Human Nature Page #8

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

It is another sepia scene. Nathan as a ten year old sits at

the table with his parents. There is a bowl of salad in front

of each of them. Everyone's head is bowed in prayer.

FATHER:

Lord, we thank you for this bountiful

gift we are about to receive.

ALL:

Amen.

Eyes open, and young Nathan reaches for a fork to eat the

salad. He grabs the wrong fork. Mother's eyes widen in horror.

MOTHER:

My God, no! My God!

(disappointed)

Oh, Nathan.

Nathan looks up.

MOTHER:

That is the wrong fork, young man.

(to father)

Harold, tell the boy.

FATHER:

That is the wrong fork, young man.

NATHAN AS A BOY:

(panicky)

I'll use the right one. I'm sorry. I

forgot.

MOTHER:

Harold, tell the boy more.

FATHER:

Too late. Go to your room.

NATHAN AS A BOY:

But...

MOTHER:

Harold! Tell the boy again.

FATHER:

(looking at mother)

No "buts." Go to your room now.

MOTHER:

(looking at father)

And?

FATHER:

And think about what you've done.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THERAPIST'S OFFICE - DAY

Adult Nathan sits on the couch, dabbing at his eyes.

Wendall, his therapist sits across from him and writes

something in his notebook.

WENDALL:

And do you think maybe this early

childhood indoctrination has something

to do with your interest in table

manners in the present.

Nathan thinks long and hard about this. He seems to be really

straining, squinting his eyes. Finally:

NATHAN:

I don't think so. No.

Wendall nods and scribbles something on his pad.

NATHAN:

Why do you ask?

Wendall looks up.

CUT TO:

INT. LAB - DAY

Everything's white. People in lab coats hustle back and forth.

Nathan, also in a lab coat, is hovering over a Lucite

encasement. Inside we see two white mice, both attached to

electrodes. They sit in little chairs at a little table. In

front of each of them is a little plate of salad and three

forks of varying size under Lucite domes.

Nathan nods to his pretty French assistant, Gabrielle, who

presses a button. The Lucite domes over the salads lift.

Tentatively both mice reach for a fork. There is a tiny piece

of velcro on each mouse's paw and a tiny piece of velcro on

each of the forks. The first mouse picks the correct fork,

and stabs it into the salad and eats happily, relieved. The

second mouse picks the wrong fork. Nathan presses a button,

which sends the mouse flying off his chair with an electric

shock. The correct mouse keeps eating, unconcerned. Nathan

makes a note in his notebook.

Gabrielle watches Nathan as he writes, enchanted.

CUT TO:

INT. NATHAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The table is elegantly set, candlelit. Lila sits at it while

Nathan fusses in the kitchenette. Something classical wafts

over from the stereo in the living room. Nathan places a

salad in front of Lila and sits across from her with his own

salad.

LILA:

It looks wonderful.

NATHAN:

You look wonderful. I'm on top of

the world tonight, Lila. Work is

going splendidly and my personal

life is ...

Lila picks up a fork from the inside of her setting, not the

outside. Nathan blinks. Lila tastes the salad.

LILA:

Um-mmm. Oh Nathan, this salad is

delish...

NATHAN:

(clenched teeth)

My God! The fork! The fork!

LILA:

I'm sorry?

NATHAN:

(strangely)

Tell her, Harold...

(stops himself)

It's just that... It's nothing. It's

just that the outside fork is the

salad fork. One goes from the outside

in as the dinner progresses.

LILA:

Oh, I'm sorry.

(picks up correct

fork)

I'm sorry, Nathan. I never really

learned those things.

NATHAN:

(forced casual)

No biggie.

There is a long silence as they both eat the salad.

LILA:

Boy, this is good!

NATHAN:

I'm sorry that I became so upset.

LILA:

No, I'm sorry. I'm really backward

in certain areas.

NATHAN:

(beat, blurting)

It's only that I really enjoy your

company and...

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