La La Land Page #18

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MIA:

I told you.

SEBASTIAN:

I don't buy it.

MIA:

(finally letting it out, fed up --)

Because it's another audition!

(a beat; then --)

I've been to hundreds of auditions. Do

you want to know what happens? Either

they interrupt me because someone ordered

a sandwich, or they cut me off after two

seconds, or I'm crying and they start

laughing, or I'm one of a hundred

lookalikes in the waiting room who never

has a chance, because --

(beat)

-- because --

SEBASTIAN:

Because what?

MIA:

Because I'm probably not good enough.

SEBASTIAN:

Yes you are.

MIA:

No. Maybe I'm not.

A beat.

MIA (CONT'D)

Maybe I'm one of those people who's

always wanted to do it but never had a

chance. It's a pipe dream. Maybe it's

like you said. Maybe I need to grow up.

She hesitates. Continues --

Revision 71.

MIA (CONT'D)

I can go back to school. I can find

something else that I'm supposed to do. I

left school to give it a shot, and it

didn't work out, and it took six years,

and I don't want to do it anymore.

Beat. But Sebastian isn't giving up.

SEBASTIAN:

Why?

MIA:

Why what?

SEBASTIAN:

Why don't you want to do it anymore?

Mia thinks about this one for a moment.

MIA:

...Because it hurts a little bit too

much.

Sebastian shakes his head. Nope. Won't accept this.

SEBASTIAN:

I told them you'd be there at five-thirty

tomorrow. I'll swing by here before I

drive back at eight. Either you'll be

outside or you won't.

With that, he gets back into his car. Mia is silent. Then --

MIA:

How did you find me?

Sebastian turns. Points. Matter-of-fact --

SEBASTIAN:

The house across from the library.

He drives off. Mia looks up. There, sure enough, is the

LIBRARY, crouched on the corner. The library that once

helped set her on her path to acting.

She looks at it. Thinks...

121 EXT. MIA'S STREET - NIGHT/DAY

Wide on the street. All is quiet. Night becomes morning...

Revision 72.

122 EXT. MIA'S HOME - DAY

Sebastian's car pulls over. He sits there. Sips a coffee, a

second coffee in the holder. The time: 8:02.

A moment passes. He taps the wheel. Looks at the house. The

front door remains closed. No Mia. He leans back. Seems

worried. Closes his eyes, breathes out. We MOVE CLOSE on him.

He breathes in and out again...

He opens his eyes. 8:10. The door's still closed. Resigned,

he starts his car up, BEGINS TO PULL AWAY, when --

-- BAM! A KNOCK on the opposite window. He jumps.

It's Mia. She's just arrived at the car from the other side,

two just-bought cups of coffee and a bag of pastries in her

hands. A beat. Sebastian smiles. Then OPENS the door for her.

123 OMIT

124 EXT. PARAMOUNT STUDIO LOT - DAY

A cloudy late afternoon. Mia and Sebastian slowly walk

through the lot together. They pass the New York street, the

murals and posters of classic Hollywood, the old Art Deco

ornaments and the big soundstages and backdrops. Neither says

a word...

125 INT. WAITING LOBBY - DAY

Mia and Sebastian are seated. Waiting. The DOOR opens. An

ACTRESS exits. A second later --

ASSISTANT #2

Mia?

Mia gathers her nerves. Gets up. And steps in.

126 INT. AUDITION ROOM / INT. LOBBY - DAY

In the room is AMY BRANDT -- mid-forties. Seated behind her

is the director, FRANK.

AMY BRANDT MIA

Hi, Mia. Hi.

AMY BRANDT:

I'm Amy, this is Frank. Glad we found you.

Mia nods. Smiles. A moment.

AMY BRANDT (CONT'D)

The movie shoots in Paris. There's no script.

Revision 73.

FRANK:

We want to build the character with you.

It's a process. Three-month rehearsal,

four-month shoot.

MIA:

...Ok.

AMY BRANDT:

So why don't you just tell us a story?

MIA:

...About...?

AMY BRANDT:

About anything.

Mia nods again. A moment.

AMY BRANDT (CONT'D)

Whenever you're ready.

Mia thinks. She takes a breath -- then goes silent again. It

seems she might be unsure what to do, might even be about to

choke the audition. We fear she may botch this completely...

A126 WE CUT TO THE LOBBY -- to Sebastian, hearing Mia's silence. On

edge... Worried...

B126 WE RETURN to the AUDITION ROOM... Brandt and Frank waiting...

MIA:

My aunt lived in Paris for a bit... She

used to tell me these stories, when I was

growing up, about living abroad...

(beat)

I remember -- she told me she jumped into

the Seine once...

She pauses, and then continues -- in SONG. [TRACK: AUDITION]

Yes, this audition is different than the rest, and the switch

to song signals just that. Mia's nerves fade away -- all the

accents and fakery of earlier auditions a distant memory. This

is Mia undisguised -- pure and stark and beautiful...

She uses the story of her aunt jumping into the river to

paint a portrait of all the dreamers in the world -- all the

people who are told they're nuts for pursuing their passion --

all the so-called "fools" who take the plunge. She sings

about them and for them. This is why Mia does what she does --

why she simply has no choice...

The song ends, and we linger on her for a moment. Then...

Revision 74.

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