LEONARD BLOOM HOUSE [MID/LATE '70'S] - DAY
Lucyra is watering the garden. Leonel (5) runs past her to
greet Leonard, just returned from another trip.
LEONARD (V.O.)
Ten thousand dollars is no fortune
to most men. But it was enough to
buy my wife a proper house with a
white picket fence.
We reveal the Bloom house, the nicest one in the neighborhood.
Leonard kisses his wife.
LEONARD (V.O.)
And for that, it was all the riches
a man could ever want.
Lucyra drops the hose, letting it run on the lawn.
BLOOM HOUSE BATHROOM - DAY [PRESENT]
ON Leonard's hand as he turns knobs.
CLOSE ON water SPLASHING into the claw-foot bathtub, which
begins to fill.
Still wearing his pajamas, Leonard climbs into the tub.
Carefully lowers himself.
As the water reaches the third button up on his pajama shirt,
Leonard suddenly slides
UNDERWATER.
Bubbles rise from his nose for a few beats, then stop. It's
quiet, except for the distant SPLASHING of water from the
spigot. Leonard's eyes are closed.
A long beat. Another. Then the SPLASHING water goes silent.
Leonard opens one eye. The other eye. He sits up to find
LUCYRA
sitting on the edge of the tub. She doesn't seem particularly
worried - her husband Leo has always done this.
LEONARD
I was drying out.
LUCYRA
I see. We need to get you one of
those plant misters. We can spray
you like a fern.
He smiles, then pulls his knees up, making room for her in
the tub. A beat while she considers.
Lucyra steps out of her sandals and climbs into the tub,
facing him. Her dress is soaked, but she doesn't mind.
He leans forward and kisses her. When they separate, she has
tears hanging in her eyes.
LEONARD
Come now.
He wipes them away.
LUCYRA
I don't think I'll ever dry out.
BASEMENT STORAGE AREA - DAY
Perched awkwardly on a canoe, Leonel's made it through another
file cabinet. He goes through the folders page by page, but
usually ends up tossing the whole thing in the trash.
He's about to toss a file when he stops. Takes another look.
Something doesn't make sense.
BLOOM HOUSE / STAIRS - DAY
Leonel is headed upstairs when his mother comes around the
corner with an armful of laundry, including her wet dress.
LEONEL
Is he awake?
LUCYRA
He just fell asleep. Asuka's
with him.
She passes him. He turns.
LEONEL
Mom?
LUCYRA
Yes?
Leonel quickly debates whether or not to ask her...
LEONEL
Did you and Dad have any other
property?
LUCYRA
(thinking)
I suppose your grandmother's house
when she passed on. But we sold that
right away. Your cousin Shirley bought
it.
LEONEL
So you never bought any land.
LUCYRA
Heavens no. We had a hard enough
time keeping the mortgage on this
place.
Leonel nods, just curious. He continues heading up.
LEONEL AND ASUKA'S ROOM - DAY
Leonel changes his shirt. Takes his keys off the nightstand.
COUNTY ROAD - DAY
Leonel rental car drives past a sign reading, "Ashton, 10
miles."
LEONELS CAR - DAY / DRIVING
Leonel checks the address on one of his father's files.
ASHTON GAS - DAY
Leonel talks to the ATTENDANT, who points him in a direction,
then gestures a series of left, right, left, rights.
ROAD - DAY
Leonel drives down a road that seems somewhat familiar. And
then we realize why: a roadsign reads "Welcome to Spectre!"
A LONE HOUSE - DAY
Sitting at the edge of a swamp, the little two-story feels
lonely, set deep in its lot. Dapples of light break through
the trees, a light breeze swaying the branches.
As Leonel walks from the car, the WHIRR of cicadas grows. He
checks the number: 33. This is the house. It is surrounded
by a white square-picket fence, identical to his mother's.
Leonel notices this.
Reaching the porch, we hear a PIANO playing inside. Badly.
Re-checking the number on a form he's carrying, Leonel KNOCKS.
The piano stops.
A WOMAN'S VOICE
Go back to the start. Right hand
only.
The piano starts again. FOOTSTEPS.
The door opens to reveal a blonde woman in her 50's - the
woman from the grocery store. Her name is Aquarius Hill.
She and Leonel are startled to see each other.
AQUARIUS
Oh. Oh.
LEONEL
Hello.
AQUARIUS
I wasn't expecting you.
Confused, Leonel checks the name on the form.
LEONEL
Are you Aquarius Hill?
AQUARIUS
I am. And you're Leonel. I've seen
your picture, that's how I recognize
you. I almost said something at the
store, but it would have been awkward.
(a beat)
Like this.
The PIANO STUDENT, a black boy of eight, has stopped. He's
watching the conversation at the door. Speaking of awkward...
