Now Leaving Addleville

Now Leaving Addleville, Please Come Again

During a black screen, before anything in the film starts a male voice speaks in a very spelling-bee tone, followed by female voice in the same tone.

MALE VOICE: Addle: to throw into confusion.

FEMALE VOICE: Addle: to let rot.

INT. Living Room. Present day.

It is late morning. The small town of Addleville is lazily going about its day as usual. It is the end of August. DAN and RACHEL are sitting on an old couch in a small living room.

Dan is twenty years old. He has black hair and brown eyes. He is tall and thin, but still a little muscular. He is wearing a classic rock band t-shirt, old jeans, and chucks. He wears a girl’s ring on his pinky finger. His voice was the male voice.

Rachel is eighteen years old. She has long, dark-blonde hair and light eyes. She is shorter than Dan and relatively thin. She wears a coca-cola fitted tee, jeans, sneakers, and a jean jacket, and a bracelet with a guitar pick on it. Her voice was the female voice. They are sitting in uncomfortable silence on opposite ends of the couch.

RACHEL: So ... You’re finally going to college...

DAN: Yeah...

RACHEL: That’s cool. Aren’t you supposed to go to college right after high school?

DAN (interrupting): What’s your point?

RACHEL: Nothing, nothing... I was just wondering why you stuck around for two years.

DAN: Well maybe if you hadn’t run off, you’d be around to know!

RACHEL: Hey now, you never had a temper like that while we were dating.

DAN: Yeah, well things change when the girl you’ve loved since middle school just takes off without a word.

RACHEL: Oh bullshit, I left you a letter.

DAN: One sentence, some letter. You know, I always thought you were a little crazy, but running off out of nowhere...

RACHEL: Hey, I’m not the one that’s talking to someone who isn’t there.

DAN: Well maybe you should go away then.

RACHEL: But I thought your point was that I shouldn’t have gone away.

DAN: Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought.

Rachel disappears. Dan is left on the couch engulfed in negative space.

EXT. Driveway in front of Dan’s house. Same Day.

It is later that day. Dan and DEREK are standing outside next to Dan’s car, an old ford. The trunk is open and Dan is throwing bags into it. Derek is twenty-four, he has dark hair and eyes like Dan, but he has a slightly larger frame and a day old beard. He is wearing a gas station uniform and holding a beer.

DEREK: It’s gonna be weird without you here, but I’m glad you’re going. I never believed mom when she used to tell me that we’d be friends when we were older. I used to think you were the biggest dipshit on the face of the earth. In fact that’s what I used to call you when I would make fun of you, remember?

INT. Living room. Past.

There is a very quick flashback of Derek at age twelve sitting on eight-year-old Dan as he struggles. He hangs a lugie over his face, then sucks it back up, then calls him “dipshit”.

EXT. Driveway. Present.

DAN: (When flashback is over) Yeah, I remember.

Dan throws the last bag in the truck and closes it. He and Derek lean against the back of the car.

DEREK: Well, ya know, I was pretty trendy in school, and picking on you was sort of the trend so... (He looks embarrassed and takes a sip of beer). Well hey, I’m glad you’re going, never thought you would when you were younger with the reading problems and all.

DAN: Yeah... well I better get moving... (He stands)

DEREK: Yeah (stands also). Well, Mom told me to hug you for her since she had to work so... (they hug awkwardly). Look I know that you’ve had a hard time since Rachel left, but I want you to know that I’m proud of ya and I think you’ll be happy in college.

DAN: Thanks man. I guess I’ll see you at Thanksgiving then. Bye.

DEREK: Bye.

Dan gets into his car and drives off. Derek stands outside until the car disappears, then goes inside.

EXT. Outside Dan’s car window. Same day. Early afternoon.

Dan’s car pulls up to a stoplight and stops. He looks out the window to see children playing kickball at recess on an elementary school playground. Dan focuses on the red kickball and is thrown into a flashback.

EXT. Playground. Past.

