Still Alice Page #11

not being able to remember things -

but I still have small moments in

the day of pure happiness and joy.

She turns the final page. Tom has tears in his eyes.

ALICE:

So, 'live in the moment' I tell

myself. It's really all I can do,

live in the moment. And not beat

myself up too much for mastering

the art of losing. One thing I

will try to hold onto though is the

memory of speaking here today. It

will go, I know it will.

(MORE)

PINK PAGES 70

ALICE (cont'd)

It may be gone by tomorrow. But it

means so much to be talking here,

like my old ambitious self who was

so fascinated by communication.

Thank you for this opportunity. It

means the world to me.

Alice looks up from her pages.

ALICE:

Thank you.

The audience breaks into applause. Strong applause thatbuilds and builds. Spontaneously, people rise from theirchairs and give her a standing ovation.

EXT. STREETS OF NEW YORK

A cold and rainy day. Winter is approaching.

INT. ALICE'S HOME - BEDROOM -- MORNING

John is dressing for work, in mid-explanation. Alice is

sitting on the bed in a crumpled shirt.

JOHN:

It’s the Mayo Clinic. It would

start up next spring and I would beheading my own team.

ALICE:

So you want to move to...

JOHN:

Minnesota. Rochester, Minnesota.

It could be a whole new adventure

for us. You might even like itthere.

ALICE:

Everything I know is here. Anna

and Tom and the babies that are

coming.

JOHN:

It’s a two hour flight. We’d see

them almost as much as we do now.

Ali, this just came up and theyhaven’t even made a formal offer.

But don’t you see? This is it -

they’re working on so many cuttingedge treatments, they’ve got so

many resources-

PINK PAGES 71

Alice, visibly distressed, tries to think this through.

ALICE:

I understand. I understand that

work is important. I miss working.

I think you should ask them if youcan start in a year.

JOHN:

It’s not academia, Ali. They don’tgive sabbaticals.

ALICE:

But to pick up and move, at thispoint, when I...when we...

(shakes her head,

frustrated)

Why can’t I say what I want to say?

JOHN:

Ali, one way or another, we’llstill be together.

ALICE:

So no time off.

JOHN:

(getting frustrated)

I just can’t take a year off.

Financially - it’s not an option.

God knows what we’ll be facing

further down the line.

ALICE:

That’s it then, that’s it.

JOHN:

What?

ALICE:

You - you don’t want that. A year

at home, with me, watching this.

You don’t want it.

JOHN:

I didn’t say that.

ALICE:

You didn’t have to.

She turns and looks right at him. He looks away.

PINK PAGES 72

INT. ALICE'S HOME - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Alice is doing her daily questions.

ON A WHITE SCREEN

WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR OLDEST DAUGHTER?

The answer comes in A - N - N - E

Then corrects:
A - N - N - A

WHAT MONTH WERE YOU BORN IN?

The predictive text has a hard time figuring out “October.”

INT. ALICE’S HOME - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Alice lies awake in bed. She checks the alarm clock - 2.05.

After a moment, she sighs and gets out of bed.

INT. HALLWAY

Tentatively she descends the stairs in the dark.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - KITCHEN

Entering the kitchen, she finds her bag on the counter and

begins to empty out the contents: keys, wallet, tissues.

She looks in a second bag -- magazines, papers.

She opens the kitchen drawer. It contains a wide assortment

of items - screwdrivers, packets of seeds, a tape measure,

Scotch tape, drink coasters, a potato.

ALICE:

Where the hell is it?!

In frustration, she picks up the fish bowl full of keys andloose change and unceremoniously dumps it out. It makes an

explosive sound as the contents scatter across the granitecounter top. Manically, she begins sorting througheverything.

John enters.

JOHN:

Ali, what are you doing?

ALICE:

I can’t find it!

PINK PAGES 73

JOHN:

Can’t find what?

ALICE:

I’m looking for my phone.

JOHN:

It’s the middle of the night.

ALICE:

It goes off at 8 o’clock everymorning and asks me thesequestions. I have to find it.

JOHN:

We’ll look for it in the morning.

ALICE:

No, I have to find it.

JOHN:

I’ll help you find it tomorrow.

ALICE:

No...No.

JOHN:

Tomorrow. I’ll help you find it.

ALICE:

Help - help me find it.

JOHN:

I promise we’ll find it. Come to

bed with me. Come to bed with me

please...please.

ALICE:

Okay...

Her manic rage finally subsides.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - KITCHEN - MIDDAY

From the front room, there are sounds of John on the phone.

At the kitchen table, Alice, in a quiet mood, is doing ajigsaw puzzle.

Someone approaches from the dining room, carrying take-out.

ANNA:

Hi.

PINK PAGES 74

ALICE:

Anne? Hi.

ANNA:

Hi Mom. It’s Ann-a.

She kisses Alice on the cheek.

ALICE:

I thought you were my sister.

ANNA:

It’s ok.

ALICE:

How are you feeling?

ANNA:

So uncomfortable. I can’t breathe.

I can’t sleep. Was it like this

for you?

ALICE:

I didn’t have two at a time.

ANNA:

This is true.

Anna unloads the Thai food on the counter. John enters.

JOHN:

Did you get the green curry?

ANNA:

I did. It’s right here.

Everything on track?

JOHN:

Yeah. They’ve made a very generousoffer.

ANNA:

Oh, that’s great.

JOHN:

I guess.

John sighs, conflicted.

ANNA:

No it is. It’s absolutely the

right decision.

PINK PAGES 75

JOHN:

Would you like some water?

ANNA:

Yes, please.

John starts getting some glasses out for drinks.

ALICE:

John, what happened? Who was that

on the phone?

JOHN:

That was that hospital honey, theMayo Clinic

ALICE:

Oh. Is someone sick?

JOHN:

No. Nothing’s wrong. Everythingis absolutely fine.

He moves to the freezer, opens it and picks out an ice tray.

JOHN:

Oh My God.

Reaching into the back of the freezer, he produces a frozen,

frost-encrusted iPhone. He shows it to Alice.

ALICE:

Oh no.

(she approaches)

I was looking for it all last night.

She takes the phone and examines it.

JOHN:

(quietly, to Anna)

That was over a month ago.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - MASTER BEDROOM - EVENING

Alice is slowly, painfully, trying to tie her shoe-laces.

123

EXT. SUPER 8 FOOTAGE - PARK 123

Young Alice and her sister play with their Dad.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY

Alice sits before a blank TV, staring. The home-help, ELENA,

is vacuuming the rug.

PINK PAGES 76

EXT. SUPER 8 FOOTAGE - BEACH - DAY

Young Alice is given a piggy back ride by her dad by the

shoreline. She rushes suddenly towards the camera.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Alice looks at herself in the mirror. For an instant, she

doesn’t recognize her naked older face. Then she takes some

toothpaste and smears it over her reflection.

JOHN (O.S.)

Ali, wake up.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - MASTER BEDROOM - MORNING

Alice opens her eyes.

JOHN:

Hey. Wake up. Wake up baby. It’s

time to wake up. It’s time to getdressed. I’m going to help you.

Slowly, Alice gets up out of bed. John begins laying outclothes for her - more like her original style.

Rate this script:4.0 / 3 votes