The Hollars Page #9

Ron feels like an idiot.

RON:

A**hole.

JOHN:

(laughing)

Come on, Ron. I was just kidding around.

RON:

It’s easy for you. You got a whole life

apart from this sh*t. A beautiful

girlfriend. A baby on the way.

JOHN:

Well, you had all that, too, at one

point.

RON:

Yeah.

JOHN:

So...what happened?

RON:

I don’t know. I guess I just...didn’t

want to be a dad.

This troubles John.

JOHN:

Do you now?

(CONTINUED)

59.

40 CONTINUED:
(4) 40

RON:

That doesn’t really matter. Those kids

are mine regardless.

JOHN:

That’s a depressing answer.

RON:

Hey, look, I love them more than anything

else in this world. All I want is for

them to be happy.

JOHN:

They’ll be happy if you’re happy.

RON:

And that’s why we’re all screwed.

41 EXT. HOUSE. DAY. 41

John stands at the front door of a small ranch house. He

knocks on the door. He holds a bouquet of wild flowers in

his hands. He takes a deep breath. Jason opens the door.

JASON:

Oh. Hey. What are you doing here?

JOHN:

You invited me over for dinner.

JASON:

Oh, yeah. That’s right.

Jason looks at the flowers.

JASON (CONT'D)

Those for Gwen?

JOHN:

No...well...yes....they’re for both of

you.

John gives them to Jason. Jason smells them.

JASON:

We don’t like flowers.

JOHN:

Oh.

JASON:

Come in. Gwen’s just getting ready.

(CONTINUED)

60.

41 CONTINUED:
41

John walks inside the house. Jason throws the flowers

onto the front lawn.

42 INT. LIVING ROOM, GWEN AND JASON’S HOUSE. DAY. 42

A screaming baby sits in a bassinet in the middle of the

living room. John looks at the baby.

JOHN:

Is this your...baby?

JASON:

No, it’s just a decoy. We keep the real

kid in the refrigerator

John doesn’t know how to take this.

JOHN:

What’s the name?

JASON:

Quinn.

JOHN:

He’s cute.

JASON:

She’s a girl.

JOHN:

Oh.

JASON:

We named her after Dr. Quinn, Medicine

Woman. (beat) It seemed like a funny idea

at the time.

JOHN:

Yeah. No. It’s...

JASON:

You want a beer?

JOHN:

Sure.

John looks at the screaming baby.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Is she okay?

Jason walks towards the kitchen.

(CONTINUED)

61.

CONTINUED:
42

JASON:

Yeah, she’s fine. Crying is healthy for

kids. Good for their lungs.

John is alone with the screaming baby. He kneels down to

say hello.

JOHN:

Hey, baby. Hey, little girl. How are you?

You okay?

The baby stops crying and gives John a funny look. John

smiles at the baby.

WOMAN (O.S.)

She likes you.

John looks up from the baby to see... Gwen. She is the

epitome of the girl you never quite get over. John

stands. He doesn’t know what to say.

GWEN:

Hey.

JOHN:

Hi.

Gwen is nervous and self conscious.

GWEN:

I look... different.

JOHN:

You look beautiful.

Gwen tears up. She and John are both very emotional. John

walks over to Gwen to kiss her hello. Gwen full on kisses

John on the lips. He pulls back.

JOHN (CONT'D)

Your husband’s in the kitchen.

GWEN:

It’s not working out.

JOHN:

He’s going to be back any minute.

GWEN:

I missed you. *

JOHN:

I missed you, too.

(CONTINUED)

62.

CONTINUED:
(2) 42

Gwen slaps John.

GWEN:

You should have called me.

JOHN:

I know.

Jason walks in from the kitchen holding two Budweisers in

his hands. When he enters the living room he finds Gwen

and John studying their bookshelf. Gwen pulls a graphic

novel called, “Blankets”. On the cover are two young

adults holding each other in a snowy forest.

GWEN:

Have you ever read this?

John looks up at her knowingly.

JOHN:

It’s the best book ever made.