AQUARIUS
(to the student)
Listen, Kenny. Why don't we skip the
lesson today? We can go again next
week.
She hands him five dollars out of her pocket.
STUDENT
Do I have to give it back to my Mom?
AQUARIUS
I won't tell her if you won't.
You don't have to tell him twice. He's out the door in a
flash.
AQUARIUS'S KITCHEN - DAY
While Leonel sips his iced tea, Aquarius flips through a form she
never expected to see again. She hands it back to Leonel.
LEONEL
How did you know my father?
AQUARIUS
This was on his sales route, so he
was through here all the time.
Everyone in town knew him.
A beat. Not flinching...
LEONEL
Were you and my father having an
affair?
AQUARIUS
(taken aback)
Wow. Wow, you just said it. I was
expecting to dance around this for
another half hour.
LEONEL
I've seen him with women.
He flirts.
He always has. On some level, I
presumed he was cheating on my mother.
I just never had proof.
She moves, trying to get out of the corner he's boxed her
into. Once she's finally free...
AQUARIUS
Can I ask you a question? Why did
you come here today? If you found
this deed, why didn't you just ask
Leo?
LEONEL
Because he's dying.
A long beat. Aquarius is taken back by the suddenness of it.
She's a tangle of conflicting emotions.
AQUARIUS
Look, I don't know how much you want
to know about any of this. You have
one image of your father and it would
be wrong for me to go and change it.
Especially this late in the game.
LEONEL
My father talked about a lot of things
he never did, and I'm sure he did a lot of things he never talked about.
I'm just trying to reconcile the
two.
Fair enough. Aquarius takes a seat across from him at the table.
AQUARIUS
The first thing you have to
understand, is that your father never
meant to end up here. And yet he
did, twice. The first time, he was
early. The second time, he was late.
LEONARD'S CAR / DRIVING - NIGHT
It's late, and Leonard is pensive.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Those days, your father was working
for himself. If there was one thing
you could say about Leonel Bloom,
it's that he was a social person,
and people took a liking to him. One
night he was returning from three
weeks on the road, when he hit a
thunderstorm unlike any in his life.
The first raindrops hit the windshield. Leonel turns on the
wipers.
LEONARD'S CAR - NIGHT - [THE STORM]
Suddenly, a deluge descends. It's not even rain anymore -
there's no space between the drops. It's like being caught
in a waterfall. It's that loud.
No choice, Leonard stops the car. Puts on the handbrake. Just
as suddenly, the sound changes - no longer pounding, but
softly SPLASHING. The world is close and echoing, because -
LEONARD'S CAR - NIGHT
- the car is underwater. The tires are still on the road,
but where there used to be air is water.
Three catfish swim in front of his headlights.
THE CAR - NIGHT
Realizing his plight, Leonard tries to remain calm. Water is
trickling in through the crack between the window and the
door, but very slowly. For now, he's fine.
That's when he sees her - The Girl in the River.
She's swimming outside the car. While we never see her face
exactly, she remains just as beautiful, just as mysterious,
as the first time we saw her.
She puts her hand to the windshield. He puts his up to meet
hers. And smiles.
FIELD BY DIRT ROAD - DAY
It's morning, and the sun shines brightly. Birds CHIRP. Trees
drip and the grass shines, still wet from last night's rain.
Leonard gathers the clothes that have spilled out of his
suitcase, which broke open when he dropped it from
HIS CAR,
which balances precariously ten feet up in an elm tree. As
Leonard gathers his last pair of socks, he notices a shiny
piece of metal sticking out of the dirt. He pulls it out,
rubs it off.
It's a key. It's the Key to the City he lost years ago.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Fate has a way of circling back on a
man, and taking him by surprise.
ROAD - DAY
Carrying his busted suitcase, a tired Leonard walks toward a
one-street town in the distance. We pass a rusty sign...
"Welcome to Spectre."
MAIN STREET - DAY
Amazed and disbelieving, Leonard walks down the center of the
road, no cars coming from either direction. He looks up to
find his faded shoes still dangling from the power line,
along with the rest of the town's.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
A man sees things differently at
different times in his life. This
town didn't seem the same now that
he was older.
TOWN OF SPECTRE - VARIOUS SHOTS
We look around the town, on and off Main Street. There are
"FOR SALE" signs in many of the windows
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
A new road had brought the outside
world to Spectre, and with it, banks,
liens and debt. Almost everywhere
you looked, people were bankrupt.
ESPECTRE - DAY
We slowly MOVE THROUGH a foreclosure auction to find Leonard
watching. Two very corporate MEN IN SUITS, stick out among
the bidders.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Two different corporations were
looking at buying the town, if they
could get the price low enough. One
wanted to open a chicken processing
plant. The other, a municipal dump.
Either way, Spectre would be
destroyed.
Leonard raises his hand.
LEONARD
Fifty-thousand!
