The Anniversary Party

FADE IN:

TIGHT CLOSE - JOE THERRIAN - MORNING

He's in his mid-thirties, his face relaxed in sleep,

childlike. Nestled soundly a tangle in the arms of his wife.

THE CAMERA STAYS CLOSE. SLIGHTLY BLURRED, SOFT, SLOWLY

SWINGS ROUND:

TIGHT CLOSE - SALLY THERRIAN

She's in her mid-thirties, with large deep eyes. She watches

her husband unguarded in sleep. Her pretty face, alert,

she's barely breathing. Traces the just visible lines around

his eyes, and mouth. Brushes fingertips against his

eyelashes.

TIGHT CLOSE - SALLY'S HAND PULLS THE BEDROOM SHADE.

It retracts with a loud WHACK, sun, sky, trees.

STEVEN (O.S.)

And breath...and chataronga...

EXT. POOL AREA - DAY

We're in the middle of a yoga lesson. Joe and Sally stand on

their mats. Steven, their instructor, wanders around the

couple issuing soft-spoken instructions.

A large room with hard wood floors, dominated by a huge

fireplace. The dining room on one side, living room on the

other. Floor to ceiling windows overlook the back porch

garden pool... The house is classic Neutra. All GLASS and

SMOOTH LINES.

The calm is broken by the telephone. Joe and Sally ignore it

until the answering machine picks up. They break their yoga

poses and listen.

The CAMERA hovers over the answering machine.

LUCY (O.S.)

(over answering machine; sweet,

British, slightly desperate)

Joe, it's Lucy. Remember me? It's the

black sheep here. Bah...not funny.

Haven't heard from you, need you, call

me. Love you madly. Hi, Sally. Joe,

I'd love to talk to you before I go...

JOE:

Go where?

LUCY (O.S.)

(over answering machine)

It's a damn nuisance you aren't here, big

brother. Sorry I drone on. I miss you.

I lo--

The machine cuts her off.

NEW ANGLE:

Joe and Sally have resumed their positions. This wasn't the

call they were waiting for.

WIDE SHOT:

AMERICA, forty-one, and ROSA, fifty, struggle up the steps of

the back porch carrying grocery bags and packages, come

through the sliding glass door...

THE CAMERA FOLLOWS THEM

Through the dining room and into the kitchen, watches the two

unpack groceries, flowers, etc., and start to dress the

dining room table. They speak quietly to each other in

Spanish.

JOE:

America, could you just...

America closes the sliding doors between the kitchen and the

dining room, giving the couple their privacy.

JOE (CONT'D)

(calls out)

Thank you, America!

STEVEN:

Okay, let's just take a deep breath, let

your ribs expand and relax. And reach up

and into downward dog.

Otis, the Bisenji/Sheperd mix, sleeping on his leopard

pillow, stirs, stretches and groans.

JOE AND SALLY:

Good boy, Otis.

The phone RINGS again.

VOICE (O.S.)

(over answering machine)

Hello, I have Dr. Harmon calling for

Sally Therrian.

Sally jumps out of the down dog position and runs to the

phone, all angles.

SALLY:

Hello, hi, hi...and? Thank God.

Sally stands with the phone to her ear, her back to Joe.

EXT. POOL AREA - CONTINUOUS

Joe watches her from his position, not concentrating on the

teacher waiting a sign. Sally returns to the lesson. They

do their handstands against the wall, on either side of the

front door.

SALLY:

No luck.

JOE:

Oh, well, we'll just have to try again.

Sound like a plan?

Sally nods, she and Joe, at Steven's instructions, come out

of their handstands and lie on the floor in a stretched

relax, facing one another.

SALLY:

Happy anniversary, baby.

JOE:

Happy anniversary.

They smile.

STEVEN:

And change sides...

America slides open the dining room doors. The dining table

is covered with bundles of freshly cut flowers. Rosa is

singing in Spanish.

AMERICA:

(with the authority of long

years of service)

Mr. Joe, we have to have the house. If

you please now...

JOE:

It's yours.

The CAMERA glances off photos of the couple: portraits and

candids, their wedding day, with friends, on vacation,

tumbling on the lawn, and the like.

Some framed and hung, some taped to the fridge or simply

leaning on a shelf. It's clear that at least a handful are

by the same photographer, black and whites, grainy and

beautiful.

There are lots of photos of Joe and his sister Lucy,

documenting their relationship from childhood. There's an

ANNIE LEIBOWITZ photo-shoot of Sally carelessly displayed

somewhere.

INT. BEDROOM - LATER

Joe stands behind Sally in front of the full length mirror,

his arms around her, stroking her belly.

JOE:

I love you. Most beautiful woman in the

world.

SALLY:

Hardly...

JOE:

Accept a compliment.

SALLY:

I think you're the most beautiful woman

in the world.

They move toward the bed.

JOE:

What did you get me?

SALLY:

In the morning, after everyone's gone and

there's just us.

She pushes him on the bed.

JOE:

Kiss my eyes.

She does.

SALLY:

My wrists.

He does.

JOE:

Kiss the back of my knees.

SALLY:

Through the sweats or not?

JOE:

Not.

She pulls down his sweats. She kisses the back of his knees.

He turns, stares up at her.

SALLY:

What?

JOE:

You didn't kiss anyone else's knees, did

you?

Sally shakes her head.

SALLY:

No. Did you?

JOE:

(after a beat)

No. I missed that.

SALLY:

I missed all of you. We're okay, aren't

we?

JOE:

We're great.

SALLY:

I mean, you're really back.

JOE:

For good.

They begin to make love...the phone RINGS.

JOE (CONT'D)

Don't get it.

SALLY:

Well, it might be Clair. They're

threatening not to come...

JOE:

What?

SALLY:

They can't find a sitter...

(into the receiver)

Hello? Excuse me? Yes, uh, hold on.

(she looks at Joe)

Just a moment.

(puts the call on hold)

It's Skye Davidson. She needs directions

to the house. You invited Skye f***ing

Davidson to our anniversary party?

JOE:

Okay. I'm sorry, look, I meant to tell

you. It was the only chance I had to

meet her.

SALLY:

You invited her to our anniversary party?

I didn't even invite my mother.

JOE:

She goes on location tomorrow. Sally,

I'm sorry. Look, I can't keep her on

hold.

SALLY:

(pissed)

No, no of course not. It's Skye f***ing

Davidson, for f***'s sake.

JOE:

(regards her)

You want me to uninvite her?

SALLY:

No, no of course not. How old is she?

Twenty-f***ing-two?

She gets out of bed, starts into the bathroom. The CAMERA is

with her.

SALLY (CONT'D)

(into the bathroom mirror)

And she's a stinking f***ing actress, for

f***'s sake.

JOE:

(into the receiver)

Skye!

(his face lights)

I'm so glad you're able to make it...it's

our sixth, actually.

(flattered)

You read the book again? Well, no, the

ending to chapter six...it's just that

it's not filmic.

We tried it in an earlier draft, but, it

just wasn't filmic... Well, sure, we can

absolutely look at that again. If you're

coming from Laurel, you want to take

Sunset west, we're just past Will Rogers

State Park. Three blocks west of that,

you want to hang right. It's about three

quarters of a mile up a big white thing

on the left.

Sally's started the bath, and is watching him from the

doorway. He meets her eyes mid-sentence.

JOE (CONT'D)

Oh? I don't think tonight. I'm sure

they're well behaved. All our friends

have dogs, and they always want to bring

them. We'd be outnumbered, you see? So

we sort of put a ban on it. Sorry.

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