1968 Changed Everything (beginning of the novel)

 

1968 Changed Everything

                         Chapter 1

   October 1968

 Towering elms line the wide pathways crisscrossing the University of Buffalo’s campus: reds, vibrant oranges, yellows all set against a brilliant blue sky. As the wind whips up falling leaves swirl with each gust. Students hurry in every direction.

The high energy of the students arriving in Mitchell Hall is quickly blotted out by the sober expression of twenty-eight-year-old teaching assistant Jeremy Slater, who surveys the room looking anything but casual, despite his effort to not seem overly serious.  Whatever thoughts preceded the students’ entrance into the room they prepare to get to work. For the lucky few this is much like the eager silence of a concert hall as the performer is set to begin. A few coughs and ready to roll. For others, staying motionless and quiet will soon become imprisonment. For the next hour they must not make a sound.  Or drift so far away that they visit never-never land.

  Like the other lecture rooms Mitchell Hall is overheated, its steam radiators hiss while water bleeds at the rusted knobs. Hoping to combat student torpor, an enormous central window has been swung open so crisp October air blows in. That window frames a majestic maple tree which has turned a spectacular scarlet as it does every October. Fortunately, there is a good reason for the students to stay alert. Every campus had one in the sixties—a teacher who could excite his students with his ideas and passion. Cynics have compared Jeremy to a rock star. So, have admirers. This afternoon he is on a roll.

Jeremy’s hazel eyes glisten whenever his discoveries hit their mark. Ideas keep popping out of his head. One thought stimulates the next and then the next. Riff after riff in a rhythm.

Sitting off to the side, CC belongs to him. She’s gotten prettier and prettier, but now, in her senior year, she has blossomed into a beauty.  Her ginger hair, streaked blond by the summer’s sun, frames her emerald eyes. They have a hint of sadness in them. But each time Jeremy hits a sweet spot they sparkle.

CC’s eyes dropped to the ground the first time they met Jeremy’s. In the worst way she wants to hold his eyes with hers, and not panic. She is hopeful she can overcome her usual bashfulness with men she doesn’t know. He wants the same thing. But he doesn’t dare. Carol, his wife, owns this part of him. 

This is not the first time. With the class full, and his mind crystal clear, Jeremy is living out his dreams. Fantasies rarely become actual, but when they do, danger seems to disappear. He knows he is scoring again and again. Especially today. Everything is coming together.

Pointing in CC’s direction, a classmate whispers to the student next to her, “Look at CC.”

She smiles. “I know.”   

“Look at Professor Slater!”

The two students have big, knowing, sarcastic grins on their faces as they watch CC and Jeremy. It doesn’t entirely erase their envy.

Jeremy writes “WITTGENSTEIN” on the board. Emphasizing the V pronunciation in Wittgenstein, he speaks dramatically.

“You have to understand. Ludwig Wittgenstein placed truth above any other human quality. To many people, the value of truth isn’t important. Most decide to pursue it to whatever extent they choose, but it is no big deal. Wittgenstein didn’t have this freedom. Meaning, an alarm would go off in his head whenever an idea seemed untrue. He’d be seized with doubt. It was like he was on a high wire and suddenly aware he might lose his balance.

Imitating Wittgenstein, Jeremy shouts, “No!”

He looks around the room.

“No!” he repeats theatrically, as if on stage. He has a hold of the students.

Jeremy continues. “A conclusion, agreed upon by everyone else, including himself three minutes before, suddenly has become dubious. Wittgenstein was particularly sensitive to the power that groups have, to capture other people’s agreement, the pressure they put on others to go along with them, not least because he was human. He was as likely as anyone else to be swayed.”

Jeremy’s voice rises. “But suddenly Professor Wittgenstein would snap out of it, recognize that he’d been duped. What he had thought was true wasn’t true at all.  He was seized by doubt. Defiance took hold of him.”

Jeremy faces the class. His eyes move from student to student as he speaks. Then, they rest on CC. Her shyness, which ordinarily encloses her, is dissolving. Every word, even Jeremy’s hesitations, works its way through her, singing in a rhythm that is becoming rapturous. His eyes remain on her as he continues his lecture, gripping her with every syllable.

“He was a professor of philosophy at Cambridge University. He never wrote a book. The world eventually learned about him from his students’ notes which were published later on. But without acclaim from the usual places, his reputation was remarkable. Other Cambridge philosophy professors would sit in at his classes, hoping to harvest his ideas. They knew he was the real thing. Bertrand Russell called him ‘the most perfect example I have ever known of genius.’”

Still carried away, Jeremy continues. “Who was this man?” Jeremy asks, walking around the room, pausing in front of the blazing maple which, for a moment, seems to smolder with his words. He hesitates, allowing his question to resonate. “Sometimes,” Jeremy says, dropping his voice so the students need to lean in to listen, “sometimes during a class, Wittgenstein suddenly dropped what he was talking about. He’d moan, ‘Idiot!’ This wasn’t theatrics. Wittgenstein had felt like an idiot.”

 Jeremy hesitates for the class to savor that thought.

“A monumental battle was taking place inside Wittgenstein. What he had intended to say no longer made sense to him. His doubts had gained the upper hand.  The remarkable thing is that his misgivings didn’t issue from the challenge of a listener, but from his own doubts.”

Jeremy takes a deep breath before continuing.

“Ordinarily people don’t do this. Not in public. They don’t doubt themselves that way. It is crippling. The mind is meant to function quietly. We are confident enough of our ideas that we don’t have to go over them a second and third time. We possess them. They possess us. When challenged, we can usually hold on to them, even if a bit of doubt creeps in. Perhaps it is stubbornness or laziness, or we may simply be unwilling to abandon such a nice comfortable place in our mind. We don’t seek the unknown, to feel lost, to welcome confusion.  Man is not a rational creature. He is a rationalizing creature, and most will settle for whatever half truth their mind provides. This wasn’t good enough for Wittgenstein. He wasn’t able to submit to the tidal pull of consonance. Challenges from others are the last thing we need. Perhaps that is why we join groups with basically the same ideas as ours.”

Jeremy again stops, letting his silence speak. Then he cries out: “Not Wittgenstein!”

He looks around the room. Once again, his eyes stop at CC.

“Being in a state of doubt can be fascinating. Hamlet, which many consider the greatest play ever written, is all about doubt. We empathize with Hamlet’s discomfort. We wait to see what he will do. But no one wants to be like Hamlet, a frenzied soul tortured by his confusion, on a pathway to self-destruction. We try to end doubt as soon as we experience it.”

“It isn’t just us. When we see doubt in others, it’s unpleasant. Like they are lost. Anguish is best kept private.”

Again, Jeremy gives a bit of time for his thoughts to be digested, then continues.

“So, you would think Professor Wittgenstein would lose his audience when he would lose his way.” Jeremy calls out happily. “But it was just the opposite! Feeling like an idiot served as his launchpad.”

Jeremy stares at one student, then the next, energetically as if he is building to a crescendo.

“The students in Wittgenstein’s classroom were mesmerized by the process. He shared the excitement as if he were proceeding on a highwire. His safety was only momentarily disturbed.  He wondered how, until then, he had not seen his mistake. He had an unusual talent. He could cogently present the problem he was having. Identify what he had gotten wrong. He turned himself inside out and retained his dignity, dissecting what did and did not make sense, as if his cognitions were a fascinating puzzle. After his initial disturbance, sharing his clarifying insight triumphantly  eliminate his uncertainty. It was a kind of courage, leaping on the high wire and landing so securely that it was if he was now standing on solid ground.

Jeremy looks in CC’s direction, their eyes now quickly lock.  Self-consciously, she breaks it off. He is still there when her eyes return.

“So, in the end, his public self-doubt was a kind of strength. It was part of what drew the professors. They knew all too well where he was. They, too, were often stymied. Most had run out of ideas long ago, not a good thing when you are in the idea business.

“It was the way Wittgenstein went about it. His students recollected his previous encounters with confusion. And because again and again the answer would materialize, not knowing could be relished, suspense that was about to be resolved. Out of thin air, like magic, Wittgenstein would come up with a new way of looking at a problem that just a moment before had stymied him. The cavalry arrived just in time.”

Swept up by his momentum, in his excitement, Jeremy is now staring almost exclusively at CC, as if he is speaking to her and her alone. The other students are aware of this, but they did not take Jeremy’s course to be given lessons in professorial etiquette.  He has a reputation. Nor does it seem unusual that someone as beautiful as CC would pull a lecturer’s eyes. Everywhere she goes, eyes are drawn to her. 

 Jeremy continues.  “Logical Positivism, when it was new, was able to answer a lot of questions that had long perplexed philosophers. The name had a ring to it, like existentialism, which had captivated the French and German philosophers.  But logical positivism was quintessentially English. Good English words describing philosophers’ most noble virtues. The power of logic, of robust reasoning. Having the certainty of mathematics. Ever forward to the next challenge. No artsy-fartsy French poetry junking up the English mind.”

Jeremy walks back and forth in the front of the lecture hall. He’s teaching a course in literature, not philosophy, but he indulges himself with this lecture every year.

 He continues. “Everyone was excited by Logical Positivism.  They thought they had finally reached the ultimate answer, offering final proofs and the promise of more. With the power of this new tool one after another philosophical paradoxes were dissolving. Does God exist? If you followed logical positivism’s logic, the answer was clear. Asking questions where no proof is possible was a meaningless proposition. That was the magical word, meaningless, dismissing the unknowable as neither true nor false but as meaningless. That declaration was the answer, the certainty philosophers crave.”

Jeremy again hesitates for effect.

“It was great for a while. But then the party was over. The questions that vexed them returned. Labeling issues as meaningless was a cheap trick. They were back to square one. They had painted themselves into a corner. It is absurd to dismiss meaningful questions as meaningless by inventing rules. Somehow all of this was written about in a way that left everyone perplexed. The logic and complexity of philosophical treatises on the subject were enormous and practically incomprehensible. No one, not even those in the world-renowned Cambridge University Philosophy Department, could think his way out of the trap. Not even brilliant Dr. Wittgenstein.

“What was Wittgenstein’s solution? He quit philosophy. He became a hospital orderly, then a gardener. He never mentioned to his coworkers that he had been a professor at Cambridge. For ten years, no one heard a word about him, or from him.

“Then one day he reappeared. He had discovered a way out of the trap. He founded a branch of philosophy called ‘ordinary language philosophy.’ Basically, pleased by the irony, he said that philosophers should study how ordinary people communicate. That was the way out of their puzzlement.”

Smiling broadly, Jeremy continues. “In other words, the study of philosophy, all the years spent carefully defining, clarifying, refocusing – driven by a powerful need to get at the truth— was not the way to get there.  The language of ordinary people—gardeners, hospital orderlies, his colleagues for the last decade—held the real answer. Cutting flowers or pushing a gurney undoes the paradox.

“The professors loved it.”

Jeremy windmills his arm as if he is swinging a scythe.

“It was a coup de grâce to the steel certainties that had been their bulwark against confusion, that had kept them focused, but which no longer functioned. They had been imprisoned by logic and precise language.”

As Jeremy continues, imbued with conviction, there is a musical quality–he loves this part of his talk… “Among philosophers, a convincing new paradigm is as exciting as the discovery of the New World—fresh, beautiful, new thoughts, unhindered by doubt.”

“If it were a soccer match, they would have put him on their shoulders for scoring the winning goal. If he were. . . What’re the words to that song?” Jeremy’s face lights up. “Rudolph! The red-nosed reindeer.” He starts to sing it. “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. . .”

CC’s mind spins appreciatively—a childhood song amalgamated with philosophy at the most profound level. Her delight brings the comfort of an epiphany. She still remembers when true was true, before becoming complicated by further thoughts.

“As Rudolph went down in history… That’s what happened to Wittgenstein.”

He repeats his name in her mind as if it were a magical word. “Wittgenstein!”

The bell rings. Some students file out. Others swarm around the lectern. Jeremy’s eyes have not stopped wandering to CC as she gets her things together. Books pressed against her breasts, CC attempts to seem businesslike as she approaches him, but her eagerness isn’t hard to discern as she joins Jeremy’s entourage at the front of the classroom. She waits patiently as, one by one, he answers the questions of the students. When he is finished and they have left, he turns to CC. Unlike her, he is not very successful at appearing calm and collected. She has worked long and hard to maintain her persona. Unlike Brooklyn where Jeremy developed his style, seeming unperturbed was required in Great Neck, where she grew up.

“You seemed interested in Wittgenstein,” he says as casually as he can.

“My brother Mark talks a lot about him.”

“Really. What did he tell you?”

“How he came from one of the richest families in Europe.”

“True.”

“How he gave away all his money. Every penny.”

“He was extremely intense and impulsive,” says Jeremy. “All of his brothers were. His father tried to educate their impulsivity away. He was a titan of the steel industry. He hoped to prepare at least one of his boys to step into his shoes. But he failed. They went in the opposite direction, totally uninterested in business. They did, however, absorb one quality from him.” Jeremy’s tone of voice changes. “He was incredibly exacting.”

He stops, letting what he is saying sink in. CC is excited; exchanging stolen looks was one thing, his exclusive attention another. She and her brother Mark have thrown ideas at each other quite a lot, even been excited as the ideas flew back and forth, but this was her professor, on a whole different level.

“Imagine this. Paul, Ludwig’s brother, was practicing on one of the seven grand pianos in the Wittgenstein’s mansion when he suddenly shouted at Ludwig in the next room, ‘I cannot play when you are in the house. I feel your skepticism seeping. . . from under the door!... Each of the brothers felt continually scrutinized. Ludwig was lucky. As a philosophy professor, he had found a good outlet. But that feeling, of being scrutinized, is a sickness, paranoia. Being alone with self-doubt is a plague. Three of his brothers committed suicide.”

“Jesus.”

“Not Jesus. Jewish. By other people’s standards, he was enormously successful, the star professor in the world’s finest philosophy department. Yet, as I described, he continually had to snap out of failure, think his way back to solid ground. He had to stop being a professor when he couldn’t find his way out the confusion logical positivism led philosophers to.

“Geniuses frequently have that quality. Jascha Heifetz would practice his violin until his fingers felt like they were falling off. And then he would practice another two hours. What he heard coming from his violin again and again sounded wonderful, but there were always a few notes that weren’t wonderful enough. Perfect moments would not suffice. He wanted perfection throughout. 

“Fortunately, despite his dissatisfaction, he was a bit of a peacock.  He liked to perform in front of audiences. He bathed in his audience’s adulation, even if he believed he should do better.

“Vladimir Horowitz wasn’t so lucky. Despite ecstatic reviews, despite rapturous responses from his audiences, he repeatedly lost confidence that he could  get where he felt he had to be. He couldn’t perform from 1953 to 1965. It’s happening again. He’s stopped playing in public.”

“You think that is Jewish?”

“Well—”

“My brother told me Wittgenstein wasn’t Jewish.”

“He was raised a strict Catholic by his mother. But his father was Jewish and his mother’s father was Jewish. That’s where the problem came from.”

“You really think it was being Jewish?”

Jeremy appreciates her challenge.

He smiles. “I’ve thought about that a lot. Maybe, maybe not. I’m probably over generalizing. I’m not just talking about an exclusively Jewish quality. People who know Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese film director, say that despite the masterpieces he keeps producing, he often talks about how he isn’t measuring up. Not one of his movies has come close to what he expects of himself. . .  Partly it’s about being Japanese. Only the emperor is entitled to be godly, meaning perfect. . .  But he doesn't allow himself that expectation.  He’s got a bad case of expecting it from himself, trying to get there. The glass may always be half empty. His job is to fill it. And he can’t. He doesn’t understand anything else. Did you see Woman in the Dunes? They had it here at the festival.”

“No.”

“It’s about this guy who is trapped in a large sand pit. He must get rid of the sand that has encroached on his house from the night before, or it will be engulfed. So, each day, while it is daylight, he digs the sand away.

“It returns as he sleeps. The cycle never ends. Eventually, he becomes resigned to his fate. For the existentialists, that acceptance is what matters. 

“We’ll be reading The Myth of Sisyphus in two weeks. Sisyphus uses every ounce of his strength to push a boulder up a hill. If he stops, it will roll back and crush him. Each time he gets to the top of the hill, the boulder tumbles back to the bottom, and Sisyphus must start over. That is the human condition. The existentialists thought they had the answer. Choose to do what you must do. By making it a choice, you are in charge.”

Skeptical that existentialists have found the answer, Jeremy exhibits the smile of his tribe, the perennial doubting Jew.

“Eh?”

Without self-consciousness, appreciating his manner, from some ancient part of herself, CC smiles, touching Jeremy’s arm affectionately. He is so much like her brother Mark, for years her mentor and hero.

She imitates him. “Eh?”

He laughs.

Jeremy continues: “Existentialists think choosing to do what you gotta do puts you in charge. To me it’s a cheap trick. I don’t know how that’s a victory. It doesn’t change that you gotta do it.”

“My brother Jay does everything he’s expected to do. It never occurs to him not to do it. Yet he feels very much in charge of his life.”

“That’s one solution. . .  It’s got to be boring. But . . .” He looks into her eyes. “Wittgenstein really fascinates you, doesn’t he?”

“He does.”

“Do you have a class now?”

CC glances at her watch. “Not until two-thirty.”

“Let’s go to my office.”

CC follows Jeremy out of the classroom, then through a series of corridors. Both she and he are aware of the possibilities of privacy... As they walk along, CC’s trepidation is pushed aside by her unformed expectations.  Repeatedly they smile at each other. He’s a guy. A beautiful woman is following him. That’s happened many times in his fantasies but not in reality.

Jeremy's office is a hole in the wall with books piled high on his desk. He clears books off a chair for CC to sit.

“So, what is it about Wittgenstein?” she asks.

“It isn’t that complicated. He was a genius. His thought went where no one else was going.”

“You’re into geniuses?”

“Everybody is into geniuses.”

“A genius?” she counters. “What is that? I never thought about it until college. My idea of a stupendous human being was John Lennon. My other brother, Mark, was into Tom Seaver. They’re no geniuses.”

“They’re stars. That’s what I meant.”

 Mark told me last year, Seaver had a great year.”

“He did.” Jeremy adds.

“My brother is a big Mets fan. Before Seaver, it was Duke Snider and Bill Sharman.”

 “Sharman had a sweet jump shot. A perfect jump shot. It was magic.” Jeremy crumbles a piece of paper, leaps and shoots from over his head. It lands in the waste basket.  “Swish,” he croons triumphantly.

“You’re just like him!” CC observes, pleased with her realization. “Until midway through high school, Mark was all about athletics. Then all of a sudden Mark’s hero became Ludwig Wittgenstein.”

“It is kind of amazing that we have the same heroes” Jeremy adds, pleased by the link up. Even the part about Duke Snider. “Did you ever see Duke Snider play?” he asks CC.

“I was too young.”

“Those somersault shoestring catches. Ballet. Not every time, but you see him do it once and it gets fixed in your memory. No one had ever done that before. No one since. You never saw him do it?”

“No.” Mark hadn’t mentioned shoestring catches. Their conversation is making her uneasy. “Does someone have to be a genius for you to be interested in them?”

“You want the truth or bullshit?”

“The truth.”

“The truth is, that’s what matters to me. The truth? I mostly ignore people unless they are very special. I can fake it. I do fake it, but—”

“So that eliminates nine tenths of the human race, all of us ordinary people.”

“Are you serious? Did you ever look in the mirror?”

She is pleased but uncomfortable. Her looks are a fragile commodity. When she was sixteen, she had bad acne for half the year. Her mother was helpful and sympathetic, but CC sensed the truth. Her mother hated her, hated to look at her, like she was a gruesome pathetic monster, as if it was her fault. CC is 98% sure there will be no recurrence of her acne but her uncertainty about how good she is looking will probably remain with her ‘til her dying day. 

Jeremy is in quite a different place.

 Enthusiastically he shouts at her. “There is a mirror on the wall. Take a look at yourself.”

She barely glimpses. Her embarrassment has now fully taken over.  Jeremy’s flirting this way flusters her.

“It must be hard on your wife. You expect her to be perfect?  Does that make her one of the nobodies that aren’t worth your interest?

“She says I’m a baby. I’m into heroes like a ten-year-old. She’s waiting for me to grow up.”

“Is she right?”

Jeremy shrugs. “I’m sure she is. But I am who I am. Even if I could change it, I wouldn’t. Doesn’t matter. I can’t.”

“Most people find a way to be satisfied.”

“Most people live a lie.”

She doesn’t know what to say. It may be true but so what. Besides they may not have to lie. Maybe they don’t have to be a somebody. CC says nothing. 

He’s still on a roll. “By the way, this Sunday I’m having a barbecue. Several students are coming. You’re invited.”

 

Chapter 2

The Barbecue

It is Sunday afternoon in late October. With the long, gray Buffalo winter ahead, Jeremy and his wife, Carol, are thrilled that it is still warm enough outside for a barbecue. Their home is modest, but lit by the sunshine, the fall colors surrounding their yard glitter,  a pallet of perfection. Both of them grew up indoors—apartment houses in Brooklyn—museums their only bits of beauty. A backyard in the country is as exciting to them as Prospect Park.

Jeremy is manning the charcoal, Carol’s setting up the table. Just under five-four, slightly chunky, but pretty–not striking– pretty, Carol has cider colored hair and wonderful delft blue eyes. Today she is full of fire.  She loves having company. She brings out a pitcher of iced tea. Then she returns to the house and comes out with napkins and paper plates. 

“I think I hear Alyosha crying,” she yells to Jeremy. “Lately, he’s only been napping half an hour.”

Jeremy frowns. “I was counting on two-hours.”  Disappointments like this can sometimes be irritating but not today. Since Jeremy’s moment in the office with CC his life seems to be moving along wonderfully.  It’s full steam ahead. He’s been waiting for today all week.

It is hard for Carol to ignore Jeremy’s excitement, but she has managed so far. 

 “He’s just fussing. I’ll be back,” Carol yells to Jeremy as she makes her way to Alyosha, her eighteen-month-old treasure.  In his sleep, he’s whimpering. Every once in a while, he screams angrily into his blanket before returning to sleep.  Tiptoeing, Carol moves forward, watching him without being seen. She moves quickly to the crib, gently takes his hand. Softly, she sings, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

She needs only one line. Singing the song to herself he hardly whimpers when she leaves, 

“If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it—”

Returning to the outside, her singing stops abruptly as her eyes are drawn to CC, who has arrived with three other students, two males and one other female. Startled by CC’s beauty, Carol’s frightened by its implication.

Each offers her a hand as their name is called.

“Carol, this is CC, Deborah, Gabriel. You know my cousin Jeff.”

Jeff has brought a football. Jeremy grabs it.

“Go long, Jeff.”

Jeffrey takes off. Perry, their Lab, runs alongside, barking. Jeremy throws a perfect spiral, which Jeff catches without breaking stride. As the catch is made, Jeremy triumphantly glances quickly at CC. Carol notices.

“Now you, Gabriel.”

Once again, a perfect pass and once again Jeremy steals a look at CC, but this time he is aware that Carol is watching him. CC also notices.  Her eyes drop to the ground.

When they are finished eating, sitting around on the patio, Jeremy takes out a joint. Carol isn’t happy that he’s brought out pot in front of the students, but she says nothing. He passes it around.  Carol takes only one hit, refusing a second. “Someone’s got to function,” she says.

She cleans up while the others stare into space.  As the afternoon winds down, CC approaches Carol shyly. “Can I help?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got it under control.”

CC nevertheless clears the dishes from the table and follows Carol inside.

“You took the bus, right? No one’s going to be driving stoned?”

“Right.”

“Okay.”

Carol forces a smile.

“Are you a junior?”

“Senior.”

She holds up her hand, shows her middle finger crossed over her index finger for good luck. “Hopefully, I’ll graduate in June.”

“Oh, come on. Jeremy tells me you’re smart.”

“He’s talked about me?”

“When he told me who was coming.” She hesitates. “You’re a senior—ready to take on the cold, cruel world?”

“Not yet. Going to school for social work after this, although my father tells me I should be a lawyer. Says I think like one.”

“Do you?”

“I can get like that sometimes,” she says shyly. “I was on the debating team in high school. But I’ve already been accepted at Columbia for social work.”

“That’s a good school. Are you going home? Did you grow up in the city?”

“When I was young, we lived in Queens.”

“Where in Queens?”

“Kew Gardens Hills. Actually, Simon and Garfunkel grew up there.”

“Did they?”

“Art Garfunkel always makes it seem like he is from Forest Hills. I think he was embarrassed. Kew Gardens Hills was on the wrong side of the tracks from Forest Hills. But all of their songs about home—that was Kew Gardens Hills.”

“Were your parents embarrassed?”

“Not really. They saw it as a step up from Brooklyn. On the way to Great Neck.”

“So what was Kew Gardens Hills like?”

“I was very young but I remember there were always a lot of kids outside. It beats Great Neck by a mile in that regard. Those garden apartments– my parents thought they were nicer than apartment houses.”

“Sounds nice.”

“Well, not really. Five of us lived in four rooms, and we couldn’t afford much of anything. My parents slept in the living room on a Castro convertible.”

“That’s no fun.”

“My father went to law school at night, and by the time I was four, my family made it to Great Neck. How about you?”

“I’m from Brooklyn all the way,” Carol says proudly, ignoring CC’s earlier put-down.

“I don’t really know Brooklyn. My mom and dad are both from there.” CC tells her.

“Did you ever see where they grew up?”

“My mom took me once to Fortunoff in Brownsville. It looked pretty dangerous. This one guy approached the car looking for money. My mom had us lock the doors. That’s about it.”

“I was in the good part of Brooklyn, Bay Ridge.” Carol tells her. “There were no muggings.  Jeremy’s parents grew up somewhere nearby, Manhattan Beach, I think near Sheepshead Bay.”

“You don’t know?” CC asks.

“Jeremy’s origins can get confusing.”

“He’s never taken you to where he grew up?” CC asks.

“Not really.” Carol answers.

“How come?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where’s Sheepshead Bay? CC asks.

“You really don’t know?” Carol asks, surprised that people in the suburbs know so little of the city.

“What do you know about Long Island?” CC retorts

“Nothing. That’s a whole different world.”

“You weren’t curious about Brooklyn?” Carol asks.

“I guess not. Brownsville scared me.”

“So how are you going to be a social worker? You can’t just stay in your office.”

CC shrugs. “Maybe I will be a lawyer.   I just don’t like the bad mood my father came home with after work. Plus I want to make the world a better place.”

“If you can do something like that it would be nice.”

Despite Carol’s suspicions about CC, a bond is forming between them. The marijuana has loosened their tongues, undermined their distrust.

“Jeremy’s mentioned you a few times. I was wondering what you would look like.”

“Am I what you expected?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Jeremy may seem like he is ruled by his brain, but he’s a typical guy. His hormones are in charge. He gets a certain look when he talks about particular students.”

CC is pleased she has been mentioned by Jeremy, less pleased that Carol sees her as a rival.

“We were both undergrads at Penn,” Carol tells CC. “It’s funny. Even when he was a student, he liked to lecture. He has so many ways of looking at things.”

“He gets so carried away by his ideas,” CC gushes, which Carol notices.

“When I met him, he wanted to be a rock star. He loves being on stage,” Carol says.

CC smiles happily. “Was he any good?”

Carol shrugs.

“He probably wasn’t good enough. His band went nowhere. But he needs to be center stage. I think he has found his thing.”

 Carol continues. “When he gets going, he can be a real turn-on. Like his hero, Wittgenstein. I assume he’s spoken about Wittgenstein?”

“He has. He just gave that lecture.”

“He has that lecture perfected. . .. It’s very polished. He may have wanted to grow up to be Duke Snider, but now he wants to grow up to be Ludwig Wittgenstein. Certified Genius. Were you wowed?”

CC blushes.

“Don’t worry. I remember how irresistible he was when he got all excited about some big thought.” Carol grimaces. “But now—”

“He doesn’t do that to you anymore?”

“I’ve heard his shpiels a thousand times.”

“I can’t imagine it getting old.”

“Believe me, everything gets old. His thing with ideas is like an addiction. He has to have them. Like food. Happy when he’s got a new one, grouchy when there’s not enough. Fortunately, he has other qualities.”

