diff --git "a/unformated_scripts/Script_Labor of Love.txt" "b/unformated_scripts/Script_Labor of Love.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/unformated_scripts/Script_Labor of Love.txt" @@ -0,0 +1 @@ + LABOR OF LOVE by M. Night ShyamalanFADE IN:EXT. ROUTE 476 - OUTSKIRTS OF PHILADELPHIA - NIGHTA three lane highway relegated to one lane. The serpentineline of cars bottlenecks as it slithers by. An arch ofORANGE AND RED FLARES outlines the area of shattered glassand twisted metal.We are at the site of a gruesome car accident. An ambulanceand four police cars are on the scene. Two cars are involvedin the crash. The first, a SILVER CADILLAC with its frontcaved in a perfect semi-circle; there is no-one inside thecar.The second car is a different story entirely. A DARK GREENHONDA PRELUDE crushed against the concrete median thatseparates the South-bound lanes from the North-bound lanes.All the windows have imploded. The original seventeen footlength of the car, compressed to ten. The hood has foldedback into the front seat. This car is not empty! Throughthe sliver that used to be a window, WE SEE a female hand,purple, swollen and bloody.Some drivers have stopped their cars on the shoulder and havewalked over to the flares. A set of cops wave them back. POLICE OFFICER Get back in your cars and continue with the traffic. There is nothing you can do. (beat) Get back in your cars... CUT TO:OFFICER PIERCE speaks to a female OFFICER DANA. OFFICER PIERCE What's the story? OFFICER DANA She's been dead about ten minutes. The jaws are on the way... Ran a license check. Her name is Ellen Parker. Forty-two years old. OFFICER PIERCE What about him?Pierce gestures to a HISPANIC TEENAGER who is cuffed behindhis back and being led to a police car. OFFICER DANA D.U.I. OFFICER PIERCE Shit... How old is he? OFFICER DANA Seventeen. It's his grandfather's car. On his way back from drinking with the 'boys'.Pierce lets it sink in. OFFICER PIERCE Who do we contact for her?Dana checks the papers in her hand. OFFICER DANA Her husband. Maurice Parker. They live in Wynnewood. Married seventeen years.Pierce looks back at what remains of the HONDA PRELUDE.Beat. OFFICER PIERCE There isn't any good left in the world, Dana. Not one damn thing.CLOSE UP of the hypnotic RED AND BLUE LIGHTS that consume thehighway. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. ROAD - EARLY MORNING "TWO WEEKS EARLIER"Just AFTER DAWN. A gentle mist hangs in the air. The calmsuburban streets wait to be flooded with a sea of middleclass homeowners on their way to work...A woman's REEBOK CROSS-TRAINERS move along the sidewalk...long, brisk steps, steps people have when walking with apurpose...The Cross-Trainers enter the doors of a bakery store secondsafter a man turns a window-sign from "CLOSED" to "OPEN"...This happens with precision timing, not losing a step... awell practiced routine. CUT TO:INT. ANGELO'S BAKERY - MORNINGANGELO, a large man, black slicked hair -- has laid out threeidentical loaves of RAISIN BREAD on the counter. ANGELO Very good batch today.We finally see the person standing in the REEBOK CROSSTRAINERS... MRS. ELLEN PARKER, a woman in her forties with aheart-warming smile and wise glint in her eyes. The kind ofwoman that somehow becomes more beautiful with age.She carefully squeezes each loaf. Her hand hovers over themiddle loaf. ELLEN That one. CUT TO:INT. KITCHEN - MORNINGTwenty minutes later. The basket of the "chosen" raisinbread is placed on the center of a table. Ellen covers itwith a cloth napkin.The eggs sizzle in a pan. We find Ellen cooking breakfast.A stunning African Grey Parrot sits proudly on Ellen'sshoulder. CLAUDE is a breathtaking creature with greyfeathers and a cherry red tail.The DOOR BELL RINGS. CUT TO:FRONT DOORwhere a delivery man hands over a bouquet of VIOLET ORCHIDS.Claude, still perched on Ellen like a clothing accessory,spreads his impressive wings defensively. The delivery manscans the far wall to find a collection of bird photographs.A dazzling collection of all kinds of birds, elaboratelyframed and hung.Ellen signs the release and closes the door. She takes adeep smell of the violet orchids and looks down the hall tothe open bedroom door with a glowing smile. We CATCH AGLIMPSE of a man dressing. CUT TO:KITCHENWhere Ellen and her husband are eating breakfast. Claude isnow in a cage in the hallway.MR. MAURICE PARKER eats a buttered piece of raisin bread. Heis a man in his late forties, neatly combed hair, his NewYork Times folded into a manageable rectangle. This is a manwho has been seated a great deal of his life... the type ofman who breaks into a sweat when taking out the garbage.He feels a stare and looks up to find his wife with thatglowing smile. He smiles back.Ellen gestures with her eyes to the violet orchids nowdisplayed proudly on the window ledge. MAURICE Yes? ELLEN The flowers... they're beautiful.Maurice studies them. MAURICE They are... who sent them?Beat. This takes Ellen by surprise. Maurice catches theexpression. MAURICE You thought I sent them? ELLEN (disappointed) There was no card.Maurice reaches over and searches the bouquet. MAURICE Have I forgotten something? Is this a special day? ELLEN (flat) It's just a regular day.Maurice pulls out a small bent card from between the stems. MAURICE It's from Dan and Kate Wilkins... for dinner last week...Maurice hands Ellen the card, she