEY
All right. Well?
ED
This sucks. Fold.
VIOLET 1
I'll pass.
VIOLET 2
Hit me.
ED
How many times do we have to--
VIOLET 2
Whatever! I'm in.
LORELEI
Fold.
JESSE
You smiled, Noah. Wanna make it
interesting? Win back your pants?
NOAH
I'll see your pants and raise you...
Well...
He notices he has nothing left to bet.
JESSE
How about this? See my pants and raise me
that if you lose, you'll put a cigarette
between your butt cheeks, waddle to the
other room, and drop it into a beer
bottle.
The others laugh. Noah looks at his cards, maintaining a
confident look.
NOAH
Call.
Noah puts down his cards to reveal a flush. Jesse lowers his.
A royal flush.
VIOLET 2
That's bad, right?
NOAH
Shit!
Jesse laughs loudly, pulls the cigarette from behind his ear,
and hands it to Noah. Everyone starts to grab their clothes
from the table.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
Lorelei and Jesse talk secretively while the others hoot and
holler as Noah completes Jesse's bet.
LORELEI
You didn't cheat that last hand, did you?
JESSE
(chuckling)
Would I do such a thing?
Lorelei shoves him playfully.
LORELEI
I thought you were the son of a preacher
man.
The group breaks up and Noah hikes up his jeans. On the
ground behind him is a bottle with a cigarette in it.
JESSE
You want a beer?
Lorelei nods and Jesse goes to the kitchen. She walks over to
Noah.
NOAH
Who is this guy, anyway?
LORELEI
Why do you sound so pissed off? It's just
a game...
NOAH
Aside from the fact that he was clearly
cheating--
LORELEI
Oh, come on. That just makes it more fun.
NOAH
She said, her boa wrapped around her.
LORELEI
You don't think you're being a little
silly?
Laughter erupts from the kitchen, and they can hear Jesse
captivating the others with some kind of story.
NOAH
But who is he?
LORELEI
He's just, you know, a guy. He comes to
the video store. We were in a class or
two in high school... But everyone seems
to like him, don't you think?
NOAH
Yeah, yeah. He's a fantastic human being.
LORELEI
Don't be a sore loser.
INT. HALLWAY - LATER
Lorelei walks down the hallway from the bathroom. Jesse
stands at the living room end.
LORELEI
I should really get going.
JESSE
I can give you a lift.
LORELEI
Really? Are you sure?
JESSE
Yeah, no prob.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Lorelei and Jesse put on their coats to leave.
LORELEI
See you later, Casey. Ed.
(to the Violets)
Nice to meet you guys...
JESSE
Thanks, guys! Nice to meet all of you.
LORELEI
Bye, Noah.
Noah waves nonchalantly. The others ad lib various farewells.
Lorelei and Jesse go out the door.
Noah stands up abruptly and starts toward the kitchen. Ed and
the girls begin to pack a bowl.
NOAH
God, I can't stand that guy.
CASEY
Eh, he's not so bad.
The others mumble their assent.
ED
And he dealt us some good shit!
CUT TO:
INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY
Noah walks down the sterile, fluorescent-lit aisle of a
supermarket, browsing the cereal selection. Through a gap in
the boxes, he sees Lorelei in the next aisle.
Lorelei reads the labels of various medicines. She comes to
the cough syrup section, looks toward the checkout lane, then
slides two bottles into her coat.
NOAH
(tapping her shoulder)
So am I missing National Jesse Suskind
month or something?
LORELEI
(mildly startled)
What are you talking about?
NOAH
The fact I haven't seen you in almost two
weeks.
LORELEI
I've been busy.
NOAH
I can imagine. Video store overrun with
anxious renters?
LORELEI
Jeez, you're a bitter pill today.
She starts to walk slowly down the aisle, away from the cough
medicines.
NOAH
Seriously, what's the deal? Where have
you been?
LORELEI
I don't know. Just work. Hanging out with
Jesse here and there.
He doesn't reply immediately, but looks her over.
NOAH
You look exhausted.
LORELEI
Yeah, well, I'm a little tired... Last
night we went to a concert. I think maybe
I smoked a bit too much.
NOAH
Christ, Lorelei. Is that all he likes to
do? This guy... This Jesse is--
LORELEI
I don't want to hear this, Noah. Don't be
like Casey. Look, I'm just having fun.
Jesse's actually fun to hang out with.
NOAH
Oh, I see. I see... Well, he's got weed,
right? So how's it work? He gives you a
little, you give him a little?
LORELEI
Jesus! You're being such a dick!
NOAH
I just. God... I thought we had something
special going on.
LORELEI
We do. But we talked about that...
NOAH
Yeah, but then you immediately turned
around and starting dating Jesse!
LORELEI
It's just, like, a thing!
NOAH
And I guess I'm just a convenience.
LORELEI
Why are you doing this!
Noah pulls her close and squeezes her coat to tell her he
knows she just stole two bottles of cough syrup.
NOAH
(in a hoarse whisper)
Why are you doing this?
They notice a BAGBOY at one of the checkouts looking at them.
Lorelei pulls away from Noah brusquely and walks angrily down
the aisle.
EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER
Noah catches up to Lorelei in front of a row of carts.
NOAH
Just stop, would you?
She whips around to face him.
LORELEI
You're just full of shit, Noah. If you
really cared how happy I was, you
wouldn't be so selfish.
NOAH
I'm just trying to stop you from--
LORELEI
Just get over it. Okay? Just wake up and
see it's not gonna happen.
Noah stares at her with a mixture of anger and sadness
playing across his face. Then he storms off to his car and
drives away in anger. Lorelei looks after him, seemingly
regretful for what she's said.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT
Cigarettes dangling from the corners of their mouths, Casey
and Noah haul trash out to the alley behind O'Malley's. Noah
angrily chucks a bag into a dumpster.
NOAH
But the way she hangs on him. And he's
such a fucking tool... She's totally just
using him to--
CASEY
Noah. Noah... At some point you're gonna
have to stop this.
NOAH
Stop what? I'm just concerned about--
CASEY
Don't be. It doesn't matter. Just let it
go.
NOAH
It matters to me. I'm sorry, but to me it
fucking matters.
CASEY
Listen, man. Maybe you haven't noticed,
she's not exactly stable. I don't think
it would even be a good thing if you did
get with her. There are a lot of things--
NOAH
I know, already. Christ, get off my back.
Noah flicks his cigarette angrily down the alley. Casey takes
a long drag, then calmly drops it and puts it out with his
foot.
CASEY
Come over and crash tonight. We'll chill
out, watch a movie.
NOAH
I don't know...
CASEY
Come on, man. You haven't hung out for
weeks. We'll plan the roadtrip.
NOAH
(softening with a chuckle)
You and your roadtrip.
Casey tosses his arm around Noah's shoulder and guides him
back inside.
CASEY
Speaking of trips...
Casey begins to whistle "I've Got a Golden Ticket."
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Casey and Noah sit staring at each other intensely across the
kitchen table, on which three tabs of LSD are laid out.
Between them, in the background, Ed balances on a rola bola
while juggling three eggs.
NOAH
Come on. You know this is stupid.
CASEY
How long's it been?
NOAH
No.
CASEY
Come on. Who's it hurt?
NOAH
What is this, an ABC After School
Special?
ED
(in a silly voice)
Everybody's doin' it!
NOAH
I don't want to do acid with you guys.
CASEY
This is, seriously, the last acid we're
gonna see for a long time--nobody's got
any.
NOAH
So?
CASEY
I saved one for you, buddy! Come on, a
reunion of the brotherhood!... Look, it's
medicinal. It'll help unlodge that bug
from your ass.
Ed nods knowingly. Noah presses on one of the tabs and lifts
it up on his middle finger.
CASEY (CONT'D)
(pleading)
It'll be fun...
Noah looks in Casey's eyes and without blinking puts the tab
in his mouth. He leaves his middle finger up for Casey and
sticks out his tongue to show the tab sitting on it. Casey
cheers. Ed starts to cheer, but falls off the rola bola.
SERIES OF SHOTS - STARTING TO TRIP
Noah, Casey, and Ed waste time as they wait for the LSD to
take effect. They play Nintendo in the living room. Casey,
wearing his Wonka hat, practices cigar box tricks. Noah
passes a cigarette back and forth before his eyes, looking
for trails. Ed fills a fold of his jeans with lighter fumes
and lights it. All three do jumping jacks in the kitchen.
Casey stands on his head in the hallway.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - SAME
They watch a landscape shot from "Karate Kid, Part II," and
Casey moves closer to the TV screen. Ed applies greasepaint
to his face.
ED
Dude, move your head.
CASEY
Fuck off, it's my homeland!
NOAH
It's Hawaii, man.
ED
That's true. I think they shot that in
Hawaii.
NOAH
Okinawa's like a parking lot for the
American military now...
CASEY
It's Okinawa!
ED & NOAH
Hawaii.
CASEY
(screaming)
Bonzai!
Casey jumps them on the couch and they wrestle.
