Continuing on from last week, here are the next 5 pages, pages 7-11. Total pages is 92.
What do you think about Juan’s mother Liliana, so far? What about the rest of his family? One of our influences is Animal Kingdom movie from 2010.
Here’s the text version of pages 7-11.
Ian Max
RCR Pages 7-11:
Juan drops into the prosthetic. He struggles to stand and
balances himself. He steps gingerly, painfully as he moves
slowly down the balance bar. He pushes through the pain.
INT. HOSPITAL - PATIENT ROOM - DAY
Juan lies in bed and looks on as the Chaplain reads the Bible
to the dying Triple-Amputee. Duane keeps Juan company.
CHAPLAIN
"For where two or more are gathered
in my name, there I am in their
midst."
JUAN
Why are you lying to him? Most men
never get the truth, tell him the
truth.
A single tear falls from the Triple-Amputee's eye. He stares
at Juan. He dies.
DUANE
Man, that's a man of God. He was
trying to help that man, offer him
hope in his time of death.
JUAN
Hope? You people lying all the time
to us. Catholic, Protestant, we're
all dying.
Chaplain nods politely at Duane, smiles and patiently exits.
EXT. HOSPITAL SMOKING AREA - DAY
Juan drags on a cigarette. He slings his prosthetic leg over
his shoulder, reclines in his wheelchair, squints at the sun.
INT. HOSPITAL - PATIENT ROOM - A DIFFERENT DAY
Juan sits on the edge of his bed, a military duffle bag rests
on the floor below him. He faces a MASTER SERGEANT.
MASTER SERGEANT
We can extend behavioral health
care, Staff Sergeant. You will need
some adjusting to this loss.
Juan shakes his head "no".
JUAN
So, if I want to deploy again?
MASTER SERGEANT
You'll transfer out to Camp
Pendelton in California to finish
your rehab. I'm recommending you
take two weeks Convalescent Leave
to think about a civilian career,
and spend time with your family.
You're young. You can be rehabbed
for a job, a career. You have
choices.
Juan drops his eyes, discouraged. He turns to look at his
dress blues neatly folded behind him on the bed.
EXT. CAMP PENDELTON - DAY
A military transport lands.
SUPER: Camp Pendelton, Oceanside, California
EXT. CAMP PENDELTON ENTRANCE - DAY
A Greyhound bus departs the base.
INT. GREYHOUND BUS AS BUS IS IN MOTION - DAY
Juan, in his dress blues, leans against the window of his
seat, away from others on the bus. Embarrassingly, he speaks
low into his phone.
JUAN
Yeah. Hey ... mama. Si. Can you
pick me up? The bus station.
(frowning)
The old number was disconnected so
I looked it up.
(listening)
Well you know I've gone and blown
myself up so ... I'm not a Marine
no more mama.
EXT. GREYHOUND BUS STATION - SOUTH LOS ANGELES - DAY
Juan rides the wheelchair ramp down to the ground. A HARD RAP
VERSION OF CALIFORNIA DREAMING STARTS TO PLAY.
The bus pulls off leaving Juan in a wheelchair with his
duffle on the ground next to him. He wipes his sweat.
He waits. The sun drops.
He waits, then checks his watch.
LATER
Juan waits, taps his scarred fingers against his wheelchair
as the evening sun sets and the sky turns golden.
EXT. SHOULDER OF A SMALL HIGHWAY - NIGHT
Juan navigates his wheelchair awkwardly down the shoulder,
his duffle hung securely from the back of his seat.
Sweat falls harder down Juan's face with each push on the
wheelchair. Cars WOOSH by; WOOSH-WOOSH! Then a siren; WOOP!
Lights flash behind him. A Mexican man, LAPD DETECTIVE
SANTARRO, 52, buzz cut, stickler for the law who rarely bends
the rules, pulls over in a black Dodge Charger, mint. He
opens his door.
