The Fault in Our Stars Page #7

MICHAEL:

Would you like to be excused?

EXT HAZEL'S HOUSE - BACKYARD - MOMENTS LATER

Hazel sits down on a patio chair and dials the phone. Gus

answers on the first ring.

GUS (O.S.)

Hazel Grace.

HAZEL:

Welcome to the sweet torture of

reading "An Imperial --"

At which point she hears a loud WAIL coming from the other

end of the phone.

HAZEL:

What the -- are you ok?

GUS (O.S.)

Me? Yeah. I'm excellent.

INTERCUT between Hazel on the patio and:

INT GUS'S BASEMENT BEDROOM - SAME

Isaac's head is buried in Gus's couch. He's wailing like a

banshee, having some kind of nervous breakdown.

GUS:

(INTO PHONE)

I am, however, with Isaac.

Hazel hears more wailing. Has no idea what to make of it.

25.

GUS (O.S.)

(TO ISAAC)

Dude! Hey! Does Support Group Hazel

make this better or worse?

Hazel genuinely has no idea what the hell is going on.

GUS:

Isaac! Focus. On. Me.

Hazel waits a few beats for Gus to come back on. Finally:

GUS (O.S.)

(TO HAZEL)

How fast can you get here?

Hazel thinks about this. And on her face, CUT TO:

INT GUS'S BASEMENT - LATER

Hazel descends the steps. She hears an ungodly moan before

she sees anyone. What has she gotten herself into? Gus

appears at the base.

GUS:

(calling to Isaac)

Isaac, Hazel from Support Group is

coming downstairs.

Gus waits for a response. None comes. He gestures for her to

follow him into the room. Before he does:

GUS:

A gentle reminder: Isaac is in the

midst of a psychotic episode.

(HAZEL NODS)

You look nice, by the way.

Hazel blushes, follows Gus into the room to find Isaac

sitting upside down in a gaming chair. Tears are flowing down

his reddened cheeks. Empty soda cans and bags of junk food

lie around him.

HAZEL:

How ya doing Isaac?

Again, no response. Hazel looks to Gus for an explanation.

GUS:

Seems Isaac and Monica are no

longer a going concern.

HAZEL:

Oh I'm sorry.

(BEAT)

Do you want to talk about it?

Isaac starts to sob again.

26.

GUS:

He just wants to cry and play video

games.

HAZEL:

Fair enough.

GUS:

It doesn't hurt to talk to him,

however. If you have any sage words

of feminine advice...

HAZEL:

I actually think his response is

appropriate.

GUS:

"Pain demands to be felt."

HAZEL:

(lights up at that)

You're quoting my book!

Gus winks at her. At which point, Isaac lets out another

howl. Gus gestures for Hazel to sit. The two of them flank

Isaac. He finally speaks.

ISAAC:

She didn't want to do it after the

surgery. Said she couldn't handle

it. I'm about to lose my eyesight

and she can't handle it.

Hazel rubs his shoulder in sympathy.

ISAAC:

I kept saying "always" to her.

Always, always, always. And she

just kept talking over me and not

saying it back. It was like I was

already gone, you know? "Always"

was a promise! You can't break

promises.

HAZEL:

Sometimes people don't understand

the promises they're making when

they make them.

ISAAC:

Right, sure, but you keep the

promise anyway. That's what love

is. Love is keeping the promise

anyway.

GUS:

That could be an "encouragement."

It's silent for a beat. And then Isaac stands up, a funny

look on his face.

27.

GUS:

Isaac...?

Suddenly Isaac starts kicking his chair across the room.

GUS:

Here we go...

The chair lands against the bed. Gus hands Isaac something

else to throw, a pillow. Isaac grabs the pillow and slams it

against the wall. He dives on it and beings pummeling the

pillow like a maniac.

GUS:

That's it! Punch that thing.

And so he does. As he continues to, Gus looks at Hazel,

cigarette dangling from his mouth.

GUS:

I've been wanting to call you on a

nearly minutely basis but I have

been waiting until I could form a

coherent thought in re: "An

Imperial Affliction."

(SHE SMILES)

I can't stop thinking about it.

HAZEL:

I know, right?

GUS:

The only problem is the ending.

HAZEL:

It is rather abrupt.

GUS:

It's torture! I mean, I totally get

that she died or whatever - Anna.

But there is an unwritten contract

between author and reader and I

think ending your book in the

middle of a sentence kind of

violates that contract.

HAZEL:

But that's part of what I like

about it. It portrays death

truthfully. You die in the middle

of your life, in the middle of a

sentence. But I do - God, I do want

to know what happens to everyone

else.

GUS:

Yeah like her Mom.

HAZEL:

The Dutch Tulip Man...

28.

GUS:

Sysiphus the Hamster...

Hazel beams. Gus totally gets the book. A bond between them.

Rate this script:4.6 / 17 votes