“Like what?”

 “He enjoys being Peck’s bad boy. He won’t win any awards for being a responsible adult.” She hesitates a bit with that observation but then continues.  “He’s actually a nice guy.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s plenty. There is very little cruelty in him. Insensitivity, yes—there is a lot of that. He thinks about himself and his ideas too much.  But intentional cruelty—no. In a marriage, kindness is what counts. If he could just get his head on straight and finish his dissertation, we’d be in a good place.”

“His dissertation is a problem?”

Carol swallows hard. “Big problem. The fact that Wittgenstein hardly published anything has been a perfect excuse. Jeremy can’t just get it done and get his damn doctorate. Anything less than a masterpiece would be humiliating to him.” Carol laughs as she finishes.

CC smiles approvingly. “I like that he aims so high.”

“I know that sounds heroic, but the other side of it is that it leads to deep fears. The professors in the English department are nationally known. It’s an unusually creative department. I don’t know why they’re here, but right now U of B’s English department is hot. It’s attracted top talent—John Barth, Leslie Fiedler. That’s what drew Jeremy.

 But the competition is ferocious. High expectations make daily life difficult.  If he were training for the Olympics, that would be one thing. Everyone understands that kind of glory, the ups and downs of trying to be the best. But this is worse. Athletes know when they have won or lost. Jeremy can never tell where he stands. One minute, he believes he is a genius. . . .” Her voice rises. “The next, he’s a nobody. Do you know Dr. Miller?”

“The chairman?”

“He believes Jeremy is extremely gifted. Dr. Miller has said something to me.”

“That must be exciting.”

“Yes and no.”

“Why no?”

“Because several of the faculty members treat him like he’s a jerk. Don’t know if they are jealous, or think Jeremy is too full of himself. But when he has had contact with his supervisors, nine times out of ten he comes home deflated. Fortunately for him, soon enough, he begins to believe he’s the next Wittgenstein again. Round and round he goes, loop de loop.” 

“Still, all of that must be exciting.”

“He needs to outgrow his grandiosity and just get his damn doctorate done.”

“I didn’t realize there’s so much pressure on him.”

“It galls him that he’s not there yet. Thinks he deserves in, on the basis of all the great ideas he has. Dr. Miller and a couple of other senior faculty members actually do find his ideas special, which is very nice, but everything hinges on his dissertation. And that’s not working so well. It’s not easy to knock off a masterpiece.”

“So, he’s given up?”

“Are you kidding? He has the energy of a madman. Over a week he’ll write twenty, sometimes fifty pages. Good pages. I’ve read them. Some great pages. But by midweek, he’s doesn’t like them. He tears them up. He thinks that makes him Wittgenstein because he did the same thing. I remind him Wittgenstein didn’t have a wife and kid.”

“So, all that talk about geniuses—he thinks he’s one?”

“Half the time. The other half—don’t ask. He knows how stupid it sounds to others, how stupid it is to think that way, and when he believes it, he’s a handful. They used to tease him in high school. Called him ‘Pompose.’ For pomposity. And that’s when he wanted to make it with his band. He’s already figured out the perfect defense. If not in this life, then after he’s gone, someone will discover him.”

“He’s said all that?”

“No, but we were watching this movie about van Gogh, how he never sold a painting when he was alive.”

“Really?”

“Not a single one. Jeremy got all choked up. I asked him about it. He said it was nothing. The movie just made him sad. But the way he cried . . .” Carol wipes a tear. “Boy, I just had one puff of the marijuana.”

“So, he has delusions of grandeur?”

“Right after college, he had something published in the Yale Review but nothing since. I don’t really think it’s delusions of grandeur. He’s able to laugh about it with me. But whatever that genius thing is, Jeremy’s got a bad case of it. I swear. He thinks geniuses are the only people that truly belong on Earth. Everyone else is taking up space. That’s one side of it. Then, suddenly, he’ll hate every word he’s ever written. He fears he’s ordinary. Being average scares him. He thinks I wouldn’t love him. No one would. Which is so crazy.”

“You’re saying he’s really screwed up.”

“Yes, in his way. Mind you, everyone is nuts when you really get to know them. Jeremy is Jeremy. He’s just a guy. He talks up a storm, but I still see this college kid. Both of us were kids when we met. . ..  You’re Jewish, right?”

“Yes,” CC answers

“A lot of Jewish men are like him. Very ambitious. Can’t imagine their life as not getting to the top. Nervous as hell that they’re not up to it, that they’re a nobody. That’s what Jeremey talks about a lot. Being a genius or being a nobody. Nothing in between.

“Still, I think it’s exciting.”

“Maybe, but it’s not easy to have irrational standards. You’re either gold or you’re gone.   It’s hard to be around.”

“Must be.”

“I’m not complaining. Well, I guess I am. But it doesn’t matter. I love him.” Carol stops for a moment.  “I guess it’s his vulnerability. There’s a look he gets. I can feel his pain. My mother thinks I’m crazy. But I can’t help it.”

 “You’re saying having an ambitious husband is no fun.”

“This is way beyond ambition. The genius thing . . . I’ll admit it can lead to accomplishments, but over the last year—his time is running out to get his dissertation finally done. We’re not having a good time. If we can just get through this crisis, then I could put up with my genius husband.”

“Do you save the pages he throws away?”

“I should. If he ever gets to where he thinks he belongs, they will be worth something.” Carol stops, listens carefully. “I hear Alyosha. You want to meet him?”

CC smiles. “Absolutely.”

Carol takes CC to his room. Carol bends over and, sliding her hands beneath the baby’s armpits, gently lifts him from his crib. She sniffs his bottom in the no nonsense way of a mother at work, smooths back his bangs sweaty from sleep and then hands him to CC with such tenderness and trust that an ache CC never knew she had, steams straight up from CC’s heart. CC’s had practice with her brother Jay’s little boy, but she’s never reacted like this. CC moves the baby back and forth, curled in the crook of her arm. “Aly-o-sha.” Happily  smiling, she half sings, half whispers in a melody, holding him, still singing in mostly a murmur.  CC follows Carol into the kitchen, then outside, a rising moon is pierced to the side of the sky. She feels as if she has joined the family, then vaguely feels guilty for picturing herself in Carol’s place.

* * *

Early evening, CC is on the pay phone in a small alcove in the second-floor dorm lounge talking quietly, trying to keep her conversation private. Fortunately, there is only one other person in the lounge, CC’s friend Brittany, unlikely to gossip.

Mark, her brother, is in his Dwight Street apartment in Berkeley, phone in hand, spread out on the couch.

“Mark,” CC says, “come on.”

“The last three times we’ve talked, we’ve ended up talking about Jeremy.”

In his appearance, Mark has matured into the male version of CC, unusually handsome, almost pretty. His eyes are a beautiful green color like CC’s, a light in his gruffly unshaven face, the style in Berkeley. His gestures are robust, almost exaggeratedly so. He speaks with a deliberately aggressive edge that took him time to cultivate as he struggled to bury his childhood softness and emerge as his version of a man. It was automatic, as it is for many guys. At a certain point, junior high for most, being a sissy is not allowed in the company of the other boys. Despite his effort, he can’t altogether cancel out what is behind his bluff, a still-delicate soul rooted in a certain softness from childhood, when he was allowed to seek solace in the folds of  Grandma Mimi’s apron.  Country Joe and the Fish can be heard playing in the background.

“Mark, he’s married! He has a one-year-old son.”

He teases, “I know you, CC.”

Almost swooning, she replies, “I’ll admit,” CC says slowly, “he’s the most brilliant man I’ve ever met.”

CC looks Brittany’s way, fearful that she has heard something. She hasn’t. She’s laughing away at the Jackie Gleason show on TV.

Mark’s picked up on CC’s swoon.

“CC, you’re in love,” Mark teases. “You’re in love. That’s what it is.”

She grits her teeth. “It’s not so simple. I like his wife a lot. Someone said she has lupus. I could never do that to her.”

“Strange coincidence. You’ve got myasthenia, and he’s flirting with you. Does he know?”

“I don’t know how he would.” Then, after thinking it over she adds, “Maybe.”

“Myasthenia is not a small thing.”

“No comparison. You can get really sick from lupus. You can die.”

“There’s a tiny chance, but so could you. Your Jeremy has a thing about rescuing sick gals.”

“I don’t think he even knows I have myasthenia.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t know who knows, who doesn’t know. I don’t talk about it. Hardly ever.”

“Telling you—this guy loves to rescue damsels in distress.”

“Mark, let’s keep it simple. He’s married.”

“Big shit.”

“He talks a lot about Wittgenstein. Your hero.”

Mark’s very pleased, “What about him?”

“How Wittgenstein demanded so much of himself. Jeremy’s got the same problem. Everything has to be one-in-a-million good, or he can’t go with it. He’s like you.”

“I’m not like that.”

“Since when?”

“Give me a break.”

“Anyway. There are problems. He hasn’t finished his dissertation and its overdue. According to his wife, several professors in the English department love him, but they can only extend the deadline for so long. Some hate him. They can’t stand his self-importance. His time is running out. Carol’s worried that—”

“Carol?”

“His wife. If he doesn’t get it done by this summer, they’re going to cut him loose. He’s feeling incredible pressure.”

“She told you all that?”

“More or less. We were stoned.”

“Oh.”

Mark is pleased that CC is still smoking dope, in his mind, happy that he turned her on to one of life’s treasures.

CC continues: “Jeremy worries a lot about the upcoming deadline for his dissertation. Practically every night he can’t sleep. Lately, nothing comforts him.”

In a boasting tone, Mark proclaims, “Me, Jeremy, and Wittgenstein.”

She teases him affectionately. “Yeah. You like to make things ten times harder than they have to be.”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

“What’s there to get? How to be crazy?”

“You think Jeremy and I are crazy?”

“And Wittgenstein!”

“You think we are crazy?”

CC doesn’t answer. She’s pleased that she has gotten under Mark’s skin. He’s pleased that she is in love with someone that is so much like himself.

 

Chapter 3

They Meet Again

A week later, after Jeremy’s class ends, CC helplessly follows Jeremy into his office without being asked.

“I liked Carol,” CC blurts out as soon as Jeremy swings the door shut behind them. This time CC notes that his office is a pathetic mess. And yet there is something glorious about the buildings of books, one piled so high on top of the other, threatening to topple at any second, a world incredibly fragile, undone by the simplest shove. He has hung over the bare light bulb that swings from a cord of black, a gorgeous fabric all shimmer and sheen, from India it seems, in teals and turquoises that cast colors everywhere. CC’s eyes, as if magnetically, are drawn to his crammed bookshelves where spines are printed with titles like Beyond God the Father and Logical Positivism and The Bloomsbury Group. Who, CC wonders, was The Bloomsbury Group.  In her mind's eye she sees hydrangea in shades of perfect pinks, their formed florets tilted towards the sap of the sun.

“Carol liked you.” Jeremy says.  He reaches around CC and clicks the lock closed.

“Hopefully, we can get together again. Ever eat at Main Moon?” CC asks.

“The take-out place?” 

“They have incredible dumplings. They have some tables. I go there a lot.” CC tells him.

“It’s not going to happen.” Jeremy answers, his voice suddenly switching to a dark tone. “Carol’s not happy about my friendship with you. When she heard you came to my office, she let me have it. She doesn’t want me seeing you here.”

“Something I did?”

“No. She likes you. It’s me. She doesn’t like the look I get when I mention you. Things heat up quickly if I even say your name.”

“She’s that jealous?”

“Not usually, but I think she has good reason.”

“What do you mean?”

Jeremy has a funny look on his face. He walks behind his desk, as if it might give him the stature or confidence he needs to do what he next does. He leans forward at the waist and gently brushes CC’’s bangs out of her eyes. 

“You can’t figure that out?

He moves closer to her. CC doesn’t retreat. Jeremy tries to kiss her. CC turns her head away.

“Jeremy, no. Carol . . .”

But as he backs off, he can see the disappointment in her eyes. He tries to kiss her again. Her hand moves up quickly, covering her lips. He plants a kiss on her cheek, puts his arms around her in a fatherly way, but soon that becomes romantic, tensing her up. Nevertheless, he senses her resistance is losing its hold on her. Practically overcome with desire, he’s hoping her no will soon become yes. For a man beset with uncertainties, his confidence soon feels like a gush of gold. His persistence may be winning out. Although she’s afraid, her desire keeps interrupting her intention, which is to end it right here. Every time that happens, he senses it, as well as the opposite. At first her desire slipped through her armor. Now it’s taking over. She’s lost.

There’s a knock on the door. Sharp and short. They quickly disengage, straighten their clothes. Jeremy’s erection is poking into his pants. He sticks his hand in his crotch and directs his penis down to the floor. CC finds that funny. And exciting.

That night in bed, Jeremy tosses and turns, imagining the romance he has always yearned for. Carol notices his fervor but decides not to ask. Instead, she holds the baby close, brings him into bed. 

That same night, CC lies in her bed, musing. The fantastic fabric. The pathetic piles of books in tentative towers on the verge of collapse. The titles, each one alluring. The press of them together, his signature scent, pine leaves and nervous sweat. In ten minutes, it will be midnight and her twenty-first birthday will begin. Her mother sent her the incredible sapphire stud earrings she always loved when her mother wore them. The studs had arrived in the afternoon. When CC opened the package, she was stunned, surprised her mother had noticed. CC had never said anything, but evidently her mother saw the way she looked at them.

Still, her mother loved those earrings. It’s not like her to be this generous. Too often her mother seems to ignore her about things like that. She’s not indifferent, CC’s relationship with her mother is of great importance to both of them. But her mother often lands up being on CC’s case, unhappy with one thing or another. 

  It’s not easy for her mother either. She doesn’t enjoy being a nudge. She didn’t enjoy the way her own mother use to bug her. Her mother thought she was a princess but there was always some way she could improve.  It is her job to make CC the best version of herself, to improve her enough to match her not unreasonable standards.

CC is not happy with this. Fair enough that what her mother does is in the service of her mother’s vision. Trying to get CC to where her mother considers a nice place.  CC knows her mother’s intentions are good. Her mother is sure everything she wants CC to become is the fulfillment of her potential. Her mother comfortably believes this when all is going well, and CC seemingly goes along, but sometimes what she tells her hurts. Why am I not good enough? The nice things she says are often nonsense, obligatory compliments. After suggestions about how she can improve she forgets even when she knows her mother’s praise was genuine. She could see it in her eyes. But that is forgotten when her suggestions for improvement come. CC feels at the mercy of an incessant critic.

So this present is very special. Trying the earrings on, CC gasps at their beauty, almost disbelieving what she is seeing. Then in the mirror she sees the rest of what is before her. Her face with the earrings. She looks lovely. How much CC likes what she sees, is unusual. Or has she changed? Is it Jeremy now in the picture? The earrings are even more exciting than they had been when her mother wore them. She notices how blue they are in the lamplight, how bright. She turns to put one of them in the shade. She likes that color blue as well. She tries several other angles, turns off the light entirely. Enough light sneaks through from the dorm hallway light, to capture the depth of the sapphire’s blue, perhaps the most beautiful blue of all. 

Her hand returns to fingering the one on her left ear. As she does so a wave of love for her mother settles within her. She doesn’t usually feel this way. It is a greater love than on previous birthdays when she liked her present. Has she finally arrived, become the person her mother has all along longed for, the person she expects? Does this allow CC to love her mother back? For the moment the answer is yes. 

Or is it that she really loves those earrings?

She keeps the earrings on to sleep with them. As soon as her covers have been pulled up and she has been able to be sucked into her pillow, her hand goes to a sapphire, touching it, rolling it squeezing it, confirm that it is hers. She enters the reverie before sleep that is hers almost every night. Her hand moves through her thick hair, buried in it, flowing back. Once, twice, a third time. Slowly... Then gathering it into her neck she puts a tiny soft pillow against her ear and presses. This usually puts her to sleep.

  “Twenty-one” cries out in her thoughts. “Thanks, Mom.” She means it. But it is Jeremy’s kiss that now fills her mind and thrills her. The possibility of that ends a perfect day before her birthday. 

 

Chapter 4

Prequel: The Gordon Family 

After a night of happy dreams, CC’s birthday morning turns to nostalgia. Unlike most seniors at school, CC has remained very attached to her family. She thinks about them often. She has multiple pictures of them on her bureau, which she often studies and recalls when they were taken. Leslie, a classmate from across the hall, has popped in and wished CC happy birthday. She lingers at the door, noticing that once again, CC can’t take her eyes off one photo in particular. That one shows a beautiful dame, Lauren Bacall Ish, sultry, around thirty, in galoshes, with a Marlboro coming out of the corner of her mouth, her fox fur coat over her nightgown.

“Who’s that?”

“My mother. My father took that picture. She was beautiful, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Leslie answers.

“Could have been a movie star.” 

She reflects further. “ She wasn’t the easiest person. I remember how we used to choose who was going to wake her up for morning carpool. How scared we were.”

CC takes the photo in her hands. 

* * *

Jay, Mark, and CC are in front of their mother’s door. Jay is eleven, Mark nine, and CC six.  They show their lineage especially Mark and CC– both handsome versions of their mother, Looks are extremely important to Evelyn. When they were young children every time the family went to the club Evelyn relished their entrance. She is a serious shopper, up on the latest styles. Everything must fit perfectly. As they are shown to a table she pretends to ignore others staring at them, but she swells with pride as she always has, growing up a beauty. Back then CC was told that one of their father’s friends in the business  suggested that Evelyn bring her children to an ad agency. Evelyn would never put her kids through that.  Fortunately, the family  doesn’t need extra income. She can drink up the admiration she and they receive and leave it at that. 

Not that her mother was easy. Right now CC is recalling the fear she and her brothers felt if they had to wake up their mother when it was her turn in the carpool. 

On the floor in front of the door the children move their fists up and down as they chant together: “One. Two. Three.” Jay catches Mark’s eye. He silently mouths “One.” Mark keeps his face straight enough to fool CC, who has noticed their signals but as usual, lacks the courage to challenge  her brothers for any cheating they might come up with.

As they simultaneously throw their clenched fists down and open them they shout “Shoot!”  

 Each chose One. The brothers exchange the same sly smile they had before the last shoot. CC isn’t sure if she noticed that Mark is secretly holding up two fingers for Jay’s eyes only.

“One. Two. Three. Shoot.”

Having put down one finger, and her brothers “two,” CC must suffer the consequences. She has been chosen to wake up Mom. Not fair and square but she understands that all is fair in love and warfare.

She stands and puts her hand on the door knob. “You should be good at it,” Jay taunts. You’re her boop-sala. Right, Mark?”

Mark joins Jay, giggling. In a teasing voice, he adds, “Boopsi?”

Mark and Jay laugh happily, their pleasure multiplied by seeing how CC’s fear has actually grown.

CC slowly opens the door and enters. Mark carefully closes it behind her. With the curtains drawn, it is practically pitch-black. Slowly, she tiptoes toward her sleeping monster mother.

She trips on a throw rug. The sound of her stumble freezes her. Apparently, Evelyn has heard, but remains unperturbed. Protecting her sleep, she pulls her quilt closer to her face. CC’s eyes now accustomed to the dark, is relieved.  There are no further signs her mother is waking up. CC moves closer and closer, staying alert, each step led by her toe, the result of her ballet lessons.  Silence… silence. Finally, she is bedside.

“Mom?” she whispers.

No response.

Slightly louder.

“Mom. It’s snowing.”

Half asleep, eyes still closed, Evelyn growls in a snarling tone that has scared CC in the past, now as much as ever.

“No, it’s not.” Evelyn grumbles.

“Mom! It’s snowing. Three inches,” CC insists. “It’s your turn in the carpool.”

“Go away.”

Once again, firmly. “Mom!” She knows she is right.

“Okay. Okay.”

Ira is drinking coffee in the kitchen. Still in her nightgown and slippers, with the children following her, Evelyn ambles past him. Eyes still half closed, she goes to the front closet and puts a fox fur coat over her nightgown. Eyes puffy, she puts on her sunglasses. Without taking her slippers off, she maneuvers into galoshes. Ira is there with his Polaroid, which he often keeps on hand, to capture his gorgeous wife. He thinks the scene is goofy enough to be picture-worthy, particularly with the kids bedraggled appearance trailing behind her. It’s welcome relief. He enjoys how put together she usually is.  Every once in a while, waiting for her to make herself perfect  can irritate him. But he also has a sense of humor. Besides, he still thinks she is beautiful no matter how disheveled. He peels off the picture as it comes out of his Polaroid. Years later, CC had it enlarged. It’s the picture that’s now on CC’s desk.

With her sunglasses hiding her swollen eyes, smoking her Marlboro, half awake, as it could be in a Norman Rockwell cover, Evelyn is forging forward in the snow with her three children as well as Tommy and Alan, two neighborhood kids. All five children are looking out the car’s side windows. The air is becoming smokier and smokier.

CC coughs from the smoke. Quietly.  She doesn’t want her mother to think she is complaining. Then Mark coughs.

In a sleep-besotted voice, Evelyn responds, “Okay. Okay.”

She opens her window an inch.

“Thank you, Mrs. Gordon,” one of the neighborhood kids politely responds.

* * *

CC studies a new childhood photo, this one of Mark and herself, same age as in the last photo.

Mark is showing off his biceps in profile, fist tight, elbow bent (the classic “Look at my muscle” pose). CC is turned to the camera, with her hand overlying the bump on Mark’s arm. He is proud as can be. She is seemingly just as pleased as her brother.

This photo celebrating Mark’s triumph has a story.

CC was six. A boy had pushed her down on the ground. He was poking at her collarbone, telling her to get up again so that he could push her down again.

Mark was smaller than the bully, Gerry Tishfeld, but he gave Gerry a whack on his head, sending him to the ground. CC was very taken with her rescuer. It wasn’t the first time Mark had come through for her.

Mark pointed at Gerry. ‘That’s my sister.’. . he told Gerry in a commanding tone.

Not all of CC’s thoughts about Mark are fond ones. Particularly lately, CC sometimes wishes Mark would leave her alone. The tension that sometimes develops between them upset Mark as much as CC. For so many years they were close, unusually so, more like best friends than brother and sister.

Finally, CC’s eyes turn to a photo that always captivate her. As she studies the picture, a black-and-white photo of their mother standing at the top of the stair landing at home, shot from below. CC’s face softens. CC remembers being at the bottom of the stairs as she and her father waited for Evelyn to appear. She was five. Clearly frustrated by the wait, she looks at her father for encouragement.

“You know Mom. Everything must be just right.”

As Ira picks her up, CC croons, “Mmm, Daddy, you smell so good.” Ira has splashed on an abundant amount of Canoe, a lemon lavender aftershave. Perhaps too much, but in the 50’s men did that, as did women with their Chanel fragrances.

CC hugs him, moving her nose along her father’s neck. Gently, he puts her down. She smiles up at him. He smiles back happily. He hands her a Lifesaver.

“Cherry, right?”

“The red one.”

“Don’t tell your mother.”

“She lets me have candy.”

“But not before supper.”

Studying CC’s face, delightedly Ira moves his hand through her hair. “You got it from your mother. One day you’re going to break a lot of hearts.”

Evelyn makes her entrance on the landing. She looks amazing, in a gown that Scarlett O’Hara might have worn as a belle, before the Civil War.

“Mommy, Mommy,” CC gasps. “You look so beautiful!”

Beryl watches with a touch of amusement at white people’s foolishness. That observation in no way lessens her affection for all of the Gordons. She is part of the family and feels the same pride they feel at how stunning Evelyn can look. Still staring at the photo, eyes watering a bit, CC whispers to herself, “Beautiful.”

* * *

The three of them, Mark eleven years old, Jay thirteen, and CC eight, are excited to be in Miami during their Christmas break. They are running in every direction, checking out their room at the Fontainebleau Hotel. Mark turns the TV on. CC goes to the balcony and looks out at the ocean. Jay opens the mini fridge.

“Look at all that Coca-Cola.” He opens a bottle.

“Jay, let me have a sip,” says Mark.

“Get your own.”

“Come on. I’m thirsty.”

Jay passes Mark the bottle. He gulps a mouthful. Mark offers CC a sip.

“You want some?”

“Hey, Mark. I didn’t say you could give it to her. She’s got cooties.”

“She does not. Open another bottle.”

Mark hands the Coke to CC.

Jay goes back to the refrigerator. Evelyn enters the room. Despite her winter paleness she is stunning, her perfect figure highlighted by her bright lavender bathing suit. She admonishes the children.

“You’d better not let your father see you took something from the fridge. It costs a fortune. Here, give me your coats. I’ll put them in the closet.”

Ira enters the room. He hasn’t seen her in a bathing suit since the summer. He already imagines the gorgeous tan she will have by the end of their vacation. 

“God, Evelyn. You are something else. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

She shoots him a “stop being silly” expression.

He’s got it bad. He watches her closely. He loves the look on her face as she dusts the boys’ coats, the birdlike speed of her hand, as she uses it like a brush to rid their coats of the morning’s debris, Devil Dog crumbs.

The children are hurriedly taking off their clothes, putting on bathing suits. As they drop their clothes, Evelyn picks them up and neatly folds them on their bed.

Ira is as excited as the children. He trusts them enough to give them the green light.

“I’ll meet you by the water.”

Evelyn shouts to them as they are about to take off. “Wait.”

Jay returns from the door. She’s putting Coppertone on CC.

“You’re next, Jay.”

As she finishes CC, Jay dutifully presents his body. Evelyn hurriedly wipes the lotion all over him.

Mark doesn’t go to his mother. “You’re not putting that stuff on me.”

“Then you’re not going swimming.”

“So I won’t.”

Ira gives him a shove. “Get over there.”

Mark does as ordered. As she rubs the lotion on him, she speaks affectionately. “Why do you always have to make trouble?”

Mark isn’t listening.

As soon as the children close the door, Ira lowers Evelyn’s bathing suit and fondles her breasts.

“Get going, Ira. I don’t want them near the water without you.”

He lowers his head intending to kiss her breasts, but she moves away.

He persists.

“They’re old enough.”

She pushes his head away and pulls up her top. “You wonder where Mark gets it from?” Her eyes command him. “Get going.”

They are on the third floor. He jumps down the hotel stairs racing to beat the children to the beach. Fortunately, they got off the elevator on the wrong floor, then walked down a hall looking for a sign. There wasn’t one, but now they have found their way.

They see their father ahead, eagerly walking towards the water. The boys go flying by him. Jay and Mark race through the sand to get to the water first. Running as fast as she can, CC trails behind. She isn’t getting very far. Her feet are sinking into the sand.

“I won!” Jay shouts

“No,” Mark counters. “I won. You had to touch the water.”

Soon, Ira is riding a wave successfully, a long, glorious run to the shoreline. Eager to match him, Jay and Mark excitedly push into the ocean, Jay with a smile, Mark with a determined expression. They dive into an oncoming wave.

CC watches from the shore as she tentatively enters the water. She enters the ocean one cautious step at a time, steadily moving forward, then holds her position as a wave crashes in front of her, almost pushing her down. Ira watches, ready to protect her, but he isn’t overly concerned. They’ve done this before. She makes her way until soon she is standing with him. “It’s freezing!” she squeals.

A gigantic wave is surging forward toward them. “Watch me!” he shouts, as he dives under it.

She is almost knocked down, but she dives under the next wave like her father did. After which she stands, eyes closed, mouth wide open, proud of herself. She feels even better when she sees how pleased her father is with her courage. Determined, CC follows her father still deeper into the water. When the water is chest-high, her mouth is wide open, and her hands are held high in the air as she bobs up and down. Ira watches her happily. Once again, he rides a wave in. She follows only half successfully. Soon Mark, CC, and Jay are near one another, out deep, not apparently frustrated by their previous attempts to get the hang of it.

Mr. Gordon shouts to them. “You have to find the right wave.”

CC’s the first to succeed. A wave carries her splendidly to the shore. At the end of her run, she stands up, all smiles, drinking in the admiration the boys begrudgingly show with their smiles. She reenters the deeper water for a repeat, joining her brothers. Mark and Jay are not going to let CC get the better of them. They are soon off again with only half a run. Ira approaches CC with an inviting smile. “Come here.” With forlorn expressions they watch CC as she and their father grab the same wave and fly towards the shoreline.

