Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
The Man Who Would Be the End p.89 - 98
EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY
Omber holds the bomb made by Happy. He stands at the center of a group of followers. He hands the bomb to an unseen follower, and pulls out a small remote.
OMBER
See that this gets placed in an appropriate area. Now, I must go take care of one last detail. Start rallying our troops!
Omber leaves. Some followers rush off. The bomb holder is revealed - it has been given to Zallynack’s spy.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - MEETING ROOM - DAY
Stan and Serena sit on a couch. The meeting room is cozy, with shades over the windows.
SERENA
You almost fucked that one up.
STAN
I came through in the end though.
SERENA
Ya you did.
Serena kisses him as Dinke enters the room, flanked by Mahoud and a second agent.
DINKE
Let’s get down to business.
STAN
Mr. President, I need your help. I thought you could mobilize the army, maybe the Marines--
DINKE
(pleading)
--Use my help? Mr. Luther, I need your help! I’ve been getting calls on an hourly basis from leaders all around the world telling me to turn you over or else--
STAN
--Or else what?
DINKE
I have no idea! They just keep threatening me, and I really don’t like it! Probably something along the lines of shooting and bombing us. World War three. Something lame like that.
SERENA
You pussy! So what, you want us to chase the crazy people all away? Nuke ‘em?
DINKE
Have you tried speaking to them? Directly?
SERENA
Yeah, like those idiots will--
STAN
--I’ll do it.
SERENA
You will?
STAN
I...I’ll just talk to them.
SERENA
Come on, you know those fanatics won’t believe anything you say.
STAN
They’re people. And like Laura said, maybe they’re just scared.
Dinke walks to a window and raises a shade.
DINKE
Before you commit to anything, make sure you aren’t yourself.
OUTSIDE
The White House is surrounded. The mobs want Stan’s head.
INSIDE
Stan gulps.
STAN
I can do this. I’ll write up some notes and--
Chanting erupts outside.
OUTSIDE
A new large group pushes its way to the front of the White House. They carry signs: “God is Not the Way”, “Thought Before Faith”, “Stop Being Stupid”, etc.
INSIDE
STAN
Are those the--
ZALLYNACK (O.S.)
--The Darwin Disciples.
Everyone turns around to find Zallynack in the doorway.
DINKE
Ah, hello Professor.
STAN
Psycho!
ZALLYNACK
The Disciples have members all over the country. All over the world really. I’ve rallied them to support you, Mr. Luther.
STAN
He’s nuts! He wants to make it so none of them can have babies!
DINKE
Stan, what are you talking about? Zallynack is here to help us.
STAN
What?
DINKE
We hoped you’d offer to speak to the Huckle-Beings and calm the situation. Zallynack, being an expert on the religiously minded, wrote a speech for you.
STAN
But, he’s crazy! Why can’t I just speak to them as myself?
Zallynack and Dinke share a look of discomfort.
ZALLYNACK
We don’t think that would be a good idea, Stanley. Your heart’s in the right place, but you don’t exactly have the best track record.
DINKE
Between your news interview flub and the Priest who died--
STAN
--that was his faul--
ZALLYNACK
--and I read an old police report about the night your father died. You stood there, frozen or possibly...not wanting to help? It would be catastrophic either way if you fucked something up of this magnitude.
SERENA
He’s not a fuck up! What is it with you people? He--
STAN
--He’s right.
SERENA
Stan, you said this guy wanted to sterilize half the population!
DINKE
What?
ZALLYNACK
That was a misunderstanding.
SERENA
You can’t trust him!
STAN
I can’t trust myself! The only times I haven’t screwed up my life is when I’ve done nothing.
Zallynack holds up the speech.
ZALLYNACK
I’ve taken the liberty of--
Stan grabs the speech as he leaves the room. Serena follows.
HALLWAY
SERENA
Stan, talk to me.
STAN
There’s nothing to talk about. I’ll read this speech, which will be better than anything I could come up with, and the crazy people will leave. End of the story.
SERENA
What happened with your Dad?
STAN
Whatever they said in there.
SERENA
Stan!
Stan enters a room and slams the door before Serena can enter. Frustrated, Serena runs off.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - GUEST ROOM - DAY
Laura leaves a bathroom, cleaned up. Mahoud waits patiently.
MAHOUD
Feeling better, Miss?
LAURA
It will be a while until I feel “better”, but as is said in Job 18:1, “The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean faces become stronger.”
