Six Feet Under Page #18

BRENDA (CONT'D)

If you're looking for the olives, they're

right here.

She hands him the tub. He exits, still weeping.

FADE TO WHITE.

FADE IN:

75 INT. COMMERCIAL SET/WHITE VOID - DAY 75

In a WHITE VOID, we see a group of attractive young DANCERS,

clad in pastel shirts and khakis. Each holds what seems to be

a COMMERCIAL CHEF'S SALT-SHAKER. We HEAR K.C. AND THE SUNSHINE

BAND'S "SHAKE YOUR BOOTY" as the Dancers perfoim a tightly

choreographed DANCE ROUTINE, shaking their salt-shakers (and

their booties). It's as if we're in one of those Gap

commercials.

K.C. AND THE SUNSHINE BAND

SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE... SHAKE, SHAKE,

SHAKE... SHAKE YOUR BOOTY... SHAKE YOUR

BOOTY...

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust? Easy as

pie with the new Franklin Leak-Resistant

Earth Dispenser! Say goodbye to soiled

fingers! Effortless, refined, attractive,

and respectful--

The commercial ends abruptly, as if someone switched the TV

off. MUSIC ENDS and the SCREEN GOES BLACK.

PRIEST (O.S.)

In the midst of life, we are in death.

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51.

76 EXT. CEMETERY - THE NEXT DAY (DAY FOUR) 76

CLOSE ON NATE, listening. He's tired, troubled.

PRIEST (O.S.)

Of whom may we seek for succor, but of

thee, O Lord? Who for our sins art justly

displeased?

PAN from Nate to the other members of his family: RUTH, guilt-

stricken...

PRIEST (CONT'D)

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our

hearts.

...CLAIRE, looking like she hasn't slept in days...

PRIEST (CONT'D)

Shut not thy merciful ear to our prayer;

but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most

mighty.

...and DAVID, stoic.

PRIEST (0.C.) (CONT'D) (CONT'D)

O holy and merciful Savior, thou most

worthy Judge eternal.

An episcopal Priest reads from the book of common prayer.

PRIEST (CONT'D)

Suffer us not, at our last hour, through

any pains of death, to fall from thee.

LONG SHOT of the typical American funeral, as Nathaniel's

casket is lowered into the ground. Tent, flowers, funeral

grass, the whole nine yards. In the foreground, a MAN watches,

his back to us. He wears a Hawaiian shirt and a porkpie hat.

REVERSE ANGLE:
It's Nathaniel, seated atop the hearse he was

driving at the beginning. He lights a cigarette, then sips

through a straw from a frothy tropical drink in a coconut,

smiling as if he were at a ballgame.

The Priest retrieves the Franklin Earth Dispenser we saw in

the commercial and holds it over the grave, shaking dust out.

PRIEST (CONT'D)

In sure and certain hope of the

resurrection to eternal life through our

Lord Jesus Christ...

ON NATE, watching, frowning.

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52.

PRIEST (CONT'D)

...we commend to Almighty God our brother

Nathaniel Samuel Fisher; and we commit

his body to the ground.

NATE:

(under his breath)

He looks like he's salting popcorn.

David glares at him, but Nate pays no attention.

The Priest gives the Earth Dispenser to Ruth. As she shakes

it over the grave, followed by Claire and then David:

PRIEST:

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to

dust. The Lord bless him and keep him,

the Lord make his face to shine upon him

and be gracious unto him...

Claire hands the dispenser to Nate.

PRIEST (CONT'D)

The Lord lift up his countenance upon

him and give him peace...

The Priest trails off, waiting for Nate to follow his turn,

but he doesn't. David starts to look concerned.

ON NATHANIEL, watching, as Brenda's JEEP CHEROKEE PULLS INTO

FRAME behind the hearse. She gets out and crosses toward us

to watch as well. Unseen by her, Nathaniel checks her out.

Nate crosses to the mound of earth beside the grave, kneels

down and plunges his hand in. He stands, holding a fistful of

dirt, the sleeve of his suit jacket soiled.

Everyone stares, concerned, baffled, and in David's case,

angry. He crosses to Nate and attempts to pull him back. Nate

shakes him off, roughly.

NATE:

No. I refuse to sanitize this any more.

DAVID:

This is how it's done--

NATE:

Yeah, well, it's whacked. What is this

stupid saltshaker, this, this hermetically

sealed box, this phony astroturf around

the grave. Jesus, it's like surgery.

Clean. Antiseptic. Business.

(MORE)

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