Paradise Montana
by
Mark Anthony Given
Copyright 2010 by Mark Anthony Given. All Rights Reserved.
Mark Anthony Given
God’s Love
Helena, Montana 59601
Screenplay for Sale
markamania2002@yahoo.com
http://paradisemontanathemovie@yahoo.com
FINAL DRAFT SPRING 2011
I'm going back to Montana and I don't care if I ever leave. -C.M. Russell
FADE IN
Montage of Montana's Yellowstone River and the River Road in Paradise Valley, Montana leading to an upscale exclusive Hot Springs resort, interspersed with fine dining calm restaurant chatter, dishes tinkling we see chef MARK in the kitchen calling out orders over the stove, expediting dishes, mincing garlic.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY DAY
We see MARK walking through the hotel hallways late at night after work, chef coat open carrying a plate of fruit with his mail under his arm making his way to his room. This long walk shows off the resort as he passes the lobby and back through the hotel to the pool/hot springs and bar to the employee housing.
INT. MARK'S ROOM DAY
MARK sitting at a writing table in his room overlooking the deserted pool with discarded dishes, crumpled pieces of paper on the floor radio playing low writing furiously long hand on yellow legal pads...
EXT. MONTAGE HIGHWAY
Highway traffic through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming into Montana we see older model white Chrysler LeBaron with Texas tags on the car DEBBIE and BRITNI making their way north to Montana we see them at campgrounds, rest area, trucks passing, BRITNI sleeping in the front seat. From the outside we see they are happy one minute and angry the next. Footage contains VHS images they themselves took at several camp grounds and historic sites, etc.
EXT. HOTEL POOL DAY
MARK carrying a tray like an expert waiter he once was burst through the kitchen double door's into the employee's entrance in the back halls of the hotel/restaurant. We see him making his way through the halls tray loaded with fruit, sandwiches, lemonade and Wall Street Journal, passing fellow employees who greet him then housekeeping carts and housekeeper's who all know him then guest and girls in their bikini's and finally out onto the kind of crowded pool and Hot Springs with upscale quest and their children. MARK heads along the distance of the pool expertly negotiating puddle's, kid's and looks like a waiter except the fashionably torn jeans, open chef coat without an under shirt, up onto the higher deck and places the tray down arranges the items and plop's down on the chaise lounge like he owns the place.
12/3/2010
INT. HOTEL BAR NIGHT
Live country music in the hotel bar packed with western wearing attires and a few real cowboys, pool tables and cigarette smoke.
INT. MARK'S ROOM. NIGHT
MARK directly over the bandstand in his room with headphones on, joint in the ashtray, bottle of Barq's Root Beer, in his underwear writing away with a smile on his face.
MONTAGE
Home video of BRITNI and DEBBIE breaking down a tent next to a river with DEB's voice heard behind the camera. Montana’s Yellowstone River and a 360 of Paradise Valley Montana (Park County). BRITNI posing for her mother as she crosses a small stream on stones.
DEBBIE
Turn around BRIT.
BRITNI can be seen turning around sticking out her butt playfully.
EXT. HOTEL DAY
DEBBIE walks to her car in a deserted hotel parking lot in a housekeeping uniform where we find BRITNI in the front seat doing her home school and reading the Bible. They are living in their car and sleeping in campgrounds.
INT. MARK'S ROOM. NIGHT
MARK sitting at his desk there is a knock at the door.
MARK
Who is it?
GIRL NEXT DOOR
It's MICHELLE from next-door.
MARK arranges his things on the desk so no one can see what he's writing, looks around and opens the door to a young girl MICHELLE still in her house keeping uniform and lives next door.
MICHELLE
Can I buy a bud from you? I got like seven dollars?
MARK
What? I'm not a fucking drug dealer! Why are you asking me?
MICHELLE
Looking up and down the hall nervously.
No, I know. I'm sorry.
MARK
Who told you to ask me?
MICHELLE
Tom in Room 12.
MARK
Come on in.
