story of my life libretto

7/24/2019 Story of My Life Libretto

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/story-of-my-life-libretto 1/84

Music and Lyrics by Book byNEIL BARTRAM BRIAN HILL

Copyright Neil Bartram & Brian Hill



THE STORY OF MY LIFE Pg. 2

CHARACTERS

Two men of the same age.

THOMAS WEAVER - 35-45 - A successful and charismatic writer of

inspirational stories, who has embraced success at the expense of hispersonal life.

ALVIN KELBY - 35-45 - Thomas's best friend from childhood to adulthood. Ayouthful, childlike and sensitive free spirit with a unique perspective on life.




THE STORY OF MY LIFE

A small town funeral chapel with a doorway,

a table, a chair and a podium. THOMAS

WEAVER enters dressed in an expensiveblack suit and carrying a briefcase. He stops

in the doorway. He is very familiar with this place. As he takes in his surroundings he

recalls the hushed voices of two twelve-year-old boys.

YOUNG THOMAS (Voice Over)

People say nice things when you die.

YOUNG ALVIN (VO)They call it a eulogy.

YOUNG ALVIN is struck with an idea.

Hey! I’ll do yours if you do mine.

YOUNG THOMAS (VO)

How’s that gonna work?

YOUNG ALVIN (VO)Oh. Right.

THOMAS smiles and makes his way to the

podium.

How about whichever comes first? Deal?

YOUNG THOMAS (VO)

If I say yes can I go?

YOUNG ALVIN (VO)

Yes.

THOMAS opens his briefcase and takes out

a notebook. He opens the notebook and

reads as though addressing a congregation.

THOMAS

We are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby. He was my best friend.

He takes a pen from his jacket pocket andmakes a correction. It becomes clear that

he isn't delivering the eulogy but is in the process of writing it.




THOMAS (cont'd)

My good friend.

He corrects the correction.

My oldest friend.

My 'insert-adjective-later' friend.

He tears this page from the book and

makes a new attempt.

Thank you for coming. As kids, Alvin Kelby and I had a Christmas Evetradition of making snow angels and watching Frank Capra's film, It's AWonderful Life, in which, you may recall, the inconsequential George Bailey

is saved by an angel, named Clarence, from...

THOMAS realizes where this story is going.

... jumping off a bridge on Christmas Eve.

He tries to continue.

The irony that this particular story should be Alvin's favorite...

He gives up, tears the page from his bookand discards it. He writes.

Hello. My name is Thomas Weaver. I’m a multi-award-winning, best-sellingauthor and I have absolutely no idea what to write.

He stares at his notebook.

Write what you know, Tom.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.

THOMAS writes.

WE MET IN FIRST GRADE.WE WERE FRIENDS FOR YEARS.

GOOD FRIENDS.

INSEPARABLE.

He stops writing.




THOMAS (cont'd)

THAT MUCH I KNOW.

THAT MUCH I KNOW.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, TOM.


He writes.

HE WAS A SMART KID.

HE WAS SORT OF ODD.

He reconsiders his choice of words.

No. Interesting.

He finally decides on...

No. Odd.

HE WORKED IN HIS FATHER’S BOOKSTORE.

HIS FATHER GOT SICK.

He stops writing.

THAT MUCH I KNOW.THAT MUCH I KNOW.

BUT THAT’S NOT THE STORY.THIS IS JUST FACT.WHAT WAS THE CRISIS THAT WENT UNDETECTED?

WHEN WAS THE INSTANT IT SPLINTERED AND CRACKED?

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT?I MISSED IT SOMEHOW

AND IF I COULD NARROW IT DOWN TO A MOMENT,WHAT GOOD IS KNOWING THAT NOW?

WHAT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY?

WHAT DID I OWE? AM I TO BLAME

FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS I’LL NEVER KNOW?

BUT HOW COULD I KNOW?

He returns to his notebook.




THOMAS (cont'd)


He writes.

I WENT TO COLLEGE ALVIN STAYED BEHIND.

HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY.I LEFT HIM HERE ALONE.

He stops writing.

THAT MUCH I KNOW.THAT MUCH I KNOW.

SOME LIVES HURTLE FORWARD AND SOME NEVER BUDGE

AND SOMETIMES A LIFE TAKES A DIFFERENT DIRECTIONWITH AN INNOCUOUS INNOCENT NUDGE.

DID I DO THE NUDGING

WHEN HIS LIFE CAREENED?

NOW HOW DO I BOUNCE THROUGH A LIFETIMETO PINPOINT WHEN I SHOULD HAVE INTERVENED?

WHERE IS THAT STORY?WHAT SHOULD I SAY?

I'VE GOTTA DO THIS RIGHT, ALVIN.I’VE GOTTA FIND THE PIECE OF THE PUZZLETHAT BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY.

THOMAS tears the page from his notebook.

The walls of the funeral chapel fade andTHOMAS is transported into the landscapeof his own mind. It is filled with

massive

shelves crammed with papers and books - alifetime's accumulation of memories and

stories. Seated comfortably among them is

ALVIN KELBY. THOMAS seems unaware

of ALVIN's presence.

THOMAS (cont'd)

WHAT IS THE MOMENT?WHAT IS THE STORY?

USE YOUR OWN WORDS TOM.WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.

ALVIN indicates the shelves.




ALVIN

There's gotta be thousands of stories in this head of yours, Tom.

THOMASDon't bother me, Alvin. I'm writing.

ALVIN looks over THOMAS's shoulder at

the notebook.

ALVIN

No you're not. There's nothing there.

THOMASWriting's a process. Words are just the final step. Now be quiet.

ALVINI'm just trying to help.

THOMAS glares.

Oh. Sorry. If you need me I'll be... sh.

THOMAS stares at the blank page. ALVINtries to stay quiet, but can't.

I read somewhere that the human brain remembers absolutely everything -every moment, every detail - and stores them away. Now, everybody has a

different way of storing them. Me? You don't want to see the inside of myhead. But you - you're a writer. You tuck yours away like little stories.

ALVIN turns THOMAS to look at the

shelves.

Look at them all.

ALVIN takes a stack of pages from theshelves.

Stories about you...

And another.

Stories about me...

And another.

Stories about us....

And another.




ALVIN (cont'd)

You've got enough raw material in this head of yours for a dozen eulogies.

THOMAS

I don't need your help, Alvin. I can do this on my own.

ALVIN

Really? And when was the last time you actually wrote something, Tom?

This touches a nerve. Silence.

So, here's what we're going to do. We're going to pick a story and you'regoing to write it down. Then we'll pick another... and another... and another.

You get the idea? That's all a eulogy is, Tom. You tell a bunch of stories,

save the tear-jerker for the end and...

ALVIN sets the stack of stories triumphantly

on the table.

... there you have it. My eulogy. The story of my life. Written by best-sellingauthor Thomas Weaver.

THOMAS

You make it sound so easy.

ALVIN

Isn't it?

THOMAS goes to the table and looks at the

stack not knowing how to proceed.

Here's a thought. Why don't you begin with this one?

ALVIN selects a few pages and hands themto THOMAS.

The Beginning.

A story about Alvin Kelby.

THOMASI already tried that. We met in first grade. We were friends for years.

ALVINNo. No. No. That's not how it goes. Come on. Tell it the way "Thomas

Weaver" tells it.

The Beginning.





ALVIN (cont'd)

MY MOM PASSED AWAY

IN THE SUMMER I TURNED SIX

Write it down.

THOMAS Alvin, what's the point?

ALVINTrust me.

THOMAS writes in his notebook, sometimes

listening to ALVIN's retelling of the story andsometimes referring to the pages that ALVIN has given him.

THOMAS

Alvin's Mom passed away in the summer he turned six.

ALVINGood.

AND LEFT A SINGLE FATHER AND HIS SON.

BUT DAD HAD THE BOOKSTORE

WITH A LEAKY ROOF TO FIX.SO I WAS ON MY OWN

FACING THE UNKNOWN,THE TERRIFYING PROSPECT OF GRADE ONE.

BUT AT THE TIME HOW WAS I TO SEE

A KIND AND GENTLE SOUL WAS WAITING THERE FOR ME?

THOMAS stops writing and begins to enjoythe memory.

MRS. REMINGTON, OUR FIRST GRADE TEACHER

MADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE.

BUT HER SINGLE MOST DISTURBING FEATURE

WAS THE COARSE BLACK HAIR ON HER FACE.

MAYBE SHE WAS MENOPAUSAL.

LACK OF ESTROGEN WILL CAUSE A LOT OF ODD CONDITIONS,

SOME ACUTE.




ALVIN (cont'd)

THE IRONY WOULD NEVER FAZE HER

NAMESAKE OF A FAMOUS RAZOR.

AND TO BE SO FACIALLY HIRSUTE.

BUT MRS. REMINGTON SMILED

AND SHE WOULD BRIGHTEN MY DAY.BACK THEN A TEACHER HUGGED YOU

TO MAKE YOU FEEL OKAY.

THOUGH MY FACE SORTA STUNG

FROM MRS. REMINGTON’S BEARD,

WHEN SHE HELD ME, MY PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED.

ALVIN sees that THOMAS has stoppedwriting.

Come on.

THOMAS writes.

MRS. LYNCH WAS AN IGNORAMUS,

MR. POLLACK WAS JUST PLAIN MEAN.

MRS. REMINGTON WAS NEARLY FAMOUSFOR HER PARTIES AT HALLOWE'EN.

PUMPKIN HEADS OF EVERY SHAPEWERE CUT OUT OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER.

EACH AND EVERY ONE WOULD BE DISPLAYED.

THE HIGHLIGHT FOR THE CHILDREN WASTO MAKE A REALLY SPECIAL COSTUME

FOR THE YEARLY HALLOWE'EN PARADE.

MRS. REMINGTON SMILED AND SHE WAS CLEARLY CONTENT

AS SHE LOVINGLY PRESIDEDOVER THIS, THE MAIN EVENT.

SO WE’D NERVOUSLY WALK

PAST HER CRITICAL EYES AND WE’D VIE FOR MRS. REMINGTON’S TOP PRIZE.

THOMAS attempts to join the telling of thestory.




THOMAS

There was this one kid wearing cardboard wings, a coat hanger halo, carrying

a bell and a home made book that said Tom Sawyer. Nobody had a clue

what he was supposed to be.

ALVINExcept me.

ALVIN sits at the table as though it were aschool desk.

"Oh, oh, oh, Mrs. Remington!"

Pamela Koshan thought he was the Statue of Liberty.

"Mrs. Remington, I know!"

THOMAS

Donnie Carter thought he was a Thanksgiving turkey.

ALVIN"Mrs. Remington, I know. He’s Clarence. The angel from It’s A Wonderful

Life. He was my mother’s favorite."

Silence.

THOMASThe class laughed.

