Beginners Page #11

CUT TO PAST:

INT. HAL'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Oliver arrives at Hal’s, there is a party going on, Oliver is

surprised, he carries groceries with him.

HAL:

Well, glad you could make it.

OLIVER:

I thought I was making dinner?

HAL:

It's movie night.

Oliver and Hal make their way through a crowd of Hal's gay

friends. They’re in party mode.

PARTY GUEST:

Hal, you look wonderful.

HAL:

Oh, I'm turning the corner on this

thing.

We loose Hal and Oliver in the group...

INT. HAL’S DINNING ROOM - ANOTHER DAY

Twelve of Hal’s gay friends sit around the table in an

assembly line of paper folding-envelope stuffing-labeling,

stamping...

OLIVER (V.O.)

He had these political letter

writing parties, there was an out

gay congressman he was

supporting...

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 63.

CONTINUED:

Hal leads the guys as they put the letters together.

INT. HAL'S HOUSE (BACK TO MOVIE NIGHT PARTY)

BACK TO Oliver and Hal, arriving in the kitchen with the

groceries.

OLIVER (V.O.)

He started telling everyone that he

was getting better.

They’re finally almost alone.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Why're you telling them you're

"turning the corner"?

HAL:

Well...

OLIVER:

You have stage 4 cancer?

HAL:

It's not as bad as it sounds.

OLIVER:

Pop. There is no stage 5.

HAL:

That's not what it means.

OLIVER:

What does it mean?

HAL:

It just means it's been through 3

other stages.

Oliver doesn't know what to say, he looks through the door at

all of Hal's friends -- happy, laughing, partying. He looks

back at Hal, ready to fight him more, but for the first time

we can see fear and doubt in Hal's face.

OLIVER:

What movie are we watching?

HAL:

"The Life of Harvey Milk." He was

the first openly gay politician...

OLIVER:

Yeah I know who Harvey Milk is.

HAL:

Good, good.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 64.

CONTINUED:

Hal heads back to the party, leaving Oliver alone in the

kitchen overwhelmed.

MOMENTS LATER:
Everyone is crowded onto the couches, they're

watching the Harvey Milk film.

INT. HAL’S OFFICE

Hal paces and dictates to a secretary.

OLIVER (V.O.)

He hired a secretary that he could

dictate to.

LIVE ACTION PORTRAIT OF THE SECRETARY LOOKING INTO CAMERA.

OLIVER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

He wrote an essay about religion...

INT. HAL'S DINNING ROOM - ANOTHER DAY

Hal works with his secretary as Oliver looks on. Hal pulls

the lap-top to himself and reads what he has dictated...

HAL:

Eventually Jesus grew old. He could

no longer walk far and he could no

longer preach in a loud voice. One

day he announced to his apostles

that he was departing. The three

disciples prayed with him, gave him

water, bathed and fed him. After

gasping for breath for several

days, one morning, just as dawn

came, Jesus passed away.

OLIVER:

You re-wrote Jesus’ death?

They all laugh.

HAL:

It was so violent, we need new

stories.

Oliver goes over and kisses Hal on the head.

INT. HAL’S LIVING ROOM

Oliver enters and sees Hal and Andy taking a nap together on

the day bed. Hal wakes up and waves at Oliver.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 65.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER V.O.

For the first time I saw him really

in love.

Oliver waves back at his father.

ANNA V.O.

He sounds amazing. But that musthave been crazy for you.

CUT TO PRESENT:

INT. ANNA'S HOTEL ROOM

Anna hugs and kisses Oliver. She’s both overwhelmed by his

need and sympathetic to all that he’s lost.

LATER THAT NIGHT: The room is dark, Oliver is asleep. Anna is

nervously awake. She quietly gets out of bed, puts her pants

on, and sneaks to the door. Arthur wakes up and hops to her

wanting to follow.

ANNA:

Stay here.

She starts to close the door, Arthur scratches, she tries

again, he scratches. She opens the door, Arthur trots out

into the hallway - Anna catches up with him.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

A troubled Anna walks down the hallway with Arthur.

INT. HOTEL BALLROOM

A dark empty ballroom, filled with tables. Anna sits in the

dark and smokes.

INT. HOTEL ROOM

Oliver wakes up, slowly figures out that Anna is not in bed.

OLIVER:

Anna?

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

Oliver, now in clothes, sleepily looks for Anna.

10/29/07 66.

INT. HOTEL BALLROOM

Oliver enters the ballroom, Arthur trots to him. He see's

Anna across the room - full of heavy feelings. He sits by

her.

ANNA:

I couldn’t sleep, I wanted to walk

around...

Oliver’s petting Arthur. He’s confused and hurt.

ANNA:

You’ve lost so much. What if I

can’t make up for that?

OLIVER:

If this is too much, then we should

just stop.

Oliver gets up and starts to leave, Anna’s surprised. She

catches up with him puts her arms around him from behind.

ANNA:

Wait, wait.

She forces him to stay there.

ANNA:

I don’t want to stop.

They hold this pose in silence for a beat, then,

surprisingly, he hoists her over his shoulder, and carries

her back to their room. She laughs, they’ve made it past this

trouble.

CUT TO PAST:

EXT. LARGE PARKING LOT - DUSK

Andy shouts...

ANDY:

Ready?

Andy has a set-up of large fireworks ready to go, Hal and

twelve friends stand by, Oliver’s behind.

EVERYONE BUT OLIVER

YES!

Mock enthusiasm.

OLIVER:

No!

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 67.

CONTINUED:

The fireworks go off.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM

IT IS INCREDIBLY LOUD. Big fireworks explode, the guys laugh

and HOLLER. Hal raises his arms up in the air in celebration.

HAL:

Again!

EVERYONE:

AGAIN! AGAIN!

As Andy lights up some more.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM

Oliver covers his ears, he yells out...

OLIVER:

FFFFFUUUUCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!

He's still yelling after the explosions stop.

The guys, all sensing the insanity laugh and yell back at

him.

GUYS:

FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!

Oliver's laughing now - the noise, the absurdity. Hal and

Oliver make eye contact. Hal yells less strongly than the

others but trying...

HAL:

FFFFFFUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!!

They keep eye contact. They are bonded, happy, out of their

normal confines. Oliver comes to Hal, yelling again.

OLIVER:

FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!

HAL:

FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!

OLIVER:

FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!

HAL:

FFFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!

CUT TO LATER:
All the guys spread out across the parking lot

looking for Arthur who must of fled during the explosions.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 68.

CONTINUED:

EVERYONE:

Arthur! Arthur... Arthur...

CUT TO PRESENT:

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM MORNING

Arthur runs towards camera chasing a tennis ball that Anna

threw for him. He runs back and jumps onto the bed, waking

Oliver. He’s sleepy, she’s happy, wants him to wake up.

ANNA:

Ah, you’re awake! Arthur says it’s

time to get up, he says he has the

day off.

OLIVER:

He talks to you too?

ANNA:

Yeah.

OLIVER:

Your English is not so perfect. And

he said ten minutes.

INT. MOONLIGHT ROLLER RINK - NIGHT

Hard cut Oliver and Anna roller-skating to carousel music.

They’re having a great time being terrible at it.

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