Maybe My Next Screenplay? Stranger Things Have Happened...

With the dawn of a new year, I thought I'd try to find time to write do some screenwriting work again. You know, as someone purporting to be a writer should be doing practically every day. This is not one of my resolutions, as they are more focused on my financial and physical well being. Make my wallet fat and the rest of me --well, not.

Although I’m still waiting to find out if I’ll need to do more touch-up work on DO NOT DISTURB, that's no excuse for letting my imagination atrophy. I considered attempting something that was semi-autobiographical (perhaps inspired by the likes of BOYHOOD or even THIS BOY’S LIFE). I even began to create the framework of a non-linear story -- even if I was unsure where it would lead or when it would end. But I ultimately decided I wasn’t in the right mind space to work on something that would cleave so close to the bone. Luckily, that's something I will always have in reserve to tap at a later time.

So the next-to-last day of 2014, I cracked open a file containing a couple scripts I started back in late 2013. I dusted one off and BEGAN tinkering and rewriting the first few pages. Maybe it’ll be a pet project I can work occasionally while trying to get ye olde life completely back on track. I remembered dicking about with this script idea off and on for a LONG time, waffling on any number of possible titles until settling on the simple but elegant RUBOUT.

 

One thing I like about this idea…is it takes me in yet another direction genre-wise. I’ve done the road trip/crime comedy thing, a horror-vampire-western and of course – a straight forward thriller. RUBOUT would also have thriller elements – but it would really fall under the Sci-Fi genre, something I haven't done before. If I was giving one of those clichéd but still frequently used style pitches, I’d say it’s LOOPER meets IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE with maybe a little MEMENTO in the mix?

 

 

Of course, it's not nearly as smart as any of those, but you get the idea where I’m mining here. In fact, I already have two totally different and twisty directions I might take the story in by the time I hit the third act -- I just need to determine which is the better path and the more satisfying journey.

 

Anyway, it’s something I’ll dabble with over the course of the next few months in-between work (while I still have an actual day-to-day job), podcasts, any DO NOT DISTURB-related activities (fingers eternally crossed) and Lord knows what else (and no, I don’t mean watching too much TV – I can always find time for that glorious time-sucking brain-drain). For the handful of folks who have expressed their appreciation for my previous scripting efforts, here's a sneak peek at the first few pages -- which I suspect (just like the last couple scripts) will end up being completely changed, cut and redone at some point in the distant future!

 

 

RUBOUT

written by Scot Eric Candiotti

 

 

INT. CLASSROOM – DAY

 

Two dozen FIRST-GRADERS loudly mill about the edges of the

room. The TEACHER, middle-aged and pleasant, tries to restore

order.

 

TEACHER

Everyone line up in size order.

Milton, you’re on the wrong end of

that line.

 

MILTON, a beefy kid who’s seven going on seventeen, frowns at

the mention of his name. He turns towards the front of the

line and locks eyes with ANDY, a frail wisp of a child with

glasses held together by a thick wad of Band-Aids.

 

Milton makes a quick threatening gesture with a hunched

shoulder. Andy flinches, shrinking away from the bully.

 

MILTON

(sneers)

Thought so.

 

Milton walks past the other boys on line, and a few even step

to the right to make room. JACK, a calm six-year-old boy in

the midst of the bustling brats, seems blissfully unaware as

his eyes remain trained on the teacher.

 

INT. GYMNASIUM – DAY

 

The first-graders have formed a huge ring as each sits cross-legged

on the floor. One GIRL slowly walks around the circle

of children, tapping each one on the shoulder as she passes.

 

GIRL

Duck, duck, duck...

(taps Andy)

...goose!

 

Andy scrambles to his feet and chases the girl around the

circle while the other children CLAP AND LAUGH. The girl

dekes out Andy and slides into the spot he had vacated.

 

Smiling in mock resignation, Andy takes over the role of the

picker, gently touching each kid with one finger as he

strolls by them.

 

ANDY

Duck, duck, duck...

(taps Jack)

...goose!

 

Jack jumps up and runs after the speedy Andy. The two zoom

around their cheering classmates until Andy makes it back to

the ring just inches ahead of Jack’s grasping hands.

 

Jack is now the picker. After scanning the circle of kids,

the ritual resumes.

 

JACK

Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck...

(taps Milton)

...goose!

 

Milton lumbers after Jack like a linebacker hunting a

quarterback. Their speed increases as they spin around the

kids, THE WHISTLES AND HOWLS BECOMING A DIZZYING DRONE--

 

--Until Jack stops short, turns and PUNCHES MILTON IN THE

THROAT. DOWN GOES MILTON! Sitting atop the mini-hulk’s body,

Jack proceeds to go Fight-Club on Milton’s face, each fist

landing with a wet, sickening thud.