Ira approaches Jay. Hand in hand, they walk farther into the ocean. A wave knocks both of them down. Jay swallows some water. Ira lifts him in the air, then stands him up. As he gags, Ira hits his back to clear his breathing. Soon enough he recovers. Jay moves ever deeper, determined to prove to his father he isn’t a wuss. But also, Ira’s protectiveness has multiplied his courage. When the water is waist-high, Ira holds Jay horizontally, and when a wave comes, he glides him into it. He has a good run. He gets up seeming cool as a breeze, but he is excited. He returns to deep water, and this time grabs a wave by himself. Mark, meanwhile, is continuing to fail.

“Come here,” Ira shouts to Mark.

“No, I can do it.”

With a touch of anger, Ira’s voice escalates. “Come here!”

“I can do it!” he answers defiantly.

Mark is Mark. Ira turns around and heads to the shore.

Evelyn arrives. All except Mark rush toward her. He remains in the water. She towels Jay and CC, drying them off. A beachboy arrives with two chairs. She lays out a blanket in front of them. They all watch as Mark makes two more tries at riding the wave. Both time he fails. But then he finally gets it done. Redeemed, he heads back almost boastfully toward the family. Evelyn has a towel ready to wrap around him. Mark takes his own towel.

CC’s cold. Her lips are blue. Evelyn hands her a sweatshirt. Soon after, she puts more Coppertone on CC’s legs. She hands the bottle to Jay. He puts some on his face. He offers the container to Mark, but he waves Jay off.

On a transistor radio, rock ’n’ roll loudly lays out a rhythm for CC, who shows Evelyn the latest dance steps (as interpreted by a six-year-old). She is doing amazingly well, but Evelyn is only briefly interested. She gives CC a perfunctory smile, but her eyes go to the boys. CC and her mother watch Ira, interested in what he’ll do next.

Ira has a Spalding. The boys immediately take the field. He throws pop-ups to each of them. They are both ballplayers, relaxed and sure handed.

“Throw it over my head,” Mark shouts.

Ira does so. Mark races back, diving into the sand to make a spectacular catch. Ira’s face lights up. He looks around to see if there were other onlookers who caught Mark’s heroics. One did. The man nods at Ira with a smile. Jay also takes off. Trotting, he smoothly catches a fly and throws the ball back.

Imitating Vince Scully, Mark narrates his own outfield play. He shouts excitedly, “Snider charges . . .”

He does a Duke Snider shoestring catch, grabbing the ball an inch from the ground and then doing Snider’s famous somersault. As he completes the somersault, landing on his feet, he triumphantly holds the ball in the air.

Smiling, Evelyn is proud of Mark’s gracefulness. How is it possible? He came from her body. She was such a klutz on a ballfield. Hats off to Ira, who put the seed in her. She looks at him lovingly.

Ira is also beaming as he catches still more people’s reactions to Mark’s catch. How could they not? Mark was shouting. He really did sound like Vince Scully. One onlooker does a thumbs-up. That gesture makes Ira’s day. And the day after that.

Evelyn shouts to the boys, “Don’t knock yourself out. We have to visit Nanny.”

* * *

Toward evening they are in Nanny’s dining room, seated around a large round oak table covered with very thick clear glass. Beneath the glass are picture after picture of Nanny’s brothers, sisters, parents, cousins, children, and grandchildren. Those from her generation are not smiling. They are dressed up, posing formally, trying to look distinguished for posterity. Everywhere around the apartment there are ever-so-slightly yellowing crocheted doilies, pillow covers, and the large bedspread, which must have taken a very long time to complete. They are presumably family heirlooms, some brought from Russia, but many crocheted in America by Nanny herself. None of the Gordons is fond of them. They give a musty, old-fashioned look to the place. Nanny gifted several doilies to Evelyn, who, try as she might, couldn’t find anywhere in the house where they looked good, but they were placed conspicuously so when her mother-in-law visits, she would see them. Even at this late date, she is still vying for Nanny’s respect. She’s 80 percent there and expects to win it all eventually, but she can never be sure. Not showing the doilies isn’t worth even a minor loss of status.

The smells of Grandma’s cooking saturate the air. The silverware has been polished and formally set out next to Grandma’s best fleishig dishes. A seltzer bottle, with its squirting top, is placed in front of Ira for him to control the dispensing of the soda. As usual, Grandma and Evelyn do the serving. They bring course after course: stuffed cabbage, followed by brisket and string beans with slivers of almonds—something Evelyn had introduced her to—and mashed potatoes with a very light amount of schmaltz, the secret ingredient of all things Nanny, and forbidden to modern palates. Jay, Mark, and CC ask for seconds and thirds.

 Their stomachsqqa2z full, bursting with goodness, Jay and Mark are soon restless and bored.

“Can we be excused?” Jay asks. “The Giants are on.”

“There’s still dessert, applesauce,” replies Nanny.

Mark and Jay look at their mother with pleading eyes. She addresses Ira’s mother.

“Mom, I think we are busting out of our clothes.”

“And members of the Clean Plate Club,” CC eagerly adds.

“Which says something about your cooking. We all love your applesauce,” Evelyn tells Nanny. “It’s just that they’re full.”

“Mom, the Giants,” Ira complains.

“Go,” Nanny tells the boys.

Ira kisses her forehead. “Thanks, Mom.”

He leaves with the boys. Evelyn starts to clear the table.

“Go—CC and I will take care of it,” Nanny says proudly. “She’s the best dishwasher in the family.”

Evelyn looks at her daughter affectionately.

Nanny washes. CC dries. As soon as they finish, Nanny sits on a kitchen chair. She calls CC over, points to her lap. CC climbs on.

“You’re not the best dish dryer in the family. You’re the best dishwasher in the whole world.”

“You mean dish dryer.”

Nanny smiles. “Dish dryer.” Then: “What’s happening in school?”

“Nothing.”

CC knows Nanny is interested in only one thing.

“I’m getting good grades.”

“I’m not surprised. Are you learning how to spell?”

“Yes.”

“Spell antidisestablishmentarianism.”

“A-N-T-I . . . disestablich?”

“Ment.”

“A-N-T-I-D . . .”

“I’m teasing,” Nanny says. “That’s the longest word in the dictionary.”

“No, I can spell it. A-N-T-I-D-I-S . . .”

She’s three-quarters through the word.

“Honey, you don’t have to spell it.”

“But I can.”

“I want to continue where we left off at Thanksgiving. Okay?”

Nanny tenderly strokes CC’s cheek as CC enters into her grandmother’s domain. With a studious tone of voice, CC begins: “Daddy’s father was Joseph.”

“Your grandfather. He would have been crazy over you. Oy, was he smart. Once, he was walking by your father while he was doing his math homework. ‘That’s wrong,’ he said. ‘You have to multiply, not divide.’ Where did he learn that? They only taught arithmetic in the shtetl. This was algebra. How do you think your father got all hundreds on his math Regents?” She points to her head. “Brains from his father.” She squeezes CC’s knee. “From your grandfather. . . Go on.”

“Joseph was the son of Joshua.”

“What did Joshua do?”

“He made gold jewelry.”

“Beautiful gold jewelry. Like your grandfather. Look at my earrings. You can touch them.”

CC touches one of her grandmother’s gold earrings.

“Nice, aren’t they?”

“I love them!”

“They are yours when I pass away. Okay, go on.”

“Joshua was the son of Pincus. Pincus was . . .” Unhappily, she confesses, “I don’t remember.”

Her grandmother pinches her.

“Ow!”

With a noticeably stronger Yiddish accent, her grandmother continues: “Pincus was the son of Samuel. He studied the Torah morning till night. He felt very close to God. . . . Say it again.”

“Pincus was the son of Samuel.”

“And Samuel’s father?”

“I don’t know.”

She pinches CC harder than the first time. CC flinches but says nothing.

“Samuel was the son of Joseph, another Joseph. He wouldn’t be too happy that he’s disappeared so soon. Do you want to disappear forever?”

“No.”

“So, respect Joseph. He was a chazan. They say he had a voice that would make the angels cry. Who did that Joseph belong to?”

“Moishe.”

“Right, Moses. . . And his father?”

“Solomon.”

Nanny smiles and resumes dramatically: “King of Israel.”

“He was the king of Israel?”

“No, just named after the king. But he was wise, like Solomon.”

Her grandmother shakes her finger at CC.

“Get it right. Every last one of them is in your blood. Beautiful music, brilliance, wisdom, studiousness—they’re in you waiting for you to find them. If you honor them, you will inherit their abilities. They are you if you let them be you. If you dishonor them, you will be alone and weak.”

From CC’s expression, her grandmother sees that she has gotten her message across, which means a lot to her. She takes out her cookie bin, filled to the top with oatmeal raisin cookies she made that morning.

“You can have one.”

CC tries to take two cookies.

Nanny says in a scolding voice, “Just one!”

* * *

The children are all in bed at the hotel that night.

“Did grandma pinch you?” Mark asks.

“So what?” CC snaps back.

“I don’t like her pinching. She shouldn’t pinch.”

“You probably deserved it. What were you doing?”

“Nothing!” Mark says emphatically. “She kept saying ‘Zayn shtil.’ I don’t even know what that means.”

“It means ‘quiet.’”

“I didn’t want to be quiet.”

“So, you deserved to be pinched.”

“I like ma’s mom better, Grandma Mimi more. She doesn’t pinch.”

“But her cookies aren’t that good. Graham crackers.”

“I like graham crackers,” Mark claims.

“No, you don’t. How come you make things up?”

Jay admonishes the two of them. “Shhh. Let me sleep.”

After Lisa : Screenplay

 After Lisa

by

Simon Sobo

Based on a true story

INT. NY A UTILITY ROOM ABOVE THE CEILING OF THE PLAZA HOTEL'S

GRAND BALLROOM

His rifle fitting snugly through an opening in the ballroom's

towering ceiling, a tall fit man in his 40's, dressed in a

tuxedo, peers through the telescopic lens of his rifle.

RIFLEMAN'S POV

He searches throughout the ballroom before settling on a tan,

attractive, woman in an evening gown wearing serious jewelry.

By her side is MARTIN MACDONALD, a silver haired executive

with a jutting chin and an air of confidence. MACDONALD has

evidently told a joke which the men at the table find very

funny, the women less so. MACDONALD stands up, winks at his

wife and goes to the podium. He adjusts the mike. In the

utility room the sounds of the room are distant. But not

microphoned sound. MACDONALD grabs the microphone, taps it

with his finger a few times then begins

MARTIN MACDONALD

My thanks to the American Insurance

Association for thinking of me in

this time of need. My message is

simple... We need to stick

together. Stand as one.

The rifleman pulls his rifle back into the utility room in

order to double check that everything is as it should be. His

gloved index finger rubs over the filed off serial number. He

pulls at the ends of his thin leather gloves to tighten them.

He cocks the trigger mechanism: the sound of precision steel

snapping into place with a bit of an echo. He repeats this a

second time with military efficiency. He takes a cartridge

case from his pocket and loads. His trigger finger tightens

slowly and calmly. He is just about there.

But he stops. He pulls the rifle back into the utility room.

We get a better look at the rifleman. He is sweating. As

opposed to our first impression, he is anything but a

professional. His face is alive with emotion. He seats

himself against a giant roll of cable on the floor, deciding

whether to go forward. He is soon lost in his thoughts

DISSOLVE TO:

FLASHBACK EXT. THE BERKSHIRES- AUTUMN 10 YEARS EARLIER

Two tents have been pitched at a clearing high in the

mountains. They overlook fields and farmland below. It is a

day to worship the fall foliage, sunny, the air with a bite

to it, crisp, clear, newly cold. Assisted by DEBORAH RUSSELL,

MICHAEL RUSSELL tightens the final knot on the second tent.

He gives a thumbs up to Deborah.

(CONTINUED)

We see that Michael is the man with the rifle, but 10 years

younger and carefree, he looks like a different person. The

intensity is there but his deep set hazel eyes sparkle. At

35, Deborah's striking blonde, still thick, almost hippie

curls, first catch your attention. She's petite. She moves

like a cat. Their children, RITCHIE and LISA, are adorable.

Six year-old Ritchie is quiet and observant, seven year-old

Lisa feisty.

Michael is ten feet up in a tree. He is extending a cable

between his Nikon (taped to the tree trunk) and his family.

The cable will allow him to join his family for their

portrait.

LISA

Dad, how long do we have to stand

here?

Deborah seconds Lisa. She flashes an "enough already" look.

MICHAEL

One second.

Taking his time, he studies them through his lens. It will

be an unusual family portrait. The Russells seem to be

suspended in air, two thousand feet above a valley, regaled

in autumn glory. A serpentine creek winds through high

grasses... He is in a revery.

LISA

(exasperated)

Daddy!

MICHAEL

Okay, everyone don't move. Look up.

Ritchie breaks ranks.

LISA

Ritchie get back here.

She grabs Ritchie a little too emphatically and returns him

to his assigned place. He lets out an angry cry. She looks

up at her father. Michael winks his appreciation. Still

sitting on the limb, he positions Ritchie first to the right,

then Lisa to the left. Then he moves Ritchie left again.

MICHAEL

Remember. Everyone, look here.

LISA

Daddy, take the picture already.

Any second now. Lisa's arms are thrown around Harry, their

mutt. Ritchie could be up a little higher. Finally Deborah

glares at Michael. Now or never. He fiddles with the cable

one last time, swings down and hangs by the branch.

DEBORAH

Careful.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

2.

Dropping to the ground, he bounces up as he lands, thumps his

chest, imitates King Kong. Ritchie does the same. Michael

points to the spot where Ritchie should be standing. Lisa

pulls him back there. Michael lines up with them.

MICHAEL

Okay everyone, Look up… Cheese

EVERYONE

(happily shouting)

Carrot juice.

As soon as the flash goes off the kids are gone.

MICHAEL

Wait, one more.

LISA

No way.

RITCHIE

(imitating Lisa)

Yeah. No way.

Happy sounds: LAUGHTER and Harry BARKING. Ritchie holds a

miniature toy airplane high above his head, and imitating the

sound of an airplane engine he takes off, racing here and

there.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Wissssssss

Getting a kick from his engine noise, he revs and purrs the

engine as he runs and flies the plane. Lisa does her version

of an engine and forms an airplane with her arms held out

perpendicularly. Her airplane chases Ritchie's airplane.

Harry chases both of them, barking away. Then they turn

around and chase Harry. He scoots to safety.

Suddenly Ritchie trips and goes down. He has scraped his

knee. He tries not to cry but it is no use. Michael lifts

him and scolds the ground with a ditty.

MICHAEL

Oh what did you do to my Ritchie?

My Ritchie did nothing to you.

The next time you hurt my Ritchie.

I'll call the policeman on you.

(kicking at the ground with

his heels)

Boom. Boom.

His tears chased away, Ritchie is put down. He clumsily hits

the ground with his toes.

RITCHIE

Boom. Boom

Deborah puckers her lips into a kiss. Michael accepts it

with a smile as he moves on to building a fire.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

3.

LATER

The campfire is dying down. The sun is low in the sky. The

children are still buzzing, but it won't be long 'til they'll

be yawning. Deborah yells for them to come over and brush

their teeth. Putting a dab of toothpaste on each toothbrush,

she hands the yellow tipped one to Lisa and the green tipped

to Ritchie. Lisa inspects hers to be sure she's been given

the right toothbrush. She squeezes toothpaste on it and

holds it up. Deborah pours water from a canteen on her

brush, then does the same for Ritchie. They get to work.

Ritchie hums as he goes. Lisa is a more competent brusher.

DEBORAH

Okay enough.

She hands Lisa the canteen for a swig of water. Lisa gargles

noisily then spits it out, aiming for the longest distance.

She smiles as she stares at the position of her spit. It's

Ritchie's turn. He gargles and spits not nearly as far as

Lisa. As compensation Ritchie sticks his toe on Lisa's wet

spot for good measure. They know perfectly well what comes

after brushing their teeth. They deliver their toothbrushes

to Deborah.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(a drill sergeant's voice)

Okay. March.

They march to the tent. When they get to the entrance:

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

About face.

They do so with military precision.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Wow. Do that again. No wait. Let

me call Daddy.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(shouting some distance)

Michael.

MICHAEL

(shouting back)

What?

DEBORAH

Watch this.

They repeat their about-face with absolute precision

Grinning ear to ear, he gives a thumbs up.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Okay get in your sleeping bags and

I'll tuck you in.

With the children gone, Deborah assumes the position of a

Flamenco dancer. She flares her skirt high up on her legs.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

4.

MICHAEL

(shouting from the

distance)

Olé

She has a big smile as she enters the kids' tent.

INT. INSIDE THEIR TENT

Ritchie and Lisa are lying side by side, their sleeping bags

still open above the waist. Deborah is busy neatening up.

Lisa hands her ring to Ritchie.

LISA

Put it on tonight. It means we are

married.

RITCHIE

Can't marry your sister. Right

Mommy?

LISA

Make believe.

Lisa ceremoniously puts it on his finger. Ritchie lies back,

enchanted with the thought of being Lisa's husband.

Deborah snaps him out of it. She has him slide further into

the bag and zips him up. Next Lisa. Deborah looks into her

eyes. Her lips are parted. They smile at each other, as Lisa

brings her arms inside her bag and Deborah zippers up.

As soon as Deborah leaves the tent Ritchie and Lisa, giggling

excitedly, give each other a look of complicity. Lisa

flashes her hidden away Hershey Bar. She puts her finger in

front of her lips.

LISA (CONT'D)

Shh…

GIGGLES.

Deborah sticks her head back in the tent. They let out a

startled scream. Then more giggles. Deborah sees the

chocolate bar but pretends she hasn't. After it disappears

under the cover she points her finger at them. Gives them a

"that's enough" face. They settle down quickly

CUT TO:

THE CRACKLING FIRE

Deborah puts on a sweat shirt, warms herself by the fire. She

smokes a joint. She reenters the tent. They are asleep. She

puts an extra cover over them. Quietly she treads out.

EXT FIFTY FEET AWAY SIMULTANEOUS

Michael has climbed down to his spot, to him, the whole point

of their being here.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

5.

He is seated on the edge of a cliff, the valley thousands of

meters beneath his dangling feet. Deborah calls to him.

DEBORAH O.S.

You're not where I think you are?

Michael doesn't answer

DEBORAH O.S. (CONT'D)

Michael?

MICHAEL

Yeah.

Deborah appears. She is grinning like a happy child, stoned

happy.

DEBORAH

This place is amazing.

She stumbles.

MICHAEL

Careful.

He quickly grabs her. She settles in, takes a big slow easy

breath. She finds her spot in his neck. Feeling protected,

she stares out at the sky, the sun already setting.

DEBORAH

How did you ever find this spot?

MICHAEL

Joe told me about it.

DEBORAH

Well he's good for something. Is

Joe still giving you a hard time

about your Exxon story?

MICHAEL

Not as much.

DEBORAH

Doesn't surprise me. It's a good

story.

In the distance below, yellow and green farm fields form a

checkerboard pattern. At the corner of one of the fields,

orange pumpkins are piled high. Very, very far away a

tractor, looking like a toy, moves slowly along, leaving

mounds of dirt which look like anthills. Its driver is a

tiny dot. Beyond the farms, high grasses define a creek

which leads to an inlet. Off to the right, leaves dance in

the fading orange light, which, ever so slowly, is changing

to a reddish hue. A sliver of red sun is visible at the

edge of the vast horizon before it disappears. He hands her a

plastic cup of wine.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

6.

MICHAEL

I can see why they used to worship

the sun.

DEBORAH

(teasing him)

Who is they?

MICHAEL

Ancient people. People who lived

outside, in nature. Every day ended

with a sunset. What a show.

He lifts his wine for a toast.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

To the big guy in the sky.

Deborah holds her glass up. They tap each other's glass.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

To the Sun God.

Far below, the wind howls, as it violently winds its way

through the canyons. Leaves swirl behind them some swept into

the vast open space before them. A sliver of the moon makes

its first appearance. Happily she greets it.

DEBORAH

(toasting the moon)

To the goddess who owns the night

THE MOON

DEBORAH O.S.( CONT'D)

(whisperin)

with a whisper.

MICHAEL O.S.

Only one god allowed.

DEBORAH O.S.

That's your religion. The sun god

rules during the day. The moon is

Goddess of the night.

MICHAEL

Little Miss Poet. You've smoked,

haven't you?

She pulls herself away from the edge of the cliff and lies

down, opening her arms.

DEBORAH

Come here.

The sound of giggles as the next scene begins.

CONTINUED: (2)

7.

INT. NY THE UTILITY ROOM ABOVE THE CEILING OF THE PLAZA

HOTEL'S GRAND BALLROOM

Michael is still lost in his memories until the voice of

MACDONALD breaks through.

MACDONALD O.S.

This is an important time. How

easy it would be not to do the

right thing but we are men of

principal.

Michael pushes the trigger, toying with it. He isn't ready

to pull the trigger, break open MacDonald's skull.

FLASHBACK INT. HOSPITAL ROOM NEW YORK- 7 YEARS EARLIER

CU

Two hands SLAP at an overturned card, a Jack.

LISA AND RITCHIE O.S.

(shouting happily)

Slapjack!

The camera pulls back. Eleven-year-old Ritchie is sitting on

his twelve-year-old sister Lisa's hospital bed. Both want to

win badly. Happy rock n' roll plays in the background. Lisa

has mastered her bubble gum, cracking it emphatically,

repeatedly blowing small bubbles then sucking them in. With

one hand behind her back, she draws the next card.

Ritchie fakes slapping the pack. Lisa, just in time, freezes

her hand. He points at it.

RITCHIE

You moved your hand.

Defiantly, she shakes her head "No"

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(Tone escalating)

You did!

She ignores his protest. They prepare for the next draw.

Lisa sneaks a look at the covered card. Another Jack! Keeping

a poker face she uncovers it. She beats Ritchie's slap,

smiles triumphantly.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

You cheated. You snuck a look.

LISA

I did not.

RITCHIE

You did. I saw you.

She brings the back of her hand to her chest, swallows hard

with a little too much theatre. Ritchie suspects this might

be a ploy, but by the second swallow it looks like she is

fighting nausea.

(CONTINUED)

8.

Concerned, he looks at his father waiting for his reaction.

Another tentative swallow. She gags. This is clearly not

under her control. Michael, who has been reading, comes to

life.

MICHAEL

You okay?

She smiles at him bravely, her eyes wet. He moves Lisa's

hair out of her eyes.

The discomfort passes as quickly as it came. She has a

mischievous grin. As she turns over the next card she

imitates the sound of a drum roll.

RITCHIE

Stop it.

Deborah noisily enters the room. Lisa doesn't look up. She

tries to stay with the game. Finally she gives in.

DEBORAH

How's the patient?

LISA

Food any better in the cafeteria?

What they bring me sucks.

DEBORAH

I don't like that kind of talk.

Lisa's eyes drop. Michael picks through the bag that

Deborah's brought. He throws a bag of potato chips to Lisa.

Deborah tries to intercept it.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Doctor said, "Only hospital food."

Lisa throws it back to her father.

LISA

I wasn't hungry anyway.

Ritchie moves off to the corner of the room. He shuffles and

reshuffles the deck of cards, watching Deborah and Lisa.

He's scared for Lisa.

RITCHIE POV

Deborah touches Lisa's brow with her chin.

DEBORAH

She has a fever.

MICHAEL

Again?

DEBORAH

I'm pretty sure. Here, feel her

brow.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

9.

Michael ignores her and plops back into his chair by the

bedside. He looks at his watch, takes the TV remote and puts

on the Mets game. Ritchie watches Lisa.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Lise you okay?

LISA

No different.

DEBORAH

Does anything hurt?

LISA

It's the same Mom, the same. Stop

asking me. That's the hundredth

time you've asked today.

DEBORAH

When did they bring your medicine?

Michael, check with the nurse.

Michael reluctantly starts to get out of his chair.

LISA

Mom. The Mets are playing

Philadelphia. Let Daddy watch.

Ritchie you go.

An intern and two nurses arrive at the door before Ritchie

can go anywhere. Lisa looks to Deborah for an explanation.

Deborah looks to the intern.

INTERN

Dr. Clark told you we need to do an

L.P.

DEBORAH

You want to do it now?

INTERN

Yes.

MICHAEL

How long will it take?

INTERN

An hour at the most.

Michael looks at his watch.

MICHAEL

(to Deborah)

I'm seeing Joe at 2.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(addressing Lisa)

Chin up.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

10.

Lisa smiles gamely. He looks at his watch again. Glances at

the intern and nurses unwrapping their instruments

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(to Deborah)

I really have to go.

DEBORAH

(irritated)

So go.

Ritchie is also disappointed by Michael's departure.

MICHAEL

(to Lisa)

I have a surprise for you. I'll

bring it tomorrow.

Same smile. Michael goes over to her.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

You're my princess.

LISA

(as brave as she can be)

You are the king.

He gives her a peck, squeezes her shoulder, then ducks out of

the room disappearing like a jackrabbit.

Lisa is positioned by the nurse to lie on her side, back

turned to the doctor. She faces Deborah. A nurse paints

Betadyne on her back.

Deborah wags her pinky in a hello gesture. Lisa's pinky wags

back. Deborah gives her an encouraging smile. Lisa

concentrates on the next moment.

Lisa listens as the nurses continue to unwrap instruments.

Deborah rises above her to watch. The intern puts on a fresh

pair of sterile gloves.

DEBORAH

Can I be here for moral support?

NURSE

Yes, but you have to stay out of

the way.

DEBORAH

(to Ritchie)

Go to the waiting room

RITCHIE

(complainingly)

Mo-o-om

DEBORAH

We've talked about this before. No

argument.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

11.

Ritchie leaves. Deborah takes Lisa's hand as the nurse

arranges the instruments.

As they are about to begin, a nurse insistently takes over

holding Lisa's hands.

The nurse and doctor are just about there. Deborah smiles

warmly at Lisa admiring her "Bring it on." spirit.

That doesn't last long. Her flimsy hospital gown has pulled

up over her underpants. She tries to cover herself, but the

nurse who has been holding her hand, now has her wrists

pinned down. The nurses grip tightens as Lisa's fingers keep

reaching for the gown. She pulls Lisa's fingers away.

We switch to a view of her back. As they stick the needle

into her spine Lisa lets out a tentative cry.

The intern keeps maneuvering the needle, but no spinal fluid

comes out. He pulls the needle out and reinserts it with no

better luck.

INTERN

We are going to have to do it

again. (to one of the nurses) Get

Dr. Murphy.

Dr Murphy, a resident, strides in confidently, puts on his

gloves and takes over for the intern. He sticks in the

needle.

Lisa's ouch is a bit louder

INT. THE WARD WAITING ROOM.

Nervously Ritchie hears her.

INT. LISA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

Dr. Murphy sticks the needle in again.

LISA

I felt that one.

DEBORAH

Maybe the local is wearing off.

Dr. Murphy, frustrated that all is not going well, gives

Deborah an irritated look.

NURSE

You are going to have to leave.

DEBORAH

I'll be quiet.

She stays. Totally focused on his task, the doctor sticks the

needle in.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

12.

LISA

(tearfully)

You said it wouldn't hurt. You

promised.

DOCTOR O.S.

Hold her still. I can't do this if

she keeps moving.

INT. WAITING ROOM SIMULTANEOUS

O.S. Lisa lets out a blood curdling. "Owwwww!!!

RITCHIE CU

Ritchie's upset. He concentrates on his Game Boy.

INT. THE RUSSELLS' N.Y.C. APARTMENT- LATE AFTERNOON SAME DAY

Michael is watching a ballgame. Deborah opens a window and

looks down at a playground six stories below. Despite it

being late in the day the children's energy level is high.

From the sixth floor their screams are like birds chirping in

the countryside, each distinct. Laughter, silliness,

pleading, a little boy's voice over and over in Spanish,

"Mira! Mira!", then another and another, "Higher…" "Get

away…." "Stop that Joey..." Then a mother commandingly "Get

over here... NOW!" Camera moves in on a four year-old boy

tightly holding the ropes of his swing.

4 YEAR OLD ON THE SWING

Higher!!!

His mother obliges. He looks tentative at the top, but as he

comes speeding down his face lights up.

