LAIKA, Come Home A Film By Ian VanDuzer

EXT. CHURCH. MORNING. A red brick church perched among gravestones, a giant standing amongst dwarves. JAMES sits on concrete steps. Fiddling fingers fold a piece of blank paper, transforming it into an airplane. Hes wearing a BLACK SUIT. His face is sort of hollow but neat. Its cold outside, and we can see his breath. ASTRID (black dress, dry face) says goodbye to a MOURNING COUPLE and walks up to James. ASTRID So youre still obsessed with your paper airplanes? JAMES It keeps my mind off of things. ASTRID Mine have gotten better, you know. JAMES I would hope so, they could hardly get worse. ASTRID Hows the ankle? JAMES Not too bad. Standing for those hymns was a pain. (beat) Im sorry forASTRID Please dont start. If I have to hear that from you too... JAMES Sorry. Do you want a hug? Astrid nods and he rises. They hug. Its long and close and emotional for different reasons. JAMES Its good to see you again, Astrid. ASTRID Im glad youre back, James. CUT TO:

2.

INT. ASTRIDS HOUSE. MORNING. A picture of two children sits on the mantle. Theyre laughing. JAMES is alone in the main all-purpose room of Astrids home, killing time. He stares at the picture thoughtfully. ASTRID walks up to him and looks at whats caught his attention. ASTRID That was Moms favourite photo of us. JAMES We were pretty cute. Astrid has changed into warmer clothes. Think sweatshirt thats been around the block once or twice, not a black dress. She moves over to the stove and puts a kettle on the element. ASTRID How are your parents doing? JAMES Theyre good. And sorry they couldnt make it. Dad had a huge Union thing and Mom has pneumonia. ASTRID Shit happens. Does your Dad still hate the steel mill? JAMES Not as much any more. Hes gotten used to it. Are you making tea? ASTRID Milk and sugar, right? JAMES I was actually thinking that we could go to Smittys. ASTRID Whats wrong with my tea?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

JAMES Well, Im only here for a day. Thought we could revisit some old haunts. Do the Grand Tour, you know? Plus, you should probably get out of your mums house. ASTRID My house. Its my house now. JAMES Sorry. ASTRID No, youre right. I should probably get some space. She turns off the stove as we CUT TO: 3 EXT. A SMALL COUNTRY CAFE. DAY. A small, quaint establishment - one of the only places to get a bite to eat in the town. ASTRIDS CAR is sitting outside. 4 INT. SMALL CAFE. DAY. A quiet little diner on a Saturday midmorning. JAMES and ASTRID are sitting at a table by the window. A soft song CROONS in the background. Theyve been here awhile. ASTRID You could choose anywhere for your Prodigal Return and you choose Smittys? JAMES Why not? I used to come here all the time. ASTRID Only when you got an A. JAMES Yeah, but that was often enough. ASTRID Stop rubbing it in.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

A WAITER walks up to the table with a pot of steaming joe. The black liquid tumbles into their empty mugs. WAITER Anything to eat, or is it just the coffees? JAMES (to Astrid) You want to split a piece of pie? ASTRID Sure. JAMES What kind of pie do you have right now? WAITER Its just pumpkin. But its a local treat. Everyone loves it. JAMES You dont have apple? WAITER Sorry, just pumpkin. JAMES Pumpkin it is then. Well get a slice to split. The WAITER nods and then WAITER Astrid, Im sorry for your loss. He moves away. Astrid is put off by the condolences. ASTRID Apple? JAMES What? I like apple pie. ASTRID Theyve been making only pumpkin pie for the past 15 years. JAMES I remember. I just thought they might have, you know, diversified.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: ASTRID Why would they diversify if everyone already loves their pumpkin pie? JAMES What if someone doesnt like pumpkin pie?

5.

