Joe Versus the Volcano Page #2

4 CONTINUED:
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In the center of this pipe is a big wheel valve. Hanging

from this valve is a printed metal sign.

The sign reads:
THE MAIN DRAIN. Another sign reads: Do

Not Touch. Joe turns on the lamp, which casts a small

ring of golden light, and sits down with his coffee. He

takes off his shoe and examines it. He tries to huddle

close to the lamp, like a cold creature trying to get

warm. Dede comes in.

JOE:

Good morning, Dede.

DEDE:

Hi, Joe. What's with the

shoe?

JOE:

I'm losing my sole.

DEDE:

Yeah. How you doin'?

JOE:

I'm a little tired.

DEDE:

Yeah.

(she hands him some

labels)

Here. Each one gets sent five

catalogs.

JOE:

Can't do it.

DEDE:

Why not?

JOE:

I only got twelve catalogs

left altogether.

DEDE:

Okay.

She leaves. Joe puts his shoe back on. Mr. Waturi comes

in. Joe cowers. He's threatened by Mr. Waturi.

WATURI:

How you doin', Joe?

JOE:

Well, I'm not feeling very

good, Mr. Waturi.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89A4A.

4 CONTINUED:
(A1A) 4

Mr. Waturi chuckles.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 1/15/89 4A.

4 CONTINUED:
(1A) 4

WATURI:

So what else is new? You never

feel good.

JOE:

Yeah. Well. That's the

problem. Anyway, I got the

doctor's appointment today.

(CONTINUED)

5.

4 CONTINUED:
(2) 4

WATURI:

Another doctor's appointment?

JOE:

Yeah.

WATURI:

Listen, Joe. What's this Dede

tells me about the catalogs?

JOE:

I've only got twelve.

WATURI:

How'd you let us get down to

twelve?

JOE:

I told you.

WATURI:

When?

JOE:

Three weeks ago. Then two

weeks ago.

WATURI:

Did you tell me last week?

JOE:

No.

WATURI:

Why not?

JOE:

I don't know. I thought you

knew.

WATURI:

Not good enough, Joe! Not

nearly good enough! I put you

in charge of the entire

advertising library...

JOE:

You mean, this room.

WATURI:

I gave you carte blanche how

to deal with the materials in

here...

(CONTINUED)

6.

4 CONTINUED:
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JOE:

You put the orders into the

printer, Mr. Waturi, not me.

That's how you wanted it.

WATURI:

You're not competent to put

the orders into the printer!

That's a very technical...

JOE:

I thought you were going to

explain it to me.

WATURI:

I was going to do better than

that. I was going to make you

assistant manager. I want to

make you assistant manager.

But you, you're not flexible!

You're inflexible.

JOE:

I don't feel inflexible.

WATURI:

You're inflexible. Totally.

And this doctor appointment!

You're always going to the

doctor!

JOE:

I don't feel good.

WATURI:

So what! Do you think I feel

good? Nobody feels good.

After childhood, it's a fact

of life. I feel rotten. So

what? I don't let it bother

me. I don't let it interfere

with my job.

JOE:

What do you want from me, Mr.

Waturi?

WATURI:

You're like a child. What's

this lamp for? Isn't there

enough light in here?

JOE:

These fluorescent lights

affect me. They make me feel

blotchy, puffy. I thought

this light would...

(CONTINUED)

7.

4 CONTINUED:
(4)4

WATURI:

Get rid of the light. This

isn't your bedroom, this is an

office. Maybe if you start

treating this like a job

instead of some kind of

welfare hospital, you'll shape

up. And I want those catalogs.

JOE:

Then please order them.

WATURI:

Watch yourself, Joe. Think

about what I've said. You've

gotta get yourself into a

flexible frame or you're no

place.

He starts to leave, but stops and looks back.

WATURI:

Take that light off your desk.

JOE:

I will.

WATURI:

Take it off now.

Joe unplugs the light and takes it off his desk.

WATURI:

Good.

Waturi leaves. Joe sits at his desk, shrinking in the

fluorescent light. He sips his coffee. The PHONE RINGS

and he answers.

JOE:

Advertising library. Fifty?

I'm sorry, we don't have that

many in stock. I don't know

why. The catalog is a

thing... I don't know. It's

here and it's gone. I can't

explain. It's a mystery.

He hangs up the phone. Dede has quietly come in. She's

looking at Joe. She speaks to him in a low voice.

DEDE:

Why do you let Waturi talk to

you like that?

JOE:

Like what?

(CONTINUED)

8.

4 CONTINUED:
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DEDE:

What's wrong with you?

JOE:

I don't... feel very good.

She looks at him. She's frustrated with this guy. This

is somebody who she could go for, but he's just lying

there like a dog waiting to be kicked. He looks at her.

If he had the strength, if he were feeling a little

better, he'd make a play for this woman. But he's

helpless. He just doesn't feel very good. Absently, he

feels the glands in his throat.

DEDE:

What's the matter with you?

JOE:

I don't know.

She stares at him. She's angry, frustrated. She turns

and walks out. Joe's eyes are shining with tears that

will not fall. He is powerless to help himself. He

mutters to himself, fierce and impotent.

JOE:

I don't know.

He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes.

5 INT. DOCTOR'S WAITING ROOM - DAY 5

We discover Joe with the heels of his hands pressed into

his eyes. This room is fluorescently lit, too, and

perhaps at first we don't realize we have gone somewhere

else. A nurse's voice is heard.

NURSE (O.S.)

Mr. Banks? Mr. Banks?

Joe, startled, takes his hands from his eyes. The CAMERA

PULLS BACK and we see we're in a doctor's waiting room.

And now we see the NURSE. She is a very conservative,

W.A.S.P. Nurse .

JOE:

Yeah?

NURSE:

Doctor Ellison will see you

now.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 9.

6 INT. DR. ELLISON'S OFFICE - DAY 6

The lighting in the doctor's office is the first warm,

relaxing light we've seen. It comes from lamps and a

little frosted window. The office itself is full of old

wood and books. DR. ELLISON sits in a comfortable chair,

at an old desk. He is the last word in doctors. He's a

large, respectable, distinguished, greyed-haired M.D.

He's a specialist. You get the feeling he may be a

genius.

ELLISON:

How are you feeling, Mr.

Banks?

JOE:

Pretty much the same. I feel

puffy, blotchy. I never seem

to have very much energy. I

get these little sore throats.

I just don't feel good.

ELLISON:

And how long have you felt

this way?

JOE:

Well. Pretty much since I

left the Fire Department. On

and off. But since then.

'Bout eight years.

ELLISON:

What did you do in the Fire

Department?

JOE:

Well, ah, you know, I put out

fires.

ELLISON:

Was it dangerous?

JOE:

Yeah. Ahm, pretty rough

stuff. But I came out of it

okay. The hard part was not

feeling good all the time. I

started not feeling good all

the time. So I hadda quit.

Ellison nods.

ELLISON:

Yes. I've gotten the results

of your tests.

(CONTINUED)

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 6/2/89 10.

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JOE:

I've got cancer.

ELLISON:

No.

JOE:

This new venereal...

ELLISON:

No.

JOE:

Is there something wrong with

my blood or urine or...?

ELLISON:

No, they're fine. But there

is something.

JOE:

Tell me.

ELLISON:

You have a brain cloud.

JOE:

A brain cloud.

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