INT THE RUSSELLS' APARTMENT SIMULTANEOUS

DEBORAH

Remember Lisa's feistiness on the

swing.

Michael isn't listening.

Deborah steps in front of the TV. Annoyed, Michael finds the

remote control and turns it off. On second thought,

defiantly, he clicks the remote control on again.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

I want to talk to you.

He mutes the TV sound. She waits 'til she has his attention.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

We have to get Lisa out of the

hospital.

Tight, angry skepticism is written across his face.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

13.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Amy told me about this woman, her

cousin...everyone said nothing

could be done...She took shark

cartilage-something about the yin

and yang…

MICHAEL

Just because Amy now has a spa, she

doesn't know any more about health

than when she cut hair. Lisa's not

going to be treated with health

foods.

DEBORAH

I'm not gonna let them torture her.

MICHAEL

They're not torturing her.

DEBORAH

They get off on the stuff they

throw at her

He doesn't answer.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Admit it. You think Lisa's a cry

baby--

MICHAEL

(steels himself)

Deborah. We're talking about a

lymphoma. Dr. Clark knows what he

is doing.

DEBORAH

Yeah. She's doing great.(defiantly

lights a cigarette)They're not

going to break Lisa.

MICHAEL

Enough!

DEBORAH

Easy for you to say. You're in and

out.

MICHAEL

Joe's given me plenty of time off.

DEBORAH

That was last year.

MICHAEL

I can't keep missing work. I need

we need my job.

She softens.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

14.

DEBORAH

Fine. Still, sometimes, it's like

Earth calling Mars...You're like

my dad All he wants to talk about

is sports. You don't have a clue

about what's going on.

MICHAEL

What don't I know?

DEBORAH

A lot. Today, I was worrying about

her spinal tap all morning waiting

for the doctor to arrive. Thinking

how I was going to handle it.

You're watching a ball game.

MICHAEL

It calms me down.

DEBORAH

Me? What happened to us?

MICHAEL

(wearily)

How did the spinal tap go?

DEBORAH

(before beginning checking

on whether he is

listening. He is)

While they were doing the

procedure, Lisa's gown pulled up.

She wanted to cover up her

underpants. They wouldn't let her.

They had her hands pinned down.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(plaintively)

I thought nurses are supposed to

know that twelve year old girls

have to cover their underpants. I

swear. They aren't really nurses.

They're doctor wannabes.

MICHAEL

Some of the nurses are good. Lisa

loves Barbara.

DEBORAH

Barbara wasn't there. It was that

tall one with the braids. I wanted

to shout "Let go of her hand."

"Let go of her fucking hand"... I

said nothing.

MICHAEL

They were sticking a needle in her

spine. You didn't want to distract

them.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

15.

DEBORAH

What time we come, what time we go,

what we feed her. They think they

own her… Who put them in charge?

How did that happen? Who are they?

Lisa's ours.

MICHAEL

Debby, Amy's health food stories

are wacko. She makes them up.

DEBORAH

Maybe--

MICHAEL

Maybe? Dr. Clark's Harvard trained.

He's not stupid.

DEBORAH

Oh Harvard. Mr. Harvard. There

are fewer sadists at Harvard.

Right? People are really nice

there, soft spoken, nice.

Where do they come up with this

stuff? She has trouble with a pill.

They made her swallow a plastic

tube. Tell me. What genius

thought that one up? (taking a

breath, then continues) Did it

ever occur to you that maybe all

that bookishness makes for better

ways to torture children? They

finally get to do something besides

read.

MICHAEL

He's trying his best.

DEBORAH

What if that doesn't matter… What

if the cancer is calling the

shots. All I ask is that he admit

it if nothing is working.

Michael nods acknowledgment.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

If he'd slow down. If all the

doctors would slow down.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Dr. Clark should stop staring at

Lisa's chart and look into her

eyes…(wiping her own eyes) Just

once.

She pushes Michael's hand away as he tries to comfort her.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

He's gotta tell me if he can't do

anything.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

16.

She looks imploringly at Michael

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Am I asking too much?

Silence

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Am I?

MICHAEL

No.

DEBORAH

Lisa's staying because we want her

to be there. She puts up with them

for us. For us…

MICHAEL

Deborah, no more. I can't do this.

DEBORAH

She's waiting for me to say it.

"We're out of here." She's waiting-

MICHAEL

Deborah stop. We've gone over

this. Again and again.

DEBORAH

(shouting)

What do you expect? Should I have

come home and done my nails?

She sticks her hand in front of him. Her cuticles are a mess.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Can't. I'm chewwing on them!

She waits for his reaction but doesn't get one.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

The Mets. That's all that matters

Still no reaction from Michael.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

One more incident like this morning

and we're out of there.

MICHAEL

(pissed)

You're making everything worse.

She stops. She knows that particular pitch and volume.

Michael is about to blow. She goes to the window. One person

is still in the park, a fourteen year old girl on a bench,

fixing her hair, waiting for her boyfriend. He arrives. They

talk earnestly. Biting her lip, Deborah watches them, gets

lost in them.

CONTINUED: (4)

17.

INT THE RUSSELL'S DINING ROOM THAT EVENING

Deborah, Michael and Richard are at the dinner table.

Michael has a good appetite. Deborah slowly chews her

cutlet. Ritchie is not all there. He plays with his mashed

potatoes, occasionally bringing a small forkful of peas to

his lips. He takes out his Game Boy

MICHAEL

Put that Game Boy away.

Ritchie looks at him defensively

INT. THE RUSSELL'S BEDROOM THAT EVENING

The Russells are in bed. The phone rings.

DEBORAH

Mom?

She takes the phone out to the hall. Soon returns.

MICHAEL

Anything happening?

DEBORAH

(curt, snappy)

No.

She gets back in bed. Settles in. A clumsy silence.

MICHAEL

(tentatively)

That was a nice dinner.

DEBORAH

Good. Lately I've been such a

bitch. I didn't mean it about Clark

You know that, don't you?

MICHAEL

I wish I could let it out like you.

DEBORAH

But you're on the receiving end.

MICHAEL

Just doing my duty.

They are friends again. He reaches for the remote. She puts

her hand over his to stop him. He puts the remote down.

She studies a mole on his hand. She's very quiet

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Where are you?

DEBORAH

I don't know. Going over things.

(CONTINUED)

18.

MICHAEL

Like what?

DEBORAH

That time I had a flat tire with

them in the car, remember? Lisa was

about six.

MICHAEL

Not really.

INT LISA'S HOSPITAL ROOM SIMULTANEOUSLY

Lisa is trying to sleep. She turns over a few times.

INT THE RUSSELL'S BEDROOM. SIMULTANEOUSLY

DEBORAH

AAA? I had a fight with you that

night?

MICHAEL

Right.

DEBORAH

I never told you the whole story...

Michael says nothing

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

We were in the center lane when the

tire blew. I couldn't pull over.

Cars were whizzing by on both

sides. I was screaming at Ritchie

and Lisa to stop fighting. I got

out. Opened the trunk. I couldn't

find the' jack. Meanwhile the back

door opens. The traffic is still

buzzing all around us. "Close the

door. Close the door." I screamed.

Lisa steps out anyway. "Get back

in the car. Get back in the car"

Pushing her body against the car

she slipped over near me at the

back. "Mom. Call AAA. She just

looked at me and understood

everything. I didn't have to fake

that I knew what I was doing. She

knew that I didn't. But she also

knew it was going to all turn out

okay.

Michael moves her hair out of her eyes

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

It was okay that I didn't know

what to do because she did. Or

thought she did. Either way it

didn't matter. She knew I wasn't

going to let anything bad happen.

Lisa and Ritchie knew that. That

was my job. I was good at it.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

19.

Tears. Tries to shake it off with a smile

MICHAEL

Sorry about AAA.

DEBORAH

(matter of fact)

We didn't have much money back

then.

MICHAEL

Yeah but you were pissed about it

and you were right.

She takes his hand.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Can I ask you to do something?

DEBORAH

What?

MICHAEL

Can you trust the doctors more?

It's making everything harder.

DEBORAH

But, Clark...

MICHAEL

Please. Debby.

DEBORAH

It's just a job to Clark.

MICHAEL

(emphatic)

He takes his job seriously. That's

enough.

DEBORAH

I won't let him torture Lisa so he

can pump up his ego. I have to

protect her.

Totally exasperated Michael throws up his hands and goes to

the bathroom, which hurtsDeborah. She gets out of bed and

goes to the bar in the dining room. She pours scotch into a

large glass, straight, sips a little, before downing it. She

pours another. She stares down Michael's disapproval as she

returns to the bedroom with her drink. He's watching TV

again.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

I know what you're thinking. The

shiksa with her booze.

He doesn't answer.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

I can't sleep okay?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

20.

He doesn't answer.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

You think your praying is any

different? You think you're gonna

get a miracle here?

She downs the drink.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

You think God listens to your

prayers, to your mumbling? He's old

Michael. He needs a hearing aid.

Because if he hears okay he's got

to be a sadist.

MICHAEL

(completely pissed)

Shut up.

INT LISA'S HOSPITAL ROOM SIMULTANEOUSLY

Lisa is still trying to sleep. Her eyes suddenly snap open.

INT. RITCHIE'S ROOM SIMULTANEOUSLY

Ritchie is playing an intense video game. Camera moves to an

action adventure game on the screen. Their fighting can be

heard in the background. Ritchie turns up the volume. The

game action gets more furious. He keeps zapping monsters,

which die noisily. Deborah shouts to him:

DEBORAH O.S.

Go to sleep.

Camera remains in the video game screen. Ritchie shoots a

mutant alien. A groan. Blood splatters as the alien dies.

The action continues seamlessly on the game screen into the

next scene.

INT. RITCHIE'S BEDROOM - 6 YEARS LATER

Another mutant is decimated on the screen.

RITCHIE has developed into a big, strong, sixteen year-old.

But he is on fire. He bangs at the controls. He hears his

parents arguing. He puts on his hoody and heads out the

door, half slamming the door behind him.

EXT. THE STREET BELOW THE FAMILY'S APARTMENT.

Ritchie, his hood on, heads for the pizza stand

INSIDE THE PIZZA STAND.

Richie's seated in a corner.

16 YEAR OLD GIRL O.S.

Hey Ritchie!

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

21.

Unfriendly laughter

TWO 16 YEAR OLD GIRLS O.S.

(sarcastically)

Ritchie!!! Diiick.

He ignores them.

ONE OF THE GIRLS

Dickhead. Don't you like girls?

More laughter. DAN, Ritchie's friend, joins him.

DAN

C'mon. Let's get out of here.

Ritchie and Dan leave the shop and walk the sidewalks. They

pass some girls who look them over. Dan is interested.

Ritchie hardly notices.

DAN (CONT'D)

You're bringing that shit on

yourself. Ritchie. They're just

giving it back.

RITCHIE

I'm minding my own business and

suddenly they're all over me...

DAN

But you look so pissed. When was

the last time you smiled at anyone?

RITCHIE

I don't want to hear this bullshit.

DAN

Maybe you gotta hear it anyway.

RITCHIE

Leave me alone.

DAN

Everyone already leaves you alone.

I don't see you doing so great.

RITCHIE

Fuck you man.

Dan grabs Ritchie's arm and turns him towards him.

DAN

After your sister died we wanted to

help you, all of us. Lisa was

rough. But now… It's five years

man. Five years. Get over it.

RITCHIE

That's bullshit.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

22.

DAN

That's what everyone says. Move

on. Get on with it.

Ritchie pulls his arm free.

RITCHIE

You can all fuck yourselves.

DAN

Me too?

RITCHIE

Especially you.

Ritchie puts his hands in his pocket and walks away.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(not turning around,

shouts)

Just stay out of my business.

INT. THE RUSSELL'S SMOKE FILLED BEDROOM. EVENING

Eric Clapton is playing softly. Deborah is in bed reading.

Michael enters quietly. He hangs up his blazer. Deborah

doesn't greet him. Michael goes to the ashtray, examines a

joint, puts it back.

INT. THE KITCHEN. FOLLOWING ABOVE

Michael opens the refrigerator. Picks up an open can of

tuna, left in a baggy. He holds it away from himself and

puts it in the garbage.

MICHAEL

(shouting to Deborah)

What are we doing for supper?

She doesn't answer. He goes to the entrance of the bedroom

INT. THE RUSSELL'S SMOKE FILLED BEDROOM. EVENING

MICHAEL

In case you haven't noticed you

still have a son left. Lately,

you're stoned more than you're

straight.

She continues to ignore him.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Ritchie never comes out of his

room. I can't get him to look at

me let alone talk to me. The two of

you are feeding off each other.

DEBORAH

Right. It's all my fault.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

23.

MICHAEL

I remember when you kept this

family going. We counted on you.

DEBORAH

Things change.

MICHAEL

I know, but…

DEBORAH

You know but you don't care.

MICHAEL

We're back to that.

The sound of Ritchie in his room blasting his music.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(pissed)

It's 10:30. We have neighbors.

He gets up angrily, inadvertently knocking over a ceramic

vase on a shelf. It shatters. Michael picks up a piece of

broken ceramics and aims it for the waste basket. It goes

in.

EXT. FLASHBACK BASKETBALL COURT THE SAME YEAR

Michael drives towards the basket. He misses. He goes up

hard for the rebound. His elbow accidentally hits Ritchie in

the chin. Ritchie shoves his father.

RITCHIE

Always have to win don't you?

MICHAEL

Is that all you got? Come on.

Ritchie punches his father in the nose. Michael is more

surprised than physically hurt. He has a bit of blood at the

tip of his nose. Ritchie sees the blood and is upset. He

walks away. He punches himself in the head.

INT. THE RUSSELL'S SMOKE FILLED BEDROOM AS ABOVE

Another angry song blasts from Ritchie's room. The volume

has been raised still more.

MICHAEL

That does it.

INT. RITCHIE'S ROOM-CONTINUOUS

Michael flings open the door. With his remote control Ritchie

lowers the volume. He gets ready for what is coming next.

MICHAEL

(Trying to sound calm, but

anger on his face)

I want you to get help.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

24.

RITCHIE

What kind of help?

MICHAEL

I want you to talk to a

professional.

RITCHIE

What's that going to do?

MICHAEL

After Lisa, I went to someone. It

made a big difference.

RITCHIE

Yeah right. Lisa came right back

to be with us for Christmas.

MICHAEL

Look I don't want to talk if you're

not going to be serious.

RITCHIE

I don't want to talk period.

MICHAEL

I want you to see Dr. Stern. The

same psychiatrist I saw. You'll

like him.

RITCHIE

And what if I refuse?

MICHAEL

There isn't a choice on this one.

Ritchie pushes the button to his stereo. The music smashes

through the room. He turns on his bed so that his back faces

Michael. Michael's expression softens into concern followed

by bewilderment. He leaves. Ritchie anger also changes to

fear. He tosses around in bed. For a brief moment he sees an

image of Lisa. He looks again. She is not there. He tosses

around in bed trying to fall asleep. He can't.

INT. THE WAITING ROOM TO DR. STERN'S OFFICE- THE NEXT DAY.

Restlessly Michael thumbs through a magazine. Ritchie sits

legs spread staring at the floor. A receptionist answers her

intercom.

RECEPTIONIST

Dr. Stern's free. Mr. Russell, He

wants to see you first.

INT STERN'S OFFICE

DR. STERN is seated behind his desk. He resembles Sean

Connery, in his late sixties, calm and professional. He

stands, gives Michael a warm smile and they shake hands.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

25.

DR. STERN

Hey Michael.

MICHAEL

Thanks for fitting us in.

DR. STERN

No problem. You okay?

MICHAEL

I'm worried about Ritchie. He's

never really been the same since

Lisa died. Lately he's very

depressed. He's in his own world.

DR. STERN

What has he said about Lisa?

MICHAEL

He never brings her up

DR. STERN

Never?

MICHAEL

He won’t mention her name.

They are both reflective

Michael continues:

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I think he’s spooked.

DR. STERN

Spooked?

MICHAEL

Possessed.

DR. STERN

You watch too many movies.

MICHAEL

No, really. Not demons floating

around like in a movie. But it’s

the same as a real ghost. Somehow

Ritchie’s managed to keep her

alive.

DR. STERN

Hallucinations?

MICHAEL

I don’t know what you call it.

Couple of times I heard him talking

to himself in his room. Heard him

mumble “Lisa.” as if she were in

the room.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

26.

DR. STERN

After you heard him talking to her,

did you ask him about it?

MICHAEL

Whatever I ask about he hears it as

criticism. Didn’t want him to

think I was spying on him.

Stern leads Michael towards the door.

DR. STERN

Did he agree to come today?

MICHAEL

He bitched, but he's here. If he

didn't want to come he wouldn't.

INT. DR. STERN'S RECEPTION ROOM

Michael signals Ritchie to enter Dr. Stern's office

MICHAEL

Remember. Give him a chance.

RITCHIE

Yeah right.

As he waits, Michael impatiently leafs through a magazine. He

tosses it back on the table, finds another and soon tosses

that one as well

INT. DR. STERN'S WAITING ROOM LATER

Ritchie returns.

RECEPTIONIST

(looking at Michael)

Dr. Stern wants to speak to you.

INT. STERN'S OFFICE

DR. STERN IS ON THE PHONE. MICHAEL WAITS UNTIL STERN HANGS

UP.

MICHAEL

How did it go?

DR. STERN

We talked a little but not very

much. It'll take a while. Which

worries me. I just got off the

phone with your insurance company.

He's only approved for follow-up

medication visits.

MICHAEL

What do you mean?

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

27.

DR. STERN

That's the new model. No more

figuring yourself out. They think

its worthless.

MICHAEL

Really?

DR STERN

Ritchie needs to make sense of

what's going on with him,

especially this thing with Lisa.

DR STERN (CONT'D)

They think everyone's troubles are

chemical I've put him on Prozac.

No problem with that. Chances are

it will help him feel better. But

he needs therapy and I'm not sure

they will let him get much of that

at least from me anyway.

MICHAEL

How can they do that?

DR. STERN

They just do. Let me look into

this. Don't worry. We will figure

out a way

Michael walks out with the doctor. He tosses the keys to

Ritchie.

MICHAEL

You can drive champ.

INT. INSIDE THE CAR- A FEW MINUTES LATER

MICHAEL

So how did it go?

RITCHIE.

What do you mean how did it go? I

sat opposite this old guy and he

asked all these personal questions.

Like I really want to tell him

about my crap.

MICHAEL

Do you want to see someone else?

Ritchie floors the accelerator and passes a car. They just

miss an approaching car but Ritchie is able to pull it back

to the right side of the street.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Hey take it easy. This isn't a

video game. It's the real thing.

You could have gotten us killed.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

28.

RITCHIE

Like I really give a shit.

MICHAEL

Meaning what?

RITCHIE

I don't care.

MICHAEL

You don't care if you get killed?

RITCHIE

I don't care but that's another

subject.

MICHAEL

No, that's exactly the subject.

RITCHIE

Look Dad. I don't care if I live.

I don't care if I die. I don't

care if I see Dr. Stern, or if I

see someone else or if I see no

one. I don't care.

INT. THE RUSSELL HOME- THAT EVENING

Michael returns from work. Deborah is stoned again. In the

dark she is watching videotapes of the family. Michael

enters, throws down his coat.

MICHAEL

(sniffing the dope)

You're smoking too much dope.

DEBORAH

Don't start Michael.

MICHAEL

I swear I don't know you any more.

I only know this stoned person.

Where are you?

She doesn't answer. His eyes go to the TV screen

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Where's Ritchie?

DEBORAH

(conciliatory)

In his room. Wait, stay here for a

moment

Deborah moves the images around on the screen with the remote

control. We watch the home video.

DEBORAH O.S.

God you were so handsome. I wasn't

bad either… look at me.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

29.

MICHAEL O.S.

You look pretty... You still can be

when you want to.

DEBORAH

Don't start.

MICHAEL

Did Ritchie seem all right?

DEBORAH O.S.

God look at that?

In the video Michael is holding a very young Ritchie.

DEBORAH O.S. (CONT'D)

The two of you. Look at Ritchie...

He was gorgeous. A gorgeous baby…

You were so proud… Look. Lisa off

in the corner… Wait let me rewind…

Deborah rewinds.

DEBORAH O.S. (CONT'D)

She doesn't look so happy. Look at

her blonde hair, its practically

platinum. God, it darkened. She

was almost a brunette…

There is a new image on the screen. We watch a series of

shots and hear Deborah off screen

DEBORAH O.S. (CONT'D)

Oh there. Now she's smiling. I

love this part. When we put

Ritchie in her arms.

(pause)

Look at her.

(pause)

Oh Lise. (tears, slowly) You were

such a good sister…

MICHAEL

I can't take this. How can you

look at that over and over again?

DEBORAH

(betrayed, combative)

What Michael?

MICHAEL

You heard me.

DEBORAH

What do you want me to do? Just

tell me Michael. What am I

supposed to do?

MICHAEL

She's gone Deborah.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

30.

DEBORAH

On those tapes she is alive. I

need to be with her like that.

MICHAEL

She's gone.

DEBORAH

Maybe for you Michael. Maybe for

you. You didn't give a shit then.

You still don't. Wis: No more Lisa.

MICHAEL

Deborah. This isn't my problem.

It's yours. You won't let her go.

DEBORAH

Right. Okay Michael.

Deborah pushes the eject button, waits for the videotape,

then holds it up.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

I'm gonna dig a 6 foot deep hole

and toss this in. That's what you

want? You want her completely gone?

You want her totally dead?

MICHAEL

She is dead.

DEBORAH

You don't think I know that?

MICHAEL

So then deal with it.

DEBORAH

I should have known I was going to

get this shit tonight. When you

used to go to Dr. Stern… Every time

you came home… the answers to

everyone's problems. Got some new

psychobabble for me? Come on

Michael. Come on Mr. Fix-it.

MICHAEL

You just want to fight don't you?

DEBORAH

You're the one who came home with

an attitude. I got one thing to

say. (Giving him the finger) Fuck

you!

MICHAEL

Actually I wouldn't mind that

occasionally.

There is a sudden loud noise down the hall.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

31.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(alarmed)

Ritchie!

Michael and Deborah immediately head for the hall bathroom.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(screaming)

Ritchie!

DEBORAH

(screaming)

Ritchie. Ritchie.

Michael, in two tries, breaks the door down. Ritchie has

tried to hang himself by jumping off the toilet. He is semiconscious.

The copper pipe above the toilet, that he had tied

a rope to, has sheared and water is gushing out of it soaking

him and the room. Michael springs into action. He embraces

Ritchie around the waist and lifts him up to take the weight

off his neck. He struggles with the knot.

MICHAEL

Get a knife from the kitchen.

She returns with a big knife and Michael cuts him down. As

he does they both fall clumsily to the floor. In the

process, Ritchie's forehead is cut. It is bleeding.

Desperately, Michael loosens the noose.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Call 911.

Michael is about to start CPR but then Ritchie starts to

choke and then breathes quietly on his own. Deborah returns.

DEBORAH

They're on their way.

Deborah grabs a towel and presses it on the gash on Ritchie's

forehead. She gets down on her knees on the floor and moves

his head onto her lap. She watches him breathe and begins to

rock, holding his head to her breast. Ritchie lifts his

head.

RITCHIE

Mom

DEBORAH

(soothing)

It's okay. It's okay

Nestling in her hands, cradled in her lap, he sinks into her

comfort.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Oh baby. Ritchie My baby.

Out of breath, Michael quietly leans against the doorway

watching them. Camera holds on him for a moment as he catches

his breath.

CONTINUED: (3)

32.

INT. MOUNT PLEASANT HOSPITAL ER SAME NIGHT, 3AM

Noise. Just short of chaos. Off to the side is a section for

psychiatric emergencies. Michael and Deborah sit together,

taking it all in.

A very attractive stylishly dressed 20 year-old woman paces

back and forth with a young baby in her arms. She is talking

to herself. She laughs out loud, then looks suspiciously

around the room. Indifferently a policeman watches her.

Occasionally his hand radio goes on and off. Muddled

directives are issued by a dispatcher. A thin distressed

young man, knees tightly together, looks down at the floor.

Next to the Russells sits a chatterbox, who feels comfortable

talking to anyone whether welcomed or not. He nudges

Michael.

CHATTERBOX

Gotta a question? Go to the front

desk...

At the front desk Michael stands near the policeman, his hand

radio emitting loud static. There is no one behind the desk.

POLICEMAN

(speaking into his hand

radio)

I talked to the doc. He's saying I

gotta stay here until he hears from

the insurance company. There's been

cutbacks in their security.

SERGEANT O.S.

We're short nine guys. Just leave.

POLICEMAN

I can't. This woman is nuts.

She's got a baby.

SERGEANT O.S.

That's their problem.

POLICEMAN

I'll get back to you.

The policeman yells to a nurse who is within hearing range.

POLICEMAN (CONT'D)

My sergeant telling me I can't stay

here all night.

The nurse comes to the desk. She notices Michael as she

addresses the policeman.

NURSE

Nothing we can do. The insurance

company isn't approving

hospitalization. We're trying to

fight them.

(CONTINUED)

33.

POLICEMAN

Did the doctor get the part about

the device hidden in her baby's

vagina? She says she keeps looking

for it.

NURSE

Yeah. He knows about it.

POLICEMAN

And?

NURSE

They said she's not a danger to

anyone. They want us to send her to

day hospital.

POLICEMAN

This women's not going to show up

at no treatment program every day.

NURSE

Not only that. They want her to go

to Mercury General.

POLICEMAN

How the hell is she going to get

over there every day? It's an hour

and a half each way, 3 changes on

the subway. She's lucky if she can

cross a street.

NURSE

You got it. We are trying to get

people in Minnesota to understand

what's going on in New York.

POLICEMAN

And?

She looks at her watch.

NURSE

It's been eight hours. They're

hoping Dr. Geller will just go

away. Listen to this.

The nurse switches to speaker phone. Kenny G can be heard. A

very airline cheerful voice speaks above the music.

SPEAKER PHONE

Want to feel better? Try laughter.

Having a sense of humor has been

shown to increase self-esteem. It

even helps the immune system.

Michael exchanges a worried glance with Deborah

SPEAKER PHONE (CONT'D)

Want respect? Try treating your

fellow workers with respect.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

34.

It is the secret of every happy

workplace.

More Kenny G.

She flips the speaker phone off. She points to a bench.

NURSE

(deadpan)

Welcome to Alice in Wonderland.

Take a seat. It's going to be a

long night.

POLICEMAN

I'm out of here.

NURSE

(suddenly desperate)

You can't leave.

POLICEMAN

One more hour.

Once again Michael and Deborah exchange concerned glances at

each other. The nurse looks at Michael.

Michael is about to speak when he notices Dr. Geller has

entered the waiting area.

Dr. Geller appears to know the Russells. He approaches

Deborah. Michael joins them. .. Dr. Geller takes Debra's

hand.

DEBORAH

Aren't you Ethan? Laurie Geller's

son?

DR. GELLER

Been 10 years since I baby sat for

you.

She hugs him, starts to cry on his shoulder.

DR. GELLER (CONT'D)

Ritchie's okay. No damage done.

He's been admitted.

MICHAEL

Can we talk to him?

DR. GELLER

He's already on the ward. He'll be

okay.

DEBORAH

(regaining her composure)

Did he say anything?

DR. GELLER

Come back in the morning. You can

see him then.

CONTINUED: (2)

SPEAKER PHONE (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

35.

The young crazy woman's voice has gotten louder. She is

yelling at a fifty year old Hispanic man with a broken thumb,

sitting with his 14 year-old son. The man tries to ignore

her. His frightened son's eyes are frozen on the floor.

CRAZY WOMAN

You put that transmitter in my

baby, didn't you?

The nurse walks over to her.

MICHAEL

(to Dr. Geller)

Can I ask you something?

DR. Geller nods

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

What's going to happen to her?

DR. GELLER

We have situations like this

almost every night.

Noticing how the Russells are locked in on the crazy woman.

DR. GELLER (CONT'D)

Go home and get some sleep. Things

will look brighter in the morning.

Go home.

They hesitate.

DR. GELLER (CONT'D)

Come on. There's nothing to do

here. Tomorrow morning.