Everyone turns to look at this new bidder.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
And so Leonard Bloom decided to buy
the town, in order to save it.
HIBIKI WINSLOW'S MANHATTAN - DAY
Leonard pitches his plan to Hibiki.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
He was never a wealthy man, but he
had made other men rich, and now he
asked for their favors.
VARIOUS LOCATIONS - DAY
Expressive and passionate as always, Leonard
talks to Gemi, Mini and Yajima Calloway.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Most of them had never seen Spectre -
they only had Leonard's words to
describe it. That's all they needed.
He sold them on the dream.
MINI
You can structure it as a historical
trust. But you'll need every
contiguous piece of property. It's
all or nothing.
As Leonard takes notes...
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
So first he bought the farms. Then
he bought the houses. Then he bought
the stores.
AL'S COUNTRY - DAY
Finishing up with AL, Leonard shakes hands.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Whatever he bought, the people were
not asked to leave or pay rent or
anything. They were just asked to
keep doing as they were doing. In
that way, he could make sure the
town would never die.
ROAD IN THE SWAMP - DAY
Leonard climbs out of his car, the road having literally
stopped. The sun is shining, but it can barely penetrate the
trees' thick canopy.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Within six months, his trust had
purchased the entire town. With one
exception.
In the distance, he sees a shack, so old it's nearly fallen.
He walks toward it, the marshy ground SQUISHING up around
his feet, soaking the hems of his trousers.
He hears a PIANO playing from inside the shack. Leonard KNOCKS
on the half-hung door, which swings open by itself.
SHACK - DAY
The inside is nicer than you'd think, a real home. A fire
burns in the stove, and curtains hang in the windows.
With her back turned to him, Aqarius ill plays the piano.
Leonard doesn't recognuize her as the little girl who used to
have a crush on him. Without turning, she says...
AQUARIUS
You must be Leonard Bloom.
LEONARD
How did you know?
She keeps PLAYING.
AQUARIUS
No one would come out here unless
they had business. And no one would
have business with me except for
you. You're buying the town.
LEONARD
Apparently I've overlooked this one
piece of it, and I'd like to remedy
that. You see, in order for the town
to be preserved, the trust must own
it in its entirety.
AQUARIUS
So I've heard.
LEONARD
I'll offer you more than it's worth.
And you know you won't have to move.
Nothing will change except the name
on the deed, you have my word.
Aquarius stops playing, her piece not quite finished. She turns
to face him. Leonard still doesn't recognize her.
AQUARIUS
Now let me get this straight. You'll
buy the swamp from me, but I'll stay
in it. You'll own the house, but
it'll still be mine. I'll be here,
and you'll come and go as you please
to one place or another. Do I have
that right?
Strange to hear it put that way, but -
LEONARD
In so many words, yes.
AQUARIUS
Then I don't think so Mr. Bloom. If
nothing is going to change, I'd just
as soon it not change in the way it
hasn't been changing all this time.
LEONARD
It's not like you're going to lose
anything. You can ask anyone in town.
I've been nothing if not generous. I want the best for everyone.
A long beat.
AQUARIUS
Mr. Bloom, why are you buying this
land? Some sort of midlife crisis?
Instead of buying a convertible, you
buy a town?
He looks at her, puzzled and surprised. No one has really
asked before.
LEONARD
Helping people makes me happy.
AQUARIUS
I'm not convinced you should be happy.
LEONARD
I'm sorry. Have I offended you?
She finally turns to face him.
AQUARIUS
No, you did exactly what you promised.
You came back. I was just expecting
you sooner.
FLASHBACK TO SPECTRE - NIGHT
Young Aquarius Hill watches barefoot Leonard leave Spectre for
the first time.
BACK TO:
SHACK - DAY
Finally realizing who this woman is...
LEONARD
You're Capricorn's daughter. Your last
name is different.
(realizing)
You married.
AQUARIUS
I was 18. He was 28. Turns out that
was a big difference.
Before he can say anything more...
AQUARIUS
I won't be selling you this house,
Mr. Bloom.
LEONARD
I see. I thank you for your time.
A bit bewildered, Leonard tips his hat to her as he leaves.
SWAMP SHACK - DAY
Leonard pulls the door shut behind him as he leaves, but it
breaks off in his hands. It's not the clean exit he was hoping
for.
Inside Aquarius looks out, surprised and annoyed.
Leonard tries to lift the door back on the hinges, but they
SNAP off. The door frame buckles and the whole shack CREAKS.
LEONARD
I'm sorry.
He tries to lean the door against the frame, but it keeps
slipping.
AQUARIUS
It's okay, just leave it.
LEONARD
I can get it. I can just...
He leans the door a different way. It holds for a beat then
falls in, SMASHING a small table.
LEONARD
Lord, I'm sorry I...
