Circadian rhythms and coming of age in Jacob Lovett's original screenplay

Circadian
an original screenplay by
Jacob Lovett
Jacob Lovett
637 E. Henry St.
Savannah, Ga, 31401
(401) 864-1304
jlovet22@student.scad.edu

FADE IN:
EXT. SURREAL OCEAN EXPANSE - DAY
Deep blue water sways gracefully in successive rhythms. The
gentle lapping of the water is the only audible presence.
Subtly AMBIENT, DREAMLIKE MUSIC emanates.
YOUNG MAN(V.O)
I feel this thing, tugging at me
from the depths of my gut, urging me
to listen.
The lapping of the blue water continues to throb.
YOUNG MAN (CONT'D)
It whispers to me a rhapsody of
secrets, warning me of my weaknesses
and how to conquer them.
(Beat)
Other times it tells me of my future.
The water's cyclical movements begin to heighten and the
water retreats into a wave.
His voice becomes urgent.
YOUNG MAN (CONT'D)
It keeps talking about a beautiful,
collectively brilliant place, holding
within it all of the joys and all of
the sufferings that life has to offer.
The wave heightens and fills our view.
YOUNG MAN (CONT'D)
For a moment I see it, but then, it
all fades away.
The waves overcome, the color washes over and spins before
us. Moving out, the blue begins to materialize an eye. The
eye belongs to RAY COLE.
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
TITLE CARD: 1999
Ray, a young boy of 7, lies sleeplessly on his bed,
discontentedly fiddling with the edge of his pillowcase as
he lies. His two siblings, Emily and Tom, play together in
the neighboring room. The CHILDISH GIGGLING battles with
the emergence of ADULT VOICES from outside his window. Ray's
eyes illuminate in the golden light as he looks up, revealing
a hidden wisdom, locked away within a child's body.

2.
Songbirds play from the outside window.
Ray gets up, moving through dust particles as they shimmer
through the light's rays.
A CAR DOOR SLAMMING from outside alerts him. He presses
himself to the window.
Looking down on the scene, Ray watches as his father DOUGLAS
finishes packing a car in the driveway. Ray's mother PHYLLIS
stands off to the side, arms crossed and tense.
Packing the last item, Doug closes the back hatch. He moves
to Phyllis, in one last attempt to console her.
She shakes her head, signifying that it is time for him to
go. Defeated, he gets in the car and drives off.
Ray's reflection is revealed looking onto the scene. Sadness
and understanding emanates from within.
He steps away.
EXT. POND - DAY
RAY and TOM sit at a Picnic table, joyful. A Spiderman
birthday cake is set before them, and they playfully entertain
a few friends and family with their goofy gestures.
EXT. POND - DAY - LATER
RAY and Tom scan the edges of the pond. Ray stares intently
into a group of tadpoles, clustering at the edge. He watches
their movements, sporadic and full of life.
He reaches down and lifts them up, staring at them with a
deep curiosity.
Tom, a ways down the beach, calls for Ray.
TOM
Ray! Come check this out!
Ray gets up and runs over. Tom holds something in his hand,
treasuringly.
Ray looks in as Tom opens them up. A small frog sits I his
hand, its throat expanding and contracting with anxiety.
Ray smiles and looks closer.
DOUG(O.S)
You know, those are what little
tadpoles turn into.

3.
Ray turns his head at this voice, seeing his father Douglas
standing beside them.
RAY
Dad!
Ray hugs him deeply.
Tom drops the frog and runs over to his Dad, hugging him as
well.
TOM
You made it!
DOUG
You think I'd miss this special day?
Its not everyday your children become
men.
Doug spots the frog as it hops away.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Your little friend is getting away.
Tom jumps for it, and picks it back up, struggling to gain a
grip on it.
He finally gains a solid grasp and brings it to the others.
RAY
Tadpoles turn into frogs?
DOUG
Yup. They get old enough and they
lose their tails, grow feet and start
hopping around.
TOM
WOAH.
Ray spots his mother, looking over to them with an alienated
demeanor. Emily plays with her dolls adjacent on the picnic
table.
Doug notices Phyllis's demeanor as well. This makes him
slightly uneasy.
He turns back to his sons and squats to them.
DOUG
Now, Tom, let him go back home.
TOM looks down on the frog with childish yearning. He doesn't
want to let it go. Doug shoots him a look.

4.
Tom runs to the pond's edge and sets him down, and crouches
as he watches the frog hop away.
Ray watches Tom. He turns back toward his father.
RAY
When are you coming back home?
DOUG's demeanor lessons, however he remains strongly composed.
DOUG
I'm moving into a new place, but
that doesn't mean we won't see each
other. I'll be here every other
weekend to come spend time with you
guys.
RAY
(Looking down)
We still gonna go camping together.
DOUG
Not as much, but when we do, its
gonna be even better than all the
other times.
Tom is still intrigued by the frog and continues to follow
it as it hops around. Ray looks over toward him an attempt
to avert his distress.
Doug senses this.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Listen Ray.
(Holding for a moment)
He looks to the tadpoles clustered
at the edge.
DOUG (CONT'D)
You know how those tadpoles get to
be frogs?
This captures Ray's interest.
RAY
They grow up, just like you said.
DOUG
Yeah but that's just the half of it.
When they grow up, just like you and
me, they realize that what they once
thought was the whole world and
everything in it was just a small
piece of the big picture.

5.
Ray's gaze remains intent on the tadpoles, overlapping and
struggling for the most ideal spot in the water.
DOUG (CONT'D)
If they stayed in the pond, they
would really never get the chance to
see what was really out there, until
they push themselves to grow feet.
Doug playfully grabs at Ray's feet and shakes him a bit.
DOUG (CONT'D)
You have feet, but you still haven't
lost your tail.
Ray looks around him to see if he has a tail.
Doug laughs and playfully nudges him. Ray is enjoyably
flustered.
RAY
Hey.
They play wrestle a bit on the beach. Doug eventually grabs
him and walks him into the water and tosses him. Tom jumps
up and grabs his back.
Phyllis remains resolved, looking over to them.
EXT. CAMPGROUND - NIGHT
The group roasts marshmallows around a campfire. DOUG and a
woman talk to one another far off, leaning against a car.
The woman is visibly perturbed.
Tom pulls his burning marshmallow to his face and vigorously
begins to blow it out. Emily is laughing at this.
Ray watches as the woman gets in the car and starts it up.
Doug heads back over to them.
EMILY
Be careful, you'll burn your eyebrows
off.
Tom eats the marshmallows rewardingly.
DOUG steps up to the children.
DOUG
Hey guys so I gotta get going. But
I'll be seeing you guys real soon,
okay?

6.
TOM, EMILY and RAY get up to hug him. PHYLLIS sits off,
staring at him with cold eyes.
DOUG nods his head, the tension is palpable. He heads the
opposite direction.
Ray watches as he heads off. Ray lifts the marshmallow to
his face and watches as it burns.
FLAMES FILL OUR VIEW. Ray's eyes reflect the flares.
EXT. BACKYARD - DAY
A stick slaps hard against a tree. ROBBY, a neighborhood kid
with a mean look in his eye, wielding a stick, delivers the
rules of Òman-huntÓ to CLAYTON, another neighborhood kid,
TOM, his sister EMILY, and RAY.
ROBBY
So here are the rules: None of us
can hide in the house, or in the
neighbor's yard. You gotta be
somewhere in the backyard.
(he gestures, using
his stick as a
pointing tool)
There will be two coppers, TOM, and
me who will be looking for the
thieves; you guys.
He points to RAY, EMILY and CLAYTON.
ROBBY (CONT'D)
You guys will go and hide, and we'll
come a find ya. You get tagged, you're
out. We'll give you one minute to
find your hiding spots. The goal is
to get to home base.
He slaps the tree once more.
ROBBY (CONT'D)
Any questions?
CLAYTON
Yeah, how come you guys get to use
sticks and we don't get anything.
ROBBY
These? These are our batons. You
can't be a cop without a baton.
Ray looks suspiciously at ROBBY, Sensing that there are other
motives for his actions.

7.
ROBBY (CONT'D)
Alright, well if there are no other
questions, lets get hunting!
EXT. BACKYARD - LATER
Branches CRACK. RAY crunches his way through low-hanging
branches. He maneuvers intelligently through the twining of
vines. He stops for a moment and listens.
TOM COUNTING can be heard from a little ways off.
EMILY crawls her way behind a pile of trashcans in the yard.
Smiling in confidence at her location.
RAY looks out from within the brush and watches his brother
analytically. He lowers himself further underneath a flower
bush, crawling low and with seriousness.
TOM continues to count.
TOM
21, 22, 23É
Clayton crawls his way under a rundown pickup truck, nearly
scraping his face against the ground as he moves across. He
looks around, prepared.
Ray continues to watch as the two step away from the tree,
sticks firmly in hand.
ROBBY
Ready or not, here we come!
Robby signals for Tom to go one direction, opposite Ray toward
where Emily hides, and ROBBY turns toward where CLAYTON hides.
RAY stares at the tree, realizing his opportunity. Still he
remains, cautiously watching their movements.
Clayton struts through the yard, brandish in his steps
displaying authority or a false sense thereof.
Tom begins to search around some trashcans a little ways off
from Emily's spot. She withdraws back, aware of his proximity.
Robb continues to strut around, scanning the whole of the
area.
ROBBY (CONT'D)
Come out come out wherever you are!
His eyes fall upon the pickup truck. He heads toward it with
the same slow, daunting steps.

8.
He passes by the doghouse and whacks it hard with his stick.
Tom looks back, alerted by the sound. Ray continues to watch,
sensing an alternative motive behind his actions.
Robby approaches the truck and immediately look underneath.
No one is there. Clayton is pressed against the opposite
side of the truck, panting.
ROBBY (CONT'D)
Where are you?
He slashes at the truck hard, denting it feverously.
Clayton is actually frightened. He closes his eyes nervously.
Tom continues toward Emily's spot. She swiftly crawls into
an empty lying trashcan. She curls into a ball, nervous
herself.
Ray slowly begins to creep out of his spot. Watching Tom as
he searches the cans, opposite him and glancing to ROBBY,
who begins to scale the side of the truck.
Robby slashes at the truck again, this time, breaking a hole
in a rusted section of the truck. A rumbling sound can be
heard from within the casing of the door.
THE SOUND OF METAL BEING RATTLED EMERGES.
TOM bangs on the side of the trashcan where Emily was hiding.
TOM laughs as Emily crawls out, defeated.
TOM
Hey Robby, I found Emily!
Robby looks over, distracted.
In that moment Clayton bolts from the other side of the truck
and makes a run for it. Ray is alerted.
Seeing this he begins to make a run for it himself, popping
out of the bushes and heading for the tree.
ROBBY
Oh, no you don't!
Robby runs for Clayton and smacks him hard against the legs,
knocking him to the ground. He moans with pain as he is hit.
EMILY and TOM try to see what's going on, concerned.
Ray continues to bolt for the tree but sees what is occurring
on the other side of the yard.