INT. MOUNT PLEASANT HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC UNIT-THE NEXT

MORNING

Ritchie walks down the hall nodding to other patients. His

neck shows scrape marks where the rope had been.

A PATIENT

Hey man.

RITCHIE

What's happening?

An aide goes to the steel main ward door and unlocks it with

a big key. Michael and Deborah enter. They see Ritchie and

wave to him. Michael is wearing a tie and sports jacket,

Deborah a dress. Smiling feebly she mouths "I love you".He

continues to watch them as they follow DR. RAHMADI, a stout

Pakistani, into his office.

INT. DR. RAHMADI'S OFFICE

DR. RAHMADI

Let's get started.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

36.

He stares at a form on his desk, pen in hand.

DR RAHMADI

How long has he been on Prozac?

MICHAEL

He was supposed to begin it

yesterday morning. He…

DR. RAHMADI

Did he take one?

DEBORAH

As far as we know. You think that's

why he did it?

DR RAHMADI

No. Is he taking anything else?

MICHAEL

No.

Dr. Rahmadi stops and checks over his form. He finds the

correct place to put his check mark, then looks up again.

DR. RAHMADI

How long did he see Dr. Stern?

MICHAEL

His first visit was earlier in the

week.

Once again he focuses on his form.

DR. RAHMADI

Did Richard…

DEBORAH

Ritchie. He likes to be called

Ritchie.

DR. RAHMADI

(irritated by the

interruption)

Did Ritchie give any indications

that he was thinking about suicide?

MICHAEL

Not really.

He is about to check off the box about suicide, when he is

interrupted again.

DEBORAH

Actually, a few years ago, when he

was around eleven he talked about

dying a lot. His sister died 5

years ago from a lymphoma and he

kept asking whether Lisa was alive

in heaven.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

37.

Talked about how he wanted to die

so he could see her. He spoke

about that a lot. Then it stopped.

He hasn't mentioned it in years.

DR. RAHMADI

I mean actual suicide threats.

MICHAEL

What do you mean actual?

DR. RAHMADI

Threatening to do it.

MICHAEL

No nothing like that. But you know-

DR. RAHMADI

(cuts him off, becoming

more and more impatient)

Any family history of suicide?

MICHAEL

No.

DR. RAHMADI

Dr. Stern told me he saw you for

depression several years ago. He

hinted that you also are depressed

Mrs. Russell.

She shrugs. Brightened by the thought that he's discovered

something, Rahmadi delivers the next question with zip.

DR RAHMADI

There is a strong family history?

DEBORAH

I don't know. Not before Lisa's

illness.

DR. RAHMADI

Lisa?

DEBORAH

My daughter.

DR. RAHMADI

The one with the lymphoma?

DEBORAH

Yes.

Out of respect for the dead Dr. Rahmadi's voice briefly loses

its insistent quality.

DR. RAHMADI

What about his grandparents? Did

they get depressed?

CONTINUED: (2)

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

38.

DEBORAH

They were okay.

MICHAEL

You're forgetting about your mom

during menopause? She was pretty

crabby?

Dr. Rahmadi looks up from his form. He's had just about

enough tangents.

DEBORAH

Well that was only a few months.

The phone rings. Dr. Rahmadi listens. He taps his pen on

his desk impatiently.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

A few...

He isn't listening but she continues.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

months ago

DR. RAHMADI

Give her Thorazine 50 milligrams

IM.

He hangs up the phone.

DR. RAHMADI (CONT'D)

Sorry. So the answer is yes?

MICHAEL

What was the question?

DR. RAHMADI

There's a strong family history?

DEBORAH

Well…

He writes on his chart. The phone rings again.

DR. RAHMADI

(now, decidedly irritated)

Sorry. One second.

He lifts the phone again, and listens.

DR. RAHMADI (CONT'D)

She's allergic to Thorazine? OK. 5

milligrams of Haldol.

He straightens up at his desk to address Deborah and Michael.

DR. RAHMADI (CONT'D)

I have a patient scheduled in a few

minutes. I got what I need.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

39.

MICHAEL

That's it? What if I have

questions?

DR. RAHMADI

Sorry I'm so busy. You're supposed

to see Mrs. Franklin next. She'll

answer your questions. She's in

charge of disposition…

MICHAEL

Who are you disposing of?

DR. RAHMADI

She's in charge of discharge

planning.

MICHAEL

He just got here!

DR. RAHMADI

We no longer think hospitals are

the right place to do treatment

Patients begin to like it here a

little too much.

MICHAEL

You think that could happen to

Ritchie?

DR. RAHMADI

Maybe. His therapist will make

sure it doesn't happen.

MICHAEL

Who is his therapist?

DR. RAHMADI

I told you. Mrs. Franklin. She'll

meet with you later. Let me see

what time.

The doctor picks up his phone and dials her extension. He

mumbles something into the phone, then looks up.

DR. RAHMADI (CONT'D)

In about an hour. Why don't you

see if you can find Billy out

there.

MICHAEL

Billy?

Dr. Rahmadi sneaks a look at his chart.

DR. RAHMADI

Sorry, sorry Ritchie.

Dr. Rahmadi shows them the door. They go into the corridor.

They spot chatterbox.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

40.

MICHAEL

Have you seen our son?

CHATTERBOX

Ritchie?

(pointing down the hall)

He's down there.

All of the patients are in a common room at a lecture.

Chatterbox follows them there. Mrs. Allison is in front of a

screen with her pointer demarcating bubble in the power point

image of a nerve junction.

MS. ALLISON

(With Pollyannish gusto)

This is serotonin. Depressed people

don't have enough of it. Who is on

Prozac?

Five patients raise their hand. Ritchie doesn't. Michael

signals him to do so. Ritchie ignores him.

MS. ALLISON (CONT'D)

What about Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil,

Effexor?

Most of the patients raise their hand.

MS. ALLISON (CONT'D)

Good. These drugs correct your

chemical imbalance. Soon most of

you are going to feel better. A lot

better. You have to take your

medication religiously!

Michael keeps an eye on Richard to see if he is listening.

He isn't.

A patient raises her hand.

PATIENT 1

Are you saying our problems aren't

what's bumming us out?

MS. ALLISON

Everyone has problems, some of them

not easy to fix but what counts is

how you react to them. Chances are

most of what upsets you wouldn't if

you didn't have a have a chemical

imbalance. I've seen people dying

miserably with cancer cheer right

up with medication. So you need to

take it. One other thing causes

depression. Anyone know what that

is?

No one raises their hand.

MS. ALLISON (CONT'D)

Come on Ron. You've been here

before.

CONTINUED: (5)

(CONTINUED)

41.

Ron looks at her with disgust. Ms. Allison isn't the least

discouraged.

CHATTERBOX

(sarcastically)

Negative attitudes.

Ritchie smiles appreciatively.

MS. ALLISON

Exactly Mr. Kobe. Exactly.

Negative attitudes. Too many sad

thoughts make you depressed. I want

you to study this booklet. It's

about how to think positively no

matter what happens. We're going

to work on it while you are here.

It's not hard to learn. You just

have to want to do it. If you have

wound up here you have to do it.

Like a hawk, Michael has been watching Ritchie's reactions to

Mrs. Allison. He catches Ritchie's attention.

MICHAEL

(mouthing the words)

Listen to her.

Ritchie turns to the side so that his father is out of his

field of vision.

CHRISTIAN

How about if God meant us to suffer

in this world. If the world we are

looking for is in heaven.

PATIENT 2

So we should just kill ourselves

now.

MRS. ALLISON

Any other questions?

PATIENT 3

Do we get to meet with the doctor

about our medication? I've been

here 5 days and I've only seen him

once for 15 minutes.

MS. ALLISON

Well, he makes rounds every day and

the staff reports to him. (exuding

cheerfulness) He's very, very busy.

Michael and Deborah worried looks deepen.

PATIENT 1

What about medication problems? Can

we see the doctor then?

CONTINUED: (6)

(CONTINUED)

42.

MS. ALLISON

In special situations. But bring

up medication problems in

medication group. You'll all meet

together once a day with the nurse.

And that's where you can ask about

side effects.

PATIENT 1

I'm not going to talk about no side

effects in front of every one else.

MS. ALLISON

You'll just have to find the

courage.

PATIENT 2

Are you serious? You know lady.

This serotonin thing. It sounds

like one size fits all.

MS. ALLISON

Any other questions?

Ms. Allison looks around the room. No hands are raised. She

displays the cover of the booklet. In enormous green

letters: POSITIVE THINKING WORKS! She waves the booklet like

a flag.

MS. ALLISON (CONT'D)

Those who don't have one of these

come get your copy.

Most of the patients do move forward to get the booklet.

Ritchie and a few others move in the opposite direction.

Ritchie joins his parents. He hugs his mother.

RITCHIE

(with genuine concern)

You okay mom?

DEBORAH

I'm good. I'm good.

MICHAEL

It was a pretty rough night. Are

they treating you okay?

RITCHIE

(unfriendly)

No one's coming at me with needles

like they did last night.

MICHAEL

You should get a copy of that

booklet.

RITCHIE

Are you serious? Brainwash myself?

CONTINUED: (7)

(CONTINUED)

43.

MICHAEL

I'm going to get a copy. I'll be

right back.

Michael leaves them.

RITCHIE

Is dad pissed?

DEBORAH

No! Can't you tell?

RITCHIE

Not really. He's always pissed at

me.

DEBORAH

That isn't true.

RITCHIE

It's not off by much.

DEBORAH

Ritchie. You gave us a big scare,

especially your father. (moving her

fingers through his hair) How you

feeling?

Ritchie says nothing.

Michael returns. Deborah and Ritchie greet him with false

smiles, like there is a secret between them. Michael hands

him the booklet.

MICHAEL

Look it over tonight. What have

you got to lose?

RITCHIE

(sarcastically)

Yeah right, Dad.

MICHAEL

What is it you want? Just tell me.

We aren't playing a game here.

RITCHIE

For starters, I want out of here.

MICHAEL

What about a different place?

RITCHIE

Like where?

MICHAEL

I don't know but I'm seeing Dr.

Stern. He'll know.

CONTINUED: (8)

(CONTINUED)

44.

RITCHIE

It's got to be a place where they

don't take away your shoelaces.

MICHAEL

You seem to have forgotten what got

you in here. Any place is going to

do that…

Trying to go unnoticed Ritchie touches his eye to intercept a

tear. Seeing this Michael softens. He puts his hand on

Ritchie's shoulder.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Look let's see what Dr. Stern has

to say.

Michael looks at his watch.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I have to call in to the Tribune.

Then I'm going to see Dr. Stern.

Deborah. You want to come with me?

DEBORAH

I'm okay staying here.

RITCHIE

Dad. Could you check the ER? Lisa's

ring is gone.

DEBORAH

(concerned.)

The ring?

MICHAEL

I'll check it out. See you later.

He starts off. Deborah gives Ritchie's hand a squeeze then

catches up with Michael.

DEBORAH

(softly but firmly)

You have to find that ring.

MICHAEL

I know.

DEBORAH

Ritchie ever talk to you about it?

Michael is trying to remember if he did.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

When he touches the ring, he can

feel Lisa nearby.

MICHAEL

(alarmed)

Recently? He said that? Does he

actually see her?

CONTINUED: (9)

(CONTINUED)

45.

DEBORAH

I don't think so, but something

goes on. He gets a certain look.

MICHAEL

What kind of look?

DEBORAH

A look… Michael This is not your

thing. You're not big on

imagination.

MICHAEL

Someone has to stay grounded.

DEBORAH

Just make sure you find the ring.

Michael leaves. Deborah rejoins Ritchie. The two don't

talk. They are drawn to a chess game nearby.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(addressing one of the

chess players, a short

lumpy 15 year old boy.)

Nice move.

A psychiatric aide appears.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

Russell. You're should be at group.

RITCHIE

I'm with my Mom.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

(pushes his chest out)

In our house you go by house rules.

DEBORAH

On one of the boards it says they

have AA meetings at the hospital.

One is starting in about 10

minutes. Ritchie, go to your group.

I'm going to that meeting.

INT. AA MEETING IN THE HOSPITAL- 10 MINUTES LATER

Ten minutes later Deborah is in a large hospital conference

room used by AA. Several members surround a large coffee

maker. A tall angular man fusses over preparing his coffee.

He carefully pours a teaspoon of sugar, turns his spoon over,

then repeats it for another teaspoon and a half. Next comes

the powdered creamer. He studies the coffee as he stirs. He

sips carefully, smacks his gums; it is still too hot.

He studies the donuts. He picks a circular cinnamon sugared

one from the supermarket box. He tears the donut in half.

He hasn’t looked at another person in the room.

CONTINUED: (10)

(CONTINUED)

46.

By contrast several members greet each other with hugs. The

mood is loving, like before a modern church service.

Deborah takes a seat away from the others. She tries to

become invisible, which is difficult when she has brushed out

her hair. Several divorced men look her over, but when she

fails to notice them their attention moves elsewhere. The

meeting begins. The first speaker is nervous and selfconscious,

not sure what he wants to say.

AA MEMBER

You're my man.

Encouragement doesn't help. His struggles with his shyness a

continues.

DEBORAH MCU

Deborah fingers a muscle that has tightened up in the back

of her neck She squeezes hard enough to unlock it. She

feels tired from the Valium she took trying to get to sleep.

She only got four hours. She sinks into reveries coming in

waves.

We hear the sounds of the campsite. Birds, Harry barking, the

wind.

SERIES OF SHOTS

A) EXT. THE CAMPING SITE 15 YEARS EARLIER

The very first time at their mountain site. The excitement

of discovery. A sunny amazing day. Michael grabs one-yearold

Ritchie and swoops him into the air. He catches him

effortlessly, then sets himself for another toss. When

Michael played baseball, he preferred a home run swing to a

controlled bat. Michael throws Ritchie high, high into the

air. Ritchie is terrified, as is Deborah, but just as quickly

Ritchie lets out a happy squeal as Michael gently catches

him.

RITCHIE

Gaain

MICHAEL

Again?

RITCHIE

Gaain

MICHAEL

Again?

DEBORAH

Yes again.

He repeats his throw and catch. Lisa pulls at Michael's leg.

He looks down at her. She points straight up.

MICHAEL

You're sure?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

47.

Michael hands Ritchie to Deborah and picks up Lisa who is

very excited. He throws her up almost as high as he threw

Ritchie and catches her the same way. He's delighted with

himself. When he puts her down she's not satisfied.

LISA

No. As high as Ritchie!

MICHAEL

That was as high!

LISA

It wasn't. You threw Ritchie into

the sky.

MICHAEL

You want to go into the sky?

LISA

Higher than that!

MICHAEL

Okay, higher than the sky.

LISA

To God.

MICHAEL

I'm not sure what kind of catcher

he is.

LISA

The best!

DEBORAH

B)(second memory) Michael and Deborah are dancing wildly at a

college mixer, turning each other on. They go to the punch

bowl. Deborah is tipsy. Michael is entranced by her

goofiness.

DBORAH

(smiling)

L-o-o-ve that punch.

Michael's eyes open wide

INT PSYCH WARD GAME ROOM- SAME DAY

Ritchie is playing pool by himself. MELISSA, a thin,

attractive, high strung 16 year old energy package approaches

and watches him for a while. He misses several shots.

MELISSA

You got to be smooth.

RITCHIE

You think you can do better?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

48.

Melissa reaches for a pool stick, chalks it like a

professional, then knocks down several balls.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Where'd you learn to do that?

MELISSA

My father.

RITCHIE

Oh yeah?

MELISSA

Yeah. My dad's neat. Ever go to any

girl's basketball games?

RITCHIE

No.

MELISSA

You should. I'm the starting point

guard. My Dad taught me all my

moves.

RITCHIE

Oh yeah?

MELISSA

We went to the state semifinals

last year. This year we're going

all the way.

RITCHIE

Melissa…

MELISSA

You know my name? At school you've

walked by me a thousand times like

you didn't recognize me.

RITCHIE

We were lab partners in 7th grade

Mrs. Mor… Mrs. Moravy? No. Mrs.

Morton?(Cracking a smile) Mrs.

Moron.

MELISSA

You have a nice smile.

RITCHIE

Yeah, well um. What was her name?

MELISSA

Mrs. Motown

RITCHIE

Come on.

MELISSA

That was it. I'm telling you.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

49.

RITCHIE

No that's a record company.

MELISSA

Mrs. Morky. That was it.

Morky…like Dorky.

RITCHIE

(smiling, casual)

So how come you're here?

MELISSA

I got pissed at my mom and took a

handful of Tylenol. I told her 5

minutes later, but she made me come

to the ER anyway. Then they put me

in this stupid place. I'm out of

here tomorrow. Never going to do

that again. (looking disgusted)

Tubes in my nose…

MELISSA (CONT'D)

What about you?

RITCHIE

I'll be out soon too.

MELISSA

Oh yeah?

RITCHIE

Real soon.

MELISSA

They told you that?

RITCHIE

No, but I'm getting out of here.

Melissa looks at her watch.

MELISSA

I have an appointment with my

therapist.

RITCHIE

Which one?

MELISSA

Mrs. Taylor

RITCHIE

Is she nice?

MELISSA

I've seen her once. She acts like I

am a pain in the ass.

RITCHIE

Let's face it, we are a pain in the

ass to most of them.

CONTINUED: (2)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

50.

That's why they hide behind those

walls at the nursing station

ordering out. Like some time they

ought to show up here among the

patients.

MELISSA

Yeah and share their pizza. Or, at

least, let us order out.

RITCHIE

I'm supposed to go to a meeting

now. They said I'll lose my

privileges if I miss it. I don't

think I'm going.

MELISSA

You like to be difficult. Don’t

you?

RITCHIE

I just don’t like to be pushed

around.

MELISSA

You get pushed around a lot?

RITCHIE

My dad maybe. He acts real

disappointed when I don’t do what

he wants.

MELISSA

That bothers you?

RITCHIE

Yeah I get angry then I feel like a

jerk for getting angry. Because he

is a (makes quotation marks with

his fingers) "nice guy."

MELISSA

You is a fucked up dude.

RITCHIE

You’re not Jewish so you wouldn’t

understand. Jewish men have to

make believe they are gentle.

MELISSA

No I get it. He pushes you around?

...Listen. There's a chance I may

go home today. If I don't see you

again, around school sometime, how

about saying hello to me? Or are

you too stuck up for that?

RITCHIE

It has nothing to do with stuck up.

MELISSA

Right.

CONTINUED: (3)

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

51.

RITCHIE

It doesn't. I have things on my

mind. Most of the time I'm not

looking at people in the halls.

MELISSA

Bullshit. You got this scowl. Like

you could kill anyone who

interrupts you.

RITCHIE

It's true. I don't want to be

interrupted.

MELISSA

Why interrupted? What are you

doing?

He shrugs.

She suddenly takes an adorable flapper pose

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Waddy waddy, do-do-do. (He smiles)

I'm more important then any stupid

thing you're thinking about. So

hello from now on. Right?

No answer from Ritchie

MELISSA (CONT'D)

It's not that complicated.

RITCHIE

You never get lost in your own

thoughts?

MELISSA

Not if I can help it. My head

spinnng gets me nowhere.

She walks away sliding her slippers like a little girl. She

looks back.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

You take care Ritchie Russell. And

when you get out we're going to get

together. Your coming to my game.

Horace Man. Put that on your

social calender.

No answer from Ritchie.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

The Owls-we're going to kick some

ass.

Ritchie catches a glimpse of Dan down the corridor. Shouts

to him. Dan's brought a kid's small rubber football. He

throws a strike to Ritchie who catches it on the run.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

52.

Ritchie throws it back. . Still in the room, Melissa

watches. Dan throws the ball to Melissa. She hams it up.

HAPPY RAUCOUS MUSIC A couple of other patients get involved.

A psych aide joins them. They are having a grand old time.

An OLDER NURSE appears

OLDER NURSE

Knock it off.

Everyone but the psych aide ignores her. They continue to

throw the ball although the shouting is replaced by SILENCE.

Melissa shaves by her trying to get open for a pass.

OLDER NURSE (CONT'D)

I said quit it. Now!

Their pleasure increases the more aggravated the nurse

becomes. She signals two burly staff members. Melissa has

the ball.

OLDER NURSE

Throw that and it's seclusion.

From five feet away Melissa throws a perfect spiral straight

into the nurse's gut. CHEERS

CU MELISSA AND NURSE

OLDER NURSE.

Six hours seclusion.

The group watches as she is led away. Dan comes over to

Ritchie who is leaning against a wall.

DAN

Great place.

RITCHIE

Yeah, we have good times here.

DAN

What is seclusion?

RITCHIE

Remember "time out." This is a

professional version. They lock you

up in a padded cell You should see

some of the patients. They really

get into it. Bang their heads

against the wall, scream like wild

coyotes. It's great times here.

DAN

You deserve it. You were supposed

to call me if you were going to do

something. How come you didn't

call?

RITCHIE

Dunno.

CONTINUED: (5)

(CONTINUED)

53.

DAN

Ritchie, come on. Why?

RITCHIE

Why? There is no why.

DAN

Bullshit. All you do is ask why

all the time. Then when it counts

you just do that.

RITCHIE

Another one! Thinking's the problemso

I should just stop, right?

That's all we hear on the ward.

They drill it into our heads.

Happy Talk happy talk.

Dan smiles sympathetically

MICHAEL

Don't have enough I really need

that pressure. Fuck you Nurse

Ratchet

DAN

Beth's into that positive thinking.

Straight from magazines. She

corrects me all the time. Come on

"Be positive"

RITCHIE

That's all they talk about here.

They police the place. If they

hear negativity you gotta repeat

something positive 11 times.

DAN

Really?

RITCHIE

Not... But it is like a broken

record.

DAN

Truthfully, you could try it out a

little. Some happy talk couldn't

hurt you. You take bad karma to

new heights. You're the champ of

gloom and doom. You've perfected

it.

RITCHIE

What can I say? If you are going

to do something, do it right.

DAN

Can't you just stop? Or don't you

want to stop?

CONTINUED: (6)

(CONTINUED)

54.

RITCHIE

Oh, here we go.

DAN

You don't. Do you? Admit it jerk

face.

RITCHIE

Admit what?

DAN

You don't want to stop.

RITCHIE

I don't want to stop.

DAN

Sometimes I get this feeling that

what you really want is to pull me

in with you. See things like you

see them.

RITCHIE

Did it ever occur to you that I

can't stop? Even if I want to I

can't.

DAN

You don't try.

RITCHIE

I do but when I try it creeps me

out. Like I am playing make

believe. And it doesn't fool

anyone anyway. Specially me. You

can't just change your mood.

DAN

Okay you can't. But how about

faking it every once in a while.

You know "Whistle a happy tune" Why

try to make me feel miserable?

RITCHIE

Because that's what friends are

for?

DAN

Give me a break.

RITCHIE

I mean it. Sometimes I want

company where I am.

DAN

Except when I try to cheer you up…

RITCHIE

I'm not talking bout cheering me

up. I wish that worked.

CONTINUED: (7)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

55.

You know when people are kidding

around at school, even telling good

jokes, the best I can do is fake a

smile. It sucks, watching everyone

else kidding around, having a good

time. And I'm not part of it.

DAN

No one's keeping you out of it.

RITCHIE

I'm just not there. Nothing's

funny. You guys are enjoying

yourself

DAN

Ever talk to your father about

this?

RITCHIE

Give me a break.

DAN

I don't know what your problem is

with him. He isn't that bad.

RITCHIE

He pisses me off!

DAN

Why?

RITCHIE

I don't know, but he does.

Dan signals Ritchie to run down the corridor for a pass. He

takes off. Dan throws a perfect spiral which Ritchie catches

with a leaping grab. Pleased with his catch he brings back

the ball and flips it underhand to Dan. They are both silent

for a while. Dan fidgets with a zipper on his jacket.

DAN

Ritchie?

RITCHIE

Yeah?

DAN

You know I really would like to

help you.

RITCHIE

I know Dan, but you can't. No one

can. It's okay. I still like you.

INT. THE ER SHORTLY AFTER

The insane twenty-year old woman is still pacing in the ER.

She is now without her baby. There is a policewoman there.

She also has a hand radio that sputters on and off. Michael

approaches a nurse.

CONTINUED: (8)

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

56.

MICHAEL

Can I speak to Dr. Geller?

NURSE

Who are you?

MICHAEL

Dr. Geller saw my son last night.

The nurse turns, walks down the hall. Michael watches the

crazy lady. She's mumbling to herself, then suddenly she

starts screaming at a helpless old man.

CRAZY WOMAN

You think because you took my baby

the machine isn't spying on me.

Well it is still in my baby and it

is still spying on me. Wise guys.

You can't trick me.

Dr. Geller approaches Michael.

DR. GELLER

Hey Mr. Russell.

MICHAEL

Hey Ethan. Listen, Ritchie is

missing a ring. It means a lot to

him. Could you ask around?

DR. GELLER

I will. You should also try

Admissions. They're in charge of

personal belongings. How's Ritchie

making out?

The crazy woman lets out a shriek. Then another. Then another

MICHAEL

(very tense)

I can't believe she is still here.

DR. GELLER

She's leaving soon.

MICHAEL

They agreed to hospitalization?

DR. GELLER

These new places are springing up.

Kind of like surgi-centers. It's

cheaper than hospitals. They're

basically boarding houses with

uniformed guards. A psychiatrist

visits once or twice a week.

MICHAEL

What do they do?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

57.

DR. GELLER

She'll walk out of there tomorrow,

but she's out of here.

Michael stares at him accusingly.

DR. GELLER (CONT'D)

Mr. Russell. You don't understand.

There's nothing I can do. She

can't stay here. This is an ER not

a psych ward. Plus(hesitating) The

insurance company called the

hospital administrator to make a

complaint about me. He wasn't too

happy with me. Enough incidents

and they could cut the hospital

off. We can't afford to be non

participating. Oxford has a lot of

patients.

MICHAEL

Oxford?

DR. GELLER

It's not just Oxford. They are all

the same.

MICHAEL

Things are that bad?

DR. GELLER

Have you seen the people wandering

around downtown talking to

themselves?

MICHAEL

She'll become one of them?

DR GELLER

There's a good chance.

MICHAEL

You can't do anything?

DR. GELLER

I could have sent her straight off

to the boarding house. Doctors who

have been around here for a whilethat's

what they do. Fill out the

papers and be done with it.

MICHAEL

So why don't you do that?

DR. GELLER

Eventually I'm sure I will. I'm

surprised a cop brought her here.

They usually know it's pointless. I

guess it was her walking around

with a baby.

d.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

58.

Dr. Stern comes down the corridor. He acknowledges Michael

and Dr. Geller.

MICHAEL

I was going to stop by at your

office.

DR. STERN

I had to be here.

DR. GELLER

Gotta go.

As he leaves Michael grabs his arm.

MICHAEL

Thanks for explaining what's going

on.

DR. GELLER

No problem.

Dr. Stern summons Dr. Geller.

DR STERN

Any empty rooms?

DR. GELLER

Try the conference room.

MICHAEL

Ethan, say hello to your mother.

Dr. Stern and Michael walk down the hall, open the door to

the conference room. It is full of staff.

DR. STERN

I need a smoke. The East River's a

block from here. Let's go there

EXT. THE EAST RIVER 15 MINUTES LATER

It is an Indian summer day. Michael and Dr. Stern walk on

the path along the river.

DR. STERN

How's Ritchie doing?

MICHAEL

He wants out.

DR. STERN

Not an option. He has to be in the

hospital until he is out of danger.

MICHAEL

I don't blame him. It's like a

factory. They don't connect to the

patients. They don't even try.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

59.

DR. STERN

That's how it is at most places.

MICHAEL

There has to be a good hospital.

DR STERN

Maybe Golden Hill, but even that

place has had a big change for the

worse. Had to let go a third of

their staff. Close whole wards.

MICHAEL

Dr. Geller told me things are bad?

DR. STERN

There is bad and then there is

really bad. You don't want to get

me started.

MICHAEL

Actually I would. I'd like to know

what is going on.

Stern is hesitant, but continues.

DR STERN

When I saw Ritchie I told you how

your HMO only approved med visits,

no therapy, at least not with a

psychiatrist.

MICHAEL

I went home and read my policy. It

says he can be seen as much as

necessary.