ALVINI cried. And Mrs. Remington announced that I was next.

BUT MRS. REMINGTON SMILED

IN THAT WAY THAT SHE HAD. A SMILE THAT MADE YOU REALIZETHAT THINGS WERE NOT SO BAD.

AND I KNEW FROM HER FACE

THAT THIS FEELING WOULD PASS.

SO I WENT TO TAKE MY TURN BEFORE THE CLASS.

THOMAS

Those poor kids were still trying to figure out who the heck Clarence was...

ALVIN gets up and shuffles to center stage.

ALVIN

... when I shuffled onto the platform in fuzzy slippers and bathrobe, with pinksponge curlers in my hair.




ALVIN (cont'd)

"Alvin Kelby," Mrs. Remington said, "And what are you supposed to be?"

"I’m a ghost. The ghost of my mother."

Silence.

LUNCH THAT DAY WAS AWFUL LONELYSITTING BY MYSELF AND ONLYWEARING FUZZY SLIPPERS AND CHENILLE.

WHILE ALL THE KIDS WERE MAKING FUN

IN CAME MRS. REMINGTON

WITH CLARENCE DRAGGING SLOWLY ON HER HEEL.

"Clarence," she said, "I’d like you to meet Mrs. Kelby. She’s a big fan of

yours."

AND MRS. REMINGTON SMILED‘CAUSE MRS. REMINGTON KNEW

THAT THE BATTLEFIELD OF CHILDHOODWAS EASIER WITH TWO.

MRS. REMINGTON WATCHED, AS THE ANGELS DO AND ON HALLOWE'EN THAT YEAR

SHE SAW TWO MASKS DISAPPEARWHEN MY MOTHER MET HER ANGEL

He looks directly at THOMAS.

AND I MET YOU.

Now that's a story. Tell that one and you'll have them in the palm of yourhand.

THOMAS tosses the pages aside andreturns to his notebook.

THOMAS

THAT'S NOT THE STORY.

ALVIN

What are you doing?

ALVIN retrieves the discarded pages.




THOMAS

WHEN WAS THE INSTANT IT SPLINTERED AND CRACKED?

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT?

I MISSED IT SOMEHOW

ALVIN

I can't believe you threw this away.

THOMAS AND IF I COULD NARROW IT DOWN TO A MOMENT...

ALVIN

You want to narrow it down? Fine. Let's jump to the big one. Are you sure

you're ready for it?

THOMAS

What are you talking about?

ALVIN tosses aside the 'Mrs. Remington'

pages and digs through the stack of paperson the table.

ALVIN

Where is it? You'd think it'd be a cinch to find. It happened just last week.

Unable to find what he is looking for, he

scours the shelves as well. He finds a smallstack of pages buried deep beneath a larger

pile.

Oh. You buried this one good and deep.

He reads.

God's Great Library. A story about Alvin and Thomas.

Only a week ago, on Christmas Eve, Alvin stood in this very spot...

He sees that THOMAS isn't writing.

Write that down.

THOMAS writes.

THOMASOnly a week ago, on Christmas Eve, Alvin stood in this very spot...




ALVIN

... honoring the memory of his father .

THOMAS

... honoring the memory of his father.

ALVINThat was the last time we saw each other.

THOMAS stops writing, not wanting tounearth this memory.

Keep going.

THOMAS resumes writing.

THOMASThat was the last time we saw each other. He'd posted a notice in the town

paper. "Service to be held at Carter's Funeral Chapel."

ALVIN puts down the papers and leaps intothe past.

ALVINYou're late.

THOMAS ignores ALVIN and remains in the present, continuing to tell the story.

THOMAS"Eulogy to be written and delivered by best-selling author Thomas Weaver."

ALVIN tries to draw THOMAS into the past.

ALVINYou're late.

THOMAS

Only Alvin would advertise a guest speaker in his father’s obituary.

ALVINYou’re late.

THOMAS is finally drawn into the past. ALVIN rushes to THOMAS and embraces

him.

THOMASI know.




ALVIN

Can I hear what you wrote?

THOMASWow. Right down to business. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.

ALVIN

I’d like to hear it.

THOMAS

People are waiting.

ALVINLet them wait.

THOMAS takes a sheet of paper out of his pocket and reads.

THOMAS“Dear friends and family. We are gathered to pay our respects to GordonKelby, a man who devoted his life to the love of books.”

ALVINThat’s nice.

THOMAS

Not that one!

THOMAS crumples up his page and throwsit away. THOMAS and ALVIN instantly

return to the present. THOMAS returns to

the podium and his notebook.

We are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby.

ALVIN

Hm. I guess you're not ready for that one. Well. Where were we?

ALVIN digs through the stack of pages andselects another story. He hands it to

THOMAS.

Ah. How about this?

The Greatest Gift.

A story about Alvin and Thomas.




ALVIN (cont'd)

Alvin and his father lived on the second floor above his father's bookstore.

THOMAS writes in his notebook.

THOMAS

Alvin and his father lived on the second floor above his father's bookstore.

ALVINIt was called The Writer's Block - New and Used Books.

THOMAS

It was a little turn-of-the-century building that, because of how the streets

converged, took up an entire albeit tiny town block.

ALVIN

Hence the name.

THOMAS stops writing.

THOMASThe Writer's Block. I just got that.

ALVINYou're kidding.

THOMASThat store was our refuge from the outside world where Alvin could just be

Alvin, and I could marvel at his shameless eccentricity. We spent everypossible moment there.

ALVIN

My father didn't seem to mind.

THOMASMine didn't seem to notice. The store had a bell attached to the front door.

The bookstore bell rings.

Whenever it rang, like Pavlov's dog, Alvin would say...

ALVIN

Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

THOMAS

From It's A Wonderful Life.

One Christmas Eve, we made our snow angels and watched our Capra film.Then Alvin took me downstairs to the bookstore. We were eleven.




ALVIN and THOMAS step into the past and

into the bookstore. It is closed for the night

and very dark.

ALVIN

Trust me.

THOMASWhat are we doing?

ALVIN

We're going to pick out a book for your Christmas present.

THOMASCool. Which one?

ALVIN

I don't know, but it's somewhere in this mystical place.

THOMASMystical place?

ALVINMystical place.

THOMASIt’s a bookstore.

ALVINNo. It’s a great and powerful force capable of extraordinary feats.

THOMAS steps briefly out of the past.

THOMAS Alvin's father was known for having the uncanny knack of finding the perfect

book for each of his customers. Of course, Alvin saw things... differently.

He steps back into the past.

ALVIN A book’s nothing without a reader. Right?

THOMASRight.

ALVIN

And a reader’s nothing without a book. Right?




THOMAS

(eagerly joining in)

Like if a tree falls in the forest.

ALVIN

Okay.

ALVIN gets things back on track.

This place has the power to join one to the other in a perfect, life-alteringcombination.

EVERY DAY

PEOPLE COME INTO THIS BOOKSTORE.

NEVER KNOWING IT WAS BUILT

ON SACRED HOLLOWED GROUND.

THOMASDon't you mean “hallowed”?

ALVINTHEY TRAVEL HERE FROM ALL AROUND.

POOR SOULS LOOKING FOR STORIES.

THOMASWhere's my present?

ALVINThese desperate pilgrims enter this shrine.

He opens the "door". The bell rings.

My father says...

“GOOD AFTERNOON,”

Or “morning” as the case may be.

“I’M THE OWNER OF THIS BOOKSTORE.

CAN I HELP YOU PLEASE?” AND THEY SAY, “NOT RIGHT NOW SIR, THANKS A LOT.BUT I’LL PERUSE THE BOOKS YOU’VE GOT.I’M JUST LOOKING FOR STORIES.”

SO DAD ALLOWS THEM TO SEARCH THE STACKS.

He acts this out.




ALVIN (cont'd)

AND THEY HUNT AND BROWSE

AND THEY READ THE BACKS.

BUT EVENTUALLY, INEVITABLY,THEY ASK FOR DAD’S ADVICE.

They talk a little.

THEN HE GETS THIS LOOK ALL DAZED AND QUEER. AND HE MUMBLES THINGS I CAN'T QUITE HEAR.

ALVIN imitates his father mumbling to

himself.

THEN, LIKE A SHOT,

HE GOES RIGHT TO THE PERFECT SPOT AND FINDS THEIR SPECIAL BOOK,

THE ONE DISTINCTIVE BOOK,THE STORY THAT WILL CHANGE THAT PERSON’S LIFE.

THOMAS stares blankly at ALVIN.

You see?

THOMAS

See what?

ALVINThis store speaks through my father. He's a conduit. He's an instrument. He'sa vessel. And I am his son. I too hear the prophetic whisper of the bookstorespirit. I will now attempt to use my ancestral gifts to guide you to your present.

Silence.

THOMAS

You couldn’t just get me a model airplane?

ALVIN

Shhh!

SPEAK TO ME.

NOBLE SPIRIT OF THE BOOKSTORE.

THIS IS ALVIN HERE.

THOMAS begins to enjoy this.

THOMAS And Thomas.




ALVIN

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN RECOMMEND

AS A GIFT FOR THOMAS, MY BEST FRIEND?

CAN YOU FIND HIM A STORY?

They wait.

THOMASDo you hear anything yet?

ALVIN listens.

ALVINNo. Wait! It needs something. It needs... both of us.

THOMASWhat do we do?

ALVINNOW WE STAND UP STRAIGHT LOOKING SHY AND MEEK.

THOMAS

NOW WE STAND UP STRAIGHT LOOKING SHY AND MEEK.

ALVIN

AND WE HUMBLY WAIT FOR THE STORE TO SPEAK.

THOMAS AND WE HUMBLY WAIT FOR THE STORE TO SPEAK.

BOTH

SOON WE WILL HEAR THE ANSWER

THAT WE'RE PREPARING TO RECEIVE.

ALVIN

NOW THE NEXT PART’S NOT EXACTLY CLEAR.IT’S THE PART WHERE DAD GETS DAZED AND QUEER.

ALVIN gets a dazed look on his face.

THOMAS

I think you nailed that part.

ALVIN

(muttering to himself)I see... I see... I see a guy wearing cardboard wings, a coat hanger halo,

carrying a bell and a homemade book...




ALVIN (cont'd)

WAIT! HOLY COW!

I KNOW WHICH BOOK TO GIVE YOU NOW.

THOMASWell?

ALVIN

YOU’LL BE GRATEFUL THAT I INTERCEDED.

AND FOUND THE BOOK YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED.

THOMAS

Come on.

ALVIN

THE STORY THAT WILL CHANGE MY BEST FRIEND’S LIFE.

ALVIN plucks a book from the shelf and

gives it to THOMAS, abruptly interruptingthis story with another.

THOMAS

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.By Mark Twain. A book report by Tommy Weaver.

Sixth grade.

THOMAS addresses the audience and ALVIN as though they were his sixth gradeclass.