9.
Clayton is crying as Robby continually beats him with the
stick.
Ray, just about to reach the safe zone, decides between
helping his friend and winning the game.
Robby has a hateful look in his eye.
TOM and Emily finally traverse the obstacles of cans and see
what's going on.
Robby continues to strike. Clayton is curled up in a ball.
TOM
Hey, Robby!
Ray runs straight toward them.
RAY
Robby, stop!
He grabs for Robby and wrestles him to the ground. The two
begin to fight.
Ray attempts to pry to stick from his hand as Robby continues
to fling it.
EMILY
Knock it off!
Clayton gets up, gripping his arm in pain.
The two continue to scuffle. The sound from within the car
door continues to heighten into a roar. Bees erupt from within
the hole.
Tom spots the angered bees.
TOM
Guys, look out!
Robby quickly gets up and runs away. Ray remains kneeling,
dumbstruck as the wave of bees overcomes them.
The others get a safe distance away but Ray is stuck. He is
stung multiple times, in his arm, in his side, and in his
leg.
The three bystanders watch, dumbstruck, as he is stung.
Ray moans with pain at each sting.
TOM (CONT'D)
(To Emily)
Go get mom!

10.
The bees subside, leaving a woozy Ray in the dirt. He looks
up to Clayton, Tom and a fearful Robby, weakly. He passes
out.
INT. AMBULANCE - DAY
CLOSE ON: Ray's swollen face as he is driven in the ambulance.
From his POV we see a blurred perspective of the EMS, SOUND
MUFFLED. He glances over to his mother, who worriedly holds
his hand.
CUT TO BLACK:
RAY (V.O.)
It's funny when you're on the verge
of death. It can almost be more
peaceful than life. You don't have
to worry about what happens next.
But then, when you don't die, it
makes you think about why you even
went there in the first place.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Ray leans up in his hospital bed, conscious yet still
significantly swollen. His mother sits beside him.
A FEMALE NURSE walks in.
FEMALE NURSE
So you're the lucky one, hm?
Ray looks to her, still trying to gain his bearings.
FEMALE NURSE (CONT'D)
You know, you were pretty far along.
We're surprised you are looking as good as you are.
He looks to his mother, eyes half-swollen shut.
He mother holds back a smile.
She leans in.
Looks like you got a little angel
watching over you.
She sifts through paperwork.
But unfortunately, it does seem that
you have a pretty potent bee allergy.
(MORE)

11.
So you'll have to be very careful
when playing outside from now on,
okay?
Ray nods. Curiosity flickers in his eye.
RAY
How long will I be in here?
FEMALE NURSE
Well, we still have a few more
treatments for you to get you back
on track. But we should be able to
have you out of here by tomorrow
morning. You like TV?
She grabs for the remote on the bedside table and flicks it
on. The Teletubbies are on.
Ray grimaces.
PHYLLIS
(dismissively)
Thank you.
FEMALE NURSE
Just let us know if you need anything.
She smiles as she exits.
Phyllis and Ray exchange a glance. She can't hold it back
any longer. She lets out a small laugh.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT
RAY turns over in his bed toward his mother, standing by a
cracked window that overlooks the tungsten city night. She
indulges a cigarette as she looks down on the streets.
RAY
Mom. Can't sleep.
His mother turns to him. The sadness in her eyes battle
against a smile.
PHYLLIS
Neither can I.
She puts out her cigarette.
She closes the window and sits down beside him. She strokes
his hair lovingly.

12.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
How are you feeling?
RAY
No better than those bees. Is it
true they die after they sting
someone?
PHYLLIS
Mhm. They give their lives for the
nest.
RAY
That makes me feel badÉ Phyllis looks
at her son lovingly.
PHYLLIS
I'm sorry hon.
RAY
It's alright.
They sit for a moment in silence. Ray's eyes glimmer.
RAY (CONT'D)
Mom, what do you think happens when
we die?
PHYLLIS
What ever made you think of that?
RAY
I have these dreams. Everything has
so much color. Lots more than here.
PHYLLIS
I was brought up to believe that,
when we die, if we're good, we go to
heaven.
RAY
Do you think Dad is going to heaven?
She looks at him deeply for a moment.
PHYLLIS
You're father is a great man. Some
of us just have different paths to
heaven. We all take a few twists and
turns before we get there.
Ray stares out for a moment.
RAY
...I love you mom.

13.
She smiles and relaxes.
PHYLLIS
I love you too honey.
FADE IN:
EXT. SURREAL LANDSCAPE - DUSK
The same, flowing water fills our view, however the time of
day is different. Pulling back, we see as a sailboat drifts
in the water, empty, without passengers. The sunlight creates
a golden hue the rests along the horizon. The sky is red and
purple. The boat lingers as the waves progress.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING
RAY's eyes roll open, awaking to see his father sitting beside
him, reading a newspaper. As he awakes, DOUG smiles.
RAY
Hey Dad.
DOUG
Hey budÉ
He folds the newspaper and sets it beside him, leaning in to
engage with his son.
DOUG (CONT'D)
So, you had a pretty rough run in
with a bee's nest, huh? Nasty little
buggers.
RAY
Yeah, it wasn't too bad though. I
wasn't afraid of the bees as much as
I was for my friend Clayton.
DOUG
Yeah, I heard that boy, ROBBY was
it? Yeah he's getting it now from
his parents. What would compel him
to do something like that is beyond
me.
Doug sits pensively for a moment, stealing a few glances at
his son.
DOUG (CONT'D)
You know, when I was your age, I
knew a kid just like that. His name
was Johnny Ellerby.
Ray's childish intrigue emerges. His eyes widen.

14.
RAY
Really, what happened?
DOUG
(Laughing)
You sure you want to hear about it?
Backs then things were different; we
got into a lot worse situations.
RAY
I want to hear it.
DOUG
Alright wellÉIts funny that your
situation involves bees, because
mine, well, it involves snakes!
RAY
Were they poisonous?
DOUG
They were.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
TITLE CARD: 1971
A young DOUGLAS, 7 years old, sets himself in a canoe in a
pond. He lowers his body gently in, and pushes away from the
bank. As he begins to row, he is caught up in a bunch of
crawfish trap lines. He leans over and sees them, pulling
one out.
He looks in, seeing a couple crawfish flicking their bodies
sporadically. He gives it a stern look and lowers it back
down. As he does so, he pulls out a pocketknife.
He moves to the front of his canoe and begins to methodically
saw at all of the lines that block his path.
After a bit of cutting he is freed and the canoe moves freely
through the water.
EXT. POND - LATER
He leans back in his canoe, fishing. The energy of the area
is calm. As he leans back, setting his hat low on his face,
VOICES can be heard from a distance. This alerts Doug, and
quickly he sits up.
He listens a moment longer. VOICES AGAIN.
Quickly he reels back in his line and pulls his rod back in
the boat.

15.
He paddles quickly to the side of the bank and pulls his
boat back in.
He hears rustling in the branches not too far off and scurries
quickly through the brush. He finds a spot to hind behind.
Through the brush, JOHNNY ELLERBY, a ten year old kid,
significantly larger than Doug pulls out the cut lines out
of the water. His brother CHANCE ELLERBY stands beside him.
He looks at them with much disdain.
He looks around.
Doug keeps low.
JOHNNY
Where the hell are you, you son of a
bitch!
Johnny looks around. He spots the canoe on the other side of
the pond. Angrily, he begins to scale the side of the pond
in order to pursue the culprit.
Doug, alerted, begins to run through the woods. He pushes
his way through thick brush, crawls under a low-hanging log,
and wades through tall puddles. He looks over his shoulder
and can hear footsteps cracking through the brush behind
him.
He emerges from out of the woods and finds himself in a marsh-
like area, the trail from the woods extending out onto a
bridge spread across the marsh. Carefully, Doug works his
way across the wooden boards.
He moves with swiftness, yet he remains careful on the nearly
rotted wooden bridge.
A good ways across the bridge, Doug spots Johnny as he pops
out of the woods.
They exchange a quick standoff stare, and Johnny begins to
run across.
Doug continues to run as well.
As his footsteps have quickened, so has the danger of falling.
He looks at his feet as he maneuvers his way across the
boards. He is light on his feet but the boards are quite
loose.
As he looks back, one of the boards breaks beneath his feet.
He falls straight down, out of sight.
Johnny reaches the point where Doug fell in. He looks around,
confused as to where he landed.

16.
Spotting the hole where Doug fell through, he looks through.
Doug, stiff as a board, lays petrified amongst a family of
water moccasins, piled up by his feet.
Doug looks up at Johnny fearfully. Johnny isn't quite sure
what to do.
Alerted by the situation, he refuses to get any closer worried
that the snakes, too, would affect him.
DOUG (V.O.)
The truth is, those snakes actually
saved my butt! If it weren't for
being stuck amongst those poisonous
predators, I would have sure met an
even worse fate.
Johnny Ellerby, gets up, frustrated.
JOHNNY
I'll be back around!
He runs back the opposite direction.
JOHNNY (CONT'D)
Lets go ChanceÉGood luck with those
snakes!
He chuckles as he continues off.
Doug, remaining stiff, slowly pushes his way away from the
snakes. They slither slowly out of their pile, curious at
the new obstruction to their gathering.
Eyes wide and fearful, he continues to slowly back off. One
of the snakes approaches closer. He reaches for a stick beside
him ready to smack it. He raises the stick.
He throws out the stick. The snake bites it. He kicks himself
up and scurries out of there.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING
DOUG leans back in his chair, looking around at the room.
DOUG
Acorns don't fall far from the tree
now, do they son. I'll see you next
weekend.
He ruffles his hair and gets up.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Get better bud.

17.
Doug exits. Ray watches, taking in a neewfound realization
from this encounter.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
Ray and his mother enter the house. Tom and Emily get up
from the kitchen table, where they had been drawing together,
to greet him.
TOM
Hey, Ray! You're back!
Ray is still a little swollen. Emily tilts her head and looks
at him peculiarly.
EMILY
You look like an alien. Your eyes
are like,
(She makes a silly
gesture accentuating
big eyes)
BLOOP!
She walks him back out into the kitchen.
Several kids have gathered at the window, curiously peering
in. They coax for him to come to them.
He moves over, still a bit disoriented.
Phyllis rushes forward and closes the blinds.
PHYLLIS
Now you're gonna be staying inside
for a few days. You friends will
have to get along without you for a
little while.
RAY
What happened to Robby?
TOM
I think he's grounded. Serves him
right for pickin' on Clayton like
that.
Ray is a bit bothered.
PHYLLIS
I'll go get dinner started.
She exits the room.
Emily goes up to RAY.

18.
EMILY
Its not fair that you get the same
punishment as Robby. We all know it
wasn't your fault.
Ray goes to the window and peaks out. He watches as the kids
disperse and head back into their homes. ROBBY looks out
from the second story across the street, looking down on the
kids.
QUICK SHOT of JOHNNY ELLERBY standing in the same position
looking down on DOUG from bridge.
QUICKLY Returns to ROBBY.
He notices Ray and closes the blinds.
Ray stares curiously.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
CUT TO:
A passiveness is present as the family eats dinner together.
RAY's sister EMILY and brother TOM sit either side him.
Their eyes remained fixed at their plates. PHYLLIS tries to
alleviate the tension.
PHYLLIS
Ah I forgot, cornbread in the oven.
She gets up. As she reaches the oven, her steps slow. All
false strength is lost and she falls against the oven for
support.
She lowers her head in dismay.
Emily and Tom continue eating without notice. Ray looks to
her, analyzing the pain of his mother.
EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - NIGHT
They pull up to DOUG's apartment complex. Ray exits the car,
Tom stirs awake and exits the vehicle. PHYLLIS looks at them
through the windshield.
PHYLLIS
You guys have fun, okay?
They nod.
They all head into the building and enter the apartment.

