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Post Day 18 Assignment Here
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16 Replies
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Charles Ferrell’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned doing this assignment is how to weave little pieces of the characters arc while still being tied to the old familiar anchor.
EXT.LAKE DOCKS – NIGHT
Sneaking between lake front houses, looking for a boat and has some close calls at getting caught.
DUNCAN SMALLS
This looks like a good one, only one rope holding it, no locks.
LANCE LARRSON
I don’t know how, I let you talk me into this shit
DUNCAN SMALLS
You didn’t want to be left out of any of the glory
LANCE LARRSON
I’m standing in mud that smells like dead fish, I’m cold and sneaking around in the dark..there is no glory to be found here. And what is sticking out of your backpack there, super solider?
DUNCAN SMALLS
Fish finder and a battery to run it, stop yapping and help me push this out of the dock
LANCE LARRSON
Climbs in the boat and starts to quietly paddle, talking to Duncans back
So uh, what fish are we catching with no poles or net?
DUNCAN SMALLS
Just looking for any patterns on the bottom that might look man made.
LANCE LARRSON
So you know how to figure out the difference between natural and man made with that finder?
DUNCAN SMALLS
I got a 15 min lesson in the big tank at the sporting goods store…Shut up and let me think,,,school of fish, stump,,big ass log, I think have, I have some straight lines
LANCE LARRSON
Shit! Boat headed this way with an engine…shut that monitor off and help me paddle!
INT.DUNCAN APT – 1 AM
Comes home wet smelling like fishy water, after the third night of searching the lake in a stolen boat
HITOMI NAKAMURA
Where have you been sneaking out too, night after night, as if I didn’t know,,,,and what is that god awful smell?
DUNCAN SMALLS
The lake and lake water,,,maybe a little fishy mud?
HITOMI NAKAMURA
The lake? In the dark, in the middle of the night? You don’t even fish,, Oh and I know you got fired, a letter and your last partial check is on the bar, when were you going to tell me that?…You know what, I don’t want to know what you are doing.
She starts packing a few things into a large bag she pulls out the hall closet, he still stands dripping wet on the entry rug.
HITOMI NAKAMURA
Someone ran me off the road, when I woke up you were not there. You got fired and now you are doing god knows what in the middle of the night. You obviously have some shit to figure out and you will be doing it on your own.
DUNCAN SMALLS
(interrupts) I’m really onto something!
HITOMI NAKAMURA
(she interrupts him) she has now pushed past him and is outside his apartment looking back
Look, I’m going to my rental car and I’m sleeping at my place from now on, call me if and when you figure it all out.
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Don Thompson’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned is that these middle scenes continue to build toward the final, climactic scenes in a way that holds the audience’s attention and makes the audience anticipate the outcome in a very visceral way.
INT. CLAGGART’S QUARTERS – MINUTES LATER
Squeak enters Claggart’s cramped quarters. Claggart is lying down, but bolts upright and stands as Squeak enters.
SQUEAK
I talked to Budd.
CLAGGART
He’ll mutiny?
SQUEAK
No, sir. He’s as loyal as a Prince.
Claggart’s face contorts and he slaps Squeak across the head. Squeak falls down, and holds his hands over his head.
SQUEAK
Don’t hit me Sir. I tried to get him to confess bad intentions, but he has none!
Claggart turns away, then kneels down and takes Squeak by the shoulders and shakes him.
CLAGGART
You listen to me! He has bad intentions! Do you understand!
Squeak shakes his head.
CLAGGART
Say it! Say it to me right now! Budd is mutinous, say it or I’ll see you as dead as Johnson!
Squeak looks at Claggart.
SQUEAK
He’s mutinous. Budd is mutinous.
CLAGGART
That’s it. And you swear by this?
Squeak shakes his head ‘yes’.
SQUEAK
I swear by it. He wants you dead, Mr. Claggart. He and Kincaid. After that, the impressments take control.
Just then there is a brisk KNOCK on the door. Seymour is outside.
EXT. DOOR TO CLAGGART’S QUARTERS – SAME TIME
SEYMOUR
Claggart? Claggart why aren’t you on watch?
Claggart speaks through the door.
CLAGGART
I was in the privy!
SEYMOUR
Well, get on with it. I’ll be on deck as well.
Claggart nods.
CLAGGART
I’ll be there in a minute.
EXT. MID-DECK – SAME TIME
In the shadows Kinkaid lurks with a knife. Claggart is back out on his watch. Kinkaid observes him as he paces.
From behind Kinkaid, Billy also appears. He can tell Kinkaid has his knife ready, and knows his intent.
Billy comes behind Kinkaid and grabs him, wrestling with him for a few moments.
Kinkaid’s knife falls out of his hand and slides down the deck.
Seymore hears the commotion and appears. Claggart also notices and rushes to where the two men are.
The four men stand tensely sizing each other up. Claggart sees the knife and picks it up.
CLAGGART
Who’s knife is this?
Both Billy and Kinkaid are silent.
KINKAID
It’s mine.
Seymour looks at Claggart intently.
SEYMOUR
Give it back to him.
CLAGGART
I should keep it as evidence.
SEYMOUR
Evidence of what? I see no crime here.
Claggart is taken aback.
SEYMOUR
Give him the knife, Mr. Claggart.
Claggart hands the knife to Kinkaid. Seymour turns to Kinkaid and Billy.
SEYMOUR
Get below, both of you. I’ll take the watch from here.
The two men shuffle below.
Once they leave, Claggart turns to Seymour.
CLAGGART
They wanted to kill me – or maybe both of us.
SEYMOUR
I don’t believe they wanted to kill me.
Beat.
CLAGGART
I see. So you would just as soon see me dead as well.
SEYMOUR
I wish death on no man.
Beat.
SEYMOUR
There is no need to include any of this on your report. Do you understand?
CLAGGART
It will not appear on the report.
SEYMOUR
Good. We understand each other then. We need peace on this ship of war.
CLAGGART
We need order.
Seymour looks at him intently, then leaves.
INT. LOWER DECK – SAME TIME
Billy is in his hammock. Danskar approaches.
DANSKAR
You’re not on your watch.
BILLY
Seymour took it.
DANSKAR
What’s with Kinkaid?
BILLY
He’s out for blood. Seems like he wanted to kill Claggart. I had to stop him.
DANSKAR
You stopped him? You’ll not get a medal for that.
BILLY
I don’t need any medals. As it is, Seymour let us both go.
DANSKAR
Seymour is a good man.
BILLY
I’m just hopin’ Claggart doesn’t ask Squeak to slit my throat.
DANSKAR
I’ll keep an eye out for ya.
BILLY
Thanks for that.
Beat.
BILLY
You know I had the strangest dream about you.
Beat.
BILLY
I dreamt I was looking down at you, and I was floating over the mid deck like an angel. It was an odd dream. The sun was shinin’ so bright I could barely look at it.
DANSKAR
But you did you look at it?
BILLY
I did. I looked right at it as it shone down on me and the rest of us. It was a light brighter than anything I’ve ever seen.
Danskar nods.
DANSKAR
God favors you, Billy. I’ve never had a dream like that – for all my prayin’ I’ve never had a dream like that.
Beat.
DANSKAR
One day the world will be ruled by the love of God, Billy. Of that I’m sure.
Billy smiles.
BILLY
I’m not sure about that, Danskar. But I like the thought of it.
FADE OUT/IN:
EXT. MID-SHIP DECK – NEXT DAY
CLOSE: Captain Vere commands Mr. Radcliff to provide more sail.
VERE
(to Radcliff)
Hoist the upper topsail. Brace up fore and aft. Set the courses.
He SHOUTS his orders to the men.
RADCLIFF
Hoist the upper topsail. Brace up fore and aft. Set the courses!
The men scurry into positions, and Billy takes his position at Chief of the Foretop on top of the mainsails.
The ship’s sails unfurl.
EXT. HMS IMDOMITABLE – SAME TIME
From afar, the ship can be seen in full glory with the sails unfurled.
BACK TO THE QUARTER DECK
Captain Vere turns to Radcliff.
VERE
A glorious day it is, Mr. Radcliff!
RADCLIFF
That it is, sir!
CUT TO:
INT. CAPTAIN VERE’S QUARTERS – MINUTES LATER
The Captain enters his cabin and breaks out his pipe to have a smoke. Just as he lights it, Claggart knocks on the door.
VERE
Come in!
Claggart enters.
CLAGGART
Sir, I have something of some importance to convey to you.
VERE
Does it need to be now? It’s a glorious day – I’d like to enjoy my pipe.
Beat.
CLAGGART
There’s mutiny afoot.
Vere stamps out his pipe and moves to confront Claggart face-to-face.
VERE
Mutiny? By whom?
CLAGGART
Budd.
VERE
Budd?
Beat.
CLAGGART
Last night, Kinkaid and Budd conspired to kill me. If it wasn’t for Mr. Seymour’s interruption, I would be dead now.
Claggart can’t believe it.
CLAGGART
From there, my assistant tells me that the rest of the impressments were ready to raid the arms locker and take the Quarter Deck by force.
Claggart returns to his desk.
VERE
What assistant? Squeak?
CLAGGART
Squeak.
Vere smiles.
VERE
Do you really believe Squeak?
CLAGGART
I believe him.
Vere examines him.
VERE
Do you realize what you’re saying man?
Do you really understand what you’re saying and what you’re setting loose here by making this accusation?
Claggart is silent. Vere goes to his door and looks out.
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Lesson 18: Act 3 Middle Scenes
ASSIGNMENT
BG’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
1. Outline Key Scenes (Act 3 Middle Scenes).
INT. KITCHEN – THE CLUB – DAY
MI6 agents’ early-morning visit to sweep for bugs has created excitement among the kitchen staff. When Reporter walks in, a waitress rushes to him and gushes, “They were everywhere, Monsieur! But they didn’t find anything!” Reporter looks concerned, then surprised. His eyebrows go up slightly – brain whirring, puzzle pieces jumping around, assembling themselves into a coherent picture. He spots Hostess approaching. He hastily moves behind a group of workers to avoid being seen. and leaves by the rear exit.EXT. PARKING LOT OFF BUSTLING STREET – LONDON – NIGHT
INT. GERMAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY – NIGHT
Parking lot in a congested area some distance from both The Club and Hostess’s flat. Hostess, sitting in her car with an unusual-looking laptop and some equipment, sends an encrypted message to her control, German Agent. She then plants evidence remotely into Hacker’s electronics equipment, in order to deflect Intelligence agencies away from Reporter.INT. CIA CONFERENCE ROOM LANGLEY – DAY
CIA deciphers traces of a British hacker’s phone number and new references to Northstar in monitored transatlantic communications. They discuss the legal advantages of capturing a foreign citizen as opposed to an American reporter.INT./EXT. CIA SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT
INT./EXT. VAN – CIA SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT
Scottish moors. A black MI6 van speeds toward a dark, lonely-looking house, looming in the distance. In the van, Hacker lies unconscious with two boxes full of his electronics equipment by his side. An American rendition team sits in front.INT./EXT. REPORTER’S HOTEL ROOM — NIGHT
Reporter can’t get through to his friend Hacker. He leaves his room with some tools.INT./EXT. HACKER’S APARTMENT — NIGHT
Reporter climbs up to Hacker’s flat, jimmies open a window, and goes in. He finds it ransacked. And all of Hacker’s electronics equipment are missing.EXT. DARK STREET NEAR REPORTER’S FLAT – NIGHT
On the way back to his own flat, Reporter is attacked from behind by Assassin. He topples Assassin down. As the guy, surprised, tries to right himself, Reporter kicks Assassin’s head, knocking him out. Then, Reporter kicks again — he’s really pissed! He bends down and whispers, Skipped your Elementary Mechanics class, didn’t you?INT. KITCHEN – THE CLUB – DAY
Next morning, Reporter is really cold toward Hostess, who has come to the kitchen to talk to him. He evades her attempts to talk.EXT. PARKING LOT OFF BUSTLING STREET – LONDON – NIGHT
That evening, Reporter follows Hostess to the parking lot. Inside her car, Hostess starts to set up her secure laptop and her gear on the passenger-side seat. Reporter looks in through the window. He recognizes the equipment – their images had zipped by on his screen while researching listening devices in his hotel room. He knocks on the window. Hostess looks surprised, but moves her gear to her lap and unlocks the door. Reporter slides into the passenger seat and says, Why don’t we talk here?-
This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by BG ERENGIL.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by BG ERENGIL.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by BG ERENGIL.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by
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VIC VALLEAU LESSON 18: ACT 3 MIDDLE, SCENE 2 MAKES A NEW PLAN, BIGGER, MORE RISKY.
