Six Feet Under Page #12

BRENDA (O.S.)

Well, it's about to start raining frogs

here. How are things on your end?

NATE (O.S.)

(over phone line, pleased)

Hey! God, I'm glad you called.

BRENDA:

Really. Why?

INTERCUT WITH:

NATE AT GROCERY STORE:

NATE:

Because... I don't know. You, uh... you

have a... calming effect on me.

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33.

BRENDA:

Uh-huh. Are you familiar with the

psychological term "projection?"

NATE:

Are you familiar with the psychological

term "blow me?"

Brenda LAUGHS.

NATE (CONT'D)

(seductive)

Come on. You grew up with all that

psychobabble, you rebelled against it

every chance you got. Still do. And that

includes having sex with strangers in

closets at airports.

BRENDA:

(flares)

Oh, you think you're not easy to read?

Coasting by on your looks and charm isn't

working like it used to, but you have no

idea what else to do, because you've

never had to learn. Any woman with half

a brain looks at a guy like you and

thinks, good for a hot f***, but believe

me. That's it.

She switches off the phone, angry, then immediately regrets

it.

AT THE SUPERMARKET, Nate stands there, deflated. A shaky Claire

approaches.

CLAIRE:

Can we leave? I really need to take a

shower.

NATE:

(snaps)

Jesus Christ. Am I not allowed to have

even a single moment to myself?

Rage flashes across Claire's face. She grabs a canteloupe and

hurls it onto the floor, then just stands there, shaking.

She's in trouble, and Nate sees it.

NATE (CONT'D)

Okay. What can I do?

CLAIRE:

(losing it)

Nothing. Nobody can do anything.

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34.

She starts to cry, which only makes her angrier. Nate stands

there, waiting. Finally, she hugs him, and allows him to

comfort her. The Clerk approaches.

CLERK:

You'll have to pay for that canteloupe.

CLAIRE:

(through tears))

F*** off.

FADE TO WHITE.

FADE IN:

57 INT. COMMERCIAL SET/WHITE VOID - DAY 57

We HEAR BIG BAND MUSIC as we see a Makeup Artist working on a

young Woman who's seated in a chair, her back to us. She's

wearing a white bathrobe and her hair is wrapped in a white

turban. The furniture, props and costumes all convey a sort

of Hollywood Golden Age glitz; it's as if we're in a commercial

for make-up or hair-care products. The Makeup Artist suddenly

holds up a HAND MIRROR so the Woman can see herself. In the

MIRROR we see her face REFLECTED BACK AT US: she's beautiful,

but DEAD. The Makeup Artist seem pleased, holds up a ROUND

METAL TIN and smiles directly at us.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

-Introducing new Wound Filler multi-

purpose cosmetic molding putty, now faster-

setting and self-sealing, to help make

masking unsightly wounds a breeze--

The commercial ends abruptly, as if someone switched the TV

off. MUSIC ENDS and the SCREEN GOES BLACK.

58 INT. CAR - EARLY MORNING (DAY TWO) 58

WE HEAR SOUL COUGHING's "SCREENWRITER'S BLUES."

SOUL COUGHING:

(on radio)

IT'S FIVE A.M.... AND YOU ARE LISTENING

TO LOS ANGELES..

DRIVER'S POV:
We're on a deserted STREET at dawn, MOVING

UNNATURALLY SLOW. A CAR in an adjacent lane SPEEDS past us,

then another. Suddenly a BUS appears in front of us, DRIVING

the wrong way STRAIGHT TOWARD US with its HEADLIGHTS ON

SMASH CUT TO:

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35.

59 INT. NATE'S OLD ROOM - EARLY MORNING (DAY TWO) 59

FROM OVERHEAD:
Nate lies sleeping, then his eyes pop open.

"SCREENWRITER'S BLUES" plays on an ALARM CLOCK RADIO on the

nightstand. He hits a button on it and the MUSIC ENDS. He

just lies there. From another room, we HEAR:

RUTH (O.S.)

You want some more coffee?

CLAIRE:

(quickly)

No!

Nate SIGHS and gets out of bed.

60 INT. KITCHEN - MORNING, CONTINUOUS (DAY TWO) 60

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