DR. STERN

They don't think talking therapy is

necessary.

MICHAEL

How can they make that decision.

DR. STERN

They can and they do.

MICHAEL

Terrific. What am I going to do?

I'm broke.

DR. STERN

You were broke when I treated you.

Don't worry. We'll work something

out. Right now the most important

issue is how to keep Ritchie in the

hospital. Insurance companies don’t

like talk therapy but that is

nothing, absolutely nothing

compared to what they think of

hospitalization.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

60.

They consider hospitalization

complete bullshit. It’s public

enemy number one. They're gonna try

to discharge him in a few days.

MICHAEL

Dr. Rahmadi was saying that but if

he has to stay--

DR. STERN

Trust me. He'll be out quickly.

Your insurance company will make

sure of that. They make every

penny of their profits by limiting

care. Pay out too much, they lose

money. Pay too little they're on

easy street. Guess what they do?

MICHAEL

They tell Dr. Rahmadi when to

discharge Ritchie?

DR. STERN

Basically.

MICHAEL

How can they do that? Not allow

therapy and keep people out of the

hospital.

DR. STERN

They just do it. We'll deal with

the therapy later. We've got to

find a way to keep Ritchie in the

hospital.

MICHAEL

How?

DR. STERN

I've been thinking. You're a

reporter. What if you threatened

them with a story about what's

going on

MICHAEL

Really?

DR. STERN

I've read some of your articles.

They're good… believable, totally

believable.

MICHAEL

I try to stick to the facts. Only

thing is I cover business stories.

How is that going to help Ritchie?

DR. STERN

Because this is a business story.

Noticing how upset Michael is Stern backtracks.

CONTINUED: (2)

DR. STERN (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

61.

DR. STERN (CONT'D)

You got a lot on your plate. Maybe

this is a bad idea. It can wait.

MICHAEL

No. It's good. Writing a story is

what I do. It'll keep me involved

DR. STERN

I know but--

MICHAEL

When Lisa was sick I was out of it.

I listened to one doctor after

another. Nodded "yes" "no."

Didn't know what any of it meant.

Right through 'til the end. I

wasn't connected.

DR. STERN

I remember.

MICHAEL

I don't want to do that again...

It's weird the things that stay

with you. Like now it bugs me how I

worried about making a good

impression on the doctors and

nurses -everyone that kept coming

into the room. We all did. Kind of

stay cheerful, show them what a

nice family we are. (Smiling to

himself) I guess a lot of people do

that.

DR STERN

They do.

MICHAEL

It's just, Lisa was dying and we're

worried about coming off as the All-

American family. Maybe that's what

made me numb...I don't know. Maybe

that's bullshit. Maybe I just

wanted to tune out.

DR. STERN

My guess is you had to tune out.

MICHAEL

Maybe.

DR. STERN

Not maybe. When she first got sick

I'm sure you thought you could be

with Lisa all the way, right up to

death's door. Only cancer goes on

and on. You couldn't. You did what

you had to do.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

62.

MICHAEL

Deborah was with her all the way.

Ritchie-

DR. STERN

Look what's happened to them.

MICHAEL

I just remember this fog. Deborah

was pissed at how out of it I was.

This time I'm going to be here.

DR. STERN

It won't hurt Ritchie if you are in

the middle of things.

MICHAEL

Ritchie thinks I'm a pain in the

ass.

DR.STERN

I'm sure you are. Doesn't matter.

They are both quiet.

Dr. Stern hands Michael a thick manila envelope.

MICHAEL

(surprised)

What's this?

DR. STERN

I've written it all down. Study it.

Start asking questions. I made a

list of some people to call.

INT. COMMON ROOM ON THE WARD-THE SAME AFTERNOON

Deborah and Ritchie greet Michael's return. Michael tries to

hug Ritchie but Ritchie doesn't want the contact.

RITCHIE

Dad I gotta go. We got a meeting

soon. See you tomorrow. Okay?

MICHAEL

We're going to get through this.

You're going to be all right.

RITCHIE

Sure.

He hugs his mother, then leaves for his meeting. Michael

watches him go down the hall hurt but also irritated.

DEBORAH

Let it go Michael. It's not

personal.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

63.

MICHAEL

I wish that were true.

DEBORAH

You don't look too happy. Did Dr.

Stern say something?

MICHAEL

He said the whole system has turned

to crap. Insurance companies run

things. HMO's have targeted

hospital stays. They think they're

bullshit. Therapy, anything that

costs money is bullshit.

DEBORAH

How can they do that?

MICHAEL

I asked the same question.

Apparently they've done it and no

one has stopped them.

DEBORAH

Just like that.

MICHAEL

Just like that.

Deborah is visibly upset.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(taking note of her

unhappiness)

Dr. Stern thinks if I let them know

I'm doing a story about what's

going on, they'll be more careful.

DEBORAH

Do you really think that will work?

MICHAEL

What do we have to lose?

DEBORAH

True. You should do one of your

stories. You never know.

They reach the main door to the ward. An attendant unlocks

the door. They walk to the elevator.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Listen, admissions called up to the

ward. They have Lisa's ring.

MICHAEL

I'll get it.

DEBORAH

Meet me in the cafeteria. I'm

starving.

CONTINUED:

64.

INT HOSPITAL CAFETERIA

Deborah is drinking coffee. There is hamburger with one bite

sitting in front of her. She is uninterested in the rest.

MICHAEL

I have it.

Michael hands her the ring. She fingers it before returning

it to him. He puts it in his pocket.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

You think I should give it to him?

DEBORAH

Maybe he'll see that as you care.

MICHAEL

I do care.

DEBORAH

(a bit skeptical)

You care or you want to convince me

you care?

MICHAEL

Stern told there are better

hospitals. Golden Hills in

Westchester. They had to fire half

their staff when the HMO's started

squeezing them, but it's an

improvement.

DEBORAH

Do you have their phone number?

MICHAEL

I called. Insurance won't approve

transfers unless you meet certain

stipulations, which Ritchie

doesn't. Bottom line. He can go

private pay. That means $25,000

dollars before admission, then

$25,000 every 3 weeks.

DEBORAH

Shit.

She looks at him like it is his fault.

MICHAEL

Deborah, we had to do it. Lisa had

to have that chance.

DEBORAH

Right. $450,000 for them to torture

her. Only look how it's screwed

Ritchie.

(CONTINUED)

65.

MICHAEL

What about your aunt?

DEBORAH

I didn't tell you, but last year I

borrowed another $10,000 to pay off

some loans. We still owe her on

that, plus another $20,000

MICHAEL

That wasn't a loan. She gave us

the $20,000.

DEBORAH

No she gave us $20,000 but there

was another $20,000 which was a

loan. We will have to go to other

people.

MICHAEL

We owe everyone.

DEBORAH

I know but I can't go to my aunt

again.

MICHAEL

Unfortunately, she's the only one

with money. How come we both come

from poor families?

She puts her hand on his cheek, purses her lips and forms a

kiss from across the table. It is enough to momentarily

brighten him.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

When I bring the ring to Ritchie

I'll tell him we're going to have

to make the best of it here. You

want to come?

DEBORAH

We still don't work as a threesome.

One way or another you and

Ritchie going at it.

MICHAEL

We're busy scoring on each other.

DEBORAH

That's because I'm a great prize.

MICHAEL

You're in a good mood.

DEBORAH

I am. The AA meeting did me good.

MICHAEL

It's been a while.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

66.

DEBORAH

It isn't only AA. I have this good

feeling. Don't know why. Maybe

Ritchie's making us rethink things.

MICHAEL

Such as what?

DEBORAH

Don't know. But somehow this is

like a reset. Take the ring. Talk

to Ritchie. Tell him things are

looking up. After that you're

going to work?

MICHAEL

Want to move the story along.

DEBORAH

It's going to be a great article.

I'll see you tonight, meet you in

your favorite spot.

MICHAEL

Is that a promise?

DEBORAH

It's a certainty.

INT. RITCHIE'S HOSPITAL ROOM CONTINUOUS

Michael enters. There are no windows. The lights are off.

MICHAEL

Ritch? You asleep?

Silence

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Ritch?

From the darkness and silence.

RITCHIE

Yeah?

MICHAEL

How come you have the lights out?

RITCHIE

I like it that way.

MICHAEL

Did things go okay with Dan?

RITCHIE

Yeah.

MICHAEL

Did he upset you?

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

67.

RITCHIE

No. I'm just tired.

MICHAEL

Probably the meds. Tell Dr.

Rahmadi.

RITCHIE

I don't see Dr. Rahmadi.

MICHAEL

Well, tell the nurses.

RITCHIE

I will.

Smiling Michael offers him the ring. Ritchie eyes brighten.

He immediately begins fingering it. Michael is encouraged by

his lightened mood

MICHAEL

Been a long time since we talked.

RITCHIE

I don't like to talk.

MICHAEL

(hesitantly)

I do. Okay?

RITCHIE

About what?

MICHAEL

For starters, I want to know why

you did it.

RITCHIE

(exasperated)

Because I wanted to.

MICHAEL

That's not a good enough answer.

Ritchie says nothing.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

And now?

RITCHIE

Nothing's changed.

MICHAEL

Meaning what?

RITCHIE

Dad. This is going to go nowhere.

It's not something you can

understand. Trust me. We're

different. Let's leave it at that.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

68.

MICHAEL

I'm not as different as you think.

RITCHIE

You're wrong.

MICHAEL

No I'm not. You jump all over ways

we're different- for instance

because I like Spyra Gyra. What is

it with you and your friends with

music? I used to hear you and Dan

putting everyone down. It's like

you'd categorize this one or that

one as a creep or cool according to

the music they like.

RITCHIE

Music says a lot about who you

really are.

MICHAEL

It's "Us" and "them" stuff. Ndon't

ever ends. Used to be religion.

Now you guys don't have that to

fight about so music does it.

RITCHIE

Oh fuck this. That's what you want

to do? Show me how fucking smart

you are? You and your theories.

MICHAEL

Sorry.

They are both quiet until Michael breaks the silence

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

It's automatic… the dad thing, I

keep wanting to teach you. Sorry.

Really.

RITCHIE

Yeah, well, that's one of the

things that turns me off. I stopped

listening years ago.

MICHAEL

I am sorry.

Ritchie doesn't react.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I want to know how come. I may

always be trying to show you how

smart I am but I don't understand

anything. Not the important things?

What do you mean we're different?

RITCHIE

We just are. You always have a

cause. Something you gotta do.

CONTINUED: (2)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

69.

Stuff at work, fixin' something at

home.

MICHAEL

So?

RITCHIE

I don't. I go through the motions.

There's no point to anything.

Lately I don't see the point in

going through the motions.

MICHAEL

Ritchie! Things change. When I was

your age I was tall and skinny, a

geek, except then they called

losers "faggot." I kept trying.

Maybe too hard, making jokes, doing

favors for people, kissing ass all

over the place. Anything

to get people to like me.

Ritchie is interested.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

It didn't work. People were even

more unfriendly. I had no friends,

well one, but he bored me and I

bored him. We called it a

friendship, just so we could say we

had a friend. No one ever called.

And there was always someone who

couldn't resist the temptation, who

really rubbed it in, 'specially

with other people around…I was an

easy target. I thought about

dying… a lot. Thought it couldn't

be worse than what I had.

RITCHIE

Did you ever actually plan it?

MICHAEL

Thought about it. Maybe. I don't

know...Maybe I would have done

something if it continued. But it

didn't…

RITCHIE

What changed?

MICHAEL

I don't know. That's how it is.

Talk to your Uncle Dave. Talk to

Aunt Barbara. Talk to anyone who's

been around for a while. You're not

alone. Practically everyone's been

there.

CONTINUED: (3)

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

70.

RITCHIE

Not as bad as me.

MICHAEL

Maybe. When it's happening you

can't imagine things could be

different. It's like the end of the

road. There is nowhere else to go.

Kaput. Finished… Time to wave byebye.

Ritchie is irritated by the flourish. His disgust settles

Michael down.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

It changes. It just does. Five

years, ten years later you can

hardly remember the bad times. It's

ridiculous. You're tortured, then

you can't even remember what that

was like. Or why. It's like a toothache.

You can't remember how bad it

felt.

RITCHIE

That's you not me. I haven't been

right for a long time...I can't

remember when it was nice. Dad.

When you're sad you like to listen

to the blues. Really get into it.

I want to destroy things. Break

heads. Bang things.

Michael listens sympathetically.

MICHAEL

Then I feel guilty about how I am

this mean person. I deserve to

die. I'm not a nice person. It

happens again and again... I'm

caught in a spin cycle I don't

know why. That's how it is.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Everyone has a mean side. People

try to hide it. But it is there.

We're born with it. Yeah I'm not

crazy about your anger but you're

not mean. Not intentionally.

RITCHIE

You don't know me. I have these

nasty thoughts about everyone. You

always have these fancy theories.

Just believe me. I got this

meanness inside.

MICHAEL

No more than anyone else.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

71.

RITCHIE

(voice raised)

Wrong. Just accept that, okay?

Nothing against you. I don't get

sad. I get angry. Angry. And

afraid all the time.

MICHAEL

Of what? What are you afraid of?

RITCHIE

I don't really know but I am. All

the time.

MICHAEL

Since when?

RITCHIE

Lisa… See that's the difference. I

remember how you cried. I didn't. I

kept thinking how she was afraid.

The day she died she was afraid.

Dad. I know. I saw. I was there

right 'til the end. She was scared.

'Til the last second. She was

scared out of her mind.

MICHAEL

You don't know that. You can't

know that.

RITCHIE

She was scared. You just had to

look in her eyes. She was freaked.

I can't get that out of my head.

MICHAEL

You have to. You just have to.

Your mom (fumbling) What about your

mom? She couldn't take losing you.

That would be it. You're all she

has left. You can't do that to

her.

RITCHIE

You don't get it, Dad. (Tears start

to stream down his face). Mom's

already gone. She wants me to end

it so she can finally be finished.

(more tears). Just look at her,

listen to her. She wants it over.

She wants to let go. I'm not doing

her no favor sticking around. She

wants it over.

MICHAEL

Ritchie. I swear. Right before I

came in here your mother was saying

things are looking up. She had this

feeling…

CONTINUED: (5)

(CONTINUED)

72.

RITCHIE

Dad. Come on! I've heard that a

hundred times. She was probably on

something.

MICHAEL

You're wrong.

RITCHIE

(still crying)

No. You are. I'll bet she's taking

my Prozac.

MICHAEL

Even if that were true, so what if

she is? That's what you need too.

RITCHIE

You think I can drug myself out of

this?

MICHAEL

It's not the same thing as taking

illegal drugs. It's from a doctor.

RITCHIE

Oh, okay. It's not the same.

Except I see some of the patients

around here and they're in la-la

land.

MICHAEL

You know that woman in the group

may be right. Your negativity…

Where do you get it? How do you

see things that way?

RITCHIE

What that life sucks? You just

have to look at the way things are.

You just have to tell it like it

is, quit bullshitting.

It is beginning to sink in. Michael sits quietly, considering

his next move.

MICHAEL

I want you to promise me that you

won't hurt yourself.

RITCHIE

Why?

MICHAEL

Because that's what I'm asking…

Because no matter how sure you are

of the way things are, there are

always surprises. Things change.

RITCHIE

What kind of surprises?

CONTINUED: (6)

(CONTINUED)

73.

MICHAEL

How do you know you won't fall in

love?

RITCHIE

You think the secret is falling in

love don't you?

MICHAEL

You want to know the truth? Yes, I

do. Except for Lisa, I haven't

really been depressed since I met

Mom.

RITCHIE

Well she has.

MICHAEL

You know you're scaring me Richard.

You're scaring me.

RITCHIE

Welcome to the club.

MICHAEL

Meaning what?

RITCHIE

Meaning just that. Welcome to the

scared out of your fuckin' mind

club.

MICHAEL

You're trying to scare me aren't

you?

RITCHIE

I am telling you just like how it

is. Your son is losing the war.

Got that? I'm a loser. Let it sink

in. I'm a loser. The son of

Michael Russell is a loser. Be

honest. That's what really bothers

you isn't it?

MICHAEL

You are so wrong. I'm way beyond

that Ritchie. This is about you…

They study each other, softening.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

You just started this medicine.

Maybe they're right. Give Prozac

some time.

RITCHIE

Prozac is going to cause me more

problems.

CONTINUED: (7)

(CONTINUED)

74.

MICHAEL

What kind of problems?

RITCHIE

Do I really have to get into that?

MICHAEL

What?

RITCHIE

I didn't tell you the real reason I

tried to hang myself.

MICHAEL

Well tell me, Ritchie. Because I

don't really understand what's been

going on with you. Ritchie. What's

the real reason? I can't stand

trying to figure you out anymore.

Your Mom and I, we get nowhere.

Tell me okay?

RITCHIE

That day at school a couple of

girls were teasing me, calling me a

faggot.

MICHAEL

You're not gay.

RITCHIE

I'm not so sure. I'm not

interested in girls. And I ain't

exactly on the football team.

MICHAEL

Did you talk to Dr. Stern about

that?

RITCHIE

Yeah. He said it's because I'm

depressed. He said I'm not gay

because I'm not attracted to guys.

He asked me about wacking off.

It's true. My fantasies are about

girls.

MICHAEL

So then what is the problem?

RITCHIE

I don't know. Just when they were

teasing me it went right through

me. See it wasn't just teasing.

Last week -Ellen, she was one of

them. I tried to do it with Ellen

and I couldn't get it up. I felt

like shit. It was on my mind

constantly after that. Constantly.

And then when the teasing started…

I just didn't want to do it any

more.

CONTINUED: (8)

(CONTINUED)

75.

MICHAEL

You know this is going to sound

crazy. But I'm relieved. If this

is about sex I'm relieved… Because

that is going to fix itself. That

I'm sure of.

RITCHIE

You are such a fuckin' asshole.

MICHAEL

I'm not going to let you die.

RITCHIE

You didn't hear anything I said.

Did you?

Michael puts on the light. Ritchie covers his eyes.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Oh man.

MICHAEL

I heard every word and you are not

going anywhere. Mom and I are going

to be there at your graduation. I'm

going to dance with your wife at

your wedding. It's as simple as

that. I won't let you die.

For a very brief moment, from the expression on Ritchie's

face, it looks as if Michael might have gotten through. But

that moment quickly passes. Ritchie gets up and walks out of

the room without a word, body language saying "fuck you".

Left in the room alone, Michael's face keeps switching. One

moment he looks lost, the next moment determined.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(whispers)

God. Help me...Please

INT. THE OFFICE OF MARTIN MACDONALD, CEO OF LIBERTY INSURANCE

AFTERNOON

MACDONALD is sitting on the edge of his desk, on the phone.

LEONARD BIRCH CFO is standing nearby.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Get me Bob in investor relations.

Thanks.

He hangs up, signals Lenny to make him a drink, which Lenny

does. The phone rings. He thanks his secretary

MARTIN MACDONALD (CONT'D)

Sorry for the interruption. I just

want to make sure you put the

proper spin on the bottom line

numbers coming out of this round of

layoffs. The street has focused on

reduced labor costs.

CONTINUED: (9)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

76.

I want them to understand that the

employees leaving are part of the

old regime that was approving

unnecessary treatment. We finally

have taken total control of

Liberty. The efficiencies coming

out of our new claims processing

will be enormous. Get that

across. Also try to squelch those

stories about us taking over

Beneficial Bank. If you can get

rumors going that it is not going

to happen, the shorts might hand us

a present. Got it?

Marty gives the thumbs up sign to Lenny.

MARTIN MACDONALD (CONT'D)

That's perfect. You're my man.

Bob. Send my regards to Elaine.

LEONARD BIRCH

He's lining it all up?

MARTIN MACDONALD

It's going according to plan. I

put options for 300,000 shares in

Calvin's name. We've got it down

to a routine. This is the third

time we've done this. It'll go

through without a hitch.

LEONARD BIRCH

Gotta say, you have balls.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Some day, you'll pull off this kind

of stuff too.

LEONARD BIRCH

It's brilliant, but I'm not sure

it's my style.

MARTIN MACDONALD

When you head up Liberty you'll

see. To the victors go the spoils.

INT. MICHAEL AT THE OFFICE

Michael is at his computer working away on his story. As he

discovers new information he shakes his head in disgust.

INT. PSYCH WARD MOUNT PLEASANT. A FEW HOURS LATER

Melissa paces back and forth in the padded cell. She screams.

MELISSA

Let me out of here.

CONTINUED:

MARTIN MACDONALD (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

77.

The camera moves from face to face of various adolescents on

the ward as they not very successfully try to ignore her

screams and cussin'. Each outburst echoes on their faces.

MELISSA O.S.

You Fascist fucks. Where do you

think this is? Germany?

Melissa drops to the ground. Leaning against the door she

begins to loudly sob in earnest. Ritchie goes to the locked

door.

RITCHIE

(Almost whispering)

Melissa.

She continues to sob.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Melissa?

MELISSA

Go away.

RITCHIE

I should be in there not you.

Sorry.

MELISSA

It's not just being locked up. It's

everything.

RITCHIE

What do you mean?

MELISSA

Everything! It's all bullshit.

I'm just a big liar.

RITCHIE

Come on.

MELISSA

I lie all the time.

RITCHIE

Sometimes you have to lie.

MELISSA

I just lie. You know that stuff

about my father?

RITCHIE

Yeah?

MELISSA

All made up. I never met my

father. My mother isn't even sure

who he is.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

78.

RITCHIE

Well, the father you made up for

yourself is cool.

MELISSA

But, it's a lie.

RITCHIE

It doesn't matter. I like him. I

like him a lot.

MELISSA

Come on.

RITCHIE

Really...Lisa used to make up

stories.

MELISSA

About what?

RITCHIE

Everything. You name it. .

Shirley and Eddy the talking

cockroaches. See Lisa and me

discovered Shirley and Eddy in the

forest. I was 5. Lisa was 6. We

became famous. We went on TV with

them. Sometimes I'd keep her

company when she was stuck in bed

and she'd have us go all over the

world with Shirley and Eddy

performing. We met Queen

Elizabeth, and Barbra Streisand and

the Earl of Zebra Land.

MELISSA

Who was that?

RITCHIE

No one. It made us giggle. Only

after a while I was making up the

laughs. I had to fake it when she

got really sick. She'd tell the

stories anyway and I'd pretend to

laugh. She knew I was pretending.

But that was okay.

MELISSA

You were close.

RITCHIE

We were, (smiling) especially when

she lied and I lied. When we'd make

believe we were having a good time.

I've never been as close to anyone

as that.

MELISSA

You should give someone else a

chance.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

79.

RITCHIE

I don't know. The point is it's

cool that you can lie about your

father like that. Your father is a

fine man in your head. And now

he's in my head too.

MELISSA

You're a nut.

RITCHIE

I know. I guess we are where we

belong.

INT BIRCH'S OFFICE DAYTIME

Birch is practicing his putting. He hardly looks up as

MACDONALD enters

MARTIN MACDONALD

It's done.

LEONARD BIRCH

Really?

MARTIN MACDONALD

Without a hitch. Nothing, nada- no

one batted an eyelash. 315 million

dollars is now in the plus column.

LEONARD BIRCH

Not bad.

MARTIN MACDONALD

It's only the beginning.

LEONARD BIRCH

Don't get greedy Marty.

MARTIN MACDONALD

I'm just warming up.

LEONARD BIRCH

There is no reason. You already

have 600 million in that account.

MARTIN MACDONALD

I don't want to rub it in. But

that is why you are where you are

and I am where I am. When you find

the killer in you you'll be ready.

LEONARD BIRCH

Teach me my master.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Fuck you.

LEONARD BIRCH

No really.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

80.

MARTIN DEVALVO

There is nothing to teach. You just

need to let go of the brake. When

the opportunity presents you grab

it like a crazy man. Get it while

the getting is good.

LEONARD BIRCH

Well, you just got a whole lot of

good.

INT. MICHAEL AT HIS COMPUTER AT HOME

Michael is taking material out of the folder that Dr. Stern

gave him. He studies a page, reaches for the telephone,

dials a number on the sheet.

MONTAGE

MICHAEL

(on the telephone)

Dr. Peeno?...Okay I'll call back.

He looks up another number, dials.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Mrs. Schwatzkoph?...I'm a reporter.

Dr. Stern gave me your number. He

said you'd like to talk to me about

what happened to you with your

insurance company...Good...

MRS SCHATZKOPH

MRS SCHWATZKOPH

(over the phone)

The story is very simple. My

husband is dead because of them

They said he didn't need treatment.

MONTAGE

The sound fades out. She continues. Michael takes notes.

He dials another person.

INT. WOMAN ON PHONE SIMULTANEOUS

We don't hear her. As this mother speaks she looks at a

picture of her four year old daughter.

INT MICHAEL AT HIS COMPUTER AT HOME SIMULTANEOUS

Michael enters information into his computer

A series of further phone calls and note taking.

END MONTAGE

He's done for the night. He walks into the bedroom where

Deborah is reading a magazine

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

81.

MICHAEL

You're not going to believe some of

this stuff

DEBORAH

Like what?

Michael has started to brush his teeth. He spits into the

sink, wipes his mouth with a hand towel.

MICHAEL

The whole thing. Insurance

companies decide what treatment you

get or don't get. This doctor,

Linda Peeno worked as the medical

director at three different

insurance companies. Her job was

the same each time, figuring out

what small print could get them out

of paying for care.

Brushing his teeth he is still able to talk

He leans out of the bathroom to look at her straight on

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

What they do is completely legal.

He gargles, spits into the sink.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Unfortunately, the doctor in her

kept breaking through. When she

spoke to actual doctors about real

patients, her heart would bleed for

them. Her bosses would find out

and read her the riot act. Not

just her bosses. One year the

secretaries on her floor blamed her

for their reduced Christmas

bonuses. They were furious. She

became a pariah. So she quit and

went to another company. The same

thing happened. After the third

insurance company she quit for

good. They were all the same. She's

written a lot about those years.

DEBORAH

Never heard of her.

MICHAEL

I know. You never hear about any

of this stuff. People's problems

with insurance companies are not

exactly hot news.

He puts in front of him 10 or so pages stapled together.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

82.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Stern wrote an article, apparently

never sent it anywhere. It's

pretty interesting.

DEBORAH

What's it say?

MICHAEL

Apparently, the people who run

these companies know nothing about

insurance. One of them ran a

frozen cake company, another a tire

company before they became CEOs of

insurance companies. Doesn't

matter. They are numbers people,

bottom line people. That's all

they look at. They hire people who

know how to get that right. Not

run the business right, know how to

get the numbers right.

DEBORAH

Is that true?

MICHAEL

The head of United Health Care put

1.6 billion dollars in his pocket,

in options, all legal. Where did

that money come from? Stern's

answer is simple. Insurance

premiums paid and not delivered.

It's money taken from sick people

needing care.

He moves down his computer screen, finds what he is looking

for.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

The state of Ohio contracted with

another company to pay for mental

health care for state workers.

Gave them 18 million. Guess how

much care they authorized.

DEBORAH

I don't know. Twelve million?

Fifteen?

MICHAEL

Three. That's not efficient gate

keeping, its robbery... But legal.

DEBORAH

Amazing.

INT. PSYCHIATRIC WARD AFTERNOON

Ritchie and Melissa are at the pool table again. Ritchie

makes two consecutive shots then misses.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

83.

As Melissa chalks her stick she studies the table. She

quickly calls her shots and knocks down four balls

consecutively, the last one at an extreme angle. Then she

finishes the game off with an easy shot.

MELISSA

Another round?

RITCHIE

You kidding?

He sees a child's ball. It's too soft to be used for real

sports but it can be dribbled. Ritchie grabs it and starts

dribbling. Melissa steals the ball away from him. That

makes him laugh

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Okay get by me.

She tries twice unsuccessfully. Each time Ritchie gets the

ball away from her.

MELISSA

This doesn't count. With a real

basketball I'd get right by you.

RITCHIE

I doubt that.

He palms the ball and thrusts it towards her face. She

doesn't move a muscle. . She smiles victoriously. He smiles

but his eyes remain morose. There is a sadness that cannot be

dissipated. Melissa notices it. She takes the ball and

pushes it into his stomach.

