분야
hwp A Fairytale by Gary Ross
October 7, 1996
"He was part of my dream of course
but then I was part of his dream too."
- Lewis Carroll "Through the looking glass"
FADE IN:
INT. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. DAY.
A college counselor stands at the Podium lecturing the high
school seniors about their future.
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
... For those of you going on to college
next year, the chance of finding a good
job will actually decrease by the time
you graduate. Entry level jobs will drop
from thirty-one to twenty-six percent,
and the median income for those jobs
will go down as well ...
There is some rustling in the audience.
COLLEGE COUNSELOR (CONT)
Obviously, my friends, its a
competitive world and good grades are
your only ticket through. By the year
Two Thousand ...
INT. HIGH SCHOOL. HEALTH CLASS.
A different teacher lectures a different class of students.
HEALTH TEACHER
... The chance of contracting HIV from a
promiscuous lifestyle will climb to one
in one hundred and fifty. The odds of
dying in an auto accident are only one
in twenty-five hundred.
(beat)
Now this marks a drastic increase ...
INT. HIGH SCHOOL. SCIENCE CLASS.
Same angle. Different teacher.
SCIENCE TEACHER
... From just four years ago when ozone
depletion was at ten percent of its
current level. By the time you are
twenty years old, average global
temperature will have risen two and a
half degrees. Even a shift of one
degree can cause such catastrophic
consequences as typhoons, floods,
widespread drought and famine.
REVERSE ANGLE. STUDENTS.
They stare back in stunned silence. One of them, DAVID
WAGNER, sits in the front row with a pencil in his mouth.
Nobody moves ...
SCIENCE TEACHER
(chipper classroom tone)
Okay. Who can tell me what famine is?
CUT TO:
1958.
Birds are chirping. The sun is shining. All the hedges are
neatly pruned and the lawns are perfectly manicured. A sweet
stillness hangs over the SUBURBAN STREET, which is bathed in
beautiful BLACK AND WHITE.
MANS VOICE (OS)
Honey, Im home.
SUBURBAN HOME.
GEORGE PARKER enters the front door and hangs his hat on the
coatrack. He sets his briefcase down and moves into the foyer
with a huge smile on his face. Its a frozen smile that
doesnt seem to be affected by too much in particular--like a
tour guide at Disneyland.
WOMANS VOICE (OS)
Hello darling.
WIDER.
MRS. GEORGE PARKER (BETTY) enters, untying the back of her
apron. She is a vision of 50s beauty with a thin figure and
concrete hair. Betty crosses to her husband and hands him a
fresh martini. She kisses him on the cheek.
BETTY
How was your day?
GEORGE
Oh, swell. You know, Mr. Connel said
that if things keep going the way they
are, I might be seeing that promotion
sooner than I thought.
BETTY
Oh darling thats wonderful!
(an adoring gaze)
I always knew you could do it.
WAGNER LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.
1996 -- (LIVING COLOR)
DAVID WAGNER sits on his couch watching this entire action on
a sleek new Sony T.V. He stares riveted at the set with a big
smile on his face. David wears black shoes, black pants,
black t-shirt and a black baseball cap, not a nerd exactly
... He reaches next to him into a huge bag of Doritos, never
taking his eyes off the show.
GEORGE (OS)
(on T.V.)
Hey, Pumpkin! Whats that smell?
(sniffing)
Is that your meat loaf?
DAVID
(by rote)
"It might be ..."
BETTY (OS)
(shy smile)
It might be.
He leans over and kisses her--again on the cheek.
GEORGE (OS)
Oh Pumpkin! You sure know the way to
this mans heart.
There is a loud and inappropriate LAUGH TRACK. David smiles
wider and is just about to reach for more corn chips, when
his real MOTHERS VOICE rings out from the other room.
DAVIDS MOM (OS)
... Bullshit Barry, that wasnt the
deal
INT. KITCHEN.
Davids mom paces the room with the phone in her hand.
Between the plastic surgery and the make-up its hard to fix
her age.
DAVIDS MOM
No--you have custody the first weekend
of every month and this is the first
weekend ...
(pause)
I dont care if yesterday was the
thirtieth, this is still the first
weekend.
INT. LIVING ROOM.
Her words drift in from the kitchen while David stares at the
show.
DAVIDS MOM (OS)
No I cant bail you out, Im supposed to
go to La Costa ...
(beat)
Well if I want to get a mud bath, thats
really my business, isnt it?
He reaches out and TURNS UP THE SOUND. PLEASANTVILLE plays at
an unnaturally high volume.
GEORGE
(on T.V.)
Hey. Where are those kids?
DAVID
(reciting--a little louder)
"Right behind you father."
BUD AND MARY SUE TOGETHER
(on T.V.)
Right behind you father.
RESUME T.V. (BLACK AND WHITE)
The Parkers son and daughter (BUD AND MARY SUE) enter the
foyer together. Mary Sue wears her hair in a pony tail. Bud
has on a Lettermans sweater.
MARYSUE
Mother ... Father ... Bud has a little
surprise for you.
BETTY
Whats that Bud?
Bud hesitates for a moment, then folds up a shiny blue
ribbon.
BUD
First prize at the science fair. There
were lots of swell projects--guess mine
was just the "swellest".
BETTY
Darling thats wonderful. Except theres
no such word as "swellest".
BUD
