Sweet November Page #2

4/5/00 8.

13 CONTINUED:
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PROCTOR:

There'll be no talking, eating,ordrinking. If your personalhygiene becomes a distraction,

you will be asked to leave -

Running late, SARA (25), stumbles into the room. At the

same time, the paper bag in her arms ruptures, spilling amotley assortment of groceries. She gets down on herhands and knees starts picking them up, reaches for asalami log under Nelson's chair...

PROCTOR:

If you need to go to the bathroom,

raise your hand.

SARA:

Can you just pass me theColumbo...

NELSON:

The...?

SARA:

The salami... under your chair.

PROCTOR:

You cannot take the test in the

bathroom.

Nelson reaches for the salami, hands it to her.

NELSON:

Here you go.

PROCTOR:

If you do not come back from thebathroom, you cannot pass the

test.

During this, Sara has taken a seat next to Nelson.

PROCTOR:

You may begin.

14 INT. DMV - TEST ROOM - DAY (LATER) 14

Halfway through the test, Nelson is beginning to fray.

NELSON:

Falling rock zone... Christ.

(CONTINUED)

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Nelson's eyes wander over to Sarah's test.

NELSON:

Hey. Psst.

Sara gives him a "cut it out" look and returns to her

test.

NELSON:

Number nine. True or false?

SARA:

What? You wonder why? What?

PROCTOR:

Excuse me! Bring your test

forward!

Nelson hunkers down.

SARA:

Me?

PROCTOR:

Yes, you.

SARA:

But I was just trying to tell him

to stop...

She's too ethical to rat, too annoyed to let him off thehook.

SARA:

... talking to me.

PROCTOR:

Bring your test forward!

Sara reluctantly approaches the Proctor, who takes her

test.

PROCTOR:

You may retake the test in 30

days.

SARA:

What?! 30 days! That's a long

time -- that's so unfair! I

wasn't doing anything -

The immovable Proctor grimly shakes his head, points todoor. Steaming, Sara returns to her desk. Gathering herthings, she glares balefully at Nelson, who pretends notto notice.

4/5/00 10.

15 EXT. DMV - DAY 15

Nelson, talking on his phone, emerges from the DMV.

NELSON:

Nelson Moss for Vince. Did Rubin

tweak the music?

VINCE (V.O.)

No, he said it's fine.

NELSON:

Cut him. Get Johnson McDonald,

give him the sample, he'll knowwhat I want.

Just then he notices Sara sitting on the hood of his brandnew Mercedes, she gives him a jaunty wave.

SARA:

How'd the test go? Hope youpassed.

He ignores her for a moment, something has caught his eye-- a beaten-up van with yapping dogs painted on it andthe words: 'BARKING MAD DOG GROOMERS AND DAY CARE.

Sanity in a dog-eat-dog world.' It is parked next to hisMercedes.

NELSON:

(into phone)

Hey, Vince, what about this?

'Barking mad for Doctor Diggety.

Sanity in a dog-eat-dog world.'

VINCE (V.O.)

(over phone)

Now I know you've lost your mind.

SARA:

Congratulations, you can read.

She keeps sitting on his hood, staring at him.

NELSON:

(to Vince)

Call you back.

He hangs up. Slowly walks over to her, not thrilledthat she's sitting on his car.

NELSON:

Can I help you?

SARA:

Can you help me?

(CONTINUED)

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NELSON:

Yeah.

She keeps staring, says nothing. He feels pinned by hergaze, peers around, then points to her van.

NELSON:

Oh -- that must be your van.

SARA:

This must be your car.

NELSON:

And you can't drive? Right,

right. This is how you make -

He reaches for his wallet.

NELSON:

Oh, sh*t, right. Well, how much do

you make? Doesn't look like much.

I'll cover your expenses -

(reaches for money,

decides against it,

pulls out businesscard instead)

Here, call my secretary, she'lltake care of it -

She takes the card, peers quizzically at it.

SARA:

Is this quest for redemptioncoming from true remorse, or areyou just worried that my sittingon your car will leave a big dent?

NELSON:

The dent, I guess.

SARA:

That's what I thought.

There's a flicker of recognition in her eyes, as if shehas confirmed something in her own mind. He gestures toher -- get up. She doesn't budge. Annoyed, he reachesin his wallet and shoves a hundred dollar bill at her.

SARA:

What are you doing?

NELSON:

Buying redemption.

(CONTINUED)

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SARA:

(refuses money)

Oh, redemption's not for saletoday.

NELSON:

Okay, I guess I'm going to hell.

Get off my car.

Stunned, she gets off his CAR as he scrambles inside andROARS out of the lot.

16 INT. NELSON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 16

Nelson works out at an intense pace on an treadmill ashe watches all five TV's. Other than shelves of glassvases and ceramics, the only other decor is a fish tankoccupied by a lone fish. The MICROWAVE BEEPS, Nelson

jumps off mumbling:

NELSON:

What is it? It's a hot dog. It's

a hot dog. It's a...

Opening the oven, he grabs a hot dog, nearly burns hishand.

NELSON:

It's a hot dog.

(eureka)

That's right! It's a hot dog!

It's a hot dog!

He cuts it and jabs a piece on a fork, just as the INTERCOMBUZZES. As he speaks he stares at the hot dog on fork.

NELSON:

Yeah?

MANNY (V.O.)

(over intercom)

Mr. Moss, this is Manny downstairs,

I gotta bit of a situation here. A

certain lady, she says...

(whispers,

embarrassed)

Some very strange and personalthings about you.

Nelson still stares at the hot dog on fork, transfixed.

(CONTINUED)

4/5/00 13.

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SARA (V.O.)

(over intercom)

Give me that thing.

MANNY:

(over intercom)

Miss, you can't do -

Nelson hears SCUFFLING sounds filter over the INTERCOM.

Then Sara's voice wafts up, honeyed and seductive.

SARA (V.O.)

Hey, big spender, come down here.

I can't stop thinking about you.

Nelson's bewildered, and intrigued. Checks his watch,

mutters:

NELSON:

Ten minutes.

(presses "talk")

Okay. Be right down.

As he walks away, he takes a bite of the hot dog on forkand nearly gags before spitting it out.

17 INT. NELSON'S BUILDING - LOBBY - DUSK 17

In sweats, Nelson comes out of the elevator. Sara is busylistening to a besotted MANNY tell her his whole life

story.

MANNY:

-- And then my ex-wife, she sayyou can't fix nothing, Manny, andshe leaves me for plumber -

Sara finally notices Nelson approaching, flashes a smile.

SARA:

Look at that, Manny. My very ownPrince Charming.

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