INT. DR. RAHMADI'S OFFICE -THE SAME AFTERNOON

Michael enters drenched. As usual Dr. Rahmadi is in a hurry.

DR. RAHMADI

Hang your umbrella and raincoat on

that scale over there. It's really

coming down isn't it?

MICHAEL

How is Ritchie?

DR. RAHMADI

Much better. We're going to

discharge him on Thursday.

MICHAEL

He's only been here for 4 days.

DR. RAHMADI

We can only keep him if he's

suicidal. We don't think he is.

MICHAEL

How did you come to that

conclusion?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

84.

DR. RAHMADI

We don't think his attempt was

serious. The pipes that he used

were pretty flimsy. He had to know

they'd break.

MICHAEL

I think he meant to succeed and

miscalculated. He still has rope

burns on his neck.

DR. RAHMADI

We think he wanted to say

something. He knew you were down

the hall.

MICHAEL

It was more serious than that.

DR. RAHMADI

He scored 7 on the Hamilton Scale.

That's not serious depression.

MICHAEL

Fine. He's a happy kid. Do you

know anything about him? Do you

know why he tried to end his life?

DR RAHMADI

Mr. Russell, we cover a lot of

patients.

MICHAEL

So how can you make decisions about

them?

DR.RAHMADI

We follow protocols. We have

science to guide us, statistical

probabilities. Our protocols are

formulated by experts.

MICHAEL

Experts?

DR. RAHMADI

Yes. We give the appropriate

treatments for his diagnosis.

Proven treatments!

MICHAEL

What's his diagnosis?

DR RAHMADI

DSM IV 311 Depressive Disorder NOS

MICHAEL

NOS?

DR RAHMADI

Not otherwise specified.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

85.

Michael frustration is showing.

DR RAHMADI (CONT'D)

Our treatments are evidence based.

We have ways of determining if he

needs the hospital. Plus...

MICHAEL

Plus what?

DR. RAHMADI

He signed a contract. So he can't

stay in the hospital.

MICHAEL

A contract? What kind of contract?

DR. RAHMADI

He's contracted for safety. Here,

you can read it.

He takes the contract out from Ritchie's chart and hands it

to Michael.

MICHAEL

This says that he promises not to

kill himself.

DR. RAHMADI

Exactly. He contracted for safety.

MICHAEL

You think this means something? He

signed this so he can get out of

here and finish the job.

DR. RAHMADI

Patients who have contracted for

safety no longer meet criteria for

inpatient stay. (His voice

raises.) We have it in writing. He

is not a risk to himself or others.

Your insurance company refused

further authorization.

MICHAEL

And you just go along?

DR. RAHMADI

They wanted him discharged

tomorrow, but Dr. Stern wouldn't

see him tomorrow. So we will need

an extra day to find a different

psychiatrist.

MICHAEL

Why wouldn't Dr. Stern see him?

DR. RAHMADI

You'll have to ask Dr. Stern.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

86.

MICHAEL

I'm asking you.

DR. RAHMADI

Dr. Stern's from the old school.

They used to keep people in the

hospital for weeks, sometimes

months. They went by their gut.

They didn't have protocols.

MICHAEL

You mean they got to know their

patients and based their judgments

on that.

DR RAHMADI

This is all beside the point.

MICHAEL

What is the point?

DR. RAHMADI

It's too comfortable here. Not

having to go to school. Not having

to face his classmates. Not having

to take exams. Not functioning is

comfortable.

MICHAEL

He has a better way planned…

DR. RAHMADI

Mr. Russell-

MICHAEL

I'll give you the phone number of

his best friend Dan. Dan's sure

he's going to do it. I'm sure, his

mother is sure. Doesn't that count

in making your decision.

DR. RAHMADI

(rising from his desk)

It's our decision. Not yours.

MICHAEL

You can't expect me to go along

with this.

Dr. Rahmadi looks at his watch. His eyes go to the door.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Give me time to get another plan

lined up. Until Monday. Please.

Give me the benefit of the doubt.

Be fair.

No answer from Dr. Rahmadi. He waits for Michael to leave.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

87.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

What if you had a gut feeling that

he was going to do it? Would you

go by that?

DR. RAHMADI

(totally irritated)

He doesn't meet our guidelines.

MICHAEL

What about professional judgment?

(shouting) You are a doctor!

Dr. Rahmadi goes to the door and opens it for Michael to exit

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(angrily…pointing)

I'm doing a story for the Tribune.

I'm not going to let you do this.

Dr. Rahmadi is unimpressed. Michael is basically one more

unpleasant person that his job forces him to deal with.

INT HOSPITAL CORRIDOR

Determined, Michael walks down the hall.

INT WARD GROUP ROOM

He finds Ritchie in a group with Mrs. Allison. He interrupts

them.

MICHAEL

I have to talk to my son.

MRS. ALLISON

You'll have to wait 'til our

educational seminar is over.

MICHAEL

I want to talk to him now. He's my

son, God damn it.

MRS. ALLISON

If you don't go to the visitor's

area I'm going to call security.

MICHAEL

Ritchie get over here.

Ritchie looks at Melissa for guidance. Her eyes say go with

him. Michael grabs Ritchie's arm. Trying to rescue his

dignity Ritchie smiles condescendingly for the sake of the

others in the group

RITCHIE

Sure dad.

The smile continues as they move around a corner.

CONTINUED: (4)

(CONTINUED)

88.

MICHAEL

This isn't funny Ritchie. Why did

you sign that contract?

RITCHIE

I wanted out.

MICHAEL

I'm not going to let you do this.

Get it out of your head.

Dr. Rahmadi arrives with two security guards.

DR. RAHMADI

You have to leave Mr. Russell. If

you don't we'll call the police.

The guards, one on each side, take Michael by the arms. They

move him forcibly towards the door.

MICHAEL

(freeing his arms)

I'm going. I can walk myself.

The guards loosen their grip but still are each holding his

arm. While in their grasp Michael shouts back at Ritchie.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Ritchie. I'm telling you. It's not

going to happen.

Ritchie leans against a wall. He watches his father and the

guards. Ritchie's eyes are watery, but his sadness is soon

replaced by fear.

INT RICHIE'S ROOM

Ritchie punches the wall with his right fist. Then his left.

He takes note of the blood on his fist. He stares into the

mirror,. Pulling his appearance into a semblance of normalcy

he straightens up and walks back to his meeting.

INT. MICHAEL'S HOME OFFICE-VERY LATE THAT NIGHT

Michael is in front of a computer screen typing frantically.

He stops for a moment and rubs his eyes. Deborah comes up

behind him and drapes her hands over his chest. He takes a

deep breath, sinks into his tiredness.

DEBORAH

Come on, its 4 AM. You can't keep

going like this. You slept an hour

last night.

MICHAEL

Have to finish. It's our only

shot.

DEBORAH

I still don't know why Dr. Stern

refused to see Ritchie.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

89.

MICHAEL

He said it's too dangerous. If the

hospital thinks he has to be seen

immediately, it means they know he

is not ready to be discharged.

DEBORAH

Still. Seeing him is better than

nothing.

MICHAEL

He told me a story about another

patient… Same situation. A social

worker at the hospital called him.

Wanted the patient seen the next

day. HMO's were just starting. The

social worker was desperate. She

knew the patient belonged in the

hospital. Stern was trying to be

helpful...

DEBORAH

Go on.

MICHAEL

The patient taught second grade.

Her son was the starting shortstop

at Washington Irving, a daughter

in the fifth grade, another one in

the third.

DEBORAH

Michael. Just tell me what

happened.

MICHAEL

She came to her appointment but

wouldn't leave the waiting room. He

pleaded with her. Finally when the

next patient came she went into his

office with five minutes left in

the session. He did what he could

to comfort her, convince her that

they could make things okay. They

made an appointment for the next

day. She didn't keep it. He called

her home. Her husband told him she

had stuck a gun in her mouth and

blown out her brains.

Deborah's eyes water up.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Same as Ritchie. Signed a

contract. It is all cover your

ass… That's the whole game. They

can go to court and say the patient

swore she wouldn't do anything.

They have it in writing.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

90.

DEBORAH

(overwhelmed)

I'm tired. I'm going to bed

Michael.

Deborah leaves him. She is distracted with her own thoughts.

Deborah lies in bed half listening to Michael. Michael is

shouting, but it has taken on the quality of background

noise. She closes her eyes, opens them, closes them

MICHAEL O.S.

(intense, frantic)

The younger doctors see nothing

wrong with the way things are.

Deborah rolls over, readjusts her blanket.

MICHAEL O.S. (CONT'D)

(shouting)

It's amazing People adjust to

anything. The way things are is

the way things are Reality! What

is, is.

Eyes open again, Deborah continues to sadly stare off into

space.

MICHAEL O.S. (CONT'D)

At the Nuremberg Trials.

DEBORAH

Michael don't get started with the

Nazis. It'll ruin your article.

MICHAEL O.S.

I won't. Just… I don't get it. Why

are people like that?

Deborah is still lying on her side, head on the pillow.

DEBORAH

I have to go to sleep.

Deborah's eyes remain open, staring into space, thinking.

Michael rants and raves from the next room

MICHAEL O.S.

When you upset the apple cart it

makes people angry. Germans could

either hate Jews or hate the Nazis…

To keep their peace of mind

DEBORAH

Stop it Michael.

MICHAEL O.S.

For their peace of mind they hated

their victims. It went beyond any

anti-Semitism they started with.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

91.

Deborah lifts her head and screams angrily, nerves completely

shot.

DEBORAH

Stop it!!! Stop!!!

Michael stops

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(still screaming angrily)

This is about Ritchie. Ritchie!

Michael comes into the bedroom

MICHAEL

I can't help it. I can't

understand any of it. I can't.

Deborah's eyes are closed, but she isn't asleep.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

There are dozens of cases in this

folder. Every one of them

happened. Every detail. He says he

has dozens more. And he's only one

psychiatrist. There must be

thousands and thousands of stories

all over the country…

SILENCE

MICHAEL

Deborah?

He lies down next to her in bed.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Deborah?

They tear at each other's bodies angrily, passionately.

INT. JOE DYER'S-OFFICE THE NEXT MORNING

Finishes reading Michael's article. Takes a few drags on his

cigarette.

JOE

Where are you getting all of this?

MICHAEL

From a lot of places. It doesn't

matter. It's all documented.

JOE

I don't doubt that. But you

already understand why this won't

catch anyone's attention. There

isn't really a villain. You say it

here; almost all of the managed

care companies are the same.

CONTINUED: (3)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

92.

They compete on price, beating the

other company by getting the price

down. That's why they exist.

MICHAEL

Granted.

JOE

Executives don't get a kick out of

screwing patients. They don't even

think about it. Their job is to

get costs down.

MICHAEL

Most of the HMOs are making

fortunes. They are chopping away

with a meat cleaver.

JOE

They have to. Health expenditures

have gone through the roof.

MICHAEL

The story is they are taking care

away from patients and putting the

money in their pockets. It's mind

boggling. Any time the results of

treatment are not fast and clean.

People with multiple sclerosis,

people with strokes-- after a few

weeks no more physical therapy.

Physical therapy is what gives them

a fighting chance. Psychotherapy.

Inpatient psychiatry. The problem

we are having with Ritchie is par

for the course.

JOE

I don't know.

MICHAEL

A patient with a colostomy for 20

years. Suddenly when she goes to

pick up her supplies she's told the

bags are no longer covered. The

supplies are expensive. She can't

pay for them. She's desperate.

JOE

Things like that happen. Mistakes…

MICHAEL

No. They know what they are doing.

The head of Oxford Health made 28

million dollars last year. And

that's a small local company. The

CEO of US Health Care sold it to

Aetna for 900 million dollars.

He started his company in a garage.

The fox is guarding the chicken

house, feasting on sick people.

CONTINUED:

JOE (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

93.

JOE

Maybe some are crooked but Michael,

it's basic stuff, economics 101.

Competition. We're talking about

two trillion dollars. Two trillion

spent on health care! There is a

lot of fat in that.

MICHAEL

Yes, but…

JOE

They have no choice. They do

what's demanded.

MICHAEL

Agreed. HMOs exist to carry out

what corporations demand. They're

not really the bad guys. Cutting

frills, cutting benefits is part of

the lean and mean, take no

prisoners way of doing business.

JOE

Hate to say this Michael but that's

what saved American business in the

80's.

MICHAEL

Oh fuck you Joe. I'm telling you

about evil and somehow it turns

into good.

JOE

No. Fuck you Michael. The 60's

are over. You want to go after

corporations? Try global warming?

MICHAEL

But this is people.

JOE

I know but this is the place that

companies have to take a stand.

They can afford going along with

the corporation haters in the

global warming movement. It's a

pain in the ass but they are

(sarcastically) saving the world.

Its peanuts compared to health

care. Health care is big money.

MICHAEL

You really don't get it. Everyone

got excited about "corporate greed"

with Enron, when they lost money in

the stock market. Then it was

bankers destroying the world's

economy. Well this has not been a

secret. Every day people get

fucked right out there in the open.

Sick people. Every day.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

94.

JOE

You're not saying anything. Most

politicians lay into insurance

companies.

MICHAEL

Actually, I haven't heard very much

of it, but if they do, it is for

public consumption. In private-

JOE

Fine, You're right. Is that what

you want me to say?

MICHAEL

I don't know what I want you to

say.

JOE

Look I'm sorry. I understand about

Ritchie. I don't have answers.

Only what my dad used to tell me.

You have to look after your own.

That's the bottom line. Come here.

He reaches out to Michael like he wants to give his usual hug

goodbye. Michael doesn't come over. Joe can keep his hug.

INT. THE RUSSELL'S HOME 1 HOUR LATER

Michael comes in, throws his coat over the couch

DEBORAH O.S.

Hang it up.

Michael walks around the room noticing that everything is

spiffed up. His mood changes. Deborah enters. She looks

fantastic.

MICHAEL

Wow.

Deborah does a 180.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

You look great.

DEBORAH

What's Stern's latest idea?

MICHAEL

He arranged for me to talk to the

new head of the department. Maybe

call the insurance company directly

and tell them about the story I'm

writing.

CONTINUED: (3)

(CONTINUED)

95.

DEBORAH

Do you think a story could scare

them enough to have an effect?

MICHAEL

Probably not at this point. I wrote

a first draft. Joe wasn't too

encouraging.

DEBORAH

He's always like that.

MICHAEL

I know.

DEBORAH

Does Dr. Rahmadi know you're a

reporter?

MICHAEL

I told him about this story. He

didn't react.

DEBORAH

Maybe you ought to actually show

the story to him.

MICHAEL

No. He's all about forms. If he's

done them, he's done his job.

Michael pours himself a drink.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Do you mind?

DEBORAH

No. I'm good. It's under control.

MICHAEL

You're sure?

She nods reassuringly. He loosens his tie, sips his whiskey.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

You know it could all be so nice.

If we can get Ritchie straightened

out and you are good…(looking

around) The house looks great.

Deborah puts her hand on his cheek.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

What?

DEBORAH

The way you've been. This is the

person I love. I know you're going

to get this fixed with Ritchie.

Maybe Golden Hills.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

96.

My aunt said she will loan us

another $10,000. So all you have to

do is get $15,000 from the bank and

we are in business

MICHAEL

I'll try.

DEBORAH

My aunt gave me the name of someone

at First Union.

MICHAEL

You've been busy.

DEBORAH

Also I called Jerry.

MICHAEL

The one who works for Child

Welfare?

DEBORAH

He told me that we could legally

abandon Ritchie. That would force

the hospital to keep him.

MICHAEL

Really?

DEBORAH

He thought so.

MICHAEL

We'll give it a try. You know I

think somehow, this is going to

come out okay. We have so many

angles. One's got to work.

DEBORAH

So go. Get that loan.

Michael takes a look at his watch. Says a hurried goodbye.

INT. FIRST UNION SAVINGS BANK AN HOUR LATER

The loan officer is reviewing Michael's loan application. He

puts it down on the desk.

THE LOAN OFFICER

Your application says you want to

borrow money to pay for hospital

costs for your son.

MICHAEL

We want to pay for it ourselves.

THE LOAN OFFICER

You'd be surprised how many people

are doing that.

CONTINUED: (2)

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

97.

Only problem is your assets. How

did you ever get so deep in the

hole?

MICHAEL

It wasn't hard. My daughter was

ill for a couple of years. That

wiped us out. We haven't been able

to get back on our feet. Look. It's

only $15,000 dollars.

The loan officer taps his finger on his desk as he studies

the paperwork.

LOAN OFFICER

Your monthly payments on your home

practically eat up everything you

make. Why did you take three

mortgages?

MICHAEL

It wasn't a choice at the time. We

heard about a treatment at Stanford

University. Our insurance company

wouldn't cover it and that pretty

much is the whole story, $450,000

in the red.

LOAN OFFICER

Did the treatment help your

daughter?

MICHAEL

No, it did nothing.

LOAN OFFICER

And you want to do the same thing

with your son?

MICHAEL

I didn't come here for advice. You

think because we're broke that

entitles you…

LOAN OFFICER

Sorry. I didn't mean anything. Do

you have someone to co-sign?

MICHAEL

Not really.

LOAN OFFICER

Not really or no?

MICHAEL

Look, just get to the bottom line.

Yes or no. I've got to see a doctor

at the hospital…

Michael looks at a clock on the wall which says 12:35.

CONTINUED:

THE LOAN OFFICER (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

98.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Oh crap. He said he won't see me if

I'm not at his office by one.

LOAN OFFICER

Well. You can leave the application

but quite frankly…

Michael grabs the application and crumples it up as he runs

out the front of the bank.

EXT CITY GARAGE-MOMENTS LATER

Racing up a ramp to the parking space, Michael gets to his

car. The front door won't unlock. He kicks it. No luck.

He tries the other front door. It opens. He hurriedly gets

in, slides across the seat behind the driving wheel. He gets

the car started and races to the parking attendant. He rolls

down the window and hands him the ticket and money. The

attendant is slow giving him change.

PARKING ATTENDANT

I don't have quarters. Wait a

minute.

MICHAEL

Open the fucking gate. Keep the

change.

Michael takes a quick look at his watch. The attendant opens

the gate. Michael tears out on to the street nearly causing

an accident. We follow him driving wildly to get to his

appointment. He parks outside the hospital.

INT. MT PLEASANT HOSPITAL

Runs to the elevator. The camera is back a little. There is

absolute silence as he runs (possibly a heartbeat, kind of

Run Lola Run style). He asks someone in the hall for

directions. They point the way. Michael runs down a hall.

It leads at the end to the hospital library. He goes in.

Same thing. SILENCE. The librarian walks out into the hall

with Michael and points out the way. Michael goes running

off. He finds the office. On the door is written Dr.

Sturbridge, Chief of Psychiatry. Michael straightens his

hair, prepares a calm entrance, opens the door, walks in

softly. Suddenly the sound returns: ELECTRONIC SOUNDING

BEEPS. Closes the door. He opens another door.

INT. DR. STURBRIDGE'S OFFICE

DR. STURBRIDGE

You could knock.

MICHAEL

Sorry. I'm Michael Russell. My son…

DR. STURBRIDGE

Dr. Stern called me. Ritchie's

father. What do you want?

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

99.

MICHAEL

I'm willing to sign papers legally

abandoning my son. I was told you

can't discharge him if he has

nowhere to go.

DR. STURBRIDGE

You were told wrong. That's been

tried before. If we have to, we

will send him to a shelter. Look

Mr. Russell what do you really

want?

MICHAEL

I want to be sure my son is safe.

I want him to stay here until he's

no longer in danger.

DR. STURBRIDGE

Dr. Rahmadi feels he is not in

danger.

MICHAEL

Dr. Rahmadi doesn't know my son.

He doesn't know my son at all.

DR. STURBRIDGE

Your son signed a contract.

MICHAEL

My son is going to hurt himself if

he is let out of here.

DR. STURBRIDGE

What makes you so sure?

MICHAEL

He told me.

DR. STURBRIDGE

Patients say things they don't

mean.

MICHAEL

I'm not willing to take that

chance.

DR. STURBRIDGE

I can't overrule my staff.

MICHAEL

Well, evaluate my boy

independently. I'll pay for it.

DR. STURBRIDGE

Even if I agree with you, your

insurance company won't allow it.

I have no influence with them.

MICHAEL

Well who does have influence?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

100.

DR. STURBRIDGE

No one. They have criteria. The

contract that Ritchie signed more

or less made discharge automatic.

MICHAEL

But they've never met Ritchie.

DR. STURBRIDGE

Doesn't matter.

Michael, becomes silent, then looks up. His eyes plead with

Dr. Sturbridge. Sturbridge's expression changes. He looks at

Michael up and down. His voice is soft

DR. STURBRIDGE (CONT'D)

I'll see your son. If I agree with

you, I'll put in an appeal. But

that's it. After that it's out of

our hands.

MICHAEL

When can you see him"

DR. STURBRIDGE

Today at 4.

MICHAEL

(looking at his watch)

I'll be at Dr. Stern's office.

Call me there. And thanks. I mean

it.

INT. DR. STERN'S OFFICE -TWO HOURS LATER

DR. STERN

We're doing better than I thought

we would. Sturbridge is definitely

a plus. He's a nice guy. Most of

what you're up against is the

system.

MICHAEL

What if I simply take him home, and

between Deborah and me, we don't

let him out of our sight?

DR. STERN

You couldn't keep it up for very

long. Are you going to go into the

bathroom with him, get rid of all

the scissors and razors?

MICHAEL

That's not impossible.

DR. STERN

What will happen when you go to

sleep. And what about if he wants

to go somewhere.

CONTINUED: (2)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

101.

He won't stay in the house. It's

not an option. 'Specially with

hanging. Plus, from the sounds of

what's going on lately, Ritchie and

you are getting each other going.

One little skirmish and he could

get set off.

The phone rings. DR. Stern picks up.

DR. STERN (CONT'D)

(collegial)

Hey Jeff, How you've been? He's

with me now… Uh huh.. Yeah.. No I

understand.

Listening

DR. STERN (CONT'D)

That Dr. Day is a pisser isn't he?

You're right...I agree... Okay take

care. I'll talk to Mr. Russell.

Dr. Stern hangs up.

MICHAEL

Tell me straight out.

DR.STERN

Dr. Sturbridge said he agreed with

Dr. Rahmadi, but he called Dr. Day

anyway to make an appeal. It was

denied. Ritchie apparently made you

sound like an interfering parent.

MICHAEL

Do you think that?

DR.STERN

I think Ritchie is very serious

about getting out. That worries me.

MICHAEL

Who is Dr. Day?

DR.STERN

He's chief at St Joseph's. He's in

charge of your insurance company's

behavioral management.

MICHAEL

What's he like?

DR.STERN

Don't ask. He's a prick. Who else

would take a job like that?

MICHAEL

Where can I get his number? I'll

call him.

CONTINUED:

DR. STERN (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

102.

DR.STERN

He won't answer. Once he makes up

his mind…

MICHAEL

(flipping his car keys)

I'm going to St Joseph's.

EXT: SOUTH BRONX SLUMS 90'S STYLE- THE SAME DAY

Series of shots through Michael's car window. Scenes of 90's

devastation. Drunks on the street corners sitting on wooden

crate boxes. Kids running out in front of the cars. Broken

glass is everywhere.

Michael parks. He sits for a moment in the car, gearing up.

He leaves the car with a look of determination.

INT: ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIC WARD

Michael approaches a nurse. She points down the hall. He

opens a door and comes to a receptionist.

MICHAEL

I'd like to see Dr. Day.

RECEPTIONIST

Who shall I say is calling?

MICHAEL

Mr. Russell. Michael Russell.

The receptionist picks up her phone and pushes a button. She

speaks softly into it. She faces Michael

RECEPTIONIST

He won't see anyone without an

appointment.

MICHAEL

Tell him he spoke to Dr. Sturbridge

this morning about an appeal for my

son. I'm Ritchie Russell's father.

RECEPTIONIST

He won't see you.

MICHAEL

Well I'll just have to see him.

The receptionist blocks his path

RECEPTIONIST

You can't go in there.

MICHAEL

I don't really want to have to

shove a lady. But I will if I have

to.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

103.

She steps out of the way. Michael enters. DR. DAY is a

tattered man in his 50's, balding on top but with long hair

along the sides. There is a big sign on his wall.

SIGN: TALK IS CHEAP

MICHAEL

Isn't that an unusual sign to have

in a psychiatrist's office?

DR. DAY

Yeah. It's the opposite. Talking

to a shrink is very expensive.

MICHAEL

If my son is discharged from the

hospital he'll be in danger.

DR. DAY

You're totally out of line coming

here.

MICHAEL

Your decision is wrong.

DR. DAY

It's non-negotiable.

MICHAEL

My son can't come home. He's

serious about hurting himself.

DR. DAY

Look Mr. Russell. You think you

can come in here from yuppy-land

and demand special treatment. Why

you and not someone else?

MICHAEL

This has nothing to do with special

treatment.

DR. DAY

The answer is no. Your son's

doctors agreed with our decision.

MICHAEL

But they have no choice.

DR. DAY

They can choose to keep anybody

they want. You know that does

happen sometimes. Why don't you

pay for uninsured care?

MICHAEL

I don't have the money.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

104.

DR. DAY

My guess is your son needs a

whippin' to get him to open his

eyes. He's spoiled. Kids like him

have been whining to their mommies

since they're two years old and the

worst they get is "a good talk".

Well we're not going to pay for

talks.

MICHAEL

This has nothing to do with my son.

DR. DAY

Your son should get a life.

MICHAEL

He's a little more than upset. He..

DR.DAY

I don't want to hear the details.

Did you take a look outside when

you were driving over here? Take a

good look going home. These kids

are watching their friends shoot up

every day. Hell their parents,

that is, when they have parents,

are smashed half the time. People

are dying of AIDs all around them.

Every night they hear gunfire. The

next morning they find out who was

killed. I don't want to hear about

your son. He's leading a

privileged life and if he can't

deal with that, than so be it.

MICHAEL

(angrily)

This story is going in the

Tribune.

Michael hands Dr. Day the article.

Dr. Day skims it He hands it back.

DR.DAY

So what else is new?

MICHAEL

That's all you've got to say?

DR. DAY

Look you think I give a damn that

this guy made 900 million? Look

around you. You want a cut of my

millions? Your article has nothing

to do with me. I probably make less

money than you.

MICHAEL

I'm going to stop this, one way or

another.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

105.

DR. DAY

Good luck.

MICHAEL

I'm not leaving until you agree to

let my son stay in the hospital.

DR.DAY

Listen hot shot. Get out of my

office.

Dr. Day pushes Michael toward the door. They wrestle and go

down together. Michael is in a rage. A close up of his

face. The police have arrived. They pull him off.

INT: BRONX JAIL A FEW HOURS LATER

Joe and Deborah greet Michael as he is given back his

possessions.

DEBORAH

How was it?

MICHAEL

It was worth it.

They go to Deborah's car. She hands him the car keys.

Deborah and Michael sit in the front, Joe in back. Michael

hands his article to Joe in the back seat.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Had time to write some more. Read

it.

JOE

Now?

MICHAEL

Now.

Joe looks over the article.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Did you visit Ritchie?

DEBORAH

This afternoon.

MICHAEL

And?

DEBORAH

You are doing the right thing. I

don't know what we are going to do.

They drive for a while. Joe finishes the article.

JOE

What did you want me to do with

this?

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

106.

MICHAEL

Print it. I need pressure on the

doctors and the insurance company.

JOE

Did that work with Dr. Day?

MICHAEL

No.

JOE

So what makes you think it will

work with anyone else?

MICHAEL

It will. What if you put it in the

paper tomorrow?

JOE

You've worked in this business how

long?

MICHAEL

Joe. I'm out of ideas. I mean-

JOE

You know I can't. We need a fact

check and then legal's got to check

it over.

MICHAEL

I just want to get people's

adrenaline going. Put them on

notice.

JOE

Well you definitely got Dr. Day

going. Look, I'll fax this to

Martin MacDonald. He runs your

insurance company. You can ask him

to respond to your story. Maybe

you got a shot that way. But I'll

be honest with you. He's supposed

to be a son of a bitch. Once he

reads this he could try to get your

son kicked out right on the spot.

MICHAEL

You're serious?