AQUARIUS
Please. Go. Just go.
LEONARD
I'll...
AQUARIUS
Go.
She's dead serious. Weighing the scales of chivalry, he
finally backs away. Turns and heads back towards his car.
Aquarius, watching him go. She's furious, but there's
something more in her feelings for him. Something softer.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
Most men in that situation would
accept their failure and move on.
But Leonard was not like most men.
SWAMP SHACK ROAD - ANOTHER DAY
With Taurus the Giant's help, Leonard unloads a brand new door
from a pickup truck.
SHACK - DAY
While Aquarius watches, half-annoyed, half-amused, Leonard tries
to set the door square. Taurus pushes against the side of the
house until it fits.
SHACK - ANOTHER DAY
Holding nails between his lips, Leonard puts in new windows
himself. Aquarius is making soup, laughing at the story he's
telling.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
As the months passed, he found more
and more things to fix, until the
shack no longer resembled itself.
SWAMP - ANOTHER DAY
Leonard and Taurus cut down a tree, letting in a flood of light.
Through the golden pollen hanging in the air, we RISE UP to
see the shack is now
THE LOVELY HOUSE
Before them, It's tiny and white, with black shutters and
a steep roof. A white picket fence. In every detail it is
impossibly charming.
AQUARIUS'S HOUSE - DAY
Leonard is screwing a hat rack into the wall in the foyer.
Aquarius leans against the doorframe listening to his story.
And watching him with deepest affection.
LEONARD
Of course, the best part was creating
new material. By the time the twins
and I got to Havana, we had a whole
new routine worked out for them,
with just a ukulele and a harmonica.
Finished with his work, he takes his hat off the chair and
hangs it on the rack. Perfect.
A beat. A look between them. With that last job done, there's
no reason for him to be staying any longer.
LEONARD
I suppose I should...
He takes his hat off the rack.
AQUARIUS
You can leave it there.
A beat. Does she really mean it?
as Leonard thought.
She comes closer. Leonard holds his ground. She takes his
hand, lifting his hat up to the peg. She's very close -
just a half-inch from kissing him when -
- Leonard gently holds her back.
LEONARD
No!
She freezes, stunned and humiliated. She pulls away.
LEONARD
Don't. Don't be embarrassed. I should
never have let you think that...
(beat)
I am in love with my wife .
AQUARIUS
I know.
LEONARD
And from the moment I saw her until
the moment I die, she's the only
one.
AQUARIUS
Lucky girl.
LEONARD
I'm sorry, Aquarius. I am.
With that, he begins to leaves.
AQUARIUS
Wait! Leonard!
She finds a pen and hastily signs the deed to the house.
Hands it to him. With a look, he thanks her. Then goes.
SPECTRE - MAGIC HOUR
Leonard takes a final look at this perfect little town.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
One day, Leonard Bloom left, and
never
returned to the town he'd saved.
He climbs in his car and starts the engine.
AQUARIUS HILL'S HOUSE - DAY TO NIGHT
As we watch, the swamp begins to overtake the house,
swallowing it in a tangle of vines and mossy branches.
Shoots burst up through the planks in the porch. Snakes
slither through the marsh.
Day becomes night.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
As for the girl, the common belief
was that she'd become a witch, and
crazy at that. She became something
of a legend herself. In REVERSE to find FOUR KIDS looking in through the rusty
iron gate with flashlights. Abeat, then they run away.
AQUARIUS (V.O.)
And the story ended where it began.
AQUARIUS HILL'S KITCHEN - PRESENT DAY
Leonel and Aquarius are still sitting at her table, a pitcher of
iced tea between them.
LEONEL
Logically, you couldn't be the Witch,
because she was old back when he was
young.
AQUARIUS
No, it's logical if you think like
your father. See, to him, there's
only two women: your mother and
everyone else.
LEONEL
You didn't become crazy.
AQUARIUS
Well, therapy. And one day I realized
I was in love with a man who could
never love me back. I was living in
a fairy tale.
Leonel smiles to hear it called that.
AQUARIUS
People aren't like they are in
stories. They hurt each other without
meaning to. They are kind and
unbelievably cruel at the same moment.
Like me, now. I'm not sure I should
have told you any of this.
Her composure is starting to break.
LEONEL
No, I wanted to know. I'm glad I
know.
A long beat, both staring at their iced tea. Aquarius is working
herself into more of a state by not talking.
AQUARIUS
I wanted to meet you for the longest
time. I did.
(a smile)
I envied you so much. The way Leo
would talk about you when you were
at Missouri, that award you won.
Congratulations, incidentally. And
when you got the job at the A.P.,
everything, he was so proud of you.
I mean, that's the thing. Every moment
he loved you.
She's fighting tears, not the first ones she's shed over
this.