I got this book from my friend Alvin and his mystical...

He realizes how ridiculous this sounds.

... anyway, it's a really good story but my favorite part is in the pre-face. Itgoes like this.

THOMAS opens the book and reads.

“Part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they

once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, and what

queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in. The author. Hartford. Eighteenseventy-six.”

He closes the book.




THOMAS (cont'd)

IN EIGHTEEN SEVENTY-SIX

CARS WERE NOT INVENTED.

THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE RADIO

OR MOVIES OR T.V. AND THEY HAD MORE DISEASES THEN

WHICH NOW CAN BE PREVENTEDBUT SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK THAT YEAR

THAT STILL GETS READ BY KIDS TODAY LIKE ME.

IN EIGHTEEN SEVENTY-SIXTHERE WASN’T INDOOR PLUMBINGTHEY DIDN’T HAVE A TON OF THINGS

WE TAKE FOR GRANTED NOW.

THOUGH EVERY YEAR THERE SEEMS TO BE

SOME LUXURY THAT’S COMING

A BOOK LIKE THIS FROM WAY BACK THENIS STILL AROUND SOMEHOW.

THOMAS becomes more excited by his

report.

I GUESS I USED TO THINK

THAT BOOKS WERE ONLY WORDS ON PAPERBUT WHEN I’M READING THIS

IT’S LIKE TOM SAWYER’S REALLY HERE.

WHEN THINGS ARE WRITTEN DOWN

THEY DON’T JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE VAPOR.THEY TRAVEL ON THROUGH TIME

BEYOND THAT ONE SPECIFIC YEAR.

Something dawns on THOMAS.

AND I THINK WRITING STUFF LIKE THAT

WOULD MAKE A NEAT CAREER.

IN EIGHTEEN SEVENTY-SIX

SOME GUY FROM MISSOURIPUT ALL THESE ADVENTURES DOWN

AND MADE THEM COME ALIVE.

AND JUST BECAUSE THAT WRITER

WROTE THIS ONE AMAZING STORY

EIGHTEEN SEVENTY-SIX

WAS SO MUCH BETTER THANEIGHTEEN SEVENTY-FIVE.

Thank you.




THOMAS returns to the podium and to the

task of writing ALVIN's eulogy.

THOMAS (cont'd) And so I started writing. Anything and everything got put on paper. A one-

sentence preface...

ALVINFrom a book I gave you.

THOMAS

... nudged me into a "neat career" as...

THOMAS tears this page from his notebookand tosses it aside.

This isn't about me.

ALVINIsn't it?

THOMAS writes in his notebook.

THOMASWe are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW TOM.


ALVIN rifles through the stack of pages onthe table.

ALVINMRS. REMINGTON OUR FIRST GRADE TEACHERMADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE.

ALVIN selects a few pages.

A Better Place.


THOMAS takes the pages and reads.

THOMAS

Against my better judgment, Alvin and I snuck into the gallery of Carter’sFuneral Chapel.

ALVIN steps into the past.




ALVIN

There she is.

THOMASWe were twelve.

THOMAS covers his eyes with the pages.

ALVINWhat are you doing?

THOMAS

I couldn’t look.

ALVIN

You’re a chicken.

ALVIN cranes his neck to look.

They shaved her beard.

THOMAS lowers the pages and looks,

stepping into the past.

Made you look.

THOMAS

Let’s go.

ALVINNo. Listen.

They crouch and listen.

This is the kind of stuff you should write about.

THOMAS listens and writes.

THOMAS

Who's the guy talking?

ALVIN

I think it's Mr. Remington.

THOMAS(incredulous)

There's a Mr. Remington? Get out.




More listening. More writing.

THOMAS

What did he say?

ALVIN

She’s gone to a better place.

THOMASLike where?

ALVIN

Like Disneyland.

They listen. THOMAS writes.

THOMASPeople say nice things when you die.

ALVINThey call it a eulogy.

ALVIN is struck with an idea.

Hey! I’ll do yours if you do mine.

THOMASHow’s that gonna work?

ALVINOh. Right.

ALVIN considers this for a moment.


THOMASIf I say yes can I go?

ALVIN

Yes.

THOMAS

Deal.

THOMAS tries to leave but ALVIN stopshim.




ALVIN

Wait. Write this down. I, Thomas Weaver.

THOMAS writes.

THOMAS

I, Thomas Weaver.

ALVINPromise to do Alvin’s eulogy.

THOMAS

Promise to do Alvin’s eulogy.

ALVIN And to tell the world how he’s my best friend.

THOMAS

And to tell the world how he’s my best friend.

ALVIN And how much I love him.

THOMAS stops writing.

THOMAS

What are you, a girl?

ALVINWrite it down. And vice versa. Whichever comes first.

THOMAS writes.

THOMAS And vice versa. Whichever comes first.

ALVIN And if I don’t may I drop down dead in my tracks and rot.

THOMAS steps briefly out of the past.

THOMAS

He stole that last line from Tom Sawyer.

ALVIN

Shut up and write it.

THOMAS returns to the past and writes.




THOMAS

And if I don’t may I drop down dead in my tracks and rot.

ALVIN

Now sign it.

THEY each sign the agreement.

THOMAS Are we done?

ALVIN

Yes.

THOMASLet’s go.

THOMAS starts to leave.

ALVINWait. What are you gonna say?

THOMAS

You have to die to find out.

THOMAS steps completely out of the past

and observes his friend.

ALVIN And how’s that gonna work?

Something catches ALVIN's attention.

Look. They’re closing it.

ALVIN watches in silence as the unseen

casket is closed.

THOMAS

Goodbye, Mrs. Remington.

ALVIN

Have fun at Disneyland.




THOMAS

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT?

WHERE WAS THE SLACK?

THOMAS discards these pages and returnsto the podium and his notebook. ALVIN

joins him in the present.

ALVINSo... what are you going to say?

THOMAS

We are gathered...

BOTH... to honor the life of Alvin Kelby.

THOMAS

WHAT WAS THE CRISIS THAT WENT UNDETECTED?WHEN WAS THE INSTANT IT STARTED TO CRACK?

ALVIN selects another stack of pages and

reads.

ALVIN A Stupid Squashable Bug.


ALVIN hands the pages to THOMAS.

THOMASOne afternoon, when I was fourteen, I borrowed one of the magazines my

father kept hidden in his nightstand. I found Alvin at the bridge by the falls

staring intently at a butterfly.

ALVIN steps into the past. He kneels and

watches an unseen butterfly.

ALVIN

Tom. Watch this. They say that every time this butterfly flaps it causes a tiny

ripple in the air that can spread out and grow and change wind currents andweather patterns. They call it the butterfly effect. One flap could cause a

blizzard in Africa.

THOMAS

To any other fourteen-year-old, Alvin was a freak.

ALVINI prefer the term ‘individual’. Watch.




THOMAS joins the past. Together they

watch the butterfly... for a long time.

THOMASNothing is happening.

ALVIN

It will.

They watch again... for another long time.

THOMAS

(deeply frustrated)This is ridiculous.

AL, WE’RE STARTING HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FALL AND YOU DON’T SEEM PREPARED FOR THAT AT ALL.

WHEN EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT AND THE KIDS ARE MOSTLY NEW.

YOU’LL SEE HIGH SCHOOL CAN BE HARDON “INDIVIDUALS” LIKE YOU.

The unseen butterfly flaps and ALVINfollows its flight until it settles.

ALVINWhoa. It's flapping.

THOMASIt’s a bug. A stupid, squashable bug.

LOOK AT THIS MAGAZINE, ALVIN.

SEE WHAT REGULAR GUYS ARE OBSESSED WITH.YOU’RE CHASING INSECTSWHILE YOU COULD BE LEARNING

WHAT MISS APRIL TATTOOED HER GIANT BREAST WITH.

THOMAS puts the magazine in front of

ALVIN's face.

ALVIN

Don't.




THOMAS

BEING ECCENTRIC WAS FINE

WHEN IT WAS JUST JUNIOR HIGH.

IF YOU WANT TO FIT IN AT HIGH SCHOOL AL,

BE NORMAL.JUST TRY.

THOMAS shows ALVIN the magazine.

Miss April... likes action movies, stock car racing, and soup.

To ALVIN.

You like soup.

ALVIN

She looks uncomfortable.

ALVIN looks for the butterfly but it has flownaway.

Crap. Where’d the butterfly go?

THOMAS

YOU’RE GONNA NEED TO BE DIFFERENT ALVIN.

YOU GOTTA DRAW LESS ATTENTION.IT’S BETTER TO JUST BE LIKE ONE OF THE CROWDTHAN A DWEEB WHO DROPPED IN

FROM THE FIFTH DIMENSION.

ALVIN finds the butterfly.

ALVINThere you are.

THOMASWOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO BE MORETHAN JUST “THAT WEIRD KELBY KID”?

YOU COULD FLY UNDER THE RADAR, ALBE NORMAL.

ALVINShhhhh!




THOMAS

NO MORE PLAYING WITH BUGS, ALVIN.

NO MORE WEARING YOUR DEAD MOTHER’S ROBE.

THERE ARE BULLIES AND THUGS, ALVIN.

EVERY ONE A POTENTIAL ALVIN-O-PHOBE.

The butterfly flaps.

ALVINWhoa!

THOMAS

THE TINIEST TRANSGRESSION,

LIKE TO STICK OUT OR REBEL,WILL DESTROY THEIR FIRST IMPRESSION AND TURN HIGH SCHOOL INTO HELL.

Al!

ALVINSh!

THOMAS steps briefly into the present.

THOMASI threw Miss April at the butterfly.

ALVIN

No!

He watches the butterfly fly away. THOMASreturns to the past.

It’s flapping. It’s flapping. It’s flapping a lot. Oh my God. There’s no tellingwhat chain of events you just set into motion.

THOMASNothing's going to happen!

THOMAS goes to leave. ALVIN stops him.

THOMAS steps out of the past andobserves his friend.

ALVINDon’t move. If a stupid, squashable bug can have that kind of power, what

about us?

THOMAS Alvin moved his finger.




ALVIN

What do you think that did?

THOMAS And then his hand.

ALVIN

Or that?

THOMAS

And then his whole arm.

ALVINOr that?

THOMASUntil he was flapping around like some crazed pterodactyl.

ALVIN runs around the space, flappingwildly.

ALVIN

Woo hoo! Look at me Tom. I’m changing the weather. I’m redirecting the jetstream. I’m melting the polar ice caps.

THOMAS rejoins the memory.

THOMASNothing is changing! You look like an idiot!

NOBODY SAID IT WAS EASY, ALVIN

NOBODY SAID IT WAS PRETTY.

