The Hollars Page #4

MAN:

Reverend Dan, nice to meet you.

Reverend Dan extends his hand to John. John shakes it. He

is a very warm and congenial man with a thing for plaid

shirts.

JOHN:

John Hollar.

REV. DAN

I heard about your mother. I’m very

sorry. How is she?

RON:

(bitter)

She’s fine. No thanks to you.

John and Dan look puzzled.

JOHN:

Come on, Ron. He didn’t have anything to

do with it.

RON:

How do you know? He’s supposed to talk to

God, isn’t he? Maybe he put in an order

for a brain tumor or something.

Reverend Dan smiles good naturedly.

REV. DAN

I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that,

Ron.

RON:

Oh, yeah. How does it work, Reverend Dan?

(CONTINUED)

22.

10 CONTINUED:
(4) 10

REV. DAN

I’m just a youth pastor.

RON:

What’s wrong, couldn’t get a job as an

adult pastor?

REV. DAN

No. I just...like kids.

RON:

Yeah, well...that’s creepy.

Dan looks at the binoculars in Ron’s hand.

REV. DAN

Yeah, look, Ron, I know you’re going

through a hard time and everything but

Stacey asked if you could maybe...stop

parking in front of the house and staring

at her with your binoculars.

RON:

Oh, yeah? Is that what she asked?

REV. DAN

Yes, it is.

Pause.

RON:

The girls still up?

REV. DAN

Yes, but we’re having dinner right now.

And I don’t think it would be that great

for them to see you like this.

RON:

Yeah, well... F*** you, Reverend Dan!

Ron tries to peel out but the engine dies when he presses

down on the gas.

JOHN:

What happened?

RON:

I don’t know.

REV. DAN

Sounded like a broken t-chain. I can take

a look for you if you want.

(CONTINUED)

23.

CONTINUED:
(5) 10

Ron looks at John.

JOHN:

Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything

about cars.

RON:

(to Dan, still angry)

That would be really helpful. Thanks.

A11 EXT. HOLLAR HOUSE. DAY. A11

Ron and John drive up. John looks up at his childhoodhome for the first time in a while.

11 INT. HOLLAR HOUSE. DAY. 11

John and Ron walk into the front hall. John puts down hisbag and looks around, this once familiar world nowfeeling completely alien.

RON:

You can have our old room. I’m in the

basement.

JOHN:

What, you live here now?

RON:

We’re in a recession.

John shakes his head. He can’t believe how much he

doesn’t know about his family. He starts up the stairs to

his old room.

A12 INT. HOLLAR HOUSE. HALLWAY. DAY. A12 *

As John walks down the hallway to his old room, he looksat old family photos that line the walls.

*

*

12 INT. JOHN’S ROOM, HOLLAR HOUSE. LATE DAY. 12 *

John walks into his room, a bed on either side. On one

side it is plastered with original drawings, cartoons,

and funny portraits of semi-celebrities like Bea Arthurand the bearded guy from Highway to Heaven. The otherside is covered in music posters from Metallica to LynyrdSkynrd. John looks around wistfully. He unpacks his bagand then suddenly stops.

(CONTINUED)

24.

CONTINUED:
12

At the bottom of the bag we see what looks like a nicelybound journal, along with a note. The note reads, “Maybe

you’ll get some ideas for this while you’re home. Love,

Becca.” He opens up the journal and flips through one

third of a beautifully drawn graphic novel. We recognizethe lead character from some of the drawings hanging inJohn’s cubicle. He throws the book on the bed and looks

out the window...

A13 EXT. HOLLAR HOUSE. LATE DAY. A13 *

From outside the house we see John looking out the windowof the bedroom he lived in for 18 years. Suddenly, wesee a few neighborhood kids run by playing “Kick the

Can”. John notices.

13 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM. MORNING. 13

John walks to the open door of his mother’s hospital

room. He finds his mother and father sleeping. His mothersleeps on the hospital bed and his father sleeps on achair next to her. They hold hands. John looks verytouched by the sight of his parents together in this way.

He quietly walks over to his father and puts his hand onhis shoulder.

JOHN:

(whispers)

Dad. Dad.

Don wakes. He groggily turns to John.

DON:

What time is it?

JOHN:

Eight o’ clock.

DON:

Sh*t. Sh*t! I got to get to work. Sh*t.

Sh*t!

Don gets up.

JOHN:

It’s ok. I brought your briefcase. I put

it in your truck.

Don takes a breath.

DON:

Oh, thank you.

(CONTINUED)

25.

13 CONTINUED:
13

JOHN:

I got you a coffee.

John hands his dad a coffee.

DON:

Thanks.

JOHN:

No problem. Just go to work. I’ll stay

with mom.

DON:

You sure?

JOHN:

Yeah. I’ll call if there’s any news.

Don looks at Sally. He starts to tear up.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Dad? (beat) You okay?

DON:

I just don’t know what I’ll do if I lose

her.

Don starts to sob. John gives his father a hug.

JOHN:

Hey. Don’t talk like that. It’s all going

to work out fine. You’ll see.

Don sniffs.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Go to work.

DON:

Okay.

Don puts his hand on his son’s face.

DON (CONT’D)

You’re a good boy.

He smiles and leaves the room. After a beat...

JOHN:

Alright, he’s gone. You can stop

pretending.

SALLY:

Thank god.

(CONTINUED)

26.

13 CONTINUED:
(2) 13

JOHN:

How you doing?

SALLY:

He cried all night. If I didn’t know any

better I’d think he was the one with the

tumor.

JOHN:

I think he’s feeling a lot of pressure

right now.

SALLY:

Ron told you we’re about to go bankrupt.

JOHN:

He said it was a secret.

SALLY:

I keep the books.

JOHN:

What’s going to happen?

SALLY:

I don’t know.

Awkward pause.

JOHN:

I brought you pretzels and ice cream.

SALLY:

It’s breakfast time.

JOHN:

What? You don’t want any?

SALLY:

I didn’t say that.

John smiles. He prepares a bowl of vanilla ice cream and

pretzel sticks for his mom. He covers it in chocolate

sauce.

JOHN:

So. Are you feeling okay?

SALLY:

I feel great.

JOHN:

Nothing weird during the night?

(CONTINUED)

27.

13 CONTINUED:
(3) 13

SALLY:

You mean besides your father’s sobbing?

JOHN:

I googled brain tumors. They’re a lot

more common than you’d think.

SALLY:

Oh, yeah.

JOHN:

Yeah. Bob Marley had one.

SALLY:

Really? How did that work out for him?

JOHN:

Uh...you know. He sold a lot of records.

SALLY:

Mmm.

JOHN:

You’re going to get through this. Don’t

worry. (beat) The actual procedure sounds

pretty simple. They just cut open a

little hole the size of a nickel in your

skull and take out the-

SALLY:

That’s enough.

JOHN:

Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you-

SALLY:

(smiles)

I’m not upset.

JOHN:

You’re shaking.

SALLY:

It’s cold in here.

JOHN:

Hey, look, Mom, it’s okay to be scared.

SALLY:

I’m not scared. How’s Rebecca?

A male nurse walks into the room. It is John’s old high

school classmate, Jason Owens, 32. Jason watches Sally

eat her ice cream and pretzels with a frown on his face.

(CONTINUED)

28.

13 CONTINUED:
(4) 13

JASON:

What’s this? Ice cream for breakfast?

JOHN:

Oh, hey. Yeah. Ice cream and pretzels,

actually. It’s one of my mom’s favorites.

JASON:

Oh, yeah? How about heart attacks? Does

she like those, too?

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