Dan is ten and A GROUP OF BOYS have ganged up on him and are throwing kickballs at him. He has a bloody nose. The boys are taunting him, calling him “stupid and “retard”. A LITTLE GIRL stands behind the boys, looking on the scene with sympathy. When Dan’s flashback is over Rachel is sitting in the passenger’s seat.

INT. Inside Dan’s car. Same day.

RACHEL: That was the day we met, wasn’t it?

DAN: Yeah...

A car honks behind them and Dan starts to drive.

RACHEL: How did that go again?

DAN: (Sighs) You felt sorry for me, so you pushed them aside and stepped in front of me. You reminded them that our principal gave extra detentions if boys hit girls and they walked away. (Sarcastically) My hero.

RACHEL: Heroine

DAN: Whatever

RACHEL: And we were friends ever since. I used to spend every Friday and Saturday night at your house until your mom caught you looking at her Victoria’s Secret catalogue and decided it was no longer appropriate. How old were we? Eleven?

DAN: Twelve... it didn’t matter, she was too late, I was already in love with you. I used to imagine we’d get married...

Dan pulls up to another stoplight, gets out a cigarette and starts to light it. He speaks with it in his mouth.

DAN (continued): So much for that.

RACHEL: Oh well, I don’t believe in marriage anyway.

DAN: Ya know, you are so confusing! Whenever we would talk about the future you’d say “after we’re married we’ll get out of this town”, but then when we were around your friends, or I’d talk about affording college you’d be all like “oh well I don’t believe in marriage anyway”. Why don’t you make up your fucking mind!

RACHEL: We were in highschool, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, most of the time I didn’t even know what ice-cream flavor I liked best. The only thing I was sure of was...

DAN (interrupting): That you wanted to act; the most unreasonable career choice known to man. But at least it was in character.

Dan takes a drag from the cigarette.

RACHEL: So is that what you think about me? You think I’m silly?

Dan lets the smoke out of his mouth as he talks.

DAN: I don’t know what I think about you anymore.

Rachel disappears. Dan is left in an empty car, smoking.

INT. Gas Station. Same Day.

Dan walks into a small gas station to pay after filling up. He approaches the CASHIER and takes out his wallet.

CASHIER: So you’re finally leavin’, huh.

DAN: Yeah. I’m heading off now actually.

Dan takes money out of his wallet and accidentally takes out a small note, also. It is written in a girl’s handwriting and reads “I hope someday you’ll understand”. He stares at it for a few moments, forgetting about the money.

CASHIER: Uh, Dan... hello?

DAN: Oh, sorry... It was nice working with ya man.

He hands the cashier the money, shakes his hand and leaves.

INT. Dan’s car. Same day.

He gets back in the car and tosses the note on the passenger’s seat.

EXT. Small park. Same day. Late afternoon.

Dan pulls up to a small park. It looks old and abandoned. There are four swings, and a few seesaws. There is a bench facing the swings. He turns off the car and gets out. He sits down on the bench.

A dialectic-style montage takes place juxtaposing moving shots of Dan on the bench with memories of Rachel. Dan is on the bench smoking a cigarette. He is sitting slumped on the bench, his head back, his eyes closed. It cuts to a memory (characterized by a dark background and warm coloring) of Rachel lying on her stomach on a rug reading a magazine.

There is another shot of Dan on the bench. Then there is a shot of Rachel, from behind, pulling up her hair, and another of Dan. Then, Dan and Rachel tickling each other in bed and more of Dan. Then, a juxtaposition of just Rachel’s body parts like her neck, knee, stomach, hands, etc.

Dan lets the smoke out of his mouth slowly. He opens his eyes, lifts his head and looks at the swings. He watches the swings sway in the breeze. Rachel appears on the bench next to him.

RACHEL: If you don’t want to remember me, why do you come to places that are significant to us?

DAN: (Trying to ignore her) This isn’t significant to us.

RACHEL: Oh bullshit, you remember what happened here.

DAN: (Still trying to ignore her) I’m trying to forget.

RACHEL: Well here, let me remind you... It was freshman year after homecoming. We were sitting on those two swings.

