Beginners Page #3

ANDY:

We made a recording for

you.

HAL:

Oh, God.

Andy pushes play, on the recording we hear Andy's voice:

ANDY ON TAPE:

This is for our friend Hal Fields.

Hal. We love you.

We hear voices HOOTING, and then large FIREWORKS, LAUGHTER

and CLAPPING.

Oliver watches his father’s happiness from a distance.

CUT TO PRESENT:

INT. OLIVER’S OFFICE

CU on Oliver’s hands drawing bright streaming colors of the

fireworks.

LATER:
Oliver get’s to his real work, pulling out a few 8X10

photos of a band "The Sads". There are some instructions on

record company letterhead - he is to do an album design for

their new record - they want him to draw portraits of the

three members.

Oliver begins to do quick portraits of them based on the

photo.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 13.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Jesus, Liz. Another band that

wants portraits.

LIZ:

Well, at least it pays the rent.

OLIVER:

You do something decent once, and

that’s all people ever want.

JUMP CUT through the different portraits developing. It’s not

what Oliver want’s to do.

INT. OLIVER’S OFFICE - LATER

Elliott and Shauna let themselves in. Elliot grabs a stool

and sits down.

ELLIOTT:

Hi Liz.

Oliver continues to draw, as Shauna and Elliott try to get

his attention.

ELLIOTT:

Oliver?

OLIVER:

Yeah?

ELLIOTT:

The pen is not your friend. The

paper is not your friend. The

party is your friend. We’re your

friends. Your friends are your

friends.

INT. OLIVER’S LIVING ROOM

Elliot is now dressed as a cop and Shauna as a large chicken,

they are dancing with no music as Oliver sits on a couch

depressed dressed as Sigmund Freud, complete with wig-beardglasses-

pipe.

SHAUNA:

I got the skills... he’s got the

moves...

ELLIOTT:

I got the moves... you’ve got the

skills...

10/29/07 14.

INT. OLIVER'S FRONT DOOR

Oliver, Elliott, and Shauna are leaving. Arthur can’t believe

he’s being left behind. It’s actually the first time they

will separate.

OLIVER:

Arthur, you haven’t been invited to

this party. You’re gonna stay and

look after the house.

Oliver tentatively shuts the door, takes three steps, Arthur

begins to howl. Oliver tries to ignore it, but stops again.

He looks back at the house and the howling.

CUT TO:

INT. OLIVER’S CAR - DRIVING

Arthur, victorious, sits in Elliot’s lap in the front seat,

while Oliver drives and Shauna is squeezed in back in her

chicken outfit.

ELLIOTT:

You remember when Oliver was funny?

And he could actually, like, talk,

in complete sentences?

SHAUNA:

Funny? Funny? I don’t think so Fun

maybe, but not funny unless, like,

serious is funny. Then he’s’

f***ing hilarious.

Elliot and Oliver laugh.

SHAUNA:

But, lovable. You are very

lovable.

ELLIOTT:

Yeah, very lovable.

INT. HOUSE PARTY - NIGHT

Oliver carries Arthur, they all enter a costume party, making

their way through the crowd of people in all kinds of

disguises, music blaring, Oliver slides into the less

populated kitchen. A woman rushes up to Oliver, surprised to

see he has a dog.

FEMALE PARTIER:

So cute, does he do tricks?

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 15.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

His name’s Arthur - he doesn’t do

tricks.

In the background are a couple dressed as JULIAN and ETHEL

ROSENBERG, we see them observe Oliver and Arthur.

PARTIER:

No? Arthur, SIT!

Arthur promptly sits down. Oliver’s totally surprised.

PARTIER:

He’s so cute. Shake!

Arthur sticks out his paw. Oliver doesn’t like seeing Arthur

blindly perform.

PARTIER:

Oh my god, he’s so cute, I want

him.

OLIVER:

(in Freud accent)

Does it make you feel powerful to

order my dog around? Maybe give

you a sense of power?

PARTIER:

Oh, you’re being a therapist!

Freud!

OLIVER:

Thanks, yeah. Very good.

Oliver picks up Arthur and escapes the kitchen. The

Rosenberg’s are still watching.

LATER...

Oliver and Arthur sit in a chair next to a couch where a man

dressed as a witch, complete with green face and long black

hair, is lying back as if in a traditional analysis session.

LONG-HAIRED MAN

Well, I didn’t ask for this. Who

would ask for this? This color.

This nose. This cheek, this chin.

You know, this is my life. This

isn’t a story. This isn’t a

joke...

Oliver is playing along, but he’s really not emotionally

ready for this party. He feels very far away.

OLIVER:

Yeah.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 16.

CONTINUED:

LONG-HAIRED MAN

I’m so glad you came, Doc. Just

really good to get this stuff off

my chest.

OLIVER:

(in Freud accent)

I’m sorry. Our time is up, uh...

for this week. Thank you for

coming in.

The witch moves on.

Oliver sits with Arthur in his lap, alone, lost in all this

joviality.

We see that the woman dressed as Julius Rosenberg is watching

him.

Just as Oliver is about to get up, she plops herself down

onto the couch, ready for her session.

OLIVER V.O.

Oh, I was just- I was gonna take a

break, actually.

She pulls out a writing pad, oblivious. Oliver can tell she’s

not going to give it up.

OLIVER:

(back in accent)

Well, I guess we should start with

your mother.

The woman writes on her notepad and shows it to Oliver:

“Never had one.”

OLIVER:

Well then your father.

She mimes shooting herself in the head and dying.

OLIVER:

I don’t understand. You can’t

talk? Is it a mental problem? Do

you need analysis?

She writes on her pad: “I have laryngitis”

OLIVER:

That’s a physical problem.

She smiles at him, looks at him a little too long, Oliver is

more and more pulled in by her playfulness - she writes:

“Why are you at a party if you’re sad?”

CU on Oliver, surprised and impressed by her observation.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 17.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

I was doing such a good job of

hiding it. How could you tell?

Ethel holds up her notebook. She has drawn TWO EYES.

Oliver’s taken by her.

OLIVER:

Clearly, I’m gonna need a drink.

You?

She smiles and nods.

OLIVER:

You, stay here, yeah?

Oliver moves to-

INT KITCHEN:

Elliot and Shauna are deeply engaged in conversation with

someone dressed as a pickle and someone dressed as much less

colorful chicken.

ELLIOTT:

No, its just not a natural color

for a chicken.

SHAUNA:

No.

ELLIOTT:

(motioning to Shauna’s

costume)

And look, you see what happens when

you free yourself from the cage,

walk away from the factory.

SHAUNA:

You just have no real color.

You’re like-

Oliver slips past, hands Arthur to Elliot. He scoops ice

from the bucket and starts filling two cups.

ELLIOTT:

Hey, hey.

SHAUNA:

(counting cups)

Uh-oh, one. Uh-oh, two.

ELLIOTT:

Two drinks.

SHAUNA:

What does that me--, one, two.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 18.

CONTINUED:

ELLIOTT:

Well that’s two, two people.

SHAUNA:

Two people. A girl and a guy?

ELLIOTT:

Hopefully.

SHAUNA:

Yeah, wow, making moves.

Oliver leaves Arthur in Elliott’s arms.

OLIVER:

Watch him OK?

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