Thursday, February 28, 2013

Seven Sundays a Month


For the inaugural scene I thought it would be appropriate to begin with a scene that is on the lips of everyone these days as it just won bloody near everything last weekend at the 75th Annual MODA Awards.  Of course I am talking about Seven Sundays a Month, the festival darling that peaked at just the right time to clean up this past awards season.

When I say it won everything, I'm hardly kidding.  If it was nominated, it won.  Except (and I am fully cognizant of the irony here, that is partly why I chose it) for Marcy Wigglesworth in the Best Screenplay category.  But literally everything else, 17 statuettes went out to everyone from the coveted Best Feature award, right down to Hans Fritxbischler who took home his record 6th award in the Best Assistant Make-up Assistant's Janitor's Alternate Assistant.

Anyhow, unless you've been living under a rock, you know the details, so lets get on with it...

This scene, performed by the luminous Kate Percival and astounding newcomer Jake Wansome, was consistently the clip shown most often from this tear-jerker during its Cinderella-story run on awards season. I'm certain it will leave you wondering why didn't Wigglesworth win for screenplay, and make it an even dozen and a half?



 
               EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - DAY
 
               CAROL and LES (both early 30s) exit the clinic and silently
               cross to their car. Carol is into her third trimester. 
 
               They both go to the driver-side door.  
 
               Les gives Carol a quizzical look. She hesitatingly extends
               her hand. Les relinquishes the keys.
 
                                   LES
                         Better get used to it. 
 
               They get in. Carol drives.
 
               IN THE CAR
 
               They drive in silence. Both are deep in thought. It has
               begun to rain.
 
                                   LES
                         I don't know about this.
 
                                   CAROL
                         You don't know?
 
                                   LES
                         No.
 
                                   CAROL
                         This is a no-brainer, Les.
 
                                   LES
                         Is that supposed to be funny?
 
                                   CAROL
                         What? No! I mean it. Have you
                         thought about where I might stand
                         in this?
 
                                   LES
                         You? I've got news for you. As
                         much as I love you, this is Me we
                         are talking about. My life. My
                         body. My Head. My HEAD!
 
                                   CAROL
                         Am I supposed to be humbled or
                         insulted?
 
                                   LES
                         This is the most private thing I
                         have. They want to go inside it
                         and... 'fix it!'
 
                                   CAROL
                         Doctors have been doing surgery
                         like this for years.
 
                                   LES
                         Years. Not centuries. Not even
                         decadesYears. You know that
                         when heart surgery was merely
                         years old they lost people all
                         the fucking time?
 
                                   CAROL
                         That's different.
 
                                   LES
                         Different than my brain!? God
                         damned right it is. If they
                         fucked up my heart I'd be given
                         the grace of a quick exit. But
                         if they fuck up my brain, I spend
                         the rest of my life attending sad
                         picnics with happy idiots who
                         feel fulfilled by a hug.
 
                                   CAROL
                         Les, if you don't go through with
                         this, you will die - preceded by
                         an ignominious year of nausea,
                         shitting your pants, and constant
                         pain the likes of which you've
                         only begun to feel.
 
                                   LES
                         There are faster ways.
 
               Carol can't believe what she has just heard.
 
                                   LES (CONT'D)
                         They're going to go inside me.
                         My head. Like mechanics tuning a
                         knocking engine. Digging around
                         in my wet-ware with tools and...
                         stuff. I don't know that I can
                         make that leap.
 
                                   CAROL
                         We all have to suffer the
                         indignity of the doctor.
 
                                   LES
                         At my age?
 
                                   CAROL
                         You're acting too foolish to be
                         proud. Put your ego to sleep.
 
                                   LES
                         Hon, I just want to figure out
                         how to deal with this on my own
                         terms.
 
                                   CAROL
                         Your terms. Okay, while you are
                         considering your terms, add this
                         to your parameters; I am your
                         wife. I will be watching you die
                         slowly or... I will be the one
                         who has to tell everyone what a
                         coward you are. I can't believe
                         you'd even... I will be the one
                         who raises this baby alone. I
                         won't...
 
               Carol is overcome by her thoughts and starts to cry. She
               lets the car drift to a stop. The cars behind them honk.
               Les, deep in thought, watches drivers flip them the bird as
               they inch around their car, sloshing through the rain-water
               pouring down the streets.
 
                                   CAROL (CONT'D)
                         How can you just sit there?
 
                                   LES
                         I'm not going to let you bully me
                         into something. I need to figure
                         this out on my own. 
 
               Carol searches his face for a hint of understanding.
 
                                   CAROL
                         Wow... Okay. Alright, Lester.
                         Figure this out on your own.
 
               Carol undoes her seat belt and steps out into traffic. Les
               tries not to watch as she disappears into the sheeting rain
               between angry traffic.
 
Ramon Wartekin also won the MODA for Best Cinematography
 

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