Joe Versus the Volcano Page #10

ANGELICA:

Oh. I have no response to

that.

JOE:

What do you do?

ANGELICA:

Why do you ask?

JOE:

Uh, I don't know.

Angelica produces and takes two pills. Suddenly, she

gets very defensive.

ANGELICA:

I'm a painter. And a poet.

JOE:

Really?

ANGELICA:

Yes. Does that bother you?

JOE:

No.

ANGELICA:

People from New York usually

look down on painters. And

poets.

JOE:

I didn't know that.

ANGELICA:

They think if you live in

L.A., and you say you're an

artist, you really do nothing!

JOE:

Why?

ANGELICA:

You don't think I do nothing?

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/8948A.

60CONTINUED:
(1A) 60

JOE:

No.

ANGELICA:

You believe me when I say I'm

a painter?

JOE:

And a poet. Sure.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 1/15/89 49.

60CONTINUED:
(2) 60

ANGELICA:

Well, you're right. There's a

painting of mine right there.

CUT TO:

60A PAINTING OF CAR 60A

in a yellow pool of light overlooking a lit-up city

below. And --

CUT BACK TO:

60B JOE AND ANGELICA 60B

looking.

JOE:

It's terrific. Where you get

your ideas?

ANGELICA:

I'll show you.

CUT BACK TO:

60C PAINTING 60C

DISSOLVES INTO:

61EXT. HILL WITH STREETLIGHT - NIGHT 61

The streetlight casts a pool of light just like in the

painting, and the city glitters below. When Angelica's

car pulls into the pool of light and stops, the picture

is complete.

JOE:

Nice view. It's like looking

down at the stars.

Angelica takes two more pills.

ANGELICA:

Do you want to hear one of my

poems?

JOE:

Sure.

ANGELICA:

Long ago, the delicate tangles

of his hair, Covered the

emptiness of my hands.

(to Joe)

Do you wanna hear it again?

JOE:

Okay.

ANGELICA:

Long ago, the delicate tangles

of his hair, Covered the

emptiness of my hands. (CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 50.

61CONTINUED:
61

She has tears in her eyes. Joe looks at her, concerned.

JOE:

What's the matter?

ANGELICA:

Did you ever think about

killing yourself?

JOE:

What? Why would you do that?

ANGELICA:

Why shouldn't I?

JOE:

Some things take care of

themselves. They're not your

job. Maybe they're not even

your business. I like your

poem.

ANGELICA:

I'm a grown woman and I live

on my father's money. That

restaurant that had my

painting up, that's my

father's restaurant.

JOE:

Why are you telling me?

ANGELICA:

I don't know.

(making a joke out of

it)

I'll tell anybody who'll

listen.

(dropping it)

No, that's not true. I don't

know why I'm telling you.

JOE:

Listen to me. If you have a

choice between killing

yourself and doing something

you're scared of doing, why

not take the leap and do the

thing you're scared of doing?

ANGELICA:

You mean stop taking money and

leave L.A.?

JOE:

You see? You know what you're

afraid of doing. Why don't

you do it? See what happens?

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 51.

61CONTINUED:
(2) 61

Inspired by him, she hesitates on the brink of courage.

For a moment she finds it and lifts her hands to say

"yes," but her courage fails her. She gets a chill.

ANGELICA:

You must be tired.

She starts up the car.

ANGELICA:

Thanks for listening, but I'm

a little high, and you don't

know me from Adam, I mean, I

guess, Eve. Anyway, forget

it.

JOE:

I don't mind talking.

Suddenly, she's very angry.

ANGELICA:

Well, I do! This is one of

those typical conversations

where we're all open and

sharing our innermost thoughts

and it's all bullshit and a

lie and it doesn't cost you

anything!

JOE:

Look. I don't know you. I

don't think I know anybody.

You're angry. I can see that.

(he quietly gets upset)

I'm very troubled. I'm not

ready to... There's only so

much time and you wanna use it

well. So I'm here talking to

you, I don't wanna throw that

away. You seem...

ANGELICA:

I seem what?

JOE:

You seem far away.

ANGELICA:

I have no response to that.

JOE:

Maybe you better take me back

to the hotel.

His eyes are shining. She looks at him. She puts the

car in gear and pulls out.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 52.

62EXT. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL - NIGHT 62

The red convertible pulls up. Joe gets out.

ANGELICA:

You want me to come in? I

could come up with you?

JOE:

No.

ANGELICA:

Alright. Will you have

breakfast with me? I'm

supposed to get you to the

boat by ten, but I could meet

you for breakfast.

JOE:

Okay.

ANGELICA:

I told you I was a

flibbertigibbet.

She drives off. Joe turns to go into the hotel, changes

his mind, and walks out into the street. We FOLLOW him.

He dodges a lone car, and makes it to the other side

where the palm trees grow.

63JOE - NIGHT 63

Joe making his way through some greenery. He parts some

tall grass, and we see what he sees --

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 53.

64EXT. BEACH AND OCEAN - JOE'S POV - NIGHT 64

A couple of stars vaguely twinkle overhead. There's the

DULL BOOM of the SURF.

65DOWN WHERE BEACH MEETS OCEAN - NIGHT 65

Joe arrives at this spot and sits down in the sand. He

looks out at the ocean, at the horizon, where the night

presses down on the water. Time passes. The sky gets

lighter.

MUSIC.

The VAGUE beginnings of something MAGICAL and very, very

big are heard.

A band of golden light hits Joe in the back of the head.

He turns around and it's in his eyes. We see the fake

sun rising over a row of palm trees. Just a touch of red

on the horizon.

The MAGICAL MUSIC CEASES.

But the sun continues to rise. And rise. Until it

clears the horizon and is a discreet orange-blue disk in

the morning sky.

66INT. SUNNY RESTAURANT - DAY 66

The sun turns into an orange-yellow yolk of a sunnyside-

up egg. The CAMERA PULLS BACK. Joe and Angelica are

eating breakfast. Joe is dressed like Jungle Jim.

ANGELICA:

I'm so tired. You take that

stuff, it just ruins your

sleep. I'm sorry I was so

abusive, immature, hostile,

and needy last night.

JOE:

You were fine.

ANGELICA:

I disappointed you. So, what

did Daddy hire you to do?

JOE:

It's real complicated.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 54.

66CONTINUED:
66

ANGELICA:

Okay. I don't even know where

you're going on the boat.

Patricia won't tell me.

JOE:

Who's Patricia?

ANGELICA:

She's my half-sister. She's

the one who's sailing you

wherever you're going.

JOE:

She is?

ANGELICA:

You didn't know?

JOE:

No.

ANGELICA:

Daddy loves a secret almost as

much as he loves money. Can I

ask you something?

JOE:

What?

ANGELICA:

Why are you dressed like

Jungle Jim?

JOE:

You think this is

inappropriate? For the boat?

ANGELICA:

No, it's fine. We'd better

get going. I gotta guy

dropping your trunks off at

the marina who may not have

understood my travel

directions.

They get up to go.

67EXT. BIG MARINA - MANY BOATS LIKE RESTLESS HORSES - DAY 67

At the end of a long narrow dock is a yacht about 7 feet

long. It dwarfs all the other vessels. We hear a CAR

DOOR SLAM and hear Angelica.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 55.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes