INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
Lawrence and Cecily lay awake.
CECILY
How did you sleep?
LAWRENCE
Really bad. I don't think I slept a
whole lot last night.
CECILY
Really?
LAWRENCE
Yeah, I had this dream. I was...
INT. BASKETBALL COURT - DAY
Everything is the color of yogurt and cardboard. Two
ACTORS stand in front of a camera on a tripod.
There's half a crane sitting off to the side with a GRIP
crawling on top of it.
The actor's clothes match their skin match the paint on
the walls. Lawrence stands in the middle.
Someone yells.
SOMEONE
This lav is broken, we need another
microphone.
LAWRENCE
I'll get it. Where is it?
SOMEONE
Other room.
Lawrence looks over and there's a doorway, the basketball
court seems much smaller than it used to.
Lawrence runs to the other room.
INT. OTHER ROOM - DAY
Lawrence runs around. Past the craft services that is
surely straight from the last film he worked on. From
the jar of pretzels to the tray of raw vegetables.
ASHLEY and GERA (20's) pop up. They do makeup.
ASHLEY
What are you looking for?
LAWRENCE
Another lav, they said it was in this
room.
GERA
Aren't you directing this thing?
LAWRENCE
Yeah. I guess I am.
LAWRENCE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And then it dawned on me.
Lawrence runs back into the other room.
LAWRENCE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I ran back into the other room. Looked
around.
The actors are all people he's never met. They look back.
The Grip on the Crane tries desperately to assemble the
crane pieces but fumbles around.
John from the shoot in Idaho pops his head up from behind
the camera.
LAWRENCE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And John of all people was in the damn
thing. For some reason, it felt like he
was he only one on set with any
competence.
CECILY (V.O.)
Was Tony there?
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
No. But I didn't know anyone else. And I
hadn't chosen them.
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
LAWRENCE
Somehow I'd written a Basketball short
and it has come together without my
knowledge or input.
CECILY
That's weird that you were the one
running around looking for something.
LAWRENCE
Yeah. I guess I need to remember how to
direct and not just crew. But the roots
of the dream are very apparent. You
know?
CECILY
Yeah. You need to be in New York.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - DAY
Lawrence sits in the middle of the rug. His script is
next to him. He draws, or tries to draw storyboards.
He refers to his computer. His unfinished shot list.
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
I'm not really sure what I'm doing.
Living this far away from where my
project is being produced. This may be my
new way of fucking myself. If, for
instance, this movie got made and it
sucked. And it was because of my absence
from the most important part of
production. I will have learned nothing.
I will have known the problem the entire
time and done nothing to solve it. For
once, I don't think the problem is my
script.
There's a knock at the door. Lawrence opens it, slowly.
It's the MAILMAN. Shoves a package in his hand.
LAWRENCE (CONT'D)
Thanks.
MAILMAN
Just wanted to know if next time I should
come by la--
Lawrence shuts the door on him.
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
Sometimes I feel like I'm in Mr. Roger's
neighborhood.
Rips open the package. Another envelope.
Knock, knock.
LAWRENCE (CONT'D)
Fucking mailman.
(opens the door)
Look, I don't care when--
A YOUNG MAN stands in the doorway. Wiping his feet on
the mat.
The man is thin and pale, dark bushy hair over his
forehead and ears. His Adam's apple sticks out
prominently, he wears a thick leather jacket and shorts
with a wallet chain. His shoes look like shit.
But his face cannot be focused upon. It's not really
there when you look at it but it seems to be when you
look at something else.
Lawrence is surprised. He can only say one word.
LAWRENCE (CONT'D)
Lucas.
LUCAS
Hey man. It's cold in Washington. You
got anything to drink?
LAWRENCE
Yeah. Come on in.
LUCAS
Where's your woman?
Lucas walks inside. Heads for the kitchen.
LAWRENCE
Hey. Listen. You're a figment of my
imagination and as so, I have to insist
you don't drink up all my booze.
INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Lucas's head's in the freezer.
LUCAS
One shot of kettle and a bottle of
alcoholic chocolate milk.
LAWRENCE
Yeah, Cecily likes Bailey's.
Removes the Bailey's.
LUCAS
Mind?
LAWRENCE
No.
(closes the freezer)
Dude, what are you doing in my house?
Lucas pours himself a glass, walks back to the living
room.
Lawrence looks down. He's still holding the envelope.
He opens it, pulls out a stack of head shots. Fans them.
Photos of young men, all about Lucas's height and build.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Lucas hovers over the sketches.
LUCAS
You think you're missing out on the fun?
LAWRENCE
What's that?
LUCAS
Yeah, making your movie. I mean shit,
the only thing that kept you from filming
my story when you lived in that old city
was never finding time to finish the
story.
Lawrence walks up to Lucas and holds a head shot in front
of his face. A young smiling boob with a big nose and
stranger side-burns. The head shot starts to move and
talk with Lucas.
LUCAS (CONT'D)
That was the only thing that kept you
from making any movie. Script wain't
done.
LAWRENCE
That wasn't the only thing. Women
prevent it too. There was no way I
could've done anything like this. Even
written this journal when I was with
Lora.
He switches head shots. Another guy, frosted blonde
hair, eyebrows like they're keeping his brain warm.
LUCAS
Perfect man. Blame the girl for the
downfall. Sounds real familiar.
LAWRENCE
How is your woman by the way?
Tears down the head shot.
LUCAS
Fuck you. I'm fucking leaving.
LAWRENCE
Where you gonna go? It's a leap by any
to believe we're one and the same. Both
forced out of New York. Neither want
back in. So don't give me shit about
missing out.