As she speaks a flashback takes place on the swings. Rachel narrates, but the lines that take place in the past are spoken by PAST RACHEL and PAST DAN (note: past Rachel and Dan should be played by the same people as Rachel and Dan).

EXT. Park. Night-time. Past.

Rachel is wearing a formal dress with Dan’s suit jacket. Her hair has been taken down. Dan is wearing a suit minus a jacket, his tie is loosened and top buttons undone, shirt untucked.

RACHEL (voice over): We left Jacob Bates’s party early and came here ‘cause I didn’t want to go home yet. We were talking about Addleville and I said something like...

PAST RACHEL: I can’t wait to get out of here. I hate this fucking town. There’s nothing here.

PAST DAN: I know what you mean. I’m so sick of corn I could puke.

RACHEL (v.o.): And this is the moment that you have always credited as the end of our friendship and the beginning of our relationship...

P. RACHEL: I’m going to get out of here someday and move to a city.

P. DAN: Which city?

P. RACHEL:
I don’t know, any city, just not here.

P. Dan plays with the buttons on the bottom of his shirt for a few seconds, apparently nervous.

P. DAN: Well you can’t go alone... I should go with you.

They look at each other for a moment.

P. RACHEL: Yeah, you should...

P. DAN: (Suddenly confident) Here, let’s make a promise.

He turns to her rather matter-of-factly and raises his right hand.

P. DAN (cont.): I, Daniel Morris Fagherty, promise always to follow you and never to leave you behind.

P. Rachel laughs but is definitely touched. She turns to him in the same fashion.

P. RACHEL: I, Rachel Charlotte Donovan, promise always to go with you and never to leave you behind. (Putting down her hand) Here, let’s seal the deal.

She takes off her ring, takes his hand, and slips it onto his pinky. Dan looks at it for a second, then takes out his keys. He takes a guitar pick off a key ring, takes off Rachel’s bracelet, and strings it on it, then puts it back on her wrist. Rachel takes his hand back and looks at the ring. She laughs.

P. RACHEL: You look ridiculous.

P. DAN: (Smiling) Shut up.

He moves his hand in hers so that they are palm to palm. He studies it for a second, then looks at her. He weaves his fingers in hers and pulls her toward him slightly. They kiss. Before the break of the kiss the focus moves back to Dan and Rachel on the bench.

EXT. Park bench. Present.

RACHEL: I always imagined out first kiss would be in a much more romantic place than a rundown park while we’re half drunk after a sleazy party.

DAN: I’m sorry I wasn’t exactly Casanova. I forgot that you need someone perfect.

RACHEL: Wow, I don’t remember you having a vagina, but you must ‘cause you sure are acting like a bitch.

DAN: You know, you always say things like that. Who taught you to be so vulgar? You know what, no, I have a better question for you – why are you here? Why do you insist on taunting me? Is this fun for you?

RACHEL: You’re taunting yourself, I’m not here, remember?

DAN: (Quietly) I hate you.

RACHEL: No you don’t. You love me. You know it. You just wish you didn’t.

Dan puts his head in his hands for a few seconds. Rachel disappears. He is once again alone in negative space. Dan makes a noise of frustration, stands up quickly, throws his cigarette away and walks to his car. He gets into his car and slams the door, starts the car and peels off.

EXT. The front yard of Rachel’s trailer. Same day. Early evening.

Dan pulls up to an old trailer and gets out. The lawn is patchy and the trailer is dirty. There is an old truck in the front lawn that looks like it hasn’t been driven in years. No one appears to be home. Dan is obviously very frustrated. He starts to speak before Rachel even appears.

DAN: Well, here we are, your favorite place I the world! Come on Rachel, don’t you want to play?

Rachel appears and gives him a dirty look.

RACHEL: What’s the point of this?

DAN: I just wanted to revisit the place that was so horrible that you had to leave it despite not having any money! The place that was so terrible that even I didn’t make it worth it to stay!

Dan paces around for a few seconds. He starts to tear up. He grasps his hair in frustration.