AND HEARING THIS STUFF FROM A FRIEND MAY BE HARD,BUT NOT KNOWING AT ALL WOULD BE TWICE AS SHITTY.YOU’LL GET THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL UNNOTICED

THEN YOU’LL THANK ME, YOU’LL SEE.SO DON’T BE THE GUY WHO BUCKS EVERY TREND

ALVIN sees the magazine.

ALVIN

Give me that magazine.

ALVIN picks up the magazine and looks

closely at the cover.




THOMAS

WHO I HAVE TO JUSTIFY AND DEFEND.

ALVINI didn’t see that before.

THOMAS

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP BEING MY BEST FRIENDBE NORMAL...

ALVIN plucks something from the page.

ALVIN A caterpillar.

THOMAS... LIKE...

THOMAS quickly selects a story. Thememory shifts abruptly. ALVIN falls to theground struggling against an unseen

assailant.

ALVINTom!

THOMAS reads.

THOMASBullies and Thugs.

ALVIN

Tom!

THOMAS


ALVIN

Tom!

THOMAS

For our tenth grade Hallowe'en party, Alvin came to school dressed as his

mother’s ghost again. Bathrobe and all.

ALVINTom!




THOMAS

What was cute at six was just weird at fifteen.

ALVIN

Tom!

THOMASDonnie Carter chased Alvin all the way to the bridge and, by the time I got

there, he had him pinned to the ground and was pummeling him mercilessly.

ALVIN

Tom!

THOMAS joins the memory.

THOMAS

Get off him!

ALVINTom!

THOMAS

I SAID GET OFF HIM NOW!

THOMAS helps ALVIN to his feet.

ALVINHe’s got my robe, Tom.

THOMASGive him the robe, Donnie.

ALVIN

Please give it back.

THOMAS

Give it back now.

ALVIN

No. Don’t do that. Please. Please. Don’t!

Silence. THOMAS steps into the present.

THOMASDonnie threw the robe over the side of the bridge and ran away. We watched

it disappear over the falls.




They watch in silence as the robe drifts

down the river. THOMAS rejoins the past.

He looks at ALVIN for a moment.

THOMAS (cont'd) But seriously Al, what were you thinking?

ALVIN selects a story and hands it to

THOMAS who reads.

What Alvin Was Thinking.


ALVINI REMEMBER MOM WOULD MAKE MY LUNCHESEVERY AFTERNOON WHEN I WAS FIVE.

SANDWICHES, AND CARROT STICKS IN BUNCHES.IT’S STRANGE HOW CERTAIN MEMORIES SURVIVE.

WE’D BOTH SIT ON A KITCHEN STOOL.

I’D TELL HER WHAT I DID IN SCHOOL.HOW I’D CARRY ON.

PEOPLE CARRY ON.

WHEN YOU’RE A KID YOUR WORLD BECOMES YOUR PARENTS.I SAW THEM LIKE A MOVIE IN MY MIND.

DAD WAS GEORGE AND MOM WAS JUST LIKE CLARENCE AND I BECAME THE TWO OF THEM COMBINED.

THEN ONE DAY OUR FAMILYWAS SUDDENLY JUST DAD AND MEBUT WE WOULD CARRY ON.

PEOPLE CARRY ON.

TIME WENT BY. WE CHANGED AND GREW.I BOUNCED BACK LIKE CHILDREN DO.

BUT MOM WAS ALWAYS CLOSE TO ME.HER ROBE WAS LIKE HER LEGACY.

I FELT LIKE SHE WAS WOVEN THERE

IN EVERY STITCH AND QUILTED SQUAREREMINDING ME OF THINGS THE WAY THEY WERE.

BUT SOMETIMES DISTANT MEMORIES CAN BLUR.

I KNEW MY MOTHER’S ROBE,BUT SOMEHOW I’D FORGOTTEN HER.




ALVIN (cont'd)

I REMEMBER LEMONADE AND PUNCHES

LAID OUT LIKE REFRESHMENTS AT A PROM.

SANDWICHES AND CARROT STICKS IN BUNCHES.

I WAS SIX THE DAY THEY BURIED MOM.

MY BORROWED TIE, THE PERFUMED AIR,THE FLOWER BASKETS EVERYWHERE.

EVERY TRIVIALITY IS LOCKED INSIDE MY MEMORY.DETAILS WILL SURVIVE THE YEARSWHILE MOM JUST SLOWLY DISAPPEARS.

BUT PEOPLE CARRY ON,

PEOPLE CARRY ON.

PEOPLE CARRY ON,

PEOPLE CARRY ON.

ALVIN senses that THOMAS may now be

ready to revisit the story of their lastmeeting.

ALVIN (cont'd)

God's Great Library. A story about Alvin and Thomas.

Want to try it again? Only a week ago, on Christmas Eve, Alvin stood in thisvery spot, honoring the memory of his father.

THOMASThat was the last time we saw each other.

ALVIN

You're late.THOMAS joins this memory. ALVIN rushesto THOMAS and embraces him.

THOMAS

I know.

ALVINCan I hear what you wrote?


ALVIN





THOMAS

People are waiting.

ALVIN

Let them wait.

THOMAS takes a sheet of paper from his pocket and reads.

THOMAS“Dear friends and family. We are gathered to pay our respects to Gordon

Kelby, a man who devoted his life to the love of books.”

ALVINThat’s nice.

Unwilling to revisit this memory completely,THOMAS steps into the present.

THOMAS And I read him a glorious passage by poet John Donne about each of ourlives being the pages and chapters of one great book collected up by God.

A lengthy silence.

ALVIN

Can I see it?

THOMAS hands the paper to ALVIN.

THOMASWhich he clearly didn't appreciate.

ALVINThis is it, Tom?

THOMASIt was a completely fitting tribute to his father.

ALVIN

It’s just a quote.

THOMAS

Full of some of the most evocative images I have ever encountered.

ALVINFrom a dead poet.




THOMAS

Written by one of the pre-eminent poets of the English language.

ALVIN

I asked you to write it.

THOMASNo!

THOMAS violently snatches the paper from ALVIN's hand and discards it.

WHEN THINGS ARE WRITTEN DOWN

THEY DON’T JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE VAPOR.THEY TRAVEL ON THROUGH TIMEBEYOND THAT ONE SPECIFIC YEAR.

ALVIN


THOMAS AND I THINK WRITING STUFF LIKE THAT

WOULD MAKE A NEAT CAREER.

ALVIN goes to the shelves in search ofsomething specific.

ALVIN

A neat career. A neat career.

He selects a few pages.

A Neat Career.

A story about Thomas.

ALVIN gives the pages to THOMAS.

THOMAS

Okay.

THOMAS takes them, not quiteunderstanding ALVIN's choice of story.

My college application required a sample of my writing, a short story... and Ihad nothing. I'd been writing things down for years but nothing resembled an

actual story. In a panic I went to find Alvin at the store to tell me what to do.

ALVIN and THOMAS step into the past.They are in the bookstore. ALVIN is busy




working, shelving books etc., throughout the

following.

ALVIN

There's gotta be thousands of stories in that head of yours, Tom. Just pickone and write it down.

THOMAS

You make it sound so easy.

ALVIN

Isn't it?


THOMAS

So I picked one and wrote it down. Three hundred and fifty words amountingto, I suspected, a pile of crap. I decided to read it to Alvin and let him decide if

it was any good at all.

THOMAS steps into the past.

ALVIN

Let me get this straight. If I say I like it you’ll submit it.

THOMAS

Right.

ALVIN And if the college likes it you’ll be accepted.

THOMAS

Right.

ALVIN And if you’re accepted you’ll leave.

THOMAS

Right.

ALVIN considers this.

ALVIN

And what if I say I don’t like it?

THOMASThen it’s a whole different story.




ALVIN

Oooh! Your life is in my hands. I like this. Read.

ALVIN continues his work as THOMAS

reads.

THOMASThe Butterfly. By Thomas Weaver.

ALVINThe Butterfly?

THOMAS

Yeah.

THOMAS continues hesitantly.

IN A FAR OFF LAND

THERE LIVED A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY,IN A KINGDOM FULL OF BLOSSOM COVERED TREES

AND WINDING THROUGH THIS PARADISE A RIVER DANCED ALONG

AND PLAYED WITH THE CONSTANT SUMMER BREEZE.

THOMAS stops and looks to ALVIN forsome sense of approval or disapproval.

ALVIN

Keep going.

THOMASTHE BUTTERFLY

FOUND A TINY BRANCH AT THE RIVERSIDE

AND WATCHED THE WATER RUSHING WHO KNOWS WHERE.CAREFULLY HE SHELTEREDFROM THE POWER OF THE BREEZE

FOR SURELY IT COULD TOSS HIM THROUGH THE AIR.

“I’M A BUTTERFLY”

HE SAID.

“TRIVIAL AND SMALL AND IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS

I DON’T MEAN MUCH AT ALL,

SO I’LL FLAP MY WINGS TO STRETCH MYSELF AND JUST ENJOY THE VIEW.

I’M A BUTTERFLY, WHAT MORE CAN I DO?”

THOMAS begins to gain confidence. ALVINstops his work and watches his friend.




THOMAS (cont'd)

ONE AFTERNOON THE BUTTERFLY ASKED THE RIVER

"MADAM, WHAT MAKES YOU HURRY SO?

WHAT SPLENDID DESTINATION ARE YOU RIPPLING TOWARD?

WHERE, OH WHERE DO YOU GO?"

THE RIVER SAID, “I’M HEADED FOR THE OCEAN, AND THE SUMMER BREEZE INSPIRES ME TO RACE.MY FRIEND, YOU’D LOVE THE OCEAN.

IT’S REMARKABLE TO SEE.

WON’T YOU JOIN OUR FRIENDLY CHASE?”

“I’M A BUTTERFLY”HE SAID.

“TRIVIAL AND SMALL AND IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS

I DON’T MEAN MUCH AT ALL,SO I FLAP MY WINGS TO STRETCH MYSELF

AND JUST ENJOY THE VIEW.I’M A BUTTERFLY, WHAT MORE CAN I DO?”

SO THE BUTTERFLY, HE DREAMED OF THE OCEAN.HE LONGED TO FLUTTER HIGH ABOVE THE SEAS,BUT THERE ARE DANGERS IN THE SKY

FOR A TINY BUTTERFLY.SO FROM HIS BRANCH

HE ASKED A QUESTION OF THE BREEZE.

"WHAT MAKES YOU CHASE THE RIVERT’WARD THE OCEAN?"

THEN THE BREEZE TOLD HIM A MOST AMAZING THING.

“I’M SIMPLY MADE UP OF THE CURRENTS IN THE AIRTHAT START FROM THE MOVEMENT OF YOUR WING,YOUR TINY WING.”

“YOU’RE A BUTTERFLY MY FRIEND,

POWERFUL AND STRONG

AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY

YOU’VE ALWAYS HURRIED ME ALONG.WHEN YOU FLAP YOUR WINGS TO STRETCH YOURSELF

IT MIGHT SEEM SMALL TO YOU

BUT YOU CHANGE THE WORLD WITH EVERYTHING YOU DO.”