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT: NEW PLAN comes from mistakes of their past.
EXT. TESLA DEALERSHIP – DAY.
NANCY, ELIE, JT AND ELTON STAND OUTSIDE ARGUING.
ELIE: Yellow is so yesterday. Get the burnt orange, show some class.
ELTON: Are you saying I don’t have class? Tesla’s come in black or white.
ELIE: No, we know you are a classy guy, well read, versed in classics, poetry.
ELTON: Poetry, what are you inferring?
ELIE: You mean implying? What am I implying?
NANCY: Lets go for a test drive, the manly thing to do!
Salesman keeps keys, shows his power.
SALESMAN: You know, sir about the pedal shift feature.
ELTON: SHE JUST WRECKED MY LAST TESTLA. TALK TO HER!
Nancy snatches keys from salesman, hands them to Elton.
NANCY: Let’s let the gentleman drive his new car!
SALESMAN: Is she your girlfriend sir?
NANCY cozies up to JT, looks intimate with him.
Salesan is about to launch into a scolding of Nancy.
JT: ( to salesman, cautions him) Don’t start.
ELTON SLIDES INTO DRIVERS SEAT.
ELIE: Looks good on you, I should say handsome.
JT: Careful buddy, you’re being played!
ELTON: I like it, stop interrupting.
ELIE gets into passenger seat.
ELIE: Take us away maestro!
Elton races away.
JT: What a setup that was, “take it away Maestro”, flatter his fragile ego.
NANCY: Oh exalted one, God of all you survey! Bring your credit cards,
We are going shopping for a diamond Rolex.
JT: I though you were paying?
NANCY: You have such a wonderful sense of humor.
They laugh together, drive off together
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Peter Birdsong’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned: I think I learned a bit more about my characters. Also, the freedom of writing without all of the answers has really helped me. I continued past two areas that would have hung me up for days in the past.
INT. SALON – MOMENTS LATER
Carly has the book open in front of her. She has a sailing LINE in her hand and she’s turning it to form a loop. Studying the book closely, she snakes the other in around, and then through. She pulls it tight in a perfect bowline knot.
INT. SALON – DAY
Carly sits at the NAV STATION studying the digital chart on the screen. She looks back at the book, then the chart again. She takes down a note in the book, and underlines some text.
She heres a noise and looks up. The sunroof that gives her a view of the mainsail above. It’s filling with air! She watches it noticing the top-quarter fluttering.
I/E. YACHT – DAY
Carly stands at the helm watching the sail above. She touches the wheel. Then, she gently takes hold.
Carly looks upward again, and then at the horizon. She breathes and looks at the sail again.
Carly turns the wheel. It easy, and it responds to her. The boat yaws port and the flapping of the sail becomes louder!
Carly turns starboard. The sail fills out completely.
She hangs on keeping the course straight on its new direction.
She taps the computer to re-engage the auto-pilot. The boat steer port returning to it’s original heading.
The mainsail begins to flap.
Carly inspects the lines leading up the boat to the mast. She opens the book.
I/E. YACHT – DAY
Barefoot and at the base of the mast, Carly continues to inspect how things are setup. She frequently looks back at the book and then the mast again.
She slams the book shut and moves expertly back to the helm station. She grabs a single line and pulls.
The sail responds moving the BOOM slightly. The mainsail fills completely and the flapping stops.
Satisfied, she locks down the line.
LAUREL
Hey.
Her mother stands in the opening to the Salon.
CARLY
Hey.
LAUREL
You good?
CARLY
All good.
Laurel glances around a little as if checking to be sure.
LAUREL
Okay.
Laurel makes a move to head back inside.
CARLY
I… thought I could take a shift.
LAUREL
That would be great.
CARLY
Yeah?
LAUREL
You know what to do?
CARLY
I think so. Watch the sails. Watch other boats. Make sure we’re pointed the right way. Anything else?
LAUREL
That’s about all I know too. If you learn something new, tell me.
CARLY
Okay.
Laurel disappears into the salon. Carly turns her attention back to the helm. She takes a seat.
It’s hers now.
CARLY
Okay.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN – DAY
The blue waters stretch endlessly in every direction. The 45 foot catamaran, small on the water, moves effortlessly over the waves.
I/E. YACHT – SUNSET
Carly stands near the front of the boat, watching the sun just kiss the horizon. Her hair flows free in the wind.
Ocean spray occasionally hits her face, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
At the helm, Laurel watches her daughter.
INT. SALON – NIGHT
Carly practicing her knots. The book is open next to her. Fresh notes written in the margins.
The only light is the glow of the red nightlight in the cabin. The engines HUM as the catamaran motors on in the night.
Something catches her eye. Carly stands and peers through one of the windows, watching the black horizon.
LIGHTNING. It’s quite a ways off.
She sits near the window and watches. Another FLASH. This one maybe further away, just over the horizon line.
I/E. YACHT – DAY
Carly opens the SAIL LOCKER.
INT. SAIL LOCKER – CONTINUOUS
Carly drops inside and looks at the large bag in front of her.
LABEL: SPINNAKER
She pulls the bag my it’s handle, and shoves it up through the open hatch.
I/E. YACHT – CONTINUOUS
Carly climbs out. She stretches the bag across the boat’s trampolines, finds the zipper, and pulls.
ZZZZZZIIIIPP. The industrial strength zipper grinds along its teeth down the bag revealing a purple SHEET inside.
Carly steps up and runs to her book. Opening to a page she has bookmarked she studies it closely.
She jumps bag to the sail bag and grabs a corner of the purple sheet. She attaches it to a point and feeds it around the JIB.
I/E. YATCH – MOMENTS LATER
Carly steps to the helm and feeds a line into one of the winches. She retrieves a CRANK from storage under her seat and attaches it to the winch.
KLAK-K-K-K-K-K! She spins the winch.
Ahead… the purple sheet rises along the front of the boat. It’s top corner climbs higher and higher.
The sheet unfolds and fills with wind becoming a magnificent display of wind power! It billows out wide casting a purple hue on the yacht itself.
Carly moves to the controls and hits a BUTTON. The JIB SAIL responds rolling up to the bow and disappearing into itself.
Carly tugs and loosens lines, making proper adjustments to the new sail.
INT. SALON – SAME
Laurel watches the sail through the window. The beauty of it has captivated her. A glimmer of a smile, and perhaps pride, can be seen on her face.
She sips the hot mug in her hand.
I/E. YACHT – CONTINUOUS
Carly takes hold of the WHEEL and switches off the auto-pilot. She looks at the compass, then the sails.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN – DAY
The catamaran sails over the waters, its purple spinnaker sail glowing under the afternoon sun.
I/E. YACHT – SUNSET
Laurel emerges from the Salon; a fish FILET on a plate in hand.
She hands it up to Carly who sits at the wheel. Carly accepts and takes a large bite of the fish.
LAUREL
The wind is starting to taper off.
CARLY
Yeah.
LAUREL
Maybe we should switch to the other sail before it gets dark?
CARLY
Jib.
LAUREL
Jib.
I/E. YACHT – MOMENTS LATER
The sun sits just over the horizon. Carly works a wench and the purple sail lowers to the boat’s bow.
Laurel stands at the front collecting it as best she can as it comes down.
I/E. YACHT – MOMENTS LATER
They work together rolling the sail into a tight bundle. Carly opens the sail bag and they begin to shove the sail inside.
INT. SAIL LOCKER – MOMENTS LATER
Carly pushes the bag into it’s proper spot; taking extra care of the storage space and where it should rest.
I/E. YACHT – NIGHT
The sun is all but gone. Laurel is wearing a HEADLAMP that illuminates the boat.
LAUREL
Take a break. We can run the motor for a while.
Carly moves along the side of the boat and leaps up to the helm. She presses and holds a button and the engines come to life. She engages the throttle and sets the auto pilot computer.
INT. SALON – NIGHT
Carly and Laurel sit on the couch drinking red wine.
CARLY
We broke up.
LAUREL
No! When?
CARLY
Like, three weeks ago.
LAUREL
Oh. I’m sorry. I liked that boy.
CARLY
Don’t be sorry. I dumped him.
LAUREL
Oh. I’m sorry for him.
CARLY
(joking)
Well, yes. His loss.
They look at each other, then laugh!
LAUREL
Want to tell me what happened?
CARLY
Eh. Doesn’t matter.
They sit in silence. Laurel sips her wine.
CARLY
Was Dad always… could you trust him?
LAUREL
More than anyone.
Carly considers this for a moment.
CARLY
I guess you would have to being that you were gone so much.
That stung. Laurel swallows.
CARLY
Busy, I mean.
LAUREL
Yeah.
I/E. YACHT – NIGHT
The boat bobs on a wave. A ROPE laying loose on the deck moves. It’s end hangs over the edge touching the water.
The boat kicks on a wave again, and the rope’s end slips into the water. The weight slowly pulls on the whole line.
It goes fast, snaking off the deck and into the current below dragging to the rear of the boat.
EXT. UNDERWATER – NIGHT
Like a sea snake, the line slips along the hull, it’s end aimed directly for the spinning prop.
INT. SALON – NIGHT
THE ENGINE STOPS SUDDENLY!
Carly looks to the windows curiously.
CARLY
What happened?
LAUREL
I don’t know.
They stand and move to the doors.
CARLY
I’ll restart it.
Carly grabs a light and CLICKS it on.
Laurel relaxes back onto the couch as her daughter steps outside.
I/E. YACHT – NIGHT
Carly presses the button at the helm. The starter turns but nothing happens.
She tries again.
Nothing.
Carly lets out a breath, and tries a third time.
CARLY
Come on…
Nothing.
CARLY
It’s a brand new boat.
LAUREL
What’s up?
CARLY
I don’t know. It just won’t start.
LAUREL
Did you try–
CARLY
The only thing I know to try is to try starting it.
LAUREL
Okay. There’s a breeze, we could just go back to the wind. Okay?
CARLY
Yeah. Okay.
LAUREL
We’ll sort it out in the morning, when we have light.