INT. CASEY'S KITCHEN - LATER
Noah sits on the counter, Casey at the table, and Ed (now in
full clown-face) stands near the sink flipping a spoon. Casey
clacks his tongue. Ed replies by humming. Noah makes a YIP
noise. Soon, all three are making weird noises while tapping
the counter, the table, the sink. This turns into a song
about they are all beginning to feel the acid hit.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
They watch more of "Karate Kid, Part II." As Mr. Miagi places
a floating lantern on the river for his dead father, all
three watch with rapt attention. A tear trickles down Casey's
cheek. Ed notices and makes a "sad clown" face.
INT. ED'S BEDROOM - SAME
Casey and Ed play Connect Four in their underwear on the
floor in Ed's room, which is mostly covered with balloons.
Noah watches from the bed, where he lays on his back with his
feet in the air. Each time a piece falls, they sigh in
amazement. Noah watches a cartoon bird fly about the room.
Next Noah gets up and walks out of the room. Casey and Ed
sigh in amazement.
INT. CASEY'S BATHROOM - FOLLOW
Noah walks into the bathroom and unzips his fly. His
reflection, though, distracts him. He turns to look at
himself and begins making faces.
The doorbell RINGS. Noah looks around as though he has no
idea what the sound could be. It RINGS again.
REACTION SHOT - CASEY AND ED
Casey and Ed look around the room trying to make sense of the
sound. It RINGS a third time.
ED
PIZZA!
CASEY
We ordered pizza?
RETURN TO BATHROOM
NOAH
I got it...
CASEY (O.S.)
I'll get the equipment!
INT. HALLWAY/DOOR - FOLLOW
Noah walks down the hall and buzzes the front door. Expecting
pizza, he opens the door to find Lorelei. She appears to have
been crying; her face is an expressionistic portrait of
depression.
NOAH
Lorelei? What--
LORELEI
Is Casey here? Where is he?
She pushes past Noah into the apartment.
NOAH
What's wrong? What's up?
LORELEI
I just wanna talk to Casey...
Casey comes down the hall wearing a scuba mask and pretending
his hands are suction cups.
CASEY
(croaking)
Who goes there?
He looks at Lorelei's face and drops the act at once.
CASEY (CONT'D)
Jeez, you okay?
LORELEI
No... Can we go in here?
She pointedly avoids looking at Noah and goes into Casey's
room.
CASEY
Hold on a sec...
Casey runs down the hall to Ed's room to grab his robe. Noah
follows him.
NOAH
What the hell was that?
CASEY
Don't get bent out of shape. She's
obviously upset.
NOAH
And of course she couldn't possibly talk
to me!
They make their way back to Casey's door, which Lorelei has
closed. They hear her weeping inside. Casey puts his hand on
the doorknob.
CASEY
How can she talk to you? All you've done
for weeks is complain about her
boyfriend. And considering her feelings
for you--
NOAH
(sharply)
What feelings?
Casey shakes his head and enters his room. After he closes
the door, Noah waits outside the door a moment.
LORELEI (O.S.)
(muffled)
Jesse and I... We broke up... All
because... Oh, God...
CASEY (O.S.)
(muffled)
OK, slow down... Stop that. Lor, stop...
Noah grabs his coat and leaves the apartment.
ED (O.S.)
(shouting from his room)
Where's the pizza at?
EXT. STREET - NIGHT - ROTOSCOPE/ANIMATION
Too intoxicated to drive, Noah walks home. The streets of
downtown bend and twist about him surrealistically as he
proceeds, objects in his path seem to flow through space.
Hallucinations swarm about him: animated images of Wonka
characters, a shower of pills, an acid-tab design, bluish
smoke, Catholic symbols, etc.
The black man Noah passed in his car weeks ago stumbles past
on the street. His face is a shifting mass, his limbs jangle
noisily.
BLACK MAN
Tell me what time it is? I'll tell you
what time it is... Chinese didn't invent
gunpowder...
He glares at Noah and continues on.
INT. NOAH'S LIVING ROOM - FOLLOW
Noah enters to find his family in front of the TV. On the
screen flash images of the fall of the Berlin Wall. At first
Noah hears a normal orchestral arrangement of Beethoven's
Ninth Symphony, but this is soon overtaken by the futuristic
electronic version from "A Clockwork Orange."
NOAH
(absently)
What are you... What are you still doing
up?
He is briefly fascinated by images of people smashing the
wall and David Hasselhoff gyrating atop it.
NANCY
Can you believe it, Noah? The wall is
coming down!
INT. NOAH'S ROOM - FOLLOW
Noah stumbles upstairs to trip himself to sleep.
EXT. ROWBOAT - DAY - DREAM
In his hands Noah holds an oyster shell. He opens it to find
a tongue-like oyster inside, beneath which is a small pearl.
Looking up, he finds he's in a small rowboat. Lorelei and
Emma sit at the bow and he at the stern. The sky is bright
and blue, and behind the girls the Bay Bridge glimmers in the
sunlight. Both Lorelei and Emma are smiling; they are arm in
arm and their cheeks are exaggeratedly rosy.
As Noah rows toward the bridge, Emma leans over and whispers
in Lorelei's ear. Lorelei giggles and covers her mouth,
giving Emma a "shame on you" look. As the girls move toward
the stern of the boat, Noah lets go of the oars, which float
away. They come up on either side of him, and he puts his
arms around them both. Now Lorelei whispers in his ear.
INT. NOAH'S BEDROOM - MORNING
As though from a nightmare, Noah awakes in a sweat. Looking
under the covers, he finds he's had a nocturnal emission.
CUT TO:
INT. NOAH'S KITCHEN - DAY
Wearing a bathrobe, Noah stands at the window looking out at
the bare branches of the trees in his backyard. The phone
RINGS, and Noah answers it.
NOAH
Yeah.
LORELEI (V.O.)
(on the phone)
Noah?... Can we talk?
NOAH
About what?
LORELEI (V.O.)
I wanna talk about Jesse. And about you
and me.
NOAH
Well, I don't.
LORELEI (V.O.)
Noah, just listen--
NOAH
What's to listen to?... I just... I don't
understand why you prefer to be with
someone you don't care about at all
instead of someone who really cares about
you...
He hears Lorelei sigh.
LORELEI (V.O.)
When I said--
NOAH
Listen, I gotta go.
LORELEI (V.O.)
Noah!
Noah hangs up the phone then stops for a moment and looks at
it. He picks it up again, then resignedly hangs up without
dialling.
INT. HALLWAY - FOLLOW
Noah walks toward the living room, running his hands against
the walls on either side.
INT. LIVING ROOM - FOLLOW
Bill sits in a La-Z-Boy, smoking a cigarette and reading a
magazine.
BILL
(still reading)
Noah, I asked you last week to clean out
that garage, and get all your--
(looking up)
Jesus, Noah. Are you planning to get
dressed sometime today?
NOAH
I'll do it tomorrow.
BILL
Why don't you do it right now? Hell, you
got nothing better to--
NOAH
I said I'll do it tomorrow.
BILL
Hey, and I can count on that... Said
you'd finish college too, didn't you?
Noah shakes his head and goes upstairs.
INT. NOAH'S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Noah retreats to his room and lies down on his bed. He curls
into the fetal position and closes his eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. NOAH'S DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Thanksgiving at the Beckett household: Noah sits at the table
with his mom, dad, and sister. Across the table from him sits
FATHER CONLON, an attractive young priest. Despite Noah's
sulking, it's warm holiday scene.
NANCY
Father Conlon, would you like to carve
the turkey?
Nancy sips the last of her wine and refills her glass. The
good father rises to slice up the bird.
NOAH
You know, I've always thought the
cannibalistic element of Christianity was
a little disturbing.
NANCY
Noah! What are you talking about?
NOAH
Well, you know, the whole eating-the-body
of-Christ thing. It's a bit weird, don't
you think?
He casts a glance at Father Conlon, who has his knife
imbedded in the turkey's juicy breast.
FATHER CONLON
(shaking the carving knife in
Noah's direction)
The miracle of transubstantiation is not
to be taken lightly, Noah. There's a
reason we call it "Communion" and not
"consumption." For the Host, the Body of
Christ, cannot be consumed by--
NOAH
Yeah, but that's what I mean though.
That's the part I could never swallow. So
to speak... So then why do we need to eat
God, Father? Especially when we have such
a nice pile of food right here?
Nancy smacks Noah's knuckles with her butter knife and glares
at him witheringly.
NANCY
That's enough, Noah.
There is a long awkward pause.
NOAH
I bet the Indians thought the Pilgrims
were strange for eating their God. Not to
mention for killing their hosts a few
months after Thanksgiving.
BILL
Noah!
NOAH
Well, it's genocide, isn't it? And
everyone talks about how the Pilgrims
were persecuted... The English were smart
to push them out, all said and done.
BILL
Noah, you can either pipe down and eat
your meal, or you can march upstairs and
continue spouting this bullshit--sorry
Father--in your room.