19.
INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT
A cramped room with three beds. Doug stands in the doorway.
DOUG
Alright, guys so here's where y'all
will be sleeping.
Emily settles into a bed. TOM and RAY ready themselves for
sleep.
INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
The kids are all just about asleep. DOUG reaches to turn out
the light on the nightstand beside Ray. Ray is restless.
RAY
Dad.
DOUG
Yeah, bud?
RAY
What do you think happens when we
die?
Taken aback by the magnitude of the question, he responds
after a moment of collective thought.
DOUG
Buddy, its late, you need to get
some sleep.
RAY
I keep having weird dreams. I don't
get them.
Doug sighs.
DOUG
There are things in this world that
we simply can't know. But I'll tell
you one thing. It's never what we
think.
INT.CAR - MORNING
1972. This is not a flashback but more of a parallel world.
An 8-year-old DOUG, and his 9-year-old sister, DANA, sit
tucked in the backseat of an old station wagon.
They drive to a party. Their mother, LORRAINE, is in the
drivers seat, wearing a black and white checkered dress and
holding a long cigarette between her fingers.

20.
Their father, DOUGLAS SENIOR, leans back with his eyes closed,
catching sleep at anytime possible.
Doug looks up into the mirror at his family admiringly.His
mother shoots him a glance in the mirror with loving regards.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
A birthday party at LORRAINE's sisters house. It house streams
with people of all ages, shapes and sizes, and there is an
energetic nature to the party.
DOUG, LORRAINE, DANA and DOUG SENIOR enter through the front
door. DOUG SENIOR look out of place. DOUG scans the
environment curiously, and LORRAINE perks up as her sister,
QUEENI, boisterous, party-loving woman approaches them.
QUEENIE
My baby sister!
(She hugs for Lorraine)
And the little Pumpkins!
She kisses the heads of the bewildered children.
She lifts up to Doug Senior.
QUEENIE (CONT'D)
(Demeanor stiffening)
Doug.
DOUG SENIOR
Queenie.
She moves back to the whole of them.
QUEENIE
Well come on in! The party's just
getting started!
She grabs her sister's arm and escorts them inside.
QUEENIE (CONT'D)
(To Lorraine)
Now we've got Kelly and Ryan, on the
back porch with a little hash. Now
don't tell that stiff husband of
yours, might try to arrest us.
DOUG senior follows a spiteful looks on his face.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
The house streams with teenagers and
a few younger kids.

21.
The adults sit outside on the patio, enjoying a calmer
atmosphere. DOUG and DANA, work their way away from the high
energy of the party and explore the old home. They enter
through a beaded entrance to and old study, lined to the
brim with adornments and artifacts that span all cultures
and spiritual curiosities.
Doug follows Dana through the room; the SOUND OF THE PARTY
bounces from down the hall.
DOUG
Woah, look at all this stuff!
He sifts through the piles of miscellaneous wonders.
DANA
Don't touch nothin'!
He jams his hands in his pockets and smiles at her.
Dana skims the adornments lining the walls and spread across
a long dresser.A large jewel in a glass case, necklaces of
all shapes and sizes hanging from strange potteries and
figurines. The items reflect the crazy energy of QUEENIE,
suggesting her strange affection for spiritual induction and
the associated ornaments.
DANA (CONT'D)
Ant Queenie sure likes some weird
stuff.
Doug spins the wheel on a monkey figurine.
DOUG
(Peering his eye
through the slacks
of the wheel)
I think its cool.
Dana eyes a board game lodged beneath a pile of records and
papers.
DANA
What th-Doug sees it and leaps for
it. Dana rolls her eyes as he pulls
it onto the floor, leaving a bit of
a mess in his path. He opens the
box, revealing the OUIGI BOARD.
DOUG
Ah, it's a board game! Come on Dana,
lets play!
Dana stands rigid.

22.
DANA
I heard about that game.People use
it to call on ghosts and other
spirits. To answer questions of the
after life. Stuff like that.
Doug looks at it with wonder. A beat.
DOUG
I ain't never seen a ghost before.
He drags the board game into the closet.
DANA
Doug, no!
Doug pushes his way to the back of the closet.
DOUG
Says, we gotta do it in the dark!
Dana sighs with exasperation and follows him into the closet,
closing the door behind her.
INT. CLOSET - NIGHT
Once inside, the two ready themselves and the game. The only
light source comes from beneath the door, creating a bar of
faint light revealing the shared nervousness in their eyes.
They exchange a glance and a nod, ready to use it.
They both reach their hands to the planchette and begin. As
they move it, Doug looks down at where the piece landed.
Dana is a bit more skeptical.
DANA
What do you see?
CLOSE ON: DOUG'S FEARFUL EYES. A faint flash of greenish
blue light obstructs the light from beneath the door. He
looks sick.
INT. ROOM - NIGHT
From outside the door, the party continues from down the
hall.
Doug and DANA's FAINT SCREAMS are barely audible over the
voices and the music.
EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT
DOUG SENIOR and LORRAINE sit on the porch with family members.
QUEENIE entertains the group with a story.

23.
QUEENIE
And when I got back from the store,
I found my whole dresser spinned
right around. I swear a demon had
been trying to fool with me.
DOUG looks at her skeptically.
DOUG SENIOR
Or the lord was trying to tell you a
message. Stop stashing your hash in
your dresser drawer. That'll be the
first place they'll search.
QUEENIE
Oh, hush, if it were Jesus, he'd be
right there joining me, am I right?
Lorraine sits back, smirking at her sister's humor.
QUEENIE (CONT'D)
(Under her breath)
Damn, coppers.
Lorraine lets a drag of smoke exhale from her mouth. She
looks into the house, trying to spot her children.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
CUT TO:
The dimly lit room of the two siblings. DOUG and DANA reflect
about their experiences that night.
ADULT DOUG'S VOICE (V.O.)
And that night was the night we
realized that there is something
greater out there, something beyond
what we can see with our own eyes.
From then on out, we never stopped searching.
EXT. PARK - BACK TO PRESENT - DAY
A baseball hits a glove. Doug and his children play in the
park together. TOM, DOUG and RAY play catch. EMILY sits under
a tree a little ways off, reading a book.
DOUG
Come on, show me what you got!
Tom struggles to throw the ball hard. But it lands a little
weakly in Doug's glove.

24.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Mosquito bites!
He tosses it back to Ray.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Come on, what have you got?
Ray tenses the ball in his hand and throws it hard, actually
putting some speed behind it.
It lands hard in his glove.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Wow, good one!
Tom looks at Ray discerningly. Ray musters a smirk.
INT. CAR - DAY
The family rides in the car together, all sharing a similar
expression of dissatisfaction.
DOUG
(trying to lighten
the mood.)
Time flies when you having fun, right?
They all peer out the windows, sadly disengaged.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Look I know, this flew by, but soon
enough we'll be doing it all over
again.
Ray turns to him, stepping up as a means to entertain his
father's attempts.
RAY
Don't worry Dad, we had a great time.
He looks back over into the window in his reflection.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
The children are back at their mother's. They all lie on the
floor and draw together. Ray is especially talented, and his
drawings reflect his desire to explore. Fantastical
landscapes.
Tom looks over to the drawing, puzzled.
TOM
What's that suppose to be?

25.
Ray's glance remains on his paper.
RAY
I don't know. Its something I keep
seeing in my dreams.
Tom looks a little harder.
He points down to a boat drawn in the water.
TOM
You gotta draw sailors. What's a
sailboat doing without sailors in
it?
He nods and draws in a sailor.
PHYLLIS passes through the room, cleaning.
PHYLLIS
You guys ready to go to the beach?
The stick figure drawing holds a similar demeanor to that of
Ray. Rays stares intently.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
The sailor on the sailboat transitions to the live-action
wind-sailor, ripping his way through the waves.
The children jump excitedly as they see this sight.
RAY wades in the water, feeling the water with his hands.
TOM runs up behind him and jumps on him. They begin to
wrestle.
The LIFEGUARD blows her whistle.
EXT. CAMPGROUND - NIGHT
The family, joined by a few relatives, sits around a campfire
roasting marshmallows.
All laugh and talk with one another. RAY enjoyably eats his
marshmallow as he watches the adults speak. As he gets up,
an UNCLE slides his chair while gesturing a story, pushing
Ray back and forcing him to step in the fire.
He yelps.
INT. CABIN - NIGHT
Ray winces with pain as his mother drapes a damp cloth along
his leg. The cabin is dark.

26.
PHYLLIS
You're just a bundle of energy aren't
you?
Ray stares down out his burn. A long, red streak where a
burning stick lied across his leg.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
Hold still.
She continues to dab the wound.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
How comes its always you and never
your brother or sister that get hurt,
hm?
(beat)
Its as if god is telling me that I
have to be extra careful with you,
but it drives me crazy I tell you.
Ray pokes at his burn.
RAY
I think he's to toughen me up for
something.
PHYLLIS
And what do you think that is?
RAY
Bees and snakes...
She laughs and begins to push him out of the door.
PHYLLIS
Come on, I don't think we'll be
running into any bees or snakes
tonight.
INT. CAR - DAY
DOUG, RAY, TOM and EMILY are in the car once again. The second
time they are going to their dad's house for the weekend.
DOUG
Hate to break it to you guys, but I
won't be able to hang out as much
this weekend. I have a few meetings
I need to be at and I don't really
have an option to miss them.
Emily looks annoyed.

27.
EMILY
What are we supposed to do?
DOUG
Look, Em, I'm not here to entertain
you. Just, play some games; we'll
make sure you guys have a good time.
INT. APARTMENT - DAY
The three children sit in their bedroom. EMILY is reading in
her bed. TOM is playing video games on a desktop computer.
RAY lies in his bed, looking at the ceiling, bored. The
atmosphere is dull. Restless, he gets up.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY - CONTINUOUS
RAY steps through the hallway. Glancing in with curiosity,
he passes into his father's bedroom.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY
He glances over his shoulder to see if anyone notices him.
The sounds of the video game, LASERS SHOOTING, continue from
down the hall.
Ray pulls a small cigar box out from underneath of the
dresser. He opens it up, revealing a collection of military
medals and awards marking significance in military service.
He looks at photos of his father and mother, still together,
young and happy. A frown falls onto his face.
As he continues to shuffle through it, he finds some small,
spiritual objects.
He lifts up a coin that bears a unique twisting symbol.
As he looks at it, he becomes entranced. The coin glimmers
in a near-magical light.
His father walks in through the door, briefcase in hand.
RAY spots him and closes it quickly.
DOUG
Hey, buddy. Found my old cigar box
ey? You know there's quite a story
about that.
Ray is troubled; the photo still in his hand. He pulls it
tight.
RAY
Dad, is this you and mom, before we
were born?

