Room Page #18

MA (FILTERED)

What's that?

JACK:

(louder)

Come back now.

MA (FILTERED)

I wish I could. I just need to

JACK (OVERLAPPING)

I pick. I pick for both of us.

(CONTINUED)

107 CONTINUED:

107

Ma breaks down in sobs.

Jack hands the phone to Leo who talks to Nancy in murmurs.

107A

INT. MA’S OLD BEDROOM - CUBBYHOLE - EVENING 107A

Jack sits in the space under the roof in Ma’s bedroom playing

with Lego.

107B

INT. NANCY’S HOUSE - LOUNGE - NIGHT 107B

Jack watches TV with Nancy and Leo

107C

OMITTED 107C

107D

INT. NANCY’S HOUSE - DOWNSTAIRS VARIOUS 107D

Jack mopes around the house. Nancy and Leo give him space.

107DA

INT. MA’S OLD BEDROOM - DAY 107DA

Jack wakes up alone.

Minutes later we see him enter Ma’s walk-in closet. Sounds of

things being shifted around inside.

107E

INT. NANCY’S HOUSE - LANDING 107E

Jack walks out to the landing with Ma’s box of memorabilia.

Moments later, journals and photos are spread around him. He

examines her year-books, photos of her as a child his own

age.

108

EXT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - DAY 108

A week has passed and the outside of the house is completely

clear of press/onlookers. Nancy’s car pulls up. She get’s

out, let’s Jack out of the back seat and the two of them

carry shopping bags to the front door. A NEIGHBOR waves.

NEIGHBOR:

Been shopping.

NANCY:

Yes we have. We’re making cupcakes.

109 INT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - A LITTLE LATER 109

Nancy and Jack bake companionably in the kitchen. Jack stands

on a chair.

NANCY:

You know how to beat eggs, Jack?

JACK:

Sure. I did it before. In Room.

(CONTINUED)

109 CONTINUED:

NANCY:

Did you? Wow. What else did you do

there.

JACK:

Lots of things. I miss it

sometimes.

NANCY:

Wasn’t it awfully small.

Jack shakes his head.

JACK:

Uh uh, it went every direction all

the way to the end. It never

finished. And Ma was always there.

(CONTINUED)

109 CONTINUED:
(2) 109

NANCY:

OK.

JACK:

It was small in wardrobe.

NANCY:

What did you do in wardrobe?

JACK:

Sleep. When Old Nick came.

Beat.

JACK (CONT’D)

I want to see Ma.

NANCY:

I know. She just needs to be on her

own a little while.

We hear the front door closing.

LEO (O.S.)

Hey Jack. There’s someone here

who’d like to meet you.

Jack hops down from his chair.

110 INT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 110

Jack walks out into the hallway and stops dead. Leo is

standing there holding a small terrier dog.

LEO:

Jack, meet Seamus. Would you like

to pet him?

Jack approaches cautiously, reaches a hand gingerly to pet

the dog, withdraws, reaches again and pets him. Nancy appears

in the background. Jack sees her.

JACK:

I could just go in and tell her

about Seamus. Only for a minute. Or

I could just look at her.

LEO:

Come on, let’s get this guy some

air after being all stuffed up in

the car.

111 OMITTED 111

112 EXT. PLAYGROUND - DAY 112

Jack tentatively climbs on a frame in a playground. Leowatches, with Seamus on a leash.

113 INT. FRONT LIVING ROOM - DAY 113

Nancy is reading. Jack enters.

Grandma.

JACK:

Yes?

NANCY:

JACK:

I need the scissors.

What for?

NANCY:

JACK:

For cutting my hair.

NANCY:

You really want to do that?

JACK:

I want to send it to Ma.

Why?

NANCY:

JACK:

She needs my strong more than me.

So I want to send it to her. Or youcould take it to her.

Nancy is moved.

NANCY:

I can help you if you'd like.

JACK:

That would be great.

(CONTINUED)

113 CONTINUED:
113

NANCY:

Okay. Let's do this right. I'vewanted to cut that hair a very longtime.

114 INT. NANCY'S KITCHEN - LATER 114

Jack sits in a chair with a sheet around his neck.

Nancy clips his hair.

NANCY:

I used to cut your mother's hairall the time. And your Grandpa'shair. I've still got it.

JACK:

You think this will work? Can mystrong be her strong too? I’m notreally sure if it works that way.

NANCY:

Of course it does. We all help eachother stay strong. No one is strongalone. You and your mom, you helpeach other through, don't you?

Yes.

JACK:

NANCY:

And you and me. And you and Leo.

And Leo and me. We all have the

same strong.

(CONTINUED)

114 CONTINUED:
114

JACK:

I guess we do.

NANCY:

Ok, here goes.

Jack closes his eyes as Nancy cuts off his pony tail.

115 INT. BATHROOM 115

Jack is leaning his head back on the round lip of the

bathroom sink. She turns on the water.

NANCY:

Now lean back.

The water is nicely warm now.

NANCY (CONT’D)

This is the best part.

She pours water over his head, and shampoos him.

NANCY (CONT’D)

Feels good, doesn't it?

He closes his eyes and nods. She pours more water. And more.

His face is rosy with the heat.

JACK:

I love you, Grandma.

NANCY:

I love you, Jack.

116

INT. NANCY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY 116

Jack is drawing a multicolored picture.

He uses all the colors of the crayon box.

The picture of a house grows in colors and dimensions. The

door is green. The windows orange. The roof red.

117

EXT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - BACK YARD - DAY 117

Jack plays with the Neighbor Boy and Seamus in the garden. He

hears a tap tap tap and looks round. Ma is watching him

through the glass back door. He runs to her as she opens the

door. They greet each other with nervous joy, without words.

118

INT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - MA’S BEDROOM - SOON 118

Jack and Ma sit beside each other on the bed.

He thinks.

MA:

I'm sorry, Jack.

JACK:

That’s OK.

JACK (CONT’D)

Don’t do it again.

MA:

I promise.

JACK:

Are you better now?

MA:

Starting to be.

She strokes his short hair then reaches into her bag and

takes out his ponytail.

MA (CONT’D)

I’ll always keep this with me,

Jack.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

118 CONTINUED:
118

MA (CONT’D)

I will never, ever let it go. When

Grandma brought it to me, I... I

knew I could get well. You saved

me. Again.

They sit placidly a moment. He reaches for her shirt.

JACK:

Can I...?

MA:

Sorry. There's none left.

Jack think for a bit, accepts the new situation.

JACK:

OK.

MA:

I'm not a good enough Ma.

JACK:

But you're Ma.

MA:

I am.

She puts her arm around him. They sit in a gentle silence.

JACK:

I’m going to play with Aaron now.

He’s my friend.

Ma hugs him hard before he leaves.

119 EXT. BEACH - DAY 119

Ma and Jack look out to sea.

JACK (V.O.)

When I was four I didn't even know

about the world and now me and Ma

are going to live in it forever and

ever till we're dead.

120 INT. NANCY AND LEO’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY 120

Ma and Jack water their new African Violet.

JACK (V.O.)

This is a street in a city in a

country called America on the earth

that's a blue and green planet

always spinning so I don't know why

we don't fall off. Then there's

Outer Space, and nobody knows

where's heaven.

120A INT. NANCY’S HOUSE - LOUNGE - NIGHT 120A

Ma and Nancy are curled up together on the sofa. Leo is

there, too. The adults laugh as Jack fools around with

Seamus.

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