Beginners Page #6

Turns to Elliot.

OLIVER:

We haven't actually had a

conversation yet, so, you know...

EXT. STREETS NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

The three are now in Oliver’s car.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 31.

CONTINUED:

ELLIOTT:

You’re thinking about her all the

time.

OLIVER:

And you know that because?

ELLIOTT:

Because you’re not talking about

it. I know you.

There’s a pause, then the truth.

OLIVER:

It’s true. It’s embarrassing. I’m

38 and falling for a girl again...

CUT TO PAST:

INT. GEORGIA'S BEDROOM - DAY

Georgia works at her writing table. Young Oliver, bored,

watches her.

OLIVER V.O. (CONT’D)

It’s like I lost the instructions

or I, I never had them...

Young Oliver walks up to Georgia.

YOUNG OLIVER:

Where’s Pop?

GEORGIA:

At the museum.

YOUNG OLIVER:

Is something wrong with you guys?

Georgia is startled, she hides her feelings with humor.

GEORGIA:

What're you, in the FBI?

YOUNG OLIVER:

No.

GEORGIA:

The CIA?

YOUNG OLIVER:

No.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 32.

CONTINUED:

GEORGIA:

KGB? (Oliver shakes his head, no)

SLA? (no) PTA? (no) BMW?

Oliver sits silently.

GEORGIA:

There is nothing wrong with me and

Pop.

Georgia's mask breaks revealing sadness. Oliver can see it,

she can see he sees it. Georgia gets up and leads Oliver out

of the room.

GEORGIA (CONT'D)

C'mon.

INT. CHILDHOOD HALLWAY - DAY

They stand in front of his bedroom door.

GEORGIA:

When you feel bad, you go into a

room and scream - loud as you want,

for a minute or two, then it’s out

of you. It's called catharsis.

She opens the door, pushes him inside, and closes the door.

INT. OLIVER'S CHILDHOOD ROOM - DAY

Young Oliver pauses, confused in his room. He doesn’t scream.

INT. CHILDHOOD HALLWAY - DAY

He comes back out. Sheepish.

OLIVER:

I don’t feel like screaming...

Georgia, never ruffled.

GEORGIA:

You will...

CUT TO PRESENT:

EXT. HOLLYWOOD STREET - LATE AT NIGHT

Oliver and Arthur watch from the car as Elliott gets a can of

spray paint, heads to a blank wall across the street and

sprays a large tag on a wall. He then runs back to the car,

looks proudly at his work.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 33.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

What the f*** is that?

ELLIOTT:

L-E-IT, Elliot

OLIVER:

Well, that’s ridiculous.

ELLIOTT:

I know! (Getting his criticism

more) You’re not very supportive.

OLIVER:

Well, its just copying something

someone did, like, 30 years ago in

the Bronx.

ELLIOTT:

Well yeah. I’m part of a tradition

of civil disobedience, something

bigger than myself.

Oliver can’t believe Elliott said that.

EXT. NEW STREET

Elliott drives along-side Oliver who’s walking with a spray

paint can, terrified as he’s never done this before. He

tries to spray, nothing comes out.

OLIVER:

How does it work?

ELLIOTT:

Shake it, you have to shake it.

Oliver shakes it awkwardly, then sprays across the wall:

1985 BUSH FINDS JESUS

Oliver runs back to the car, exhilarated.

ELLIOTT:

What was that?

OLIVER:

Historical consciousness... you

know, something bigger than myself.

Elliott scoffs.

OLIVER:

Let’s do it again.

Elliott drives off. Oliver’s coming to life.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 34.

CONTINUED:

WE HEAR:

ELLIOTT (V.O.)

Okay, but when you see her, don’t

tell her that you painted

historical consciousness on the

wall...

WE SEE:
more of Oliver’s graffiti on different buildings:

1983 CHICKEN MCNUGGETS

2003 BRITNEY SPEARS MOST GOOGLED

EXT. OLIVER’S HOUSE DAY

Oliver exits his house alone, down his front stairs to the

street. Halfway down, he hears now familiar sound of Arthur

barking and howling. Oliver can’t believe it.

INT. ANNA’S HOTEL ROOM

Anna is sitting on the bed, gently petting Arthur.

ANNA:

He’s sweet. He misses your Dad.

She stops. Gets up, nervous, and walks past Oliver into the

next room. Oliver follows her in. They pause uncomfortably,

Anna suddenly leans in and kisses him. Before it goes to

far...

OLIVER:

Maybe we, we could, um, just talk

for a second.

ANNA:

Right.

They awkwardly break apart. Anna goes to a chair, Oliver

follows. While nothing has really been expressed between the

two, Anna seems to understand the problem.

ANNA:

Well, my name is Anna. You’re

worried you can’t trust me because

you don’t know who I am. I get it.

That makes sense to me.

She falters, looks at him vulnerably. Oliver abruptly kisses

her. She pushes back. They pause. She traces his brow slowly

with her index finger, the way she did their first night.

JELLY ROLL MORTON’S “SWEET JAZZ MUSIC” PLAYS

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 35.

CONTINUED:

CUT TO POST SEX:

The music carries us, they lie in bed, naked. Anna innocently

leans over and takes Oliver’s arm and bites down hard. He

grimaces. She stops and kisses it, admiring her teeth marks.

She gets up, sits at a side table and finds her cigarettes.

Oliver watches her.

The music seems to bend and slow down, this continues as we

fall into memory...

CUT TO PAST:

INT. GEORGIA’S BEDROOM

CU on young Oliver’s hand pushing on a record making the

bending, slowing sounds.

GEORGIA:

Oliver, stop it.

Oliver stands up bored, Georgia’s in the connecting bathroom

getting ready to go out.

OLIVER:

This music’s old.

GEORGIA:

It’s black, black music is the

deepest cause they suffered the

most, them and the Jews.

Oliver plops down on the bed, listening to her.

GEORGIA:

In my next life I'm gonna marry a

good hot blooded Jew - someone full

of emotion.

OLIVER:

I'm Jewish right?

Georgia comes and sits with him, caresses his hair as she

talks with him.

GEORGIA AT 50

You're a quarter, I'm a half, your

father's none. He has the least

emotions, You'll have more emotions

than him, but I'll have the most

emotions.

She likes that she has the most emotions. They head out.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 36.

CONTINUED:

GEORGIA AT 50

You get to play chauffeur but just

to the bottom of the hill.

EXT. OLIVER'S CHILDHOOD CAR

10 year old Oliver’s in the driving sear, Georgia smokes and

admires his handling of the car.

GEORGIA:

You're turning into a wonderful

driver.

Oliver's proud.

INT. LACMA ART MUSEUM STEPS DAY

Oliver escorts Georgia up the large steps of the museum. The

crowd from an opening gathers at the top.

INT. DAVID SMITH GALLERY LACMA DAY

Georgia and Oliver approach a David Smith sculpture. After

staring at it’s angels for a beat, Georgia begins to do an

angular modern-dance-pantomime of the sculpture, imitating

it’s shapes with her body. Oliver locks up with

embarrassment. A confused and concerned museum guard

approaches.

SECURITY GUARD:

Excuse me Mrs. Fields....

GEORGIA:

What? You’re not allowed to

interact with the art?

SECURITY GUARD:

It’s just that...

OLIVER:

C’mon.

Still embarrassed, Oliver takes Georgia’s hand and walks her

away from the guard.

GEORGIA:

You too? You like being a good

citizen?

OLIVER:

No.

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