Beginners Page #10

EXT. GRIFFITH PARK

We cut to Arthur sprinting up a trail in Elysian park. Oliver

and Anna chase after him. In contrast to the previous scene

there is lightness and laughter here.

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM NIGHT

The three enter, the phone is ringing, Anna is staring at it

with dread. Oliver looks at her, he finally moves to pick it

up.

ANNA:

Don’t, don’t.

It keeps ringing.

ANNA:

It’s my dad.

They both watch the phone as it rings and stops.

OLIVER:

He’s that bad?

She picks up the phone, and gestures for Oliver to pick up

the line next to him.

ANNA (CONT'D)

I'll be my dad, you be me.

OLIVER:

OK.

ANNA:

(In a deep man’s voice) Honey?

She gestures again, Oliver picks up the phone on his side of

the bed. Anna turns away, he can only see her back across the

bed. He turns away too.

OLIVER:

Oui?

Anna continues to talk in a different voice.

ANNA:

C’est toi, cheri?

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 57.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Oui Papa.

ANNA:

You never call me back.

ANNA:

You know, I can't stop thinking

about, you know, about it. Doing

it.

OLIVER:

Doing what?

ANNA:

Killing myself. You are the only

one I can tell that to.

Oliver breaks role, turns around looks at her.

OLIVER:

You should tell mom about that, not

me.

She just looks at him. Back into phone.

ANNA:

You are my girl.

They hang up. She's embarrassed, she lightens the mood to get

out of this intimacy.

ANNA:

Now I have to kill you.

OLIVER:

Just as it was going so well.

ANNA:

I know. I’m sorry.

She tosses a pillow over his face and pretends to shoot him

twice. She pulls the pillow back tentatively, he’s smiling.

OLIVER:

Hey Anna?

ANNA:

Hey Oliver?

OLIVER:

How do you feel about vandalism?

It’s the last question she thought he’d ask. She’s amused.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 58.

CONTINUED:

ANNA:

I don’t know. Pretty okay.

EXT. LOS ANGELES STREETS/INT. CAR - NIGHT

Anna, Oliver, Elliott, Shauna and Arthur drive up Sunset

Blvd. They arrive at Alvarado, park and get out. Above them a

well lit large blank/white billboard. As Oliver and Elliott

get spray paint cans from the back of the car...

ELLIOTT:

Oliver, don’t write any of that

serious stuff, okay? Just write

something funny. Girls like funny.

EXT. ROOFTOP

The gang get to the top of the stairs, on to the roof where

they can see the large blank billboard towering in front of

them.

SHAUNA:

You know what? Here, give me

Arthur. We’ll just stay here and

get arrested. You know, that’s

good.

Oliver leaves Arthur with her, and Anna and Elliott and him

head off to the billboard. They climb it’s structure, it’s

high and a bit scary. On the top is a gang plank looking over

the city. Anna is happy she came. Elliott goes to paint the

back side of the billboard. Oliver meets up with Anna, over

looking the city.

OLIVER:

You okay?

ANNA:

Yeah. I’m gonna stay here with my

new friend (the handrail she

holds).

OLIVER:

Okay.

Oliver walks out and writes big letters across the billboard.

YOU MAKE ME LAUGH BUT IT’S NOT FUNNY.

He makes his way back. Anna’s not where she was, he looks and

finds her in the gangways between the two billboards with a

view to downtown below her.

ANNA:

C’est beau ici.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 59.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Yeah.

He comes to her, wanting to get beyond the romance somehow.

OLIVER:

I’m trying to impress you.

ANNA:

(Gasps ironically) Really?

She walks to him and puts her hands around his head, somehow

it’s more intimate and vulnerable now.

ANNA:

It’s working.

They kiss.

MOMENTS LATER. They’re at the bottom of the ladder. They all

run back to their car.

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL - NIGHT

Oliver, Anna and Arthur walk down the hallway. Arthur bolts

ahead suddenly, getting free of Oliver, he runs to and OLD

MAN - wearing all black and looking just like Hal. Oliver

runs up to stop Arthur.

OLIVER:

Arthur, Arthur. I’m sorry.

We see the old man's face, it's not Hal, but it the

resemblance hits Oliver too. The man is struggling with his

hotel key card.

OLD MAN:

Oh. No problem. No problem. What’s

with this card?

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Uh, do you mind?

Oliver swipes the man’s key, the door opens.

OLD MAN:

Thank you.

He disappears. Oliver looks overwhelmed by this ghost. Anna

senses what's happened. She leads Oliver to their room.

INT. ANNA'S ROOM - NIGHT

Oliver sits on the bed, sinking. Anna watches him. She comes

to him, hugs him.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 60.

CONTINUED:

ANNA:

He looked like your dad?

OLIVER:

Yeah.

She wants to take care of him, she lays him back on the bed,

helps him take his coat off, she’s sitting on him, caressing

him - Oliver is overwhelmed by memory.

OLIVER:

Somewhere along the line, he

stopped admitting to himself that

he was sick.

CUT TO PAST:

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

A SERIES OF REPEAT ACTIONS ON DIFFERENT DAYS:

1. Camera tracks with Oliver helping Hal into the Cancer

Center. Hal is full of life.

SAME ANGLE TWO MORE TIMES, DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT CLOTHES

AND EXTRAS.

2. Hal arrives at the cookie plate in the Cancer Center

Lobby.

SAME ANGLE TWO MORE TIMES, DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT CLOTHES

AND EXTRAS.

3. CU on the cookie plate.

SAME ANGLE TWO MORE TIMES, DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT COOKIES.

4. Hal sits happily eating his cookie. He is chipper, alive,

without self-pity.

SAME ANGLE TWO MORE TIMES, DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT CLOTHES

AND COOKIES.

INT. RADIATION ROOM

Hal looks into camera (Oliver’s perspective) as he pulls his

shirt off, the radiation machine is in the background. Hal

grandly introduces Oliver to the Technician.

HAL:

Oliver, this is Blake. He’s a

wonderful man.

CU of the small round registration tattoos on Hal’s chest

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 61.

CONTINUED:

HAL:

Look. I finally got a tattoo.

Registration purposes of course.

CUT BACK TO PRESENT

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM

Anna still straddles Oliver, she’s moved by his story.

ANNA:

Good for him.

CUT BACK TO PAST

Oliver continues to tell Anna about Hal.

INT. COUNTERPOINT BOOKSTORE

OLIVER (V.O.)

He did a lot of shopping. Bought

all these books.

SAME ANGLE AND LOCATION, JUMP CUT THROUGH 3 DIFFERENT DAYS OF

HAL LOOKING FOR BOOKS.

JUMP CUT THROUGH 3 DIFFERENT SETS OF BOOKS BEING PUSHED

TOWARDS THE CASH REGISTER.

OLIVER V.O.

And new clothes.

INT. MENS CLOTHING STORE DRESSING ROOM.

SAME ANGLE, MENS DRESSING ROOM, 3 DIFFERENT DAYS, OLIVER

BRINGS DIFFERENT CLOTHES TO HAL IN THE DRESSING ROOM.

INT. STAPLES STYLE STORE - DAY

Hal buying more and more paper, Oliver helping him.

OLIVER (V.O.)

He was obsessed with Staples.

INT. NURSERY

JUMP CUT THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT DAYS, OLIVER HELPS HAL BUY

PLANTS.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 62.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER (V.O.)

He bought a lot of plants.

CUT BACK TO PRESENT

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM

Oliver’s very emotional now, as is Anna.

OLIVER:

He had a lot of parties.

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