JOE

MACDONALD isn't a hide your head

person. On principle the bastard

could go harder on your son.

DEBORAH

Honey, you've worked hard on this

article, but I don't think its

going to work. We may have to take

him home and watch him like a hawk.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

107.

MICHAEL

Dr. Stern said that wouldn't work.

DEBORAH

What else can we do?

JOE

I'll send the fax. You never know.

A fax from the Tribune…

MICHAEL

Joe. Could you loan us $15,000?

A sudden chill. They are silent. The tension mounts.

JOE

I can't help you. Except for my

daughter's college fund I don't

have that kind of money. Maybe a

thousand or two.

MICHAEL

I have Dr. Stern's emergency

number. Maybe he has a new angle.

Joe takes out his cell phone. He hands it to Michael.

Michael dials a number.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Can the doctor talk?

He watches the road like a hawk, one hand on the wheel. They

stop for a red light.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Come on. Come on.

DEBORAH

Where are you racing to? There is

no where to rush to.

MICHAEL

You don't think I know that?

He puts his hand over the phone mouthpiece

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Hold it

(to Dr. Stern)

Go on.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Right… Do you think that is good?..

Okay. Talk to you tomorrow

DEBORAH

What did he say.

MICHAEL

There is some kind of plan. They

are not discharging him tomorrow.

CONTINUED: (2)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

108.

I'm to meet with Dr. Rahmadi in the

morning.

EXT. PUTTING GREEN ON THE GROUNDS OF MARTIN MACDONALD'S

MANSION IN CONNECTICUT- 2 HOURS LATER

The camera wanders a bit taking in how exquisite the whole

setting is. Marty's daughter hits a beauty of a shot.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Very nice Barbara. It looks like

those lessons are paying off.

BARBARA

Thanks dad.

Lenny Birch, dressed in a suit, walks out of the mansion with

Michael's article and hands it to him. They are out of

hearing range from Barbara.

LEONARD BIRCH

It was just faxed from New York.

An article from that reporter that

Dr. Day called you about.

Marty reads it over.

LEONARD BIRCH (CONT'D)

What do you want me to do?

MARTIN MACDONALD

Nothing. Nothing at all. These

articles come out all the time. Dr.

Peeno testified to Congress in

1996. She knew everything about the

business. Nothing's happening.

Insurance bores everyone.

LEONARD BIRCH

Yeah Russell mentions Dr. Peeno.

It's funny all these expose shows.

60 minutes 20/20, 48 Hours,

Frontline. They're pumping out so

many exposes that nothing

sticks.(pause) So what should I do?

MARTIN MACDONALD

Send a copy to P.R. but tell them

to do nothing. We'll lay low for a

week and it will be over. This

Michael Russell is getting off

being a bad boy. He won't have an

audience.

LEONARD BIRCH

I'm gonna check up on him anyway.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Fine. But meanwhile I have a more

pressing problem.

CONTINUED: (3)

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

109.

LEONARD BIRCH

What's that?

Marty lines up his putt.

MARTIN MACDONALD

Matching my daughter's shot.

INT. DR. RAHMADI'S OFFICE, THE NEXT MORNING.

DR RAHMADI

(in a lecturing tone)

Mr. Russell You are out of control.

Next time they'll give you real

jail time.

MICHAEL

What do you want to tell me?

DR. RAHMADI

We want to send Ritchie to Second

Chance. It's a drug treatment

center. His pot smoking was

certainly part of the problem.

MICHAEL

You don't believe that do you?

DR. RAHMADI

That is the best we can do. It was

Dr. Day's idea.

MICHAEL

I'm not done with Dr. Day.

His dead seriousness strikes Rahmadi

DR. RAHMADI

(smiling)

You going to put out a contract on

him?

MICHAEL

Not all Mafia ideas are bad ideas.

DR. RAHMADI

In your next life.

Michael is irritated

DR RAHMADI

I need to know now if you'll go

along with our plan. Ritchie's

accepted for tomorrow morning.

MICHAEL

I have to discuss it with my wife.

And Ritchie.

CONTINUED:

110.

INT. A DINER NEAR THE HOSPITAL- AN HOUR LATER

DEBORAH

Michael, his problem isn't drugs.

MICHAEL

It's our only choice. Stern's heard

good things about Second Chance.

DEBORAH

I wish we could have gotten that

money.

MICHAEL

In jail… for the first time I

understood those guys. Everything

is stacked against them. I mean

everything. They have no chance

from day one… The want justice, the

score evened. Rules are there to

keep them down. Makes them entitled

to do anything. If they have the

chance.

DEBORAH

That's where you are?

He shrugs.

MICHAEL

Maybe

DEBORAH

(teasing)

You're losing it.

He shrugs again.

MICHAEL

If I were in the Mafia we could do

something for Ritchie. We're no

one. No one against these people.

DEBORAH

My Phi Beta Kappa boy. You're

going to trade in your pin for a

gun. Don't you know the pen is

mightier than the sword?

MICHAEL

That was written by a writer.

Truth is I want to kill someone.

DEBORAH

Like who?

MICHAEL

All of them.

(CONTINUED)

111.

DEBORAH

You'll land up in jail with those

guys.

MICHAEL

It would be worth it.

INT. THE UTILITY ROOM ABOVE THE BALLROOM

Michael targets MACDONALD with his rifle

INT. RITCHIE'S ROOM IN THE PSYCH UNIT- AN HOUR AFTER THE

RUSSELL'S DINER MEETING

RITCHIE

I'm not going to no drug program.

(CONT'D)

MICHAEL

We're doing the best we can. This

is it.

RITCHIE

You don't have to be locked up.

Am I going to have someone checking

up on me every two seconds? Bossing

me around.

MICHAEL

I don't know.

RITCHIE

I'm not putting up with any more of

it. I'll tell you right now.

MICHAEL

You're going to have to go along

with whatever Second Chances' rules

are.

RITCHIE

And what if I don't?

MICHAEL

Don't go there Ritchie.

Dr. Rahmadi enters the room. Ritchie doesn't look up.

DR. RAHMADI

What have you decided?

MICHAEL

We're going to do it. But Ritchie

has a question.

DR. Rahmadi waits for the question

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

112.

RITCHIE

Nothing. I'm good.

MICHAEL

You're sure?

Ritchie doesn't answer. Before leaving the room Rahmadi

turns to them.

DR. RAHMADI

The drive to Second Chance is nice.

Through the country. About two

hours away. It's supposed to be

nice weather tomorrow morning.

Dr. Rahmadi leaves. Ritchie picks up a vase and throws it

against the wall. It smashes into a thousand pieces. Dr.

Rahmadi returns.

DR. RAHMADI (CONT'D)

Seclusion.

Ritchie gives him the finger. Michael sits passively as the

attendants come into the room and take Ritchie away.

INT. THE DOOR OF THE PADDED CELL 3 HOUR LATER

Melissa is at the door.

MELISSA

You okay?

RITCHIE

(sounding drugged)

I'm good.

MELISSA

You sound a little too good.

Someone slip you a funny pill?

RITCHIE

No, I'm just good. I'm finally

ending this bullshit.

Ritchie keeps taking the ring off and on his pinky.

MELISSA

Ritchie you sound funny.

RITCHIE

Tomorrow's a big day.

MELISSA

What do you mean?

RITCHIE

I finally have things straight in

my head.

MELISSA

About Lise?

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

113.

RITCHIE

Yes.

MELISSA

What did you figure out?

RITCHIE

I'm not going to be all right

unless I'm with her.

MELISSA

Ritchie--

RITCHIE

(mimicking Melissa)

Ritchie, Ritchie

She restrains herself for a minute but then continues.

MELISSA

Dying is no answer. You want to

die. Wait until it's your time.

Silence from Ritchie.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

There is still too much in this

world that you haven't even tried.

I mean there's Dan and there is me,

and you don't even know me, but I

get better, Ritchie, much better.

I make great lasagna...totally the

real thing. My grandmother taught

me. I mean come on.

RITCHIE

(once again mimicking her)

Ritchie, Ritchie.

MELISSA

Ritchie... I'm sorry I keep saying

that. I know it's bugging you.

But you have to taste my lasagna.

Silence.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Lisa can wait for you. Believe me

she's not lonely. I heard she's

got a boyfriend.

Silence.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

You didn't know that did you? I've

got psychic powers. The minute you

told me about Lisa I visited her.

She told me how she misses

everybody but she's all right.

She's worried because you are

having a hard time.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

114.

RITCHIE

Is this another one of your

stories? Can you really talk to

her?

MELISSA

I just said I can. She's the one

that said she can wait. Not me.

You shouldn't do anything. That's

what she said. She said she's good

and wants to see how you will turn

out when you grow up.

Once again there is silence coming out of the room. Melissa

grows desperate.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Ritchie you bastard. Just like my

father.

RITCHIE

I thought you never knew your

father.

MELISSA

I lied. He used to beat up on my

mother.

Ritchie is quiet as he traces a seam in the wall padding with

the ring

MELISSA (CON'T) (CONT'D)

Killed himself. What an idiot.

Ritchie don't do it. Come on.

RITCHIE

Melissa listen I'm not going to do

it. I think about it a lot. But

no. Lisa's not there so I'm not

going to do it.

MELISSA

Lisa is there. She said I should

tell you to stick around.

RITCHIE

I said I would.

MELISSA

Promise?

RITCHIE

You want me to sign a contract?

God what ass holes they are in this

place.

MELISSA

I want you to promise me.

There is a very long silence.

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

115.

RITCHIE

Okay I promise.

MELISSA

Really?

NO answer. They are both quiet and thoughtful

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Can I ask you something?

RITCHIE

What?

MELISSA

You think we have a chance?

RITCHIE

What do you mean we?

MELISSA

You and me.

RITCHIE

(in a very sweet voice)

You and me? Melissa I want you to

know that I appreciate your ability

to make up stories. Like Lisa and

me when we had our talking

cockroaches...

MELISSA

They’re not lies.

RITCHIE

I just want you to know that.

MELISSA

Dan called me. He’s scared. He

said you sounded like you were

saying final good-byes. Now it’s

my turn? I don’t need a final

goodbye. I want to see you at one

of my basketball games. Ritchie,

please promise me you’re not going

to do anything

Silence

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Ritchie? Ritchie?

More silence. Melissa is getting very edgy.

MELISSA (CONT'D)

Ritchie. (starts to cry) Come on

Ritchie.

Silence

CONTINUED: (3)

116.

INT. AT THE NURSES STATION- MOMENTS LATER

Melissa hits hard on the locked door.

MELISSA

Open up. I gotta talk to somebody.

Melissa hits the door again. Finally it opens. The aide

licks her finger. She has been called away from her Kentucky

Fried Chicken.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

Now what can be that important?

Melissa hesitates.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE (CONT'D)

Girl. I'm talking to you.

MELISSA

You have to promise when Dr.

Rahmadi comes in. Someone's will

tell him that Richard Russell is

going to hurt himself when he gets

out.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

He told you that? He said he's

going to kill himself?

MELISSA

Well…

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

What were his exact words?

MELISSA

He said he wouldn't. But I know he

will.

PSYCHIATRIC AIDE

Yeah I heard about you and how you

think you are a psychic. Let me

tell you something girl. The

sooner you get back on earth the

better. You're a pretty girl. You

don't need to be in no psychiatric

hospital.

INT. THE RUSSELL'S BEDROOM-THAT NIGHT

Michael and Deborah are lying calmly in bed. Periodically

they stroke each other

DEBORAH

I'm going to get a job.

MICHAEL

That's good. You were much better

when you got up every day and went

to work. What made you decide?

(CONTINUED)

117.

DEBORAH

First of all and second of all we

need the money.

MICHAEL

We can manage.

DEBORAH

We wouldn't be in this situation

now if we had some savings.

MICHAEL

Maybe.

DEBORAH

It's not just that. The way I've

been is stupid. I should have done

better getting over Lisa, gone

forward.

MICHAEL

You did what you had to do. You

weren't ready.

DEBORAH

I was never going to be ready. It

messed up Ritchie.

MICHAEL

Coulda, woulda, shoulda, it doesn't

matter.

DEBORAH

It's not just Ritchie. (quiet

tears) I'm glad we have something

again.

Michael keeps stroking Deborah's hair. He looks into her

eyes searchingly.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

What is it?

MICHAEL

I don't know. It's been so long.

You've been like a stranger to me.

For years.

DEBORAH

Well now I'm not going to be a

stranger.

MICHAEL

I hope so. It's been lonely. I

thought we would never be close

again.

DEBORAH

Don't let me go back there okay?

No matter what. Just don't let me

do it.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

118.

MICHAEL

How do I do that?

DEBORAH

I don't know, but you can. I'm

sure you can.

Michael gets out of bed. Slips into a robe, goes to the

bathroom, comes back.

MICHAEL

Are you going to come with us

tomorrow?

DEBORAH

(wiping her eyes)

No, I don't think we're ready yet.

It still works better one on one.

I'll call Ritchie and explain.

I'll visit him tomorrow.

Deborah notices how down Michael is.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

It will work out. We'll get

through this. Things are going to

be better.

The phone rings. Michael looks at the clock. It's midnight.

Deborah is frightened. She answers, listens, hangs up with a

look of resignation

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

That was Melissa.

INT. DR. RAHMADI'S OFFICE-THE NEXT MORNING

DR. RAHMADI

Mr. Russell, the answer is no.

MICHAEL

You think Melissa would make up

something like that?

DR. RAHMADI

Melissa is a patient on a psych

ward.

MICHAEL

Come on.

DR. RAHMADI

You won't let up. You keep going

and going. You've tried every

angle. Now this. The answer is no.

Ritchie's doesn't fit our criteria

for continued stay. He is being

discharged this morning.

MICHAEL

Do you have children?

CONTINUED: (2)

(CONTINUED)

119.

Dr. Rahmadi rolls his eyes.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Do you?

DR RAHMADI

Yes.

MICHAEL

Then how can you not understand?

DR RAHMADI

My son wouldn't be here.

That shuts Michael up. He is broken.

Dr. Rahmadi looks at his watch.

DR. RAHMADI

Your son is waiting for you. If

you are smart you'll drive him to

Second Chance this morning and get

out of the picture.

EXT. THE DOOR TO THE HOSPITAL WARD

Michael and Ritchie leave the ward.

MICHAEL

You have everything?

RITCHIE

Yeah.

MICHAEL

I've brought you your Ipod. They

let you listen to music there.

RITCHIE

Oh yeah.

Michael hands it to him. Ritchie is acting nonchalant.

Michael is scared out of his mind. He keeps trying to engage

Ritchie with his eyes. But that is going nowhere

MICHAEL

For your mother. Promise me you're

not going to do anything.

RITCHIE

Dad. Enough already. Leave me

alone.

He gets in the car and slams the door.

EXT. IN MICHAEL'S CAR SAME MORNING

They drive through beautiful country. The radio is on.

Michael and Ritchie listen quietly.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

120.

RITCHIE

Do you have that Nancy Griffith CD

you used to play?

MICHAEL

You remember that?

RITCHIE

Yeah play it.

NANCY GRIFFITH sings Across the Great Divide. Ritchie is

floaty, smiling a lot in a strangely contented way. It's a

sunny fall day New England style. They go up and down hills,

pass a meadow, then through a covered bridge. From time to

time Michael steals a glance at Ritchie and vice-versa…

Michael will go wherever Ritchie takes him.

The music continues:

The finest hour that I have seen

Is the one that comes between

The edge of night and the break of day

It's when the darkness rolls away

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

(sweetly)

God, I haven't listened to music

with you in so long. I want to play

the yodeling song.

Ritchie hits the buttons NANCY GRIFFITH'S NIGHT RIDER LAMENT.

They YODEL along with the song. Both crack up.

The drive continues as does the music.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

We've been here before haven't we?

MICHAEL

Yeah. We used to camp out here

when the leaves were just like

this. Mom and I promised each

other, we'd do it every year. It

was my version of Rosh Hoshanah.

I'd renew my New Year vows.

RITCHIE

Why'd we stop doing that?

MICHAEL

I don't know. After Lisa… We

shouldn't have. We just stopped.

You want us to start coming here

again? It's a deal. You get your

head right and we'll come every

year…

Ritchie doesn't answer.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Every year. And one day you'll

bring your children, and then

they'll bring their children.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

121.

That's how it's supposed to be. You

keep going. You try to keep it

going forever.

RITCHIE

Do you really believe in God?

MICHAEL

Yes.

RITCHIE

And heaven. You think we are going

to see Lisa again?

MICHAEL

We are going to be together. But

Ritchie, first we have a lot of

years here. I know you think it's

bullshit, but Mom's better.

Everything is going to be better.

RITCHIE

Wait, hold it. This is the spot

isn't it? Up there… Where we used

to go camping.

Michael pulls the car over to a turnoff.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

I want to see this place.

The two of them get out and climb up a steep rocky path.

They reach a clearing. Ahead is the vista. As before, the

wind howls through the canyons.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

I remember every year you'd take a

picture of us right over there.

MICHAEL

You remember that?

RITCHIE

I remember everything Dad.

Everything.

MICHAEL

I'm going to start taking pictures

again.

RITCHIE

I remember Lisa hiding behind that

tree. Harry found her.

MICHAEL

Do you want another dog? You said

you didn't but maybe we should get

one.

RITCHIE

The new Russell family.

CONTINUED: (2)

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

122.

Ritchie walks over to the edge of the cliff. Clutching Lisa's

ring he looks down fearlessly as the wind blows.

MICHAEL

Don't get too close.

RITCHIE

Don't worry dad.

Michael is about to grab him but then Ritchie sits down. His

legs dangle over the edge.

RITCHIE (CONT'D)

Come here. It's nice.

Michael does as he's told. They are quiet for a while.

MICHAEL

I love this spot.

Ritchie is in another world. They sit silently, listening to

the wind. The camera remains there for some time, catching a

bird in flight. Leaves swirl. The vastness, and their

smallness in the scheme of things, creates a kind of calm.

EXT. SECOND CHANCE BUILDING

LONG VIEW

An aide stands by quietly at Michael's car as they say their

good-byes. As they hug the camera goes in for a close up of

each. Michael's eyes are watery. Ritchie's as cold as ice,

except for a fleeting moment when Ritchie's eyes meet his

father's and are calling for help.

Michael drives away slowly, quietly. JASCHA HEIFITZ, BRAHMS

plays

He's flooded with memories, with Russell home videos.

A) Lisa and Ritchie each making clown faces for the camera.

B) Michael throwing infant Ritchie into the air and

catching him. Lisa pulls at his leg. He hands Ritchie to

Deborah. Picks up Lisa and throws her up.

Michael arrives at the spot where he got out with Ritchie

earlier that morning. The music continues. Michael walks up

the path. Goes behind the tree. Returns.

EXT. THE SAME CAMPING SITE 10 YEARS BEFORE

The sound of GIGGLES. 6-year old Ritchie, 7-year old Lisa

run around in circles (from the opening scenes). Deborah,

young, radiant offers a canteen to Michael. Michael can

almost talk to these ghosts from his past (as in Wild

Strawberries).

EXT. INSIDE THE CAR- CONTINUATION OF THE DRIVE

An almost trance like atmosphere.

CONTINUED: (3)

123.

INT THE DOOR TO THE RUSSELL'S APARTMENT

Michael puts his key into the lock. The door is opened

DEBORAH

Michael?

One look at her and he knows. She sobs. He holds her, both

desperately.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Ten minutes after he got there. He

found a tie. Lisa's ring was in

his hand

MICHAEL

I should have threatened Dr.

Rahmadi. I didn't contact…

(hesitating) I…

Deborah puts her finger to his lips

DEBORAH

Sh…sh.

She strokes his hair.

MICHAEL

We're going to get the sons of

bitches. Gonna get them.

CUT TO:

SERIES OF SHOTS SHOWING THE PASSING OF TIME

A haggard Deborah brushing her hair

Michael taking out the garbage

Deborah drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, Deborah

cleaning out Ritchie's room. Fingering the ring.

Michael staring vacantly at a news show in the kitchen.

Deborah cooking nearby.

MICHAEL

(Voice raised, irritated)

They are fuckin' debating this huge

moral issue. What kind of shopping

bag is the most green?

Deborah goes on with her chores, for the most part ignoring

him.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I can't take this shit.

DEBORAH

So turn it off.

(CONTINUED)

124.

He does. She hesitates before speaking

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

You have to be patient. People are

reading your articles. There is

some talk.

MICHAEL

That's bullshit and you know it.

He reads from the Times

"Heidi Fleis dropped plans for a

bordello she told the Las Vegas

Journal. She's now focused on

alternative energy because that's

where the money is."

Closing the newspaper

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Nothing ever changes.

DEBORAH

Don't get cynical.

MICHAEL

I can't help it.

DEBORAH

The only way to beat it is to do

something.

INT. NY THE OPENING SCENE UTILITY ROOM ABOVE THE CEILING OF

THE PLAZA HOTEL'S GRAND BALLROOM

Applause in the ballroom. MacDonald continues his talk. The

tension is building on Michael's face.

MACDONALD

Let me tell you something. A

campaign has been mounted trying to

get me. But I will not give up

this fight. We have an obligation

to keep health costs down. For too

long doctors have been on a

spending spree. They don't care

about costs. We are doing the job

that needs to be done.

Michael can't contain himself any longer. He places the rifle

back in the opening. Takes aim.

MACDONALD O.S.

I promise you tonight, that I won't

give in. They can't bully us.

He rushes his shot and misses. There is bedlam below. We

can hear people shouting. Michael is terrified. He leaves the

gun on the floor and quickly leaves the room.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

125.

He takes off his gloves putting them in his jacket pocket.

We can hear people rushing towards the corridor. He makes it

to a stairway, goes down two flights and then another and

enters the hotel corridor. He has gone unseen. He pushes the

elevator button. It arrives and he goes in, trying to seem

calm and collected.

INT HOTEL ELEVATOR

A middle age couple are in the elevator with a nine year old

girl. The couple smiles politely but avoids eye contact. He

is sweating profusely. He takes out a handkerchief and wipes

his brow. The girl stares at him critically, like she can

sense he is a villain. They arrive at the lobby and he joins

the crowd also frantically trying to get out of the building.

INT. THE RUSSELL'S BEDROOM. NOT LONG AFTER

Deborah is watching the news on TV. Michael comes into the

room.

DEBORAH

Someone tried to shoot Martin

MacDonald

He tries to act as if nothing has happened. She studies

him, suspecting the truth. Michael undresses, puts on his

pajamas.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(a scolding voice)

Don't be stupid.

MICHAEL

I had to do something. I had to.

All this talk. I'm the worst.

DEBORAH

Maybe, but no craziness. I should

have seen it coming. When you

watch the news.

Michael seems to be ignoring her.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Your anger. I can't take it. I

know you're not angry at me, but

your hate. I start to hate you.

You've got to stop. I can't live

with it Michael. I can't.

MICHAEL

Don't worry. I'm finished sounding

off.

EXT HARLEM STREET SCENE THE NEXT DAY

Michael is carrying a satchel. He checks the address. He

enters the building, knocks at an apartment door.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

126.

MAN IN THE APARTMENT

Back for another one? What did you

do with the first rifle?

He is shown an assortment of rifles and revolvers. He

chooses one much like the one he left in the utility room.

He disassembles the parts and puts it his satchel.

INT THE RUSSELL'S APARTMENT SHORTLY AFTER

Michael is looking through a drawer in the dining room. He

lifts several objects for inspection before returning them.

Finally he has what he is looking for, his bar mitzvah

tallis. He holds it up. Then wraps the gun parts with his

tallis and puts them in the satchel. As he is finishing

Deborah enters the room and observes him.

DEBORAH

What are you doing?

MICHAEL

Nothing. Listen, I'm going to that

place in the mountains. Come with

me.

DEBORAH

It's pretty late to start for

there. We'll have to drive back in

the dark

She is trying to understand what he is up to. She is

frightened, confused.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

Okay. I'll go for the ride, but I

don't want to climb up there

CAR SHOTS AND SHOTS OF THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN

They talk very little. They are lost in their thoughts.

When they arrive Michael gets out.

MICHAEL

I won't be long.

Michael grabs his satchel. He looks at his watch. He gives

her a kiss as if this might be goodbye. She starts to get

out of the car.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I want you to wait for me here.

He sees her fear.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Really. I'm going to be all right.

She watches him climb the incline not knowing what to do.

It is almost time for the sunset. When he arrives at their

spot he looks out at the horizon, searching, searching.

CONTINUED:

(CONTINUED)

127.

Deborah stares out of the car window becoming more and more

frightened.

Suddenly Deborah hears a GUNSHOT. In a panic, she climbs to

reach him.

Michael has his rifle in position, aimed at the descending

sun. He shoots again.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(screaming like a mad man)

Fuck you God. Fuck you.

He shoots again.

Deborah can see him. She stops and watches quietly.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Fuck you. Fuck you

He throws the rifle over the cliff. He puts on his tallis and

rhythmically dovens.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(without subtitles)

Yis'ga'dal v'yis'kadash sh'may

ra'bbo, b'olmo dee'vro chir'usay

v'yamlich malchu'say, b'chayaychon

uv'yomay'chon uv'chayay d'chol bais

Yisroel, ba'agolo u'viz'man koriv;

v'imru Omein.

Y'hay shmay rabbo m'vorach l'olam

ul'olmay olmayo.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

(Chanting rhythmically with

subtitles)

Yisborach v'yishtabach v'yispoar

v'yisromam v'yismasay, v'yishador

v'yis'aleh v'yisalal, shmay

d'kudsho, brich hu, l'aylo min kl

birchoso v'sheeroso, tush'bechoso

v'nechemoso, da,ameeran b'olmo;

vimru Omein.

Y'hay shlomo rabbo min sh'mayo,

v'chayim alaynu v'al kol Yisroel;

v'imru Omein.

Oseh sholom bimromov, hu ya'aseh

sholom olaynu, v'al kol yisroel;

vimru Omein.

(SUBTITLES)

May his great name be blessed,

forever and ever. Blessed, praised,

glorified, exalted, extolled,

honored, elevated and lauded be the

Name of the holy one, Blessed is heabove

and beyond any blessings and

hymns,

May his great name be blessed,

forever and ever.

And say Amen.

CONTINUED:

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

128.

May there be abundant peace from

Heaven, and life, upon us and upon

all Israel; and say, Amen.

Deborah approaches him. He sees her

MICHAEL

I never said Kaddish...For either

of them.

He drops to his knees. He begins to cry. Sobs soon replace

his tears. Years of tears, centuries of tears. Emotions

gather from his fingers, his lungs, his bowels, his lips, a

flood of tears, an ocean. He begins to shake. He can't stop

himself. Deborah holds him in her arms.

DEBORAH

Shhhhhhhhhh…Shhhhhhhhh. It's over.

She strokes him slowly, deliberately, lovingly. He closes his

eyes. He's becoming calm, released. It's been a long time.

DEBORAH (CONT'D)

(whispers soothingly)

It's over.

THE END

Although the characters and situations in this movie are

completely fictional, it was inspired by true events.

Stewart Moscovitch (not a reporter but a factory worker)

filed suit against his insurance company PHS, Danbury

Hospital and Vitam Center Inc. after his 16-year-old son

committed suicide in July 1995. According to the suit, Nitai

Moscovitch was hospitalized at Danbury after twice attempting

to kill himself. His 12 year old sister had died of cancer

several years before his suicide attempt.

Eight days after admission, PHS had Nitai transferred to

Vitam, a drug treatment center in southern Connecticut. He

hung himself shortly after his arrival. Mr. Moscovitch had

begged the doctors not to discharge his son. In desperation,

he had been advised by a social worker friend to claim he

would abandon his son. He was told his son would be sent to

a shelter. Vitam was a compromise worked out with the doctors

and the insurance company.

In response to HMOs abuse of their power, several states

passed laws allowing individuals to sue them. On June 23,

2004, an end was put to that. The United States Supreme

Court unanimously decided that states could not pass laws

that allowed their residents to sue. As now written, Federal

laws governing health care exempts insurance companies.

Briefly there was talk of a Federal Health Care Bill of

Rights which would change existing law to include the right

to sue.

CONTINUED: (2)

(SUBTITLES) (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

129.

Tha