CARLY
Yeah.
LAUREL
It will be fine tonight.
I/E. YACHT – MORNING
Carly stands on the bow holding a line taught in her hands.
LAUREL
Are you sure?
CARLY
What else would explain it. This thing is wrapped around our propeller engine thing.
LAUREL
Propeller engine thing.
CARLY
Mom. This is serious.
LAUREL
Okay.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN
The boat sits on almost glass ocean water. Both sails are down and the boat is technically adrift.
I/E. YACHT – MORNING
Laurel rushes out from the Salon, KNIFE in hand.
LAUREL
Don’t let the rest fall in.
CARLY
I’ve got it.
Laurel cuts the rope free near her hand. Carly, holding the end leading into the water, walks it back to the rear of the boat.
LAUREL
I’ve got the rest.
Laurel wraps up the line remaining and stores it as it should have been.
Caryl reaches the rear of the boat and tugs.
CARLY
It won’t budge!
Laurel arrives and grabs hold with her.
LAUREL
Like the fish. PULL!
They pull in unison, but the line doesn’t give. Laurel moves close to the water and lays prone on the swim deck. Her face can almost touch the water.
She grabs the line in the water and tries woking it in different directions.
Carly holds the limp end helplessly.
CARLY
Shit. We’re stuck.
LAUREL
Don’t panic.
CARLY
I’m not. I’m pissed.
LAUREL
Don’t do that either. Let’s just breath.
CARLY
Don’t tell me to breath. Look where we are! Unless you have a way to MAKE WIND, we’re stuck! STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN!
Laurel stares at the line leading into the water. She rolls up to a sitting position and looks up at the sky.
CARLY
I have to be home in ten days. Not the islands. HOME! I can see the headline: “Midland High’s Prom Queen Lost At Sea.”
Laurel continues staring at the sky.
CARLY
HELLO!?
(beat)
Mom?
Laurel wipes her eye.
CARLY
Are you okay?
LAUREL
I’m tired.
Carly sits on a step leading down to where her mother is sitting.
LAUREL
This is the most peace I’ve felt in years.
Carly relaxes. They float in silence listening to the small waves lap the underside of the vessel.
LAUREL
I’m sorry.
CARLY
For what?
LAUREL
I didn’t know you were the prom queen.
CARLY
Well. I’m not. Not yet. A girl can dream right?
LAUREL
I’m still sorry.
The waves slap the boat gently.
CARLY
I know.
Laurel stands up.
LAUREL
Grab your swimsuit.
Carly sits up.
CARLY
What? Why?
I/E. YACHT – DAY
Laurel stands next to her daughter, both in swimsuits. Laurel hands her a pair of goggles, and a line.
LAUREL
Tie yourself off.
CARLY
I cannot believe I’m about to do this.
Laurel picks up a knife, the same used to skin their fish.
LAUREL
It will be a great story to tell.
CARLY
What about sharks
LAUREL
If you see a shark, get out.
CARLY
Great.
Laurel moves down to the swim deck. She holds a line tied around her waist.
LAUREL
We’ll do this in shifts. Trade back and both. I’ll go down first. When I come up, you go in. Keep cutting.
(off her look)
We can do this.
CARLY
(nods)
I know.
LAUREL
Okay then.
Laurel steps to the edge.
CARLY
Wait.
LAUREL
What?
CARLY
Do you know how deep it is?
LAUREL
What?
CARLY
How deep the water is?
LAUREL
Deep!
CARLY
Did you check?
LAUREL
No!
CARLY
Why not?
LAUREL
Because I don’t want to know either!
Laurel steps forward and plunges into the water. She comes up right away.
Carly moves down to the swim deck, holding her own safety line in a tight grip.
CARLY
Well?
LAUREL
It’s cold. Let’s hurry this up.
Carly slips into the water much more slowly. Carly lets out a noise through her teeth as the cold water wraps her body.
CARLY
The knife?
LAUREL
Got it. Back in a minute.
EXT. UNDERWATER – DAY
Laurel goes under and immediately heads for the prop. Sure enough, the line is a tightly wound mess.
She pulls free the loose parts and starts cutting.
As she saws at it, a part of the line splits free. Laurel pushes off and heads to the surface.
EXT. OCEAN – DAY
Laurel comes up blowing out a huge volume of air. She hands the knife to Carly.
LAUREL
Be careful. And, don’t drop the knife.
CARLY
Right.
Carly dives under.
EXT. UNDERWATER – CONTINUOUS
Carly follows the hulls contours and reaches the prop. She pulls on the line and then cuts at it. She slides the knife back and forth working a chunk of the line free.
She pulls on the frays and it untangles. She pushes off and heads for the surface.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN
Carly comes up for air.
CARLY
It’s working. Just a bit more left.
Laurel takes the knife and dives under.
EXT. UNDERWATER
Laurel reaches the prop and starts sawing at the torn line again. The last bit loosens and the ropes drifts free of the prop.
Laurel looks it over, and then pushes off.
EXT. ATLANTIC OCEAN
Laurel comes up.
LAUREL
Got it!
CARLY
Thank God!
I/E. YACHT – CONTINUOUS
Carly hoists herself up onto the boat. She turns and takes the knife form her mother. Setting the knife aside, she pulls her mother form the water.
Teeth CHATTERING, Carly heads to the helm.
CARLY
Here we go!
She presses the buttons. The starter turns and the engine comes to life!
THEY CHEER!!
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Patrick Downey – Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned doing this assignment is that my characters can’t be trusted at all. They have gone off writing their own scenes without me! LOL
Key Scene 2 – Makes a new plan
INT. INSIDE VAN – DAY
Cayman is watching and recording the conversation of the H.A.V.O.C. four inside the vault when he records their very own confession during a fight and heated argument.
CUT TO: BIKE MESSENGER RIDING THROUGH STREETS OF DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AND DELIVERING PACKAGE TO FOOD TRUCK
INT. FOOD TRUCK
Agent Greene rips open package and pours out a thumb drive and proceeds to plug it in and listens. They can’t believe what they’re hearing and wondering where in the world this information came from, it’s like an early Christmas present.
INT. FBI OFFICE – NIGHT
Agents Belfiore and Greene met with Director to discuss their next move and the steps forward as a department. If they agree to Cayman’s terms, there are certain measures that will need to be put in place. There’s not a consensus among them but they finally agree to do what’s the best interest of all parties.
Key Scene 3 – Things go well, until
INT. H.A.V.O.C. OFFICES – DAY
Agent Belfiore makes his very first entrance into the building after only watching it for 8 years from across the street. He is dressed in the Mac-N-Cheese finest apron and hat looking like a squirrel in the middle of the street with cars coming both directions.
After exchanging letters with Crutch and making his way out as fast as one possibly can, he hears Dardanos yell at him and he freezes. Caught off guard, he stumbles and bumbles through a brief conversation in which he agrees to bring another lunch item dish for him.
Upon returning to the food truck, agent Belfiore is sure that he was just made, and an ensuing cloud now hangs heavy over the investigation for both the FBI and Cayman’s crew.
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Subject line: Daisy Ridgway Khalifa’s Act 3 Middle Scenes [Lesson 18]
What I learned doing this assignment: I am learning that I need to stay calm, cheer myself on and forge ahead. It’s getting a little crazy here, as in confusing and frustrating. I have to let the pieces fall together, random as it may feel. Multiple placeholder scenes also seems to be necessary, given how this act has a fair amount of action, which makes it a little harder to really envision the exact ‘key scenes’.
Act. 3/Middle Scene Outlines:
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING – WASHINGTON, D.C. – DAY – 1999
Key Scene 2/Makes a New Plan: Mia goes to her “office” in Washington, and sorts our her new reality. And while she actually likes her own new outcome and her family seems to be in a better place; she is an influential fundraiser in Washington, with her own company, and she has different people and friends in her life, questions abound and she is having one shock after another. Funny sequence as she figures out where she works, and how much money she has in the bank. She adjusts slowly, and makes herself handle her circumstances with composure.
BEGINNING: Mia sets out to find Ian and sort out her “new” reality. At her office that she is seeing for the first time, she asks one of her employees to track down Ian or “literature professor” Michael Gardner. They think she is acting daft, but everyone is fond of her and they let it slide.
MIDDLE: She makes a lot of funny and shocking discoveries about her everyday life, her work, her family and about the world, culture, society.She learns she has a big fundraising pitch coming up.
END: Success, she is given Michael Gardner’s contact information.
INT. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS – DAY
Key Scene 3/Things go Well Until: In doing some research she also comes to discover horrifying things. Mia never lived in the oceanfront house in the new reality; how will she correct things and ever find Charles? And, worse, Charles died alone. Elsa moved out of Pinecliff, while Charles stayed—and taught. He never went on reading tour (which earned him a lot of money). Paul Gregory moved on to other clients. Charles never directed Night of the Hunter, and he was never in Advise and Consent. *(maybe show this in scenes as she is researching). Last, Mia discovers the biggest shocker of all when she is at LC: or (she calls by phone or meets) Michael Gardner only had three children. Ian was never BORN! She always assumed he was.
BEGINNING: She is getting somewhat swept up in her company, and seems to know just what to do. She also feels more connected to her family. But she has gnawing questions, there is an emptiness — as if this isn’t rightfully her life. She knows she needs to find out about Charles and, at least, communicate with Ian. She goes to LC to do research as she did with Ian.
MIDDLE: She starts to learn heartbreaking things about Charles. His life was entirely different and he died alone in a VA hospital in 1962. No Night of the Hunter, no Advise and Consent. No Elsa. She does see that Michael Gardner collaborated with Brecht and Laughton on Galileo and Don Juan and other projects.
END: When she reaches Michael Gardner by phone that day, she learns that she is talking to Michael Gardner Senior’s son, a professor at Yale. Mia: “Oh, you must be Ian’s older brother.” Michael junior: ‘I don’t have a brother named Ian. I just have two younger sisters, and they still live near my parents in Los Angeles.’
Key Scenes 2-3: TK
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Janeen’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s easy to get in the flow and write most of an act in only a couple of hours.
OUTLINE
INT. LAKE HOUSE – MORNING
Ivy investigates the house — key was under the mat. It is old lady chic. She hears a car outside, sees it is Nick’s clunker.
EXT. LAKE HOUSE – MORNING
At the lake house Grizzly is excited (happy) to see Ivy and Nick sees her when she’s trying to get Grizzly to leave her. They fight, holiday style, with the parents trying to stop Nick. Ivy realizes she still has her phone. Big time screwup.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAY INT. WHITE HOUSE – DAY
Nick tells her to call the President and fill him in. President tells them to hole up until he can get it all sorted. He trusts Ivy.
EXT. LAKE – DAY
Nick is in a kayak with Ivy’s phone. He takes it to the middle of a lake, sets it afloat in a milk jug and goes back to the lake house.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAY
Ivy says Rudy needs his HBP med. He says they need to move and grabs a couple of keys from his aunt’s key rack, telling the parents to fill in the rack with other keys.
INT. LAKE HOUSE 2 – DAY
Nick and Ivy look for meds in the houses on either side of the parents, and don’t get caught. Ivy raids the medicine chest for meds and leaves. (Fun distraction at door).