THOMAS (cont'd)

SO HE STRETCHED HIS WINGS

AND TOOK OFF FROM THE SAFETY OF HIS TREE

AND THE BUTTERFLY FINALLY SAW THE SEA.

THOMAS looks to ALVIN for a response. ALVIN takes the pages from THOMAS.

THOMAS steps out of the past.

Alvin had this look in his eyes I'd never seen before. I don't know what it was.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity and then simply said...

ALVIN hands the pages back to THOMAS.

ALVIN

Send it.

THOMASWAS THAT THE MOMENT?

ALVIN

WAS THAT THE MOMENT?

THOMASI MISSED IT SOMEHOW.

ALVIN selects a new story and hands it to

THOMAS, taking the Butterfly pages as hedoes.

Over The Falls.

A story about Thomas and Alvin.

The day I left for college we stood at the bridge throwing sticks into the river...

THOMAS steps into memory and throws a"stick." He and ALVIN watch it float toward

the falls where it disappears over the edge.

... and watching them careen over the falls.

ALVIN throws a stick. Again, they watch it

make its way to the edge of the falls.

ALVINCrap.




THOMAS

Or not.

THOMAS throws and watches the stick's

progress.

Over the falls.

ALVIN throws and watches.

ALVIN

Crap.

THOMAS and ALVIN search for moresticks.

THOMASI’m mad at you.

ALVINI know.

THOMAS

You’ve gone all George Bailey on me.

ALVIN

I have not.

THOMASIs your father sick?

ALVIN

Yes.

THOMAS Are you putting your life on hold to take care of the business?

ALVIN

Yes.

THOMASGeorge Bailey.

ALVIN throws.

ALVINCrap.





THOMAS

My sticks floated freely over the falls while his got stuck in the rocks every

time. The symbolism was glaringly obvious.

THOMAS returns to the past. Silence as

they search for more sticks.

ALVINI’m gonna miss you.

THOMAS

Yes you are.

ALVINTom.

THOMAS

What?

ALVINCan I tell you something?

THOMASWhatever.

THOMAS throws.

Over the falls.


THOMASWe already covered that.

ALVIN throws.

ALVIN

Aaargh.

THOMAS

Aw. Does George Bailey need a throwing lesson?

THOMAS puts his arm around ALVIN andmesses his hair. ALVIN pulls THOMAS into

an embrace and kisses him on the neck.The kiss is neither passionate nor tender...




just a kiss. THOMAS steps into the present.

ALVIN continues the search for more sticks.

THOMAS (cont'd)

I put my arm around him and messed his hair. And then he kissed me. On theneck. Here. Just below my ear.

ALVIN throws a stick and watches it drift

over the falls this time. He is deeplysatisfied by this.

ALVIN

Over the falls.

THOMAS selects a story.

THOMASGoodbye.


THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYEWE STOOD BY THE CAR FOR AN HOUR, I SWEAR.

THE USUAL PLATITUDES HUNG IN THE AIR

THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE.

THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE

I REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT ALVIN TO KNOWTHAT SECRETLY I WAS EXCITED TO GO

THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE.

HE SAID HE WAS GLAD I WAS LEAVING.

ALVIN

YOU NEED THIS.

THOMAS

HE SAID HE’D BE FINE ON HIS OWN.

ALVIN

I'VE STILL GOT DAD AND THE STORE

AND THE NEW FALL RELEASES.

ALVIN hugs THOMAS.

THOMAS

HE HUGGED ME.

ALVIN pulls away from THOMAS, surprised.




ALVIN

You’re wearing cologne?

BOTHTHE WEATHER WAS CHANGING THE LEAVES

IN THE SEPTEMBER SKY.

THOMASBUT NOTHING WAS CHANGING FOR ALVIN.

ALVIN

EVERYTHING CHANGED

BOTHTHE FIRST TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE.

ALVIN selects a story and reads.

ALVINThe Homecoming.

THOMAS

It was Christmas Eve at the bookstore. I’d come home for the holidays withan assignment deadline looming over me.

ALVIN hands the pages to THOMAS.THOMAS steps into the past and goes to

the table. He finds a pen and sits andbroods, unable to write. ALVIN impatientlytries to get THOMAS's attention.

ALVIN

Let's go outside.

THOMAS

Sh.

ALVIN

What are you doing?

THOMAS

Writing.

ALVIN looks over THOMAS's shoulder at

the blank page.

ALVINNo you're not. There's nothing there.




THOMAS

It's a process. Words are just the final step.

ALVINWe have half an hour before It's a Wonderful Life starts. Can't you process

outside?

THOMASShut up. I'm this close to having something.

ALVIN

Sorry. If you need me, I'll be... sh.

ALVIN tries to be quiet... but fails.

ALVINYou know, I read somewhere that the average number of snowflakes that fall

each year is estimated at ten to the twenty-fourth power. That's one followedby twenty-four zeroes. The diversity of their structures is commonly believed

to be infinite. Come on. Let's go out and kick up a little infinite diversity.

THOMAS

I can’t. This is important.

ALVIN

I read somewhere that "one of the symptoms of an approaching nervousbreakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." There’s gotta be

thousands of stories in that head of yours, Tom. Just pick one and write itdown.

THOMAS

You have no clue how this works. Do you?

SOMETHING IS APPROACHING, ALVIN.THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS.

ALVIN

My God you’re dull.

THOMASTUESDAY’S EMBRYONIC IDEA

WEDNESDAY, COULD BE CLIMBING THE CHARTS.

ALVIN looks out the "window".

ALVIN

Look at that snow.




THOMAS

SUDDENLY IMAGINATION PERCOLATES AND SPINS.

ALVIN

Excellent packing qualities. A light dusting of powder.

THOMASTHAT’S THE ANCIENT ART OF CREATION,

ALVINThe perfect combination.

THOMAS

AND HERE’S WHERE IT BEGINS.

ALVIN

Come on. Let’s go outside.

THOMASSh!

A SPARK CAN BE EXTINGUISHED, ALVIN

WITH THE SLIGHTEST MOVE.

LET ME FAN THIS FLAME OF A THOUGHT AT LEAST UNTIL I’M INTO A GROOVE.

ALVINIt’s not going to last forever.

THOMASIDEAS ARE JUST VISITORS, EPHEMERAL AND RARE.I JUST NEED SOMETHING DOWN ON THIS PAPER...

STILL NOTHING THERE.

ALVIN

Look up from your page, Tom.

THOMAS

WHERE’S THE INSPIRATION?

A WRITER NEEDS A MUSE.I NEED SOME INSPIRATION.

THERE’S NOT MUCH HERE TO USE.

ALVIN

If you need me I’ll be outside maintaining a tradition alone.

THOMAS Aren’t you a little old for that?




ALVIN runs outside. The bookstore doorbell

rings.

ALVINEvery time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

THOMAS

IDEAS ARE IMPORTANTBUT IDEAS AREN’T ENOUGH.NEXT YOU NEED A VIABLE OUTLINE.

THEN THE WORK GETS TOUGH.

AND THAT’S THE PART THAT SEPARATESTHE CHILDREN FROM THE MEN.

THEN YOUR ONLY FRIEND IN THE WORLDBECOMES YOUR FAVORITE PEN.

ALVIN falls onto his back, flailing his armsand legs.

ALVIN

I’m making a snow angel!

THOMAS

STRUCTURE.YOU STRUGGLE WITH STRUCTURE AND FORM.

WORKING OUT ONE LITTLE SPOT, A TWIST OF THE PLOT.BUT STILL YOU’RE JUST GETTING WARM.

PATIENCE.

WITH PATIENCE YOU FINISH A DRAFT. ASSUMING YOU GET TO THIS PART,IT’S TEN PERCENT ART,

REALLY IT’S MORE ABOUT CRAFT

AND RULES

THE RULES ARE SWIMMING THROUGH YOUR MIND.BECAUSE YOU MEMORIZED EACH TEXTBOOK AND LECTURE.

EVERY DETAIL IS REWORKED AND REDEFINED.

BUILDING STORIES IS JUST ARCHITECTURE.

ALVIN gets up to look at his creation.

ALVINLook at me Tom! Look at me! Ooh. I got snow down my pants.




THOMAS watches ALVIN.

THOMAS

BUT IT’S ELUSIVE, ALVIN.IT’S LIKE ANGELS IN THE SNOW.

TURN YOUR BACK AND THERE THEY GO.

A slow realization.

IT’S LIFE.

Stand back, Al, here I come!

THOMAS runs outside to join ALVIN. The

bookstore doorbell rings.

ALVINEvery time a bell rings...

THOMAS

Shut up!

THOMAS falls onto his back, flailing hislimbs.

Yee haw!

EVERYTHING IS STARTING, ALVINEVERYTHING IS REAL.

ALVIN

MAKE YOUR ANGEL RIGHT OVER HERETHE SNOW IS JUST IDEAL.

ALVIN falls onto his back and flails.

BOTH

IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT

WE’LL HAVE PERFECT ANGEL TWINS.

They stand and admire their work.

THOMAS

THANK YOU FOR THE FINE DEMONSTRATIONNOW MOVE OUT THE WAY.




THOMAS

MY COLLEAGUE, MY GIRLFRIEND, MY NUMBER ONE FAN,

THE NEXT TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE.

SHE WORKED FOR A NATIONAL WEEKLY.

ALVIN

Impressive.

THOMAS

I’D BEEN PUBLISHED IN HER MAGAZINE.

ALVIN WAS STUCK SELLING BOOKSWHILE HIS FATHER GOT SICKER.

ALVINYou’ve grown up.

THOMASHE STILL LOOKED EIGHTEEN.

THOMAS steps into the past.

Ann’s waiting in the car. You coming out to say goodbye?

ALVINI can’t.

THOMASWhy not?

ALVIN

Dad’s left me a list of things to do.

THOMAS

It’ll take ten seconds.

ALVIN

It’s a really long list.

THOMAS steps briefly out of the memory.

THOMASHe didn’t like her.




ALVIN

No. She’s great. I'm sure she'll have you settling down in no time. Getting

married. Buying a house. Getting a dog. Having a kid. Do you think she’ll let

you name it after me?

THOMASUm...

ALVIN enjoys THOMAS's discomfort for amoment.

ALVIN

I mean the dog.

BOTH

YEARS ARE LIKE SNOWFLAKESTHAT PASS IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

ALVINI’M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU’RE HAPPY.

THOMAS

ALVIN SEEMED SADTHE NEXT TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE.

ALVINSOME LIVES HURTLE FORWARD.

AND SOME NEVER BUDGE.

THOMAS returns to the podium and hisnotebook and the task of writing the eulogy.