28.
Doug's countenance shifts to that of sadness. He sits down
on the bed beside him and looks down on the photo.
DOUG
You know, my parents got divorced
when I was your age too.I'm sorry to
put you through this buddy.
A beat.
RAY
(Trying to discover
WHAT TO SAY.)
Why did it happen?
Taken aback by the bluntness of the question.
DOUG
...For similar reasons.
RAY
What reasons?
DOUG
Ray, you're young, but I'm going to
try to be honest with you...You see,
my father wasn't a very honest man,
which was kind of the reason it
happened.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
TITLE CARD: 1978
A cop car sits parked roadside, traffic steadily passing.
From within the car we hear an old radio playing sensuous
music. DOUG SENIOR chuckles as he and a well-dressed woman,
JUDY, flirt and grope one another.
EXT. HIGHWAY - LATER
The woman steps out of the car.
JUDY
Good-night.
The car drives off.
INT.HOUSE - NIGHT
DOUG SENIOR comes home.
DOUG, 14 years old, and DANA, 15 years old, are gathered in
front of a TV screen watching a program.

29.
LORRAINE sits at a circular table in the kitchen, with a
long cigarette in her hand, amused by the kids' excitement
of the show.
Doug Senior, coming off of work, still in his uniform, walks
through.
They all glance at him.
Lorraine subtly perks up, sensing something about her husband.
LORRAINE
Hey, hon, how was work?
DOUG SENIOR
Damn coon-asses got a lot of nerve.
He opens the refrigerator and sticks his head inside.
DOUG SENIOR (CONT'D)
Been puttin' up with their shit for
too long, something needs to happen.
Lorraine takes another drag from her cigarette. She reads
the situation with a cold intuition. She sighs. Doug senior
approaches from behind, kisses her on the back of the neck.
Doug glances from the side of his perception, sensing
something.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
CUT TO:
A foot splashes through a puddle. Doug, Scraggly hair and
dirty, runs from a group of teens in the woods.His eyes retain
the same playful nature, however it tends to cost him more
pain than pleasure.
He stops for a moment before a burnt down house, abandoned
in the woods. Thinking quickly, he works his way into the
house.
JOHNNY ELLERBY (from outside)
Where is that little bastard?
He continues to work his way through the fallen house,
stepping over remnants of furniture and possessions, He looks
up to see an old stairwell leading to an open area. He peaks
his head out from a whole in the fallen roof, spotting CHANCE
ELLERBY, AL HANSON and JOHNNY ELLERBY as they emerge from
the woods.
They look at the house with curiosity. Angry and confused,
they look around, frantic.

30.
JOHNNY ELLERBY (CONT'D)
Hey you little shit, get your ass
down here and we won't kill you.
Johnny's the figurehead of the crowd and the most enraged.
He must have done something that affected him personally.
Doug keeps low and spots on the stairwell platform beside
him a metal pipe. He grabs for it.
The three begin to lift up panels and boards, looking for an
entry. Doug jumps up to make his presence known, metal pipe
by his side, out of sight.
JOHNNY ELLERBY (CONT'D)
Hey, fucker, you gonna-Without letting
him finish his sentence, Doug hurls
the pipe straight at the kid, knocking
him out cold. An impressive throw
from that distance.
Chance and Dave grasp for Johnny and freak out, not knowing
what to do. They try to muster a taunt, but it comes out as
a gasp, too baffled by the situation. They gather up their
friend and drag him off.
Doug stands, bewildered. He hadn't considered himself capable
of such an act. But the remorse is limited; his senses tell
him it'll be all right. He works his way from the house.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOUSE - DAY
An old house sits in the woods, southern in style with a
wrap- around porch and of a rustic nature. Doug approaches
the back porch, where his father sits, cigar in mouth, staring
at Doug with an ill-fated expression.
Doug lowers his eyes and kicks the mud off his boots.
DOUG SENIOR
Now I've seen men come back from a
night of good sex, and a night of
bein' shot at. Which of the two have
you been doin'?
Doug keeps his eyes lowered. The air of hostility is something
Doug doesn't receive well.
DOUG
A bunch'a guys chasin' me through
the woods. Tryin' to beat me up.

31.
DOUG SENIOR
What in the hell would they be doing
that?
Doug hesitates a moment. Tense. He kicks his boot one last
time and spills it.
DOUG
This kid Johnny, he's always looking
for excuses to come after me. I think
this time its about liking his sister,
I don't.
DOUG SENIOR (grim with disapproval)
...And you got away alright?
DOUG
Well I, uh, scared 'em off.
Doug Senior's face goes from dissatisfaction to a pretentious
disapproval. He couldn't really give two shits about the
kid, but he sees this as an opportunity to flaunt his strong
religious views. He stuffs the cigar into the side of his
wooden armchair.
DOUG SENIOR
Son.
(stuffing the cigar
down and throwing it
away)
I raised you, under the word of God.
Now, I don't want you runnin' around,
gettin' in fights and throwing your
life away, y'understand?
He speaks from experience. His hypocritical nature is
reflected in his words, and his demeanor shifts to a sad
state of reflection.
Doug nods. He peels off his muddy, sagging socks and steps
into the house.
INT. HOUSE - EVENING
Doug steps into the house. A fire can be heard crackling off
screen. DOUG is puzzled. Things are being packed up. We follow
him in profile as he moves past the half-decorated, half
packaged furnishings. He stops as he reaches the kitchen.
His mother sits smoking a long cigarette, her beauty quite
present; however a hidden sadness grips her being. She senses
Doug behind her. Doug is a bit bewildered.
DOUG
Ma...what?

32.
She turns to him. She has a wise air to her movements. A
wisdom superseding basic logic and intuition.
LORRAINE
Sit.
(She gestures with
her hand.)
He sits across from her. He tries to
hold up a strong facade, however it
is weakened by the reality of the
situation. Lorraine looks at him
with more care for him than herself.
She lets out a deep breath of smoke. A beat as the smoke
lingers above their heads.
DOUG
You got something to tell me?
She takes another drag, finishing her cigarette. She dots it
out.
LORRAINE
Your father and I have been growing
apart for a while.
He leans back, sharp enough to comprehend the entirety of
the situation.
DOUG
(Spiteful)
Getting a divorce?
LORRAINE
Look, neither of us planned this,
and we do love each other.
DOUG
Yeah, when he's not picking up
floozies in his cruiser.
LORRAINE
Douglas, listen to me. I'm going to
be leaving for a while. I'm going to
Texas with Jenny, she and I will be
taking a trip, then I'll be coming
back around Christmas to check on
you and your sisters.
Doug's eyes are wet with tears. Trying with much difficulty
to appear strong, but his weakness leaks through as easily
as his tears do.

33.
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
That night he glances into their parent's room and sees his
mother lying on the bed. His father sees him and gets up
from her bedside and closes the door. Doug is left alone.
Doug sits at the dinner table carving a small figurine of
wood.
Doug senior walks in from behind him. He calls down the hall.
DOUG SENIOR
Dana, come in I need to have a word.
Doug sits, already knowing the truth he is about to express.
He clenches his teeth.
DANA comes in, already dressed for bed. He sits them down.
DOUG SENIOR (CONT'D)
Kids. Your mama won't be living with
us anymore. We're getting a divorce
and she'll be going back to Texas. I
know this will be hard for you to
take but Its something we all are
gonna have to get through.
The kids share a disturbed disbelief.
INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
Doug awakes and glances to his Bull on his bedside table,
strangely removed. Gently he takes it and puts in his bedside
drawer.
INT. KITCHEN - MORNING
Stepping out into the kitchen, he wipes his eyes. He sees a
woman cooking at the counter, however her back is turned
toward us. A smile begins to swell on his face, believing
it is his mother, but as he moves closer, something is
peculiar to him. The woman turns and it is not his mother.
She smiles to him.
JUDY
Oh hey, bud, you must be Dougy.
She turns to him.
JUDY (CONT'D)
I'm gonna be staying here for a little
while.
(MORE)

34.
JUDY (CONT'D)
My two boys will be staying here as
well, they're a little older than
you but I think you guys will get on
well.
She continues her cooking. Confused, he moves to the table
and sits down.
DOUG
Where's my Dad?
JUDY
He's out shopping, ya'll barely had
any cleaning supplies and this place
is filthy. He'll be back soon. Your
grandpa will be by to pick you up
any minute though, he figured he'd
come spend some time with you, just
so we can get some things done around
here.
Doug remains stoic, not quite sure what to make of her yet.
INT. CAR - DAY
Doug and his grandfather are driving in the car. Doug stares
out, thoughtful.
His Pop looks to him, concerned.
POP
So bud, how's everything going with
school?
Pretty good.
DOUG
He notices his disconnect and attempts
to pull him out of it.
POP
Listen here bud, we're going to be
going to one of my tenant's house.
Carry up this box while I have a chat with him.
Doug takes the cigar box, looking up at him curious.
EXT. TENANT HOUSE - DAY
They arrive at the house, its an old apartment complex with
junk strewn about the yard. They get out and walk to the
doorstep, Doug staying close behind.

35.
Pop knocks on the Screen door. After a moment, the TENANT, a
man in a wife-beater, with long twisted hair, steps out,
disturbed.
TENANT
Hey, what can I do fer' ya.
POP
Your late on your rent, this is the
third time I come askin' for it and
I ain't got the time to come again.
Now you gonna give me the money or are ya gonna have to find
a new place to throw your shit aroun'.
He gestures to the rundown scrap metal lying around the yard
TENANT_
Woah woah, Dicky, I got the money,
no worries here. Hold on, let me get
it.
The man shuffles into the house.
TENANT
Landlord here, needin rent.
KATHY
Tellim' to get lost, that money's
for my new dress.
Pop looks down at Doug, cheerily.
Doug returns the glance with admiration.
TENANT
Can't do that honey, he aint messin
around.
KATHY
...The cellar.
The man returns, handing out a wad of cash.
POP
'Preciate it. Be on time next month.
TENANT
Have a goodn'.
INT. CAR - DAY
They head back to the vehicle and settle into the seats. Pop
counts the money in his hand. And hands Doug a large amount.

36.
POP
Put this in the box.
Doug slowly opens it up, revealing a small pistol set among
bundles of cash. He closes the box, halfway through we
transition back to the present. DOUG closes the box.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY
BACK TO PRESENT. The closing of the box seamlessly transitions
to present day.
DOUG
My Pop was a very tough man. You
never wanted to cross him and if you
did, he'd come after you. But I've
never respected a man so much.
RAY looks out of the window as EMILY and TOM play in the
backyard.
Looking down on the yard, the scene goes from summer, with
the two children running around playing, to winter, then to
fall, then to spring and summer again.
Back in the room, we push in to a hand and the drawing of a
large, twisting tree. ANGLE UP on RAY's FACE, now 14.
An acorn falls from the maple.
INT. FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT
Ray steps into the family room. All is silent but the ambiance
of the refrigerator.
As he makes his away through, he sees his mother, lying in
her bedroom, sleeping.
He moves to her.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Her eyes roll open as she notices him. They are bloodshot.
She is not well.
RAY
Mom?
PHYLLIS
Hey sweetie.
(sitting up, wiping
her eyes)
Could you get your brother and sister,
I need to have a talk with you guys.