He closes the door as three young Russian girls in their negligee’s rushing for the phone ringing at the end of the hall at the top of the stairs run past oblivious to MARK as the band downstairs stops and announces a 10 minute break. MICHELLE sits in the chair with an easy manner and acts excited about getting high after work.
MARK
I am not selling you any pot; I’ll smoke some with you though. I don't even like drug dealer's, you'll get me kicked out of here.
MICHELLE
I'll have some Friday. I have seen you in the kitchen. You’re the top guy over there huh?
MARK
I guess. How about you what's your story? How'd you find out about this place?
MICHELLE
My friend in Maintenance knew about it. We're from Washington State, my boyfriend came with us but he went back. They work the hell out of you in housekeeping and you can get all the hours you want.
She hits the big glass bong and falls back into the chair totally relaxed and smiling.
EXT. EMPLOYMENT/WELFARE OFFICE. DAY
DEBBIE and BRITNI in the old white car now completely dirty pulling into the State Employment and Welfare Office in Livingston, Montana, early morning.
EXT. EMPLOYMENT OFFICE/WELFARE OFFICE. DAY
We see into the car BRITNI eating powdered donuts and chocolate milk as DEBBIE get out of the car and walks into the office. They look like they just drove across country.
EXT./INT. DOWNTOWN LIVINGSTON, MONTANA. DAY
We turn up Main Street, downtown Livingston, Montana as if in a car at the end of the first block music is heard coming from The Whiskey Bar, past furniture stores, banks, antique stores, art galleries in the middle of the third block (all these locations exist) we turn into the Senior Center just as an old woman helps and old man out the door. After looking from side to side we continue past banquet tables, day old bread for free, we turn down the stair into a second-hand store where BRITNY and DEBBIE are shopping for household items cheerfully.
EXT. CAMPGROUND AT THE EDGE OF TOWN. DAY
From a distance (the Interstate 100 yards away which is slightly elevated) a beautiful, peaceful Montana morning at the KOA at the edge of Livingston near the Interstate we focus on one tent and then hear a two car doors close, footsteps on gravel and then on to the grass.
EXT. CAMPGROUND. DAY
We see the officials just as they step on to the grass and walk up to the tent.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
Sheriff's Office! Hello in there? Sheriff's Office. Can you come out and talk to us a minute?
BRITNI
What?
We hear BRITNI and then low muffled voices and people stirring in the tent and the zipper opens and a disheveled and crazy smiling DEBBIE pop's just her head out.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
Sheriff's Office, may we speak to you?
DEBBIE
What did I do officer?
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
This lady here is with the Department of Public Health and Welfare and we want to make sure you're alright.
Do you have a child with you?
DEBBI
Yeah, why?
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
Can you both get dressed and come out and talk to us? We will wait over here at the picnic table for you.
INXS "Suicide Blond" creeping into the soundtrack
EXT. CAMPGROUND. DAY.
Again from a from a distance we see the entire campground, two official cars in the lot and DEBBIE crawling out of the tent and walks over to the table as BRITNI appears from the tent and stops long enough to arrange herself while DEBBIE talks with the officials.
EXT. CAMPGROUND. DAY
BRITNI walks up to the table just as DEBBIE turns to go back to the tent.
DEBBIE
I got it in my purse.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
What's your name?
BRITNI
Britni.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
How long have you been camping here?
BRITNI
She shrugs her shoulders.
A week, my mom works at Chico Hot Springs and we are moving into an apartment on Friday when my mom get's paid.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
This TARA DAHL with the welfare office. We just wanted to make sure you're alright. To be honest, you have been here so long people have called in about you.
DEBBIE walks up with wallet in hand and her ID extended to the OFFICER.
TARA DAHL
Are you going to put BRITNI in school?
DEBBIE
I think I am going to Home school her, I'm not sure yet.
TARA DAHL
BRITNI say's you're moving to an apartment this week?
DEBBIE
Yes. I get my first check this week and pay the deposit so we can move in.
SHERIFF'S OFFICER
Well, I guess we're done here.