Throughout the rest of the scene Dan has very short flashbacks. They should be short enough to fit into the brief moments between dialogue; they are more like images than moving shots. They play out the moment that Dan realized Rachel was gone in small, intense pieces. The more upset Dan gets, the more intense they feel.

EXT. Outside Rachel’s trailer door. Past.

There is a flash of Dan knocking on the door to Rachel’s trailer. He is carrying a single Calla Lilly.

EXT. Outside of Rachel’s trailer. Present.

DAN: Why did you leave?! Was I not a good enough reason to stay?!

RACHEL: You know that’s not true.

EXT. Outside Rachel’s trailer door. Past.

There is a flash of Dan opening the door of the trailer and walking in.

EXT. Front yard of trailer. Present.

DAN: Then what, Rachel, what compelled you to break a four year promise?! Did you think I didn’t want to leave?! I was just as desperate to get out of this shithole as you were! We were gonna leave together! We were gonna go to college together...

Rachel starts to get angry.

RACHEL: (Interrupting) I couldn’t go to college! You knew I couldn’t go to college! I didn’t have the grades or the funds and you knew it! You just didn’t want to believe that I couldn’t go with you! You couldn’t see your life without college or without me, so you just assumed that you could do both but you just couldn’t!

INT. Hallway inside Rachel’s trailer. Past.

There is a flash of Dan walking into a bedroom at the end of a hall at the back of the trailer.

EXT. Front yard of trailer. Present.

DAN: You always say that but it’s not true! We could have worked it out, made it happen! We could have stayed for a while after high school and saved enough money to pay for a flat until we could find jobs...

RACHEL: You did the math, Dan, that would have taken years.

DAN: I would have stayed years for you. I did stay years for you!

INT. Rachel’s bedroom. Past.

There is a flash showing a girl’s bedroom. The closet and drawers are open and empty.

EXT. Front yard of trailer. Present.

RACHEL: Maybe I didn’t want that.

DAN: What did you want, then?

Rachel is suddenly sincere and pleading. She approaches him and steps close, but doesn’t touch him because she isn’t there. Dan steps away from her. He is obviously not comfortable being that close to her.

RACHEL: You are so smart, Dan. You are smart, and artistic, and you have so much potential to do so many things...

INT. Rachel’s bedroom. Past.

There is a flash of Dan picking up a piece of paper lying on the bed.

EXT. Front yard of trailer. Present.

DAN: What does that have to do with what you want?!

RACHEL: You said it yourself Dan, this town is a black hole, if you stay too long it sucks you in and you’ll be in it ‘til you die.

DAN: (Extremely frustrated now) What’s your point?!

RACHEL: Would you be leaving right now if I had stayed?

DAN: NO!

INT. Rachel’s bedroom. Past.

There is a longer flash. Dan is holding the paper. It is the note he keeps in his wallet reading “I hope someday you’ll understand”. He drops the Calla Lilly and it falls to the bed in slow motion.

EXT. Front yard of trailer. Present.

Dan stops in his tracks as though suddenly realizing something. He turns his back on her and gets in his car. He starts the engine and speeds off quickly.

INT. Inside Dan’s car. Same day.

While he is driving a murmur of voices starts up in the background. The voices slowly get louder and it becomes audible that they are the taunting voices of the people that hurt him in the past, such as the boys on the playground, etc.

He stops at the entrance to an old road between two corn fields. He is very upset. He closes his eyes tight and grips the wheel in frustration. The voices get louder and louder. He suddenly opens his eyes and at the same moment the voices go away. He quickly throws the car into gear and takes off down the road.

The images of him changing gears, corn passing fast by the car, and the accelerator are juxtaposed along with the sounds they make. The noise is very accentuated. The sound of the accelerator gets louder and higher to signify that the car quickly getting faster and faster.

Finally, at a crescendo, he lets off the gas and at the same moment all sounds are swept away like a soft breeze. Everything is in slow motion. Dan puts his head back and breathes deep.

The car passes a sign that reads “Now Leaving Addleville, Please Come Again” and the note, which was still lying on the passenger’s seat, flies out the window.