37.
Ray exits.
INT. FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
RAY returns with TOM and EMILY, now teenagers.
She sits them down beside her on her bed They are attentive.
This is not a normal occurrence.
PHYLLIS
Hey guys, so you both know that your
father and I love you guys more than
anything.
The kids are attentive. They share a mutual respect for their
mother.
She pauses a beat.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
I've been admitted into the Avery
Hospital and I want you guys to stay
with him while I get better.
Her face is stern. She wants to convey strength to her
children.
PHYLLIS(CONT'D) (CONT'D)
You guys understand? You will be
moving with him to his new home in
Louisiana. We won't be seeing each
other for quite a while. Look, I
know-
TOM
We haven't seen him in 6 months, and
when we do see him its in brief
moments.
EMILY
It wouldn't be home.
Phyllis looks deep into the eyes of her children, giving
each one of them a strong reaffirming glance.
PHYLLIS
Your home is with each other. And
now, its with your father.
She coughs and rolls over.
Tears fall delicately from Emily's eyes. Ray, a sadness
boiling from within him, walks off. Tom sits bewildered.

38.
INT. RAY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Ray lies in his bed as lights stretch across the walls, cars
passing. He watches them bend and pull along in abstract
forms.
One set of lights lingers to a stop. Ray sits up.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
Ray, TOM and Emily are driving in the car with DOUG. A tension
lingers.
Doug stares straightforward, his face straight ahead.
EMILY and TOM sleep in the backseat.
DOUG
My grandfather passed away. He left
me his house, the home that I grew
up in.
(he waits a beat while
he allows that to
settle in.)
Tom stirs uncomfortably. He closes
his eyes in attempt to fall asleep
and to block out reality.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I know Louisiana isn't your ideal
place and you guys are giving a lot
to come with me, but I want to
reassure you, you'll find some peace
in it. Might just take a while.
They pass through the city.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOUSE - DAY
Back to present day. A beautiful house resides in a wooded
countryside. Goats, pigs and chickens stroll in the tall
grass of the yard, while the trees sway gently on this new
spring day. RAY and TOM sit together at the kitchen table,
while their stepmother, POLLY, cooks dinner.
RAY looks to his father, DOUG sitting just outside the glass
sliding door, smoking a cigar as he looks out onto his
property. In curious admiration, he steps outside to greet
him.
As he steps out onto the porch, his father's focus is broken.
His face relaxes and he looks to his son as RAY steps to the
railing.

39.
Ray stands for a moment, taking in the surrounding
environment.
The grill is on beside them.
RAY
What're we cookin?
DOUG GLANCES OVER
DOUG
Pork chops.
Ray tries to break the awkward tension.
RAY
Dad, I feel like there are some things
we need to talk about.
Doug flinches. He had been avoiding this.
DOUG
Like what?
RAY
Dad, we haven't talked in over 6
months. After we stopped coming over
every other weekend it's been like a
blur. Now this new house? A new
family? I don't know what to make of
it. This place...
(He looks out over
the southern landscape)
It's a lot lot to process.
DOUG
I know bud, things have just been
changing so rapidly.
Ray turns back, facing the woods.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Sometimes, I see myself in you too
strongly. Its just that you really
can never know how someone feel until
you are fully immersed in it yourself.
I can't tell you these things, you
will experience them yourself. You
got to be knee deep, like when I was
in the military. Everyone had each
other's backs, because we know what
the other was going through. The
pain and the stress.
Ray soaks that in for a moment.

40.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Come on, I want to show you something.
He signals for Ray as he gets up.
INT.BASEMENT - DAY
He walks him through the half-finished basement. Faux-brick
walls, pool table. He leads him to a cabinet with elegant,
hand-crafted coverings. He points to a specific panel.
DOUG
You see, since I've been renovating
this place, I've been planting little
treasures all throughout the house.
He lifts away the panel, revealing a small leather case.He
lifts away the cover, revealing an assortment of old coins.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Stuff will be worth a whole lot when
I'm gone.You guys will be rollin' in
the dough.
They exchange a chuckle.
RAY
Shouldn't we check on the food?
DOUG
Oh, shit!Gotta get that.
Ray laughs and follows him out.
INT.DINING ROOM - NIGHT
EMILY, DOUG, POLLY, TOM and RAY eat together at the dinner
table. Kales, black beans, rice, and pork chops. They are
enjoying it wholeheartedly. Tom splits the silence.
TOM
Damn, this is good.
They all look at him and laugh as he stuffs another load
into his mouth. Ray is the first to finish. He gets up
quickly.
DOUG
Man, you finished that fast.
TOM
This isn't a competition.
He looks over to Emily.

41.
TOM (CONT'D)
(CONT'D) Ready, set, go!
They start to eat quickly. Emily stops, only joking.
TOM (CONT'D)
Ah, come on.
RAY
Haha, nah. I gotta get to sleep,
promised I'd help Randy with some
yard work in the morning. Awesome
food though Polly.
She nods appreciatively.
POLLY
Thank you.
He goes up the stairs and admires the arched ceiling, a
curious look in his eye.
He knocks along the finishing of the walls, searching for a
spot. He continues, and is unsuccessful. He then looks to
the nightstand beside his bed. He pushes it aside, revealing
a small hole in the wall, missed during the renovations.
Eyes ignited, he digs his hand inside. After a moment of
searching, he comes across a bundle of folded papers. He
goes through them, journal entries and sketches. The doodles
reflect the distressed mind of an artist, meticulously
scribbled alongside words of self-reflection.
Ray reflects on the message his dad explained earlier.
RAY (V.O.)
To experience what others experience.
You got to be knee deep. Ray begins
to read.
DOUG (V.O.)
And then I was stuck in this zone.
Didn't know what the hell to make of it. Everything just
seemed so pale, without the juice of life. I knew that if I
continued at this pace, I'd probably die.
INT.BATHROOM - MORNING
1980. A hand reaches for the mirror/cabinet and closes it,
revealing

42.
A NOW 14-YEAR-OLD DOUG SMOKING WEED
FROM A HALF-CRUSHED SODA CAN.DANA
(O.S.)Doug!
He scrambles with the can.
DOUG
(gasping, trying to
hold the smoke) Coming!
He shakes the rest into the toilet, exhales the smoke out of
the window and stuffs the can into his towel.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY
He walks through the school, looking at everyone with a
confident eye, analyzing them and feeling empowered in his
free thinking state of mind.
DOUG (V.O.)
But all good things come to an end.
INT.CLASSROOM - DAY
An art class is hard at work. They paint in their studio,
the teacher moving from student to student. Doug pours in
and lays his stuff down by an easel. He sits in his stool
and begins to work intently. The teacher, an attractive woman
of her late 20s, spots him and begins to move toward him.
She stops beside him and looks at him, trying to gain his
attention. He continues to work intently.
TEACHER
Eh-hem.
He looks up to her, hand still on the brush, eyes bloodshot
with highness.He gives her a dull stare.
TEACHER (CONT'D)
And where were you?
DOUG
I-uh, was talking to another teacher.
TEACHER
Oh yeah, and which teacher was this?
DOUG
Uh, the new one...Ms. Oberr.
TEACHER
M-hm...

43.
She stares for a moment with an air of disapproval. Then,
she notices what he is creating.His painting is of an ocean
night.Reflections in water play out upon a lone sailboat
drifting in the water. It has a naturalistic quality, organic
strokes and bold use of color.
TEACHER (CONT'D)
Wow, this is...uh.
Doug's face retains the dulled alertness. He dazes out in a
state of focused pleasure.
EXT. HIGH SCHOOL TRACK - DAY
Doug jogs along the track in his 1980s track attire. As he
moves along, he acknowledges a couple other guys as they
pass him. One last guy slaps him on the ass. Doug looks at
him with an annoyed displeasure. He continues along.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
He and a few of his buddies, still in track garb, smoke weed
in the woods. Doug is spewing with energy. They sit together
at the edge of a creek.
DOUG (V.O.)
I wonder, am I gonna look back to
these days as the best time of my
life?
EXT.WOODS - NIGHT
A fire crackles in the woods.Doug and a few friends sit
together, zoning out. Doug is entranced by a strong thought.
DOUG
And this is where it gets weird...I
think that we are all wiggling cells,
with wills propelling us to succeed
with the soul purpose of ingesting
more resources.
ERIC
Dude, knock it off.
KENNY
Not another one of your tangents.
They laugh. Doug coughs.
DOUG (V.O.)
I sure hope so.

44.
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
As he arrives home, the family is all gathered around the
dining room table. They look up as Doug enters.
He quickly walks through to the sink, trying to disguise his
highness.
DOUG SENIOR
So...How long is she gonna be there?
JUDY
Only for a few months...come on honey,
you know how reckless she was.
DOUG SENIOR
You should've talked to me about it
first.
Doug realizes the seriousness of the situation and lets his
guard down, approaching them.
DOUG
Hey, uh, what's going on?
Doug Senior looks to Judy almost as if for permission. She
nods to him. He turns back to Doug.
DOUG SENIOR
Uh...son...Your sister has been
admitted into a girl's home. She's
not going to be around for a little
while.
INT. BEDROOM - DAY
DOUG and DANA, 6 and 8, sit together in their bedroom.
DANA
We can't tell anyone about this.
Ever.
Doug nods.
DANA (CONT'D)
But this means that we need to stay
together, keep this secret. No one
else can know what we know.
DOUG
If they ever try to tear us apart,
I'll tear them apart.
She laughs and leans her head on his shoulder.

45.
BACK TO 1980
DOUG stands speechless, his eyes
sobering into a state of
bewilderment.He chokes as he attempts
to speak.
EXT.HOUSE - DAY
POP sits outside the house in a car. Doug enters.
They drive down the road together, pull up at a nice house.
POP
You just stay in here.
The cigar box sits in Doug's lap, the routine in motion.Pop
gets out and heads over to the house.
Doug looks into the box.No gun. His eyes widen and he looks
to his grandfather, pushing his way in through the front
door, shoving a man aside as he enters.Doug's mouth gapes.He
sits there a few moments.
Yelling from within the house.Doug sits up a bit to see what's
going on inside.Through the window a man is thrown into a
table.
He loses sight as the man falls behind a counter.Another
moment later, Pop steps out of the house, working his way
down the walkway.
Doug looks to him as he opens the door and sits inside, eyes
unblinking.
DOUG
Pop...What the fuck?
Pop looks over, breathing heavily.
POP_
Yeah...what the fuck.
He smiles as they drive off together.
EXT.POND BEACH - DAY
The two of them stand together on a small dock extending
over a dock, looking into the water.
They hold onto their thoughts for a moment, and then Pop
breaks the silence.
Beat.

46.
POP
Bud, I know things haven't been going
as well as you'd like.
POP (CONT'D)
Hell, Its no where near where where
I imagined it going.
DOUG
They're cutting everything away,
before I even get started.
POP
Oh, metaphors ey?
Doug laughs.
I guess.
POP (CONT'D)
Alright...There once was a man with
a big foot. One big ass foot that
was twice as large as his other foot.
As he walked around, people stared and stared, not to mention
it made buying shoes really difficult.But one day he decided
enough was enough.
He resolved to cut off his toes so that he could fit in normal
sized shoes to hide his dis-configuration. Well, he did it,
and you know what happened?
DOUG
What?
POP
It grew back, this time even bigger,
stronger. After wa while, he realized
all the cool stuff he could do with
it. He could scale a mountain through
a game of hop-scotch, kick a soccer-
ball three football fields. He hadn't
realized all along how cool it was
to have that big ass foot!
DOUG
And what does this mean?
POP
Means that even though you're
different, and you go through a lot
of shit, like chopping off your own
foot, its only gonna make you tougher.
Ready for anything.

