LOVE (ABRIDGED EDITION)
by Charles Deemer
Story by Mariana Arevalo G.
FADE IN:
EXT. PARK - DAY
MOIRA, 20s, sits on a bench in the park. There's an empty
bench next to hers.
She's reading the personals in a newspaper. We HEAR what
she's reading.
MOIRA (V.O.)
"Successful professional SWM:
tall, fit, handsome, intelligent,
secure, confident, honest,
positive. Has good communication
skills, sense of humor and
balance."
Moira shakes her head in disbelief and moves on.
MOIRA (V.O.)
"Rare, slender, nicely integrated
whole person, spiritual warrior
to take play to a new level with
a spiritually mature,
energetically open friend of the
heart for whom even lustiness is
holy. You and I would risk it all
for the truth. We enjoy intensity
and adore deep peace."
She looks thoughtful, pausing over this one. Finally she
goes on.
MOIRA (V.O.)
"Look, I'm lonely and you're
lonely. Sometimes screwing your
brains out helps to cut through
the crap, know what I mean?"
She hears something and looks up. CALE, 20s, has ridden up
on his bicycle and is parking at the adjacent bench.
For a moment, their eyes meet. Cale smiles, and Moira
quickly looks away. Is she blushing?
Cale takes a bottle of juice and a book out of his back pack.
He sits down at the far end of the bench.
Moira is suddenly self-conscious about the personals and
quickly turns to another section of the newspaper.
She sneaks a glance at Cale and imagines a conversation.
2.
MOIRA (V.O.)
What are you reading?
CALE (V.O.)
"War and Peace."
But the book he's reading is a thin paperback.
MOIRA (V.O.)
I thought it was much longer.
CALE (V.O.)
The abridged edition.
Moira quickly looks away.
MOIRA (V.O.)
It always turns out that way with
men. You think they're the whole
deal, and they end up being the
abridged edition.
She looks back at him. Cale notices this and smiles.
MOIRA (V.O.)
You have a lovely smile.
CALE (V.O.)
Thank you. What's your name?
MOIRA (V.O.)
Moira.
CALE (V.O.)
Very pretty. Irish.
Moira quickly looks away. Across the lawn, A YOUNG COUPLE is
embracing, playful flirtation. They kiss.
MOIRA (V.O.)
What has the greatest odds,
winning the lottery? Or finding
the right guy?
CALE (V.O.)
How do you know I'm not the right
guy?
Moira is startled by this.
MOIRA (V.O.)
What?
3.
CALE (V.O.)
You never know unless you get to
know me, right?
Cale turns a page. He senses something and looks up.
Moira is standing in front of him.
CALE
Can I help you?
MOIRA
I notice you're reading "The
Bridges Of Madison County."
CALE
Promise not to tell anyone.
MOIRA
I loved it actually.
CALE
The critics hated it.
MOIRA
Who cares what they think? Did
you see the movie?
CALE
I like the book better. Great
sound track, though.
MOIRA
I like the book better, too. I
think what saves it from being
sentimental is the way it's set up.
CALE
Right, exactly. The stuff about
her kids finding the diary, all
that didn't work as well in the
movie.
MOIRA
Not that sentimentality is
necessarily bad.
CALE
I know what you mean. I'm Cale,
by the way.
4.
MOIRA
Nice to meet you. Well, I'd
better let you get back to your
book.
She turns to go back to her bench.
CALE
Moira?
MOIRA
Yes?
CALE
I don't know how to say this
without being forward.
MOIRA
Forward works.
CALE
Are you free for dinner tonight?
INT. MOIRA'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
A SERIES OF SHOTS
as Moira tries on one outfit after another, looking for the
perfect dress for the evening.
EXT. CITY - RESTAURANT - NIGHT
A cab pulls up in front of a restaurant. Moira gets out.
INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT
She enters and looks around.
A doorway leads to the bar, where Cale is waiting for her.
He waves.
INT. BAR - NIGHT
It's a bar with a small stage and a small dance floor.
Maybe A SALOON SINGER is at a piano, playing and singing
standards. If not, a juke box is playing them.
A few COUPLES, mostly older, are dancing on a small dance
floor.
Moira joins Cale.
5.
CALE
Do you mind if we do things in a
weird order?
MOIRA
What do you mean?
CALE
Dance first and eat later.
Moira doesn't know what to say.
CALE
It builds an appetite.
INT. BAR - DANCE FLOOR - NIGHT
Moira and Cale dance. They look great on the dance floor
together, if younger than the other couples.
They dance closer. Moira closes her eyes and puts her head
on Cale's shoulder.
INT. BAR - DANCE FLOOR - NIGHT - LATER
Dancing to another tune, another standard.
CALE
This music too old-fashioned for
you?
Moira shrugs.
CALE
I think so.
INT. ROCK CLUB - NIGHT
Moira and Cale on a dance floor, rocking out to a loud band.
They still dance well together.
EXT. CITY - STREET - NIGHT
They walk along the street.
CALE
You starving yet?
MOIRA
I'm getting there.
6.
CALE
Can you hold off a little while
longer?
MOIRA
You look like a man with a plan.
CALE
You read minds, too.
A SERIES OF SHOTS
of Moira and Cale on their date.
1. They ride on a carousel.
2. They throw pennies into a pond.
3. They walk through a garden or other scenic spot.
4. They watch a STREET PERFORMER. Cale tips him a dollar.
INT. ANOTHER STREET - NIGHT
They walk along another street. Cale suddenly stops. He
looks like he has something important to say.
CALE
Here's the plan.
MOIRA
There's more?
CALE
We do take-out. Can you handle it?
Moira starts to speak but doesn't. She looks disappointed.
MOIRA (V.O.)
How typical. He wants to end a
romantic evening with take-out!
Just when you think you've found
the whole guy, you find out he's
abridged.
CALE
Trust me on this.
INT. ALL-NIGHT DELI - NIGHT
Cale orders as Moira looks on. She looks disappointed.
Cale catches her eye and smiles. Moira forces a smile in
return.
7.
INT. PARK - NIGHT
Cale carries the package of take-out.
They enter the same park where they met.
MOIRA
You have a thing for this park?
Cale stops. He sets down the package.
MOIRA
What are you doing?
CALE
Of course I have a thing for this
park. It's where I met you.
He slowly moves forward and kisses her.
Moira lets herself be kissed. Then she kisses back.
MOIRA (V.O.)
Wow.
EXT. PARK - BENCH - NIGHT
They sit on the bench where they met, eating the take-out.
Cale feeds Moira.
Moira feeds Cale.
Take-out has never been more romantic.
Suddenly Moira's CELL PHONE RINGS.
She looks startled. It RINGS again.
CALE
Want me to throw it in the bushes
for you?
And it RINGS again.
EXT. PARK - BENCH - DAY
Moira on the bench as before, her cell phone RINGING.
She answers it. Too late.
She looks at the adjacent bench.
The bench is empty.
8.
MOIRA (V.O.)
SWF, 20s, frustrated, maybe
unbalanced, certainly confused,
spends a lot of time in the park
reading the personals and
hallucinating about romantic
evenings with a stranger named
Cale.
She starts to pack up to go. She stands up.
Approaching is Cale on his bike. He has TWO cups of coffee
in an egg carton. He stops.
CALE
Would you like a cup of coffee?
FADE OUT