Another awkward silence. Father Conlon carves the turkey and
distributes the slices. Noah's mother drinks the remainder of
her second glass of wine and pours another. As Maggie takes
her piece, she looks at Father Conlon.
MAGGIE
He's kind of right, isn't he?
NOAH
(patting Maggie's head)
I raised you well.
Bill motions angrily for Noah to leave the table; he is happy
to comply.
FATHER CONLON
Pardon me.
Father Conlon rises and follows after Noah.
INT. NOAH'S FOYER - FOLLOW
Father Conlon catches up to Noah as he is on his way out the
door.
FATHER CONLON
Noah, may I have a word with you?
Noah sighs but stops a moment while putting on his coat.
FATHER CONLON (CONT'D)
Listen, I know what you're up to here. We
all went to college and read a few books.
Sure, we gloss over the past, and we all
pretend we're less hypocritical than we
are. But that's no reason to be nasty to
your mother on Thanksgiving.
Noah nods sarcastically at first but then feels the weight of
Father Conlon's disapproving gaze. Then he lowers his head
and nods more sincerely before leaving.
INT. LORELEI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Lorelei sits alone in her room on her bed, her Lyric Book
open on her lap. She leans over it scribbling. There is a
soft knock at the door, and she closes the book.
LORELEI
Yes?
MR. SHEPARD comes in, limping slightly and carrying a
prescription bottle. We do not see his face--only his waist
and shoulders and the bottle in his hand.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
Daddy, please! It's like having cotton
between my ears...
MR. SHEPARD
We're not having this conversation again.
Now take it.
Lorelei takes the pill and swallows it without water. Mr.
Shepard strokes her head.
MR. SHEPARD (CONT'D)
(whispering)
Goodnight, sweetheart.
He turns and limps out, closing the door behind him.
Once the door is closed, Lorelei walks to the miniature
vanity set and hocks up the pill with a throaty cough. Wiping
it off with an antique embroidered handkerchief lying on the
table, she looks at the pill almost lovingly. Then she sits
in the miniature chair and reaches for a small Japanese box
engraved with an oyster-shell design.
Opening the box, she removes a velvety liner under which
she's hidden several dozen pills, some white and round,
others skin-toned and oblong, others tic-tac-like. Next she
carefully lays the pills out in rows, constructing a pattern
with them as though making a picture.
MONTAGE - CHRISTMAS TIME
Nancy and Maggie shop at the mall. These images cross-fade
with others of Noah sulking and Lorelei writing in her Lyric
Book.
Nancy and Maggie trim a Christmas tree in the living room.
Nancy seems a bit tipsy from the wine she's drinking. Bill
sits in a nearby La-Z-Boy with a glass of bourbon, reading a
fishing magazine and smoking a cigarette. A glass dolphin
ornament slips from Nancy's fingers, and shatters on the
glass coffee table.
NANCY
Damn it!
INT. NOAH'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Noah hasn't shaved in over a week. He lies on the couch in
his living room, eating handfuls of green and red Christmas
M&M's from a crystal bowl on the coffee table and watching
the opening credits of M*A*S*H. The room is lit only by the
TV and the colored lights of the Christmas tree.
There's a knock on the door. Noah looks at the clock to see
that it's just past midnight then runs to get the door.
INT. DOORWAY - FOLLOW
Lorelei stands outside shivering in the cold.
NOAH
Lorelei? What are you doing here? What's
up?
LORELEI
Nothing... I just... I thought I would
stop by...
NOAH
What are you talking about? It's past
midnight! How did you even get here?
LORELEI
I just... I needed to get out...
Lorelei is obviously high on something, and she stumbles a
bit as she pushes past him and walks into the living room.
NOAH
What's wrong with you?
LORELEI
What? No. Nothing. I'm fine...
NOAH
What, are you on something?
LORELEI
No, no. I'm just--
NOAH
Are you stoned?
LORELEI
Jesus, no. All right... I just... I took
some, you know, some Dramamine...
NOAH
Why the fuck-- Dramamine?
LORELEI
(becoming upset)
The thing is... I just, you know, I had
to go out. I had to get out... I mean,
he's practically, I mean he does, he's
got me locked up...
NOAH
Your dad?
LORELEI
He was on the phone, and he left the door
open... He's always on a long time for
business. And I just needed to feel good.
NOAH
So you just ran out?... Where'd you get
the Dramamine?
LORELEI
(sobbing)
He's taking all my privileges, and I'm
not allowed to even go to--
NOAH
Lorelei, just tell me where you got it...
Lorelei starts to fade a bit, laying her head back on the
pillow and closing her eyes.
NOAH (CONT'D)
No, no, no... Don't fall asleep. Lor...
Lor... Stand up. Stand up with me,
Lorelei. Stand up with me and walk...
...around a little... We have to keep you
awake, okay?
LORELEI
(mumbling)
No privileges. No one in, no one out, he
says. So I, you know... They were all I
could get a hold of... Needed to feel
better...
NOAH
Listen... You need some water. I'm gonna
get you some water.
LORELEI
And I came here, cause you're the only
one. Noah, you're the only--
NOAH
I'm gonna go get you some water, okay?
Noah sets her gently onto the couch and feels her forehead.
Lorelei's eyes are closed, and she continues to rant.
LORELEI
The only one who cares... Only...
INT. KITCHEN - FOLLOW
Leaving her in the living room, Noah goes to the kitchen,
consults a magnet on the refrigerator, and dials a telephone
number. As he waits, he fills a glass full of water.
TELEPHONE VOICE (V.O.)
Poison Control Center. Is this an
emergency?
NOAH
I'm not sure... A friend of mine took an
overdose of Dramamine, and I need to know
if I should take her to the hosp--
Noah hears a loud CRASH from the other room.
FOLLOW BACK TO LIVING ROOM
Noah drops the phone and runs to find that Lorelei has fallen
through the glass coffee table. He rushes over to help her.
NOAH
Jesus Christ! Are you all right?
Lorelei's arms and forehead are bleeding.
LORELEI
I'm sorry... I didn't mean... I'm really,
really... I don't know...
NOAH
Just calm down. We have to get you out of
here.
Noah's parents come downstairs in their house robes.
NANCY
Oh my God! My table!
NOAH
She's gonna be all right.
NANCY
What did she do to my table?
Lorelei grabs pieces of the table (amid the broken bits of
glass are dozens of pill-like, green and red Christmas M&M's)
and arranges them as though putting them back together.
LORELEI
(absently)
I'm sorry. Please, it'll be all right.
Just let me... It's gonna be all right...
Forgive me. Here, I almost--
BILL
What the hell is going on, Noah? Is she
drunk?
LORELEI
Please, don't tell my dad.
NOAH
No, Dad! Look, I gotta take her--
NANCY
Not until I hear an explanation--
NOAH
Just shut the fuck up and go back to
bed...
Noah scoops Lorelei up and pushes past his shocked parents.
Bill starts to follow them out.
BILL
Noah, if you think you can talk to us
that way and push outta here, you better
start thinking about where you're gonna
live!
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - LATER
Noah paces in a hallway of the hospital. He looks tired and
frazzled. A doctor comes out with a clipboard to meet him.
DOCTOR
Are you a relative of Lauren's?
NOAH
I'm her boyfriend.
DOCTOR
Your name?
NOAH
(hestitantly)
Jesse... Jesse Suskind.
DOCTOR
Okay, Jesse. Now Lauren is gonna be okay,
all right? Her cuts are minor, and she
just needs to rest and come down from the
Dramamine. She may have to stay the
night, though. I'm scheduling a morning
session for her with Dr. Milde, but it's
really up to her father--
NOAH
God, I should let her dad know that--
DOCTOR
That's okay. We pulled her card and
contacted Mr. Shepard already... But,
Jesse, I'd just like to ask you a few
questions, okay?
NOAH
(getting nervous)
Okay... All right.
She guides him to a nurses' station and motions for him to
take a seat. Setting her clipboard down, she takes a seat
herself and moves closer to him.
DOCTOR
Has Lauren mentioned anything to you
about the medication she's supposed to be
taking?
NOAH
She's mentioned it, yes...
DOCTOR
Do you know how long she hasn't been
taking it?
Noah looks confused and shakes his head.
DOCTOR (CONT'D)
So she's never said anything about hiding
pills or avoiding taking them?
NOAH
No. I thought... No.
DOCTOR
All right... Now, I'm wondering if you
know about the effects that drug abuse-
drinking, Dramamine, other substances
that she or you might be using--what
effects these might have on an unborn
child.
NOAH
I don't--
DOCTOR
Jesse, the fetus is very sensitive to all
of these things, and a lot can go wrong
when a mother disregards her own health
and wellbeing... Now I'm just telling you
that this is a time when both of you need
to start thinking as adults... And I'm
hoping that you might be a good influence
here, helping Lauren take care of herself
by taking the medicine she's supposed to
be on and avoiding--absolutely--anything
that might harm your baby.