47.
DOUG
...Thanks Pop.
He looks at his reflection in the water. The reflection shifts
to that of Ray, in the same location, staring at himself.
EXT. POND BEACH - DAY
Ray sits, stoic. Tom jumps over his head and splashes into
the water. The water splashes up onto Ray, he winces.
RAY
Ah, dude!Come on.
Tom laughs, continues to splash him.
Ray kicks water up at him. Tom goes under and pops back up,
next to Ray.
TOM
So, how do you like this old place?
Ray looks around, observing the area.
RAY
I don't know man. It kind of gives
me a weird feeling. Like I've been
here before.
TOM
Yeah, how so?
RAY
You know all those old stories dad
Would tell us, about his childhood
when mom and dad split?
TOM
Yeah...I couldn't tell if he was
just giving us fairy tales, or if he
was telling the truth. Looking around
this place I don't know if I'd be
able to tell the difference.
RAY
Well I always felt like I was a part
of those stories, like I was in it
myself.
TOM
...I am not following you at all.
RAY
Yeah, I don't know.
(MORE)

48.
RAY (CONT'D)
Maybe I'm speaking nonsense, but
I'll tell you man, I'm feeling
something.
TOM
Ah, you spiritual mumbo-jumbo. Come
on, lets go get some grub.
EXT. DIRT PATH - DAY
RAY and TOM pass by an old run down building. They exchange
a glance of intrigue and walk toward it. The woods are thick
and it takes some effort to maneuver through. Ray analyzes
the woods around them as if sensing a mystical presence.
Tom is a little ways behind as Ray reaches the exterior of
the fallen house.
VOICE (O.S.)
Hey, you little shit!
Ray looks around, startled. The voice could have come from
anywhere.
RAY
(Over his shoulder)
Tom!You hear that?
Tom continues to pull his way through the thick brush.
TOM
Hear what?
RAY
A voice; a kid or somethin'.
TOM
I didn't hear anything.
Ray continues to look around suspiciously. He approaches the
house with further caution. He looks inside.
INT. FALLEN HOUSE - DAY
All that is still in tact is the foundation of the house.
The walls and ceiling have caved in, leaving a lean-two of a
structure, intermingling with the litter of the earth.
Graffiti lines the walls, and an array of past possessions
coat the floor. Ray steps inside.
As Ray continues to analyze the surroundings, Tom finally
makes his way to the entrance.

49.
TOM
Damn, this place is pretty messed
up, huh?
RAY
Its actually pretty cool. Look at
all this old stuff.
He runs his hand along a dirt-coated globe, outdated by modern
standards.
Tom stutters steps as he makes his way down across the
floorboards.
Ray looks up to where the stairwell used to extend up to a
second floor. All that remains is a half-in tact staircase
reaching up to an exposed opening.
He begins to climb the stairwell, curious.
TOM
Hey man, be careful!
RAY
(an attempt to reassure)
I'm careful, I'm careful.
The stairs creak, close to falling in at any moment.
EXT. WOODS - DAY - CONTINUOUS
Ray pops his head out of the top of the opening. He looks at
the surrounding woods, and spots the house in the distance.
VOICE (O.S.)
Get your ass down here and we won't
kill you!
Ray is startled by this and nearly falls down the stairs as
the floorboard breaks from beneath his feet. He catches
himself on the arm-rail.
TOM
You alright?
RAY
(startled)
Yeah, yeah, I'm good.
TOM
Come on man, lets get back.
Ray looks into the woods curiously. He sees rustling in the
trees, a curious look in his eye.

50.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
DOUG, RAY and TOM play pool in the basement. Tom is close to
beating Ray; Doug sits off to the side smoking a cigar,
pleased to be with his sons.
Ray looks to his father as his brother shoots.
RAY
So, uh, dad, what made you decide
you wanted to come back here?You
know, even after not really speaking
to Grandpa after all these years.
Why'd you want to come back.
Doug takes a sip of beer, he's loose but not intoxicated.
DOUG
Well, it seems I really missed this
place. Even after spending all that
time up north, when you guys were
young, I always felt like this was
my home. I missed it here.
RAY
Even after all that happened?
DOUG
...What do you mean?
Ray looks down, a little guilty.
RAY
Dad, I know we always say we're honest
with each other, but I can't really
help but think there's a lot we don't
know about you. You know, like, what
were you like when you were our age?
I keep getting this feelin-
TOM
Your shot.
Ray turns back, agitated.
RAY
Hold on.
Doug continues to sip his beer, amused.
RAY (CONT'D)
I don't know.
(MORE)

51.
RAY (CONT'D)
I've been having a lot of weird
thoughts lately, don't really know
what to make of them. I think that
its kind of like-
TOM
Your shot!
RAY
Dude, hold on!
DOUG (chuckling)
Hey man don't sweat it, take your
shot.
Ray sighs and turns back to the pool table, about to take
his shot.
Doug takes a drag of his cigar as he watches them play.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Did I ever tell you guys about how I
met your mom?
Ray and Tom are a bit taken aback by this; they even glance
up toward the ceiling worried Polly might overhear.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I was in the military for 4 years at
this point. When I cam home,
everything just felt so small.
SERIES OF SHOTS
EXT. POND BEACH - DAY
Doug sits by the pond where he and a few friends played.He
sits on the dock, looking in his reflection.
EXT. HOUSE - DAY
A car pulls into a driveway. Doug steps out, wearing fine
civilian clothes. A frail Lorraine opens the door to her
home and smiles brilliantly. They laugh and cry as they hug
one another.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
DOUG and LORRAINE sit together at the dinner table. DOUG
smokes a cigarette. Lorraine looks at the cigarette with
disdain. Their eyes meet.
LORRAINE
I start chemo this week...Thursday.

52.
Doug looks up at his mother. Eyes reddening. Lorraine picks
up on his sadness.
She grips his hand.
LORRAINE (CONT'D)
My boo-boo. Things come and go in
this world. But they're never gone
for good.
He grips her hand tight.
INT.CAR - DAY
DOUG and LORRAINE drive to a hospital. Neither one of them
saying much.
INT.HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
LORRAINE is laid in a type of machine, meant to offset the
cancer-growth process.
Doug stands with the doctor behind a glass sheet.
DOCTOR
Your mother is doing a great thing,
donating her body to science.
This is irksome to Doug. He looks to his mother being
suspended in the machine.
EXT.RIVER - DAY
A now, slightly more frail LORRAINE and DOUG sit together by
a river, talking to one another.
EXT.TRAIL - DAY
DOUG and LORRAINE walk together through the autumn woods.
She grabs him and rests her head on his shoulder.
EXT.HOUSE - DAY
DOUG and LORRAINE sit together on the porch. His mother is
extremely frail. She wears a wrap on her head.
INT.HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
LORRAINE lies on the bed.DANA, now a woman, pats DOUG on the
shoulder as Doug grips his mother's hand. She is on the verge
of death. Dana exits.
Lorraine's sunken eyes weakly look over to Doug. His face is
strangely focuses and intent. She smile, closes her eyes and
passes.

53.
His eyes remain intent, dazed.
He leans over and kisses her on the forehead.He remains
holding her hand.
DOUG (V.O.)
Now I learned early on that spirits
are beyond life. My mother wasn't
gone, but displaced.When I would
find her next, well, that was a
mystery to me.
INT.BAR - NIGHT
DOUG and military friend, KEVIN enter into a bar. They
approach the bar.Doug flashes a two sign to the bartender.The
atmosphere of the bar is overpowering.Doug looks around.
From the middle of the crowd, set back in a table, a young
woman, long brown hair and surrounded by a few friends, drink
margaritas together.
Doug's demeanor falls as he spots her, all confidence
depleting. Immediately he starts to sweat with nervous
anxiety.
KEVIN spots her as well.He makes a move first. Doug approaches
as well, nervous energy taking over.
KEVIN
Hey there miss.My name is Kevin,
what's your name?
He shakes her hand.
PHYLLIS
Phyllis.
KEVIN
(To the other girl)
...And you?
LORI
Lori.
KEVIN
Well, nice to meet you both!
CLOSE ON Doug as he dazes out.Staring without thought. Lost
in a dream world of lust and future aspirations.
INT. BAR - LATER
They all sit in the booth together.Kevin wraps his arm around
PHYLLIS's shoulder.LORI is all over DOUG. Both Phyllis and
Doug exchange shy glances in between the others advances.

54.
EXT.NIGHT WALK - NIGHT
They all walk together as a group.KEVIN has his arm around
PHYLLIS, talking of his military aspirations.DOUG shys away
from LORI, hands in his pockets. Phyllis glances over her
shoulder at Doug. He smiles back to her.
They stop by the railing.A water fire show is going on. With
100s of people filling the area around a band playing on a
stage. Fire pits atop floating platforms illuminate the
atmosphere with a mystical nature.
DOUG
Man, is this something out of a
Fantasy novel or what?
Kevin notices that this has caught Phyllis's eye.
KEVIN
So your saying that Jumba and the
Gallorians over there are a bunch of
Goblins or something?
The girls both laugh. Phyllis drives in, a very sweet voice.
PHYLLIS
I'd say Jumbas like a wizard, igniting
these flames with his soulful voice.
They all look at her. Doug gleams that she is on the same
level as him. This bothers Kevin.
KEVIN
You wanna see magic, I'll show you
magic.
He signals for them to follow as he moves away from the rail.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Come on, check this out!
EXT.RIVER WALK - GYPSY TENT NIGHT
Kevin steps out of the small tent.He waves them in.
KEVIN
(Bowing) My treat.
Both DOUG and PHYLLIS look surprised. They head in.
INT.GYPSY TENT - NIGHT
DOUG and PHYLLIS walk into the tent, unsure of how to approach
it.

55.
A woman in the whole get up sits there at a circle table,
tarot cards, images of moon and sun, spiritual orbs and
crystal objects line the walls. She signals for them to sit.
They sit down beside each other, a bit bewildered.The woman
smiles at them both.
GYPSY
So, you come to hear your future?
Doug and Phyllis share a glance.
DOUG AND PHYLLIS (Simultaneously)
Mhm, sure.
She signals for them to bring their hands forward with the
wave of a finger. She grasps both of their hands.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
Ah, yes.Natural lovers.
Doug tenses.
DOUG
Oh, no no.We just met tonight.
GYPSY
Ah, the more potent and fresh.
They exchange another glance. Phyllis smiles.The gypsy dips
her head down to get a closer look. She bounces from hand to
hand.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
Ah yes, destinies intertwined?
She leans in.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
Fruit will be bared and the waters
of life will ebb and flow in a
cyclical rhythm.
Doug leans in, intrigued.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
But cycles as they are, the good and
the bad may repeat itself.
She leans in closer and hangs on their glance.She looks down
at their hands.She looks back up.

