Lost in America Page #17

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NANCY:

That's what you are! A crossing

guard! I couldn't place it. That's

wonderful! You're working with

children!

DAVID:

I'm walking with children. There's

a difference, but we'll talk about

it later. Now, tell me again.

This child is who?

NANCY:

This is Skip. He's the manager.

DAVID:

The manager? This is who slept

on it?

Skip stretches his hand out eagerly wiping it first

on his pants, just to make sure it's clean.

SKIP:

Hey, it's nice to meet you. Call

me Skippy, though, huh? That's what

my friends call me. Hey, your wife's

really something. Man, I think what

you're both doing is amazing. She

told me all about it. It's really

great. You've got a lot of courage.

It blew my mind. I'll tell ya, man,

when I get old, I sure hope I drop

out. It really sounds neat. Hey,

did she tell ya what happened today?

NANCY:

(a little embarrassed)

David just got home, Skip. I'll

tell him later.

DAVID:

No. Let Skippy tell it. I want

to hear him talk some more.

SKIPPY:

Hey, thanks. Well, you know the

fry machine? We were never using

it right. See, no one ever told

us. I mean we did everything the

instructions said. You know, we

put the oil in and everything, but

we took the fries out, like, much

too soon and no one knew. And

your wife said, "Hey, these are

frozen in the middle." And then

we took them outside and we looked

at 'em in the sun and she was

right! They were still frozen.

She spotted it on the first day!

Do you believe it?

DAVID:

And how long were you making them

the other way?

SKIPPY:

Oh, I don't know, a little less

than a year.

DAVID:

Nancy, where are the keys?

NANCY:

They're in the ignition. Why?

CUT TO:

53 INT. MOTOR HOME

We are somewhere outside of Prescott. David and Nancy

are driving along. They are still in their Burger King

and crossing guard outfits, but obviously they have left

their first home. Nancy has a map in her hand. She's

looking it over.

NANCY:

You know I think Denver could be

a good place to go.

DAVID:

Denver, huh?

NANCY:

Well, it's bigger. We do need a

bigger city.

DAVID:

We certainly do. Sweetheart,

let's talk for a second.

NANCY:

What?

DAVID:

I love you very much. You know

that, don't you?

NANCY:

I love you, too.

DAVID:

Well, I think it's wonderful that

we could say this and mean it. Do

you know that ever since we were

married I just was waiting for us

to get divorced? I never thought

we would make it, ever. But now

I do.

NANCY:

I know. I feel the same way.

DAVID:

Well, my God, that's wonderful.

I mean the experiences that we

went through in the last two weeks,

it did that. It showed us that

we're going to be married forever.

Nancy, we're together for the rest

of our lives and I'm so grateful

to finally have that peace of

mind. It's wonderful.

NANCY:

I told you this would all be a

blessing.

DAVID:

I know you did. But now, let's

talk facts. Our nest egg broke.

Forget who did it, no blame.

That's not the point. The point

is we didn't split up.

We stayed together and decided to

rebuild. And it was the best

decision we ever made. Because

for the first time we really know

how to share. Whatever we have we

can enjoy it together.

NANCY:

But we don't have anything.

DAVID:

There! Now we're getting to it.

This afternoon I was guiding some

children across the street and I

realized something. Given our age,

and the years we have left together,

and the way we're going about this

rebuilding program, we will never

have another egg in our lifetime.

NANCY:

I was thinking the same thing.

DAVID:

Really?

NANCY:

Yes. As a matter-of-fact, I began

thinking what we might do to speed

things up.

DAVID:

That's amazing. So was I. Denver?

Is that what Denver is about?

NANCY:

No. Not exactly. I was just kind

of thinking of a general plan.

DAVID:

Me too.

NANCY:

Great. What?

DAVID:

Well, you tell me yours first.

NANCY:

(hesitating)

No, you go first.

DAVID:

No. I'm almost embarrassed to

tell you, mine's like a last resort.

NANCY:

Don't be embarrassed. What is it?

DAVID:

(hesitating)

Well...

NANCY:

Come on.

DAVID:

Okay. I thought we'd just get to

New York as fast as we can...

NANCY:

(interrupts)

And you eat sh*t?

DAVID:

Your plan too, huh?

NANCY:

Exactly.

DAVID:

We really are a team.

NANCY:

We certainly are.

CUT TO:

54 EXT./INT. MOTOR HOME - MONTAGE - DAY

It does a fast U-turn away from the northern direction

and begins heading east. They are now on their way

to New York going as fast as they can. As they do the

THEME from the commercial "I LOVE NEW YORK" BEGINS TO

PLAY. It grows and grows in intensity as David and

Nancy cross the United States. Their trip from Arizona

to New York will take place in a space of about thirty

seconds. States whiz by. Signs "ENTERING MISSOURI"

"LEAVING MISSOURI" "ENTERING VIRGINIA," "LEAVING

VIRGINIA," all taking place in a period of seconds. The

MUSIC is getting more intense. It's now filling our

ears. VOICES BEGIN SINGING, "I LOVE NEW YORK."

55EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - NEW YORK CITY -

SNOW - DAY

We see the mobile home approaching the George Washington

Bridge. As it enters the tollbooth we...

CUT TO:

56EXT. MADISON AVENUE - SNOW

It's Monday morning, 8:45. Thousands of New Yorkers

are filing into their offices. We see the motor home

pull up in front of the advertising agency. Hundreds of

people are entering this building. We see that one of

these people is Brad Tooley, the baldheaded man David

was supposed to work under. From a LONG SHOT, we see

David exit the motor home. He's still in his crossing

guard uniform. He's been up for three days, taking No

Doz and drinking hundreds of cups of coffee. He looks

like hell. He runs down the street and corners Brad

near the front entrance. Brad sees David. He's scared.

He can't believe it. He starts to run. He tries to

escape. David turns after him. All this is shown in a

LONG SHOT, with the busy Madison Avenue traffic in the

foreground. We hear David yelling:

DAVID:

Brad, I made it! Three weeks on

the button! Let's go to work.

We got Fords to sell!

Brad looks frightened. He'd like to get away but he

can't. David catches up to him. He grabs him around

the waist. He drops to his knees. He begins to plead.

As New Yorkers pass by going about their business, we

see David begging. Brad just staring down at him.

OVER THIS SCENE the following CRAWL appears on the screen:

"Most people lead their entire lives

without ever having the courage to

break the mold, to find out who they

really are and what life is all about.

Those that do should take Route 16.

This goes through Utah, avoiding the state

of Nevada completely."

THE END:

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