NOAH
(stunned)
Yes... Ah, yeah, I understand. And
this... It's really just an accident. She
was upset, and I don't know what--
DOCTOR
What I'm asking here is for you to help
her. Now I can tell that you're a mature
young man, and that you'll think more
soundly about your baby's health. Can you
do that for me? Help her out...
NOAH
(tears in his eyes)
Yeah... Definitely, yeah.
DOCTOR
Now why don't you go back and see Lauren?
I'm sure she'd like to see you...
Noah numbly walks to the back of the ER.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - FOLLOW
Lorelei looks like death in her hospital bed, and her baggy
blue gown makes her seem small, pathetic, and vulnerable. The
back of her bed is propped up, and she lies back with her
eyes closed. Noah approaches cautiously.
NOAH
(softly)
Hey...
Lorelei opens her eyes, and looks at him angrily.
NOAH (CONT'D)
How are you feeling?
LORELEI
How do you think I'm feeling? Being
dragged in here... This is so stupid,
it's--
NOAH
Lorelei, come on... What else could I
have--
LORELEI
(starting to cry)
Why did you bring me here?
NOAH
There was nothing else I...
Noah trails off and looks down at the floor. Lorelei opens
her eyes again and looks at him. Suddenly her anger melts,
and she grabs hold of his arm, comforting him weakly.
LORELEI
I know... I'm sorry, Noah. I know you did
the right thing. I just... God, I'm so...
NOAH
No, I know, it's--
LORELEI
God, I really, really messed up... I'm
sorry--
NOAH
Lor, really...
LORELEI
I messed everything up... Your mom's
table...
NOAH
Don't worry about that.
LORELEI
No, but I did. I totally ruined your
house... God, your mom must be so
pissed... Her table and...
NOAH
Listen, stop... You know what? She was
ridiculous about that. Worried about a
fucking table. Don't worry about it-
she'll get another one... I just want to
be sure that you're okay...
LORELEI
I ruined everything tonight...
Everything...
Lorelei continues sobbing as she turns away from Noah. Noah
sits on the edge of the bed, looking at her and rubbing her
arm with his hand. Slowly, she turns back to him and looks
into his eyes. They remain still for a long moment, then Noah
closes his eyes and sighs as though about to jump into a pool
of ice cold water.
NOAH
Lorelei, why didn't you tell me you're
pregnant?
For an instant, Lorelei seems terrified. Then she lowers her
head, crying mutely, and her shoulders begin to shake with
silent sobs.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I think your father's gonna be here soon,
and--
LORELEI
(building to screams)
Oh God, no... No, no...
Her sobbing becomes hysterical, and she starts scratching her
wrists maniacally. Noah frantically tries to get her to stop.
NOAH
No, Lorelei. Stop... Listen to me. Stop!
The nurse will come back and... Please!
Grabbing her wrists, Noah restrains her from harming herself.
She begins to calm down slightly.
NOAH (CONT'D)
It's okay... It's okay... We'll just get
you out of here... You're okay, so maybe
we can get you out of here before he
comes... All right?
LORELEI
You just don't understand... When he gets
here...
NOAH
Shhh. It's fine, it's fine...
A male NURSE comes back to see what the noise is about. He
seems mildly surprised to find them quietly conversing again.
NURSE
Everything all right back here?
NOAH
Yeah, yeah--fine... We were just... Is it
possible that she can... I mean, is she
allowed to leave?
NURSE
She probably needs a parent or guardian
to sign for her... How old is she?
Lorelei frantically removes an IV from her arm and jumps out
of bed to make a run for it.
The nurse and Noah both grab onto her and start to push her
back toward the bed. The nurse reaches down to press a call
button. Then Lorelei gives up, curling into a ball and
convulsing with sobs.
NOAH
(caressing her hair)
We'll figure something out... I'll see
what I can--
Lorelei lets out an ear piercing shriek, and begins to claw
her face and wrists with her fingernails.
LORELEI
(wailing)
No more doctors!
Noah steps back in shock and fright at her sudden change.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
I can't believe you brought me here! You
turned me in. Fuckers! You fucking
assholes!
As she rants a stream of spit and snot runs down her reddened
face. She continues screaming hoarsely but incomprehensibly.
Another nurse rushes over to help sedate Lorelei. A third
comes and pushes Noah out of the room.
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - FOLLOW
As he's being pushed into the hall, Noah looks over and sees
a middle-aged man with a military haircut and a worry-worn
face lumbering down the hall toward him.
Mr. Shepard glares at Noah, seemingly uncertain who Noah is
or what he's doing there. Noah stops struggling with the
nurse and walks quickly toward a door with an exit sign.
FATHER
(shouting after Noah)
Hey! Hey, you!
Mr. Shepard seems indecisive about what he should do--follow
Noah or check on his daughter. After a moment's hesitation,
he hurries into Lorelei's room.
EXT. STREET - LATER
Noah parks in front of Casey and Ed's apartment building. He
turns off his car and sits for a moment staring out the
window. Breaking down, he leans over the steering wheel and
bursts into tears.
Noah gets out of the car and approaches the building. He
presses the buzzer to Casey's apartment and waits. When no
one answers, he starts sobbing again and presses the buzzer
several more times in quick succession.
ED (ON INTERCOM)
(groaning)
Uhhh, come on, man! Who is it?
NOAH
(trying to collect himself)
It's me. Is Casey there?
ED (ON INTERCOM)
No, he's at the thing in Pennsylvania
this weekend...
NOAH
Shit.
ED & NOAH (ON INTERCOM)
What's the matter?... Look, just come
up...
Ed buzzes Noah in.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - SAME
Back in the hospital, TWO COPS talk to the doctor. Behind
them, Mr. Shepard sits next to Lorelei's bed holding her
hand, his face a strange mixture of rage and regret.
COP 1
Mr. Shepard asked if we could get in
touch with the young man who brought his
daughter in... We just want to find out
if there's anything he knows that might
be helpful.
COP 2
Did the young man mention his name?
DOCTOR
(glancing at her clipboard)
Yes. Jesse Suskind.
Lorelei's father pricks up his ears behind them. The cops
look at each other and stifle chuckles.
COP 1
That figures...
COP 2
Old Juvey Jesse's got himself in trouble
again.
COP 1
Don't worry. We know where he's at.
The first cop gives a little nod and signal to Lorelei's
father. Then the two cops stroll off down the hall.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
Noah sits on the couch, his head between his hands. Ed sits
in the armchair across from him, wearing boxers and a T
shirt.
ED
So an hour ago, you were pretending to be
Jesse, so as not to get your tail caught
in the door. And now you're planning to
go into this girl's house like
gangbusters and break her out?... Are you
even listening to yourself, dude?
NOAH
I don't know what else to do. This whole
thing is fucked up. He has her under lock
and key, fucking bars in the window...
And it's any surprise she's trying to
escape and stealing shit out of the
medicine cabinet?
ED
Listen to me. You cannot fuck with family
stuff like this. Last year, a friend of
mine tried to "save" his girl from her
messed up home life, and he ended up
taking an aluminum bat to the head. Okay?
You don't want to be on the business end
of this kind of shit.
NOAH
But if it's obvious that her problems
stem from his--
ED
What are you, Sigmund Freud now? You know
the source of all her problems? I mean,
hasn't she or Casey ever told you about
how she had to go to, like, an
institution for--
NOAH
I just wanna get her out of the situation
and help her sort--
ED
Noah, I'm just telling you that if you do
this thing, it's gonna explode in your
face...
INT. NOAH'S CAR - LATER
Noah sits in his car outside Lorelei's house. He looks up at
one of the bedroom windows, where he sees the blue and white
light of a television flashing. Then he glances at the clock
on his dash: 4:00 AM.
EXT. YARD - FOLLOW
Noah creeps up to the house, carefully avoiding the path
leading to the door. He sneaks around to the back yard.
INT. BASEMENT - SAME
The basement window SQUEAKS as Noah pushes it open and
struggles to slip inside. He creeps toward the stairs in the
dark.
INT. HALLWAY - SAME
From a room at the end of the hall on the second floor, Noah
hears Lorelei's father snoring loudly. The door frame
flickers with TV light, and Noah hears a tinny laugh track.
He unlocks a deadbolt on the door to Lorelei's room and
slowly pushes it open.
INT. LORELEI'S BEDROOM - FOLLOW
Lorelei is asleep in bed. Noah gently tries to wake her.
NOAH
(whispering)
Lorelei. Wake up. Come on.
LORELEI
Noah? Oh my God, I can't believe--
NOAH
Just grab some stuff, and let's get out
of here...
Lorelei hugs him tightly.
LORELEI
(whispering excitedly)
Thank you, thank you...
NOAH
Shhhh!
Lorelei quickly grabs a bag and throws some clothes into it
while Noah waits nervously by the door. She shoves her
Japanese box into the bottom of the bag and grabs her Lyric
Book.
INT. STAIRWAY/FOYER - FOLLOW
They sneak downstairs. Before Lorelei can stop him, Noah
opens the front door, setting off a burglar alarm with sirens
and lights.