56.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
Three children.Taking on the three
burdens of your worlds.
She looks to Phyllis.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
A girl, to take on the burden of the
male gaze.
She looks to Doug.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
A son, to take on the burden of deep
pride...And the third...
She looks to both of them, the last applying to the both of
them.
GYPSY (CONT'D)
The third, to take on the burden of
never-ceasing love.
They look at each other.This time nearly lovingly. They step
out of the tent.
EXT. RIVER WALK - NIGHT
They step out into the night air. DOUG looks around.
DOUG
Hey, uh, where's Lori and Kevin?
They looks over toward the railing to see them both making
out.
They laugh and walk off.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT - LATER
Doug and Phyllis walk for one last moment together, embracing
the air around them. The streets are empty and cold. They
stop at Phyllis's car. She unlocks the car door.
PHYLLIS
Well, I think I'll wait for Lori,
She should be around any minute.
Lori and Kevin come down from down the street. They stumble
and laugh together.
Doug reaches out to her and kisses her. She smiles and turns
away, sitting down into the car. She waves him off. He steps
away as Lori jumps in the car and they drive away. Kevin
regroups with Doug.

57.
KEVIN
Some girls, eh?
Doug's grin remains.
DOUG
I'll say.
KEVIN
Huh? Ah I know that look. Come on
bud, let's get you back.
INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT
DOUG lies sleeplessly on his back in the barracks. A smile
is spread across his face. BLAKETS RUSTLING is audible from
a neighboring bed. Remaining on Doug, he looks over; the
smile does not leave his face.
CADET 1(O.S)
Hey, dude we're trying to sleep!
CADET 2(O.S)
Shut up! I'm trying to masturbate.
A couple guys laugh. A pillow being thrown can be heard.
Doug's goofy smile is still spread across his face.
INT. BASEMENT - DAY
BACK TO PRESENT
RAY
Dad, why didn't you tell us you were
such a little player?
DOUG
Player, I don't know about that. I
remember when I met her, I lost all
the cool I ever had.
(He looks down in a
moment of reflection
and sadness)
Here check this out.
He reaches to the cabinet with the leather case. He lifts it
out of the space and flips the flap, unveiling a deck of
Tarot cards.
He pulls them out and lays them on the pool table in a
ritualistic manner.
Tom takes his shot. Still somewhat annoyed. He leans over to
what's going on.

58.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Here.
He flicks one to TOM. Tom catches it stumbling.
He flicks one to Ray as well. Ray inspects it, interested.
DOUG (CONT'D)
After that experience with the Gypsy,
I kind of went on a tangent with
spirituality.
Ray looks at it with interest. It glimmers in a majestic
way.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I know its kind of silly. What could
an object like this show to us as
people. What could it have to offer?
RAY
Insight, into a different time?
DOUG Exactly. History.
Polly peaks her head down the stairs.
POLLY
Hey guys, you heading to bed soon?
DOUG
In a moment hon. I've got to school
these boys a little bit.
He gets up and chalks his stick.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Rack 'em boy.
Tom racks up the pool balls. Ray sits with the cards.
RAY (V.O.)
Insight into a different time.
He holds the card before his face. As he turns the card, we
are transported back to 1994.
INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT
The card reads: Lust. Doug, sitting on his bed, shirtless,
cross-legged, looks at it confused. He refers to the manual
deliberately.

59.
DOUG(V.O)
Then, like any obsession, I explored
other avenues of self-experimentation.
Doug sits cross-legged on his bed. Tilting his head up with
his eyes closed, a secondary, and astral body emerges from
his body. Its shoots up, a white aura surrounding and an
elongated, gaping mouth. It then shoots back in.
Doug sits on a sofa in his bedroom. He is hooked up to a cd
player, a pile of Cd cases strewn out before him on the coffee
table.
DOUG (V.O.)
Then I started listening to my
headphones. Yeah. I wasn't listening
to Buddy Harley either. I was
listening to bio-tones.Ever heard of
'em? Well yeah, they're these hi-
frequency pulses that are suppose to
influence your brain, they're suppose
to do certain things to the internal
frequency of your brain and have
some kind of reaction that makes you
feel a certain way or something.
Doug leans back in his seat. He listens to the ISO-TONES.
As he puts on headphones, the ISO-TONES plays. The music is
that of long, drawn out, almost magical sounding frequencies.
They are eerie and psychedelic. Doug relaxes calmly.
After a moment, he gets bored and sits back up.
He reaches for the cd and glances at it. The Label reads:
MENTAL PERFORMANCE. He looks at the back and front and takes
the headphones off, displeased.
INT. ROOM - NIGHT - LATER
DOUG types away at a typewriter. He is going mad with focus.
Energy spilling over, almost too much to handle. He slams at
the typewriter with passion and energy.
DOUG (V.O.)
Yeah, I kind of underestimated the
power of the mind. Well, the mind
when influenced by such things as
ISO-tones. To this day I don't really
know if they work.
(MORE)

60.
DOUG (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But I certainly got something out of
it. The article I wrote when in that
state went on to win some awards,
and is even used in public school
systems today.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
DOUG in a makeshift business suit, hands over a stack of
papers to a man at a desk. His eyes are bloodshot. The man
lowers his glasses at the stack of paper. They shake hands.
BACK TO PRESENT
Ray reaches his arm into one of the
hiding places, this one in a hole in
his ceilings. He finds the ISO-TONES
his father used. He puts headphones
on and begins to listen.
INT. BEDROOM- LATER
RAY sits at his computer, a similar visual sequence as Doug's
previous experience. His eyes are ignited with the need to
create.
RAY (V.O.)
I can see the world through the eyes
of giants. Big blank holes piece
through a massive sheet of canvas
and I am looking out, from all angles.
Dipping in and out of the dark encasing behind the canvas. I
do what I choose, but sometimes I am simply incapable of
seeing all of the options available for me to choose from.
EXT. CEREBRAL LANDSCAPE - DAY
This dream sequence occurs in coordination with Ray's
description.
A man's face emerges from behind a dark encasing. He looks
out through the eyes of a massive vessel, passing high over
a gorgeous, forested landscape.
RAY (V.O.)
These giant eyes move gracefully
over the landscape. I can see
villages, people, oceans and
mountains, all malleable; ever
changing, controlled by something
immensely uncontrolled.
(MORE)

61.
RAY (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I look down on it all with an eye of
respect, respect that things of such
subtle methods of influence are so
immense in their own level of mastery.
Men look like tiny ants as the vessel passes over small,
undeveloped villages at the bases of mountains. They work
with focus, nearly unaware of the giant being passing over
them. This experience can be perceived as an acid trip.
RAY (CONT'D)
The villages are constantly growing
in accommodation to their many
inhabitants and adapting to the ever
expanding, ever sinking rivers that
surround their walls. The people,
those that I look down on with the
most respect, are the peacekeepers
of the land. They move, trudging,
digging earth, and carving paths,
smallest in mass yet bearing the
most weight. They best influence the
mountains. The view of the massive
structure moves to the ocean. The
giant's steps quaver, intimidated by
the sight.
RAY (CONT'D)
The oceans, however, I see with a
bit more intrigue. The giants are
unable to cross them. The giant's
eyes, passing over the mountain peaks,
stop when confronted with the ocean.
For some reason, they are lost in
intrigue at the sight; the confident,
progressive movements of their steps
halt to a state of rest. As I make
my way from eye to eye, lining the
rim of the canvas, I discover why it
is they become lost in this state of
wonder.
The imagery of the ocean is reminiscent of the opening scene.
RAY (CONT'D)
The ocean, magnificent in its size,
is deep and immense in its strength.
It is this structure, this collection of masses, which contain
the most influence over the others. I desire the giants to
attempt to the cross, yet with no end in sight, the giants
refuse. I feel that something lingers beyond the ocean,
something greater and more powerful, an uncontrolled force
controlling this force.

62.
I know, however, that if I leave the giant's eyes to explore
them, I would certainly die.
The visuals move to that of the mountains and progress over
the terrain.
RAY (CONT'D)
For now, I continue to scale the
paper-thin edges of giant's eyes,
and look down on the land, shifting
and bending before me. I hope soon
that maybe these forces will push an
end toward us, or that there is a
vessel that is capable of taking us
across. Or that these giants will
find the courage to swim. Time, the
most indefinite, and controlling of
all forces, will show us the way.
END. BACK TO PRESENT. END DREAM-SCAPE - INT. BEDROOM - MOMENTS
LATER
His typing is sporadic and engaged. He hits the last letter
of the piece and slumps over almost immediately out of an
overdone exhaustion.
EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT
The night is energetic. CRICKETS CHIRP and the horses in the
stables rustle around.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
DOUG and POLLY sit together by the fireplace in the living
room, the fire crackling on its last bit of fuel. Polly is
leaned on him, asleep. Doug stares intently into the fire.
He nudges her to wake. Her eyelids roll open.
DOUG
Hey sweetie.
POLLY
Yeah?
She lays in half-sleep.
DOUG
You think this is okay; me having
the kids stay here for a while? I
know it's been a rough journey for
them, their mother being admitted
into the hospital with the possibility
of cancer hanging over them.
(MORE)

63.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I'd hate for them to feel like they
are pulled here against their will.
Polly rolls over, a bit more attentive.
POLLY
Things are messy, honey I know. But
it's never too late to right a wrong.
DOUG
Yeah, it's just, I can't shake this
feeling.
(beat)
Ray, he's so much like me, its almost
as if he is me, and he's going through
the same peaks and valleys I
experienced in my lifetime.
POLLY
Ray is a smart kid, and yes that he
gets from you, without a doubt. But
he'll see things in his own way. And
his life, well, it'll pan out the
way it's meant to.
DOUG
Yeah.
They sit for just a moment later.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I'm gonna show 'em the swamps
tomorrow. Maybe they'll take something
away from it as I did when I was
young.
(Kindly)
POLLY
And maybe they won't.
DOUG (Laughing)
Your right, maybe not.
They chuckle and nestle each other once more.
EXT. SWAMP- DAY
DOUG leads both TOM and Ray through a thick wooded area in
the woods. They pop out at the edge of a swamp a canoe at
the ready.

64.
DOUG
Now, I know you two are a couple of
city slickers, but I want to show
you a little of my world.
(Beat)
I spent a good amount of my childhood
exploring these old swamps.
Ray admires the beauty of the landscape. A heron bathes at
the bank, and then flies off. The trees grow from the water,
and the water is covered in a dense layer of algae. The life
in this area is prominent. Tom shakes the thorns and branches
from his arms, visibly more perturbed by the environment
than Ray.
EXT. SWAMP - LATER
They paddle their way through the swamp. TOM sleeps with his
hat tucked down over his face. Both Ray and Doug sit,
lingering in the swaying canoe, fishing poles lingering in
the mucky water.
Doug ducks his head down and points outward.
DOUG
You see that! An alligator, ten o'
clock!
Ray rights himself, and spots it as well. An eight-foot
alligator lingers toward their boat. Ray is nervous; he leans
back as the alligator moves to the side of the boat.
Doug reaches his arm out, signaling Ray to steady. Ray
complies.
The alligator moves alongside the canoe, curious and looking
for a possible hand out.
As things seem to steady, the alligator submerges. They are
both unaware of where it went. They look around, a bit on
edge.
After a moment, the canoe jolts powerfully. Ray leaps up in
shock, trying to grasp the side but in his anxiety finds
himself slipping. His body is about to go over.
Doug grasps the collar of his shirt and pulls him back in.
They calm themselves.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Close call.
Ray pants, nervous energy.

