Still Alice Page #6

ERIC WELLMAN:

(he takes a breath)

Really there’s no need to...We

don’t want you under any undue

stress. That would be

counterproductive.

ALICE:

I can handle the stress. I would

like to remain in the departmentfor as long as we all think it’spossible.

He looks at her, takes a breath.

ERIC WELLMAN:

I’ll have to let the department and

faculty know

Alice nods, absorbing this.

ALICE:

Yes, of course.

ERIC WELLMAN:

I’m so so sorry.

EXT. STREETS OF NEW YORK - LATE AFTERNOON

Once again, Alice runs on the streets.

EXT. RIVERSIDE PARK

Alice’s breath comes in clouds as she runs beneath the trees.

INT. STREETS OF NEW YORK

She slows down, out of breath, and sees something ahead.

A FAMILY is coming out of a Pinkberry Frozen Yoghurt shop.

After a moments thought, she walks toward the brightly litfranchise.

PINK PAGES 37

INT. PINKBERRY

Looking at the array of toppings, Alice orders.

ALICE:

I’ll have a regular with blueberry

and coconut, please.

MOMENTS LATER:

Alice sits on her own, eating her frozen yoghurt.

INT. ALICE’S HOME - HALLWAY - NIGHT

When Alice comes in the front door, John is irate.

ALICE:

Hi.

JOHN:

Alice, where the hell were you?

ALICE:

I went for a run.

JOHN:

But you’ve been gone for over twohours. I was worried.

ALICE:

I stopped for Pinkberry.

JOHN:

Pinkberry?

ALICE:

Yes, Pinkberry.

She heads into the living room. John follows.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

JOHN:

Well I hope it was worth it becauseyou completely blew our dinner plans -

Susan Kirby and her husband.

ALICE:

I’m sorry. I forgot. I have

Alzheimer’s.

She looks at him boldly. For a moment he’s at a loss for

words. He looks away.

PINK PAGES 38

JOHN:

I texted you. I e-mailed you. There

are lots of ways of managing this.

ALICE:

John, I said I was sorry.

JOHN:

She’s chair of my department, forcrying out loud. I had absolutelyno idea where you were, ifsomething had happened to you. Whydidn’t you bring your phone?

ALICE:

I can’t while I’m running.

JOHN:

Why don’t you wear a fanny pack?

Is it really so inhibiting?

ALICE:

Yes!

She sighs heavily and sits on the sofa.

ALICE:

I hate that this is happening to me.

JOHN:

I hate it too.

He sits opposite her.

JOHN:

But we have to keep the importantthings in our life going. We have

to try or we’re going to go crazy.

ALICE:

I know. I know, John. I am sorry.

But I don’t know what I would have

been like at a dinner party. I

might not be able to remember namesor answer simple questions, nevermind get through an anecdote.

JOHN:

I think you’re doing greatrecently.

ALICE:

Relative to what?

PINK PAGES 39

They look at each other.

ALICE:

I wish I had cancer.

JOHN:

Don’t say that.

ALICE:

No, I do. I mean it. I wouldn’t

feel so ashamed. When people havecancer they wear pink ribbons foryou and go on long walks and raise

money. And you don’t have to feellike some kind of a - social...I

can’t remember the word. *

EXT. MOUNT AUBURN NURSING CENTER - DAY

Winter has ended, the air is warm, birds are singing.

Alice heads toward a large building bordered with sproutingcrocuses and budding bushes.

INT. MOUNT AUBURN NURSING CENTER - ENTRANCE/CORRIDOR

Alice walks from a reception area down a broad corridor withTRACEY FREDERICKS, an African-American CAREWORKER. A few OLD

FOLK shuffle around as a COUPLE OF ORDERLIES go about theirbusiness.

CAREWORKER:

In 2013 we completed repairs and

inside we replaced the elevators,

refurbished the auditorium, library

and lounge area and upgraded our

HVAC system.

ALICE:

That’s good.

CAREWORKER:

We also took away most of the oldsecurity doors. Residents are

issued a bracelet instead, whichkeeps them from using elevators orleaving the building - depending ontheir level. I don’t know if

you’ve experienced this yet withyour parent, but a lot of timesthey get nighttime restlessness andwandering.

(MORE)

PINK PAGES 40

CAREWORKER (cont'd)

This way, we can prevent their

elopement without our patients

feeling they are locked in.

ALICE:

I see.

INT. COMMON ROOM -- DAY

Many OLD PEOPLE stare into space or hum to themselves. One

old lady puts curlers into another one’s hair.

CAREWORKER:

We saw after a while that large

group activities left most

residents unengaged and even

distressed by the confusion they

experienced from all the

stimulation. So we redefined

activities to include all

interactions between staff and

residents in the unit. All the

staff looks for opportunities to

make a meaningful connection with

residents, starting with knowing

about the person who they’ve been,

and what makes them comfortable.

One resident who had worked as a

nurse sat part of most days at the

nursing station, writing notes.

ALICE:

That’s heartbreaking.

CAREWORKER:

Yes but its a behavior we see time

and again.

(Alice nods)

We don’t have any restrictions on

visiting times. Friends and family

are welcome any hour of day or

night.

ALICE:

It doesn’t look like anyone is here

today.

CAREWORKER:

Well, Sunday’s the day they usuallycome by.

An alarm goes off. Across the room, an OLD LADY is up out of

her wheelchair in an agitated state. A SECOND CAREWORKER

tries to calm her.

PINK PAGES 41

CAREWORKER:

(talking over her)

That’s a chair alarm. Certain

residents have them so we know when

they’re up and about.

The Old Lady is seated once more in the chair and the alarm

is silenced.

ALICE:

Is she all right?

CAREWORKER:

It’s just a precautionary measure.

ALICE:

It’s all women.

CAREWORKER:

We do have mainly female residentshere but there are a couple ofgentlemen. There’s William over

there - William was part of theteam that sent the first satellite

into orbit.

William is nearly bent double, shuffling towards a tableusing his walker. This really gets to Alice.

“BUTTERFLY” SEQUENCE

A WHITE SCREEN:

Words appear quickly typed on a iPhone:

ALICE, ANSWER THESE THREE

QUESTIONS.

1) WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR OLDESTDAUGHTER?

INT. PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE

ALICE:

They just aren’t powerful enough tosend me to sleep.

DOCTOR:

Do you want to try Lunesta?

ALICE:

How about Rohypnol?

PINK PAGES 42

DOCTOR:

They’re very strong...

ALICE:

I need something strong.

ON THE WHITE SCREEN

2) WHAT STREET DO YOU LIVE ON?

INT. HOME OFFICE

Alice has plugged a small video camera into her computer.

She reaches to press RECORD then sits in front of the camera.

ALICE:

Hi Alice. I’m you and I havesomething very important to say to

you.

INT. MOUNT AUBURN MANOR NURSING CENTER--LOBBY

Alice types questions onto her phone (dialogue from previous

scene continues)

ON THE WHITE SCREEN

3) WHAT MONTH IS YOUR BIRTHDAY?

ALICE (V.O.)

So I guess you’ve reached that

point - the point that you can no

longer answer any of the questions.

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