Living in Oblivion Page #13

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Just then the door in the rear set wall opens and Cora steps

in, looking oddly puzzled.

CORA:

Oh, I thought this was the TV room.

INT. THE SET. DAY

NICK:

Cut!

WANDA:

That's a cut. Going again, right

away.

INT. OFF THE SET. DAY

Nick escorts his mother back to her chair.

NICK:

Mom, listen to me. I don't want you

to move from this chair. Do you

understand?

CORA:

Oh Jesus, you sound just like your

father...

NICK:

Mom, I'm serious.

CORA:

OK, OK. I won't move.

NICK:

Thank you.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Nick walks back on the set and addresses Nicole and Tito.

NICK:

OK, good. Very good.

(laughs)

Tito, I think we're having a little

communication problem here. All I

want you to do is laugh. OK?

TITO:

Why?

NICK:

I told you why.

TITO:

Tell me again.

INT. OFF THE SET. DAY

Wolf (still wearing his eyepatch) walks over and sits quietly

in a chair beside Cora. He does not speak to her and gazes

blankly out at Nick, Tito, and Nicole on the set some distance

away. Cora however stares at the side of his head with such

intensity Wolf can't help but turn to her.

Cora still doesn't take her eyes off him and in fact stares

even more intently into his eye.

Wolf glances away for a moment then looks back. Cora continues

to stare at him. Suddenly, his eye is full of tears. Cora

watches in rapt silence. Wolf is crying openly now. Cora

reveals no hint of emotion as she reaches out and gently

lifts the eyepatch off of his eye. A tight smile of

satisfaction creases her lips as a tiny pool of tears is

released, streaming quickly down Wolf's cheek. No one sees

this.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Nick paces tensely in front of Nicole and Tito.

NICK:

Look, Tito. It's not that big a deal.

It's a dream, alright. Strange things

happen in a dream. All you have to

do is laugh. Why is that such a

problem?

TITO:

Why does it have to be a dwarf?

NICK:

What?

TITO:

Why does my character have to be a

dwarf?

NICK:

He doesn't have to be a dwarf.

TITO:

Then why is he?! Is that the only

way you can make this a dream; put a

dwarf in it?

NICK:

No, Tito; that's not --

TITO:

Have you ever had a dream with a

dwarf in it?! Do you know anyone

who's had a dream with a dwarf in

it? NO! I don't even have dreams

with dwarves in them! The only place

I've seen dwarves in dreams is in

stupid movies like this! Make it

weird; put a dwarf in it. Everyone

will go "whoa whoa whoa, must be a

dream, there's a f***ing dwarf in

it!" Well, I'm sick of it. You can

take this Dream Sequence and shove

it up your ass!

Tito hurls his top hat and gloves to the floor and walks

out. Everyone stares at Nick who is frozen in stunned silence.

Finally Wanda approaches him hesitantly.

WANDA:

Nick?

(no response)

I can get right on the phone. We'll

try to get another... small person

here as soon as possible.

NICK:

No. He's absolutely right.

Nick sighs heavily and sinks to sit on the dolly in silence.

Wolf appears behind him, still wiping his eyes.

WOLF:

You want to just shoot Ellen, Nick?

She could be in the dream by herself.

NICK:

No. We're not going to shoot anything.

I'm sorry. Thanks for all your help,

but it's over. I can't take it

anymore. I tried to roll with it but

it's time to face the music; I can't

do this. I am not a director. The

shoot is over. I give up.

Nick's speech has the simple eloquence of truth; he is not

bitter or self-pitying. He seems unaware of how disturbing

this is to the crew. They all stand around him in shock,

afraid to move or speak. Finally Wolf turns to the AC and

puts his hand on his shoulder, like a father to his young

son.

WOLF:

Take the camera off the dolly. Start

putting it away.

Everyone watches the AC unfasten the camera in silence. Nicole

stands alone on the set in her wedding dress, still holding

the golden apple. Her face is frozen in dismay. Suddenly

CORA comes through the set door and marches up to Nicole.

CORA:

Give me that apple!

At the sound of his mother's voice, Nick looks up. He sees

her snatch the apple from Nicole's hand and march back out

the door, closing it behind her.

CORA:

(behind the door)

I'm ready, Nick!

INT. BY THE CAMERA. DAY

Nick gets up slowly and whispers intensely to Wanda, Wolf,

and the rest of the crew.

NICK:

Roll camera. Roll sound. Let's go.

Right away.

Wolf grabs the camera and puts it on his shoulder (hand-held)

as the rest of the crew moves quickly and silently into

position. On a terse signal from Nick the camera starts

rolling.

INT. THE SET. THE DREAM. DAY

Nicole takes the silent "action" cue from Nick.

NICOLE:

I am so hungry.

Right on cue Cora walks through the door, holding the golden

apple out in front of her. She circles Nicole with

determination, seemingly oblivious to Nick and the rest of

the crew hovering behind Wolf as he begins following her

with the hand-held camera. Wolf is now in his element; gliding

like Nureyev with the camera. When he pans suddenly with

Cora the whole crew ducks wildly and dives out of camera

range.

Cora finally stops circling Nicole and stops abruptly.

Suddenly she raises the apple right out in front of Nicole.

Wolf glides forward with the camera, framing an amazing CU

of the apple with Nicole seen behind it. Nicole reaches out,

grabs the apple and takes a huge, resounding bite out of it.

CU Nick's face, eyes wide in anxious delight.

Cora takes one step forward. CU her fuzzy slippers stopping

right on the yellow tape mark. Cora waits momentarily until

Wolf has reframed both her and Nicole, then lets out a huge

laugh.

INT. THE SET. DAY

NICK:

And cut!!

General mayhem erupts on the set.

NICK:

Wolf, talk to me, man! Did you get

it?

WOLF:

Got it, Nick! Everything!

NICK:

The Close-up?

WOLF:

Perfect. See? That's what I meant

about going hand-held!

NICK:

You're a genius, man! What about the

focus?!

AC:

Nailed it.

WOLF:

F***in' A!

Wolf slaps the AC's palm, then the Gaffer's standing right

beside him. He turns gleefully to the next person but seeing

it is Wanda he rigidly turns away.

WANDA:

Going again, Nick?

NICK:

How was the sound?

SOUND:

I could use another but definitely

acceptable.

Nick runs up to his mother and throws his arms around her.

Nicole stands beside him.

NICK:

Mom, you kook! That was incredible!

Did you know we were filming?

CORA:

(testily)

Of course I knew you were filming.

NICK:

You were great, you're a natural.

And Nicole, that was beautiful. Don't

you dare tell me that felt fake.

Suddenly, on an impulse surprising both of them, Nick and

Nicole embrace. Just then Wanda steps up.

WANDA:

Going again, Nick?

NICK:

Oh, hold on. Let me think a second.

The set grows suddenly quiet as Nick begins pacing rapidly,

muttering to himself.

NICK:

Can I use it for the Dream Sequence,

that's the question. Does it work

for the Dream Sequence?

Nick suddenly looks up and sees everybody staring at him;

Nicole in her wedding gown, Wolf with his eyepatch, his mother

still eating the apple, Wanda, the crew.

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