Obselidia Page #3

---

that's an imperfection

right there.

I think the notion of

perfection is a Platonic trick

to make us feel inadequate.

-Do you feel inadequate?

-Yes.

Doesn't everybody?

-At least you're honest.

-Well, I don't think

that does much good.

I don't think honesty's

the most valued quality

in our contemporary society.

-Doesn't pay much to

be humble, either.

So what's going

to become of you?

-Certainly on a

global scale, we are

going to lose plenty of species

due to environmental changes

because of human activities.

Um, I think that we understand--

biologists understand

a lot of what needs to be done.

And the key is the

sort of willingness

and the priorities of everyone,

to try to take actions now.

[typing]

-Ladybug.

Lady Day.

Lady chapel.

Ladysmith.

GEORGE (VOICEOVER): [LISTING

ENTRY NAMES ALPHABETICALLY,

STARTING WITH L]

[phone ringing]

GEORGE (ON ANSWERING

MACHINE):
Hello, you've

called "The Encyclopedia

of Obsolete Things."

Please leave a message

and we'll get back

to you as soon as we can.

[beep]

SOPHIE (ON PHONE): "The

Obselidia," I'm telling you.

You can't call it "The

Encyclopedia of Yadda Yadda

Yadda.

You've got to start with

a great title, you know?

One that people are

gonna be curious about?

-Uh, you don't think

they'll be curious?

-I didn't think you were there.

-Uh, I wasn't.

I was releasing ladybugs.

-Releasing ladybugs?

GEORGE (ON PHONE): Yeah.

They need the lifeline.

-Nice.

-So how are you?

SOPHIE (ON PHONE): Good.

And you?

GEORGE (ON PHONE): Oh, I'm OK.

-Did you do any

more interviews yet?

-No, just got a letter

from Lewis Fordham.

SOPHIE (ON PHONE): Brilliant.

And is he up for meeting?

-Um, yes.

Yeah, he is.

But he lives in

Death Valley, so.

-Death Valley?

Cool.

GEORGE (ON PHONE):

It's not, actually.

It's very, very hot, and it's

hundreds of miles away, so.

SOPHIE (ON PHONE): I thought

you said this guy was a genius.

GEORGE (ON PHONE):

Well, he-- he is.

He is, but--

-You won't drive four

hours for a genius?

-Well, it-- it's not that.

It's-- it's--

SOPHIE (ON PHONE):

I've driven double

that just to go

to a party before.

-You might remember

that I don't have a car.

-So?

I'll drive you.

-Oh, no, no.

SOPHIE (ON PHONE):

Sure, why not?

-No, it's-- it's OK, really.

SOPHIE (ON PHONE): Doesn't

this mean anything to you?

Come on, I've always wanted

to go to Death Valley.

"Zabriskie Point," Antonioni?

Oh, I'd love to see that.

So when do we go?

-Hey, man.

How's it going?

You going somewhere?

-Death Valley.

-Death Valley?

Wow.

-With her.

-Not bad.

Not bad at all.

-She's just a friend.

-Yeah.

Remember, love is just

a protein, George.

GEORGE (VOICEOVER): Protein,

Protestant, Proteus, prophet,

prosthesis, Protista, protocol,

Protogenes, protoplasm,

[inaudible].

Protozoa.

-So, you got everything?

-How long are we going for?

-Well, I packed

some water and food,

and I have my gorgeous

Polaroid camera.

-Wow.

That's beautiful.

May I?

-Yeah.

-I knew you'd appreciate it.

You know they stopped

making the film?

-Sure.

So I've got three pictures left.

That's it-- three.

Got to make them good ones.

-Oh, I'd hold on to them.

-Well, I've been holding

on to them for long enough.

And I've packed my tent

in case we want to camp.

-Uh, camp?

I-- I'm not sleeping outside.

-What?

-I've never slept outside, I--

-You're kidding.

-Why would I kid about that?

-I don't know.

