Grandma

1 INT. ELLE’S APARTMENT - DAY 1

An apartment filled with books and art.

ELLE lives here. She is 70 years old, beautiful, andextremely wilful.

There is nothing of the old lady about her. She is selfish

and magnetic and smart.

With her this morning is Olivia, an attractive thirty fiveyear old woman who has been Elle’s lover for the last fewmonths.

Olivia is visibly upset. Elle seems much calmer. She moves

around her place, neatening up.

OLIVIA:

It’s not that I don’t love you.

Elle puts a teapot into a cupboard. Inside is a cap from anacademic’s cap and gown.

ELLE:

What the hell’s this doing in here?

OLIVIA:

These last four months have been

the...

Olivia is trying not to cry.

OLIVIA (CONT’D)

The last four months have been some

of the best months of my life.

ELLE:

Well. It’s been a short life.

Comparatively.

OLIVIA:

I’ve learned - I’ve learned so much

from you -

ELLE:

Yes, I’m very wise.

Olivia knuckles her eye.

ELLE (CONT’D)

Very wizened.

OLIVIA:

You’re not wizened.

Elle puts the medieval looking cap into a closet next to aprofessor’s striped red academic gown.

OLIVIA (CONT’D)

You’re beautiful.

ELLE:

Hah. So what have you learned,

exactly? Aside from backgammon?

(re gown)

There’s a rip in this Goddam thing.

OLIVIA:

I’ve learned...not to buy into the

system. I’ve learned persistence.

Courage. Dedication to one’s

craft. In the face of...

ELLE:

All reason?

OLIVIA:

You’re still a wonderful poet.

ELLE:

(with self-contempt)

I’m not a poet, I’m an academic.

An unemployed one -

OLIVIA:

You should send the new poems toyour editor

ELLE:

She has dementia. So she mightactually like ‘em. Look, are youbreaking up with me or giving me apep talk here? Stick with the

narrative.

OLIVIA:

Please. Elle

ELLE:

We always knew...

OLIVIA:

We always knew what?

ELLE:

I mean, you’re your age, and I’m...

rapidly approaching fifty.

Olivia smiles.

ELLE (CONT’D)

What was gonna happen here? You

don’t need a crystal ball oranything.

OLIVIA:

Do you love me?

(pause)

Are you in love with me?

ELLE:

Christ. Here. Blow your nose.

She hands Olivia a tissue. Olivia blows her nose.

OLIVIA:

You’ve never said it.

ELLE:

“It is a tale full of sound and

fury, signifying nothing.”

OLIVIA:

What is, love?

ELLE:

...I’m gonna vacuum.

OLIVIA:

Doesn’t love conquer everything?

ELLE:

No.

Elle involuntarily glances up at a photo on the wall.

The photo is of a striking-looking woman (named Violet),

taken in the late eighties.

The woman looks into the camera, out at Elle.

ELLE (CONT’D)

No. It does not conquer

everything.

(pause)

Four months. We were together forfour months. Try thirty-eight

years. Try being with someone forthirty-eight years.

(pause)

You’re a footnote.

OLIVIA:

“A footnote?” That’s...that’s a

horrible thing to say.

ELLE:

Well. I’m a horrible person.

(pause)

I’m gonna take a shower before I

vacuum. You can let yourself out.

OLIVIA:

Okay. I guess that’s it.

ELLE:

Yup. That’s it.

They stand there a moment.

Then Olivia comes over and kisses Elle.

OLIVIA:

Goodbye.

Elle is statue-like. Doesn’t reciprocate.

ELLE:

Leave the key on the coffee table.

Elle goes off.

Olivia stands there a moment, numb.

Then she leaves.

2

INT. SHOWER - DAY 2

Water goes on.

Water hits Elle’s face.

From behind Elle’s head, we see the top of a large TATTOO on

Elle’s back - a COLORFUL DRAGONFLY. Elle’s shoulders begin

to SHAKE as she starts to cry.

Her fists clench.

She pounds the wall of the shower.

