Being There

FADE IN:

1INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN

A large-screen color TV dominates a room sparsely decorated

with expensive furniture of the twenties. There are no

books, magazines, newspapers to be seen. A man, CHANCE, is

in bed, sleeping. His eyes slowly open, and, with no change

of expression, he sits up and turns on the TV with a remote

control. He reaches for a pocketwatch on the bedside table,

and, as he looks at it, the watch chimes. He gets out of

bed, crosses to the closet, his eyes never straying from the

TV. Chance puts on a bathrobe and leaves the room.

2INT. POTTING ROOM - DAWN

The room is filled with the tools of a gardener. Chance enters

and turns on a 1940's black and white TV that sits on a shelf.

A wheel with colored gels spins in front of the set, giving

an early form of color television. He waters a few of the plants

in the potting room as he watches TV.

3INT. GARAGE - DAWN

Chance, with a dust rag and feather duster, cleans off a 1935

limousine, in perfect condition.

4INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN

Chance takes off his robe, hangs it in the closet, changes

channels on the TV, then goes into the bathroom.

5EXT. GARDEN - MORNING

A light snow is falling in a garden between a three-story

brick townhouse and a one-story rear building, guarded on

either side by a high brick wall. The door to the rear

building opens, Chance peeks out, then goes back inside. A

moment passes and Chance reappears, this time with an

umbrella. Smartly attired in suit and tie, Chance, with an

eye on the garden, crosses to the townhouse.

6INT. TOWN HOUSE - REAR ENTRANCE/HALLWAY - MORNING

Chance enters, hangs his umbrella on a door knob, then

crosses through the hall. As he goes, we reveal that the

furniture in the house is covered with sheets.

7INT. TOWN HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MORNING

A large table, covered with a sheet except for two place-

settings. A TV is on the table. Chance comes into the

room, sits and turns on the television. He watches the

screen for a moment, then turns, as if expecting someone.

No one appears, so he turns back to the TV. After a time.

footsteps are heard and Chance smiles. LOUISE, an elderly

Black maid, hurries into the room, visibly distraught.

CHANCE:

Good morning, Louise.

LOUISE:

(out of breath)

He's dead, Chance! The Old Man's

dead!

CHANCE:

(flatly, turns

back to TV)

...I see.

LOUISE:

Must of happened durin' the night,

I don't know...Lord, he wasn't

breathin' and as cold as a fish.

I touched him, just to see, and

you believe me, Chance - that's

doin' more than I get paid to

do... Then I just cover him

up, pulled the sheet over his head...

CHANCE:

(nodding)

Yes. I've seen that done.

LOUISE:

...Then I get the hell out of that

room and call the doctor and I

think I woke him probably, he wasn't

any too alert. He just said, 'Yeah,

he's been expectin' it and said he'd

send somebody over...' Lord, what a

mornin'!

CHANCE:

(watches news,

flashes of season's

first snowfall)

...Yes, Lousie, it's snowing in

the garden today. Have you

looked outside and seen the snow?

It's very white.

A beat of silence from Louise, then anger.

LOUISE:

Gobbledegook! Dammit, Boy! Is

that all you got to say? More

gobbledegook?

(Chance smiles,

is silent)

That Old Man's layin' up there

dead as hell and it just don't

make any difference to you!

Lousie takes a long look at Chance, then softens, sits

next to him.

LOUISE (Cont'd)

Oh, Lord, Chance - I don't know

what I was expectin' from you...

I'm sorry for yellin' like I did...

No sir, I just don't know what I

was expectin'...

(Chance doesn't

react, watches TV)

...I 'spose I'd better gather up

some breakfast for you...

CHANCE:

(a turn to her)

Yes, I'm very hungry.

LOUISE:

(rises, looks upstairs)

Well, no more stewin' those prunes

every mornin', that's somethin',

I guess...

(she starts out,

stops by the door)

...What are you goin' to do now,

Chance?

CHANCE:

(gazing at TV)

I'm going to work in the garden.

Louise gives Chance another look, then turns to leave.

LOUISE:

(as she goes)

...I'll get you some eggs.

Chance nods in approval, then changes the channel on

the TV.

8INT. TOWN HOUSE - SERVANT'S STAIRWAY - MORNING

An enclosed stairway. Chance enters, proceeds up the

stairs.

9INT. TOWN HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - MORNING

Chance comes out of the doorway adjoining the main stair-

case. He moves off down the hall.

10INT. TOWN HOUSE - OLD MAN'S ROOM - MORNING

The furniture in this room is not covered with sheets -

but the Old Man is. There is a knock a the door, then

Chance enters the room. He stands by the bed for a moment,

Then reaches down and pulls the sheet back from the Old

Man's face. He touches the man's forehead, briefly, then

replaces the sheet. Chance moves to the the TV and turns it

on. He sits in an easy chair next to the Old Man's bed

and watches a movie from the early forties. Chance puts

an arm out, rests it on the Old Man's covered body. He

becomes absorbed in a scene in which a gentleman tips his

hat to a lady. The scene seems to have 'sunk into' his

mind.

11EXT. GARDEN - MORNING

It has stoppped snowing. Chance, wearing a hat, and a

gardening apron over his suit, putters in the garden.

Louise, dressed warmly, comes out of the main house. Chance

sees her, tips his hat exactly like the man he saw on

television.

LOUISE:

...Well, ain't you the gentleman

this morning...

(a pause)

...I'm gonna go now, Chance...

CHANCE:

(resumes working)

Yes.

LOUISE:

You're gonna need somebody, some

one's gotta be around for you...

(he keeps working)

...You oughta find yourself a

lady, Chance...

(she smiles slightly,

with caring)

...But I guess it oughta be an

old lady, 'cause you ain't gonna

do a young one any good, not with

that little thing of yours...

(she reaches out,

puts a hand on his

shoulder)

...You're always gonna be a little

boy ain't you?

(he smiles, keeps

working)

...Goodbye, Chance...

Lousie hugs and kisses Chance, then turns to go.

CHANCE:

(as she goes)

Goodbye, Louise.

Louise waves as she enters the townhouse. Chance tips

his hat once again as she disappears.

12.INT. TOWN HOUSE - FRONT HALLWAY - MORNING

Louise enters the hallway, picks up a couple of suit-

cases waiting by the door. She stops as she sees TWO

Men carrying a stretcher down the main staircase. A

THIRD MAN, a mortician, follows behind.

LOUISE:

...He used to be a big man...

'Spose he wasted away to about

nothin'...

(a beat - then

she talks to the

body of the Old

Man)

I guess I'll be goin' off to

find me some folks, Old Man...

I'm not batty enough to stay

around this neighborhood any

longer...

The stretcher bearers move to the front door. Louise

steps in front of them.

LOUISE:

Wait up! I'm goin' out that

door first.

Louise takes one more look at the covered body, then

openes the front door, leaves.

13EXT. GARDEN - DAY

Chance's pocketwatch chimes as he looks at it. He

removes his gardner's apron as he walks toward the

townhouse.

14INT. TOWNHOUSE DINING ROOM.

Chance enters and sits at his place. He turns on the TV,

and watches for a moment, then turns, looks for Louise.

She does not appear so he resumes watching TV. He changes

channels, views a wildly exciting game show. At a

peak in the excitement, he again switches channels to news

coverage of the President of the Unite States greeting

foreign dignitaries at the White House. CLOSE SHOTS on

television reveal that the President uses a two-handed

handshake when meeting his guests. Chance grips one hand

with the other, the scene on TV seeming to have 'sunk into'

his mind.

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