Sweet November Page #18

(CONTINUED)

SWEET NOVEMBER - Rev. 5/18/00 111.

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NELSON:

Merry Christmas, Sara!

SARA:

You mean, Thanksgiving.

NELSON:

Not for you. You shouldn't have

to wait.

Astonished and moved, all of Sara's friends make a move

to leave.

CHAS:

Maybe we'll grab a turkey pot pieat the coffee shop.

(pauses)

Nice to see you, Nelson.

Nelson nods, watches all of them leave, then turns back

to Sara. He regards her with such tenderness, she isstruck speechless. He unties his big bag.

NELSON:

For you, sweet Sara, I bring thetwelve gifts of Christmas.

As Nelson describes each gift, he removes it from thepack and hands it to Sara, beginning with a big salami.

NELSON:

One:
The famous Columbo log.

The salami that started it all.

(digs out another

gift -- wigs)

Two:
A kaleidoscope of coiffuresfor the Barking Mad Pet Crusader.

He plops a wig on her head and returns to his bag.

NELSON:

Three:
A bullwhip for the dizzydominatrix. So you can rule yourworld in style, and whip me intoshape.

He cracks the whip, and Sara shrieks.

NELSON:

Four:
'Sara,' a custom-made

fragrance capturing that specialsomething a woman leaves on a man.

He opens the bottle and passes it under her nose.

(CONTINUED)

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SARA:

Oh, Nelson. This is...

NELSON:

... only the beginning. Five:

Why Is Harriet So Hairy?, thedefinitive guide to understandingour transvestite friends.

(another gift)

Six! Tiny Bubbles -- for thoseleisurely soaks we love so much.

He hands her the bottle of bubble bath, then pulls out aplastic Muni train, shakes it.

NELSON:

Seven:
A hundred Muni train

tokens for the the many, manygreat rides of your life.

He hands her the bus, then pulls out a C.D.

NELSON:

Eight:
A collection of music

to swoon by. Which fits nicelywith gift number nine...

He grabs her and spins her around the floor as he handsher some vouchers.

NELSON:

Dance classes at Mildred's Academyof Dance, guaranteed to get youoff my toes in a week.

He runs to the door. Opens it.

NELSON:

Ten:
For the gentlelady who hatesdoing the dishes... a dishwasher.

SARA:

Nelson, please, this is toomuch...

Nelson runs back to the door, reaches for a sack.

NELSON:

It's not enough. Eleven: Live in

your loft, back by popular demand,

I give you...

He shakes open the sack, out tumbles Ernie, the puppy.

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NELSON:

Ernie!

Completely overwhelmed, Sara wraps her arms around Ernieand kisses him.

NELSON:

And if this last gift doesn't

prove how much I love you, nothing

will.

LOUD MUSIC KICKS IN as we -

CUT TO:

120 INT. CABARET - NIGHT 120

On stage, Nelson, wearing a white dinner jacket and blacktie, sings "Time After Time."

In the audience, Sara watches with glee as Nelson singsdirectly to her. Meanwhile, the diverse crowd goes wildfor the rare, unabashedly heterosexual performance.

121 INT. SARA'S BUILDING - STAIRWELL - NIGHT 121

Sara and Nelson arrive at Sara's door.

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SARA:

You were brilliant, Nelson, but

I'm afraid I'm going to lose youto Vegas.

NELSON:

Nope.

(pauses)

Never.

122 INT. SARA'S LOFT - NIGHT 122

Sara enters and freezes. Novembers torn from innumerable

calendars are everywhere.

Every reachable inch of wall space and half the furnitureare covered with the month. Nelson walks up behind Saraand wraps his arms around her.

NELSON:

Look around, Sara... every monthis November... and I love youevery day.

SARA:

But, Nelson... it's almost over.

Nelson spins her around to face him.

NELSON:

Who told me once that we see the

world we choose to see?

(pauses)

This is our month and it never

has to end.

SARA:

But you know that I'm -

Nelson kisses her lightly on the lips.

NELSON:

I surrender all attempts to controllife, yours or mine. I live for

one thing:
to love you. To make

you happy. To live firmly andjoyously in the moment. November

is all I know and all I ever want

to know.

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Conflicting currents of joy and sadness play acrossSara's face. She kisses Nelson and hugs him with allher might.

SARA:

By the way, that was three things.

123 INT. DMV - TEST ROOM - DAY 123

Sara retakes the driving test.

124 EXT. DMV - DAY 124

Sara exits waving her license, and Nelson wraps his armaround her.

NELSON:

Okay, hot shot, now that you have

your license, what do you wanna

do?

SARA:

Take a walk.

125 EXT. STREET - DAY 125

They are walking down the street, taking in all thefamiliar sights of the street.

DISSOLVE TO:

125A INT. MUNI TRAIN - DAY 125A

The two of them licking ice cream cones as they look outthe train window, talking and laughing.

126 OMITTED 126

127 INT. SARA'S LOFT - NIGHT 127

Nelson and Sara gently make love.

As the BELLS of the nearby CHURCH RING TWELVE ominoustimes, Sara stares at the large wall calendar. Every dayof November but the last has been crossed off. KissingSara's neck, shoulders and breasts, Nelson doesn't see

her anguished face.

4/5/00 116.

127A INT. SARA'S LOFT - SERIES OF SHOTS - NIGHT (LATER) 127A

over the course of the night: Nelson and Sara sound

asleep in each other's arms.

Later, they disengage their hold, still asleep.

Later, they come back together, embrace, still sleeping.

Later, Nelson still asleep, Sara awake, reflecting.

Later, Sara studying Nelson's face in repose, she iscoming to a decision.

128 OMITTED 128

thru thru

130 130

131 INT. SARA'S LOFT - DAWN 131

Nelson wakes up as dawn is breaking, surprised to seeSara's not in bed with him. He peers around, sees herfully-dressed, pulling the Novembers off the wall one-

by-one. Most are already piled up in her arms.

NELSON:

What are you doing?

Removing the last calendar, Sara opens her trunk. Most

of the gifts Nelson gave her are inside. She adds the

calendars.

SARA:

I thought I'd keep half. I putthe other half in your bag.

Sara drapes Nelson's travel bag over his shoulder.

NELSON:

Sara, stop this, please...

Sara crosses the last day of November off the largecalendar. Then she tears the month off, revealingDecember.

SARA:

It's time for you to go, Nelson.

NELSON:

What are you talking about?

SARA:

Our month is over.

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NELSON:

Haven't we been through this ahundred times before? I'm

not going anywhere.

She puts on a jacket.

SARA:

I made you agree to a month for a

reason.

NELSON:

Because you're sick? I don't care

if you're sick. The only thing Icare about is you.

SARA:

Then that's why you should go.

NELSON:

No.

SARA:

You said you would stop trying tocontrol life, yours and mine.

(firmly)

Now you have to keep your word.

She wraps a scarf around her neck, turns and heads towardthe door.

NELSON:

Where are you going?

SARA:

Out. To give you time to leave.

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