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An Original Screenplay Copyright (c) 1992
The enormous white geodesic Cinerama Dome movie theater on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. It stands out sharply against blue sky like a giant golf ball waiting to be hit. There is a long line of people winding around the block waiting to get into the first evening show. The wobbling hard rubber wheels of a shopping cart roll along the pavement. Inside the shopping cart is a multitude of empty bottles and cans as well as several stuffed black garbage bags and a filthy yellow blanket. Pushing the shopping cart is a dirty, ragged street person wearing a soiled, very wrinkled brown suit coat and matching pants. He is thirty-two, but it's hard to tell. His unruly black hair and the patchy growths of facial hair combined with the streaks of dirt on his face and a dazed, thousand yard stare in his eyes make him look of an indeterminate age. He is TODD HOLMAN. Todd rolls his shopping cart along the line of people waiting in front of the Dome and begins panhandling, never looking anyone in the eye. TODD Most people look away or simply continue with their conversations as though Todd doesn't exist. TODD
The next PATRON looks up with a pissed-off expression. PATRON Todd continues up the line asking and re-asking the same question. A few different people give him some change and one woman gives him a dollar. Most of the people just ignore him. A well-dressed, good-looking MAN and WOMAN in their thirties, watch Todd pass without giving him money, then turn to each other with sad, concerned expressions. WOMAN MAN WOMAN
MAN
WOMAN
MAN The line starts to move and they head into the theater. EXT. ALLEY BEHIND REDEMPTION CENTER - NIGHT Todd and many other homeless street people stand in line behind a California Redemption Center with their shopping carts and garbage bags full of bottles and cans. Todd drops off his load and gets a couple of dollars and some change. He puts his money into his suit coat pocket and pushes his shopping cart away. INT. WILCOX LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT Todd stands in line at a small liquor store run by Koreans. When it's Todd's turn at the counter he reaches into his pocket and takes out several crumpled dollars and a pile of change which he spreads out on the counter. The middle-aged, Korean CLERK watches with a mixture of boredom, exasperation and a tiny touch of pity. TODD Todd points at the clear plastic container holding shriveled cigar-like beef sticks. The clerk pokes through the money, reaches behind himself and takes a pint bottle of Cluny scotch, then shakes his head. He speaks with a Korean accent. He slides the container of beef sticks away from Todd. CLERK
TODD He goes over and grabs a package of bologna and brings it back to the counter. The clerk rings up the purchase and it comes to $4.14. He counts Todd's money and there's only three dollars and eighty-nine cents. Todd shrugs and slides the package of bologna away. The clerk shakes his head. CLERK
Todd takes his items and leaves. The clerk watches him go, sighs and turns back to his Korean newspaper. EXT. RUG STORE - NIGHT Todd is crouched in a doorway of the Broadway rug store on Sunset Blvd. at Wilcox. It's a good place to crash because its got awnings and recessed doorways in case it rains. There are several other street people crouched in the doorways nearby. Todd has his shopping cart with him and is covered with a dirty yellow blanket. He eats the bologna and washes it down with scotch. He looks through a free publication called "Homes" containing color photos of houses for sale. Todd turns the page and there is a black and white photograph of an empty wooded lot. Todd stops chewing. He looks more closely at the photo and there is now a lone figure sitting on a hill at the center of the lot, beside a For Sale sign. Todd's eyes widen in a faraway gaze. Our view of the photograph of the empty lot grows closer and closer... DISSOLVE TO: EXT. WOODED LOT - DAY ...And the black and white photograph becomes color, then comes to life. It's a sunny fall day in northern Michigan. The leaves on the trees are vibrant and colorful. It's early morning sunlight glistens on the dew. As we move closer we see that the lone figure sitting on the hill is in fact Todd. He is wearing the same brown suit and tie (although clean and well-pressed), and is freshly shaven and showered. He surveys the lot. It's about ten acres. In the distance is the intermittent roar of a freeway. TODD He sighs dolefully, then reaches into his coat pocket and takes out a half pint bottle of peppermint schnapps. Todd takes a mighty swig, doing in a third of the bottle. He screws up his face, shakes his head hard and exhales. TODD Todd opens his eyes wide and stands. He puts the bottle back in his pocket and walks down the hill. On the dirt road in front of the vacant lot sits a blue Chevy Chevette. INT. TODD'S CAR - DAY Todd gets into the little car and slams its tinny sounding door. He puts the schnapps