Still Alice Page #5

This news really hits Alice. When she speaks, it takes an

effort to control her voice.

ALICE:

So this concerns my children too?

DR. BENJAMIN

Yes.

ALICE:

I assume if I have the gene, the

chances of passing it on to each

one is fifty-fifty?

DR. BENJAMIN

I’m afraid so.

ALICE:

And if they are carrying the gene,

what are the odds of them

developing the disease?

DR. BENJAMIN

I’m afraid it’s 100%.

She nods, still trying to stay calm as her eyes betray a rush

of emotion.

INT. MEDICAL BUILDING ELEVATORS -- DAY

Alice and John wait by the elevators. There’s a tremendous

weight upon them. For a moment, neither can speak.

ALICE:

The kids will be here for our

anniversary.

JOHN:

I don’t think we should tell them.

Not until we have the test results.

ALICE:

We will by then. If I go in next

week...

PINK PAGES 30

Suddenly, John leans forward and punches the button.

JOHN:

Where the hell is this goddamelevator? Here we are in a majorhospital, and they only have oneelevator running.

ALICE:

John, it’s okay.

JOHN:

We could have taken the stairs by

now.

ALICE:

It doesn’t matter.

The elevator arrives and they get in silently.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Anna, Charlie and Tom are on the couch, Lydia sits apart.

Alice wants to make an announcement but the words just won’t

come.

ALICE:

Well, um everybody...

TOM:

What’s going on?

ALICE:

Oh boy.

She looks at John.

LYDIA:

Are you guys breaking up, or...

ALICE:

No. It’s nothing like that.

ANNA:

Mom are you sick..?

ALICE:

I’ve been seeing a neurologist forthe past few months and I haveAlzheimer’s disease. Early onset.

There is a sense of unease and shock in the room.

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TOM:

That...That makes no sense.

Are you sure? It may be...

JOHN:

There’s no doubt. She has the

disease.

TOM:

But at her age...

JOHN:

It’s rare but it’s been confirmed.

ANNA:

(tearing up)

You’re so young Mom. I don’tunderstand that.

LYDIA:

I had noticed one or two things.

You didn’t know Tom’s girlfriendwhen she came over at Christmas-

ANNA:

(under her breath)

Lydia!

Anna shakes her head at Lydia.

TOM:

What medications are you on?

ALICE:

Right now Aricept and Numenda.

TOM:

And they can slow its progress?

ALICE:

No.

JOHN:

(as Alice tries to talk)

I’m afraid not. They can helpalleviate the symptoms but notactually prevent the disease.

ALICE:

John! The thing is that the type

of Alzheimers I have is very rare.

And, well, it’s familial -- it’s

passed on genetically.

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ANNA:

Oh my god.

JOHN:

We believe she got it from herfather. And of course we’re veryworried about the three of you.

Now there is a test you can take.

But it’s completely up to youwhether you want to find out ornot.

Anna starts to cry. Lydia sits on her own, quietly

reckoning.

ALICE:

I’m sorry. I’m sorry...

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Alice reaches for a pill container with different capsulesfor each day of the week. She empties out Wednesday, startsto down them with water.

John passes by the doorway. He doesn’t like to watch her

regimen.

INT. COLUMBIA LECTURE HALL - DAY

TWO DOZEN STUDENTS are waiting. Alice enters, flustered,

opens the computer and clicks on the folder that says“Linguistics Classes.” It contains six files: Syntax,

Acquisition, Semantics, Comprehension, Phonology, andPathologies.

Looking at the list, she is momentarily confused - which

lecture is she giving? Meanwhile, her students are starting

to get restless.

ALICE:

Can anyone tell me what it says on

the syllabus for today?

A few hands shoot up and a voice calls out “Phonology.”

ALICE:

And can anyone tell me what

phonology is..?

No answers. She clicks on the appropriate file.

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ALICE:

“Phono” is from the Greek word

“phon.” meaning sound, andphonology, broadly speaking, is thestudy of the sounds of language.

It should be carefullydistinguished from phonetics...

EXT. COLUMBIA CAMPUS -- DAY

Bundled up against the cold, Alice walks briskly across the

campus. Her phone goes off. It’s Anna.

ALICE:

Hi Anna.

ANNA (O.S.)

Hi Mom.

ALICE:

Are you okay?

ANNA (O.S.)

I got the results, I’m positive.

ALICE:

Oh God, Anna. I’m sorry. I’m so

so sorry.

ANNA:

Tom turned out negative and Lydia

didn’t want to know. But I’m

positive.

ALICE:

Baby, how you feeling?

ANNA:

I’m okay. One good thing, at leastI found out now before the next IUI

session. I guess there’s a waythey can test the embryos. So we

can be sure - that the baby’ll beokay.

ALICE:

Anna, where are you? I’ve got alecture but I can cancel it and I

can be right there.

ANNA:

No no, Mom. It’s okay. I’m with

Charlie.

PINK PAGES 34

ALICE:

No, I want to. I want to be there.

I can come.

ANNA:

No, please don’t worry. I’ll be

fine.

ALICE:

Okay. I love you, sweetheart.

ANNA:

I love you.

ALICE:

Bye.

ANNA:

Bye.

She walks off across the campus alone.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - KITHCEN -- DAY

Alice reaches into the fridge and stops for a moment.

There’s a bottle of shampoo on the top shelf. She picks it

up and looks at it.

INT. LIBRARY BUILDING -- DAY

Back at the university, Alice walks round the rotunda.

INT. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - HEAD OF DEPARTMENT’S OFFICE - DAY

The Head of Department, ERIC WELLMAN, is an avuncular fiftyyear-old with an intimating air. He reads from his computer.

ERIC WELLMAN:

“I had been looking forward to thiscourse my sophomore year but I wasthoroughly disappointed. The

content was often muddled and

delivered with little focus or

care.”

Alice listens uncomfortably.

ERIC WELLMAN:

“Class was a waste of time. I

ended up just following the on-lineversion.”

(then the next)

“I found Linguistics 201 very

erratic.

(MORE)

ERIC WELLMAN (cont'd)

I had a hard time following Dr.

Howland’s lectures--even she seems

like she gets lost in them.”

Eric turns to her. Alice looks down.

ALICE:

Eric, I am so sorry. I - I didn’t

know the students felt this way.

Obviously I will make the necessary

adjustments and we can reevaluate

my performance next semester.

ERIC WELLMAN:

Listen, is everything okay at home?

Is everything all right between youand John?

ALICE:

Yes, everything is fine with John.

ERIC WELLMAN:

Is it something we can help with?

Stress, depression-

ALICE:

No. It’s not that...

ERIC WELLMAN:

Substance abuse?

ALICE:

Oh god, no. Eric...No it’s nothing

like that. It’s, uh, it’s medical.

It’s a medical issue. And I admit

I had a hard time teaching last

semester and I wasn’t aware of how

much it showed.

ERIC WELLMAN:

Alice, I’m not following.

ALICE:

I have a mild cognitive impairment.

ERIC WELLMAN:

Would you unpack that for me?

ALICE:

In early February I was diagnosed

with Early Onset Alzheimer’s

disease.

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ERIC WELLMAN:

What? Alice...Oh my God. I’m so

sorry.

ALICE:

It’s early. It’s still in the

early stages. I mean obviously it

will limit my abilities as time

goes on but for now I feel

perfectly capable...

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