MAHOUD
I believe you mean Job 17:9, “...and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger”.
LAURA
(impressed and interested)
That’s an obscure passage. You must have done well in Bible study.
MAHOUD
I’ve always been interested in understanding others’ beliefs.
Mahoud and Laura exit the room.
HALLWAY
LAURA
Others?
MAHOUD
I’m a Muslim.
LAURA
Oh...I see.
MAHOUD
I’ve found that conflicts can usually be avoided if one takes the time to understand those with opposing views, instead of dismissing them as wrong.
LAURA
Yes, obviously.
MAHOUD
You’d think. Yet, look outside. Thousands of people about to tear each other apart, because they don’t see eye to eye.
Laura slows down to think this over. Her thoughts are interrupted as Serena runs up to her.
SERENA
Laura, you need to talk to Stan.
LAURA
What’s wrong? Is he getting too exciting for you?
Off Serena’s disgust, Laura realizes her hubris.
LAURA
I’m...sorry. I--
SERENA
--Save it. I give a damn about your brother, not you, and he’s going to make a colossal mistake and I can’t get through to him. I thought maybe you could.
LAURA
I hope I can.
Laura follows Serena down the hall.
MAHOUD
Very good, grasshoppa.
DINING ROOM
Stan sits at the head of a dinner table. In front of Stan is a glass of water and the speech, but his eyes stare dead at the window in front of him. A sparrow lands on the windowsill. It looks right at Stan.
SPARROW
Fuck up!
Stan is jolted. He looks again at the sparrow, which is innocently chirping. Laura enters the room on Stan’s right. Stan drinks some water but doesn’t look at her.
STAN
I didn’t let Dad die.
Laura sits down next to him.
LAURA
I never said you did.
STAN
You’ve always thought it. I don’t blame you.
FLASHBACK: INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Young Stan, long metal-head hair and a Pantera T-shirt, sits with his arms crossed while ARTHUR LUTHER, 55, craggy and bitter, yells out his lungs.
STAN (O.S.)
He was chewing me out again, letting me know how useless I was.
Arthur suddenly grabs his chest and falls to the ground, in pain. Young Stan stands in shock. Arthur points to the phone. Stan grabs it and starts dialing numbers.
STAN (O.S.)
I couldn’t even see the numbers. Dad kept growling “9-1-1 you fuck up”. I dialed 9-9-1, 1-1-9, 1-9-1. I couldn’t dial a number correctly.
Arthur mouths one last “fuck up” before dying.
PRESENT: INT. WHITE HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
It takes a few moments for Laura to absorb this.
LAURA
You...at least tried, Stan. You were young and scared, and...Dad was an asshole.
Stan can’t believe his ears.
LAURA
He was. Love of Jesus or not, he was a rotten man. If anyone was a fuck up, it was him for fucking up our lives. Since mom was too drunk to function most of the time, I tried my best to make up for them. Maybe I didn’t do a great job, but I can start fixing that now.
STAN
Are you going to go and tell off your God-loving brethren?
LAURA
No Stanley, you are, but in your words, not some prick professor’s.
STAN
No. There’s too much at stake.
LAURA
Why don’t you look at it like a video game, except you’re using words instead of death vehicles?
STAN
No!
LAURA
Stanley Bee Luther, stop acting like a child!
STAN
Maybe if you hadn’t babied me like one the last fifteen years I could!
Laura storms out of the room.
OMBER (O.S.)
Ooh, she was angry!
Omber has entered the room from the other door.
STAN
Please don’t kill me!
OMBER
Mr. Luther, I am a man of God, not a murderer. Unless you really are a demon, then I will destroy you!
STAN
Uhh--
OMBER
--I heard that you intend to clear this whole world-ending mess up?
STAN
Uh, yeah, yes.
OMBER
Splendid. Maybe, possibly, we were too quick to condemn you. Giving you a chance to explain yourself, it’s the Christian thing to do.
STAN
Certainly would be.
Omber puts out his hand for a shake. As Stan reciprocates cautiously, Omber secretly removes the pill container from his pocket, pops the cap, and drops four into Stan’s water. They quickly dissolve.
OMBER
Godspeed, Mr. Luther. I hope all of your problems disappear in a flash.
STAN
Thanks.
Dinke’s Aid opens the door on Stan’s right.
AID
Mr. Luther, it’s time.
Stan nods to Omber and leaves with his glass of water.
