Living in Oblivion Page #4

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CORA:

I was worried about Danny.

NICOLE:

You do remember.

CORA:

He was smaller than you.

NICOLE:

You were so worried about Danny.

What about me, Mom? Why weren't you

worried about me?

There is a heavy, stunned silence as the scene ends. Nicole

and Cora are in each other's arms. Pam and Cybil share a

piece of tissue. CUT TO: an extreme CU of Nick.

NICK:

Where the f*** is Wolf?!!!

INT. BATHROOM. DAY. B/W

In the cramped confines of the dingy basement bathroom, Wolf

pukes violently into the toilet. His face is pale and slick

with perspiration. His eyes look upward toward the sound of

Nick yelling.

WOLF:

One second!

Wolf tries to continue but another spasm of nausea wrenches

him back toward the toilet bowl.

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

The set is quiet, subdued. Nick sits on the couch with Nicole

and Cora. Wolf sits groggily behind the camera wiping the

sweat from his face. Wanda addresses the crew.

WANDA:

OK, listen up. Nobody drinks the

milk downstairs. OK? It appears to

be bad.

Nick speaks uneasily to Nicole and Cora. He is a wreck and

his insistent smile of encouragement looks absolutely

demented.

NICK:

I've had to, well I've changed the

shot; we're just a little pressed

for time. It'll just be a CU of Ellen

for the last part of the scene,

starting with Cora's "I was worried

about Danny." OK? I'll find a way to

cut this into the fourth take. We

almost had it. That was unbelievable,

both of you. But let's not think

about it. That moment is gone, and...

we'll, we'll get another one. I have

no doubt about it. OK? Here we go.

Nick walks over and stands beside the camera.

INT. SET APT. BY THE CAMERA. DAY. B/W

WOLF:

I'm ready, Nick.

Nick is so angry he can't even look at Wolf.

NICK:

Call it, Wanda.

WANDA:

And, roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

And, roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, Pickup, take one.

(hits the sticks)

NICK:

Action.

INT. SET APT. THE SCENE: PICKUP 1. COLOR

The scene begins at the pickup point. Miraculously, both

Cora and Nicole are just as concentrated and engaged as they

were in the run-through.

CORA:

I was worried about Danny.

NICOLE:

You do remember.

CORA:

He was smaller than you.

NICOLE:

You were so worried about Danny.

What about me, Mom? Why weren't --

In the middle of this final, delicate moment an insistent

electronic beeping is heard.

INT. SET APT. DAY. B/W

NICK:

CUT!!!!

WANDA:

What the f*** is that?! Sound?

SOUND:

(frantically checking

his equipment)

It's not me.

BOOM:

It's the camera.

WOLF:

The f*** it is. It's off; it's not

even running.

The beep continues, growing louder.

WANDA:

(into her walkie)

What's going on down there?! Do I

have a lock-up?! Nothing? You don't

hear a beeping sound?

(to Nick)

The street's quiet.

NICK:

Then what the f*** is it!!?

AC:

It's somebody's watch!

Everybody holds their watches up to their ears.

WOLF:

Not mine.

WANDA:

Not mine.

SOUND:

Not mine.

BOOM:

Not mine.

And so on, until all watches have been checked with negative

results. The beeping continues, growing louder and louder.

Suddenly Nick loses it. He starts running around the set,

ripping things apart, knocking over tables, lamps, chairs.

He shoves Cora off the couch and whips off the cushions,

heaving them against the wall with a startling violence.

NICK:

Where is it!! You motherf***er! You

cock-sucking motherfucking bastard!

Where the f*** are you!? Where!!

Where!!

Everyone watches Nick demolish the set in stunned, open-

mouthed amazement. Nick turns to the crew in rage.

NICK:

Can someone help me please?! Do I

have to do everything myself here?!

Nick loses it completely.

NICK:

Hey, Cora. Why don't you go learn

your lines! Hey Scriptgirl, are you

finally going to pay attention here?!

Hey, focus puller, you want to make

a movie or get stoned?! Huh, I got

some great f***in' Thai Stick here!

Hey Wolf, you pretentious, beret-

wearing motherf***er! I saw your

reel, man; it sucked! Who the hell

would hire you anyway! Hey Wanda,

next time can you wear a shirt that's

a little more distracting to my

actors!

(to the Gaffer)

Hey Bob! Hi Bob! Can you please make

a little more noise on the dolly you

creaky motherf***er!

(to Cybil)

What is your name!? What do you

f***ing do around here?!

(to the Soundman)

Hey Speedo, what's the matter? Can't

even find a teeny f***ing beep?!

CU of Nicole. She turns away, unable to watch anymore. The

beeping continues.

NICK:

See what I have to put up with,

Nicole!? Maybe next time you'll do

some of that magic on camera!? But

no, no -- wait till Wolf is puking

his guts out, "Oh now I'll be good!!"

WS, the entire room. Nick's last word echoes throughout the

silent set. Suddenly he stops in the center of the demolished

set and lets out a long, wrenching scream.

INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT. COLOR

QUICK CUT TO extreme CU Nick's face, just as his eyes open.

The film is in COLOR now. The room is in heavy darkness except

for the light on Nick's face. Nick reaches over and shuts

off his clock radio. The digital dial shows 4:00 A.M. The

beeping finally stops.

Nick turns on a light and sits up in bed, drenched in sweat

and still breathing heavily.

NICK:

God...

(this is not a sigh

of relief)

The camera DOLLIES swiftly back away from Nick. He stares at

it in stunned amazement. Just then a DOOR closes right into

the lens turning the frame into complete BLACKNESS.

Out of the BLACKNESS a door opens away from the camera

revealing WANDA looking into her closet (the camera is inside

the closet). From this point on, the rest of the film is in

COLOR except where specifically indicated to be Black and

White.

INT. WANDA'S APT. DAWN

She is wearing only a bra, black stretch pants, and cowboy

boots. She rummages quickly through some blouses, selects

the same garish one she wore in Part One, then walks away

revealing WOLF sitting on the edge of the rumpled bed. He is

dressed exactly the same as when we last saw him, complete

with beret. He struggles groggily into his socks and boots.

The entire apartment is in disarray. A bedside clock reads

4:
13 A.M.

WOLF:

Well, when did he ask you?

WANDA:

Yesterday, when I was helping him

check into his hotel.

WOLF:

What, the guy can't even check into

a hotel by himself?

WANDA:

Listen, Wolf, having Chad Palomino

in this movie will benefit us all.

If being there when he checks into

his hotel makes him feel better,

then I'm happy to do it.

WOLF:

Well, how did it come up?

WANDA:

He asked me if I liked jazz, I said

yes, and he suggested we meet tonight

at a jazz club.

WOLF:

I like jazz.

WANDA:

He did not invite you.

(applies perfume)

WOLF:

Why are you wearing perfume to work?

WANDA:

Because I feel like it.

WOLF:

You didn't wear it yesterday.

WANDA:

Oh, stop it. You're acting like a

child.

Wanda playfully swipes at Wolf's face with a negligee she is

returning to the closet. It misses him completely.

WOLF:

My eye!

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