Pushing all DEBBIE'S ID'S across the table to her where he has been writing her information into a small notebook.
Suicide Blond soundtrach begins here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FRI5Eatbas
INT. HOTEL KITCHEN. DAY
MARK is seen at the head of a long stainless steel table full of tonight’s dishes for the wait staff to feast on while explaining to them what each dish is so they can relate to their customers/diners what the entree's are. In the background a line forms of hotel employees, most in housekeeping uniforms in the kitchen itself, where a line of food is set out for them (If you live and work there, or if you are working overtime, the hotel feeds the employees because the closest store is miles away.) At the end of the line we see DEBBIE ignoring the line and the entire kitchen and focused on MARK who is busy running a 75 seat Four-Star restaurant, 10-12 kitchen workers, wait-staff and a wine bar.
EXT. RIVER ROAD. DAY
The radio playing soft rock we see DEBBIE and BRITNI in the old white car now clean passing through the four way stop on River Road and pulling into the resort's front gate, the car pulls up in the back at the Employee Office. We see other employees coming out the Office door with their checks in hand.
INT. CAR DAY
DEBBIE keeps glancing at her To-Do list and rattling on about what she is going to buy for the apartment and how she is going to have to haul mattresses and dresser's while BRITNY plays with the radio, eats candy and playing with her colored pens and drawing like she has lived in the car for a month.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY. NIGHT
We see MARK having gotten off work making his way through the back halls of the hotel to his room. With him are two waitress and a male waiter JEFF with a beer in his hand, heading for the bar trying to persuade him to come have a few drinks with them.
MARK
I fuck'n hate cigarette smoke and I don't drink. How many times do we have to go through this? Me and Jefro here are going to hit the Binger real quick, and he'll be down there in a minute. Both my parents were drunks and I swore I wasn't going to live like that....and I don't. Tell'em to hold that damn music down, I'm trying to solve the world's crises situation up here..
Music can be heard from the bar as they turn the last corner and a small hallway where the girls open the door to cut across the pool to the bar. MARK and JEFF open the door at the end of the hallway and run up the one floor of stairs to the Employee Annex/housing, right over the bar and over-looking the pool/Hot Springs.
INT. HOTEL EMPLOYEE HOUSING. NIGHT.
The Employee Housing known as the “Annex” is directly over the bar and looks like an old boarding house with seven sleeping rooms on one side and six on the other. TV room at the end of the hall; washer and dryer and pay phone at the top of the stairs. MARK and JEFF are seen at the top of the stairs where three Russian girls in various states of dress are ganged up at the pay phone all trying to listen to the one phone at the same time. Walking past them he bumps into someone coming out of the shower, two people talking animatedly come out of a room further down the hall heading downstairs to the bar. They stop at Room 3, MARK unlocks the door and they go in.
INT. MARK'S ROOM. NIGHT.
The door swings open to MICHELLE lying in MARK'S bed watching TV but fell asleep. One room, dim lights, candles, Persian carpets, old school movie posters, hot plate, space heater, writing desk, bed, night stand with the TV on it. Huge speakers and nice sound system. Music from live music downstairs a little louder. MARK kicks the end of the bed gently to wake her up.
MARK
There's my little Tenderoni!
She sits up on the bed; MARK sits next to her, JEFF sits in the only other chair. MARK grabs a bong called the "Binger" and fills it with the ice from the bucket he has been carrying from the kitchen. JEFF pulls out a small bag of pot. MARK fills the bowl, takes a nice long hit sit's back smiling handing the bong to the girl.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Loud knock at the door.
MARK
What the fuck! Who is it?
TOM
It's me you motherfucker! Come out here I'm kicking you ass.
MARK gets up to unlock the door and the girl grabs his arm preventing him.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Loud commotion out in the hallway of people trying to get TOM to stop and just go to bed.
MARK
Alright Dude, hold the fuck up!
MICHELLE
Don't go out there, he's nuts!
MARK
No he's not he just drunk.