THOMASWe are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby.

ALVINSOMETIMES A LIFE TAKES A DIFFERENT DIRECTION

WITH AN INNOCUOUS INNOCENT NUDGE.

ALVIN selects a stack of pages and handsthem to THOMAS. ALVIN sits at the table.

THOMAS reads.

THOMAS

An Innocuous Innocent Nudge.

Alvin's father's condition worsened and eventually he was moved into ahome. So Alvin assumed ownership of the bookstore.




THOMAS picks up his briefcase and goes to

the table. The bookstore doorbell rings.

THOMAS (cont'd) Every time a bell rings...

ALVIN doesn't respond.

I shuffled my schedule and ran back to town to help with the paperwork.

THOMAS sets the pages in front of ALVIN

who finds a pen and carefully signs each

document.

With each turn of the page this old store, The Writer's Block - New and Used

Books, became more and more Alvin's.

ALVINI feel like such an adult. I feel like you.

THOMAS joins the memory and gathers up

the signed papers. He puts them in his

briefcase.

THOMAS

Well, it’s all yours. And may I say I'm glad you got writer's block and not me.

No response from ALVIN.

A little literary joke.

ALVIN

Very little.

THOMAS

So, what the hell are you going to do with it?

ALVIN

I MISS THE WAY THINGS WERE BEFORE.

DAD SAYS I'M JUST BEING SAPPY.HE SAYS TO TAKE THIS LITTLE STORE

AND DO WHATEVER MAKES ME HAPPY.

THOMAS

So... what are you going to do?




ALVIN

I don't know. I've never had options before. You want to stay and help me

decide?

THOMAS steps out of this memory.

THOMAS All I could think was... I've got too much to do.

ALVINYou could stay through Christmas.

THOMAS

All I could think was... I've got three book signings.

ALVIN

It'll be like we're kids again.

THOMAS All I could think was... Ann would never let me.

ALVIN

What do you say?

THOMASBut all I could say was...

THOMAS steps into the past for just a

moment.

... why don't you come to the city?

ALVIN

REALLY? George Bailey? Leave town? I've never done that.

THOMAS returns to the present.

THOMASI took care of all the arrangements.

ALVINDad's in good hands.

THOMAS

I booked the train.

ALVIN

I can do what I want with the store.




THOMAS

I booked his room.

ALVIN

I can actually do this.

THOMASIn spite of that, a day didn't go by without a phone call asking what he should

pack.

ALVIN

Do I need a tie? I don't have a tie.

THOMASOr how much cash he should bring.

ALVINI bought a money belt. It'll be safer. Right?

THOMASUntil one final phone call.

ALVIN

THIS IS IT, TOM.THIS IS IT.

THOMASThe morning before the big trip.

ALVIN24 HOURS AND I WILL BE THERE.

THOMAS

All I could think was... boy, this day came fast.

ALVIN

TO RUFFLE YOUR FEATHERS AND GET IN YOUR HAIR.

THOMAS

All I could think was... I have things to take care of.

ALVIN

THE WHOLE TOWN CAN PERISH, I DON’T EVEN CARE.

THOMAS

But all I could say was...

THOMAS again steps briefly into the past.... see you tomorrow.




ALVIN

THIS IS IT, TOM.

THIS IS IT.

I never thought this day would actually come.

THIS MORNING I FINALLY BELIEVED IT.

I WOKE UP AND FELT IT BEGIN.

Spoken like Jimmy Stewart as "George

Bailey".

"I’M SHAKING THE DUST OF THISCRUMMY OLD TOWN OFF MY FEET."

Take that, George Bailey.

I'LL MAKE UP A SIGN FOR THE BOOKSTORE AND HANG IT WHERE PEOPLE COME IN.

SAYING: “CLOSING FOR CHRISTMAS.THE OWNER IS HITTING THE STREET.”

LOOK, I’LL NEVER BE A WORLD TRAVELER.I JUST WASN’T BUILT THAT WAY.STILL, THIS COULD BE MY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

THOMAS

Aren't you blowing this a little out of proportion?

ALVIN straightens up the table and shelves, preparing to close down the bookstore.

THOMAS observes him from the present.

ALVINI THINK OF THE TIMES THROUGHOUT HISTORY

A DAY UNREMARKABLY DAWNED AND ONE MAN WAS SEIZED

BY THE RESTLESS DESIRE TO EXPLORE.

HE LOOKED UP AND SCANNED THE HORIZON AND WONDERED WHAT MIGHT LIE BEYOND.

THEN HOISTED HIS ANCHOR

AND SAILED FOR SOME UNCHARTED SHORE.




ALVIN (cont'd)

WELL NOW MY DESTINY‘S CALLING,

AND I CAN HEAR IT SAY

THIS COULD BE MY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

THOMAS takes a very brief step into the

past.

THOMASIt's just a trip to the city, Al.

ALVIN

Of course you wouldn’t understand.

THIS IS A FEELING YOU MUST FEEL EVERY DAY AS PUBLISHING’S LATEST "MAN-OF-THE-HOUR".

Four bestsellers and counting, Tom.

I REALLY CAN’T COMPETE WITH YOUR RESUME

BUT SOMETHING DEEP IS STIRRING

AND SHIFTING INSIDE.

THE BOUNDARIES ARE BLURRING AND OPENING WIDE.IT'S SUDDENLY OCCURRING

THAT FINALLY I DESERVETO STRAY AND REACH AND YEARN

AND DARE TO SAYIT MIGHT JUST BE MY TURN.

ALVIN is surprised by the sound of his own

voice. He can't believe such a bold

statement has emerged from him.

IT’S RARE THAT YOU NOTICE A MOMENT

THE MOMENT IT’S HURRYING BY AND INSTANTLY FRAME IT

AND SAY: THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED.

BUT NOW, THERE’S A MOMENT APPROACHING.I’M STARING IT STRAIGHT IN THE EYE.

PREPARED FOR A FUTURE

OF MOMENTS THAT AREN’T PREARRANGED.




ALVIN (cont'd)

OLD GEORGE BAILEY WAS CHEATED

HE NEVER LEFT HIS TOWN.

BEATEN DOWN AND DEFEATED

HE EVEN TRIED TO DROWN. BUT LOOK AT ME, I’VE BEEN TREATED

TO LIFE TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN.

WELCOME TO MY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

THIS IS IT, TOM.

THIS IS IT.

THOMAS All I could think was... I never told Ann he was coming.

ALVINCHRISTMAS, THE TWO OF US, JUST LIKE BEFORE.

THOMAS All I could think was... I never told Alvin I'm engaged.

ALVIN

LIKE BACK IN MY LIVING ROOM OVER THE STORE.

THOMAS

All I could think was... things here have gotten complicated.

ALVINWHO SAYS THE HOLIDAYS HAVE TO BE MORE?

THOMAS

But all I could say was...

ALVINTHIS IS IT, TOM.

THIS IS...

THOMAS joins the memory.

THOMAS Al. Don't come.

This stops ALVIN dead in his tracks.

ALVINWhy not?




THOMAS

It's not a good time.

Silence.

Al?

Silence.

What do you think, Al?

ALVIN

THIS IS IT, TOM

ME AND YOU.

THOMAS tries to move on to the next story.

THOMAS

THE NEXT TIME THAT WE SAID GOODBYE

ALVINIF YOU COMMIT, TOM

YOU SEE IT THROUGH.

THOMASWHY IS IT ALWAYS GOODBYE?

THOMAS is drawn back into the past.

Goodbye, Al.

ALVINGoodbye, Tom.

THOMAS quickly steps into the present.

THOMASRELATIONSHIPS THRIVE OR DISSOLVE

WITHOUT OUR KNOWING WHY. AND SOMEHOW GOODBYE BECAME EASY.

Wait! Let me explain. It really wasn't a good time. I...

THOMAS goes to the shelves in search of aspecific story. He finds it and reads.

Weaver - Table For Two.





THOMAS steps into the past and sits at the

table. He addresses an unseen dinner

companion. There is a detached quality to

the conversation. Something is clearly on

his mind. ALVIN steps back and watches.

THOMAS (cont'd)

I LIKE IT HERE.

THE WAITRESSES TEND TO BE RUDEBUT THE FOOD IS SO GOOD.

THE LAST TIME I ATE HERE MY PUBLISHER PAID.

HE SHOULD

WHAT WITH ALL THAT MY STORIES HAVE MADE.I HAD THE LAMB WITH THE MINT MARINADE.I LIKE IT HERE.

IT’S COMFORTABLE.

THE TWO OF US SITTING AND CHATTING AND SHARING SOME WINE.

AND SOME HUMMUS.

THE PRICES THEY CHARGE HERE ARE REALLY A CRIME.

WE EVEN PAY EXTRA FOR WATER WITH LIME.STILL I COME BACK AGAIN TIME AFTER TIME.I LIKE IT HERE.

YOU’RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY WE ARE HERE

WHEN THERE’S SO MUCH TO PLANLIKE THAT THING WITH YOUR FATHER,BUT I NEEDED YOU TO MYSELF FOR AN HOUR TONIGHT.

SEE, EVERYTHING’S MOVING SO QUICKLY,

THERE’S ALL THESE DECISIONS TO MAKE AND I STILL HAVE MY DEADLINE.MY HEAD IS SPINNING

AND SOMETHING JUST DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT.

I GUESS WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY

NOW THAT WE HAVE A MINUTE

IS LATELY YOU’RE ASKING FOR MORETHAN I’M ABLE TO GIVE.

I THINK YOU DESERVE MORE THANSOMEONE WHO’S HEART ISN’T IN IT.

INSTEAD OF US PICKING OUT DISHES AND BEDDING,I WONDER IF WE SHOULDN’T POSTPONE THE WEDDING.

Silence.




THOMAS (cont'd)

Ann?

Silence.

What do you think, Ann?

ARE YOU OKAY?YOU HAVEN’T HAD MORE THAN A BITEOF YOUR TUNA TARTAR.

OR THE HUMMUS.

LOOK, ALL THAT I’M ASKINGIS CAN’T WE JUST WAIT AND PUT ON THE BRAKES IF IT ISN’T TOO LATE?

GIVE ME SOME TIME ANN AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT

FOR EVERYONE.

JUST WHEN TWO PEOPLE GET INTO A GROOVE,THERE’S ALWAYS THIS PRESSURE

THAT THINGS HAVE TO MOVE.

WHY DO RELATIONSHIPS HAVE TO... IMPROVE?

I LIKE IT... HERE.

ALVIN

You should have told me about that.

THOMAS returns to the present.

THOMAS

Alvin never would have understood.

ALVIN

Yes I would.

THOMAS

I had too much coming at me.

ALVIN

You should have said something.

THOMAS

I couldn't work. I couldn't write. I had to streamline my personal life.

ALVIN selects a story and reads.




ALVIN

Money and Prizes.