CUT TO:
Elle is at the sink, brushing her teeth vigorously.

She bares her teeth at the mirror.

3

INT. ELLE’S APARTMENT - DAY 3

Elle is sitting on the floor, wearing her striped academicgown and cap.

There are photos spread out on the floor in front of her. A

photo of her standing at the podium at a graduation ceremony,

in her gown. Photos of her with the woman on the wall, at a

poetry event in a cafe, at various stages in life. With a

little girl - her daughter.

The DOORBELL rings.

She looks up quickly. Her breath catches.

4

INT. ELLE’S APARTMENT - DAY 4

Elle opens the door.

Standing there is a young woman. Age 18.

This is her granddaughter, SAGE.

She is pretty. Her nails are raggedly bitten.

ELLE:

(surprised)

Sage.

Sage stands in the hallway, shifting on her toes. Nervous.

SAGE:

Hi Grandma.

ELLE:

Hi. Come in.

SAGE:

Thanks.

Sage comes in. Elle glances out into the hall before shecloses the door.

ELLE:

What are you doing here?

SAGE:

Thought I’d drop by.

ELLE:

Did you call?

SAGE:

No. I just wanted to see you. Whyare you dressed like that?

ELLE:

Oh I’m just sitting here beingmaudlin. You want some tea?

Sage nods.

5 INT. KITCHEN - DAY 5

Elle makes them tea.

SAGE:

I need some help, Grandma.

ELLE:

Okay.

Elle looks at Sage, who doesn’t say anything.

ELLE (CONT’D)

What’s going on?

Sage doesn’t say anything.

ELLE (CONT’D)

I’m not a mind-reader.

SAGE:

I need six-hundred dollars. Six-

hundred and thirty.

ELLE:

For what?

SAGE:

I’m pregnant.

Elle takes a couple of cups from the cupboard behind Sage.

ELLE:

Okay.

SAGE:

I don’t want to have a baby.

(stares into her tea)

I want to get an abortion. And I’m

broke. I have eighteen dollars.

(pause)

You think that’s terrible?

ELLE:

Which part of it?

SAGE:

All of it.

ELLE:

It’s nothing to dance a jig about.

Have you told your mother?

SAGE:

Mom? She’d have a stroke. She’d

start strangling me, and then she’dhave a stroke.

She demonstrates this.

She drops her pantomime.

ELLE:

Well, she’d strangle you alright.

The kettle WHISTLES.

5A EXT. ELLE’S TERRACE - DAY 5A

Sage and Elle have tea.

SAGE:

I’m such an idiot. Such an idiot.

ELLE:

So was I, when I was your age.

SAGE:

What am I gonna do? What am I

gonna do?

ELLE:

You already said what you’re gonnado. Right? I mean you’ve put somethought into this.

(pause)

Have you?

Sage nods.

ELLE (CONT’D)

Cause this is something you willprobably think about at some momenteach day for the rest of your life.

SAGE:

Uhm...

(pause)

Do you have it? Do you have money?

ELLE:

Honey, at the moment, I have forty-

three dollars.

SAGE:

Forty-three dollars! You’re

joking!

ELLE:

I’m not. That’s what I have until I

get a check end of next week.

SAGE:

How do you have so little money?

ELLE:

I got sick of being in debt, so Ijust paid it all off. Every cent Istill owed. Wanted to get thatweight off my back. I mean I stillhad hospital bills from Vi. Twenty-

seven thousand dollars worth.

SAGE:

Why didn’t you ask mom to help?

ELLE:

Why don’t you?

Sage doesn’t answer.

ELLE (CONT’D)

I don’t need help. I’m sweepingthe decks clean here. Next week

I’m supposed to get a check forsome guest lectures I gave at SantaCruz. I had it all planned out.

SAGE:

Well do you have a credit card?

ELLE:

I cut my credit cards into littlepieces.

(points)

Look, I made a wind chime out of

them.

SAGE:

What?! Why would you do that?

ELLE:

I was transmogrifying my life into

art.

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