MICHELLE
No he's not, he's tweaking,
MARK
What?
She shakes her head affirmatively.
JEFF
I got to get out of here.
MARK
I am not afraid of him. I'll knock him the fuck out.
Pauses looking around.
I am not hiding from him or nobody else.
MARK opens the door and TOM is being held back by his friends.
MARK
Why are you banging on my door?
TOM
You know why motherfucker. I'm beating your ass!
MARK
Alright, listen man, Security is going to be up here in a minute you causing all this drama.
TOM
Fuck that!
MARK
Listen man, I don't know what your problem is, but I am not afraid of you but I aint losing my job and going to jail for beating up some drunk dude, I don't even know what we are fighting about. That's stupid. So tell me why I should come out there beat you up or I'm going to have to put you on hold, pal. Pause
Just go to bed man before security get's up here.
TOM
It doesn’t matter why; just get your ass out here! I'm beating your ass!
MARK
Is you're beater broke?
TOM
What?
MARK
Is your beater broke?
TOM breaks away from his friends enraged to get to MARK.
MARK
I'm not losing my job for you asshole!
MARK slams the door in his face and it locks just as TOM gets to the door, sits down, grabs the bong and puts it back in the cabinet and try's to ignore the banging.
MARK
Security will be here in a minute. They are just down stairs and he's scared the hell-out of all these Russian girls by now. You better get out of here.
Pause
You hear his friends taking him down the hallway toward the stairs.
(TO JEFF) You better get out of here. Security will be here in a minute.
JEFF
I'll see ‘ya tomorrow.
JEFF gets up and walks out.
MARK
He ain't banging on my door because of you is he?
MICHELLE
I don't think so.
She looks up at MARK concerned like she really doesn’t know why.
MARK
Sighs shaking his head.
I got to get a place in town.
(NOTE 2ND SERIAL PUBLICATION POST
Posted 12/26/2010 5:10 PM @ Helena, MT. 59601
EXT. APARTMENT HOUSE IN TOWN. DAY
We see DEBBIE and BRITNI unloading stuff from their car into their new apartment on the second floor of a public housing development on the outskirts of town with a beautiful view of the mountains and train tracks and train yard.
INT. HOTEL EMPLOYEE UNIFORM ROOM. NIGHT.
MARK comes thru the kitchen doors into the Uniform Room his chef coat half unbuttoned where 4-5 housekeepers are either putting on new house coats or taking them off. MARK throws his dirty chef coat in the big barrel and puts on a clean one ignoring the cat calls smiling and walks out.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY. DAY
We see MARK coming down a long hallway with several housekeeping carts outside hotel room doors. Carrying a bag small bag of fruit and pastries.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY. DAY.
MARK turns a corner and runs into a house keeping cart in the hallway and a distinct women’s voice comes from a hall storage closet. MARK stops at the door just as DEBBIE appears hurried, light sweat runs into MARK who gets a good look at her breast which are kind of exposed.
MARK
Hey, what's your name? Didn’t you just start here?
DEBBIE
Yes. I'm DEBBIE, I know who you are.
MARK
So how do you like it so far?
DEBBIE
I am with my daughter and we just got up here. Where you from?
MARK
I'm from L.A.
DEBBIE
From Los Angeles?
MARK
Lower Alabama... No, I'm from Mississippi, down on the beach, Biloxi-Gulfport area. I came up here to work but I love it.
Hey, what are you doing on Friday? Do you want to do something?
DEBBIE
Yeah sure.
MARK
Give me your number.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAYS. DAY
The camera travels the same hotel hallways turning corner's expecting to see MARK coming around a corner. Instead, to background music the we traverse the length of the hotel and up the stairs and down the hall to MARK'S room but keeps going to the end of the hall where there is a TV room and right up to two large windows overlooking the parking lot. Left to right the camera then zooms in we see DEBBIE in her car at the back of the parking lot drinking out of a Dixie cup, smoking cigarettes, making list's and looking up at MARK'S room.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY. DAY.