65.
RAY
Yeah.
They share a moment of relief. They laugh together.
They look to one another with appreciation. Their eyes become
locked, it is as if they are looking into a mirror and they
both sense it. Their bodies share the same demeanor.
DOUG
Son.
RAY
Yeah?
Doug thinks for a moment of what he is about to say.
DOUG
You're not mad about my not being
around when you were growing up. All
those years ago? I wasn't there, I
know that, and I know that things
need to be righted.
RAY
You're my dad. Nothing will change
that.
Still there is a lingering tension.
DOUG
I want to tell you everything. I
don't want to leave you with any
gaps.
Ray grips his paddle tight, something coming to mind.
DOUG (CONT'D)
(CONT'D) Really. Anything.
Ray looks up, sensing an honest presence.
RAY
Do you believe in spirits? Energy of
people that pass on but never truly
leave.
Doug is taken by this. Not knowing directly what to say.
DOUG
Look around you. Look at these trees.
He references the trees half submerged in the water,
protruding like toothpicks jabbed into a pastry.

66.
DOUG (CONT'D)
You think these structures, though
dead, are no longer around?
Ray looks at them, admiring their twisted roots.
DOUG (CONT'D)
Their bodies remain, and their impact
on the world lingers.
Doug watches as Ray lowers his head, sadness emerging.
DOUG (CONT'D)
I know you're worried about your
mom.
A tear emerges in his eye. He quickly swipes it away.
DOUG (CONT'D)
My mom was such a beautiful woman. I
saw her become frail, unrecognizable.
Then, I saw her again.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
A young DOUG walks through his childhood house, 1994.
DOUG (V.O.)
When I first came back home. I went
back to my childhood house, the one
I now own. My dad and Judy had left
it in ruin.
The house creaks with each step. He is more distraught at
the decrepit sight rather than nostalgic.
He moves into his parent's old room.
FLASHBACK TO:
DOUG SENIOR closes the door before Doug's eyes. He stands
alone in the darkness, a young boy.
Doug stands where he stood as a child.
This time, approaching the closed door.
As it creaks open before him, white light overcomes. He puts
his hands up, blinded.
As the light subsides, he gains a grasp on what is before
him. He sees his mother, beautiful and young as she was when
we first saw her, smoking her long cigarette in her checker-
black dress sitting on the bed where she had once laid, sick.

67.
He falls to the side of the bedpost, breaking down from the
magnitude of the sight.
LORRAINE looks to Doug and smiles lovingly.
Doug reaches his arms out, the experience overwhelming him
entirely.
DOUG (CONT'D)
My mom. My mother!
She looks at him and lets out a breath of smoke.
LORRAINE
It's not what you think, Boo-Boo.
It's not what you think.
He sits in tears. We move back. She is no longer there, the
room rundown, matching the neglected state of the rest of
the house.
He stays at the bedpost. Sobbing deeply.
DOUG (V.O.)
The energy that people leave in this
world lingers and lasts.
EXT. SWAMP - DAY
They exchange one last glance. This time Doug wipes the tear
from his eye.
Ray smiles.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY
MONTAGE
1. DOUG shows Ray how to drive a stick shift in the driveway
of their home.
2. He drives through trails in the back end of the property.
Stopping and stalling incrementally. He's having a great
time.
3. He emerges through the woods, blowing by Doug. Doug is
prideful about his son.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - ANOTHER DAY
4. TOM and RAY load the car with their luggage.
5. They hug Doug and Polly.

68.
6. Tom and Ray drive down the highway, listening to good
music.
7. They pass by a car of beautiful women.
TOM
(Leaning out of the
WINDOW)
Damn, you see those chicks!
RAY
Haha, yeah I saw 'em.
TOM
You think we could catch 'em?
Ray shakes his head.
8. They exchange conversation.
9. They listen to music.
10. TOM drives while Ray sleeps at night.
11. They pull into a gas station.
END MONTAGE
Tom sits in the car for a moment
before getting out. Ray stirs awake.
RAY
You all right man?
Tom stares out, resolute.
TOM
Nah man, I'm really not.
RAY
What's up man?
TOM
What if we get there and she really
isn't any better. Like, much worse.
What then?
Ray looks to his brother with tenderness. He has a better
grip on this than his brother.
RAY
Dude, Mom, she's got a fighting
spirit. She's gonna make it.

69.
TOM
(Tears breaking in
HIS EYES)
But what if she doesn't. What if she
dies? I just- I couldn't. Mom.
RAY
You know how Dad's mom died when he
was our age?
TOM
Yeah, we're going down the same path.
RAY
There's one thing that's different
about us that he never had.
TOM
Yeah?
(Choking back tears)
RAY
We have each other.
Ray looks at his brother for a good moment. Empathizing with
him deeply.
He resolves to hug him. They hold each other for a moment.
EXT. GAS - STATION - MOMENTS LATER Ray enters the gas station.
He glances back outside and sees his brother pumping the
gas. He continues in and grabs a couple waters. He approaches
the counter and addresses the clerk.
CLERK
Is this all?
He spots scratch tickets.
RAY
I'll take a couple of those as well.
CLERK
You got it.
EXT. HOUSE- MORNING
The two pull into the driveway of their old home. RAY looks
around as he steps out.
Nostalgia sets in as he looks at the glass door where he had
witnessed his mother and father split up. A FIVE YEAR OLD
RAY walks back from the window as the adult Ray steps up,
his reflection taking the place of the vision. He opens the
door and enters.

70.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING
RAY and TOM enter their mother's room. EMILY sits by her
bedside, still asleep. PHYLLIS awakes as Ray creaks the door
open.
They step in quietly.
PHYLLIS
My boys.
Ray and Tom approach her bedside. Emily stirs awake.
RAY
Shh...keep quiet you.
EMILY
Hey guys, long time no see.
TOM
How is she?
Phyllis, though weak, tilts her head toward her sons.
PHYLLIS
I feel like, I need to ground you
two. Been gone for so long.
Tom and Ray exchange a glance of happiness.
TOM
Now there's that fighting spirit.
Phyllis sits up.
PHYLLIS
Now, are you two gonna take me out
to breakfast, or what?
They all smile to one another. INT. DINER - MORNING EMILY,
TOM, RAY and Phyllis sit together in the diner. Phyllis is
wearing a breathing tube, but she is animated, energized by
the presence of her children.
Phyllis scratches away at the tickets. Ray watches with
enjoyment.
She finishes the first ticket and sighs. Nothing. She puts
it aside. Without wasting time, she grabs the second one and
begins to scratch at it as well.
Tom signals the waitress. Phyllis finishes scratching the
ticket; she looks up to Ray and smiles.

71.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
Five dollars.
Ray smiles with delight.
EMILY
Now you can buy yourself another
scratch ticket.
They share a laugh.
PHYLLIS
So, I need to tell you all something.
The doctor came back with the results and yes, I do have
cancer.
They all sit, silent. Tom waves the waitress off.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
But you guys don't need to worry.
We've caught it at an early enough phase where it will be
manageable.
They remain silent. Thoughtful.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
Now, I don't want you all worrying
about me. You've got your own lives,
your own things you need to focus
on.
She looks to Emily.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
You have your new internship, Tom,
you have your unbounding energy, and
Ray, well, you're a leader.
Emily and Tom laugh. Phyllis maintains her smile.
RAY
You can say this all you want mom,
but we're not going to listen. You
should know us well enough for that.
PHYLLIS
Yeah I know. I raised you tough, but
it also made you stubborn.
Ray looks to his mother as she sips her coffee and looks out
of the window, taking her in for the moments he is able.

72.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
EMILY and TOM enter through the house, RAY escorts his mother
in last.
TOM firstly goes for the stack of mail set upon the dresser
in the kitchen. He flicks through them quickly. He grabs a
couple of his own and stops as he looks at one letter. It is
from the U.S. Marines, requesting addressing Ray's interest
in enlisting.
Ray sits his mother down at the dining table. Tom hands him
the letter, somewhat concerned.
TOM
Hey, this is for you.
Ray reaches for it and opens it up. He stares at it with
intent.
INT. RECRUITING OFFICE - DAY
RAY enters a marines recruiting office. A clean-cut military
man, DAN, sits at his desk, filing paperwork. He spots Ray
and sets his papers aside. He motions for RAY.
DAN
Please, take a seat. You must be
RAY.
Ray takes a seat and nods.
DAN (CONT'D)
So you've been expressing interest
for quite some time, would you like
to continue with the process so that
we may further evaluate you and your
potential involvement in the U.S.
Marines?
Ray is unsure, but nods. Dan hands him a stack of paperwork.
DAN (CONT'D)
Now this is the screening test. We
need you to be as honest as possible.
Ray begins to flip through it. He nods to the soldier.
DAN (CONT'D)
All right, well anytime you're ready.
He hands him a pen. Ray begins to fill it out.

73.
He checks off the basic information: height, weight, age. He
then passes the area of allergies. He hesitates for a moment,
but then writes in BEE ALLERGIES, in the other category.
FLASHBACK:
Ray approaches his mother with his
sting, face swollen.
RAY
Mommy, I think there's something
wrong.
INT. RECRUITING OFFICE - DAY
Return to present.
Ray hands Dan the forms. He begins to flip through it. Dan's
face tenses as he skims over the allergy section.
DAN
You're allergic to bees?
RAY
Is that a problem?
DAN
Son, I'm sorry to let you know, but
no armed forces would accept you if
you were allergic to bees. You'd be
on the field and you'd have to have
some kind shot on you all the time.
It would be a liability.
RAY
Not even the navy? Those guys are
never near bees.
DAN
Sorry son, not even the Navy. We
can't accept you.
Ray's eyes widen. He gets up slowly, realizing the magnitude
of an effect this has on his life.
RAY
That's- fine. Thanks.
Ray gets up, eyes remaining wide. He exits into the hallway;
we stay on his face as he moves.
He passes by military ensembles and posters, pressing the
idea of duty. He continues, eyes wide. Upon exiting the last
set of double doors, his face lightens up. A smile spreads
across his face.

74.
RAY (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And just like that. The cycle was
broken. My path, undefined.
EXT. RECRUITING OFFICE - DAY
He enters his car and sits in the drivers seat. He starts up
the car. ENERGETIC, OPTIMISTIC MUSIC plays as the car starts
up. He sits there for a while. Realization striking him hard.
The music only supplements the internal understanding he has
just defined for himself.
RAY (V.O.)
These lives have an outline.
EXT. COUNTRY HOUSE - DAY
DOUG hands feed to his Goats and pigs. Petting them and
treating them with care. The breeze is gently swaying.
RAY (V.O.)
We are given a structure, a foundation
that is meant to be built upon.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
TOM and EMILY stand together as they chat with their mother.
Tom hands her a bouquet of flowers. She smiles gratefully.
RAY (V.O.)
The cycle, the rhythm we are bound
by, pulls at us in ways we cannot
describe.
A pool of smoke bellows from the mouth of Ray, sitting high
atop a deer stand in the woods. His writes in his notebook
and he watches the trees hang above him.
RAY (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But with each new pulse, each new
wave, we are renewed.
EXT. SURREAL OCEAN EXPANSE - DAY
The waters laps in successive rhythms, gentle and soft.
RAY (V.O.)
It is brilliant. It is quiet. And it
is yours.
The water retreats into a wave. The wave overcomes.
FADE OUT.

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