AQUARIUS
And as brightly as the sun would
shine when he was with me, every
time he left it disappeared. I wanted
to be as important to him as you
were, and I was never going to be. I
was make-believe and his other life,
you, were real.
ON Leonel, sorting through his swirling thoughts.
AQUARIUS
You knew that, didn't you?
LEONEL'S CAR - DAY / DRIVING
Leonel skips through the stations on the radio
BLOOM HOUSE - DUSK
Leonel walks up the front steps. There's a subtle change to
his expression, a dark cloud lifted. He unlocks the door.
BLOOM HOUSE FOYER - DUSK
It's half-dark and quiet in the house, no talking, no TV.
Leonel sets his keys on the table.
KITCHEN - DUSK
Leonel looks in. Empty.
LEONEL
(calling out)
Hello? Mom? Dad?
UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DUSK
Leonel, looking into his and Asuka's room. He
aims for the guest room at the end of the hall.
GUEST ROOM - DUSK
Looking over his shoulder, we see his father's bed is empty.
The sheets are in a tangle on the floor.
A beat, then Leonel half-runs back down the hall. Back down
the stairs.
. FOYER - DUSK
Headed out, Leonel grabs his keys off the ,
where the "MESSAGE" light blinks on the answering machine.
HOSPITAL ENTRANCE - NIGHT
The hospital is so new, it's not even finished - thick
plastic hangs from exposed framing. There's no one at the
information desk, so Leonel forges ahead.
HOSPITAL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Leonel reads a directory board, trying to decide the best place
to start. Then, behind him -
ASUKA
Leonel!
He turns to see his wife at a payphone. She hangs up. She
was calling him.
LEONEL
What happened?
ASUKA
Your father had a stroke. He's
upstairs with your mom and Dr.
Horoscope.
LEONEL
Is he going to be okay?
A beat. How can she answer?
He half-smiles, realizing the idiocy of his question. Of
course his father's not going to be okay.
LEONEL
What I mean is, will he get back to the way he was when...
She cuts him off -
ASUKA
No. He won't. I'm sorry.
And like that, it's done. We HOLD ON leonel, reeling from the
news.
HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Leonard sleeps peacefully, just an oxygen tube under his nose.
There are no beeping monitors, no blinking lights. It's
mercifully quiet.
Lucyra squeezes Leonard's hand tightly. She's holding herself
together, but it's been a tough day.
Dr. Horoscope has just gone through the details for the third
time.
LUCYRA
I don't suppose one of us could stay
with him. In case he...
(beat)
In case he wakes up, one of us should
be there.
LEONEL
I'll stay. Why don't you go home
with Asuka and I'll stay tonight.
LUCYRA
(to Dr. Horoscope)
That's okay?
DR. HOROSCOPE
It's fine.
LUCYRA
(to Leonel)
You'll call if...
LEONEL
I will. I'll call.
A beat.
LEONEL
Mom, do you want some time with Dad?
LUCYRA
Yes. Thank you.
A nod, then Leonel holds the door for Dr. Horoscope and Asuka
as they leave. Lucyra is alone in the room with her husband.
She neatens his hair. Holds his hand. As she kisses his
fingers, she tweaks her chin with them - his signature suave move.
HOSPITAL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Lucyra waits outside the women's restroom. Her face is a
study in strained composure - acknowledging the inevitable
but refusing to surrender to it.
Asuka emerges.
ASUKA
I'm sorry. It seems every hour I
have to...
LUCYRA
I know. It was the same when I was
carrying Leonel. Like clockwork.
The two women start to walk, no hurry.
LUCYRA
Do you like it, being pregnant?
ASUKA
I do.
LUCYRA
I loved it. It sounds peculiar, but
I loved every minute of it. I did.
Leo was travelling a lot, so he
was gone, but I felt like I always
had a piece of him with me. A little
part of his soul inside me. I could
feel it. It was alive and kicking.
Lucyra has accidentally evoked a storm of emotion. She
struggles to keep it in check. Almost a whisper...
LUCYRA
I really miss that.
With a few breaths, Lucyra tries to hold on. Hold back.
ASUKA
Don't stop. Don't.
A beat, then Lucyra finally melts. Asuka holds her. The
two women stand together in the hallway, letting the moment
be.
HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Leonel sits in a chair beside the bed, working through the
crossword puzzle. A KNOCK as Dr. Horoscope enters with his
overcoat and bag, ready to leave for the night.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Glad to see you're not trying to
have a heartfelt talk. It's one of
my greatest annoyances, when people
talk to those who can't hear them.
LEONEL
My father and I have an advantage.
We never talk.
Dr. Horoscope smiles as he checks Leonard's chart.
LEONEL
How long have you known my father?
DR. HOROSCOPE
Thirty years. Maybe more.
LEONEL
How would you describe him?