The two of them dash across the yard toward Noah's car.
Lorelei throws her belongings into the station wagon. They
squeal wheels and burn rubber down the quiet suburban street.
EXT. CEMETERY - MORNING
Noah and Lorelei climb over the wall of St. John's cemetery.
The clock on the church spire rising over the cemetery reads
4:30.
They find a sizable monument amid the gravestones and lean
back against it. Noah looks out over the graves and rubs his
face with his hands in worry. Lorelei leans her head back and
gazes up at the sky. They sit in silence for a long moment.
LORELEI
(softly)
Noah...
He motions abruptly with his hand, as though physically
cutting her off.
NOAH
I just need time to think. To think out
what we should do...
Lorelei pulls her legs up to her chest and locks her arms
around them, rocking herself gently.
She gazes up at the sky again--the Milky Way stands out amid
the stars. Noah rubs his eyes and looks around the cemetery
again.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I just can't understand, Lorelei. Why?
Why did you stop taking your meds? Why
are you trying to--
LORELEI
I was just... I just wanted to feel
something, you know? I just, I hoped...
...that everything might just go away on
its own. Why can't it just go away like
that and leave me alone?
NOAH
Okay, okay... But I'm here for you now.
I'll help you. I'll try...
LORELEI
I just want it to be over.
He pulls her up against him and holds her, rocking her
gently.
NOAH
We'll think of something. It'll be okay.
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
Nancy and Bill lie in bed. The alarm clock buzzes: 7 AM.
Nancy rises and rubs her eyes before grabbing a robe and
walking slowly to the bathroom. Bill groans, rolls over, and
checks his watch.
EXT. CEMETERY - LATER
Perhaps waking from a light sleep, Noah and Lorelei hear the
creak of metal gates. Over the rows of headstones, they make
out the thin figure of an elderly groundskeeper. They run
back to the wall they climbed over earlier.
INT. FATHER CONLON'S OFFICE - MORNING
Father Conlon sits in his office sipping his morning tea and
reading Hunt for Red October. He takes off his glasses, rubs
the bridge of his nose, then glances out the window behind
his desk. In the distance, he sees two young people climbing
the cemetery wall. Putting on his glasses, he squints to get
a better look then shakes his head.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - MORNING
Bill and Nancy load Maggie into the car. All three are
dressed for church.
EXT. STREET - LATER
Noah and Lorelei pull away from the curb in Noah's station
wagon.
INT. CAR - MOMENTS LATER
Bill and Nancy drive to church in silence. Maggie looks like
she's about to fall asleep in the back seat.
INT. RECTORY - SAME
Preparing for Mass, Father Conlon puts on his soutane and
brushes down the front of it.
EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER
The Becketts pass Noah and Lorelei as they reach downtown.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Noah and Lorelei arrive at Noah's house.
INT. NOAH'S LIVING ROOM - FOLLOW
They come in to find the broken table cleaned up. It's still
early morning and the rising sun streams in through the
windows, filling the bare room with a dramatic amber glow and
casting long shadows on the walls.
Noah leaves Lorelei in the empty living room and walks
upstairs to make sure his parents are gone. While he's
upstairs, Lorelei reaches in her bag to retrieve the Japanese
box.
INT. NOAH'S BEDROOM - SAME
Noah enters his room. Sunlight filtered through his blinds
casts amber lines across three walls. He moves to close the
blinds.
NOAH
(calling almost)
Lorelei.
He turns to find that she is already standing in the doorway.
They lay down together on his bed. Lorelei rests her cheek on
Noah's chest, and tears well up in her eyes. Noah stares at
the ceiling, listening to her breathing. He moves his hand
onto her back to comfort her. She looks up into his eyes, and
he notices the tears running down her face. He starts to sit
up to ask her what's wrong, but she pushes him back down,
shushing him. Then she kisses him on the lips.
Slowly, sadly, they kiss and undress each other, touching one
another with a tenderness suggesting that as much as it feels
good it also hurts them to make love.
INT. CHURCH - MORNING
Noah's family sings a hymn with the rest of the congregation.
But their singing is silent: their mouths open and close like
fishes' out of water.
INT. NOAH'S BATHROOM - SAME
Having drawn a bath, Noah and Lorelei step into the water and
continue making love. Their faces are heavy with sadness;
tears run freely down Lorelei's cheeks. Both look exhausted-
physically and emotionally. Lorelei rests her head on Noah's
shoulder and clenches her eyes shut, as though in pain.
LORELEI
Come with me.
Noah closes his eyes and shudders. Lorelei clings tighter to
him, her lips parting.
IN THE CHURCH
In the church, the Communicants rise and line up to receive
the Host. Father Conlon addresses them.
FATHER CONLON
Only say the Word, and I shall be healed.
IN THE BATHROOM
Lorelei puts her arms around Noah.
LORELEI
(whispering)
I love you.
Noah closes his eyes and seems almost hopeful. They hold each
other tightly then relax and lean away from each other, lying
back against the far sides of the tub. The last of their
energy spent, they both begin to drift off to sleep.
INT. CHURCH - DAY - DREAM
Noah is in line with the Communicants. He approaches a
priest, seeing only the priest's hands.
PRIEST
The Body and Blood of Christ.
NOAH
Amen.
PRIEST
Open your mouth and close your eyes and
you will get a big surprise.
Noah closes his eyes and opens his mouth to receive the Host.
The priest places a large pill on Noah's tongue.
RETURN TO BATHROOM
Noah wakes with a start. He looks across to the far side of
the tub and for a brief instant does not see Lorelei. He
looks down to find she's slipped beneath the surface of the
water.
Noah yanks her up out of the water violently, and Lorelei at
once coughs up a full breath of water. Her eyes are partly
open but vacant and unfocused.
NOAH
Lorelei?
Her head lolls back.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Jesus, Lorelei?
Lorelei convulses and froth spurts from her mouth. She goes
slack and falls arms akimbo over the edge of the tub,
vomiting a thick stream of white foam.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Jesus Christ! LORELEI? JESUS CHRIST!
JESUS!
EXT. CHURCHYARD - MORNING
As the Mass lets out, members of the congregation stop on the
steps of the church to speak to Father Conlon and to greet
one another. Nancy seems to know everyone and to be
interested in them while Bill looks bored and ready to leave.
Father Conlon helps an ELDERLY LADY down the stairs. As he
passes the Becketts, Nancy smiles at him.
NANCY
Father Conlon that was a beautiful sermon
you gave today...
Maggie rolls her eyes.
NANCY (CONT'D)
Now, we spoke about getting together with
the Ladies' Boosters this afternoon, and
I had a few ideas--
FATHER CONLON
(a bit exasperated)
Ah, yes. Thank you, Mrs. Beckett. I just
have to escort Mrs. Gordon to her car...
NANCY
Oh, certainly, certainly.
Father Conlon and Mrs. Gordon continue down the stairs.
BILL
(under his breath)
God, Nance, let the man get out of the
church.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR - LATER
Nancy, Bill, and Maggie make their way through their
neighborhood. Maggie attempts to read as her parents continue
a trivial argument.
NANCY
Bill, if you had listened to a word I
said, you'd understand--
BILL
I did listen to what you said, but you
don't make any sense. You should listen
to yourself now and then to hear how
ridiculous some of the--
Bill abruptly falls silent.
NANCY
(angrily)
Some of the what?
As they round the corner near their house, Nancy notices what
Bill is looking at: an ambulance parked in their driveway
with its lights flashing. A second ambulance passes them on
the left.
NANCY (CONT'D)
(shouting)
Stop! Stop! Just stop here!
MAGGIE
Mommy, what's going on?
Bill stops the car in the street, and all three jump out and
run toward the house.
EXT. FRONT OF HOUSE - FOLLOW
They find Noah on the front step, naked and wet but wrapped
in a blanket. Surrounded by a swarm of paramedics, Lorelei is
rolled into the back of the ambulance on a gurney.
BILL
Noah, what happened?
NANCY
Are you okay?
Nancy holds Noah tightly to her chest, pulling him away from
the ambulances.
PARAMEDIC
(shouting)
Sir?
Noah stares off vacantly, still shocked.
BILL
Go. Just GO!
The paramedics approach them, intent on examining Noah. One
of them shines a light in Noah's eye to check his dilation.
FADE TO:
INT. BAY BRIDGE - DAY
The shot bleaches to bright white then returns: an
overexposed view of the Bay Bridge stretching to the Eastern
Shore, the sun rising over the horizon. Turning away from the
sun, we see Noah driving, deep in thought.
Again the ocean-like rush of air. Turning back toward the
sun, the image bleaches and cross-fades into the next scene.
FADE TO:
INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY
Seated in uncomfortable metal chairs in a bright and sterile
hospital room, Noah and a PSYCHIATRIST face one another.
PSYCHIATRIST
(not looking up from his
clipboard)
How do you feel, Noah?... Are you
depressed?
NOAH
Now?... Yes.