into the glove compartment and takes out a box of Tick-tacks. He dumps a bunch into his mouth. He sucks on them for a second, then suddenly brings his fist to his mouth in a fake punch and spits the Ticktacks into his hand like they're his teeth. TODD He puts the Tick-tacks back in his mouth and starts the car. EXT. CHEBOYGAN - MORNING Todd's Chevette travels up Main Street through the quaint little town of Cheboygan, Michigan, situated at the northernmost tip of the lower peninsula on Lake Huron. The multitude of trees are breathtakingly colorful. The homes are, for the most part, modest, well-kept, wooden frame houses with screened-in porches or breezeways with mowed lawns and large backyards. One of two houses per block are made of red brick and appear solidly constructed of interesting, old designs. All of the cars parked in the driveways are American made and tend toward Ford Escorts and Plymouth Horizons, although there are occasional Buicks, Oldsmobiles and pick-up trucks. Downtown Cheboygan is a two block stretch of Main Street with stores and businesses, a Woolworths, and old-fashioned movie theater, The Kingston, now split in two. At the head of the street is a municipal parking lot. Todd's car pulls in. EXT PARKING LOT - DAY Todd vets out of his car and steps up to the parking meter. The sign says "Four hours for .25 cents." Todd puts in two quarters and gets eight hours. EXT. MAIN STREET/DOWNTOWN CHEBOYGAN - DAY Todd walks up Main Street. Everybody that he passes he knows. He nods and smiles and says "Good morning" in a chipper tone. He stops at the door of Better Business Equipment and goes inside. INT. BETTER BUSINESS EQUIPMENT - DAY This is a small office supply store decorated with old cash registers and safes. There are no customers. At the counter is a heavy-set man with dark curly hair wearing a suit and tie. He is ED. ED
TODD
ED
TODD
ED TODD Ed comes around from behind the counter and leads Todd to the pen aisle. Ed takes a pen from the rack. ED
Todd takes the pen and inspects it. TODD Ed's face lights up. ED
TODD ED
Todd rolls his eyes saying, "Oh sure." TODD
Ed goes back around the counter and rings it up. ED
Todd pays up. TODD
ED
TODD
ED TODD ED
Todd starts to leave. He holds up the pen. TODD
ED
Todd leaves. Ed smiles, then goes back to work. EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY Todd walks up Main Street. Once again, everyone he passes he knows. He passes Gilhouley's Produce Store with vegetables on display outside. An old Irish woman named MRS. GILHOULEY arranges her stock. Todd affects a pretty good Irish accent. TODD
MRS.
GILHOULEY TODD
MRS.
GILHOULEY TODD MRS.
GILHOULEY Todd walks past the Huron Furniture Company just as two long-haired, tattooed, hippy/biker types are carrying a couch out the door. They are CHRIS & DICK. Todd greets them. TODD CHRIS TODD DICK TODD Chris and Dick load the couch on the back of a truck. CHRIS DICK CHRIS DICK Todd keeps walking. TODD
EXT. JO ANN FABRIC STORE - DAY Todd steps up in front of the Jo Ann Fabric Store and stops. He just stands there with a funny, baffled look on his face. He begins to walk in a circle. INT. JO ANN FABRICS - DAY There are no customers in the fabric store. At the counter stands a white-haired, middle-aged woman named TRUDY. She sees Todd through the window and calls back over her shoulder. TRUDY
From the back room steps LAURA WILLISON, an attractive, shapely, twenty-nine year old woman with red hair and green eyes. She too sees Todd through the window and a smile plays across her face. She returns to the back room. Todd walks back and forth a few times, then finally opens the door and comes in. He sees Trudy, smiles and waves. TODD
TRUDY
TODD
Trudy points over her shoulder toward the back. Todd nods and heads down an aisle of bolts of fabric. INT. BACK ROOM - DAY Todd pops his head into the back room to find Laura busily unloading a box of fabric rolls. She glances up at Todd nonchalantly and keeps doing what she's doing. LAURA
TODD
LAURA
TODD LAURA TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA TODD LAURA
TODD He turns to leave. Laura steps up to him and takes his arm. Todd turns and Laura puts her arms around him. When he doesn't reciprocate, she takes hold of his dangling arms and puts them around her. LAURA
TODD LAURA TODD LAURA
TODD TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD
LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD LAURA
TODD Laura leans forward and kisses him. Todd reaches around and grabs her tush. After the kiss she nuzzles his neck. LAURA TODD They break apart. LAURA TODD Todd leaves. Laura looks up after he's gone and smiles. EXT. DECADE 31 REALTY OFFICE - DAY Decade 31 is a small, storefront realty office on Main Street at the end of the block. Through the window we can see a blonde, round-faced, rosy-cheeked, middle-aged woman named EILEEN, sitting at one of two desks. She turns around as Todd enters from the back. INT. DECADE 31 OFFICE - DAY Todd hangs up his coat, smiles at Eileen and sits down at the other desk. TODD EILEEN TODD &n |