There is a commotion at the bottom of the stairs where several people/guest turn into the pool area or go up the stairs to the ANNEX. When they go out the door closes to reveal DEBBIE making her way up to MARK'S room.
INT. EMPLOYEE HOUSING/ANNEX. DAY.
From the end of the hall in the TV room we see down the hall where DEBBIE is seen knocking on MARK'S door and after no answer starts walking up and down the hall checking the place out while nearly everyone is at work.
INT. HOTEL KITCHEN.NIGHT.
We see MARK supervising the kitchen before the evening rush. Moving around the busy kitchen; moving from the salad station where he looked over everything quickly, smelled the house dressing and tasted it, he stops long enough to show someone deboning a large Salmon how to remove the bones without scarring the fish. He is seen whispering in the ear of the busboy, the dishwasher, a pretty waitress with too much make-up on and walks into the walk-in freezer.
INT. KITCHEN WALK-IN FREEZER. NIGHT.
The freezer door swings open and smoke rolls out the busboy hurry's out just as the hot girl waitress goes in. Following her in reveals MARK sitting on a milk crate laughing his ass off while passing joint to the girl. The dishwasher is counting money and putting it in his pocket, the waiter JEFF is holding the bag up checking it out. Other person waiting for the joint to come around.
INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT
Fast paced kitchen in the middle of a rush we circle the kitchen pausing on each character we've already seen and winds up where we started we see DEBBIE unnoticed by the Time-Clock waiting and watching MARK.
EXT. HIGHWAY. DAY.
We see MARK being driven into town by MICHELLE, each on their day off. MICHELLE young and inexperienced in a new place drives a little erratic while MARK just stares out the window at the beautiful scenery on the River Road which is the back way and parallels the Yellowstone River the 23 miles into Livingston, Montana. The calm beauty of Montana becomes a character in the play when it contrasts the pending drama.
EXT. GAS STATION. DAY.
From a distance we see our PRINCIPLE at a very busy gas station next to interstate 90 full of campers and motor homes going to Yellowstone National Park just 50 miles south. The two converse, she goes into the station while he pumps gas and washes her windshield.
EXT. EMPLOYMENT OFFICE. DAY
The radio on low the car pulls into the parking space too fast just as DEBBIE and her car are seen just as she walks into the glass door of the Employment Office/ Welfare Office in Livingston.
MICHELLE
My boy going to get some ass tonight!
MARK
Why you say that?
MICHELLE
She's been at your door at least 4-5 times.
MARK
What?
MICHELLE
She's got it bad...
MARK
I'd much rather do you...?
MICHELLE
Yeah, right.
MARK
Wait here while I check my email.
MARK get's out of the car and goes in the same door.
EXT. EMPLOYMENT OFFICE. DAY.
MARK comes out the same door after a few minutes and reaches in and grabs his backpack and coat out of her car.
MARK
See ya back at the ranch.
She just smiles at him and starts her car.
INT. THRIFT STORE. DAY.
MARK and DEBBIE are seen in the back of one of several THRIFT STORES in downtown Livingston, Montana. We come in thru an open door of a customer leaving after and ease thru customers to the back right up on to MARK and DEBBIE who are buried in a rack of heavy Montana winter coats, snowsuits etc., where MARK has already putting the moves on DEBBIE who is worried about being seen and MARK could care less.
INT. APARTMENT HOUSE. DAY.
MARK and DEBBIE are at the top of the stairs as she unlocks the door.
INT. APRTMENT HOUSE. DAY.
The door swings open to a sparsely furnished two-bedroom apartment that is completely silent.
DEBBIE
Brit?
Down the hall from her bedroom BRITNI, almost 13, blond, blue eyes, well developed, carrying a small white kitten walks into the living room and our THREE PRINCIPLES are together for the first time when they all walk into the living room at the same time.
BRITNI
The landlord was here, I think he smelled the cat.
DEBBIE
She found that cat at "White's Campground" but they won't allow us to have it here. BRITNI this is MARK, I met him at work.
BRITNI
Hi.
