Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Still Life
Still Life
A Short Screenplay
By Marc Prey
FADE IN:
TRAVIS
(calling out)
Buster!...Buster!
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
HANK
That should do it.
MAUREEN
Travis, would you like to say
something?
HANK
(annoyed)
Really, Maureen?
MAUREEN
For closure, Hank.
HANK
(shaking head)
Closure...
MAUREEN
Go ahead, honey. Speak your mind.
TRAVIS
I'm gonna miss you, Buster. You
were my best friend in the whole
world. Promise I won't forget you.
HANK
How you gonna forget? Damn thing's
buried in the backyard.
MAUREEN
Hank!
(then, to Travis)
Don't listen to your father. This
ain't Buster anymore. His spirit's
up in heaven.
TRAVIS
Ya really think so, Ma?
MAUREEN
I do. God's taking care of Buster
now.
3.
HANK
Why you gotta lie to the boy, Maureen?
MAUREEN
I'm not lying.
HANK
World's gone to hell. Sooner he
learns, the better.
MAUREEN
You're talking about an eight-year-
old child, Hank. He shouldn't have
to worry about things like that.
HANK
So he shouldn't have to worry about
his old man losing his job? Or where
the money's gonna come from to pay
for a roof over his head?
MAUREEN
No. Especially not today, on his
birthday.
HANK
Stop babying the boy -- he ain't
three no more. One day he's gonna
get fired, and if he ain't prepared,
he's gonna take it real hard.
MAUREEN
Like you?
HANK
That's right, Maureen. Make a joke
out of it.
MAUREEN
I'm not making fun of you, Hank. I
just wish you'd stop being so negative
around your son.
HANK
Negative? I'll give you negative.
4.
MAUREEN
Don't Hank!
HANK
Time you learned there ain't no
heaven, boy.
MAUREEN
Please, stop--
HANK
Not for you, not for me, and specially
not for some mangy ol' mutt.
MAUREEN
Please, Hank!
HANK
You die, and that's it. End of story.
MAUREEN
You...bastard!
She hurries toward the back door, refusing to let Hank see
the tears streaming down her face.
HANK
I been called worse!
Hank and Travis watch as she enters the house, slamming the
back door shut behind her.
HANK
You try and you try, but sometimes
it just ain't worth it.
HANK
One day, you'll get it.
5.
From the look on Travis' face, it's clear that day is a long
way off.
HANK
Think you can put this away in the
garage?
Hank pushes the handle of the spade toward his son. Travis
nods, grabs the spade.
HANK
While you're at it, how 'bout
straightening up the mess in there.
TRAVIS
(softly)
Yes sir.
MAUREEN (O.S.)
Where's Travis?
HANK (O.S.)
Cleaning the garage.
MAUREEN (O.S.)
It's his birthday, Hank. And the
poor thing's dog just died.
HANK (O.S.)
Yeah, and the garage is a goddamn
mess!
CUT TO:
MAUREEN
This ain't about the garage, is it
Hank?
HANK
The hell's that supposed to mean?
MAUREEN
You're mad at the world and you're
gonna take it out on everyone around
you.
HANK
Don't give me no shrink bullshit! I
love the boy as much as you do,
Maureen.
MAUREEN
Really...
HANK
The only difference is, I'm tryin'
to make a man outta him.
MAUREEN
To do that, don't you first have to
be a man yourself?
HANK
What'd you say?
MAUREEN
I'm sayin' a man who just lost his
job cuz of a drinking problem would
probably do something to change
things. Like, I don't know...stop
drinking.
HANK
You want me to stop drinking?
MAUREEN
That would be a start.
HANK
Okay...
7.
HANK
How's that?
MAUREEN
(sarcastic)
That's just great, Hank. Now you're
a real man.
HANK
Bullshit.
TRAVIS
Everything okay, Ma?
MAUREEN
Everything's fine, honey. Why don't
you come sit down. I'll fix you a
sandwich.
After a moment, the front door opens. Hank exits the house
carrying a beat-up suitcase, walks over to his son.
HANK
You...you take care of your mother,
ya hear?
8.
HANK
Good...Do your school work and stay
outta trouble. Maybe you won't turn
out like me.
Hank takes one last look at his son. Then exhales and steps
down from the porch, heading in the direction of an old pickup
truck parked in the driveway.
A BEAT, then Travis suddenly WHIPS the dog collar toward the
road.
CLOSE ON the boy, his face flush with anger, his chest
heaving.
FADE TO BLACK.