Omber holds the bomb made by Happy. He stands at the center of a group of followers. He hands the bomb to an unseen follower, and pulls out a small remote.
OMBER
See that this gets placed in an appropriate area. Now, I must go take care of one last detail. Start rallying our troops!
Omber leaves. Some followers rush off. The bomb holder is revealed - it has been given to Zallynack’s spy.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - MEETING ROOM - DAY
Stan and Serena sit on a couch. The meeting room is cozy, with shades over the windows.
SERENA
You almost fucked that one up.
STAN
I came through in the end though.
SERENA
Ya you did.
Serena kisses him as Dinke enters the room, flanked by Mahoud and a second agent.
DINKE
Let’s get down to business.
STAN
Mr. President, I need your help. I thought you could mobilize the army, maybe the Marines--
DINKE
(pleading)
--Use my help? Mr. Luther, I need your help! I’ve been getting calls on an hourly basis from leaders all around the world telling me to turn you over or else--
STAN
--Or else what?
DINKE
I have no idea! They just keep threatening me, and I really don’t like it! Probably something along the lines of shooting and bombing us. World War three. Something lame like that.
SERENA
You pussy! So what, you want us to chase the crazy people all away? Nuke ‘em?
DINKE
Have you tried speaking to them? Directly?
SERENA
Yeah, like those idiots will--
STAN
--I’ll do it.
SERENA
You will?
STAN
I...I’ll just talk to them.
SERENA
Come on, you know those fanatics won’t believe anything you say.
STAN
They’re people. And like Laura said, maybe they’re just scared.
Dinke walks to a window and raises a shade.
DINKE
Before you commit to anything, make sure you aren’t yourself.
OUTSIDE
The White House is surrounded. The mobs want Stan’s head.
INSIDE
Stan gulps.
STAN
I can do this. I’ll write up some notes and--
Chanting erupts outside.
OUTSIDE
A new large group pushes its way to the front of the White House. They carry signs: “God is Not the Way”, “Thought Before Faith”, “Stop Being Stupid”, etc.
INSIDE
STAN
Are those the--
ZALLYNACK (O.S.)
--The Darwin Disciples.
Everyone turns around to find Zallynack in the doorway.
DINKE
Ah, hello Professor.
STAN
Psycho!
ZALLYNACK
The Disciples have members all over the country. All over the world really. I’ve rallied them to support you, Mr. Luther.
STAN
He’s nuts! He wants to make it so none of them can have babies!
DINKE
Stan, what are you talking about? Zallynack is here to help us.
STAN
What?
DINKE
We hoped you’d offer to speak to the Huckle-Beings and calm the situation. Zallynack, being an expert on the religiously minded, wrote a speech for you.
STAN
But, he’s crazy! Why can’t I just speak to them as myself?
Zallynack and Dinke share a look of discomfort.
ZALLYNACK
We don’t think that would be a good idea, Stanley. Your heart’s in the right place, but you don’t exactly have the best track record.
DINKE
Between your news interview flub and the Priest who died--
STAN
--that was his faul--
ZALLYNACK
--and I read an old police report about the night your father died. You stood there, frozen or possibly...not wanting to help? It would be catastrophic either way if you fucked something up of this magnitude.
SERENA
He’s not a fuck up! What is it with you people? He--
STAN
--He’s right.
SERENA
Stan, you said this guy wanted to sterilize half the population!
DINKE
What?
ZALLYNACK
That was a misunderstanding.
SERENA
You can’t trust him!
STAN
I can’t trust myself! The only times I haven’t screwed up my life is when I’ve done nothing.
Zallynack holds up the speech.
ZALLYNACK
I’ve taken the liberty of--
Stan grabs the speech as he leaves the room. Serena follows.
HALLWAY
SERENA
Stan, talk to me.
STAN
There’s nothing to talk about. I’ll read this speech, which will be better than anything I could come up with, and the crazy people will leave. End of the story.
SERENA
What happened with your Dad?
STAN
Whatever they said in there.
SERENA
Stan!
Stan enters a room and slams the door before Serena can enter. Frustrated, Serena runs off.
INT. WHITE HOUSE - GUEST ROOM - DAY
Laura leaves a bathroom, cleaned up. Mahoud waits patiently.
MAHOUD
Feeling better, Miss?
LAURA
It will be a while until I feel “better”, but as is said in Job 18:1, “The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean faces become stronger.”