INT. LAKE HOUSE 3 – DAY
Nick raids the refrigerator and pantry, putting things in a grocery sack and takes keys from the key rack. Everyone trusts their neighbors here and he seems to know them all. He leaves.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAY
They return, Nick tells them to grab anything they think will be useful. They are going to another house.
EXT. DINGHY – DAY
Bundled up and dressed as Santa and his elves, the parents and Ivy get in a dinghy. They hear car doors and Nick runs down the iced over canal, pulling the dinghy. Later, we see Ivy pulling the dinghy and finally both of them. They stop at a boat ramp, help the parents out. A snowmobiling group shows up, they ask for a lift and ride to Lake House 4 (or thereabouts).
INT. LAKE HOUSE 4 – LATER
Ivy is cleaning up the kitchen after a meal. Nick is sleeping like a baby, Grizzly cuddled between his shoulder and ear. Holly and Rudy doze in chairs. Holly catches some sleep too.
SCENES
EXT. LAKE HOUSE – MORNING
NICK, again dressed as Santa, gets out of the car and sets Grizzly on the ground.
The back doors open. HOLLY and RUDY emerge dressed in alpine lederhosen, green caps and shoes with curled up toes. They shudder, pulling big puffy scarves closer to their faces.
HOLLY
I can’t believe you’re making uswear this stuff.
NICK
Beggers can’t be choosers. Theywere the cheapest things I could find.
Nick pulls a Santa pack from the trunk.
RUDY
It’s winter. You didn’t think longpants might be appropriate?
NICK
I thought having costumes so bizarrethat no one would look at your faces was appropriate. Keep those scarves up over your faces.
They shiver their way to the front door. Nick looks under the mat. No key.
NICK (CONT’D)
I’m going to go around back for thespare key. You two stay here. Nick ducks around the house.
Rudy tries the door. It’s open. He and Holly hurry in. Grizzly follows them.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS
GRIZZLY rushes over to the chair in the corner. Slipping underneath it, barking joyfully. He’s found IVY.
HOLLY and RUDY, pulling off the scarves.
HOLLY
What’d you find over there, Grizzly girl?Ivy stands.
IVY
Hi guys. Where’s Nick?Holly and Rudy break into broad smiles, approach Ivy, arms out to hug her.
RUDY
He went around back to find the sparekey.
IVY
Another one? I found the one underthe mat.
HOLLY
Obviously. Glad you could join us.EXT. LAKE HOUSE – CONTINUOUS
NICK returns from the back of the house. Panics when the parents aren’t there.
NICK Grizzly? Grizzly!
He looks around, dazed, confused.
NICK (CONT’D)
Oh god, my worst nightmare. Santasuit and no Griz.
He hears Grizzly’s bark from inside.Nick turns the door handle. Bursts into the room, seeing HOLLY and RUDY toddling toward a corner, arms out. Misinterprets.
In one leap, he is across the room, arms out in hand to hand combat position, trips on a Christmas light cord, does a face plant in the carpet.
IVY leaps from behind the chair, points at a sofa indicating Holly and Rudy should sit. They obey.
Nick scrambles to his feet, can’t see Ivy’s face clearly because her hair is in it.
Ivy looks around for a weapon. Settles on deer antlers from a side table for one hand and an angel-shaped glass snow globe in the other.
Nick freezes when he sees her face clearly.
NICK (CONT’D)
You’re dead. You’re not really here.He is confused, dazed. Thinks he having a delusion or a PTSD nightmare. Goes with it.
NICK (CONT’D)
Put the angel down. She’s a preciousheirloom.
Ivy glances at the angel and Nick leaps. He hits her arm with one hand, sending the angel flying. Rudy catches it in his lap.
RUDY
Nice. We should get one of these.Holly nods.
Nick scrambles to his feet. While he throws things at Ivy, stopping sometimes to evaluate if they are “heirlooms” and putting them down if they are.
Ivy successfully dodges the items, circling, speaking slowly and calmly, trying to defuse the situation.
Nick is in another world, groping in the Santa suit for a weapon, finding none. Reaching for something else in the room to use as a weapon.
Grizzly barks, attempting to scale Nick’s leg when she can, jumping up on any furniture he is close to in an attempt to jump on his shoulder and do her job.
IVY
Nick, I’m Ivy. I’m Holly and Rudy’sSecret Service agent. I’m trying to keep them safe, just like you are.
Nick corners Ivy in the dining room. He picks up a chair, ready to smash it into her when Grizzly leaps from the floor, onto another chair, onto the dining table and onto Nick’s arm while he holds the chair over his head. She claws her way up to his shoulder, to his ear, and barks in it.
Nick stops. Looks at her, dipping his head low toward his shoulder.
Grizzly licks his nose. Nick closes his eyes, shoulders sagging, arms letting the chair lower to the floor.
Nick scoops Grizzly off his shoulder, holds her nose to nose, eye to eye with his face.
NICK Thanks, Grizzly.
Ivy looks amazed as she watches this. Gives a “who knew?” Gesture to Rudy and Holly who shrug back.
Ivy holds out her hand to Nick.
IVY
I’m Ivy. Secret Service agent.He looks at her, unsure.
NICK
You were shot dead at the mall.IVY
I was shot in the vest and knockedout when I hit my head on a kiosk on my way down. Wanna feel the bump on my head?
Nick looks hopeful.
NICK You’re alive?
Ivy nods.
Nick turns to Holly and Rudy.NICK (CONT’D) Holly and Rudy nod, smile.
RUDY We know.
HOLLY
She came to talk to us when youstopped to pee. That’s how she knew we were coming here.
Nick frowns, suspicious.
NICK
You told them we were coming here?RUDY
Sure. We’ve known Ivy a long time.She took a bullet for us.
NICK How can you be sure.
RUDY
Grizzly likes her, doesn’t she?She’s alive!
Nick looks at Grizzly, still sitting on his hand. She licks his nose.
NICK
Okay. Let’s get settled. My auntis going to have a cow when she sees this mess.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAY
The house is tidy again, RUDY is at the dining table sipping coffee. HOLLY is in the kitchen tidying up. IVY and NICK are napping in chairs in ungainly positions. Ivy snaps awake.
IVY
We have to tell your son you’re safe.Nick wakes up with a start and GRIZZLY quickly licks his cheek from her comfortable position on his shoulder.
NICK Thanks, Grizzly.
He strokes her neck.
RUDY
We can’t call them, Santa, overhere, took our phones and threw them out so we don’t have his number.
IVY
No problem. I have it on my phone.She stops, looks around the room, guilty, then panicked, then ashamed.
IVY (CONT’D)
Shit, shit, shit. Dasher and hisgang will know I’m alive if they figure out who had their car disabled at the rest area.
Nick stands.
NICK
What are you talking about?IVY
When they went into the rest area,back there, I called Joy and had her disable their SUV. Dasher has probably figured out who did it by now and he’ll be tracking this phone.
Nick and Ivy make eye contact. Her contrition is evident. His fury softens to forgiveness.
NICK
Call the President. Write down thenumber and then I’ll take care of your phone.
RUDY
They’ll have Joy’s phone bugged bynow so you can’t call her again.
Nick indicates she should put it on speaker.
Ivy heaves a sigh, sits, calls, puts the call on speaker. Intercut the phone call as necessary.
INT. WHITE HOUSE – DAYPRESIDENT
Hello, Ivy. We heard you’d died.Are mom and dad okay?
IVY
They’re fine, Mr. President. We’rehiding out. I can’t tell you where, but we’re safe. I need to make this quick.
Nick has moved to the kitchen where he is cutting a whole in the side of an empty milk jug and fishing through drawers until he finds duct tape.
PRESIDENT Okay, shoot.
IVY
Agent Dasher from the FBI is workingwith foreign agents from somewhere. He’s got hired muscle — four men that we know of — and they are in pursuit of us.
PRESIDENT
Wait, I though my parents were herein the DC and you were babysitting their doubles when you were attacked.
IVY
No. Who told you that?PRESIDENT
Never mind. I’ll take care of it.What do you need?
Use only the most trusted people and figure out besides Dasher is in on this and make sure he doesn’t get the help he’s asking for to find us.
HOLLY
Tell him to say the name of his firstpuppy in a broadcast or something when it’s safe for us to come back to DC.
RUDY
Have him put it on TV — on CNN sowe can find it if we’re not watching right away.
IVY
Did you get that, Mr. President?PRESIDENT
I did. Keep my folks safe, Ivy. Itrust you.
IVY Yes, sir.
They hang up. Nick immediately takes the phone from her hand, drops in in the jug and tapes the cut out piece back into place, making sure it’s sealed.
Holly and Rudy watch him and shrug to Ivy.
Nick leaves the house in the Santa suit.
EXT. LAKE – DAY
NICK, wearing snow blades and staying in snowmobile tracks, is tracking toward a series of ice fishing shacks on the lake.
At first, they are in a distance.
EXT. LAKE – LATER
CUT TO:
NICK is in an ice fishing shack. He slips the jug into the hole, pushes it below the ice with a pole and gives it a shove to one side.
He exits the shack and starts trekking back to the house.
INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAY
NICK arrives back at the house. RUDY and HOLLY are watching TV. IVY is pacing.
Ivy pulls Nick into a hallway for a private conversation.
IVY
Rudy needs his high blood pressuremeds.
Nick considers briefly.NICK
We need to move, soon. They mayalready be on their way here.
Nick goes to a loaded key rack by the back door where each set of keys is labeled with only a first name. He selects four or five sets of keys, putting two sets in one pocket and three in another.
NICK (CONT’D) Get your coat.
RUDY What’s going on?
NICK
Make yourselves useful. Redistributethe keys on this rack so it isn’t obvious we’ve taken a bunch of them. We’ll be back shortly.
INT. LAKE HOUSE 2 – DAY
NICK is in his full Santa costume just inside the front room, talking, laughing, regaling the elderly couple with Santa nonsense.
IVY sneaks up the stairs behind them, ducking into a bathroom, going through the medicine chest, pocketing several meds.
Ive gives Nick an “okay” sign from the hallway.
Nick tells a particularly active story to hold the couple’s attention and make noise to cover Ivy sneaking back down the stairs.
INT. LAKE HOUSE 3 – DAY
NICK and IVY enter a different lake house, this one decorated for Christmas, but apparently, unoccupied.
They take off their snowy shoes at the door.
IVY
Why does your aunt have keys toeveryone’s houses?
NICK
She’s a little younger than most ofher neighbors and comes up at least once a month in the winter.
IVY And the …
Ivy checks the name on one of the bottles of meds she pocketed.
IVY (CONT’D) Grangers next door to your aunts?
How did you know he had high blood pressure?
NICK
They’re friends of my aunts. Theytalk about meds all the time.
IVY And this place?
NICK
They decorate at Thanksgiving likemost people here and don’t come back until Christmas week. They also keep a well-stocked pantry.
Nick leads Ivy to the pantry off the kitchen and her eyes light up when she sees the bounty.
NICK (CONT’D)
Take things that will travel well.We have to leave the neighborhood to be safe and we’re going to have to do it on foot.
IVY
Holly and Rudy can’t go far on footand we son’t exactly be in cognito.
NICK
I have a plan. Put everything in mysack.
Nick holds out his Santa bag and Ivy puts in her selections. INT. LAKE HOUSE – DAYBack at Nick’s aunt’s house, RUDY and HOLLY are quickly donning coats from the hall closet.
