Traveler

ACT ONE:

OVER BLACK; THE SOUND OF RUNNING FOOTSTEPS

FADE IN:

INT. STAIRWELL - LOCATION UNKNOWN

Feet fly up stairs. WIDER REVEALS: two MEN rushing up a dimly

lit stairwell. Floors rush by... 12...15...19.

JAY BURCHELL (26) has an athletic build and the serious

expression of a man much older than his years. He wears green

sweats and sports a buzzcut you could give yourself.

TAYLOR FOG (28) is tall and rail thin. His model-good looks

are framed by long hair. He wears a wrinkled Oxford shirt and

sucks wind as he struggles to match Jay's pace.

INT. HALLWAY - CONT.

A door bursts open. Jay and Taylor emerge, rush past a bank

of gold elevators. They reach a door. Jay frantically inserts

a keycard and enters...

INT. THE ESSEX HOUSE HOTEL - EXECUTIVE SUITE - CONT.

A luxury suite. More than a hotel room. Less than a condo.

Ceiling high windows overlook New York's Central Park.

JAY:

(calling)

Will! Will! You in here?!

Jay pushes open a door to one of the bedrooms. No reply.

Taylor turns on a TV in the living area.

TAYLOR:

Jay!

Jay joins him. NEWS FOOTAGE shows a REPORTER standing outside

New York's famed Guggenheim Museum. Fire trucks line Fifth

Avenue. Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece is burning.

REPORTER (ON TV)

We're at the Guggenheim Museum,

where an explosion has ripped

through this New York City

Landmark...

ON JAY AND TAYLOR reacting. They know something about this.

2.

REPORTER (ON TV) (cont'd)

So far there are no reports of

casualties and details are hard to

come by. But Police are not ruling

out the use of a bomb. We just

don't know at this time, but two

men were seen fleeing the museum

moments before the explosion.

TAYLOR:

(turning pale)

Jesus. He's talking about us.

Jay rushes to the hotel window. A column of smoke rises

halfway up the Eastern edge of the park.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

He's talking about us, Jay!

JAY:

I know, Taylor!

TAYLOR JAY *

I think I'm gonna puke...

Where the hell is Will? *

...I'm not sure if it's from *

running across central park. *

Relax for a second... *

Relax? Our best friend just *

blew up the goddamn *

GUGGENHEIM! *

JAY (cont'd)

WE DON'T KNOW THAT!

Jay's outburst finally silences Taylor. Jay fixes Taylor with

a cool, reassuring stare and continues.

JAY (cont'd)

We've got no proof Will did this.

And we haven't done anything wrong.

So let's calm down, pack up Will's

stuff and go to the police. They

can handle this. Sound good?

Taylor finally nods. He's calming down. He rushes to one of

the bedrooms and disappears inside.

Jay turns back to the window. He notices a copy of Jack

Kerouac's ON THE ROAD on a side table. He picks it up.

3.

TIGHT ON:
the book. Jay looks up and we...

MATCH CUT TO:

EXT. THE NEW HAVEN HOUSE - DAY - FLASHBACK

Jay has just received the book as a gift from the third

roommate WILL TRAVELER (30, rimless glasses, red hair, and a

boyish face). Taylor is also there. He wears a Yale baseball

hat and types a message on a blackberry.

WILL:

Our guide book.

JAY:

Guide book?

The three stand in front of Taylor's 2006 Toyota 4Runner. The

car is parked in front of an old white Victorian house with a

gabled roof and blue trim.

TITLE CARD:
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

YESTERDAY:

WILL:

Jack Kerouac wrote the great

American novel in less than three

weeks. How? Because he didn't need

to invent Dean Moriarty and Sal

Paradise's adventures. He lived

them.

Taylor looks up from his blackberry.

TAYLOR:

They teach you that in chemical

engineering?

WILL:

I'm not an engineer for the next

two months.

Will tucks the blackberry into Taylor's front pocket.

WILL (cont'd)

And you're no businessman.

(then points to Jay)

And you're not a lawyer. For the

next two months we're adventurers.

We're Moriarty and Paradise.

4.

JAY:

(quoting the book)

Between the east of our youth...

WILL:

(picking right up on it)

...and the west of our future.

Taylor looks a bit lost.

JAY:

It's from the book.

TAYLOR:

(hiding his ignorance)

Right. I know.

Awkward silence. Will fills the void.

WILL:

Well, then, I'd say it's time to

say goodbye to the Castle.

They look at the white Victorian. Their home for two years.

TAYLOR:

I'll take first shift.

Taylor hops in the driver seat. Will takes shotgun. HOLD ON

Jay, a last look at the old house. Then he gets in the car

and the 4Runner pulls away WIPING THE SCREEN TO BLACK.

CUT TO:

TIGHT ON VIDEO SCREEN:

Steve Martin rollerskates through the LACMA art museum in the

classic scene from L.A. STORY.

WIDER REVEALS we're actually inside:

INT. TAYLOR'S 4RUNNER - MOVING - DAY

Taylor drives. Will and Jay watch the movie on drop down DVD

screens in Taylor's 4Runner. The screens switch off.

WILL:

Whoa, that's the best scene.

TAYLOR:

We're here, ladies.

5.

EXT. ESSEX HOUSE HOTEL - STREET - DAY

The 4Runner pulls up to the towering hotel on Central Park

South. A smiling BELLMAN approaches and opens the door.

BELLMAN:

Welcome to the Essex House Hotel.

Jay hops out, stares up at the hotel's facade.

JAY:

This is where you booked us?

WILL:

Figured it's our last night to live

as kings. After this it's cheap

hotels and campgrounds all the way

to San Francisco.

Jay and Taylor hop out. Will jumps in the driver's seat.

WILL (cont'd)

You guys check in. I'm gonna park

the car.

TAYLOR:

They've got valet.

WILL:

I know a garage on 61st. Half the

price. I'll meet you in the room.

He pulls away as Jay and Taylor head inside...

INT. ESSEX HOUSE HOTEL - LOBBY - CONT.

The Art Deco lobby sports floors of polished marble.

BUSINESSMEN read the Times on leather couches. Jay and Taylor

walk to the front desk and take off their framepacks.

DESK CLERK:

Checking in?

TAYLOR:

Indeed. Fog. First name Taylor.

Taylor pulls out an opaque black credit card.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

And could you check if any suites

are available?

6.

DESK CLERK:

(nods knowingly)

I'm sure we can find something.

The Clerk swipes the card. Gives it back to Taylor. As the

Clerk types on his computer, Taylor turns back to Jay.

TAYLOR:

The American Express Black Card.

Reserved for the likes of Michael

Jordan, Bill Gates and Carlton Fog.

Some think these cards are only

legend. But I assure you, they are

very real.

He hands it to Jay. Jay notices the name on the card.

JAY:

This is your dad's.

TAYLOR:

I borrowed it for the trip. The Fog

family does have its privileges.

DESK CLERK:

Okay, gentlemen. You have a suite

in our exclusive St. Regis Club. A

porter will show you to the room.

The Desk Clerk reaches forward and hits the BELL.

INT. ESSEX HOUSE HOTEL - EXECUTIVE SUITE - CONT.

A hulking HOTEL PORTER (50, African-American) leads Jay and

Taylor into the jaw dropping accommodations. The place is

immaculate. Taylor checks out the amazing view.

PORTER:

Are you gentlemen in town for

business or pleasure?

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