Beginners Page #9

NOW A PHOTO OF A PUBLIC RESTROOM.

OLIVER (V.O.)

This is the only place my father

could hide and have sex in the

Fifties.

NOW HISTORICAL FILM FOOTAGE OF GAY MEN BEING BUSTED BY THE

VICE SQUAD IN THE 1950’S AND BEING LOADED INTO PATTY-WAGONS.

OLIVER (V.O.)

My father said if you got caught my

the Vice Squad you could lose

everything...

This is everything.

A RAPID-FIRE SEQUENCE OF FACES AND PEOPLE FROM 1950’S

ADVERTISEMENTS - EVERYONE HAPPY AND ENJOYING THEIR CARS,

FAMILIES, MEALS AND HAIR PRODUCTS.

NOW A STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF A PSYCHIATRISTS COUCH.

OLIVER (V.O.)

My father laid down on a couch like

this and told the psychiatrist all

his problems in 1955. The doctor

told him that homosexuality was a

mental illness, but it could be

cured.

AND THEN A MEDICAL MODEL OF A HUMAN BRAIN.

OLIVER (V.O.)

Not everyone got cured.

A MAP OF 1950’S LA, WITH SMALL ARROW POINTING TO THEIR HOME

OLIVER (V.O.)

This is where my parents lived in

1955.

ANOTHER ARROW SUPERS ON VERY CLOSE TO THEIR HOME.

TITLE:
THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 51.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER (V.O.)

And this is the home where the

first gay rights group was secretly

meeting.

NOW A STILL PHOTO OF AN EMPTY CHURCH FROM THE 1950’S.

OLIVER (V.O.)

While they were reciting their

vows, here in this church...

AND THEN A STILL FROM ALLEN GINSBERG’S 1955 APARTMENT.

OLIVER (V.O.)

Allen Ginsburg was writing his

famous poem, Howl, blocks away in

this room.

AS WE SLOWLY ZOOM INTO GINSBERG’S APARTMENT, HISTORICAL

RECORDING OF HIM READING HOWL FADES UP AND OVER THE NEXT

SCENE.

ALLEN GINSBERG (V.O.)

Who let themselves be f***ed in the

ass by saintly motorcyclists and

screamed with joy. Who blew and

were blown...

CUT TO PRESENT:

INT. OLIVER'S OFFICE - DAY

GINSBERG’S READING CONTINUES OVER: Oliver flips through a

mock-up he made for “The Sads” - it’s all the happy faces

from 1950’s advertising that we saw in the last scene. One

face per-panel.

LATER:
the three members of “The Sads” and a RECORD COMPANY

REP arrive. Jelly Roll Morton piano plays, we see but do not

hear the meeting take place. The Sads look at the designs,

which include many of the “History Of Sadness” drawings we

have seen now in CD cover format - and no portraits of the

band. It’s clear that The Sads are not into Oliver’s work.

CUT TO:
After the meeting, the RECORD COMPANY REP talks to

Oliver alone.

RECORD COMPANY LADY

Just do the portrait of them, it's

an album cover, right? That’s what

they want. Yeah?

Oliver’s very disappointed but polite.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 52.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Yeah. Right.

CUT TO:

EXT OFFICE BUILDING - CONTINUOUS

Oliver and Arthur leave the office, defeated.

CUT TO PAST:

INT. HAL'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

Oliver walks into Hal’s living room, carrying his full tray

of medication.

OLIVER:

Here, Pop.

HAL:

Oh, God.

OLIVER:

I know, I know. Come on.

Hal begins taking his many pills, with each one he pings his

glass with a teaspoon as he swallows. The room is cluttered

with books. Oliver picks up a toppling pile of files from a

paper-filled side table.

HAL:

Hey, no, no, no. That's the Gay

Pride Day stuff. Just leave those.

OLIVER:

Alright.

Oliver begins to neaten a messy pile of books on top of a

chair.

HAL:

And that's for gay book club. You

better leave those too.

OLIVER:

But what about this chair? Is it

gay?

HAL:

The chair's not gay. Obviously.

Hal gets up and walks to the kitchen, his oxygen cannon cord

is attached to the pump behind him, stopping him short.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 53.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Pop, Pop, the cord won’t go that

far.

HAL:

Oh, to hell with it.

Hal pulls off the oxygen and keeps walking, frail but

determined. Andy enters with a large pilates ball.

HAL:

Oh, hey what’s that?

ANDY:

Now that you’re out of the

hospital, you’ll have to exercise,

get you back into shape.

Oliver can’t believe it.

HAL:

That’s a great idea.

ANDY:

Okay, let’s try it. I’ll, I’ll show

you how.

Hal’s still heading to the sink.

HAL:

Yeah, later on, I’m gonna make

myself some tea.

ANDY:

Okay, I’ll clean it up. It’s a

little - yech.

Andy walks out, Hal pours water into a kettle, in front of

him on the window sill is the same vase from the first scene

of the film, with some dead daisies in it.

HAL:

Your mother's vase needs some

flowers.

Oliver looks at them frustrated and uneasy...

INT. STAPLES - DAY

Oliver and Hal walk amongst all the products. Hal wears his

portable oxygen and grabs different kinds of papers, dumping

them in the basket Oliver holds.

OLIVER:

Pop, you just got out of the

hospital, you should take it easy.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 54.

CONTINUED:

They’re in a new isle, Hal continues his march.

OLIVER:

You need to tell Andy that

you’re... not well.

Hal, continues on, avoiding looking at Oliver.

HAL:

You’ll tell him, won’t you?

Oliver’s flabbergasted, but his dad’s vulnerability is clear

to him.

OLIVER:

Me?

HAL:

Please?

INT. HAL'S GUEST HOUSE - DAY

Andy's on an elliptical trainer, through a window we can see

Oliver approaching with the weight of the world on his

shoulders. Andy see’s him, can immediately sense that

something is wrong.

OLIVER:

Hey.

Oliver approaches seriously, this makes Andy nervous, he

stops his workout. Oliver tries to find his words.

ANDY:

You know that I tried to have sex

with women?

OLIVER:

Yeah?

ANDY:

Yeah. I wanted you to know I

tried, it just, it didn't work.

OLIVER:

Hey, I don't have a problem with

gay guys.

ANDY:

Have you ever had sex with a man?

OLIVER:

No.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 55.

CONTINUED:

ANDY:

I heard that if a man hasn't had

sex with another man, he's always

afraid of gay men. You know,

they're a threat.

Oliver's blown away by the logic.

OLIVER:

I don't know Andy.

ANDY:

I didn't want you to feel

threatened, I don't want to have

sex with you. What I do, most

people wouldn't even call it sex.

Andy’s relieved he got this off his chest, all tension is

relieved for him, Oliver is just confused.

OLIVER:

Okay, okay.

ANDY:

Hey...

Andy gives Oliver a big sweaty hug. Oliver leaves.

INT. HAL'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Oliver enters as Hal’s finishing the dishes.

OLIVER:

I couldn't tell him.

HAL:

That's okay.

OLIVER:

No it’s not. You can’t hide this

from him. He loves you.

HAL:

For someone with so much

relationship advice, you seem

awfully alone.

Oliver, angry but at a loss for words, takes the flower vase

and leaves, Arthur follows.

EXT. HAL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Oliver and Arthur exit a side door, go to a planter full of

daisies and cuts some for his mother’s vase. He looks back

Arthur.

(CONTINUED)

10/29/07 56.

CONTINUED:

OLIVER:

Just act natural. When he’s not

looking, we’ll make a run for it,

okay?

CUT TO PRESENT:

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