LAST!...next
(WORKING TITLE)
working draft
7/17/2002
TREATMENT
Last!...Next is a short subject story about Gregory, a lonely counter clerk, and Reeve (pronounced Rived), the thirty-something meth-head he passes on the sidewalk each day to work. He intends to start a friendship, but must overcome what put her on the street to begin with. Before Gregory, a decent man, can impact on Reeve, he must admit his own drug--loneliness.
CAST
Gregory
Reeve
Frisbee
Generic bystanders
TAG LINE
The shell that was once my heart
Cannot be easily pierced.
-Marcelle Maurette (Anastasia)
1. FADE IN
exterior
Fade in on a horizontal close up of a stone gutter. We are in 9x3 ratio. We see a sick-looking white liquid roll down the gutter. The sound of a moving crowd grows out of the silence. We slowly begin following the fluid to its source.
Opening Credits
DISOLVE TO
Full screen of sidewalk where fluid runs to gutter. We pull back to see the fluid coming from underneath a prone man (apparently homeless) sleeping against side of building.
We dolly over man and find the source of fluid. A drainage gutter is backed up and filled with both water and the remains of cardboard box (perhaps milk, perhaps just garbage).
We dolly back over the man and pull back to the sidewalk. Bystanders step over the fluid ignoring the prone man.
CUT TO
Back of Gregory's head. He is approaching the fluid. He stops to notice the prone man.
CUT TO
Gregory in close up. There is obvious distress in his face. His shoulders are being brushed by passing bystanders. He pauses long enough to give us the time to decide what we would do and then steps over the fluid and continues.
CUT TO
POV behind Gregory. He walks down the street. We pull back to a full shot of the sidewalk. Gregory remains focus. The street is a typical big city sidewalk. There is no one in business suits. The bystanders are casual. This is a poor sidewalk. Everyone has someplace to go. Gregory is dressed in khaki slacks and a black tee. It is his work uniform. He is in his late twenties and non-descript. He becomes just one of the crowd. He turns his head for one more look, then turns the corner.
FADE TO
02. USED BOOK STORE
interior
fade in to sound of door chime. We are in a small used bookstore. There are stacks of paperbacks on every conceivable shelf. Our POV is low.
FRISBEE (OC)
GG, welcome home.
GREGORY
It feels like I just left.
Our POV raises to over the stack of paperbacks to see Frisbee, a young Dominican, sorting through the books.
FRISBEE
The old man wants us to box these up and ship them over to the Philly store.
GREGORY
Philly?
FRISBEE
Something wrong with that?
GREGORY
No, it will be good to get rid of 'em. Got to make more room for the pink.
Gregory makes his way to behind the counter and starts moving books. Frisbee walks over to the window. He stares out. A moving fan rhythmically blows his thick black hair back and forth.
FRISBEE
Dude, check it out. Here she comes again.
GREGORY
Who?
FRISBEE
That chick...that low-low-prices chick.
Gregory goes to window.
CUT TO
POV out of window. The window is filtered to dark blue. Outside the window, everything appears to be in night though it is mid day. Push into to focus on Reeve. She is early thirties, attractive in a frumpy used way. She wear a fitted black linen coat; her dark hair, straight and uncombed; her demin pants, too short for her legs; her shoes, flat and white seemed too large. She is carrying a small green backpack. He lumbers down the sidewalk slowly. She has no place to go.
FRISBEE (OC)
Dude, you want her.
GREGORY (OC)
Shut up.
CUT TO
Inside bookstore
FRISBEE
She's coming this way. Dude, now's you're chance.
GREGORY
Don't you have something to do?
FRISBEE
Look at the way she swings, GG. She wants it.
GREGORY
Let it go, man. Go get me a new box.
Frisbee walks away leaving Gregory standing back from the window. He pretends to be sorting a stack of books. We can see short focus out the blue window. We see Reeve walking across the street and disappear. Gregory stops sorting the book. He stares out the window. He is surprised when Reeve appears just outside his window. He pretends to work. Reeve stops at the center of the window and looks in. She stares down Gregory. He holds the look for a few moments. Then he fumbles with the books and walks back to the counter.
CUT TO
Close up of Reeve. She pushes her hair out of her face and smiles a victory smile.
Slow fade to black
03. BOOKSTORE (THE NEXT DAY)
Interior
Frisbee is dressed differently, Gregory is in his uniform. Some of the books are now gone. We notice the curtains open from the "Adults only" section. A man comes out with a handful of magazines. He doesn't speak or look at Gregory as he pays for the mags and walks out the door with a paper bag and familiar door chime.
Frisbee walks to the window.
FRISBEE
She's back.
GREGORY
Shit.
FRISBEE
Check it out.
GREGORY
I've got work to do.
FRISBEE
She's coming over. This is your chance.
GREGORY
Leave me alo...
Reeve appears in the window. She is wearing the same things as the day before. She stops and looks in. Frisbee cocks his head at her. She ignores him. She stares at Gregory. He stares at her with a book becoming heavier in his hand. He is frozen. Reeve slowly nods once and moves on.
FRISBEE
Did you check that out? Oh, man, she wants you. GG, man, you got a girlfriend.
Push in to Gregory's face.
DISSOLVE TO
05. SIDEWALK
Exterior
Push in complete in three stages (different angle, different focus) on side of building where Reeve is setup. She sits on her jacket next to a crude handmade sign that says, "Please Help Me". A small dish is setup next to the sign. It is half-filled with money (mostly change). Bystanders pass mostly ignoring Reeve. She tries to catch their eye, as if contact would make the charity more available.
As bystanders pass by, we see Reeve try harder and harder to catch attention. She speaks to no one.
REEVE
...low, low prices...
She repeats that over and over again in a nonsensical chant.
REEVE
...low, low prices...
Someone, an elderly woman catches Reeves eyes and reaches into her purse and pulls out some change. She drops the money into the dish and manages a weak wave to Reeve as she passes.
REEVE
Thank you...
Someone else passes and Reeve tries to get their attention. When they pass by, Reeve starts the chant again.
REEVE
...low, low prices...
From Reeve's POV we watch the bystanders pass. Occasionally, someone looks at her, but most just pass without noticing.
A couple passes. The man, with his arm over the woman's shoulder, ignores Reeve. The woman tucks her head into the man's chest and locks eye contact with Reeve. When they are past, the girl turns away.
REEVE
...low, low prices...
When Reeve looks back, we see Gregory.
GREGORY
Hi.
Reeve does not answer. She stares at him without emotion. She neither encourages him or bids him away.
GREGORY
My name is Gregory. I work over at Saso's.
Reeve
...to be continued