DR. HOROSCOPE
(rechart)
Five-eleven. One-eighty. Regulated
hypertension.
(beat)
How would his son describe him?
Tables turned, Leonel searches for an answer. He doesn't have
one.
Dr. Horoscope hangs the chart back on the bed.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Did your father ever tell you about
the day you were born?
LEONEL
A thousand times. He caught an
uncatchable fish.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Not that one. The real story. Did he
ever tell you that?
LEONEL
(suddenly interested)
No.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Your mother came in about three in
the afternoon. Her neighbor drove
her, on account of your father was
on business in Wichita. You were
born a week early, but there were no
complications. It was a perfect delivery. Now, your father was sorry
to miss it, but it wasn't the custom
for the men to be in the room for
deliveries then, so I can't see as
it would have been much different
had he been there. And that's the
real story of how you were born.
A long silence, just the sounds of the hospital, doctors
being paged.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Not very exciting, is it? And I
suppose if I had to choose between
the true version and an elaborate
one involving a fish and a wedding
ring, I might choose the fancy
version. But that's just me.
Leonel half-smiles.
Patting Leonel's shoulder, Dr. Horoscope leaves. Left alone was Leonel and his father for a long time, then Leonel takes his pen and
starts making a list.
HOSPITAL ROOM - VARIOUS SHOTS
Leonel flips to a new page. The list keeps getting longer.
He smiles, remembering something. On his fourth page, he
looks up at his motionless father. A beat, then we slowly
CROSSFADE TO HOSPITAL ROOM -PRE-DAWN
It's very early morning, and the first blue light of day is
glowing through the vertical blinds. Still in his chair,
Leonel wakes up a bit at a time. The notepad is on his lap,
the pen in his hand.
He cracks his neck, crooked from sleeping on it wrong. What
woke him up?
He looks to his right. Holds his gaze for a breath.
LEONEL
Dad?
His father is awake, silently GASPING for breath. His eyes
are open, scared and confused.
LEONEL
Dad! Do you want me to get a nurse?
Leonard shakes his head unambiguously. Leonel already has his
finger on the orange "nurse call" button, but doesn't push
it.
LEONEL
What can I do? Can I help? Can I get
you something? Water?
Leonard nods. Leonel pours a glass from the pitcher on the
nightstand. He holds it to his father's lips, but Leonel
won't drink. He pushes it away. He wanted something else.
LEONARD
(whispering)
The river.
LEONEL
The river?
It takes Leonard all his strength to put together each thought.
It's like he's only half-there, fighting to hang on to this
world.
LEONARD
Tell me how it happens.
LEONEL
How what happens?
LEONARD
How I go.
ON LEONEL, realizing...
LEONEL
You mean what you saw in The Eye?
Leonard nods. Yes, that's what he was trying to say.
A long beat.
LEONEL
I don't know that story, Dad. You
never told me that one.
Leonel pushes his fingers under his father's heavy hand, and
holds it. There's nothing else to do.
Leonard looks around, confused and increasingly scared. He
sees the end approaching, but doesn't know exactly what's
coming. Without the story, he's lost.
Fighting the urge to panic -
LEONEL
I can try, Dad. If you help. Just
tell me how it starts.
LEONARD
Like this.
LEONEL
Okay. Okay.
Leonel looks around the room, increasingly desperate. He looks
to the nurse call button. He really wants to press it.
ON LEONARD, waiting for Leonel to begin.
LEONEL
Okay. It's morning, and you and I
are in the hospital. I'd fallen asleep in the chair.
I wake up and I see
you, and...
HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY [STORY VERSION]
LEONEL
Dad?
It's dawn, and the first golden glow is shining through the
vertical blinds.
LEONEL
(louder and concerned)
Dad?
We LOOK OVER to find a nimble Leonard sitting up in bed,
combing his hair.
LEONARD
Let's get out of here.
LEONEL (V.O.)
Somehow, you're better. Different.
You're getting ready to go. And I
say...
LEONEL
Dad, you're in no condition to...
But Leonard throws back the covers.
LEONARD
There's a fold-up wheelchair in the
bathroom. Wrap a blanket around me.
As soon as we get off this floor,
we'll be in the clear.
Leonel heads for the bathroom. Sure enough, the wheelchair is
there.
LEONARD
Hurry! We don't have much time.
HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY
With the blanket draped over his head like a ghost, Leonard
points for his son to steer the wheelchair thataway.
LEONARD
Faster!
They pass a HEAVYSET NURSE, who turns to look.
Rounding a corner, they nearly crash into Dr. Horoscope.
DR. HOROSCOPE
Leonel! I... What are you doing?
Before he can answer, Leonel spots Leonard rolling the chair
himself, pumping both arms. Leonel dashes to catch up with
him.
The Heavyset Nurse leans out of Leonard's hospital room.
NURSE
Security! Stop them!
