"LOVE (ABRIDGED EDITION)"

 

                     screenplay by

 

                     Charles Deemer

 

                        story by

 

                   Mariana Arevalo G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                         


 

 

 

FADE IN:

 

EXT. NY - STREET - DAY

 

Moira walks along a street. She buys a newspaper.

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY

 

She enters Central Park.

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - BENCH - 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 walked up

to the adjacent bench.


                                                            2.

 

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             He's really cute. I should talk

             to him. "How you doing? I'm

             Moira." No, that sounds so dumb.

             I have to look cool.

 

For a moment, their eyes meet. Cale smiles, and Moira

quickly looks away. Is she blushing?

 

Cale takes 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.

 

                         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.


                                                            3.

 

 

Moira quickly looks away. Across the lawn, A YOUNG COUPLE is

embracing, playful flirtation. They kiss.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             God, they look so happy. 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?

 

                         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.


                                                            4.

 

 

                         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.

 

                         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

             Look.

 

He points to a Hanson Cab approaching. It's empty.

 

                         CALE

             Have you had lunch yet?

 

                         MOIRA

             Actually ...

 

She's thinking about it. In her head, she hears:

 

                         CALE (V.O.)

             "SWM, 20s, wants to meet a girl

             who's not afraid to take a

             chance."

 

She manages to smile.

 

                         MOIRA

             Let's do it.

 

Cale waves down the cab.


                                                            5.

 

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK/VARIOUS STREETS - DAY

 

Moira and Cale ride in the Hanson Cab. They obviously are

enjoying themselves.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             God, he's good looking. But he

             doesn't flaunt it, he doesn't

             come off as God's Gift to Women.

             I read that Ted Bundy was like

             that. Charmed those women to

             death, literally. The Hanson Cab

             Serial Killer. Well, what can

             happen in the middle of the day?

 

EXT. SIDEWALK CAFE - DAY

 

The Hanson Cab pulls up in front of a sidewalk cafe, and

they get out.

 

EXT. SIDEWALK CAFE - DAY

 

They find an empty table and sit down.

 

                         CALE

             I hope you're hungry.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Don't tell him you're on a diet.

 

                         MOIRA

             Famished.

 

She manages to smile.

 

Cale looks around for a waiter.

 

EXT. SIDEWALK CAFE - DAY - LATER

 

The table is strewn with empty plates after their lunch.

 

A WAITER brings them each a slice of cake.

 

                         MOIRA

             We didn't order dessert.

 

                         WAITER

             On the house. One of our staff

             has a birthday.

 

                         CALE

             We'll take it to-go.


                                                            6.

 

 

                         WAITER

             Very good.

 

The waiter leaves.

 

                         CALE

             I have a special treat for dessert.

 

EXT. 55TH STREET - DAY

 

Moira and Cale walk along the street. Each has a slice of

cake on a paper plate, taken "to go" from the sidewalk cafe.

 

They pass a HOMELESS PERSON under a blanket on the street.

Cale sets his cake next to him.

 

                         CALE

             Do you mind?

 

He takes Moira's cake and also puts it on the ground beside

the homeless person.

 

They continue on.

 

                         CALE

             First we walk off lunch, then you

             see my surprise.

 

A SERIES OF SHOTS - DAY

 

of Moira and Cale continuing 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.

 

During the above, we hear:

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             It was amazing. No candlelight.

             No violins. No flowers or boxes

             of candy or sweet words on a card.

             Broad daylight in the middle of

             the day, and it was turning into

             one of the most romantic times

             I'd ever had. We were just

             hanging out. We were just being

             spontaneous. Life really is like

             a box of chocolates -- you never

             know what you're going to get.


                                                            7.

 

 

INT. 5TH AVENUE - DAY

 

They walk along another street. Cale suddenly stops and

looks at his watch. He looks like he has something important

to say.

 

                         CALE

             You ready for the piece de

             resistance?

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Please don't have it be something

             that ruins the day.

 

                         CALE

             I hope you're not on a diet.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Oh, God.

 

INT. PASTISSERIE - DAY

 

Cale orders at the counter as Moira watches. The WOMAN

BEHIND THE COUNTER hands Cale a box to go. We don't know

what's in it yet.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             He can't possibly still be hungry.

             Has there ever been a serial

             killer who attacked his victims

             with calories?

 

Cale catches her eye and smiles. Moira forces a smile in

return.

 

EXT. PASTISSERIE - DAY

 

They come outside. Cale carries the box of take-out.

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY

 

They enter the same park where they met.

 

                         MOIRA

             You have a thing for this park?

 

Cale stops. He sets down the box.

 

                         MOIRA

             What are you doing?

 

                         CALE

             Of course I have a thing for this

             park. It's where I met you.


                                                            8.

 

 

He slowly moves forward and kisses her.

 

Moira lets herself be kissed. Then she kisses back.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Wow.

 

They finally break the kiss.

 

                         MOIRA

             What's in the box?

 

                         CALE

             You find out in a minute.

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - BENCH - DAY

 

They sit down on the bench where they met. Cale opens the box.

 

                         CALE

             Ta-da!

 

It's two slices of German chocolate cake.

 

                         CALE

             You will not find better German

             chocolate cake in the western

             world. Tell me I'm wrong.

 

He cuts a piece with a plastic fork and holds it up for Moira.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Ummm, it does look good. Tomorrow,

             I fast.

 

She takes the bite.

 

                         MOIRA (V.O.)

             Oh, yes ...!

 

Cale sees her lips, and moves closer. And closer. Their lips

are about to touch. Moira puckers up for his kiss.

 

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.


                                                            9.

 

 

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - BENCH - DAY (REAL TIME)

 

Moira on the bench as before, her cell phone RINGING. She is

puckered up for a kiss but no one is there.

 

She answers it. Too late.

 

She looks at the adjacent bench.

 

The bench is empty.

 

                         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 guy she meets on

             the next bench.

 

She starts to pack up to go. She stands up.

 

Approaching is Cal. He has TWO cups of coffee in an egg

carton. He stops.

 

                         CALE

             Would you like a cup of coffee?

 

FADE OUT