'Cause you want to seem

like some strange city guy.

-I am a strange city guy.

[engine starts]

I just thought we'd get

a couple of motel rooms.

SOPHIE:
[laughs] You're

funny, you know that?

GEORGE:
You're

funnier if you think

we're going to camp outside.

Animals sleep outside.

That's why humans

invented Motel 6.

SOPHIE (VOICEOVER): [laughs]

[music playing]

Do you know what I really

love about America?

GEORGE:
No.

What do you really love?

SOPHIE:
The fact that

nothing's built to last.

Everything looks like it

could be gone tomorrow.

GEORGE:
And that's a good thing?

SOPHIE:
Yeah.

It means everything can change.

It's not set in stone.

GEORGE:
No, just set in stucco.

SOPHIE:
Yeah, well,

where I'm from,

everything was built

a long, long time ago

and it'll all be there forever.

GEORGE:
But will it really?

SOPHIE:
Makes me feel trapped.

GEORGE:
So you prefer this?

SOPHIE:
Yeah.

I prefer this.

GEORGE:
French fries.

SOPHIE:
Yum.

GEORGE:
So do you think

you'll stay in LA?

-I don't know.

-Do you?

-Mm-hm.

I like my home and my job.

-Here, I made you this.

-Thanks.

-I mean, I like LA.

But I really just

moved here for a guy.

-Are you, um, still together?

-Well.

We lived together in

New York a couple years

before we moved out here.

-And what does he do?

-Paul?

He wants to be a movie director.

Totally obsessed with films.

But you know, all

the wrong films.

-Which are?

-I don't know.

Well, he thinks like "Star

Wars" is the best movie ever.

-"Star Wars" is good.

-OK, "Star Wars" is good.

But he wouldn't watch foreign

movies or black-and-white.

I mean, it's like cinema

started with "The Godfather."

-Probably a lot of people feel

like that nowadays, don't they?

-Yeah, absolutely.

But I just don't know if

I can be with somebody

who won't watch "Au

Hasard Balthazar."

-That donkey.

-Oh, I know!

Exactly.

Meanwhile, Paul says, I

won't do black-and-white,

and I sure as hell

won't do a black-and-white

subtitled movie about a donkey.

Actually, maybe he

does have a point.

[laughs]

I don't know.

We should get back on the road.

[snorts]

[laughs]

You've got a bit

of green going on.

-Oh.

Your turn to drive

as well, yeah?

-Uh, I don't drive.

-What?

-Yeah, I don't have a car.

-You're kidding me, right?

You got to, like, how

old, and living in LA,

and you don't drive?

Time to learn.

So tell me about Lewis.

-(NERVOUSLY) Um, uh, he--

he-- back in the day he worked

for NASA, and he was-- he

predicted climate change

before-- anybody.

And-- and if they'd

listened to him,

maybe it wouldn't

be such a mess now.

Oh, what do I do?

There's a big, fast

red car coming.

-What is it?

What is it?

Oh, stay steady, George.

Stay steady.

-OK.

-Whew!

We made it.

-Look, I didn't think

I could talk and drive

at the same time.

And can you please not

point that camera at me?

-All right, all

right, I'm sorry.

-Oh, what do we do?

I mean, I think there's a turn.

-OK, take it.

-OK.

-Turn, turn.

-OK.

[polaroid takes picture]

-Oh, sh*t!

GEORGE:
What?

SOPHIE:
[sigh] Three bloody

pictures left and I just

blew one.

GEORGE:
I'm sorry.

SOPHIE:
No, it's-- it's fine.

Imagine living out here.

Wouldn't you get lonely?

-Some people get lonely

in the middle of the city.

LEWIS:
So George,

which publication

did you say you were from?

-"The Encyclopedia

of Obsolete Things."

-Oh. [chuckles] I guess

that covers most everything

these days, heh.

Sophie.

SOPHIE:
Thank you.

-Yeah.

-So beautiful here.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes