2:25 p.m. - 2003-08-16
HATE is an easy word on the lips. NOT A SCI-FI MOVIE. 1st draft.
This is not a Science Fiction Movie, 1st draft script.
FADE IN:
1. INT. HOSPITAL SEMINAR ROOM. MORNING.
A darkened room, slides being flashed onto a white screen.
A montage sequence starting with various mathematical diagrams of 3D vortexes and curves, strange monsters, alien movie posters, sci-fi book covers, transformer toys transforming in animation, blurry photos of flying saucers, drawings of giant squids, calendar pages falling onto the floor played back in reverse motion, finally a slide showing title-text printed white against a black background: This is not a Science Fiction Movie
RICK (V/O)
(monotonous. synchro with the visuals.)
This is not a Science Fiction Movie.
There are no time machines, no monsters from outerspace;
there are no androids counting sheep, and no robots turning into trucks, cars, aeroplanes or motorcycles� and twisting back into robots again�
there are no green aliens, or flying saucers from planet Mars.
There are no expeditions deep into the sea,
nor are there creatures in the Earth�s centre.
This is not about the future, nor will it bring back the past.
This is not a Science Fiction Movie.
With a click, the title-slide changes to a picture of a diseased lung with blocks of text around it. And a man enters the frame. He is in his late 20s, with short neatly cropped hair, dressed in a doctor�s coat and holding a slide remote switcher in his hand. His name is RICK. He gestures towards the screen.
RICK
(Business-like tone)
And these are the figures we have for lung cancer in the last quarter.
As RICK is about to click the handheld switcher to the next slide, someone in the room makes a remark.
O/S VOICE
(chuckling)
Ho-ho�
We get more lungs like that, we�ll be exporting pencil lead.
The other doctors in the small seminar room broke into laughter. RICK pauses, not understanding the joke, but he laughs along anyway and proceeds to the next slide, showing 3D bar graphs.
RICK
That�s very funny, Richard� Okay, here are the figures of the production of the new drugs Follicle-49, Tension 16, Aria version 3, GH-10, an immuno-suppressant�
(RICK�s voice fades out, but he continues to gesticulate at the slides.)
AUDIO FADE-IN: RICK (V/O)
I hate myself.
The slides on the screen change to a picture of a balding man�s before and after photos. A sad face for BEFORE and a smiling face for AFTER.
CUT TO:
2. INT HOSPITAL CANTEEN AFTERNOON
A rather cosy hospital canteen, furnished with small round formica tables with orange chairs and a television set hung from the ceiling displaying the day�s programming, its volume audible in the background.
RICK is sitting at one of the coffee-cup strewn tables, together with three other colleagues in white coats, RICHARD, PATRICK and ANNIE. He is sitting back in his chair, looking at his colleagues talking animatedly with a bemused expression on his face.
RICK (V/O)
I hate them.
Laughter breaks out around the table. RICHARD slaps his thigh, holds up a finger to get their attention
RICHARD
(exuberantly)
And just yesterday the test results were out. AB105 had a 87% success rate with our subjects. I believe with some tweaking this week, we could up that to around 95%.
PATRICK & ANNIE
(clapping, cheering encouragement)
That�s great! Good! Alright!
The mood around the table is upbeat and enthusiastic.
PATRICK
This means war. (thrusts out his fist). A war on diseases and our weak bodies!
RICHARD
Yeah, sometimes I even feel that the whole world is behind us, spurring us on toward greater discoveries.
Look at our company stock now; it will surely appreciate beyond 25 once the quarterly report is out.
PATRICK
You know, about the report, I think that rectosplean two-niner � (AUDIO FADE-OUT)
CUT-TO:
RICK, who is sitting at a corner of the discussion, brings a cup of decaffinated coffee to his lips, turns his head slowly and looks at the television screen.
The television is showing a news program with an attractive NEWSCASTER reading the news.
CUT-TO:
3. INT HOSPITAL CANTEEN (CU: TELEVISION SCREEN) AFTERNOON
NEWSCASTER
The Milton Hospital released its annual quarter report this morning. The figures are High blood pressure 50.9, Renal transplants 69.6, Leukemia 34, Aids 23, Hair Loss 34, Acne Vulgaris 67, Obesity 19, Hepatitis A 77 and Strageron Divultis 66. The standard med index stands at thousand-nine-two-four (1924), rising four point two five (4.25) since this morning. The global mortality rate is currently four thousand nine hundred and twenty nine (4929).We shall continue with the report on genetic differences after the ad break.
The news program cuts to an ad selling toothpaste. It shows a man with yellowed teeth, brushing his teeth facing a mirror. He brushes and brushes and the foam he spits out is red. He rinses and examines his teeth. They are still yellow. Then a doctor enters the ad and introduces a brand of toothpaste to him.
AUDIO FADE-IN: ANNIE nudging RICK.
ANNIE
(softer): Rick� Rick�
(louder): Rick, are you okay?
CUT TO:
4. INT HOSPITAL CANTEEN AFTERNOON
RICK
(startling out of his reverie)
Huh, huh? Oh yea, I�m okay� (looks around him, the others are staring at him with looks ranging from concern to amusement.) I�m sorry. I got to to to the gents.
RICK rises from the table and upsets a cup of coffee. Fortunately, there was only a little coffee in it, so the spill was not too bad. RICK apologises again and stumbles towards the toilet.
CUT TO:
5. INT HOSPITAL TOILET AFTERNOON
RICK bends down over the running faucet and splashes water onto his face again and again. His face is scrunched up as if in pain. He pats at his eyes and cheeks and stares at the water-speckled mirror, with water dripping down his chin.
CUT TO:
6. INT/EXT HOSPITAL WARD MORNING
A NURSE pushes a trolley of medicines into a ward full of patients and proceeds to dispense the drugs. She picks up a brown glass bottle and taps out some yellow tablets and walks towards two patients, PATIENT A and PATIENT B, who are sitting facing each other on their beds.
NURSE
(To PATIENT A) Here�s your medicine. I�ll get you a glass of water.
PATIENT A
Thanks missy. (Looks at the nurse as she walks away to pour a glass of water).
(Turns to PATIENT B). So, what are you in here for?
PATIENT B
They say I killed my wife.
PATIENT A
(Pause) What are you talking about?
This is a hospital.
PATIENT B
Oh, oh� yea (suddenly remembering, laughs to himself, points to book he is holding: PSYCHOS)� yea� Doctor Patrick Tang. I�m here to get my appendix removed. Lousy useless thing�
PATIENT A
(with a look of surprise) Remove your appendix?!
I thought everyone removed theirs the day they were born. It�s a two-in-one combo, together with your birth!
NURSE comes between them with glass of water and places it on PATIENT A�s moveable table. PATIENT A looks up at her and smiles.
PATIENT A
Thanks.
NURSE nods and smiles and walks away.
PATIENT B
(head lowered, apologetic tone) Yea� I guess my mom forgot that or the doctor was too busy that day. I�ve not been sleeping well. I�m losing my head.
PATIENT A
(shakes his head in sympathy) Sigh� but at least you�re not born without a head. Look at me! I�m a shortie.
I hope my height-correction exercise works.
PATIENT B looks up, smiles politely and tries to say something but is interrupted by a cry. Opposite their beds, at a corner of the ward is an OLD MAN tossing and turning in his bed underneath his blankets. He is in pain and he rubs his shins and back of his thighs with his hands profusely, trying to soothe the pain in them. He groans loudly and his face is red; he starts to cry in pain.
OLD MAN
Argh� argh�
The NURSE hurries over to his side and tries to soothe him as his cries got louder.
PATIENT A
(looks at the OLD MAN) With him making a din like that, who can sleep well?
RICK enters the ward, glances at the OLD MAN and continues with his work routinely. He walks to PATIENT A�s bed, picks up the file at the foot of the bed and flips through the papers judiciously.
BACKGROUND AUDIO: OLD MAN groaning.
RICK
(making conversation) Feeling fine, Ernie?
PATIENT A ( ERNIE)
(lies back on his bed in a faux tired fashion) Yea yea� Doctor Rick� So, you planned it all out? I dun want to end up with one leg shorter or longer than the other.
RICK
(looking at the papers in the file intently) Don�t worry, we have rulers here.
The OLD MAN�s anguished cries reached a climax. RICK closed the file with a snap, drops it back into place and swiftly turns and walks towards the OLD MAN.
RICK looks down at the OLD MAN lying on the bed. The OLD MAN has stopped crying but he is still breathing heavily. The NURSE pats his back, glances at RICK and moves away to get her medicines.
RICK
(Trying to control his emotions) How are you feeling?
The OLD MAN nods, his eyes watery and looking elsewhere. RICK sighs and signals the NURSE to bring the medicine over.
RICK
Your operation will be the day after tommorrow. Doctor Annie will attend to you. I have something that day.
The OLD MAN shifts and looks RICK in his eyes.
Pause.
RICK falters, turns and walks out of the room hurriedly, his clipboard clenched tight under his armpit. The NURSE moves to the OLD MAN�s side with a glass of water and several large red and yellow capsules.
RICK hurries out of the ward and walks along the corridoor, wiping his sweated brow.
He passes by a television set in the visitor�s corner. The familiar NEWSCASTER program is showing then. He glances at it and continues walking; his steps breaking into a stumble, his eyes turning blurry and his head lolling a bit.
