Beginners Page #12

Oliver and Anna join Elliott and Shauna on the side of the

rink. Arthur is half hidden in a duffle bag at their feet.

OLIVER:

You okay? (to Anna) You did really

well.

ELLIOTT:

Yeah, I can’t believe that was your

first time.

OLIVER:

(To Arthur) You watching all the

humans going around and around.

The manager of the rink suddenly arrives, upset.

MANAGER:

Excuse me. There’s no dogs allowed

in the building. You need to remove

him from the premises please.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 69.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

If I leave him on his own, he loses

all control.

MANAGER:

I’m sorry. There’s no dogs allowed

in the building.

OLIVER:

Yeah, but if I leave him in the

car, he cries, he howls. I can’t

leave him in the car.

ELLIOTT AND SHAUNA

C’mon, it’s her first time!

ANNA:

(angrily)

A ca vas! C’est bon!

MANAGER:

I don’t know what she’s saying but

I don’t like it.

OLIVER:

She is just talking in French.

She’s saying it’s OK, it is such a

small dog.

MANAGER:

You need to remove the dog from the

premises or I’m going to have to

call the authorities.

OLIVER:

You’re gonna call the authorities?

ELLIOTT AND SHAUNA

F*** it, steal the skates, just

leave.

ANNA:

Dans ce pays! On ne peut pas

amener un chien. On peut rien

faire. Mais c’est con...

EXT. MOONLIGHT ROLLERINK BACK DOOR - CONTINUOUS

Oliver, Anna and Arthur make their way out the door and down

the street in their skates.

INT. MAIN HOTEL HALLWAY

They roll down the main lobby hallway, Arthur running behind,

dodging people as they go.

10/29/07 70.

INT. UPSTAIRS HOTEL HALLWAY

They struggle to skate down the hotel hallway, past a maid.

OLIVER:

Sorry, excuse us, sorry.

They enter Anna’s door.

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Oliver, Anna, Arthur enter on their skates. Still very

playful, they skate around the big room. The phone rings.

Anna’s face falls, they both know it must be her father. She

muster’s on trying to have a good time. Oliver goes and

unplugs the phone.

OLIVER:

He shouldn’t do this to you.

The phone in the next room keeps ringing. He awkwardly skates

to it and unplugs it. He returns.

Oliver skates to her concerned.

ANNA:

Even if we don’t answer, he’s still

in here (points to her head).I go

somewhere else, he’s still here.

Oliver can relate.

OLIVER:

Your leaving soon?

ANNA:

Yeah.

OLIVER:

I think you should come to my house

and move in with me.

ANNA:

Would you want a strange girl like

me?

OLIVER:

Yeah, a lot.

She’s very moved.

ANNA:

Do you cook?

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 71.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Yes (not so sure).

She laughs. She almost cries as she thinks this over. She

skates to him, puts her arms around him.

ANNA:

I would love that.

They kiss.

OLIVER:

But now I’m going to have to kill

you for sure now.

ANNA:

Why?

OLIVER:

Cause I’m falling in love with you.

The sound in the room fades down, Oliver’s narration fades in

over the shot of them embracing in their skates.

OLIVER V.O.

Anna and I are in a relationship in

2003.

STILL PHOTOS OF THE SUN IN 2003, THE STARS, LIVE ACTION SHOT

OF OLIVER AND ANNA EATING, TALKING AT NIGHT IN BED:

OLIVER (V.O.)

This is what the sun looks like and

the stars. This is what it looks

like when we eat. When we tell each

other the stories in our heads.

THEN STILL PHOTOS OF L.B.J., GEORGES POMPIDOU, THEN SUN IN

1971, ANNA’S CAT, ANNA’S PARENTS IN THE 70’S, ANNA’S

POSTCARDS OF PARIS-LONDON-BERLIN-NEW YORK CITY:

OLIVER (V.O.)

I was born in 1965. Anna was born

in 1971. This is what the sun

looked like. Her pets. Her parents.

