smalllife-simplyscripts-moviescriptsandscreenplays-.docVIP

“smALL lIFE” A screenplay by Stephen Felder THIRD DRAFT 25 Iron Bark Way AUGUST 20, 2003 Irvine, CA, 92612 (949) 857-6732; swfelder@ sMall Life FADE IN: Montage: ext. billy’s house – day A small house—, built in the 1950’s. Clean. Painted. A flourishing, wild garden surrounds it. Green, but patchy grass covers the lawn. A small wading pool one-foot high is in the front yard. An R.V. is in the driveway. A large “Totem Pole” sits in front of the house. Three small children, a girl (age eleven) and two boys (ages seven and four) run to the R.V. and get in. The R.V. pulls out of the driveway. ext. billy’s house – day The R.V. is parked in the driveway. Garden looks even wilder. Grass is patchier. The wading pool is full of stagnant water. Totem pole is still there. Nobody is in the yard. ext. billy’s house – day An old canoe rests on top of the R.V. Grass is brown and patchy. Some of the plants are dead; others are overgrown. The paint on the house is starting to peel. The wading pool is leaning against the R.V. The totem pole is starting to lean over. ext. billy’s house – day Junk is piled up in the yard. The tires on R.V. are flat. All plants are completely wild or dead. The front porch is stacked high with recycling: bundles of newspapers, boxes and bags overflow with cans and bottles. The totem pole has fallen over. ext. billy’s house – day The porch is overflowing with old newspapers, grocery bags full of cans and bottles, and garbage bags full of who knows what. The front window of the R.V. is shattered. One front window on the house is boarded up. The screen door has fallen off the front door and is leaning up against the house. There are exactly five newspapers, unopened, strewn across the front walkway. The totem pole is grayed and cracked. END int. billy’s room – day BILLY sits on the edge of his bed. The room is very messy. Blankets, sheets and pillows spill from the bed to the floor. A T.V. is on, blaring