They are ill fitting, out of fashion and most look feminine. Rudy bristles.
RUDY
I didn’t realize your aunt livedalone. No uncle?
NICK
Divorced him years ago. She keptthe lake house and he got the boat.
Nick hands them some hand-made elf stocking from the shelf.NICK (CONT’D)
Sit. Let me put these on you so youdon’t freeze your shins off.
Rudy and Holly sit. Ivy reaches for a pair of the elf stockings to help, but Nick interrupts.
NICK (CONT’D)
Go to my aunt’s bedroom and put on acouple of pairs of heavy stockings. You’re Santa’s helper for the rest of the day. She’s got a costume in her closet…far right, plastic bag. Put it on, pronto.
Elf hats he found on the closet shelf. They have long ear flaps and visors that extend out the front of the hats.
GRIZZLY is sitting on a pillow in the window. She starts to growl.
Nick peeks out the window.
NICK (CONT’D) We’ve got to go now!
Grizzly races to Nick. He pockets her in his Santa hat and fastens it to his belt while ushering Holly and Rudy to the stairs that lead down to the lake level of the home. Ivy follows quickly in a female elf outfit.
NICK (CONT’D)
Nice. Grab my bag. Let’s go. We’vegot company. EXT. DINGHY – MOMENTS LATER
IVY, HOLLY and RUDY are seated in a dinghy that NICK is pulling on the ice on a canal.
Ivy looks back as car doors slam.
IVY
I thought this was a lake out thisway.
NICK
Snowmobilers use the canal, so it’sbetter to go this way.
IVY Where are we going.
NICK Another house.
EXT. DINGHY – LATER
IVY is pulling the dinghy, NICK is walking behind it carrying Santa’s fully laden sack. HOLLY and RUDY are huddled together with GRIZZLY snuggled between them.
EXT. DINGHY – LATER
IVY and NICK are both pulling on the dinghy. The sack is in the dinghy with HOLLY, RUDY and GRIZZLY.
Snowmobiles approach. Nick is cautious. Holly, Ivy and Rudy hide their faces.
SNOWMOBILER
Can you use a lift somewhere?NICK
A tow to the boat landing would begood.
SNOWMOBILER
Hop on! Jake, tie the dinghy toyour hitch. Hang on folks. INT. LAKE HOUSE 4 – LATER
IVY finishes up the dishes in the kitchen. NICK is sleeping like a baby on the floor in front of the fireplace, GRIZZLY cuddled between his shoulder and his ear. RUDY and HOLLY doze in chairs.
Ivy surveys the peaceful scene, smiles, sits on the floor in front of the fire near Nick, leaning on a chair, watching Nick for a moment, then settling in for an afternoon nap.
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Rebecca Jordan’s Act 3, Key Scenes 2 & 3 – Lesson 18
What I learned from doing this assignment. Take breaks. No word smithing. Yet. Speed writing the scenes. Leave structure alone for now. Don’t look back. Forge ahead. The rest will be there waiting. 20%!!!! Things that I have to keep reiterating. Writing dialogue is way more fun when you know where you’re going. For me anyway.
Act 3, Key scenes 2 – Makes a new plan
Beginning: Rachel, after turning the truck around, has been on the road a couple hours headed south to find her mother.
Middle: Rachel stops for food. calls Paul to let him no that she won’t make it for band rehearsal tonight. Paul expresses his feelings. something she must do before she can come home.
End: Rachel inputs her route onto Google maps. Props her phone in its cradle. Finds some music. Has another swig. Takes off.
INT. PICK UP TRUCK – DAY
Rachel’s, 50’s behind the wheel, laughs at her self.
RACHEL
“Ga-sha-gow-gow-gow”
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE – CONTINUOUS
Rachel whips into a spot in front of the store.
INT. TRUCK – MOMENTS LATER
Rachel eats chips. Swigs from fresh pint of JD. Washes it back with water.
Deep breath.
Calls Paul on speaker.
PAUL
Dare I ask?
RACHEL
I know okay? go ahead. rip me a new one.
PAUL
Rachel…
RACHEL
…
PAUL
Okay. Forget that you won’t make it tonight. obviously. …Are you okay, babe.
Rachel winces, a little.
RACHEL
Yea. Not really. But I will be.
RACHEL
(beat)
I Was on my way but i had to turn around. It’s a long story.
PAUL
Does this have to do with your mom?
RACHEL
Can you guys just please rehearse without me.
PAUL
Rach–
RACHEL
I’ll be ready. You know I will. I’ll need it / after this trip.
PAUL
Trust me. I know you’ll kill it. You always do. I’m worried.
RACHEL
Paul–
PAUL
Take it back. I’m here for you. I want to be there for you. You know.
Sigh.
PAUL
I understand not today. Probably not tomorrow. Just want you to know I’m in your court. You now what i mean.
RACHEL
I do. I need a little more time to get my shit together. Is all. You know i care. Don’t wanted keep tarnishing everything shiny in my life.
PAUL
Awwww. Rach. That’s mushy.
RACHEL
I have to go, dudey. I’ll keep you posted.
PAUL
Check the calendar.
RACHEL
A week tops. Two.
PAUL
Bye.
RACHEL
Bye.
INT. TRUCK – CONTINUOUS
Rachel, still behind the wheel in the parking lot of convenience store. Pint of JD in hand.
Throws back a mouth full. Rolls a joint for the ride.
Act 3, Key Scenes 3 Things go well until…
Beginning: Rachel, 50’s, arrives at the Post Office. Finds her Mom’s PO Box jammed with mail.
Middle: Rachel talks to the Post Master who knows who her Mom is but hasn’t seen her in a very long time, hence the boxes of mail piled up. The post master claims to know of an older woman, Eleanor, who occasionally drives into town to collect her Mom’s mail. Perhaps she could help
End: Rachel leaves her number with the Post Master in hopes of the older lady coming in to collect the mail.
INT. POST OFFICE – MORNING
Rachel enters. Takes in all the PO Boxes lining the walls.
Looks at her paper with the PO box number.
Finds the corresponding box. The box is packed to the gills with mail.
Rachel approaches the woman behind the desk. POST MASTER, 60’s, quirky with a friendly twang.
POST MASTER
Hi. A Good morning to ya!
Amused.
RACHEL
And to you too. I’m looking for the woman who owns this. PO Box.
Shows her the paper with address.
RACHEL
I see the box over there is full. Do you happen to know her? She’s my Mom.
POST MASTER
Sure I know your Mom. Her name is Beth.
RACHEL
Yes. I know. She obviously hasn’t been here in quite some time.
POST MASTER
I have literally tons of her mail stacking up. In the back room.
RACHEL
Yea, I saw her box was full. I was hoping I could take her mail / to her.
POST MASTER
Well we can’t just give it to you before verifying some things first. Protocol.
RACHEL
Right.
POST MASTER
And. Sorry to say. Well I can’t say.
RACHEL
Oh.
POST MASTER
We haven’t seen Beth here in, gosh, only heaven knows.
RACHEL
Hmm. How far back does the mail go?
POST MASTER
Oh golly. Hard to know for sure. A year? Almost.
RACHEL
Holy moly.
POST MASTER
Holy moly is right. I really need to verify that you’re her daughter. It’s a process.
RACHEL
Of course.
Stuck. What next.
POST MASTER
There is a woman.
RACHEL
Yea?
POST MASTER
She’s an older lady. Picks up… your Mom’s… mail ever so often. Her name… is… Oh what’s her name? Shoot. She drives a long ways to get here. That’s probably why it piles up.
RACHEL
Sure.
Blurts out proudly.
POST MASTER
Eleanor! That’s it.
RACHEL
Eleanor?
POST MASTER
Yes Eleanor. I’m sure of it. Nice older woman.
Reflects.
RACHEL
Can’t be the same Eleanor I know from when I was a wee kid.
POST MASTER
She’s pretty old.
RACHEL
And i’m guessing you don’t have a way for me to reach here.
POST MASTER
Even if did…
RACHEL
Of course.
Sighs.
POST MASTER
I’m guessing that unless she died… Not your mom…
RACHEL
Oh.
WOMAN
Sorry. Eleanor.
RACHEL
Right…
WOMAN
What I mean is…
RACHEL
I understand what you mean. It’s okay.
POST MASTER
She should be… Well… soon. I mean, you saw all the mail in her box.
RACHEL
Okay.
POST MASTER
I was just thinking out loud.
RACHEL
Okay.
POST MASTER
And we have a couple full boxes in the back too. So it’s been awhile.
RACHEL
Right.
At a loss.
Then.
RACHEL
How about I give you my number.
WOMAN
Sure. Yes. Yes. Let’s do that.
RACHEL
And if… Eleanor… comes in to pick up my mom’s mail. Would you mind giving her my number and asking her to call me. I’m Rachel.
Woman hands her a pen and piece of paper.
WOMAN
Here ya go. I can most certainly do that. That’s kosher.
Laughs at her own choice of words.
WOMAN
I’m not jewish. Just —
RACHEL
Don’t worry about it. Thanks.
POST MASTER
You’re welcome. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
RACHEL
Nonsense. You’r a life saver. Take care.
POST MASTER
You too, honey. Good luck.
Rachel leaves.
Almost immediately ELEANOR, 80’s, a short stocky, Jewish woman enters the Post Office.
WOMAN
Oh my lord have mercy…
Waves to Eleanor.
WOMAN
Hello Eleanor. Over here. I got you covered.
Eleanor waves back. Shuffles over.
EXT. STREET – CONTINUOUS
Rachel meanders about. Peeks into shop windows. Checks out the southern charm of this little town.
She disappears into a coffee shop.
EXT. STREET – MOMENTS LATER
Rachel backs out of the coffee shop. Arms full of goodies and a cup of coffee.
Nearly knocks over an older woman pushing a cart full of boxes. It’s Eleanor.
RACHEL
Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. You okay?
Shuffles by unscathed. Trudges along.
ELEANOR
Watch wear you’re going young lady.
RACHEL
Sorry. Can I help?
ELEANOR
No.
Calling out, but mostly to herself.
RACHEL
I’m definitely not a young lady. But okay.
Rachel passes back by the Post Office. Looks in the window.
-
Vic Valleau 18 lesson act 3 middle scenes
Vic Valleau Lesson 19 Act 3 Scene 4 turning point
Vic Valleau Lesson 20 Finish Act 3
-
TIM’S ACT 3 MIDDLE SCENES – DAY 18
What I learned doing this assignment is that my scenes are not crystal clear at this stage in the process. I have general ideas of what should happen, but not specifically how.
KEY SCENE 2: MAKES A NEW PLAN:
Duke settles in with his new family, being good but not exactly loving. He maintains contact with the Crew as Rex considers him an “inside guy” to get intel on the hated dog catcher’s routine and vulnerabilities.
Duke grows to like Emma and even respect her dad. Sunny encourages him becoming a good boy again.
KEY SCENE 3: THINGS GO WELL, UNTIL…
Duke tells Rex he won’t cooperate with spying on his new owner, so Rex threatens Sunny if he doesn’t.
EXT. EMMA’S house – DAY
Duke in the fenced back yard. It’s not a bad place to land.
Sunny brings him some fortune cookies.
She reads a fortune that once again has significance to Duke – something about friendship, forgiveness, knowing yourself? I’ll figure it out later.
Duke says he’ll play nice with Emma until he figures out an escape plan.