Having streamlined his personal life, Thomas was able to focus on moreimportant matters.

THOMAS

But as much as I tried to focus, there was always this voice in my head... Alvin's patient, supportive and aggravating voice.

ALVIN

Another award? You are so talented, Tom.

THOMAS crosses to the podium and intothe past to address an awards ceremony

audience. Throughout the followingTHOMAS is completely aware of, but tries

to ignore ALVIN's aggravating voice.

THOMASThank you so much for this. I’m flattered but completely at a loss as to why

you’ve chosen me. I write little collections of stories and people buy them. It’s

a humble vocation. Nothing special. As a writer, you’re merely a conduit.

You’re an instrument.

You’re a vessel.

ALVINYOU’RE AMAZING, TOM. AND TO PROVE IT

THEY’RE THROWING THIS BIG FANCY DO.

FOR YOU.

YOU’RE AMAZING, TOM.

IF I’D KNOWN ABOUT THISI’D HAVE BEEN THERE TODAY.

WELL, ANYWAY.

I’M SURE YOU HAVE NO TIME TO CALL.I KNOW THAT YOUR SCHEDULE’S TIGHT.

YOU’RE PROBABLY NEEDED AT SIGNINGS AND PARTIES.

C’MON, I’M YOUR PAL, IT’S ALL RIGHT.YOU’RE AMAZING, TOM.




THOMAS

I'm frequently asked, "Where do your stories come from?" I don't know. All I

know is there's got to be thousands of stories in this head of mine just waiting

for me to pick one and write it down.

ALVIN

YOU’RE AMAZING, TOM.YOU’RE EVERYTHING I ALWAYS KNEW YOU COULD BE.

TIMES THREE.

THOMAS

But it's lonely work. Just me and the blank page.

ALVINYOU’RE AMAZING, TOM. AND TO THINK THAT YOU MADE IT HERE

ALL ON YOUR OWN.WELL, WHO’D HAVE KNOWN?

YOUR WRITING HAS PASSION AND SKILL

WHILE OTHERS ARE CHURNING OUT FLUFF.IT’S EASY TO PANDER TO LOW EXPECTATIONS,

BUT QUALITY STORIES ARE TOUGH.

THOMAS And the indescribable feeling of writing those first few words knowing I am on

my way to changing people’s lives.

ALVIN's tone becomes mockingly earnest.

ALVINWHAT YOU DO IS IMPORTANT.

WHAT YOU DO IS AN ART.

WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS FEEDING YOUR READERSIDEAS WITH HEART.

LET’S ADMIT IT, YOU’RE MAKINGTHE PLANET A HAPPIER PLACE.

IT’S BECAUSE OF THE MINDS YOU ARE SAVING

THAT SOMEONE IS WAVING

ANOTHER AWARD IN YOUR FACE.


THOMAS

Every one of my stories - The Butterfly, The Marvelous Mystical Bookstore,The Memory Robe, even the incredibly popular Mrs. Remington's Hallowe'en

- every one was up here just waiting for me to set it free. This generousaward tells me that you want me to keep it up. And I promise I will.




ALVIN's tone becomes much more pointed.

ALVIN

YOU’RE AMAZING, TOM.THE RESULT OF THE CHOICES YOU MADE IS SUCCESS.

I GUESS.

YOU’RE AMAZING, TOM.IT’S HARD WHEN YOU HAVE TO LEAVESOME THINGS BEHIND.

WELL NEVER MIND.

SOME PEOPLE MARCH IN PARADES.WHILE OTHERS JUST WATCH THEM GO BY.

THOMASOf course, I can't leave the stage without a few thank-yous.

ALVINSO SOAK UP THE PRAISE AND ENJOY THE OVATION.

THOMAS

My publisher.

ALVIN

THOUGH NOBODY SPECIAL WILL SHARE YOUR ELATION.

THOMASMy agent.

ALVIN

MONEY AND PRIZES ARE FINE CONSOLATION

AND TANGIBLY INDICATE WHY...

THOMAS

And the single most important person in all of this... the one who buys mybook.

ALVIN


THOMAS steps out of the past and

confronts ALVIN.




THOMAS

IT’S ELUSIVE, ALVIN.

IT’S LIKE ANGELS IN THE SNOW.

TURN YOUR BACK AND THERE THEY GO.

He picks up the "Angels In The Snow"

pages that he discarded earlier and reads.

Angels In The Snow. A Work In Progress.

I hunkered down and got back to work trying desperately to avoid any

distraction.

THOMAS and ALVIN step into the past.THOMAS writes. (This memory spans a

number of years.)

ALVINMerry Christmas Tom. I hope this card finds you locked in your office writing,

otherwise I simply won't excuse your not coming home. When are we goingto see a new book from you? Customers keep hounding me. I tell them, don't

rush him. It's a process. So, how's the process? Miss you. Love Al.

THOMAS reads what he has written.

THOMASEVERY CHRISTMAS EVE,

WE’D MAKE ANGELS IN THE SNOWJUST LIKE EVERY OTHER KID HAS DONE.

He writes.

WE’D STRETCH OUT OUR ARMS AND LEGS,THEN WE’D WAVE THEM TO AND FROIN A...

He stops, stuck for an idea.

IN A SOMETHING...

He gets one.

IN A HALO OF THE LATE DECEMBER SUN.

ALVINMerry Christmas Tom. How can you bear another Christmas without me?

Where's your new book? Why aren't you writing? Why aren't you writing me?Love, Al.




THOMAS continues to write.

THOMAS

PROUDLY WE’D CREATEOUR TWO ANGELS IN THE SNOW

WITH...

WITH...

He suffers for a moment and then brightens

with an idea. He writes it down.

WITH REVERENTIAL ROBES AND PERFECT WINGS.

WE’D SPEND HOURS IN THE YARD

ALVIN

Merry Christmas, Tom.

THOMAS tries to shut out the sound of ALVIN's voice.

THOMAS ALL THOSE CHRISTMASES AGO

ALVIN Another Christmas. Another card.

THOMAS AND WHEN AT LAST THEY WERE COMPLETEWE FELT LIKE KINGS.

ALVINI wish you'd write.

THOMASTHEN AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED...

ALVIN

Love, Al.

THOMAS struggles for words and reviews

what he has written.




THOMAS

AND WHEN AT LAST THEY WERE COMPLETE

WE FELT LIKE KINGS.

THEN AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED...

AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED

WE WOULD...

ALVINMerry Christmas, Tom. From the Kelbys.

THOMAS

(with growing desperation)


ALVIN

Please write.

ALVIN's voice shatters THOMAS's

concentration.

THOMAS

AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED...

THOMAS approaches his breaking point.

AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED... AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED...

AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED... AS THE SUN...

I JUST NEED SOMETHING DOWN ON THIS PAPER.

He stares at the unfinished story.

STILL NOTHING THERE.

NOTHING THERE.

THOMAS violently discards the pages. He

returns to the present and crosses to the podium.

WHOSE STORY IS THIS!!

ALVINWe are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby.




THOMAS

We are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby!

He stares at his blank notebook.

NOTHING THERE.

ALVINWRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, TOM.

THOMAS frantically searc hes through the

shelves and the discarded pages strewn

about the space, releasing fragments ofmemory as he does so.

THOMASWRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, TOM.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.

THE WORLD MUST KEEP MOVING

AND CHANGING SO FAST.

ALVINIT’S RARE THAT YOU NOTICE A MOMENT

THE MOMENT IT’S HURRYING BY.

THOMASTHE TRICK IS IN KEEPINGTHE PAST IN THE PAST.

ALVIN

If a stupid, squashable bug can have that kind of power, what about us?

THOMAS

WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO BE MORETHAN JUST “THAT WEIRD KELBY KID”?

ALVIN

I KNEW MY MOTHER’S ROBEBUT SOMEHOW I’D FORGOTTEN HER.

THOMASWORDS HAVE NO POWER TO CHANGE

WHAT IS DESTINED TO DIE.

ALVINMay I drop down dead in my tracks and rot.




THOMAS

I GUESS WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY

NOW THAT WE HAVE A MINUTE

IS LATELY YOU’RE ASKING FOR MORETHAN I’M ABLE TO GIVE.

ALVIN

I’ll do yours if you do mine.

THOMAS

HE TURNED INTO SOMEONE I’M NOT SURE I KNOW.

ALVINMONEY AND PRIZES ARE FINE CONSOLATION.

THOMASSOME FRIENDSHIPS CONTINUE AND SOME YOU OUTGROW.

ALVINYou're amazing, Tom.

THOMAS is on the verge of a breakdown.

THOMAS AT BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS

A TOKEN HELLO


THOMAS

TILL THE LAST TIME WE SAY...

ALVINGoodbye, Tom.

THOMAS

HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY.

I LEFT HIM HERE ALONE.

ALVIN

You’re late.

THOMAS is drawn into the past. ALVIN

rushes to THOMAS and embraces him.

THOMASI know.




ALVIN

Can I hear what you wrote?


ALVIN


THOMAS

People are waiting.

ALVINLet them wait.

THOMAS takes a sheet of paper from his

pocket and reads.

THOMAS“Dear friends and family. We are gathered to pay our respects to Gordon

Kelby, a man who devoted his life to the love of books.”

ALVIN

That’s nice.

THOMAS

"Seventeenth century poet John Donne wrote... 'All mankind is of one authorand is one volume. When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the

book, but translated into a better language. And every chapter must be sotranslated. God employs several translators. Some pieces are translated byage, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice. But God's hand is inevery translation. And his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for

that library where every book shall lie open to one another.' Gordon Kelby is

now a part of God’s great library. He will be missed by us all."

A lengthy silence.

ALVIN

Can I see it?

THOMAS hands ALVIN the paper. ALVINlooks at it for some time, turning it over in

his hands.

This is it, Tom?

THOMAS

Less is more. Right?




ALVIN

It’s just a quote.

THOMAS

A beautiful quote.

ALVINFrom a dead poet.

THOMAS A brilliant dead poet.

ALVIN

I asked you to write it.

THOMAS

I know.

ALVINDid you even try?

THOMAS

Of course I tried.

ALVINTry again.

THOMAS

Right now?

ALVINRight now.

THOMASI can't.

ALVINWhy not?

THOMAS

Alvin, people are waiting.

ALVIN

I don’t care.

THOMAS takes the paper from ALVIN.




THOMAS

This is a brilliant piece of literature written by a brilliant poet. Your father

should be lucky to have words like this said about him.

ALVINWhat does that mean?

THOMAS

Living in a small town and selling books doesn’t inspire epic poetry.

ALVIN

I live in a small town and sell books and you spun that into a career.

THOMASExcuse me?

ALVINThe Marvelous Mystical Bookstore. Mrs. Remington's Hallowe'en. The

Butterfly.

THOMASWhat are you saying?