SUPERIMPOSED:
IMAGES and AUDIO from the news program and various photos of diseases swarm in.
DISSOLVE TO:
7. INT EXAMINATION ROOM FLASHBACK: ONE WEEK AGO
The OLD MAN and RICK are alone in the room. The OLD MAN is sitting on a wheelchair and RICK is sitting behind his doctor�s desk.
OLD MAN
It comes and it goes. Morphine and nerve injections have not worked. The pain is still there. I�m suffering you know.
RICK
But do you understand the dangers of an invasive surgery?
It will be on your spine where there are lots of nerve connections; its complicated and there are the risks�
OLD MAN
(staring at his legs, listens and nods) Don�t say no more, Rick� its been years, this pain.
RICK starts to protest, to dissuade him. But the OLD MAN waved his hand to silence him. The Old MAN stares at the ground for a while, looks up and says solemnly.
OLD MAN
I want you to operate on me, (pause) son.
CUT TO:
8. INT RICK�S HOME (LIVINGROOM) NIGHT OF OPERATION
RICK is running on a treadmill in his living room. He is sweating and panting, and watching a news programme on the television. The advertisements come on. It is an advertisement for liposuction and has a doctor using a vacuum cleaner analogy.
VACUMN DOCTOR
(demonstrating with a dustbuster tube) We can suck away the fat and lipid acids, as easy as this: Point, click, suck. Fat, bye bye! (with a smile).
RICK steps off the treadmill and walks to a table, picks up a bottle from a tray of bottles and pours out some tablets. He pops them into his mouth and downs a glass of water. He stares at his reflection from the glass cabinet. He sees his skinny body. The sounds from the television ads go on in the background. RICK stands there, silent.
CUT TO:
9. INT HOSPITAL CANTEEN FLASHBACK: FEW DAYS AGO
ANNIE and RICK sitting alone at a round table. The whole canteen is deserted, save the two of them.
RICK holds a papercup of coffee with both hands, looking silently at the swirling foam.
ANNIE
But he is your father, Rick. Why?
RICK
I can�t do it, Annie. Help me please. I can�t do the operation. (lowers his head)
ANNIE
Why�
RICK
I do not trust myself.
(V/O): Do you know that I hate him for the person I�ve become?
I dunno if I can save him.
Help me help him, Annie, please. (looks at her.)
Annie contemplates silently.
INTERCUT SCENE WITH:
10. INT HOSPITAL NIGHT OF OPERATION
A pair of nurses walk into the patient�s ward and lifts the OLD MAN onto a trolley bed. They wheel him down the long flourescent-lighted corridoors, through a doorway and into the operation room. DOCTOR ANNIE, in a green surgery robe, hair cap and face mask, looks over the OLD MAN and talks to him reassuringly with a hand by his side. Another nurse, similarly dressed, walks over to DOCTOR ANNIE and helps her put on her surgical gloves. Other nurses proceed to help the OLD MAN onto the operating table.
CUT TO:
11. INT RICK�S HOME (LIVINGROOM) NIGHT OF OPERATION
Rick is still staring at his reflection from the glass cabinet. Everything is silent, save the television in the background.
The phone rings suddenly.
RICK shifts, as if from a trance, and walks to pick up the phone. It is a call from the hospital.
RICK
Hello�
What?!!
Ok, I�ll be there as soon as I can!
RICK dashes out of his house.
CUT TO:
12. EXT STREETS NIGHT
RICK runs along the streets, his shoes pounding the pavement. He is still dressed in his gym singlet and shorts.
RICK (V/O)
I finally get it. I�m going crazy everyday staring at myself and thinking how I can improve myself by buying some treatments or some new exercise equipment and I finally get it. This world is crazy. Everyone is crazy. There�s the promise of happiness but its not so simple. You can be so cheerful and so miserable. Drugs alone do not cure you.
RICK jumps across a paperbag of groceries placed on the pavement beside a HOUSEWIFE. He stumbles but keeps on running, running for his life.
RICK (V/O continued)
I realise this is crazy too. Running to the hospital. I�ll never get there in time.
RICK halts his running and waves for a cab. A cab pulls up immediately and he hops into the back seat.
RICK
(To cab-driver) Milton Hospital! Faster!
RICK (V/O continued)
Dad, dun die on me.
RICK sinks back onto the cushion, his eyes watery with sweat or tears.
RICK (V/O continued)
Please�
The cab speeds away down the street.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END.
-------------------------------
yeh!!! completed!
finally managed to kind of bridge the rising action, transition to resolved ending part. now Rick doesn't make a too abrupt change. But his monologue at the end still needs some tweaking. send comments to [email protected]
