The Butterfly Effect

INT. SUNNYVALE - DOCTOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT - 2002

EVAN, 20, good-looking but with dark haunted eyes, frantically hides himself in an unlit Doctor's office. His face and chest are covered in blood. He holds his forehead in pain.

FLASHLIGHT BEAMS stab through the darkened corridor hunting for him. ALARMS SOUND. GUARDS are heard shouting to each other. Evan grabs a cardboard box and hides under a doctor's desk. He grabs some paper and begins writing in shorthand.

EVAN:

(as he writes)

If anyone finds this, then I guess my plan didn't work and I'm already dead...

He takes a deep breath.

EVAN:

But if I can just go back to the beginning of all this, I still might be able to save her.

Fatigue overwhelms him, but he continues writing...

INT. BUSY HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY - 1982

TITLE:
TWENTY YEARS EARLIER

ANDREA TREBORN, twenty-five, an attractive pregnant woman strapped to a gurney, is rolled down a busy hospital corridor. She is clearly ready to give birth, and as she flails her arms, she knocks another patient's IV bottle into the wall.

INT. BUSY HOSPITAL - RECOVERY ROOM - SUPER 8 FOOTAGE - 1982

A tearful Andrea holds newborn EVAN in her hands.

TITLE SEQUENCE OVER SUPER-8 MONTAGE INCLUDING:

INT. BUSY HOSPITAL - RECOVERY ROOM - DAY - 1982

Smiling Andrea holds baby Evan up to the camera, then places him in a crib.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - DAY - 1983

A playground. Evan's father, JASON (23), puts a 1-year old on a slide.

EXT. LENNY'S HOUSE - DAY - 1987

A birthday party for LENNY, 5, a chubby kid with only a few friends. Evan, now 5, is gently prodded by Andrea toward KAYLEIGH, 5, a quiet sweet-looking girl with beautiful hair.

Evan clumsily shakes her hand and she quickly leans over and kisses his cheek. He blushes and runs to hug his mother's leg.

END MONTAGE & TITLES.

EXT. ANDREA'S HOUSE - EARLY MORNING - 1989

In the driveway, 7-year old Evan plays with CRICKETT, a frisky cocker spaniel puppy.

Andrea, wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit, works impatiently on the carburetor of a Toyota Celica. Evan pets the dog as he watches his mother work.

ANDREA:

Okay, okay...what now?

Evan quickly eyes the situation and grabs the 5/16" wrench from the toolbox.

EVAN:

We're gonna be late again.

ANDREA:

When did you ever care about getting to school on time?

EVAN:

We're putting up pictures for Parent's Night.

Evan impatiently watches Andrea turn the bolt.

EVAN:

Righty-tighty, lefty-lucy.

ANDREA:

Thanks. Don't worry Evan, you'll have plenty of time.

The carburetor will not set properly. She bangs on it with the wrench.

ANDREA:

(re:
carb)

Darn it!

EVAN:

Um...can dad come this time?

ANDREA:

(getting impatient)

You know the answer to that.

EVAN:

Can't he come out for one day?

ANDREA:

We've been over this a hundred times. It's too dangerous for him.

EVAN:

But Lenny said that his dad's coming...and Tommy and Kayleigh's dad...

Andrea hands the wrench to Evan.

ANDREA:

Here, Ev... Finish this up for me.

Evan beams as he climbs onto the bumper and screws the carb back together. Andrea, meanwhile, strips off her coveralls, revealing a spotless nurse's uniform underneath.

EVAN:

All the dads are gonna be there.

ANDREA:

I get the point, kiddo. But I'm not so bad, am I?

EVAN:

No.

ANDREA:

Good. Because I've been waiting to see your art projects all week and I'd feel terrible if all you thought about was your father not being there.

Evan, disappointed, passes the wrench back to Andrea.

EVAN:

(beat)

Done. Try it.

Andrea gets behind the wheel. She turns the ignition and the engine roars to life. Evan wears a proud smile.

ANDREA:

You're amazing, kiddo.

EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - MORNING - 1989

Andrea races through the school zone and heads for the main doors. Evan's already got the car door open and his foot on the ground by the time the car skids to a halt. Andrea checks her watch.

ANDREA:

Okay have a great day I love you I'll pick you up later gotta go...

Evan blows Andrea a kiss goodbye and runs into the school. As Andrea pulls away, MRS. BOSWELL, 35, taps the car window.

MRS. BOSWELL

Mrs. Treborn! I need to speak with you!

ANDREA:

I'm sorry, but can it wait til tonight? I'm already late for work --

Mrs. Boswell's morbid expression stops Andrea.

MRS. BOSWELL

I think you really need to see this.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - MOMENTS LATER

The classroom is filled with screaming, running children. Mrs. Boswell enters the classroom with Andrea and immediately calls out to TOMMY, a tough seven-year old kid who swings a whiffle bat at LENNY, now seven, a sniffling, chubby kid.

MRS. BOSWELL

Tommy! Leave Lenny alone! Don't make me send you to Mr. Voytek's office!

Evan is surprised to see his mother enter with Mrs. Boswell, but continues playing with Kayleigh, now seven, a quiet, sweet-looking girl.

Mrs. Boswell leads Andrea over to the teacher's desk.

MRS. BOSWELL

I was going to show this to the principal, but I wanted to talk to you first.

ANDREA:

What is it?

MRS. BOSWELL

Yesterday I had all the children draw pictures of what they wanted to be when they grew up. Most of them made drawings of what their parents did, but this...

Mrs. Boswell opens the bottom drawer of her desk and pulls out a drawing. Andrea turns to stone when she sees it.

ANDREA:

I don't understand...Evan did this?

The drawing shows a child holding a bloody knife while standing on a heap of dead bodies. It's extremely sophisticated for a seven-year old. Some of the corpses have been cut open and the insides are surprisingly anatomically correct.

Andrea sees Evan playing with Lenny, harmless as a bunny, and struggles to control her concern.

ANDREA:

Thank you for showing it to me first. I'll...I'll take care of it. Can I have the picture?

MRS. BOSWELL

Of course. There is one more thing, Mrs. Treborn. And I feel bad for mentioning it...

ANDREA:

What?

MRS. BOSWELL

When I asked Evan about his drawing, well, he didn't remember doing it.

Andrea is visibly shaken now.

ANDREA:

I have to go.

EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - LATER

Andrea seems so impacted by this revelation that she cannot even start the car.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - LATER

The children hang artwork on the walls in prep for Parent's Night. Each child has a picture of his or her family made from colored construction paper and macaroni. Evan's picture (no longer sophisticated) depicts his mother, Crockett and himself on a green hill. Tommy and Kayleigh's pictures each show two kids and a single father. And their 'mother' is stuck to the far end of page.

Lenny beams as he pins-up his picture of an ideal nuclear family. He looks at Tommy's picture and is confused.

LENNY:

You put the mommy too far away. Mrs. Boswell has macaroni and glue if you wanna fix it.

TOMMY:

You're such a retard!

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