The Ice Storm Page #16

He walks into the kitchen. The pipes have begun to burst.

There's a water leak running down the walls, forming a puddle

on the floor.

Elena has walked into the kitchen behind him. She leans

against the counter, picking up the garter belt without

thinking for a second, then putting it back down.

JIM:

Oh well. Why don't you put on some

dry socks -- and we've got some

rain boots in the guest closet back

there. Last room upstairs -- back

of the hall.

Elena climbs the stairs in her bare feet.

INT. WILLIAMS GUEST ROOM. CONT'D

Elena opens the door, and discovers Wendy and Sandy asleep.

She stands before the bed, and gazes down on them.

They look almost angelic.

Wendy, sensing her presence in the room, opens her eyes,

slowly coming out of sleep.

ELENA:

(heartbroken, softly)

Get dressed.

Elena walks out of the room, back to the kitchen.

Wendy gets out of bed quietly, leaving Sandy sleeping

peacefully.

She looks at him lovingly, and tucks the blanket back up

around him.

INT. WILLIAMS KITCHEN. DAWN

Elena and Jim are drinking coffee.

ELENA:

You should let him sleep.

Wendy enters. She looks inquisitively at the two adults.

WENDY:

Where's dad?

INT. HOOD CAR. DAWN

Ben continues to drive slowly. He looks out his side window,

and sees something. He puts on his brakes.

EXT. STREET. DAWN

Ben gets out of the car, and stands on the top of an icy

embankment. In a clump of bushes is the orange glow of a

parka.

He walks hesitantly toward it. Mike's body lies face down in

the wet ice.

Ben leans down and turns the body over, then stands back in

amazement and saddened shock.

He stands there for a moment, then picks Mike's body up,

carrying him over the hill and onto the street. We see now

that he is parked just a short block from the Williams's

house.

He bypasses his car and walks directly down the street toward

the house. The effort is obviously enormous. He falls from

time to time, then gets back up.

INT. TRAIN. PRE-DAWN

Various passengers asleep.

Paul, hunched up in his seat under the faint emergency exit

light, cold. He reads his comic book by the light of the

emergency exit.

"DON'T YOU SEE, SUE? HE WAS TOO

POWERFUL... IF HIS ENERGY HAD

CONTINUED TO BUILD, HE WOULD HAVE

DESTROYED THE WORLD!"

Suddenly, the lights begin to flicker on and the hum of the

train's engines returns.

The conductor enters the car, blasting forth in his classic

nasal train conductor voice.

CONDUCTOR:

Good morning ladies and gentlemen --

On Paul, squinting in the harsh light.

EXT. TRAIN BRIDGE. PRE-DAWN

The train moves slowly through a suburban, semi-forested

landscape. On the street below the bridge, an emergency

highway crew is removing a fallen tree, their trucks aglow in

flashing yellow lights.

INT. WILLIAMS KITCHEN. DAWN

Elena pours Wendy a cup of coffee. They're both in their

coats.

WENDY:

I don't like coffee.

ELENA:

It'll warm you up.

Elena sits next to her. They both raise their cups and sip

the coffee, not noticing the simultaneity of their movements.

INT. GUEST ROOM. DAWN

Jim watches the sleeping Sandy, picks up the half-empty

bottle of vodka, pours himself a drink. The noise wakes Sandy

up. Jim sits down on the bed at his feet and takes a sip.

SANDY:

Dad?

Jim looks at him.

INT. KITCHEN. DAWN

Elena and Wendy hear a hollering from outside, get up to see

what it is.

EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE. DAWN

Elena and Wendy come out the front door, as Ben lays Mikey's

body onto the ground before the front steps.

ELENA:

Ben?

He's too breathless to speak.

They stand there, looking down at Mikey.

Behind Elena and Wendy, Jim appears.

He pushes softly by them toward the body of his son.

BEN:

Jim -- he was just up -- in Silver

Lane -- I think maybe -- a power

line --

Jim picks up his son.

He carries him silently into the house.

Sandy, now standing inside the foyer, pushes himself back

against the wall as they pass, without expression.

After a moment, from outside, the Hoods can hear Jim's

wailing.

BEN:

Do you think? Maybe we should call

someone --

ELENA:

The phone's out.

BEN (CONT'D)

Yeah. Well, we can just --

ELENA:

Ben, I don't think he wants us

here.

Wendy has been watching Sandy through the screen door.

WENDY:

Wait, I --

She turns back up the front steps and gently goes in --

INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. CONT'D

on the living room floor, Jim is hugging Mike's body, his

shoulders shaking uncontrollably, sobbing.

Wendy walks and stands next to Sandy, who is filled

momentarily with a brief inexplicable rush of anger toward

her -- but she takes him and gives him an awkward, childlike

hug, then turns and runs out the door, joining Ben and Elena

on the driveway. Sandy watches her go, his face wet with

tears.

EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE. CONT'D

ELENA:

Oh you know, for a minute I thought

it was --

BEN:

Paul? Yeah. You think --

WENDY:

He's probably been waiting all

night at the station.

BEN:

C'mon.

EXT. STREET. DAWN

Elena, Wendy, and Ben reach the car and get in. The car

starts and drives off.

There are more crews out cleaning up the storm's debris and

fixing the power lines as they drive.

EXT. CONRAIL STATION. EARLY MORNING

The train slowly pulls in. The Hood family walks down to the

end of the platform.

The train doors open, and Paul, tired and a bit cramped,

emerges. He sees his family gathered at the other end of the

platform, and walks to them.

They stand, silent, even dignified, awaiting him.

When he joins them they all walk silently to the car and get

in.

INT. HOOD CAR. EARLY MORNING

Sunlight floods in and temporarily blinds Ben as he starts

the engine.

He squints, his eyes tearing a bit from the light.

He looks around, first at his wife, then at his two children

sitting in the back seat.

He turns off the engine. Quietly, he begins to cry.

He turns to the back seat.

BEN:

There's something -- your mother

and I -- have to tell you two --

Elena puts her hand out, almost touching him.

ELENA:

(softly)

Ben.

Paul looks at Wendy, silently asking her what's happening.

She casts her eyes downward, as does he.

ELENA (CONT'D)

(her hand still not yet

touching him)

Ben.

EXT. STATION PARKING LOT. MORNING

From above:

The car, the first morning light shining upon it.

THE END:

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