ALVINWho inspired those?

THOMASYou’ve got to be kidding.

ALVIN Are you working on anything new?

THOMAS

Yes.

ALVIN

What’s it about?

THOMAS

Snow Angels.

ALVIN

And that just came out of thin air?

THOMAS

What do you want, credit?

ALVINYou don’t understand.




THOMAS

I don’t share credit.

ALVINI don’t want credit.

THOMAS

Those came out of my head. Those are my words. Those are my stories.

ALVIN

I just want you to write one for him.

THOMASI can’t.

ALVINWhy not?

THOM AS steps out of this memory andattempts to shut it down.

THOMAS

THOSE WERE MY STORIES! I WROTE THEM! I DIDN’T NEED HIM!

ALVIN continues with the scene as though

THOMAS were still there.

ALVINExcuse me. I’ve got people waiting. I'll do it myself.

ALVIN steps to the podium and addresses

the gathering at the chapel.

THOMASHe thought he could just do it off the cuff. Well, that's not how it works.

Stories aren't easy. They're damn near impossible. But I wrote them and Iwrote them on my own! I worked my ass off! I won awards!

ALVIN

Thank you all for coming.

THOMAS

I snuck into the gallery of the chapel to watch him. To watch him try to dowhat I’ve devoted years of my life to doing.

ALVIN

We’re gathered to honor the memory of my father, Gordon Kelby.




ALVIN (cont'd)

Let me tell you a story about my father.

THOMAS

Look at him standing there. Look at him! Comfortable. Confident. Smug.Telling story after story after story after goddamn story about his father. Look

at him. He wouldn’t stop. He just kept going. Telling stories.

He listens for some time.

And they were good. They were so... good. Look at him.

THOMAS examines this memory of ALVIN

more closely.

I DIDN’T SEE THAT TEAR ON HIS COAT.

I DIDN’T SEE THE WAY THAT HIS HANDS WERE SHAKING.THE WAY THE WORDS GOT CAUGHT IN HIS THROAT,

THE WAY HE’D FIXED HIS HAIR.I DIDN’T SEE THE WAY THE PLATFORM

MADE HIM LOOK SO TALL.NO, I DIDN’T SEE ALVIN AT ALL.

I DIDN’T SEE THAT I WAS THE FRAUD,OR NOTICE IT WAS AL WHO WAS BORN THE ARTIST.I TOOK THE BOWS WHILE HE WOULD APPLAUD.

I HARDLY SAW HIM THERE.IT TURNS OUT IT WAS ALVIN

WHO INSPIRED ME EVERY DAY.BUT I DIDN’T SEE ALVIN THAT WAY.

YES, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE

OFFERING SO MUCH.

HE WAS CONSTANT AND DEPENDABLE LIKE STONE.

I DIDN’T STOP TO SEE WHAT ELSE I’D LOST

WHEN WE GRADUALLY LOST TOUCH.BUT LOOK UP FROM YOUR PAGE, TOM.

LOOK UP FROM YOUR PAGE.

YOU’RE ALONE.

As THOMAS's thoughts become more

personal ALVIN steps out of the past and

observes him.




THOMAS (cont'd)

I DIDN'T SEE...

I DIDN’T SEE THE END OF THE ROAD.

I’D SET MY VISION FIRMLY TOWARDS THE FUTURE.BURYING THE DEBT THAT I OWED

TO ALVIN AND MY PAST.I DIDN’T SEE THE SAND SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

WAY BACK THEN.

AND I DIDN’T SEE ALVIN AGAIN.

A lengthy silence.

ALVINThe End.


THOMASI'm done with stories, Al.

ALVIN

Have you finished my eulogy?

THOMASNo.

ALVIN

Then you're not done.

THOMAS begins to tidy up the papers thatare strewn about the space.

The End. A story about Alvin Kelby.

That's the one you're looking for, right? If you just had that one you couldclose the book on Alvin once and for all.

THOMAS

Fine. Let me see it.

ALVIN

Sorry. I can't help you.

THOMASWhy not?




ALVIN

Because it's not here.

THOMAS

Where is it?

ALVIN shrugs.

Then just tell me.

ALVINTell you what?

THOMASWhy'd you do it?

ALVIN

Do what?

THOMASJump off the bridge.

ALVINIs that what you think happened?

THOMASIsn't it?

ALVINWhy would I do a thing like that?

THOMASYou tell me.

ALVIN

I can't.

THOMAS

Why not? I have to know what happened that night. That's what's missing.That's the story I need.

ALVINI read somewhere that the human brain remembers absolutely everything -every moment, every detail - and stores them away.

THOMAS can't hide his frustration with

ALVIN's apparent non sequitur.




ALVIN (cont'd)

But you can't remember something if you weren't there. And you weren't

there. So, all you're ever going to have are questions. There sure are an

awful lot of them, aren't there? Why did I stay in this town? Why didn’t I sell

the bookstore? Why did I hold onto our friendship for so long? What did Iwant from it? What happened that night at the bridge? Did I jump? Did I fall?

Did I wait like George Bailey for a Clarence who never came? How did a kidwho once thought a butterfly could melt the polar ice caps end up in a frozen

river on Christmas Eve? And, more importantly, what did it have to do withyou?

I could keep going but they all have the same answer.

YOU’LL NEVER KNOW, TOM.YOU’LL NEVER KNOW.

ALVIN looks around at the shelves of papers and books and the pages scattered

about the floor.

There's gotta be thousands of stories in this head of yours, Tom. Don’t lookfor one that isn't there.

THIS IS IT TOM.THIS IS ALL THERE IS. AND ISN’T IT AMAZING?

As ALVIN continues, he refers to individual

pages and stories.

HERE WE SIT, TOM.FOREVER TOSSING BRANCHES OFF A BRIDGE.

Over the falls.

HERE WE’RE FROZEN AT TEN.

HERE WE’RE AWKWARD YOUNG MEN. AND YOU FILED AWAY THESE MEMORIES

BIT BY BIT.

NOW LOOK AGAIN.

YOU WANTED A STORY, TOM

WELL THIS, ALL AROUND YOU,

THIS IS IT.




ALVIN

WHEN YOU REARRANGE THEM AND TELL THEM

YOU KEEP ALL OUR MEMORIES AND STORIES ALIVE.

THOUSANDS OF STORIES.

THOMASTHOUSANDS OF STORIES.

BOTHCONSTANTLY NEW.

ALVIN

SO OUR STORIES REMAIN

THOMAS

STORIES REMAIN

ALVINFULL OF LAUGHTER AND PAIN

THOMASMIXED WITH CAPRA AND TWAIN

ALVIN

TOLD BY YOU.

YOU AND ME, TOM

THIS IS ALL WE GET. AND WASN’T IT EXCITING?

BUT DON’T YOU SEE, TOM

IT ISN’T REALLY OVER, AFTER ALL.

JUST LIKE STONES IN A LAKE

AND THE RIPPLES THEY MAKE

STORIES CARRY ON THROUGH TIME AND NEVER QUIT.

IT’S UP TO YOU.

THIS ISN’T MY STORY NOWIT’S YOURS.LOOK AROUND YOU.THIS IS IT.




ALVIN (cont'd)

THIS IS YOU.

THIS IS ME.

THIS IS LOVE.

THIS IS LIFE.THIS IS IT.

THOMAS searches for and finds the

"Angels In The Snow" pages.

What's that?

THOMAS

A work in progress.

ALVIN takes the pages and reads.

ALVIN

"Every Christmas Eve we’d make angels in the snow, just like every other kidhas done. We’d stretch out our arms and legs. Then we’d wave them to and

fro, in a halo of the late December sun."

"AND ONCE A YEAR WE BELIEVED

THERE WAS MAGIC ALIVE IN THE AIRFOR THE ANGELS WE MADE LYING THERE."

Hm. I like this.

"PROUDLY WE’D CREATEOUR TWO ANGELS IN THE SNOWWITH REVERENTIAL ROBES AND PERFECT WINGS.WE’D SPEND HOURS IN THE YARD

ALL THOSE CHRISTMASES AGO

AND WHEN AT LAST THEY WERE COMPLETEWE FELT LIKE KINGS.THEN AS THE SUN DISAPPEARED..."

ALVIN turns the pages over, looking for

more.

This is it, Tom?

THOMAS


THOMAS takes the pages, struggles for amoment and brightens with an idea.




THOMAS (cont'd)

AND WITH SNOW DOWN THE BACK OF OUR PANTS

WE WOULD WAIT FOR OUR ANGELS TO DANCE.

THOMAS tosses the pages in the air. Theyburst into a flurry of paper.

THE ICY WIND WOULD WHIP THE SNOW FROM THE GROUND

ALVIN AND THE TREES WOULD MOAN A SWEET CELESTIAL SOUND.

THOMAS

THEN THE ANGEL SOULS WERE WIDE AWAKE

BOTH

AND ALIVE ON EVERY SINGLE FLAKE.

THEY WHIRLED ALL AROUND US AS WE STOOD LIKE STONE.

THOUSANDS OF ANGELS WITH LIVES OF THEIR OWN.EACH ONE WITH A SEPARATE STORY

JOINING IN ONE BURST OF GLORY.

THOMASBUT THEN THE SNOWFLAKES SCATTERED AND THEY FLEW

AND OUR ANGELS DID TOO.

The flurry of paper gently ends. THOMASlooks at ALVIN with a new understanding.

BOTH

EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE

WE’D MAKE ANGELS IN THE SNOW

THOMAS

AND EVERY YEAR WE’D WATCH THEM DISAPPEAR.

ALVIN

THEY’D DISAPPEAR.

THOMAS

BUT I KNOW THAT THEY’LL RETURN

AND THOUGH THE YEARS MAY COME AND GOWHEN I NEED TO HAVE THEM WITH ME THEY’LL BE HERE.




ALVIN

(reassuring)

THEY’LL BE HERE.

THOMASTHEY’LL BE HERE.

ALVIN

THEY’LL BE HERE.

BOTH

SWIRLING ROUND AND AROUND

IN A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EVE GLOW.

THE WAY THEY DID THENBACK WHEN WE WERE JUST TEN ALL OUR ANGELS AGAIN

IN THE SNOW.

THOMAS envelops ALVIN in a final

embrace and kisses him gently on the neck.The shelves and papers fade and the wallsof the funeral chapel return.

ALVINPeople say nice things when you die.

THOMASThey call it a eulogy.

ALVINI’ll do yours if you do mine.

THOMAS

How’s that gonna work?

ALVIN


THOMAS

If I say yes can I go?

ALVIN

Yes.

ALVIN steps back to watch his friend.

THOMAS goes to the podium and picks uphis notebook. He addresses the

congregation.




THOMAS

We are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby. He was my best friend.

THOMAS closes the notebook.

Let me tell you a story about Alvin...

CURTAIN

story of my life libretto

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