MAHOUD
I believe you mean Job 17:9, “...and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger”.
LAURA
(impressed and interested)
That’s an obscure passage. You must have done well in Bible study.
MAHOUD
I’ve always been interested in understanding others’ beliefs.
Mahoud and Laura exit the room.
HALLWAY
LAURA
Others?
MAHOUD
I’m a Muslim.
LAURA
Oh...I see.
MAHOUD
I’ve found that conflicts can usually be avoided if one takes the time to understand those with opposing views, instead of dismissing them as wrong.
LAURA
Yes, obviously.
MAHOUD
You’d think. Yet, look outside. Thousands of people about to tear each other apart, because they don’t see eye to eye.
Laura slows down to think this over. Her thoughts are interrupted as Serena runs up to her.
SERENA
Laura, you need to talk to Stan.
LAURA
What’s wrong? Is he getting too exciting for you?
Off Serena’s disgust, Laura realizes her hubris.
LAURA
I’m...sorry. I--
SERENA
--Save it. I give a damn about your brother, not you, and he’s going to make a colossal mistake and I can’t get through to him. I thought maybe you could.
LAURA
I hope I can.
Laura follows Serena down the hall.
MAHOUD
Very good, grasshoppa.
DINING ROOM
Stan sits at the head of a dinner table. In front of Stan is a glass of water and the speech, but his eyes stare dead at the window in front of him. A sparrow lands on the windowsill. It looks right at Stan.
SPARROW
Fuck up!
Stan is jolted. He looks again at the sparrow, which is innocently chirping. Laura enters the room on Stan’s right. Stan drinks some water but doesn’t look at her.
STAN
I didn’t let Dad die.
Laura sits down next to him.
LAURA
I never said you did.
STAN
You’ve always thought it. I don’t blame you.
FLASHBACK: INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Young Stan, long metal-head hair and a Pantera T-shirt, sits with his arms crossed while ARTHUR LUTHER, 55, craggy and bitter, yells out his lungs.
STAN (O.S.)
He was chewing me out again, letting me know how useless I was.
Arthur suddenly grabs his chest and falls to the ground, in pain. Young Stan stands in shock. Arthur points to the phone. Stan grabs it and starts dialing numbers.
STAN (O.S.)
I couldn’t even see the numbers. Dad kept growling “9-1-1 you fuck up”. I dialed 9-9-1, 1-1-9, 1-9-1. I couldn’t dial a number correctly.
Arthur mouths one last “fuck up” before dying.
PRESENT: INT. WHITE HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
It takes a few moments for Laura to absorb this.
LAURA
You...at least tried, Stan. You were young and scared, and...Dad was an asshole.
Stan can’t believe his ears.
LAURA
He was. Love of Jesus or not, he was a rotten man. If anyone was a fuck up, it was him for fucking up our lives. Since mom was too drunk to function most of the time, I tried my best to make up for them. Maybe I didn’t do a great job, but I can start fixing that now.
STAN
Are you going to go and tell off your God-loving brethren?
LAURA
No Stanley, you are, but in your words, not some prick professor’s.
STAN
No. There’s too much at stake.
LAURA
Why don’t you look at it like a video game, except you’re using words instead of death vehicles?
STAN
No!
LAURA
Stanley Bee Luther, stop acting like a child!
STAN
Maybe if you hadn’t babied me like one the last fifteen years I could!
Laura storms out of the room.
OMBER (O.S.)
Ooh, she was angry!
Omber has entered the room from the other door.
STAN
Please don’t kill me!
OMBER
Mr. Luther, I am a man of God, not a murderer. Unless you really are a demon, then I will destroy you!
STAN
Uhh--
OMBER
--I heard that you intend to clear this whole world-ending mess up?
STAN
Uh, yeah, yes.
OMBER
Splendid. Maybe, possibly, we were too quick to condemn you. Giving you a chance to explain yourself, it’s the Christian thing to do.
STAN
Certainly would be.
Omber puts out his hand for a shake. As Stan reciprocates cautiously, Omber secretly removes the pill container from his pocket, pops the cap, and drops four into Stan’s water. They quickly dissolve.
OMBER
Godspeed, Mr. Luther. I hope all of your problems disappear in a flash.
STAN
Thanks.
Dinke’s Aid opens the door on Stan’s right.
AID
Mr. Luther, it’s time.
Stan nods to Omber and leaves with his glass of water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)