PSYCHIATRIST
And before?
NOAH
Before... I don't know. I was—-well, I
wasn't totally depressed.
PSYCHIATRIST
And yet...
NOAH
Yet what?
PSYCHIATRIST
Your blood test shows trace amounts of--
NOAH
That has nothing to do with any--
PSYCHIATRIST
Have you had any suicidal thoughts?
NOAH
No.
PSYCHIATRIST
Fantasies of your own death... Anything
of that--
NOAH
No. I just said no.
The psychiatrist writes something on a pad of paper.
PSYCHIATRIST
I think it might be prudent to prescribe
an anti-depressant. In your case I'm
thinking--
NOAH
You want to put me on what, like, Prozac
or something?
PSYCHIATRIST
Well, perhaps Xanax, as a way of
stabilizing--
NOAH
Are you even listening to yourself? Do
you know how fucking stupid you sound?
PSYCHIATRIST
Now, Noah, please...
The psychiatrist rises to settle Noah down.
NOAH
No! Don't even touch me. You people think
everything is solved by taking a pill!
Someone says, "I'm depressed... My friend
just tried to kill herself." And you! All
you can think to suggest is that I dope
myself up? Don't you know what she did to
herself? Didn't you even read that...
Noah grabs the clipboard the psychiatrist is holding and
throws it against the wall.
NOAH (CONT'D)
...that fucking clipboard of yours? Is
this all you people do? No wonder she
felt there wasn't any hope for her! All
you look for is a way to suppress the
symptom! You don't even know what the
problem is.
The psychiatrist tucks his clipboard under his arm and clears
his throat. He purses his lips thoughtfully, as though about
to says something, sniffs then walks out the door.
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - LATER
The psychiatrist stands in a hallway with Noah's parents.
PSYCHIATRIST
Well, he's a bit irrational at the moment
--a little bit touchy, you know.
Although Noah is naturally depressed and
angry, he doesn't appear to be a danger
to himself, nor does he seem ever to have
shown the typical signs of a suicidal
patient. However, I would like to mention
that an antidepressant would--
BILL
Yeah? You're mentioning that, huh?
PSYCHIATRIST
A low dosage of--
BILL
Listen, here. Just tell me one thing. Is
there anything wrong with my son-
clinically, medically wrong with him?
PSYCHIATRIST
Well, the depression is natural enough,
in light of the circumstances, but in
these cases we've found that medication--
BILL
Bearskins and bone clubs!
The doctor looks to Nancy as though hoping for a translation.
BILL (CONT'D)
If there's nothing wrong with him,
there's nothing wrong with him!
NANCY
(quietly)
May we see him now?
The psychiatrist nods.
NANCY (CONT'D)
Good. We'd like to take him home.
The psychiatrist HARUMPHS at their ignorance.
INT. NOAH'S BEDROOM - DAY
Obviously depressed, Noah lays on his side in bed. Nancy is
seated on the edge of the bed, and Bill looks on from a
nearby chair. They look at him with concern, as though trying
to assess the damage the past week has wrought.
NANCY
Have you thought about meeting with
Father Conlon? You know, just to talk
things over?
Noah glares at her, making it clear that he would never in a
million years want to talk to Father Conlon.
NANCY (CONT'D)
You underestimate him, Noah. He's really
good with this sort of thing. He's very
understanding.
NOAH
(groaning)
I don't want to talk to him.
NANCY
Well, it would really make me feel better
if--
NOAH
I don't know if you've noticed, Mom, but
this isn't about you!
BILL
(suddenly taking on the persona
of a TV dad)
Son, your mother's only trying to help.
NANCY
Noah, you have to decide when you want to
be loved.
NOAH
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
NANCY
You can't truly be loved until you love
yourself.
Noah rolls over and ignores them pointedly.
INT. NOAH'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Noah sits in the kitchen reading. From the other room he can
hear the loud laugh track of a typical sitcom.
INT. LIVING ROOM - FOLLOW
Bothered by the racket, Noah walks past his sister and
parents and out the front door.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - FOLLOW
It's dark out and cold. As Noah passes the garage door, a
sensor light flicks on. He continues down the driveway and
gets into his station wagon.
INT. STATION WAGON - FOLLOW
He doesn't pull out his keys but just sits in the car,
enjoying the silence and solitude.
Sighing deeply, Noah reaches to the passenger side floor for
a cigarette pack. Empty. Searching a bit more, he finds
another empty pack. Digging farther under the seat, he finds
Lorelei's Lyric Book.
Shocked, Noah slowly examines its contents. As he reads, he
grabs a longish butt from the ashtray and smokes it.
The book is a mixture of diary, lists, and drawings. The only
lyrics it contains are transcriptions of banal pop songs.
Then Noah comes to a section on Emma. Accompanying the story
is a Kafkaesque picture of a stick figure falling from a
skeletal bridge.
The sensor light on the garage clicks off. Noah closes the
book. He finishes smoking a second butt and goes back inside.
INT. CAFE KYOKO - DAY
Casey and Noah sit at a knee-high table staring at each other
over bowls of miso soup. The atmosphere is calm, orderly, in
short, Japanese: the bonsai plants in the background, the
paper lantern overhead, the shoji screens.
Casey sets his bowl down quietly.
CASEY
So that's it?
NOAH
Yep. That's it.
CASEY
No shrink?
NOAH
My dad says psychology's still in the
dark ages and that no self-respecting
father would allow his son to be put
under the stone knife of a mental barber.
My mom told me, and I quote, "Psychology
has nothing to say about the soul." Lord
knows where she read that one.
Noah smiles weakly and pushes his empty bowl away.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I suppose this is one time I can count my
blessings for having the parents I have.
Had they let me fall into the clutches of
Doctor Wien, I would probably be too
doped up right now to sip my miso.
A pie-eyed blond WAITRESS in pseudo-traditional Japanese
dress comes to their table and sets two sushi-laden blocks of
wood in front of them.
CASEY
(to waitress)
Saba o motte kite kudasai.
WAITRESS
(incredulous)
I, um, don't… speak Japanese.
CASEY
Another order of mackerel, please.
The waitress walks away shaking her head. Casey and Noah
share a long pause as they sip their green tea.
CASEY (CONT'D)
Did you hear about Jesse?
NOAH
Fuck Jesse.
CASEY
No, no, no... This is great. He fucking
got himself arrested for possession-
again.
INT. JESSE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
Jesse Suskind sits on his couch at home, smoking a bowl and
listening to music. There's a knock on the door, and he walks
to a bookcase to pull out a stash of weed from a fake book.
Looking through the peephole, he's surprised to find it's two
police officers.
JESSE
(yelling through door)
Uh, hold on!
INT. JESSE'S BATHROOM - SAME - FLASHBACK
Jesse runs to the bathroom and dumps his weed into the
toilet. The police knock again, this time a little harder.
When Jesse tries to flush the toilet, it starts to overflow.
JESSE
(muttered between clenched
teeth)
Shit, fuck, shit!
He looks around desperately. Then he decides to make a break
for it out the bathroom window. Leaning out and grabbing hold
of a branch, he starts climbing hand over hand toward the
trunk. Losing his grip, he falls about 15 feet to the ground.
RETURN TO CAFE KYOKO
CASEY
And he broke his leg in the fall. So now
he's off to, like, Rehab or something
again--with a big fat cast... Anyhow, the
good reverend'll probably get him off.
NOAH
Well, that's probably partly my fault.
CASEY
Eh, fuck him. Serves him right. Anyway...
Casey pauses to enjoy a juicy chunk of unagi.
CASEY (CONT'D)
So what do you want to do?
Noah pauses rather dramatically for what seemed a casual
question.
NOAH
I don't know... I was gonna go visit her.
But last night, I found her diary--
CASEY
Gee-zus! I meant do you want to go watch
a movie or something...
They share another long silence.
CASEY (CONT'D)
Well, did you read it?... What did it...
I mean... What was in it?
The waitress returns with a small plate of nigiri.
WAITRESS
Your mackerel.
INT. NOAH'S BEDROOM - MORNING
It is early morning. Noah's room is noticeably cleaner and
emptier than it was before. He tosses two large sacks onto
his bed and leaves.
INT. STAIRCASE - FOLLOW
As he walks down the stairs, headed for the front door, Nancy
comes out of the kitchen in her house robe.
INT. FOYER - FOLLOW
NANCY
Where are you going this early?... This
isn't about that girl, is it?
She sighs audibly, and Noah stops.
NOAH
(his anger already rising)
Yes, it is about that girl. It's all
about that girl, Mom.
NANCY
Noah, you have to move on... I mean,
what? You're not going to see her are
you?
Noah continues toward the door, only to be cut off by Nancy.
NANCY (CONT'D)
Noah, stop! You can't just waltz in there
and--
Nancy places her hand on his chest, but Noah sidesteps her.
NANCY (CONT'D)
Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!