She left home when she was 16. She

lived here and here and here.

NOW STILL PHOTOS OF FOUR DIFFERENT YOUNG MEN, 3 DRAWINGS OF

OLIVER’S X’S:

OLIVER(V.O.)

She had three serious

relationships. She left all of

them. I had four serious

relationships. I left them too. Or

let them fall apart.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 72.

CONTINUED:

STILL PHOTOS OF W.W.2 GI’S SEEN BEFORE, AND THE PUBLIC MENS

ROOM SEEN BEFORE. LIVE ACTION SHOT OF ANNA FEELING TROUBLED,

LIVE ACTION SHOT OF ANNA WALKING BY THE RIVER LOOKING INTO

CAMERA HAPPY.

OLVIER (V.O.)

We didn’t go to this war. We didn’t

have to hide to have sex. Our god

fortune allowed us to feel a

sadness that our parents didn’t

have time for and a happiness that

I never saw with them.

NOW LIVE ACTION SHOT OF OLIVER AND ANNA TALKING AT NIGHT,

LIVE ACTION SHOT OF OLIVER AND ANNA RUNNING BACKWARDS IN

PRETEND SLOW MOTION. THEN ANNA’S EYES LOOKING INTO CAMERA,

HER EAR, HER FEET, ANNA SAYING “I LOVE YOU”.

OLIVER (V.O.)

We didn’t know how we learned the

stories in our heads but sometimes

they stop running and I can really

see Anna’s eyes in 2003. Her ears.

Her feet. This is what it looks

like when she says, I love you, in

2003.

LIVE ACTION SHOT OF ANNA CRYING WITH OLIVER, LIVE ACTION SHOT

OF OLIVER HUGGING HER AND ANNA SAYING SOMETHING WE CANNOT

HEAR.

OLIVER (V.O.)

This is what it looks like when she

cries. When she tells me there’s

always a new empty room waiting for

her. They used to make her feel

free. Now they make her feel the

opposite of free.

INT. OLIVER'S OFFICE - DAY

Oliver’s at his desk, looking at photos of himself and his

mother at a museum exhibit from the 70’s. We see young Oliver

and Georgia, an exhibit of stuffed animals, a quote on a

wall. Oliver goes to his notebooks, looks through them till

he finds a small rainbow sticker. He puts it on the table and

thinks...

CUT TO PAST:

EXT. HAL'S DINNING ROOM

Oliver’s helping Hal take his medication, Hal deals with is

mail.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 73.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Next one.

HAL:

Lord.

With each swallow he pings a glass with a fork. Hal opens a

letter from a gay rights organization, he hands Oliver the

rainbow sticker we just saw.

HAL (CONT'D)

Here, that means gay pride.

OLIVER:

Yeah, everyone knows that, here.

He gives Hal another pill, another reluctant difficult

swallow, another ping.

HAL:

No they don't.

OLIVER:

Everyone knows about that Pop.

HAL:

Don’t be ridiculous.

Hal’s hiding something, he doesn’t look Oliver in the eyes

when he asks...

HAL:

Did you know, about me?

Oliver shakes his head no.

OLIVER:

No, I just thought you and mom

weren't in love.

HAL:

We loved each other.

OLIVER:

But you were gay that whole time.

HAL:

I learned how not to be.

OLIVER:

For 44 years?

HAL:

I knew I was gay, though, at dinner

parties I was looking at the

husbands not the wives.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 74.

CONTINUED:

HAL (cont'd)

I couldn't have survived if I

didn't know that. I just chose not

to follow those instincts.

OLIVER:

What about sex? You guys had sex?

HAL:

She didn't think I was the greatest

lover, but we made do. Look, I

liked my life, the museum, our

house, that's what I wanted.

OLIVER:

And mom? You wanted mom too right?

Frustrated and angry, Oliver takes the pill tray into the

kitchen, leaving Hal behind.

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