Juan rolls past him embarrassingly. The officer drives slowly
behind Juan.
SANTARRO (O.S.)
Soldier. Pull over.
The officer pulls up alongside Juan.
Juan keeps rolling, then BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! Another car pulls
over in front of Juan and Santarro. Juan stops rolling.
LILIANA RAMIREZ, 42, hops out of a nice black Range Rover.
She's attractive and simultaneously tough and tender, long
hair, the latest cut. Long nails, nice jewelry, boob job.
Kardashian wannabe. She approaches Officer Santana.
LILIANA
I'm so, so sorry officer, this is
my son. Oh, my Juanchito. Look at
you. Que te paso, mijo?
She hugs him. He does not reciprocate. The officer raises an
eyebrow. Liliana is a whirlwind of a woman, flashes her
sexuality whenever she can.
SANTARRO
Well ma'am, he may not be well--
Liliana wheels Juan to her car.
LILIANA
I'll take it from here officer.
Digame hijo. [Talk to me son.]
Santarro nods and drives off, stares at her butt as he
leaves. Liliana stares after the car.
LILIANA
Cerdo. [Pig.]
Liliana turns back to Juan. She props herself up on his
wheelchair, leans in, grabs his face, speaks low and serious.
LILIANA
Welcome back, son. Don't you ever
leave us like that again.
She pokes his nub. He stifles a shriek.
LILIANA
See what happens when you leave.
Juan lowers his head. Instantly, she softens, holds out her
manicure. She exhales loudly.
JUAN
I like your nails, mama. Where did
you get the car?
LILIANA
It's rented, and I still have my
beat-up Honda. Family nail shop is
doing amazing! Cause we never speak
Spanish to the customers behind
their backs.
Juan looks closely at her nails. Diamonds are glued to each
fingernail.
LILIANA
Thank you, baby?
EXT. RAMIREZ HOUSE - NIGHT
A nice two-toned 1920s bungalow, with another small house
next to the property turned into a very cute nail shop. Fake
flowers and nice patio furniture sits on the porch. The Range
Rover pulls in and parks in front.
Liliana walks straight into the house. Juan struggles to get
out of the car with his duffle. He turns his head to stare--
SMALL PARK ACROSS THE STREET
An Ambulance and police car park next to a small park with
playground across the street, lights flashing. PARAMEDICS
load someone into the ambulance. It takes off with SIREN on.
INT. RAMIREZ HOUSE - DINING ROOM / FRONT ROOM - DAY.
The morning sun spills sunlight on a mix of Mother Mary
statues and candles that line a small table. There are framed
pictures of fallen family members, and various dragons and
occult symbols, and mixes of Mexican accoutrements.
The home is nicely furnished with hip curtains, nice rug, a
white sectional couch, nice dining room table and matching
chairs fitting a large family. And of course, the couch and
chairs are covered with plastic. A mix of old and new world.
A tattoo gun BUZZES loudly. Liliana rests on the shirtless
back of LOONEY, 26, filling in a tattoo. His body is covered
in tattoos all the way up to his neck. A tattoo above his
right eyebrow reads "Looney"; the left "Tune".
LILIANA
Look at this art work on his back.
Looking good, son.
Two men sit on the sectional couch. REZI VASQUEZ, 34, t-shirt
and 501s, weighs out a quarter pound of pot. SCARECROW, 23,
built, with lots of face piercings, designer tank-top, plucks
his eyebrows with a tweezer as he watches a telenova.
Through a doorway --
INT. JUAN'S BEDROOM - DAY
Doorway/common area near the dining room. Juan sits near his
bedroom door, viewing his home life in horror.
Juan's old room. There are soccer trophies and posters. A
stack of hip-hop CD's line the dresser.
Juan lays his cardboard Medal of Honor on the dresser between
his soccer trophies. He glances up at --
JUAN'S POV:
His mother tattoos his brother, his uncle weighs the
marijuana, and his cousin plucks his eye brows.