The Butterfly Effect Page #2

KAYLEIGH:

Mommy lives far away but she comes and visits.

LENNY:

(to Tommy)

If I'm retarded, why didn't my mommy move away from me?

Tommy gets upset. He swipes his hand down Lenny's picture and his macaroni "mother" crumbles to the floor. Lenny begins to cry.

EVAN:

Hey, what'd you do that for?

TOMMY:

Fat little baby, crying for mommy.

Evan takes the ruined picture and leans down next to Lenny.

EVAN:

Come on, Lenny. It's not that bad. You can still see your mom a little.

Lenny, unable to stop crying, begins hyperventilating out of control. His desperate gasps for breath are frightening.

Evan, scared, looks around for Mrs. Boswell, but cannot find her. He reaches up to his own picture and quickly tears his own macaroni "mother" apart and places it over Lenny's picture. It's a nuclear family again. Lenny slowly is able to catch his breath.

LENNY:

(grateful)

Can..can...Can I have this?

EVAN:

Sure. I was gonna make a new one, anyway.

Kayleigh helps Lenny glue a new "mother" in place and she smiles gratefully at Evan.

As Evan smiles back at Kayleigh, Mrs. Boswell calmly enters the room in time to see Evan tacking up his butchered family portrait. She shivers.

EXT. SUNNYVALE INSTITUTION - DAY - 1989

Gothic. Imposing. Andrea runs up the stairs.

INT. SUNNYVALE - DR. REDFIELD'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

DR. HARLON REDFIELD, 40, a handsome and extremely genial man, scrutinizes a disturbing drawing.

DR. REDFIELD

And you say he doesn't remember any of it?

ANDREA:

(anxious)

Not according to his teacher. It just got me thinking about Jason and what if Evan's inherited his father's condition?

DR. REDFIELD

Hold it, hold it, Andrea. Let's not jump to conclusions. I'll run some preliminary tests, see what we can rule out.

Andrea nods and forces a thankful smile.

DR. REDFIELD

Tell you what, bring Evan here tonight and we'll run a CAT-scan series.

EXT. SUNNYVALE INSTITUTION - NIGHT

The looming building looks even more frightening at night. Andrea and Evan head up the stairs.

EVAN:

I don't like this place, Mom. It's creepy. Please can we go? I promise I won't make any more bad pictures!

ANDREA:

(lighthearted)

You'll be fine. Dr. Redfield just wants to give you some tests. You'll like him.

INT. SUNNYVALE INSTITUTION - NIGHT

Andrea leads Evan into Dr. Redfield's office. Dr. Redfield warmly greets Evan at the door.

DR. REDFIELD

Hello, Evan. It's very nice to meet you.

(to Andrea)

He's as handsome as his father.

EVAN:

(stunned)

You know my father?

Before Dr. Redfield can answer, Andrea cuts him off.

ANDREA:

That's why I wanted you to come here, Evan. Dr. Redfield already has a background in memory loss.

EVAN:

My father has a bad memory, too?

DR. REDFIELD

(off Andrea's look)

Uh, tell you what, Evan. If it's okay with your mother, I'd like to run some tests. Nothing scary.

Evan raises an eyebrow at the doctor.

DR. REDFIELD

Okay, it might be a little scary...

INT. LABORATORY - MOMENTS LATER

Evan looks terrified as he lies on a medical platform as a series of CAT-scan images are taken. In another part of the room, a distressed Andrea speaks quietly with Dr. Redfield.

ANDREA:

Just tell me that Evan doesn't have Jason's illness...

DR. REDFIELD

Look, Andrea, I'm sure he'll test negative for brain disorders. But there's something else you can try to monitor his memory.

ANDREA:

Anything.

DR. REDFIELD

A journal. Just have him write down everything he does.

ANDREA:

Why? What for?

DR. REDFIELD

It could be extremely useful to jog his memory. See if he remembers anything new the next day. And I'll have the test results back in a few days.

INT. ANDREA'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING

The next morning. Evan busily writes in his new black-marble mead comp book:

EVAN'S DIARY

Today Mommy is taking me to play with Kayley and Tommy. I will mete there father and see what a real dad is like. Maybe one day I will mete my Dad.

Andrea, meanwhile, speaks into the phone as she pours Lucky Charms into a cereal bowl for Evan.

ANDREA:

Thanks, George. I really appreciate you watching him, he won't be any trouble at all.

Evan puts down the journal and eats breakfast. He separates the green clovers from the cereal and drops them to the floor for Crockett to nibble.

EVAN:

These'll bring you luck, Crockett.

ANDREA:

(into phone)

Great. I'll see you soon.

Andrea hangs up the phone and walks into the next room.

INT. HOUSE - DAY

Andrea grabs the pocket book off the coffee table and heads back into the kitchen. She drops her purse in shock when she sees:

Evan, in doorway, expressionless and holding a large BUTCHER KNIFE by his side.

ANDREA:

Evan?

Evan sees her but remains expressionless.

ANDREA:

Evan? What are you doing with that knife?

Life suddenly springs into Evan's face. He seems stunned to find himself holding the knife and drops it.

EVAN:

(scared)

What happened?

ANDREA:

Honey. What were you doing with that?

EVAN:

(tears welling)

I...I don't remember.

EXT. MILLER HOUSE - MORNING

Andrea, still shaken, drops Evan off at the house of GEORGE MILLER, 35, a handsome athletic man with an infectious smile. He approaches the car and opens the door for Evan.

MR. MILLER

Hey, Andrea.

(to Evan)

Hello little man.

Andrea writes nervously on a piece of paper as Evan gets out.

ANDREA:

Thanks a lot George. Here's my work number in case there are any problems.

MR. MILLER

(lighthearted laughter)

Whaddaya kidding? We're going to have a great time today, right Evan?

Andrea nods thanks and nervously drives away. Evan walks up to Mr. Miller and momentarily reaches for his hand. Mr. Miller flinches his hand away and chuckles at Evan.

MR. MILLER

You waiting for an invitation? The kids are inside.

Evan appears confused for a moment at Mr. Miller's unexpected rudeness, but walks inside.

INT. MILLER'S HOUSE - DAY

Evan enters the well-kept middle class home and sees his classmates Kayleigh and Tommy. Kayleigh is dressed in a make-shift Medieval gown and Tommy is also dressed in a period costume.

KAYLEIGH:

(excited to see Evan)

Evan, guess what? Dad got a new video camera and we're all gonna be in a movie.

TOMMY:

I don't think Evan gets to be in it --

KAYLEIGH:

Quit it, Tommy. Evan gets to be Robin Hood. I'm gonna be Maid Marian, and you're the Sheriff of Nottingham!

TOMMY:

I thought I was the bad guy!

KAYLEIGH:

You are, silly. He's a bad sheriff.

Mr. Miller, holding a full glass of scotch in one hand, sets the circa-80's bulky video camera on a tripod and plugs it into the porta-deck.

EVAN:

We're really gonna be in a movie!?

MR. MILLER

That's right, Evan, and you get to be the star.

TOMMY:

I thought I was the star.

MR. MILLER

Shut up, moron. Now get in your costume, Evan. And you have to promise, your bestest super-duper promise, that this will be our little secret. Think you can do that?

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