Living in Oblivion Page #3

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Wolf quickly motions Gaffer to hand-hold the scrim in front

of the 5K.

WANDA:

And, roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

Roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take five.

(hits the sticks)

NICK:

Action.

INT. SET APT. THE SCENE: TAKE 5. COLOR

Once again the scene begins. Nicole shows the first signs of

losing her concentration.

NICOLE:

Dad hit me first and knocked me down.

It didn't hurt that much but I started

crying anyway, hoping he would leave

me alone. He went over and started

hitting Danny.

CORA:

Ellen, I have no memory --

Suddenly there is a tremendous EXPLOSION sending bits of

glass flying through the frame. Cora jumps, clutching her

chest.

CORA:

Oh, God!

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

CU the light the Gaffer had been holding the scrim before.

It is smoking and shattered.

NICK:

Jesus f***ing Christ!

WOLF:

(to the Gaffer)

Kill it. Kill it. Pull the plug.

Right there by your foot.

WANDA:

That's a cut. Anybody hurt? Cora,

are you alright?

Cora nods wordlessly, gasping for breath.

WANDA:

Props. Props! Let's get a broom up

here right away. Clear the set!

INT. APT. HALLWAY. DAY. B/W

Nick, Cora, and Nicole stand in a corner of the landing.

Nick is making obvious attempts to lighten the mood.

NICK:

Well, let's see. What do you think

is going to happen next, Cora?

CORA:

I'm going to have a heart attack!

NICK:

No, you're not. You're going in there

in two minutes and we are really

going to nail this scene. I know it.

I have no doubt about it. Nicole...

Nick turns to Nicole and stops in midsentence. He looks at

her for a long moment. Nicole returns his gaze then suddenly

looks away.

WANDA (V.O.)

Nick! Nick!

NICK:

One second!

Nick hesitates a moment then rushes back to the set.

CORA:

I'll tell you this much right now; I

am never, ever doing another f***ing

low-budget movie.

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

Nick joins Wanda and Wolf on the set couch and chair.

NICK:

What's up?

WANDA:

Wolf and I were talking... Ellen's

losing it a little bit. You got three

quarters of the scene really, really

incredible in the first take. Do a

quick cut-away and all you need is a

pickup of the last part of the scene.

NICK:

Wolf?

WOLF:

You know how I feel; I love this

shot. Hell, I designed it.

NICK:

Then let's just stick with the game

plan, OK? It's a simple shot. We're

going to get it this time, I feel

it.

WANDA:

We're here for you, Nick. Whatever

it takes.

Nick moves off. Wanda stares at Wolf who studiously inspects

his light meter.

WANDA:

Thanks.

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

Camera is close on the black-and-white clapboard. Nicole's

face can be partially seen behind it.

WANDA:

And, roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

And, roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take six.

(hits the sticks)

NICK:

Action.

INT. SET APT. THE SCENE: TAKE 6. COLOR

As the scene begins again, it is obvious that both actresses

are completely distracted. Nick's face betrays a rapidly

increasing anxiety.

NICOLE:

Dad hit me first and knocked me down.

It didn't hurt that much but I started

crying anyway, hoping he would leave

me alone. He went over and started

hitting Danny.

CORA:

I...

There is a long awkward pause as Cora realizes she can't

remember her line.

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

NICK:

Cut. That's OK, Cora. What's the

line? Just say it to me; no acting.

CORA:

I...

(pause)

AC:

"Ellen, I have no memory of this

line whatsoever."

Amid general tittering from the crew, Wanda yells out.

WANDA:

OK, could we get the line please?!

Script!

SCRIPT:

(Pam)

"Ellen, I have no memory of this

whatsoever."

WANDA:

Thank you. And, roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

And, roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take seven.

(hits the sticks)

NICK:

Action.

INT. SET APT. THE SCENE: TAKE 7. COLOR

The scene begins again. Nicole is lifeless; she's merely

saying the lines.

NICOLE:

Dad hit me first and knocked me down.

It didn't hurt that much but I started

crying anyway --

CORA:

I was worried about Danny!

Nicole stops cold, completely thrown by Cora jumping her

line.

NICOLE:

I'm sorry, I'm lost...

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

NICK:

Cut. It's OK. No big deal.

Nick's voice has the rigid tremble of someone barely able to

keep from screaming.

NICK:

Everyone relax. We're just going to

run the lines. That's all. No acting.

Just run the lines. Then we're going

to shoot this f***ing scene.

INT. SET APT. THE COUCH. DAY. B/W

Nicole gets up quietly and sits next to Cora on the couch,

wordlessly taking her hand in hers.

CORA:

(whispers)

I'm so sorry. I'm f***ing this up

for you.

NICOLE:

(whispers)

Cora, don't even think that. You're

doing great. I'm the one who's f***ing

it up. If I get through this I swear

I'm never acting again.

She means it. Cora glances up at her, seeing for the first

time how pain and defeat have drawn the life from Nicole's

face. On an impulse Cora reaches out and gently lifts a strand

of Nicole's hair from her eyes.

A sudden amazed alarm fills Nicole. The living room grows

strangely quiet.

NICK:

(faintly, from a

distance)

And, action on the run-through.

CU Nicole. She looks quickly toward Nick in confusion.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM. DAY. COLOR

DISSOLVE to a nurse moving quickly past the camera and out

the open door of the hospital room.

CU Nicole, seated on the edge of the hospital bed. Still

confused, she looks down at the old woman lying in the bed.

The woman's face is pale and drawn. As Nicole leans closer

her mother reaches out and gently brushes a strand of hair

away from her face. The gesture is one of love, acceptance,

and farewell. It is identical to the one we have just seen

Cora make to her.

NICK (V.O.)

And action on the run-through.

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

WS, the Living Room Set. Nick, Wanda, the rest of the crew

standing quietly. Nicole glances over at Cora and instantly

something unspoken and unexplained passes between them. The

run-through begins.

From the moment Nicole opens her mouth it is obvious there

has been a remarkable change in her. Every word now has the

stunning clarity of truth. Cora is completely engulfed in

the moment.

NICOLE:

Dad hit me first and knocked me down.

It didn't hurt that much but I started

crying anyway, hoping he would leave

me alone. He went over and started

hitting Danny.

CORA:

Ellen, I have no memory of this

whatsoever.

NICOLE:

You were just standing there looking

at me.

As Nicole continues, one by one the crew turn and watch this

exquisite moment happening before them. Nick's face is lit

with rapture.

NICK:

(whispering)

Roll camera... roll camera.

He glances over and to his horror sees that no one is behind

the camera. He whispers frantically to the AC.

NICK:

Where's Wolf?

AC:

(whispers)

In the bathroom... he doesn't feel

good.

NICK:

(whispers)

Get him! Get him!

Nick turns back to the scene, watching its beauty now in

agony.

NICOLE:

Then you pulled me up and said,

"You're not hurt." Like I was

disgusting for faking, for doing the

only thing I could think of to keep

him from hitting me again.

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