DOWN THE HALL
At the elevators, Lucyra and Asuka step out to find Leonel
and Leonard barreling straight at them.
LEONARD
No time to explain! Follow us!
Seeing SECURITY GUARDS heading their way, a quick-thinking
Lucyra shoves a nearby cart into them, bowling them down.
ELEVATOR - DAY
Leonel brakes hard, sliding with both feet. The chair nearly
crashes into the back wall as the doors close.
PARKING LOT - DAY
Leonel races Leonard down the row, finally reaching the
Chevrolet.
AT THE CAR
Leonel lifts his father out of the chair.
LEONEL (V.O.)
I pick you up and you hardly weigh
anything. I can't explain it.
Leonel sets him in the passenger seat.
LEONARD
Water. I need water.
Scrambling in back, Leonel finds a liter of Arrowhead. Hands
it off. Leonard unscrews the cap, but instead of drinking it,
he douses himself. Soaks the blanket.
Leonel pops the trunk. Starts to fold up the wheelchair.
LEONARD
Leave it! We won't need it.
TIRES SMOKE as the car peals out.
HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY [REALITY]
TIGHT ON Leonel, trying to hold back tears as he talks.
LEONEL
And we have to take Glenville to
avoid all the church traffic, because
those damn church people drive too
slow.
Leonard, enjoying that detail. He's focused completely
on Leonel's story.
LEONEL
I ask...
GLENVILLE BLVD. - DAY [STORY ]
The Chevy slaloms through the Sunday-morning traffic.
LEONEL
Where are we headed?
LEONEL (V.O.)
You say...
CHEVY - DAY
LEONARD
The River!
Leonel stops short, the traffic backed up. He HONKS, trying to
get around the jam. But it's no use.
Then, up ahead, the cars start moving, shoved aside by massive
hands. It's Taurus the Giant, clearing a path by brute force.
Leonard leans out the window and waves. Taurus waves back.
ASHTON RIVER - DAY
The same stretch of the river where it all began. A CROWD of
more than 100 waiting.
LEONEL (V.O.)
As we get closer to the river, we
see everybody's already there. And I
mean everybody.
Yajima Calloway is here with the circus folk, including Mr.
Saggitarius. We also find Leonard's Mother and Father, the
Mayor Makarov, and many others from along the way. No one has aged a
day since we saw them last.
While Gemi scans the horizon, Mini nuzzles with her boyfriend,
Hibiki Winslow. It's Gemi who first spots the Chevrolet.
GEMI
He's here!
The crowd CHEERS. The Ashton marching band PLAYS. Aquarius Hill
smiles. So does the Old Woman.
We PUSH IN on the Old Woman's glass eye, where we see...
YOUNG LEONARD
reflected. This is what he saw.
THE CHEVROLET - DAY
Amazed, Leonel turns to his father.
LEONEL
It's unbelievable.
LEONARD
Story of my life.
RIVERSIDE - DAY
Leonel gets out of the Chevrolet, overwhelmed by the crowd.
Behind him, Lucyra, Asuka and Dr. Horoscope pull up. Taurus
comes just after that.
Crossing to the passenger side, Leonel lifts his father out.
Strangely, he's gotten even lighter. Leonel carries him easily.
Leonard pulls off his shoes, tying the laces together. He
hands them to Asuka. She throws them up at the powerline.
They loop over. APPLAUSE and CHEERS.
The crowd parts to let Leonel and Leonard get to the river. As
he passes, Leonard shakes some hands, pats some people on the
cheek, and gives others a good poke in the ribs.
LEONEL (V.O.)
And the strange thing is, there's
not a sad face to be found. Everyone's
just so glad to see you, and send
you off right.
Leonel walks into the river, up to his knees. He turns back so
his father can face the crowd. Leonard waves.
LEONARD
Goodbye everybody! Farewell! Adieu!
THE CROWD (VARIOUS)
Goodbye Leonard! / See ya! / We'll
miss you!
But one face is missing from the crowd - Lucyra. Leonel turns
to see she's already standing in the river beside them.
She was smiling at her beloved Leo.
The reflection of the light off the water gives Lucyra an
unearthly glow. She's more tranquil and more beautiful than
we've ever seen her.
LEONARD
My girl in the river.
She kisses him. He tweaks her chin. The crowd HOLLERS in
approval, but their moment remains strangely private. Only
Leonel is there to witness.
As the kiss ends, Leonard tries to pull off his wedding ring.
But it's stuck. Finally, he sucks on it, pulling it free
with his teeth.
A look to Leonel, a smile with a glint of gold. Leonel takes the
ring out of his mouth.
Leonard suddenly drops out of Leonel's arms with a SPLASH. For
he's no longer a man, but rather
A FAT CATFISH
swimming at his feet.
We watch as the catfish circles, then heads for deeper water,
disappearing.