MARK
What are you going to do with it?
DEBBIE is flitting about the house always looking for something or another.
BRITNI
I don’t know.
DEBBIE
Can BRIT go to dinner with us; she's been in this apartment all day?
MARK
INT. MEXICAN RESTAURANT. NIGHT.
All THREE PRINCIPLES sit at a small table in a small Mexican Restaurant in town that is covered with white blank paper to write or draw on while waiting for their food. MARK shows off his artistic talent drawing big hearts with their three names in them in scrolling banners like you would see in old tattoos.
MARK
So, how ya'll like it up here.
Long pause
DEBBIE
She's not crazy about it. She's homesick for her grand parents. We left Dallas going to Colorado and wound up here looking for work.
BRITNI
What do you do?
MARK
I'm a cook where your mom works.
DEBBIE
He's a chef.
BRITNI
Really?
(She's just excited to be out of the apartment more than anything)
DEBBIE
How do you like living at Chico? I didn't even know they had apartment's there.
MARK
They are not apartments, just rooms. I love it. I'm not crazy about the cigarette smoke coming up out of the floor from the bar.
DEBBIE
He hate's cigarette smoke.
MARK
I like not having to drive to work, just walk down the hall.
DEBBIE
BRIT wants to go swimming out there.
MARK
Heah, let's go around the corner to see a movie?
EXT. FRONT OF THEATER. NIGHT
From a distance DOWN THE BLOCK we see the THREE PRINCIPLES in front of the theater looking at movie posters trying to decide what to see. We can't tell exactly what they are saying but they appear to be getting along well as they eventually buy tickets and go inside.
INT. MOVIE THEATER. NIGHT.
We enter the theater movie room behind others following them in continuing on as they sit down around the theater of maybe 8-9 people and from the end of the isle we focus in on MARK between DEBBIE who is intent on the screen with popcorn and drink. BRITNI facing the screen we zoom in on MARK trying not to look at Britni's tits.
INT. APARTMENT HOUSE. NIGHT
We see MARK standing up to leave and BRITNI bringing the small white cat out of her bedroom to MARK.
BRITNI
Are you sure you'll take her right back there?
MARK
Yeah, I go right by there on the way back.
DEBBIE seen coming down the hallway towards them.
DEBBIE
I'll see you tomorrow after work?
MARK
Yeah.
She hands him her car keys and BRITNI hands him the little kitten.
MARK
It is nice to meet you BRITNI. You guys are going to like it up here, just give it a chance.
DEBBIE rush's in to give MARK a hug good-bye and over her shoulder he's staring right into BRITNI'S eye's and smiling. He breaks an awkward moment by extending a male "knuckle-up" to BRITNI who smiles and extends her hand for the knuckle bump before turning to leave.
INT. MARK'S ROOM. NIGHT.
MARK is sitting in his room writing at his deck when there is a frantic knock at the door. MARK opens the door to DEBBIE who is drunk and the HOTEL SECURITY GUARD.
DEBBIE
Can I come in?
SECURITY GUARD
She has to leave.
MARK
Why? She work's here.
SECURITY GUARD
She has to leave the premise. Bartender called me, she's drunk, she has to leave.
MARK
Go wait in your car, I'll be right down.
EXT. DOWNTOWN LIVINGSTON, MT. NIGHT.
MARK and DEBBIE are seen going into the "Whiskey Bar" at the end of the first block of Main Street downtown Livingston on a Saturday Night. The music blaring even louder as we follow them in but stop at the threshold where we see them sit at the bar and order drinks.
EXT. SECOND BAR. NIGHT.
One block away a second, not quite as rowdy Bar/restaurant we see DEBBIE and MARK playing pool and drinking with another couple.
EXT. THIRD BAR "THE MINT'. NIGHT.