Then he’ll help Sunny find her family AND pay back Rex.
Sunny tells him to look out for himself; try to make things work with his new family because it’s his last chance.
She says not to worry about finding her family, but he knows that she’s desperately lonely and needs to find them.
Emma watches them from inside and is bemused. What’s going on? It looks like they’re “talking”.
EXT. dog park – dAY
A fenced dog park when Emma takes Duke to run and play with other dogs, but he keeps to himself.
Rex approaches from other side of the fence and calls Duke over.
First, Rex mocks Duke for being captured again.
Next, he tells Duke to spy on his new owner, the hated dog catcher.
Rex wants anything they can use against him – routine, likes, dislikes, weaknesses.
Duke makes Rex promise to help him escape when the time is right.
It’s a deal.
Emma sees them ‘talking’ and is curious.
-
Benito Selim’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned in this assignment is adding the little scenes in between the turning points and key parts of the story makes for a better act.
INT. CAMPUS BAR- NIGHT
BEGINNING: Darryl enters the bar to stares and whispers. Tina and he make eye contact, she gathers her belongings and exits with her sorority sisters/roommates Katelynn and Trish. The three make derogatory comments towards him.
MIDDLE: Darryl is alone now, no one wants to talk to him. Eddie, Jeffrey, and Gary’s frat brother also Katelynn’s boyfriend, gets in Darryl’s face, but Gary intervened. Gary walks Darryl to a table where the rest of his friends sit. They’re concerned about him.
END: Darryl feeling low decides to leave. Gary turns Lorraine, Calvin, Andrew, and Marcus and gives his doubt that Darryl can innocent, Marcus is the only one who gives an argument and says he doesn’t believe Darryl is a killer.
EXT. CAMPUS BAR- LATER
BEGINNING: Darryl attempts to speak with Tina, but Katelynn and Trish intercept him. Darryl pleads his innocence.
MIDDLE: Tina enters a vehicle while the girls continue to yell at Darryl. Eddy walks up to Darryl and punches him. A crowd now forms, and security makes their way over.
END: Tina leaves with Eddy and her sorority sisters. Security helps Darryl up and the crowd disperses. Marcus runs out hearing the commotion and aids Darryl.
TURNING POINT: Most people including Darryl’s friends think he is behind Karen and Jeffrey’s disappearance. People are already accusing him of murder.
Marcus takes Darryl back to the dorms. Darryl enters his dorm and takes his pills again. He doubts his medium abilities now.
INT. TINA’S APARTMENT- LATER
BEGINNING: Tina, Eddy, and her roommates settle in for the night. The unknown figure creeps throughout the apartment unknown to the housemates.
MIDDLE: Eddy is surprised by the assailant and killed; Katelynn runs out to the patio where she is thrown over to the death.
END: Trish and Tina barricade themselves in their room, but the assailant gets in. the two hit him over the head with a lamp and run towards the door. The assailant catches up to them, he stabs Trish through the front door and kills her. The assailant turns to Tina and stabs her the scene cuts to black.
INT. DORM BATHROOM- MORNING
BEGINNING: Darryl pulls pills out of his toiletries bag, he takes two and gives himself a long look in the mirror, he tells himself it’s over and even says sorry to Karen.
MIDDLE: Darryl washes his face, but when he opens his eyes, he is now at Starkoaks. Karen stands in the distance, they both stare at each other. Karen suddenly appears in front of him and grabs onto him, Darryl becomes her and is being murdered, he is fighting back, but losing, his arm is cut with a knife. Darryl removes the face-covering off the killer’s face and catches a glimpse of the killer’s eyes.
END: Darryl comes out of the trance and is kicking and screaming. By this time Marcus and Gary are trying to restrain him. Gary is kicked off and hits his leg hard onto the wall. Marcus wakes Darryl who has a gash on his arm. He rambles on about being in Karen’s place. Marcus and Gary help him to his dorm, past the crowd that has formed.
INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT- LATER
BEGINNING: Detective Garnett goes through files and comes across Ellen Paisley.
MIDDLE: Detective Garnett realizes Ellen and Paisley are connected to the same case. He comes across the sheriff as well and attempts to contact him. Detective Garnett is informed the sheriff died a month ago from an apparent suicide.
END: Detective Garnett then contacts Ellen and learns she is being treated for wounds sustained from her attack. Officer Hicks notifies Garnett that Tina is in the hospital as well, surviving the attack on her and her roommates.
-
Andrea Cabañas, ADCT 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned doing this is that one more time, I had to go back to my key scene 1 and change a bit, which gave more pace (and sense) to the following key scenes. I also created more layers to it to make things more feasible.
INT. GEORGIA’S STUDIO – DAY
On a table placed in the middle of the studio, an unfinished clay pot is half-painted. There are brushes and coloured paints on the table.
Georgia’s in shock, jaws dropped. She stares at Zoe, who paces in the studio and cries.
GEORGIA
Did anyone see you?
ZOE
I don’t know. Maybe…
GEORGIA
Maybe? For Christ sake!
ZOE
Yes, maybe! That’s why he went home today! How does he know where I live?
Georgia gets up and paces. She goes to the window to check the
STREET
Usual traffic and people walking; no suspicious cars around.
GEORGIA
All narcos know where people live.
She turns back to Zoe.
GEORGIA
Okay, just calm down.
ZOE
I saw them killing a man.
Georgia makes a no signal with her hand in the air.
GEORGIA
No, you didn’t.
ZOE
That thumb… It looked like someone was being beaten… Then… I walked a few meters away, and I saw it. They killed a man.
Georgia stares at Zoe.
GEORGIA
You didn’t see anything.
ZOE
I saw it. And I’m pretty sure it was the same guy who was following me.
Georgia comes closer holds Zoe’s shoulders, authoritative.
GEORGIA
Listen to me. You didn’t see anything.
Both stare at each other for a moment. Georgia lets Zoe go and steps back.
GEORGIA
Now I agree with Paula more than ever.
(stares at Zoe)
You need to run.
ZOE
Run? Are you out of your mind? I… I’ll deal with it.
GEORGIA
Oh, really? And what are you going to do? You decided to go ahead with his project when you should have left ages ago. Now you slept with him, had drugs with him, and stole his–
ZOE
Sssshhhhhhh, please.
Georgia breathes heavily.
GEORGIA
Where’s Paula?
ZOE
Helloooo, everything just happened, for Christ sake.
A moment of silence.
ZOE
I don’t want to know anything about her anymore.
GEORGIA
You need to find a way to get out of this, babe. Call the police.
ZOE
Are you crazy?
GEORGIA
What about those guys who went to your place? Weren’t they after him?
(scoffs)
Isn’t it weird that no one has done anything yet to put him in jail?
ZOE
Things don’t happen like movies, Georgie.
Zoe sits again and tucks her head between her hands. Georgia does the same.
ZOE
I’ll talk to him. I’ll tell him I can’t finish his project because something else came up and–
GEORGIA
And give him back his cocaine, please, unless you’re thinking of making money out of it.
Zoe rolls her eyes and scoffs.
GEORGIA
Or die from an overdose.
A moment of silence. Georgia gets up, walks toward the fridge.
GEORGIA
Fancy a gin?
ZOE
Now?
GEORGIA
Are you driving or something?
Zoe gives her the finger; Georgia sighs deeply and giggles.
Zoe shoves the sofa cushion over her face and screams.
INT. KATRINA’S HOUSE – ZOE’S BEDROOM – DAY
SERIES OF SHOTS
Zoe tries to work, to concentrate.
She sees an EMAIL from another potential client, grabs the number and calls them. She makes notes.
She stares at her phone. Paces around the bedroom, drinks water.
Zoe talks to more people over the phone.
She stares at her phone again, sees PAULA’s number and calls. But she doesn’t answer. She tosses the mobile phone on her bed.
INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Zoe meets Georgia’s new boyfriend, Stewart.
James appears with another woman; Georgia makes sure he sees Zoe.
Zoe’s heartbroken, Georgia tells her off.
A NEW PLAN
INT. JUAN’S HOUSE – LOUNGE – DAY
Zoe waits for Juan in the lounge. Adriano comes out of nowhere.
ADRIANO
Señorita.
She jerks in fright.
ADRIANO
Apologies. I didn’t mean scarring you.
ZOE
(clears her throat)
No, that’s okay.
ADRIANO
Mi patrón is ready to see you. Please, come.
She smiles nervously; he leads her to the
INT. JUAN’S HOUSE – OFFICE – DAY
Juan opens a bright smile seeing her.
JUAN
There she is. I thought you had forgotten me.
He gets up, walks toward her. Adriano leaves, Zoe eyes him.
ZOE
I told your assistant I had issues with delivering a few products.
He kisses her hand, charming as usual.
JUAN
And she told me.
Juan walks toward the door and LOCKS it. Zoe looks sideways; she sees a BASEBALL BAT on the ground.
JUAN
I didn’t think you’d wait almost two weeks to visit me.
ZOE
(smiles nervously)
I got stuck with another project. I didn’t even realize the time passed so fast.
Juan smiles motions her to a seat. He faces her, leans on the table with hands in his pockets. His voice’s soft; he’s sexy.
JUAN
I got worried about you. For a moment, I thought you were avoiding me. I thought I did something you didn’t like.
Zoe looks away, avoids eye contact. She takes a deep breath and stands up, gets closer to him.
ZOE
I don’t know if I can make it.
Juan squints.
JUAN
What do you mean?
She approaches more, licks her lips; her voice is sexy. She stares at Juan, touches his arms gently.
ZOE
It’s not usually this to happen. I always keep a reasonable distance from my clients, but I couldn’t help myself with you.
He scoffs softly.
JUAN
Lucky me.
ZOE
But I’m still pondering about finishing this job. I found another excellent interior designer; he worked with me on other projects–
Juan pulls his head away from her face.
JUAN
He?
ZOE
I can’t mix work with this.
She unbuttons his pants and slowly places her hand under his underwear. He moans.
JUAN
I don’t see any problems in doing both.
He holds her chin tightly, leans his face against hers.
JUAN
As long as you do your job correctly.
They have sex right there.
EXT./INT. JUAN’S HOUSE – DAY
Zoe says goodbye to him at the door. He wears comfortable linen pants, shirtless, and his gold neckless.
JUAN
Are you sure you don’t want Adriano to take you?
An UBER driver arrives at the gate.
ZOE
No, thanks. My driver just arrived.
JUAN
Como quieras.
He holds her head tightly by the hair, tilts her head backwards and kisses her with passion.
JUAN
I hope you know what you’re doing.
Zoe gives him a half-smile and leaves. He eyes her walking to the gate, and calls Adriano with a hand movement. Adriano appears fast.
JUAN
Tell Paco to keep an eye on her.
ADRIANO
Sí señor.
Juan stares at her going away. He closes the door and walks to the
LOUNGE
Where he goes to the bar and prepares a drink.
A mobile phone rings nearby. Adriano comes back and hands Juan his cell phone. He chuckles, looking at who’s calling.
JUAN
(over the phone)
Paula, Paula, Paula. What a pleasant surprise.
He pours some whiskey on his glass with no ice.
JUAN
Hope you have good news for me as I have for you.
He gives a sip of his drink with a smirk.
INT. CAFFEE – CONSTRUCTION SITE – DAY
Zoe supervises the arrival of some furniture: chairs, tables and some plants. She tells the man where to place things.