LUCAS
I'm not. You dreamt it, like it was
happening. You don't even know what I
look like!
LAWRENCE
I know exactly what you look like. You
look like me, except prettier and easier
to photograph.
Lucas chugs his Bailey's. Wipes his mouth with the back
of his sleeve like a little kid.
LUCAS
Okay, I'm out.
LAWRENCE
No.
Lawrence picks up his laptop. Types quickly.
Lucas reaches for the door. His hand is gone.
Lawrence's laptop screen reads:
LUCAS HAS STUMPS WERE HIS HANDS SHOULD BE.
LUCAS
Oh, super clever. Real magic show. Give
a man his hands back and get back to
work. We've all got business to finish
today.
LAWRENCE
No. You not going anywhere.
LUCAS
Why the hell not?
LAWRENCE
Because. You're me. I thought I knew
everything about you, I could control
your character but it turns out, you also
know everything about me. And I've been
writing you for two years. We've been
through a lot together. So you're
staying right here until we figure this
out.
LUCAS
This what?
LAWRENCE
Me.
Lawrence types into his laptop.
LUCAS HAS HANDS, BUT THEY'RE TIED UP BEHIND HIS BACK
AND HE'S TIED TO THE RECLINER.
Lawrence looks up. His bidding has been done.
LUCAS
I'm gonna be late.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. CAR - NIGHT
Lawrence's hair is much shorter. He drives an old maroon
Buick Skylark down a dark old country road. Beside him
sits LORA and behind him sits DIANE, Lora's mom.
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
Now. Lets start at the beginning.
LUCAS (V.O.)
Sorry, bro I'm no use to you. I wasn't
here for none of this.
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
Yes you were. I wrote the first scene
the second draft in Lora's grandma's
basement.
LUCAS (V.O.)
Yeah and nothing else for a year, least.
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
I'm looking for something. Something
about the journey.
LUCAS (V.O.)
Okay fine. What were you doing? Why
were you in that car sitting around those
women?
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
I'd come to save Lora. Bring her home.
We were driving from the bus station and
her mom couldn't drive too well cause she
had some neck surgery.
LUCAS (V.O.)
Where were you?
LAWRENCE (V.O.)
Thief River Falls, Minnesota. August
thirty-first two-thousand and five.
LUCAS (V.O.)
But that wasn't the beginning of the
story. There was more. Right?
INT. APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - DAY
Lawrence sticks his face in Lucas's blurry face.
LAWRENCE
I'm not here to answer your questions,
Character. You're here to answer mine.
LUCAS
Don't wanna talk about it?
LAWRENCE
You know what it's like. Falling in love
with an alcoholic. You wanna talk much?
Lucas doesn't say a word.
The door opens. Cecily walks in.
CECILY
Hey baby. What's up?
Lawrence and Lucas turn.
CECILY (CONT'D)
Why's there a man tied up in our
apartment?
LAWRENCE
This is my character. Lucas this is
Cecily.
LUCAS
Dude, I know who your fucking lady is.
Cecily walks up.
CECILY
You're kidding.
LAWRENCE
No. Check it.
CECILY
What's with his face?
Lucas leans in to Lawrence's ear.
LUCAS
Yo. She looks exactly like my boy's
chica in Nueva York.
LAWRENCE
It's likely.
(to Cecily)
So I tied him up and we're trying to
figure out my problem with making this
movie. I'm going somewhere in the
directions of distance. Like why I
always have to travel to get anything
done.
LUCAS
And why sometimes he fails to travel.
And things fail.
CECILY
But does he need to be tied up?
LUCAS
Yeah, do I?
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
They sit around the table. The boy's scarf down dinner
much the same way. Cecily gets much enjoyment watching
this.
LAWRENCE
(mouth full)
So. What about when I didn't go? I mean,
went to Minnesota, got the girl, came to
Washington, got the girl. Didn't go to
Arizona, didn't get shit. There's a
pattern man.
LUCAS
Indubitably.
(to Cecily)
Is there anymore, potatoes?
CECILY
What does your failure with women have to
do with this movie?
LAWRENCE
I donno. It just feels the same. It feels
like I need to be there. Proximity is a
killer.
CECILY
I think it's all bullshit. It has nothing
to do with a journey. It's about taking
control of the situation and timing.
Maybe that involves a journey usually but
it doesn't have to.
LUCAS
I don't mother fucking want to be in New
York anymore.
Cecily pauses, wine in hand, for a second.
CECILY
Hey. Lawrence, have you ever noticed that
you too are interchangeable.
LAWRENCE
Yeah, I was just saying. That's why I
tied him up. He knows me.
ZOOM IN as she talks.
CECILY
No but more than that. Like he will talk
for you or you for him, but never at the
same time. It's like he's not separate
at all. You're just talking to yourself.
ZOOM OUT. Lucas is gone.
LAWRENCE
Great. Well thanks babe. He's imaginary
and I just ate two plates worth of food.
CECILY
(takes his hand)
What's wrong?
LAWRENCE
There's barely a month and a half left,
we don't have a breakdown, there's no
lists, so nothing to check off and know
we're getting closer. No choices for cast
even though there's a million actors in
New York. Nothing. We have nothing and
I can only blame my own leadership. But
I will not spend thousands of dollars I
don't have to make a movie that could've
been good given proper, dedicated pre-
production. I saw what happened when we
had no choices on Nate's film. Fuck
that. I don't have money to burn.
CECILY
Then there's only one thing you can do.
Lawrence waits for a long moment. Thinking. He sits back.
LAWRENCE CECILY
I have to cancel the shoot. You have to go to New York.
FADE TO BLACK:
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
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