All the previous bars were country themed. "The Mint" is rock-and-roll, hard rock and roll and a whole different crowd but only a block off Main Street; It’s supposed to be the rowdiest bar in town but looks like a bunch of locals and people right off the surrounding ranches that go out drinking in the same clothes they work in. You enter at the corner into a large dark room with a circular bar in the middle, couple of pool tables, live rock music and dance floor in the back. MARK and DEBBIE sit at the bar largely ignored by everyone else and it's dark. MARK'S drinking plain coke-cola all night and stone sober; DEBBIE’S plastered.
(she's sitting down he's standing)
MARK
How did you wind up in Livingston? Did you read about it or what?
DEBBIE
No. Some people at a camp ground in Colorado told us I think. Where ever there are lots of hotel rooms I can get a job. How about you?
MARK
Well, believe it or not, I fancy myself a writer and Livingston is known as a big writer’s enclave. Lots of artsy people.
DEBBIE
I came up here to end it all. I didn't know why I came up here really until I got up here. This is where I want to kill myself on my fortieth birthday. Me and BRITNI.
MARK
You're kid'n right?
DEBBIE
She's staring at the floor.
No.
MARK
You know you can't go to Heaven if you kill yourself right?
She looks up at him pitifully.
They call this place Paradise Valley but all these beautiful views have a haunting distance of death in them. It reminds you how small an insignificant we are. To me it just mirrors why whatever you're looking for is not to be found in all this. It's in here.
He points to her chest...
I seen it in white letters written on a rock in Vietnam, it said, “Death is the desert of life, that’s why we save it for last.”
DEBBIE
Do you believe that?
MARK
Kinda. It has been said that every night you go to sleep is a “little slice of death.”
DEBBIE
You were in Vietnam?
MARK
No. It was a photograph. Pause. If you quit thinking about killing yourself you won’t go through it. Every time you start to think about it you have to switch channels real fast and think about something good something nice, like a time when you were on a boat or any happy time. You’re mind is like that it can be switched in an instant. Women especially can change their mind in an instant. When I was a kid I have been with girls who after a while maybe days maybe weeks, right out of the blue would turn to me and something I said or did I’d go from prince charming to a dork in the blink of an eye. I saw it come right over their face. That is how I quit drinking, I just convinced myself I hated drinking and now I don’t like it anymore. Drinking sucks…
DEBBIE
I'm going to throw up.
EXT. BAR PARKING LOT. NIGHT.
MARK is seen helping DEBBIE to her car parked nearby after probably throwing up around the corner. He helps her in and gets in and turns the car on the radios playing INXS "Suicide Blond" we see them from behind drive back down the four blocks of Main Street (reverse angle of earlier shots at night).
12/13/2010
INT. APARTMENT.NIGHT.
MARK and DEBBIE are seen at the top of the stairs where she is fumbling for her keys when the door opens and BRITNI is standing there looking disappointed in her mom as MARK helps her in the apartment.
INT. APT. NIGHT.
MARK and BRITNI are seen on the couch the toilet flushes and DEBBIE can be heard getting sick in the bathroom and then going into her bedroom calling for MARK.
INT. APT. DAY.
BRITNI is cross legged on the couch watching cartoons on television while MARK is in the kitchen pulling out all the stops showing off his culinary skills with a Valley Forge roast beef dinner. DEBBIE is downstairs at an elderly neighbor who DEBBIE befriends and gets to agree to buying a desktop computer "For Britni" over the phone which gets her ass in a crack later.
INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT.
All THREE PRINCIPLES are at a beautiful dinner in their dining room and DEBBIE eats faster than anybody you ever seen.
MARK
DEBBIE why do you eat so fast? You’re going to give yourself a stomach ache eating that fast!
BRITNI
She's always eats’ like that.
DEBBIE get's up and starts making a plate to take to the lady downstairs.
DEBBIE
Can I take BARBRA downstairs a plate? She will love this.
She makes a plate and hurry's downstairs,
BRITNI
She is getting BARBRA to buy her a computer so she can do her work. She talks on a sex line all day.
MARK
What?
BRITNI shakes her head yes and gets up and goes back to watching TV on the couch and MARK staring off into space..... (Rest is finished just had to take a break. -mag