Her phone RINGS. It’s James. She excuses herself and goes to a quieter place, near the window.
ZOE
Hi.
JAMES
Hi. Are you okay?
ZOE
Yes, I’m fine. You?
JAMES
All goo, thanks. Would you like to have dinner or something?
Zoe opens her eyes wide, shakes her head.
ZOE
Oh… Err… When?
JAMES
On Friday? I could pass by your house, and we go from there.
She blows her mouth, massages her forehead, pacing through the small space.
ZOE
Yeah, err… Fine, okay. What time?
JAMES
Six pm is good?
She nods to herself.
ZOE
Sure, right. See you then.
She hangs up the phone, takes a deep breath, and talks to herself.
ZOE
What else now?
——–
-
Robert Wood’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned doing this assignment is that I continue to follow my new story structure, which is slightly off alignment with the specific instructions of the course, but it’s the only way forward at this point so I’ve got to do it…
EXT. BOAT ON LAKE – DAY
Calm, cool, grey day on the water.
Matt and Bert bob around in the boat; Bert staring through binoculars.
MATT
No sign of it — not even a ripple.
BERT
Don’t give up — the day’s still young.
MATT
The phony cheerfulness isn’t fooling anyone, Bert.
BERT
I know it’s out here, somewhere…
MATT
Eventually you’re going to have to accept that it’s futile.
BERT
(sudden anger)
This is my last chance! After this, what?! Dribbling onto a fucking bib!
(calmer)
We just need to give it a little more time, that’s all… You think you can do that for me?
MATT
Yeah… Yeah, of course I can.
Bert resumes scanning with binoculars.
Young Bert and Harris are now with them on the boat; Young Bert’s eyes also glued to binoculars.
HARRIS
Work, work, work.
YOUNG BERT
Huh?
HARRIS
Ergomania. The obsessive need to work.
YOUNG BERT
It’s what we’re out here for.
HARRIS
I know, but I’m going to forget what you look like without those things glued to your face.
YOUNG BERT
I look the same as I did this morning.
HARRIS
Not the point — take a break, enjoy the view.
YOUNG BERT
Maybe you’re right…
HARRIS
Here — let me help you…
Harris makes a quick grab for Bert’s binoculars. Bert reflexively pulls away. A quick fumble.
The binoculars fly out of Bert’s hand, plunge into the dark water, and disappear.
YOUNG BERT
Fuck!
HARRIS
Oh my God!
YOUNG BERT
What did you do that for?!
HARRIS
I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to–
YOUNG BERT
I didn’t mean to — What good is that?
HARRIS
I’ll jump in — dive for them.
YOUNG BERT
Nah — it’s no use. They’re long gone. Sunk like a stone.
Harris reaches for Young Bert’s shoulder…
HARRIS
I really am sorry.
Young Bert pulls away.
HARRIS
I’ll buy you a new pair when we get back. Promise.
Harris stands directly before Young Bert and puts hands on shoulders.
HARRIS
I can make it up to you, you know…
Harris moves in for a kiss… but Young Bert pulls away again.
HARRIS
What’s the matter?
Young Bert looks at him like, “Isn’t it obvious?”
HARRIS
They’re just binoculars.
He reaches out for Young Bert again…
YOUNG BERT
Not now. All right? Let’s just focus on what we’re out here for…
HARRIS
Okay.
Bert puts down his binoculars.
BERT
Where the hell is it, Matty?
MATT
Your guess…
BERT
It’s out here… the monster… I can feel it.
MATT
I know you can, Bert.
BERT
There’s one place everything returns to…
YOUNG BERT
That’s it! I know where she’s hiding.
HARRIS
Where’s that?
YOUNG BERT
Rattlesnake Island… Squally Point…
BERT
Home.
EXT. BOAT ON LAKE – DAY (SHORT WHILE LATER)
Matt and Bert power through the water, searching as they go…
BERT
That’s where legend says its den is — an underwater cave at Squally Point.
MATT
I remember, but it’s never been found there either.
BERT
No-one’s gone looking at the right time! The big searches were always in the summer. Wrong.
MATT
Good tourism?
BERT
Summertime it’s out and active. There’s three hundred and fifty square kilometers of lake and it could be having lunch anywhere!
MATT
I hate to break it to you, but the lake’s the same size in the winter.
BERT
Yes, but it’s colder! If it slows down in the colder waters it might just hibernate. And if it does…
MATT
It might just be at home.
BERT
Squally Point.
MATT
But if it’s hibernating and down in its cave den we still won’t find it. Unless you have an underwater drone I don’t know about?
BERT
Let’s just hope it comes up occasionally for air.
MATT
Right!
Bert smiles as Matt gets into the game.
BERT
There’s the old Matty. You’re remembering the good times!
MATT
I never forgot.
BERT
The fun we used to have…
MATT
Yeah, but that was then.
BERT
And you’re the big man now.
MATT
It was childish. A waste of time.
BERT
Was it?
MATT
Gotta grow up sometime.
BERT
Why?
MATT
Oh, come on!
BERT
No, really. That sounds a lot like settling. Giving up on your dreams.
MATT
It’s called being an adult.
BERT
Maybe that’s the problem, huh? Maybe I never did that…
-
<div>Dana’s Act 3 Middle Scenes</div><div>
What have I learned from this assignment?
</div>
The story and character arcs, that are tied together, must build through each scene as the story races for the climax.
KEY SCENES: MAKE A NEW PLAN
EXT. PRESS CONFERENCE – DAY
BEGINNING: Governor has a press conference about Jack and Frank being wanted, his prison reform program. Margery and Calvin Brown attend.
MIDDLE: He’s assaulted by the press. It goes wrong. Questions about his VP nomination.
END: They leave the stage leaving questions behind.
EXT. CEMETARY – DAY
BEGINNING: Jack and Frank stand at the grave of Marcus Jones. It’s a family plot. Mother and father and another woman.
MIDDLE: They notice the dates that make the father too old. Who is the other woman? They realize she must be the birth mother.
END: They decide to find the adoptive mother.
INT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE – DAY
BEINNING: Newbaum, Margery and Brown discuss his press conference and the situation.
MIDDLE: Hill joins them and tells them Donovan and Valentino are with the Russians. They discuss options.
END: Hill has an idea to flush them out, but it’s ugly.
INT. FLOWER SHOP – DAY
BEGINNING: May Flowers tells her assistant she can take lunch. When she closes the door to the back office, Frank and Jack are with her. When she does, they sit her down to just talk. They convincer her they did not kill her son.
MIDDLE: She tells them it was her niece’s son. She was a prostitute and got pregnant by a john. But her never revealed the father. Just some collage frat boy. She didn’t get an abortion. She tried to blackmail the boy after her son was born. After she was killed, the sister raised the boy as her own to hide him.
END: Frank gets the call from Oksana. Jack’s daughter has been grabbed.
SCRIPT STRUCTURE
INT. PRESS BRIEFING ROOM – DAY
CLOSE SHOT – NEWBAUM
NEWBAUM
Events over the past twenty-four hours shock the conscience.Newbaum stands at a podium. Margery and Calvin Brown stand on opposite sides like bookends behind him, framed by American flags. The press — unseen – tosses questions at him.
NEWBAUM (CONT’D)
The murders of Donald Armstrong and his wife, Barbara, were both brutal and cold-blooded. My office is now coordinating with local, state and federal agencies in the manhunt for Jack Donovan and Frank Valentino, both believed armed and dangerous. Civilized society cannot and will not tolerate lawless and barbaric behavior. We will bring these men to justice for the heinous murders they have committed.
The press ERUPT in a BARRAGE OF QUESTIONS.
NEWBAUM (CONT’D)
Yes?
REPORTER 1 (O.S.)
Given these murders were committed by men released under your early release program, do you think the program is in jeopardy?
NEWBAUM
The program has demonstrated a low recidivism rate based on the number of prisoners qualified for release. These murders are an anomaly. It’s unfortunate the parole board didn’t consult with me before releasing these men. I would have advised against it. And while adjustments may be necessary, I still believe prison reform is a humane endeavor. Yes?
REPORTER 2
Have the police determined a motive for these killings?
NEWBAUM
I don’t believe I should comment on the details of the investigation. Yes?
REPORTER 3
Marty Jorgensen, the parole officer for both Donovan and Valentino, was found drowned in his swimming pool. And Charles Lunger, the guard who testified at trial against both men, was killed in an explosion at his home. Do the police suspect these deaths may be related?
NEWBAUM
Not to my knowledge. Mr. Lunger’s death has been ruled an accident. And Mr. Jorgensen was apparently intoxicated. Their deaths are a coincidence, not a conspiracy. Yes?
REPORTER 4
Do you believe releasing Donovan and Valentino will now impact your chances to become VP on the ticket?
NEWBAUM
I’m not concerned with politics at this time. I’m focused on bringing these men to justice.
REPORTER 5
I notice Calvin Brown with you at the podium. Is there a reason for his involvement today?
NEWBAUM
Mr. Brown is here on an advisory capacity and is representing the Jones family during this crisis. Thank you very much.
Newbaum waves and leaves the podium, followed by Margery and Brown. A BARRAGE OF QUESTIONS follows after him.
CUT TO:
EXT. CEMETERY – DAY
A family plot with a large headstone reading Jones Family. A bouquet of wilted flower in a vase. Three gravestones read:
Roberta Robbins Marcus Jones Henry Jones
1969 to 1997 1990 to 2010 1940 – 2015The plot is for four. An empty plot sits next to Henry Jones.
MAN’S VOICE (O.S.)
This is it. The Jones family plot.
The CEMETERY MANAGER stands next to Jack and Frank. The three of them stare down at the gravestones.
MANAGER
We buried the father a few years ago. Nice family. Not a lot of mourners, though. His wife and a few friends.
JACK
You remember his burial?
MANAGER
After what those cops did to his son, it’s hard to forget. I hope they rot in hell.
Jack and Frank glance at one another.
FRANK
How’d he die?
MANAGER
Heart attack, I think.
JACK
Who’s the lady on the end?
The manager flips through papers on his clipboard.
MANAGER
Roberta Robbins. It says here she was a niece. Why did you guys say you’re interested?
JACK
Routine. The insurance company is crossing T’s, dotting I’s. Do you have an address for the family?
MANAGER
Maybe back at the office. I don’t know how current it is.
FRANK
Those roses look fresh. Is somebody maintaining the plot.
MANAGER
A flower company arrives every two weeks. The driver swaps out the old with the new. Been doing it since the boy died.
FRANK
You know the name?
MANAGER (remembering)
Mae Flowers — I think. With an E. Anyway, I should probably get back. Stop into the office on your way out. I’ll give you what we have.
The manager heads back to the office.
FRANK
You see what I see? Daddy was a fucking senior citizen. He was fifty when the kid was born.
JACK
I remember the parents in court. It always struck me odd how old they looked. More like grandparents.
FRANK
What are we looking at here? Daddy and his baby momma?
JACK
Would you let your husband bury his baby momma in the family plot?
FRANK
Then what?
JACK
Not sure. But I know who we can ask. Do you remember the name of Mrs. Jones?
FRANK (remembering)
Mae — with an E.
CUT TO:
INT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
Newbaum storms in followed by Margery and Brown.
NEWBAUM (sarcastic)
Well, that went well.