Don't you see where this is headed? Don't
you see that the only thing that girl
will bring is trouble? I know about her,
Noah. You think I don't, but I've heard
things. I know she's on drugs--she does
pot and all kinds of other things. You
know what that did to Aaron and, Noah,
damn it, I won't let you ruin your life!
NOAH
(shouting)
Ruin my life? What are you talking about?
NANCY
I know about the baby, Noah. You think
we're so stupid, but I know. I hate to
say it but, my God, if that baby had made
it into this world--if you had to be tied
down to that little... She would have
ruined your life. And that she nearly
killed herself--
NOAH
Shut up, shut up right now! You don't
know what you're talking about. You don't
know shit!
His mother raises her hand to slap him, but he blocks it.
With his other hand, Noah slaps Nancy. She stares at him in
shock, tears in her eyes.
NOAH (CONT'D)
The baby wasn't mine. And as for ruining
lives, you're doing well enough for all
of us.
Suddenly, Nancy's pained expression turns to one of lack of
recognition--as though she weren't talking to her son but to
a complete stranger.
INT. INSTITUTION - DAY
Noah walks down the hall of a psychiatric institution,
passing patients with various ailments. He approaches a
nurses' station and says something to the NURSE, who points
down the hall. As he continues toward the room, Noah sees a
PATIENT fighting with TWO ORDERLIES attempting to subdue her.
INT. ROOM AT INSTITUTION - FOLLOW
He enters Lorelei's room and finds her asleep. There are
several other beds in the room, most of them occupied by
YOUNG WOMEN (presumably with problems similar to Lorelei's).
Holding her Lyric Book in both hands, Noah approaches
Lorelei's bed. He is about to set it on her bedside table
when she opens her eyes and looks up at him wearily.
NOAH
Lorelei?
LORELEI
Hi.
NOAH
How are you doing?
LORELEI
Isn't it beautiful today?
Noah looks out the window. The sky is gray and the trees
bare.
LORELEI (CONT'D)
It's so nice to drift...
NOAH
To drift?
LORELEI
Do you think we'll make it?
Noah is struck by Lorelei's complete absence, the emptiness
in her eyes.
A WOMAN in the next bed looks up from a magazine to see the
sad look in Noah's eyes.
WOMAN
She spent last night in the Quiet Room.
NOAH
The Quiet Room?
WOMAN
Yesterday was bad for her... But she's
resting today.
Noah looks again at Lorelei. She seems to be drifting back to
sleep.
LORELEI
Noah?
NOAH
(hopeful)
Yes?
LORELEI
Take me somewhere fun.
NOAH
I--
He stops short and looks down at the book in his hand.
WOMAN
A present?
NOAH
No. I... I should have brought flowers.
Lorelei is asleep again, smiling slightly. Noah walks from
the room still holding the Lyric Book. As he passes through
the doorway, he looks over his shoulder. Then he silently
turns to leave.
EXT. STREET - LATER
Noah leaves the hospital. The sky is wide and gray, the trees
bare. Hanging his head, he walks down the empty street,
coming eventually to the playground of Maggie's school.
Suddenly he hears a deep voice shout:
MR. SHEPARD (O.S.)
Jesse Suskind! Jesse Suskind!
Noah looks around the playground, expecting to see Jesse. But
all he sees is several children playing on a jungle gym. Then
he is unexpectedly tackled from behind by Mr. Shepard.
After a bit of knocking each other around awkwardly--Noah has
had the wind knocked out of him and Mr. Shepard's hip causes
him too much pain for him to put up much of a fight--they
collapse in the mulch of the playground. Noah has been beaten
pretty badly about the face, and both of them are panting
exhaustedly as Sister Merciless and a group of wide-eyed
elementary school STUDENTS (Maggie included) surround them.
SISTER MERCILESS
Mr. Beckett, what is the meaning of this?
MR. SHEPARD
You're not--
NOAH
No. And I didn't knock up your daughter.
SISTER MERCILESS
I'm calling the police!
The nun shuffles back toward the school, herding away as many
kids as she can.
MR. SHEPARD
(boyishly)
Let's get out of here before we get in
trouble.
They manage to get back on their feet and dust themselves
off. As they begin to limp away, Noah turns back to Maggie,
who stands by the monkey bars glaring at her brother.
NOAH
(pointing at her)
Not a word.
Maggie flips Noah off and runs inside.
INT. DENNY'S - LATER
Mr. Shepard and Noah drink coffee at the local Denny's
restaurant. Between them is a plate of food that neither has
touched. Each in his own way looks haggard, beaten, and
emotionally exhausted.
NOAH
So I told her I was Jesse. I don't know
why. It just came out that way.
MR. SHEPARD
(calmly)
That doesn't change the fact that I could
have you arrested.
NOAH
So could I...
(pausing for a sip of coffee)
What was I supposed to think about a man
who keeps his daughter locked up?
MR. SHEPARD
You don't know her troubles, Noah. I
don't even understand them. I do what I
can.
NOAH
(to himself)
I definitely don't know her troubles.
They sit in silence for a long moment. Each of them sips his
coffee vacantly, not knowing what to say.
NOAH (CONT'D)
What do you do, Mr. Shepard?
MR. SHEPARD
I'm in insurance. Life, fire, home...
You're in college?
Noah sighs heavily.
NOAH
Food service industry. For the moment.
They share another long moment of silence. Mr. Shepard looks
Noah over, apprising him with his eyes.
MR. SHEPARD
She's tried it before, Noah. More than
once.
NOAH
I don't understand why she would choose--
MR. SHEPARD
It's not a choice. She doesn't choose to
do it... It's a... an escape from making
choices.
NOAH
Yeah... I know that one.
MR. SHEPARD
Free piece of advice. Making decisions,
choosing sides--that's what it means to
be an adult. If a man doesn't make a
choice, he's hardly living. You might
make the wrong choice... One that even
cripples you--end up with a pin in your
hip. But you never get anywhere relying
on chance--that's certain to leave you
crippled... I've lost my wife. Nearly
lost my daughter. Sometimes I barely feel
alive myself. But life goes on--you can't
sit back.
They fall silent once again.
NOAH
I almost wish it had been mine. Then at
least--
Mr. Shepard looks down without answering. His mouth twitches.
MR. SHEPARD
(calmly)
Noah.
I want you to stay away from my daughter.
From now on I don't want you to see her.
At first Mr. Shepard seems to be saying this as a warning.
But then he looks at Noah with concern.
MR. SHEPARD (CONT'D)
It's better for both of you that way.
POV NOAH - FRONT OF RESTAURANT
Noah sees Aaron walk into the restaurant with another YOUNG
MAN. They catch eyes for a second, then Aaron turns and
follows his friend toward the back.
NOAH
(muttering to himself)
God, I'm having a weird day.
(to Mr. Shepard)
Thanks for the coffee, Mr. Shepard...
I... There's someone I have to talk to...
See you around.
Mr. Shepard looks at him intently and shakes his head no
slowly.
INT. DENNY'S BACK ROOM - FOLLOW
Aaron and Noah stare at each other in silence, sizing each
other up as though about to jump on each other with fists
flailing. Aaron breaks the stalemate.
AARON
How's Mom?
NOAH
All right.
AARON
You look like shit.
NOAH
Yeah. You, too.
Another long moment of silence.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Where the fuck have you been, man?
AARON
None of your business.
NOAH
I think it is.
AARON
What the hell are you doing here, anyway?
Aren't you in college?
NOAH
Dropped out.
AARON
Way to go, dumbass.
NOAH
Yeah, well, merry fucking Christmas to
you, too.
Aaron flips Noah off and pushes past him to sit at a table.
Noah leaves without looking back.
INT. CASEY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
Casey answers his front door to find Noah standing there with
a shiner and a blood-caked split lip.
CASEY
Key-reist, look at ya!
NOAH
So how about that road trip?
CUT TO:
INT. CASEY'S BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER
In the bathroom, Casey attempts to clean Noah up, dabbing the
split lip with an iodine-soaked cotton ball and slapping a
slice of frozen fish on the shiner.
CASEY
What am I gonna do--sell all my shit?
NOAH
Put it in storage...
CASEY
I don't have a car.
NOAH
We can take mine.
CASEY
Are you sure this isn't just some crazy
shit you thought to do... In reaction to
all this?
NOAH
(with a sigh)
Of course that's what it is.
CASEY
I thought the car was your mom's.
NOAH
I've only got three hundred left to pay
her for it...
CASEY
How long are we talking here? Couple
weeks? A month? More than--
NOAH
Just-- I don't know!
Noah takes the cotton ball from Casey and wipes the last bit
of blood from his lip before tossing it away.
NOAH (CONT'D)
I just want to get the hell out of here
for a little while...
Noah presses the piece of frozen fish to his eye again and
leans back against the toilet.
CASEY
Don't worry about it. I got a guy who's
dying for the katana blade... Probably
better to go away for a while anyway. You
know Ed just got a gig with the Thrilling
Brother's...
NOAH
He got hired?
CASEY
Yeah, man. It's a fucking coup. I wish I
had gotten hired... But whatever, I'm
proud of him... So when do we leave?
