Awakenings Page #16

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Buried in it he sees Leonard's original perception test, and

alongsideit, thefirst Polaroid of him . ..

Sayer abruptly moves to the window, yanks at it, but it's

jammed shut again. Below he can see Miss Costello crossing

toward her car. He fights with the window, finally frees it,

slides it open and yells out loudly

SAYER:

Eleanor.

She turns to the voice. He turns from the window.

Tight on the glasses left on his desk.

211B. EXT. PARKING LOT, BAINBRIDGE -MOMENTS LATER -NIGHT 211B.

He hurries out of the building and across the lot. Winded, he

reaches her.

MISS COSTELLO:

What's wrong?

Q:

Q:

REV.12/15/89 (GREEN) Pg.117

211B.C0NT. 211

He holds his hand up while he tries to catch his breath. She

stares at him, concerned perhaps something has happened to

Leonard.

SAYER:

Nothing ...

(he casts around)

No, I was wondering ... What are

you doing? You probably have

plans ... or ...

MISS COSTELLO:

No, I'm just

SAYER:

Because I was wondering . . .

maybe ... you have no plans ...?

MISS COSTELLO:

I have no

SAYER:

Because -I -was -wondering, ..maybe . . . .

you'd... we ... could ...

(grasping for an

idea)

I don't know, go get a cup .

of coffee somewhere ... together

• • • or •••

Or what -seperately? He trails off, perhaps wishing he

hadn't come out at all.

SAYER:

... Maybewecouldjust ... go

for a walk ... ?

He shrugs. That's the best he can do. A slow, slow smile

crosses her face.

MISS COSTELLO:

I'd be delighted.

212. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -NIGHT . 212.

A mechanical dog crosses Leonard's path wagging its tail.

Unlike everyone else, he stops to admire it. He's enchanted by

it. He smiles at the peddler and the "litter of pups" moving

around his feet.

LEONARD:

, ( They're so life-like.

REV.12/15/89 (GREEN) Pg.118

212.CONT. PEDDLER 212.

And only five bucks, can you

believe it?

213. INT/EXT. TAXI/STREETS -NIGHT 213.

In the back of a taxi, Leonard stares out the window,

mesmerized by all he sees. The driver glances back in the rear

view mirror.

HECTOR:

How 'bout those Jets?

Leonard glances at the rear view mirror and finds in it the

driver's eyes.

LEONARD:

I like them.

Leonard glances out the window, a little puzzled, to the sky,

to see if there's one flying overhead.

HECTOR:

Broadway Joe.

The driver glances back to see what Leonard thinks of that. *

Leonard nods uncertainly.

LEONARD:

Yeah.

As they rattle along, Leonard peers back but the window at

things going by, and absently pets the mechanical dog in his

lap. Eventually

HECTOR:

You•re not from here.

LEONARD:

I am. I was born here. But.I've

been away a long time.

HECTOR:

Where?

LEONARD:

The Bronx.

Hector has to laugh, but it's cut short by the blare of his *

horn as he slams it in response to another cab sliding into his *

lane.

214-217. OMITTED 214-217.

REV.12/15/89 (GREEN) Pg.119

218. INT/EXT. TAXI/STREET -NEW YORK -NIGHT 218.

The meter clicks over and into double digits. The taxi is

parked across the street from a diner.

HECTOR:

I don't mind sitting here if you

don't, but to what end are we

sitting here?

Leonard watches a waitress in the diner, Paula, chatting with

some young customers. His hand moves to and onto the car door

handle, but then hesitates opening it. Paula is getting her

coat and leaving with her friends. They have ice skates.

219. EXT. ROCKEFELLER CENTER -NIGHT 219.

Prometheus stealing fire from heaven, dwarfed by the Christmas

tree that towers over him. Figures glide past the statue.

Skaters on the ice rink.

It's magical.-At *least« as-seen, through .Leonard's eyes. From

the promenade he watches the skaters gliding gracefully over

the ice. Hector appears at his side.

HECTOR :

I'm sorry to bother you, Len, I

just thought you should know this

is adding up, you know?

Without taking his eyes from the skaters below, Leonard digs

into his coat pocket and hands Hector a clump of money,

hundreds of dollars. Embarrassed

HECTOR:

I didn't mean that, just

LEONARD:

I don't need it, you keep it.

Hector puts the money back in Leonard's coat. Leonard finds

Paula among the skaters, isolates her from them, and watches

her glide around the rink. A fine mist of snow is falling,

veiling her.

HECTOR:

Beautiful, isn't it.

LEONARD:

Unforgettable.

^

/'"~J~

Wj

r-

\%

REV.12/15/89 (GREEN) Pg.120

219«

219.CONT.

A blur of faces, of people on the promenade, from Paula's

perspective. Though it is impossible, she thinks for a moment

she sees Leonard's among them. She arcs and glances back up

again, but the man who resembled Leonard is gone.

220. INT. TAXI -NIGHT 220.

The cab rattling down another street.

LEONARD:

You have children, Hector?

Hector takes a photograph from his chauffeur's permit plate and

hands it back. A boy, five, healthy and happy.

LEONARD:

He's lovely.

HECTOR:

I thank God for him every day.

Every single day.

Leonard begins to weep softly. Once Hector notices, he slows

the car, pulls to the curb, and studies Leonard in the rear

view mirror. Has this man lost a child? The taxi engine

idles. :

',

221. EXT. NEW YORK CITY -NIGHT 221.

The cab, empty, parked in front of an apartment building in a

working class neighborhood.

222. INT. HECTOR'S APARTMENT -NIGHT 222

The mechanical dog on a bathroom sink. Leonard staring at his

reflection in a mirror. And at his hands. It's happening.

He's falling apart.

HALLWAY. Leonard at a bedroom door. Peering in at Hector's

sleeping son. He steps quietly into the room and places the

mechanical dog on the pillow beside the boy's head.

THE LIVING ROOM. A small Christmas tree. Hector and his wife

sitting on cheap furniture with cups of egg nog. Leonard

emerges from the hallway.

'*

LEONARD:

I have to be leaving.

(g trouble with

(having

the words)

I want to th-ank you. You've been

very kind to me.

REV.12/15/89 (GREEN) Pg.121

222.CONT. . . 222.

Hector and his wife are both thinking the same thing: this

man's not well and they shouldn't let him go.

HECTOR:

Leave? You're our guest, we got

dinner coming. We're having

something to eat.

His wife agrees with a couple of words in Spanish as she gets *

up and crosses toward the kitchen. .

HECTOR:

Stay with us.

LEONARD:

I can't.

And he can't explain why. He takes the crumpled wad of money *

(and paper) from his coat pocket and tries to give it to Hector

again.

HECTOR:

Hey

LEONARD:

It has no value to me, believe ;

me.

HECTOR:

I don't want it.

LEONARD:

It's for your son. It's for him.

Hector doesn't take it but doesn't say anything more about it

when Leonard sets it down on the coffee table.

HECTOR:

At least let me give you a lift

wherever you're going.

LEONARD:

No, I think I'd like to walk. .

(to Hector's wife)

Thank you.

She nods, Your welcome, from the doorway of the kitchen.

Leonard offers his hand to Hector to shake.

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