MARGERY
You stopped the bleeding.
NEWBAUM
Are you kidding? They’re asking about Jorgensen and that dumb-ass guard. It they put those bodies on Donovan and Valentino, you can kiss the VP goodbye.
BROWN
You were forceful and direct in your response. Those questions won’t go anywhere.
NEWBAUM
You’d better hope they don’t. I’m not the only one here with my ass hanging out.
BROWN
My hands get singed, not burned.
NEWBAUM
Donovan and Valentino are working their way up the food chain. And they won’t stop at your hands.
A KNOCK on the door, and Douglas Hill enters.
NEWBAUM (CONT’D)
Where have you been?
Hill stops, stunned by the attack.
MARGERY
Douglas is head of your security team. He’s your liaison with law enforcement.Newbaum waves a hand.
NEWBAUM
Fine. What have you learned?
HILL
Donovan and Valentino have gone underground. Word is they’re with the Russians now.
NEWBAUM
Oh, shit — Shit!
HILL
Valentino did favors for Oksana Volkov while he was inside.
MARGERY
What sort of favors?
HILL
Bodies.
NEWBAUM
Shit.
MARGERY (to Brown)
Do we have any inroads there?
BROWN
I have clients who have friends in that world. I can make a few calls.
HILL
Oksana Volkov has a reputation for being loyal. And rumor has it — she and Valentino share a bed. She won’t give him up.NEWBAUM
Fucking great! What am I suppose to do, sit here and wait for them to knock on the front door?
HILL
There may be a way to flush them out.
CLOSE SHOT – HILL
HILL (CONT’D)
But it’s ugly.
CUT TO:
EXT. MAE’S FLOWER SHOP – DAY
It’s a small, corner shop in the downtown. Lots of traffic and walk in customers.
INT. MAE’S FLOWER SHOP – CONTINUOUS
JILL, 30’s, a young girl wearing a florist apron stands at the counter completing an order for an older woman.
JILL
Okay, Mrs. Green. Your order is in the system. And we’ll have those daisies sent to your granddaughter the first of next week.
MRS. GREEN
She just moved into her college dorm. And daisies are her favorite.
JILL
I’m sure she’ll appreciate them.
MRS. GREEN
Thank you for your help. Goodbye, now.
JILL
Goodbye.
Mrs. Green heads for the front door. We hear the BELL RING when she opens the door.
WOMAN’S VOICE (O.S.)
Jill?
Jill looks to –
MAE FLOWERS, late 60’s, African American, grey hair, stands in the open door to the back office.
MAE
Why don’t you take your lunch now while it’s slow.
JILL
Are you sure?
MAE
Yes. It’s fine. Lock up when you leave and remember to put out the return sign.
JILL
Okay, Mrs. Jones.
Jill takes off her apron and gets ready to leave. Mae closes the office door.
INT. OFFICE – FLOWER SHOP – CONTINUOUS
Mae closes the door and locks it. Jack stands behind the door. Mae is nervous, but in control. She looks to Jack. He motions her to a chair.
Frank stands next to chair. Mae sits down, carefully. The BELL RINGS — Jill has left the store. They’re alone.
MAE
Are you going to kill me?
JACK
No, Mrs. Jones. We’re not here to harm you.
MAE
I don’t have much money. My husband spent most of the settlement before he died.
FRANK
Twenty million dollars?
MAE
He acted like he’d won the lottery. Cars. Boats. Trips. Gambling. Other women. To him it was found money.
(beat)
And after the lawyer took his cut, all the other snakes descended on us. It was just luck I had enough to buy this shop.
Jack sits down next to her.
JACK
I — we — always wanted to tell you how sorry we were about your son. But you have to know, Mrs. Jones, Frank and I didn’t kill Marcus.
Mae looks back and forth at them, not believing them.
JACK (CONT’D)
Marcus suffered from an disease that wouldn’t allow his blood to clot. He bled faster than anyone thought. The FBI report proved it. He was killed by someone at the station after he was put in the holding cell, but not by us.
Mae looks at them again, sheepish, almost guilty.
MAE
I know.
FRANK
Wait. What? What do you mean, you know?
MAE
Mr. Brown told my husband and me about the report before the civil trial started. He told us that it wasn’t our responsibility to fix the district attorney’s mistake. And if we did, we wouldn’t find justice for Marcus. He said if we went public about Marcus’ condition, no-one would be held accountable for his death.
FRANK
You mean you wouldn’t get paid.
Mae says nothing.
JACK
That’s not the reason you went along with it, though, was it?
MAE
My husband wasn’t an easy man to live with. And we were desperate for the money. He thought it would solve our problems. It just created more.
(pleading)
I am sorry for what happened to you. I truly am. I never wanted any of this to happen, but I didn’t know the right thing to do.
JACK
It’s not your fault, Mrs. Jones. But we need to know the truth now.
(beat)
Was Marcus your son?
MAE
No. He was my niece’s boy, Roberta.
FRANK
Why the lie?
MAE
Roberta was a prostitute. Her mother — my sister– was a drug addict. Heroine. And she let the street raise her daughter. And one day, Roberta got pregnant by a boy. A college student. A john. When she decided to not get an abortion, I thought her having a baby would get Roberta off the street, that she’d be a good mom. But after Marcus was born, she tried to blackmail the boy who got her pregnant. His family was rich, and she thought he’d pay to keep his black son a secret.
JACK
What happened to her?
MAE
A month after she blackmailed the boy, she was killed in a hit and run. The police never found the car. Not that they tried, given Roberta was a prostitute.
FRANK
Who was the father?
MAE
Roberta never told me. I guess she thought she was protecting us. But after she was killed, we decided to raise Marcus as our own to protect him. But my husband never wanted to have children. And as Marcus grew up, he and Henry fought — a lot. They did battle. And then one day, Henry to Marcus the truth, where he came from. That he was the son of a prostitute.
JACK
He went to find his real father, didn’t he?
MAE
He became obsessed with knowing. He even attended the same school his father attended just to find him.
FRANK
Did he?
MAE
He never told me.
JACK
But you know who he is, don’t you?
Mae nods.
MAE
Governor Newbaum is Marcus’ real father.
The realization hits both men hard. Frank turns away, his hands combing through his hair in frustration.
FRANK
Oh, Jesus!
JACK
How did you find out?
MAE
Marcus joined every activist group on campus. He protested everything. Racism, war, police. He was angry at the world. He hated everything and everybody. But he was obsessed with one person.
JACK
Newbaum.
MAE
Marcus new his father wanted to be governor and attended every rally where he spoke. He became a thorn in the attorney general’s backside. He spoke against him, challenged him to debates. Anything to get his father’s attention.
JACK
And when Newbaum’s security team did a background check, Newbaum discovered Marcus was his son from his mother’s name on his birth certificate.
Mae nods.
FRANK
Why didn’t you bring this out back then?
MAE
Mr. Brown said it would muddy the waters. That the motive needed to be about race to get real justice.
JACK
It wasn’t justice. Brown used what he knew to blackmail his way into power. Anybody who needed a favor from the governor would have to go through him. And that’s why Newbaum pressed the city to settle your civil suit before our trial, to cover up his motive and make our trail about race.
FRANK
The man murdered his own son and prosecuted us to give himself the governor’s office.
MAE
So what happens now?
Frank and Jack glance at one another.
JACK
You may have to hide for awhile. The governor is cleaning up his mess, eliminating witnesses.
FRANK
And framing us — again.
Frank’s phone RINGS and he steps aside to answer it.
MAE
I can’t leave. I have my business, my home, my life.
JACK
It won’t be forever. Just a few weeks.
Frank stands across the room, speaking to Oksana on the phone.
OKSANA (O.S.) (On phone)
I’m sorry, Frank. I would never be the one to deliver this message if I didn’t have to. But they called me to get to you.
FRANK
What is it?
OKSANA (O.S.) (on phone)
You need to have your partner call his wife.
(beat)
His daughter has been taken.
CUT TO:
-
Lori’s Act 3 Middle Scenes
What I learned… I’m feeling overwhelmed, and my page count is way behind what it should be. I will keep moving forward, reminding myself that this is the first draft.
Key Scene 2 Outline:
Beginning: Little Girl talks about Joan. Thomas becomes withdrawn and distracted.
Middle: Thomas acts out the perfect family Christmas scene
End: The play practice is suddenly interrupted.
Key Scene 3 Outline:
Beginning: John appears with mud all over his clothes. There’s a problem with the calf in the live nativity scene.
Middle: Thomas chases the calf and ends up on his face in the mud in front of the church sign that welcomes everyone to the Christmas Day service about hope.
End: John sees that onlookers are laughing, and the local news is recording the embarrassing scene.
EXT. CHURCH – NIGHT
The live nativity now has a calf, a nervous and agitated one, however, that has no reverence for the remarkable scene that he’s been pulled into.
The street is full of slow-driving cars. The sidewalks are crowded with onlookers.
There’s even a local news van recording the angelic scene until the calf decides that he’s had enough.
The calf bucks and then head butts the sheep, who is not amused. And then there’s a donkey that decides he’s had enough as well.
The angelic scene quickly becomes a comical mess of animals running wild, and the crowd panics.
John sees the calf has caused all the problems and gives chase.
The news reporter is quick to make the most of the disturbance.
INT./EXT. CHURCH – NIGHT
Thomas gathers on the stage for another play practice with the “Mother,” Tween Boy, and the Little Girl.
Thomas sits in a rocking chair, takes the Bible next to him, and opens it.
The Little Girl watches him.
THOMAS
(to Little Girl)
Hello.
LITTLE GIRL
Ms. Miriam is baking me a special pie, just for me.
THOMAS
Of course, she is. I wonder what kind.
LITTLE GIRL
Chocolate.
THOMAS
Oh, a classic.
The Little Girl acts like she’s unsure of Thomas.
LITTLE GIRL
Miss Joan was always nice to me.
Thomas is taken back and doesn’t speak.
LITTLE GIRL
I liked her best.
THOMAS
Me, too.
Thomas is about to lose it, when…
PLAY DIRECTOR
Everyone take your places.
The Little Girl and tween boy sit in front of the Christmas tree with opened presents and strewn paper around them. The Mother wears her Sunday best covered with an apron. She smiles as she looks at her family.
THOMAS
Let me read you the Christmas story.
Thomas is trying to act cheerful but is not very convincing.
Suddenly, the side door of the church flings open, and John appears covered in mud.
The Play Director GASPS.
PLAY DIRECTOR
John, what are you doing in the church with those muddy clothes?
Thomas jumps up from his chair.
JOHN
The calf started a ruckus, and now all the animals have gotten loose.
Thomas runs off the stage to help John.
JOHN
It’s a fiasco.
Thomas and John run outside where others are trying to catch the animals.
Thomas sees the calf and runs in its direction.
THOMAS
Let’s see if we can corner the calf.
The calf is fast and keeps switching directions.
Thomas catches up with him near the church’s sign in front of church.
The calf slows to a stop, and it looks like Thomas has him.
Thomas lunges toward it. The calf darts away, and Thomas does a face plant in the mud. When he looks up, he sees the lit sign welcoming the community to the Christmas Day sermon, Hope for Christmas.
Thomas then sees the local news recording the mess. The crowd of people, some laughing.
John finally catches the calf and gives Thomas a bewildered smile.
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