 

The teacher makes her way through the crowd of kids watching

the melee. But by the time she reaches the center of the

newly formed circle, the beating is over and Jack is standing

over Milton, serenely wiping his hands with a paper napkin.

 

INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE – DAY

 

Hands lightly clasped on his lap, Jack sits quietly as the

PRINCIPAL talks to JACK’S MOM. The principal is an older

African-American woman with a weak smile and a strong voice.

Jack’s mom is a no-make-up and no-nonsense 40.

 

PRINCIPAL

I need to ask some questions about

your son, to see if there’s deeper

issues to be concerned about here.

 

JACK’S MOM

Such as?

 

PRINCIPAL

About Jack’s home life. This sort

of aggression is often a sign of abuse--

 

JACK’S MOM

Abuse? It’s just the two of us, and

I’ve never raised a hand to my son.

I’ve never even had to raise my voice.

 

PRINCIPAL

But there can be other indicators. For

example, has he ever started any fires

or harmed any small animals?

 

JACK’S MOM

Of course not -- that’s horrible!

 

PRINCIPAL

I’m sorry, but I’ve seen enough

studies to know it needs to be asked.

The total compartmentalization of his

emotions and actions suggests

possible sociopathic tendencies—

 

JACK’S MOM

Excuse me, are you the principal

and the school psychologist?

 

PRINCIPAL

Unfortunately, we no longer have

the budget for a psychologist, but—

 

JACK’S MOM

Then I’ll thank you not to play

amateur shrink with my son. He’s

not Hannibal Lecter. He had a fight

with a classmate that got a little

rough, that’s all. Boys’ll be boys.

 

PRINCIPAL

Little rough?

 

The principal motions towards the doorway looking out into

the general school office. Seated on a bench is MILTON. His

face is puffy and bruised, with a bandage wrapped around his

head like a silent film star with a toothache.

 

PRINCIPAL (CONT’D)

He knocked out three of the boy’s

teeth and dislocated his jaw.

 

INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR – DAY

 

Flustered, Jack’s mom marches him down the corridor. A hall

pass held firmly in one hand, ANDY waits near the exit.

 

As Jack gets closer, his eyes briefly meet Andy’s, and THEIR

FREE HANDS LIGHTLY SLAP AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. His hand now

balled in a fist, Jack and his mom exit.

 

INT. JACK’S MOM’S CAR - DAY

 

Jack’s mom reaches over to buckle Jack in before fixing her

own seat belt. She reaches to start the ignition, but instead

looks at her son with genuine concern.

 

JACK’S MOM

You’d talk to me if you were having

any problems, right?

 

JACK

Of course, Mom.

 

JACK’S MOM

I’ll always gonna be here for you,

Jack. Remember what I say? The sun

can go out, the moon and stars may

fall...

 

JACK

But I’ll always be your one and

all. I know, Mom.

 

As Jack’s mom starts the car, he opens his fist to reveal A

CRUMPLED FIVE DOLLAR BILL. He leans back in his seat and

closes his eyes, that familiar serene expression on his face.

 

THIRTY YEARS LATER

 

INT. BEDROOM – DAY

 

JACK is asleep.

 

His fingers are entwined and resting on his bare chest, as if

posed by an undertaker. Not a strand of hair is out of place,

and every feature of his face is clean cut and precise.

 

There is a silver nickel-sized DISC embedded in his right

temple. THE DISC GLOWS ORANGE AND JACK’S EYES OPEN.

 

The room’s blinds simultaneously flutter open as well.

Diffused sunlight streams into a room of varying shades of

grey. Jack taps the disc, and it returns to its original

gleaming silver state.

 

INT. SHOWER STALL, BATHROOM - DAY

 

As the soapy lather is rinsed from Jack’s face, he double-taps

the disc. A GREEN HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY APPEARS IN MIDAIR,

floating in the midst of the steaming jets of water.

 

THE DISPLAY COLLAPSES INTO A SINGLE ANIMATED LINE.

 

ROBBIE (V.O.)

Good morning, sir.

 

Robbie’s voice is pitch-perfect elocution, robotic only in the

sense there is no discernible accent. As “he” speaks, the

ANIMATED LINE jiggles and fluctuates like a SOUND WAVE.

 

JACK

Good morning, Robbie. Let’s have

the morning’s agenda, audio only,

please.

 

ROBBIE (V.O.)

Today is Wednesday, December 15,

2045. It is now Seven Twenty-Three,

Eastern Standard Time and the

current weather conditions is forty-four

degrees and breezy. You have a

meeting with Mister Falco scheduled

in ninety-seven minutes.

 

JACK

Thank you Robbie. Have the Warp

warmed up and ready for departure

in twenty, please.

 

Jack double-taps the disc again, and the floating

sound wave disappears.