Leonel and his mother stand knee-deep in the water, watching
Leonard Bloom swim away into the sunlight. Asuka is back
on the shore, along with the entire crowd.
MUSIC BUILDS to a climax, then...
Down the river, a GIANT FISH suddenly jumps out of the water,
cutting a beautiful arc across the sunset. It then dives
back under with a SPLASH.
HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
Leonel has tears hanging in the corners of his eyes.
LEONEL
You become what you always were. A
very big fish.
(he smiles)
And that's the way it happens.
LEONARD
(a whisper)
Yes. Exactly.
Leonard smiles, proud of both of them. His eyes are so pale
and so open, we can almost see his soul. In every atom of
his body, in every thought, Leonard Bloom is entirely happy.
And this is how he goes.
HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY
Leonel shuts the door to his father's room behind him. The
walk to the payphones seems to take a lifetime.
He finds a quarter, starts to dial. He has to squint to see
through the water in his eyes. It's ringing. And ringing.
The other end answers.
LEONEL
(voice cracking)
...
That's all he can get out before the dam breaks inside him.
He presses closer to the phone, trying to shield himself.
MUSIC begins that will carry us through the next passage.
HOSPITAL RECEPTION - DAY
Leonel waits at reception as Lucyra and Asuka come off the
elevator.
GUEST ROOM - DAY
Asuka opens the curtains, letting white sunlight in. She
strips the bed.
BEDROOM - DAY
Leonel and his mother pick out one of Leonard's ties, for Leonel
to wear at the funeral. Leonel tries to button the cuffs on
the shirt he borrowed, but they're the kind that need links.
He goes through the top drawer of the dresser, trying to
find a matching pair. Further down, he finds a ribbon tied
to
THE KEY TO THE CITY.
He smiles, disbelieving. It's a real thing.
CEMETERY / ROAD - DAY
Leonel helps his mother out of a black sedan. She's well-
composed, not nearly the wreck we might have expected.
Asuka hugs Dr. Horoscope and shakes hands with his wife.
The service is crowded, more than 200 people, many more than
expected.
As his mother talks to a WELL-WISHER, Leonel looks left to see
an Oldsmobile parking.
CLOSE ON the license plates. Missouri.
The passenger side opens, but the man who steps out is barely
visible over the door. He shuts it to reveal himself to be
70.
It's Yajima Calloway. Leonel doesn't recognize him.
The Driver climbs out, a size 15 foot on the gravel. We TILT
UP to see this man is huge.
This man is TAURUS, now 55. He's not 12 feet tall, but at least
six-eight.
Leonel, bewildered to see that this man really exists.
CEMETERY / GRAVESIDE - DAY
As the service gets ready to begin, Leonel guides his mother
to a seat near the grave.
Sitting beside Leonel, Asuka spots a stunning ASIAN WOMAN
(50) behind them. A beat later, an identical face with glasses
peers out - the woman's twin sister.
It's GEMI and MINI.
Asuka almost GASPS. She elbows Leonel, who turns to look.
From this angle the sisters seem conjoined, but then Jing
steps forward. They're really two separate people.
A sea of familiar faces, all of them aged through the years:
CAPRICORN, HIBIKI WINSLOW, the MAYOR MAKAROV and GRAY PRICE.
CEMETERY - DAY [LATER]
After the service, we see the crowd gathered in small groups.
By the LAUGHTER and hand gestures, we can see they're telling
stories. They're telling Leonard's stories.
Leonel was watching them.
LEONEL (V.O.)
Have you ever heard a joke so many
times you've forgotten why it's funny?
But then you hear it again and
suddenly it's new. You remember why
you loved it in the first place.
Leonel joins in, laughing.
We slowly CIRCLE BEHIND a monument, letting it black out the
screen.
BLOOM HOUSE BACKYARD - DAY [SUMMER]
Leonel sits on the porch with Lucyra and Asuka, watching
his SON play in the pool with two NEIGHBOR KIDS.
SON
(to the other boys)
So he said he'd fight the giant who
was fifteen feet tall.
KID
No way.
SON
(calling over)
Dad, that's right, isn't it?
LEONEL
Something like that.
SON
See. So he was a giant but my grampa
was going to fight him because he
wasn't afraid of anything because
he'd seen how he was going to die in this old lady's glass eye...
Leonel smiles as his son continues the tale, which FADES as they get busy in a family picnic . Lucyra
takes Leonel's hand in hers, just listening.
LEONEL (V.O.)
That was my father's final joke I
guess. A man tells his stories so
many times he becomes the stories.
They live on after him.
CROSSFADE TO RIVER , UNDERWATER - DAY
A fat and happy catfish swims towards us.
LEONEL (V.O.)
And in that way, he becomes immortal.
The fish passes us with a SPLASH.