GWEN:

I thought you’d like it.

Jason walks over. He hands John a beer.

JASON:

I think it’s depressing.

GWEN:

You think everything’s depressing. *

Awkward silence.

JASON *

So...

He looks at the baby.

JASON (CONT'D)

How’d you get Quinn to stop crying?

GWEN:

I don’t know. John did it.

JASON:

What are you? Like a baby whisperer or

something?

(CONTINUED)

63.

42 CONTINUED:
(3) 42

JOHN:

No.

GWEN:

Jason can never get her to stop crying.

JOHN:

Oh.

GWEN:

You hungry?

JOHN:

Yeah, starving.

GWEN:

Let’s eat.

Gwen and John leave the living room. Jason bends down to

talk to his daughter.

JASON:

Hey, sweetheart. You ready to eat?

The baby starts crying again. Jason frustrated.

JASON (CONT’D)

Oh, come on!

43 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT. 43

Dinner is over. The baby is asleep finally. There are

dirty plates all around. Empty beer bottles litter the

table.

JASON:

So, why didn’t your girlfriend come back

with you?

Gwen reacts.

GWEN:

You have a girlfriend?

JOHN:

Yeah.

JASON:

I didn’t tell you?

GWEN:

No.

(CONTINUED)

64.

CONTINUED:
43

JASON:

Yeah. They’re going to have a kid.

Gwen is taken aback.

GWEN:

Oh.... Oh. Wow. Congratulations.

JOHN:

Thanks.

GWEN:

When is she due?

JOHN:

Soon.

JASON:

They’re not even married!

Off Gwen’s look.

JOHN:

... We wanted a bastard.

JASON:

Well, I proposed to Gwen as soon as I

found the pregnancy test in the trash.

JOHN:

Wow. Romantic.

GWEN:

How’d you meet her?

JOHN:

Who?

GWEN:

The girlfriend?

JOHN:

At a comic book convention. *

JASON:

She a nerd?

JOHN:

No... she was working. *

JASON:

What does she do?

(CONTINUED)

65.

CONTINUED:
(2) 43

JOHN:

She has her own business.

GWEN:

Doing what?

JOHN:

Designing pet clothing. *

JASON:

You can make a living designing pet *

clothing in New York? *

JOHN:

Not really.

JASON:

I don’t understand.

JOHN:

Her parents are rich.

GWEN:

How rich?

JOHN:

They bought her a brownstone for her

birthday.

GWEN:

Wow.

JASON *

Oh. Well, now, I understand why you *

don’t want to get married. *

JOHN *

Oh, yeah? Why is that? *

JASON *

Well, what’s the point? She’s already *

taking care of you. You’re getting *

everything you want out of it. *

GWEN *

Jason. *

JOHN *

Well, not exactly. We keep our money *

separate.

JASON:

But you don’t have any money.

*

(CONTINUED)

66.

CONTINUED:
(3) 43

GWEN:

You’re drunk.

*

So?

JASON:

GWEN:

So, go do the dishes.

Jason looks at Gwen... Then gets up. *

JASON:

But, you don’t have any money, right?

*

*

Jason.

GWEN *

*

Jason clears the dishes and exits. Gwen gives John asympathetic look.

*

GWEN (CONT’D)

You still smoke?

44 EXT. PORCH. NIGHT. 44

John and Gwen share a cigarette.

GWEN:

How’s your mom?

JOHN:

She’s okay. She has a brain tumor.

GWEN:

I heard. I’m so sorry.

JOHN:

Don’t be. She’s doing better than

everyone else in my family. My dad andbrother are totally falling apart.

GWEN:

How about you? How are you doing?

John thinks about this.

Okay.

JOHN:

(CONTINUED)

67.

CONTINUED:
44

GWEN:

You must be scared.

JOHN:

I guess, a little.

GWEN:

Your mom is such a sweetie. She use to

give me updates about you the first few

months after you left.

JOHN:

Yeah. (beat) Look, Gwen. I’m sorry I

never called.

GWEN:

We were engaged. *

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