Beginners Page #4

Oliver begins to leave his drinks. We see his POV of the

woman dressed as Julius Rosenberg waiting on the couch.

Oliver slips into one of his memories...

CUT TO PAST:

INT. OLIVER'S BEDROOM/INT. HAL'S BEDROOM - LATE NIGHT

INTERCUT:
The phone RINGS, wakes up Oliver, he turns on the

light, answers the phone. PRE-CANCER Hal talks excitedly.

OLIVER:

Hello?

HAL:

Oliver?

OLIVER:

Yeah.

HAL:

I’m not sorry I woke you!

I went to Akbar tonight.

OLIVER:

You did?

INT. AKBAR - NIGHT

Hal and his friends, BRIAN and ROBERT, make their way through

a crowded gay club. Hal is by far the oldest, and most

excited, man there.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 19.

CONTINUED:

HAL (V.O.)

They had wonderfully loud music. In-

sit, in-sit, in-sit. What kind of

music is that?

OLIVER (V.O.)

Probably house music?

INT. HAL’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Hal gets a pad and pen to write this down.

HAL:

"House music."

INT. AKBAR - NIGHT

A bunch of Young Gay guys dance. Hal is on the side, dancing

by himself, hands in the air twinkling his fingers.

OLIVER (V.O.)

So did you meet anyone?

At the packed bar, Hal drinks alone.

HAL (V.O.)

Young gay men don't go for older

gay men.

INT. OLIVER’S HOUSE CONTINUOUS

Back to Oliver in bed, on the phone.

HAL (V.O.)

You have it easy.

CUT TO PRESENT:

INT. HOUSE PARTY - NIGHT

Oliver snaps out of his memory. He makes his way through the

crowd and delivers the drink to her. He looks at her a little

too intensely, then blurts out.

OLIVER:

Would you like to dance?

She happily nods yes. They walk to the dance floor, we think

Oliver’s going to be shy, but he breaks into a kinetic,

angular, dance. She’s surprised with us - she laughs, they

have a good time.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 20.

CONTINUED:

JUMP CUT THROUGH THE NIGHT: Oliver, “Julius”, Elliott and

Shauna are talking to a magician. “Julius” picks a card, the

magician mixes it into the full deck, pops a card into the

air, it is hers. Shauna and Elliott can see that Oliver’s

coming alive.

LATER. They dance again, now they're sweaty, the dance

floor’s packed - it’s the pinnacle of the party.

INT. PARTY BATHROOM - NIGHT

The party’s winnowing down in the background - “Julius” and

Oliver look at each other in the mirror for a beat, and then

simultaneously take their wigs off, revealing their true

selves.

OLIVER:

Hello...

Shes mouths a silent “hi”...

OLIVER:

Can I give you my number?

She pulls out her pad and pen and hands them to him.

OLIVER:

Thanks.

As he writes, Oliver spies Arthur sitting in the corner of

the bathroom, staring directly at him.

ARTHUR SUBTITLE:

Tell her the darkness is about to

drown us unless something drastic

happens right now.

Oliver looks to her.

OLIVER:

I feel bad dragging Arthur to the

party. I should get home. It was

really nice meeting you.

She writes on her pad: “Au Revoir”

OLIVER:

(chuckles)

Au revoir. Yeah.

He leaves.

EXT. STREET OUTSIDE PARTY - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 21.

CONTINUED:

Oliver and Arthur walk up the empty street - Oliver kicking

himself for missing his chance with her. His phone rings.

OLIVER:

Hello?

ON THE OTHER END: Silence. A little breathing, the party in

background.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Is that you?

BEEP.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

One beep means yes?

BEEP.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

I’ve always wanted to have a phone

call with someone who doesn’t

talk...

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

OLIVER (CONT’D)

You want to do something?

BEEP:

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Now?

BEEP.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Okay, I’m parked just right up the

street.

BEEP. They hang up. Oliver is filled with hope.

CUT TO:
“Julius” walking out into a pool of street light.

They smile at each other, but don’t say anything. They get

into his car.

OLIVER:

Okay. You point - I’ll drive.

Oliver starts the engine. She points forward and they head

off. At the light she points left, he follows. Down the

street she points right...

OLIVER:

This way?

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 22.

CONTINUED:

She nods. Oliver drives up on the sidewalk before the

street, heads down it for half a block, then takes her right.

We can hear them laughing.

EXT./INT. HOTEL ROOM LOBBY - NIGHT

Oliver, Arthur and the woman enter a very fancy hotel lobby.

Oliver is impressed. She mime’s giving him a tour but still

doesn’t talk.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)

Oliver and the woman open the door and enter her suite. They

look at each other nervously.

OLIVER:

Nice place.

They sit on her bed. She steals his pipe, put’s it in her

mouth -- writes on her pad and shows it to him.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Oh, my mother. My mother died five

years ago.

ANNA:

(in a hoarse whisper)

Oh merd.

OLIVER:

Oh, you spoke.

ANNA:

(a whisper)

I'm not supposed to.

She writes and present him with a new question.

OLIVER:

My father died two months ago,

almost three.

She looks at him with sincere empathy and surprise. Oliver’s

opened up, an now everything gushes out, he barely knows what

he’s saying.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

He, he was gay.

She's very surprised.

OLIVER (CONT'D)

He was gay the whole time they were

married.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 23.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER (CONT'D)

He came out after my mother diedand, uh... he was 75 years old.

There’s a quiet moment of deep connection.

OLIVER (CONT’D)

Sorry.

She mouths “No” (don’t say sorry). She reaches out and gently

runs a finger across Oliver's brow and the outline of his

face, he’s so vulnerable, she lovingly/mischievously squishes

his face together and messes up his hair. Then she leans in,

and they kiss for the first time - delicately.

ANNA:

(whisper)

Can we just sleep?

OLIVER (CONT'D)

Sure, sure.

They lay down, she takes his arm and pulls him into spooning

her. He pulls the covers over them.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - THE NEXT MORNING

Oliver wakes, still in his clothes. ANNA is already up. She

waves and Oliver smiles.

Anna holds up her notebook: “Who are you?”

OLIVER:

Oliver.

She writes again: “Go to NY. Audition. Back Thursday.”

OLIVER:

How long are you here when you get

back?

Anna holds up one finger.

OLIVER:

A year?

Anna shakes her head and smiles. She gestures smaller.

OLIVER:

A month? Right. And then?...

She pantomimes a camera rolling, and herself acting.

OLIVER:

You’re filming here. Acting.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 24.

CONTINUED:

Oliver smiles as he interprets her gestures.

OLIVER:

And after?...

She makes a casual tossing motion with her hand.

OLIVER:

Just somewhere else. Where?

Anna only shrugs. She writes more, and tosses the notepad on

his lap. Oliver reads: “Can I see you again?”

He’s very happy.

OLIVER:

Yes.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

They walk down the long hallway, Oliver carries her bags,

Anna holds onto Arthur’s leash. Oliver reaches out and holds

her hand. They stop and kiss - gentle and comfortable with

each other.

EXT. ANNA'S HOTEL, RED HALLWAY - DAY

Oliver now alone with Arthur - heading home, he's happy.

CU on his face as he remembers...

REPEAT SCENE:
Oliver and Anna's first kiss, tentative and

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