The WAITER returns with a plate and a big hunk of pumpkin pie. With globs of whipped cream. It looks delicious. Both murmur thanks and then take a bite and savor it for a moment. JAMES So what do you mean "Prodigal Return?" ASTRID You were pretty big shit when you left. JAMES Well yeah, but it wasnt "Big Fish" or anything. They didnt throw me a parade. ASTRID Youre basically the only guy whos ever gotten out of this town. JAMES What about Sam Flanders? ASTRID That was when we were kids. JAMES Chris Thompson. He was always going on about bigger and better things. ASTRID Knocked up his girlfriend in twelfth grade. Now hes the postman. JAMES Shit. ASTRID Were a small town, James. If somebody leaves, everyone knows about it. And its a big deal. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: JAMES And that makes me prodigal. ASTRID And that makes you special.

6.

Suddenly James feels claustrophobic. Almost like everyone in the diner is staring at him. The two eat silently. JAMES (pulling a bill out of his wallet) Wanna head out? ASTRID The pies not done. JAMES Im full anyways. James puts a $5 on the table. Astrid contributes some loose change for a tip. JAMES Where do you want to go? ASTRID You know, the lake isnt frozen. JAMES So? ASTRID So were strolling down memory lane anyways, right? JAMES Alright, lets go to the lake. CUT TO: 5 EXT. LAKESIDE. AFTERNOON. A quiet, still lake. Suddenly, a PLOP as a rock disturbs the placid surface. In the distance, back on shore, we see JAMES, sitting, and ASTRID, throwing. We MOVE CLOSER to see Astrid looking for more rocks to skip. JAMES Here. Hes moved over and hands Astrid a rock. She trows it - it doesnt skip at all. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

ASTRID You know I realized something this morning. Ive probably talked to more people in the past week than I have in the last year. There were people at the funeral Ive never even met, and theyre all asking me how Im doing and wishing me well and all that shit. She SKIPS A ROCK. James just sits silently. ASTRID (cont) And every time the phone rings Ive got to answer it. Because if I dont, itll go to the machine and Moms voice -- And if I change it, I might forget what she sounds like. JAMES You could always record it. ASTRID Thats just another thing on the to-do list, isnt it? A pause. Then James, trying to alleviate the situation, tries to skip a stone himself. He cant do it. Astrid gives off a small laugh. ASTRID No, try to get a bit lower. Adds more power to your throw. JAMES Like this? ASTRID No, a bit lower. James tries again -- and fails miserably. ASTRID Well, we cant ALL be perfect. JAMES I dont even remember the last time I was down here.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: ASTRID I do. It was the day before you left. You couldnt skip rocks then either. JAMES Sometimes I miss this. ASTRID Do you really? JAMES I mostly miss you. ASTRID Thats sweet.

8.

We CUT BACK to a WIDE SHOT of the two friends getting back into Astrids car. 6 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD. AFTERNOON. We switch between ASTRIDs CAR zooming down pleasant country roads and INTERIOR SHOTS of JAMES and ASTRID. We watch them a while. Just sitting together. Enjoying each others company for the first time in a long time. Its not romantic - it might have been once, but now they dont hold hands as Astrid directs the car. 7 EXT. TRAIN STATION. AFTERNOON. The car pulls up into the vacant lot where the two began their day together. Inside, JAMES is unbuckling herself and making motions of leaving. ASTRID When is your train coming in? JAMES Ten, fifteen minutes, I think. (beat) You could come with me, you know. Hop on the train. Get out of here. ASTRID Where would I go? JAMES I dunno. Stay at my place until you get your feet. Youd like the city. Lots of cars to fix. You could actually do stuff.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

ASTRID I can do stuff here. JAMES I mean real stuff. ASTRID You really dont like it here, do you? JAMES I like it fine. The city is just... more. Astrid shakes her head slowly. A moment of silence. In the distance we can hear AN APPROACHING TRAIN. Then, suddenly, Astrid kisses James. Its a quick kiss. Not passionate. But memorable. They break apart. ASTRID Thats your train. JAMES Sounds like it. He gets out of the car and limps around. JAMES Ill be back to visit soon. ASTRID (turning) No, you wont. She drives away. James walks over towards the tracks. 8 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD. AFTERNOON. ASTRID is in her car, eyes wet. She drives off down the road. We CUT TO BLACK and the CREDITS ROLL.