NOAH
As soon as we can.
Noah stands up, tosses the fish in the sink, and walks out of
the bathroom.
CASEY
(calling after him)
Where you going?
NOAH (O.S.)
Something I gotta do for my mom.
Casey hears the front door close.
INT. FATHER CONLON'S OFFICE - DAY
Father Conlon sits in a comfortable chair not far from where
Noah lies on the couch in front of a bookshelf full of
theological texts.
FATHER CONLON
Do you consider yourself a happy person?
NOAH
Well, not overly happy. But I'm
relatively fine.
FATHER CONLON
How do you mean relatively?
NOAH
Well, I mean... Relatively speaking, I'm
not that unhappy. There are tons of
people who have more to bitch about than
I do. People starving, suffering--
FATHER CONLON
Noah, I'm not asking you to compare your
happiness to that of others. I'm simply--
NOAH
What have I got to complain about? What?
That my mother drinks a bit too much, and
that my dad and her are hypocrites who go
every Sunday to--
FATHER CONLON
That's a start.
NOAH
But who gives a shit? That's nothing next
to--
FATHER CONLON
Please, Noah. Right now I'm asking about
something much simpler and much more
essential. I want to know how you feel...
NOAH
I feel... I feel...
Noah squirms a bit on the couch. Suddenly Father Conlon leans
forward and knocks Noah's feet off the couch.
FATHER CONLON
Will you sit up already! What is this,
anyway? I'm not your shrink. Just sit up
and tell me how you feel, damn it!
Noah sits up and stares off into space for a moment.
NOAH
Inert.
Noah runs his hands through his hair in mild desperation.
Father Conlon's face softens into an expression of
understanding, and he moves to sit next to Noah.
FATHER CONLON
Let's just--you wanna go outside? Get out
of this stuffy office? Jesus--pardon me-
I mean, it's my office now, but this
stuff's really more Father Greeley's
style.
Father Conlon crosses himself upon mentioning his deceased
predecessor.
FATHER CONLON (CONT'D)
Let's just go for a stroll and talk, huh?
You look like you're about to explode
sitting there. God help us all!
EXT. CHURCHYARD - MOMENTS LATER
Noah and Father Conlon stroll though the churchyard garden.
It's a bright and crisp early spring afternoon. No flowers
have bloomed yet, but there are buds on the trees.
NOAH
I feel as though I've always been... just
an observer. I've never found anything to
commit to. It's like wanting desperately
to feel something, anything, to do
something... And then there was Lorelei.
And she was so intense--about everything.
She seemed to feel everything so deeply.
Father Conlon leans down by the garden and lifts up a statue
of the Virgin. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a
lighter. He offers Noah one, and they smoke together--each
deep in thought.
FATHER CONLON
Do you love her?
NOAH
I don't know... I don't even know if I
know what love is... I mean, I can't tell
if it's love, or just being carried away.
FATHER CONLON
By her intensity.
NOAH
By her. By something. You know? But maybe
that's just because it's easy to get
carried away.
FATHER CONLON
Easier than loving someone...
NOAH
In any case, it's a lost cause.
FATHER CONLON
(shaking his head)
No...
NOAH
I'll probably never see her again.
FATHER CONLON
No cause is lost that was never found.
NOAH
Who said that?
FATHER CONLON
Me. Just now... Maybe, in a way, you were
looking for her to be your salvation.
Waiting for her to shake up your world.
NOAH
Salvation...
(taking a deep drag and
flicking the butt)
I've always had a problem with that one
too. I mean, saved from what--and to what
are you saved? Everybody seems to be
wishing for that one thing to set it all
straight. A girl, a job... It just seems
so desperate. And does it ever come?
FATHER CONLON
You're no Catholic, Noah. I recognize
that. But in secular life as well as in
the religious, we all need to have some
vision of salvation in order to carry on.
Or, at least, everyone needs to believe
in the one thing that makes salvation a
possibility.
NOAH
(guessing)
Jesus?
Father Conlon chuckles at Noah, taking his arm and guiding
him down the path.
FATHER CONLON
That life ultimately somehow matters.
Even if its importance can't be
demonstrated rationally, or otherwise.
NOAH
So what's the pearl of wisdom here?
FATHER CONLON
In layman's terms? Get off your ass,
Noah! Go find your cause before you
really do lose it.
NOAH
Yeah...
They each snub out their cigarettes. Father Conlon looks
around the churchyard as though taking it in for the first
time.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Can you--will you explain to my mother
why I'm leaving?
FATHER CONLON
Sure... I'll even say a prayer for you.
NOAH
To St. Jude?
FATHER CONLON
(shrugging)
Maybe St. Christopher.
CUT TO:
INT. MAGGIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Noah sneaks into his sister's bedroom before dawn. He moves
carefully past her little-girl vanity and piles of toys with
a book tucked beneath his arm. Just before reaching her bed,
he stubs his toe loudly on her Barbie Dream House.
NOAH
(whispering)
Mags... Mags, wake up.
Maggie moans softly, opens her eyes wearily, and pouts at
him.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Listen, I'm... I'm going away for a
bit... I mean, I'm taking a trip. I'll be
back, but I don't know when.
MAGGIE
Who's gonna take me to school?
NOAH
(whispering)
Shh... Just, here.
He pulls out a wad of money, several hundred dollars at
least, and slips it under her pillow.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Give this to Mom and Dad. Tell them it's
for the car.
MAGGIE
(whispering)
Noah?
NOAH
I got you this.
Maggie pulls her arms up out from beneath the blankets and
takes the book. Looking at the cover and finding it to her
liking, she smiles at Noah. Noah leans down and kisses her on
the forehead. Maggie gives him a sleepy one-armed hug.
NOAH (CONT'D)
OK, kid. I gotta go... I love you.
MAGGIE
G'bye, Noah.
Noah rises and turns to leave only to find Nancy standing in
the doorway in her nightgown.
INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Nancy and Noah sit at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
NANCY
Father Conlon told me you two had a nice
conversation.
NOAH
Yeah, well... Don't take it for a sign of
conversion or anything.
NANCY
(starting to smile)
That's what he said.
Nancy pulls the wad of bills from a pocket of her nightgown.
NANCY (CONT'D)
Take it with you.
NOAH
It's for--
NANCY
Just take it, okay?...
(pricking her ears)
Dad's up. You wanna say goodbye to him?
Noah nods. They sit in silence, waiting. Bill enters the
kitchen in his robe.
BILL
What's everybody doing up?
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING DECK - EARLY MORNING
Noah and Casey are on a parking deck downtown, packing the
last of Casey's belongings into the back of an already packed
station wagon: a print of Hokusai's "The Great Wave of
Kanagawa."
The sun has yet to come up, but there's a faint glow along
the horizon. The two of them look out over the silhouettes of
downtown buildings, and the streetlights below them turn off
with a CLICK.
CASEY
Did you talk to her... Before her dad
kicked your ass?
NOAH
No.
CASEY
Was she...
NOAH
Well, we talked... But it's like she
wasn't even there... They have her so...
I don't know--it's like any trace of what
was there is gone.
There is a long pause.
CASEY
Alaska?
NOAH
Okinawa.
Noah looks grimly ahead at the darkened shapes of downtown.
CASEY
(finally releasing his
frustration)
We should do something, man... A symbolic
something--what the fuck do I know? But
something...
NOAH
Yeah.
Noah turns away from the view of downtown.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Let's just go. This whole town is like a
suicide.
Casey nods, half in agreement, half in pursuance of his
former thought. He starts to get into Noah's car.
CASEY
But we gotta stop at K-Mart...
EXT. BAY BRIDGE - DAY
Once more, Noah is driving over the Bay Bridge and smoking a
cigarette. Only now we see that Casey is sitting in the
passenger seat.
Casey carves out a hole in the back of a rubber ducky and
tosses it into the backseat, where he's thrown at least fifty
others. Noah flicks a cigarette out his window and closes it,
cutting off the ocean-like rush of air.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
Noah and Casey stand on the bridge where Emma killed herself.
They stare pensively at the river flowing beneath them.
CASEY
My people have a ceremony... to celebrate
loved ones who are lost but who are still
with us in spirit.
NOAH
So do mine.
EXT. ROWBOAT - LATER
Noah paddles them out onto the river in a small rowboat, and
Casey begins lighting little votive candles stuck into the
backs of the rubber duckies. As he lights each one, he sends
it floating down the river.
NOAH
You got this from that movie, didn't you?
Casey smirks.
INSERT - LYRIC BOOK
Noah makes an offering of Lorelei's Lyric Book. He sets it
onto the surface of the water, where it floats for a moment
before plunging downward.
EXT. RIVER - SAME
The rubber duckies float away downstream, leaving Noah and
Casey far behind. They reach a small breakwater and pause a
moment before cascading like pills on a pharmaceutical
factory conveyor belt. Beyond the breakwater, the river
widens and becomes a part of the Chesapeake Bay.
THE END
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