looks at it uninterested. MAURICE It's a special day isn't it? ELLEN Well, I'm sure it's not Christmas, because you'd be worried about how much money we don't have to spend on each other... I know it's not New Years, because you'd be going on and on about wearing a tuxedo and how much you don't like to dance... and I'm sure it's not our anniversary, because I didn't find an envelope with a hundred dollars cash on my bureau with a note that says, 'Pick out something pretty'... Yes -- Maurice -- I'm virtually certain it's not a special day today.Ellen begins to eat. Maurice stares at her... MAURICE You're mad at me... You were beaming a minute ago, but since I didn't send the flowers... now you're mad at me.Beat. MAURICE Why would I send flowers? What's the occasion.Ellen instantly becomes emotional. ELLEN Occasion? Because you love me... That's the occasion.Ellen returns to eating. Maurice stares at her quietly. CUT TO:INT. BOOKSTORE - MORNINGA SHAFT OF LIGHT penetrates the darkness of a room... growingLARGER as the door swings open.Ellen steps in first followed by Maurice. Ellen goesstraight for the blinds. BURST OF LIGHT stab the room.The spines of the BOOKS catch the light... rows and rows ofbooks cradled by a maze of mahogany book shelves. This is anold-fashioned store with antique chairs at select places. Acoffee table sits near the window with a set of deepcushioned sofa-chairs. This store is a home...Maurice moves behind the counter and TURNS ON THE RADIO.CHOPIN FLOWS from the old speakers atop the corner shelves --delicately.Ellen opens the door to the store and locks it in thatposition with a slanted piece of wood... The store is nowopen. CUT TO:INT. BOOKSTORE - DAYHalf a dozen people wander the isles. Maurice's eyes driftto a pair of eleven year olds who have sauntered into thestore. One boy disappears behind "Philosophy" and reappearsmomentarily with his sweat-shirt zipped up to his neck -- arectangle is outlined under his shirt. MAURICE I see that!Maurice comes around the corner -- the boys HAUL ASS out ofthe store. They're long gone before Maurice reaches thedoor. He yells after them. MAURICE I'm getting a Doberman! Two!Ellen who is sitting in the back room doing the accounts,comes out when she hears the commotion. ELLEN You've been saying that for two years; I think they know you're bluffing.Maurice inspects the "Philosophy" section.Maurice looks up as a young man, early twenties, hurries in.KRIS REDDY walks past Maurice, his black locks of hairpeeking out from under his Philadelphia Eagles cap. KRIS (to Maurice) Lizy Bennett? ELLEN Hi Kris.Kris waves as he removes his jacket. He is wearing a PARKERBOOKS T-shirt underneath. He pins an "Assistant Manager" tagon.Maurice thinks to himself. MAURICE Lizy, Eliza... Elizabeth Bennett... (the answer comes to him) Pride and Prejudice. KRIS You're amazing. MAURICE It has to be a full character's name. KRIS They called her 'Lizy' in the book... (beat) Sorry I was late. My jeep died on the way over from the paper. MAURICE They printed your article on, 'Dry Verses Can Dog Food'... Very enlightening. KRIS Pulitzer, here I come.Kris notices as Maurice goes back to searching the isles. KRIS What happened? MAURICE Never have children. If they're not a burden to you, they're a burden to someone else. ELLEN (on the end of his words) Kris, go to the pharmacy. Ask Mr. Donnavan to get you a large bottle of Geritol... Tell him, Maurice has officially become a grumpy old man. KRIS What'd they take this time? MAURICE Nietzsche!... As if they're going to read Nietzsche.Maurice moves back behind the counter clearly irritated. ELLEN They pick on you because they can get a rise out of you... children can sense those things.Kris quickly opens his black shoulder bag and pulls out amini-tape recorder. He talks into it -- dead serious. KRIS Monday -- August 24... Juvenile delinquency -- Are the victims to blame?CLICK. The tape recorder returns to the bag. Ellen staresat him curiously. KRIS Story ideas. I'll forget them otherwise.Ellen nods with realization. Ellen and Kris turn theirattention to Maurice who is mumbling to himself angrily. Helooks out the window to the street to see a familiar group ofschool boys waving at him tauntingly. CUT TO:INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHTDIMLY LIT. Red and gold paper mache lanterns are sprinkledaround the room. WE FIND Ellen and Maurice polishing off adish of General Tso's Chicken. MAURICE Two thousand square feet... We can add a used book section.Ellen is not listening. She is staring at a young couple twotables over, who can't take their eyes off each other. MAURICE Next door is a jewelry store with a full-time security guard... He stands outside all day. Let's see them try and take Nietzsche then...Maurice finally notices Ellen is not listening. MAURICE Ellen? ELLEN (snapping out of it) What? MAURICE The new store? ELLEN Honey, I told you. If it makes you happy, we should just do it. MAURICE It's a tremendous amount of work -- moving. ELLEN We can do it together.Maurice needed the support. His face brightens. CUT TO:LATERAn empty table. The dishes have been cleared. Maurice andEllen are opening their fortune cookies. MAURICE What's your's say?Beat. ELLEN ... Love is shown through actions not just words. MAURICE What's that? That's not a fortune... You will be rich... That's a fortune. What you have is a statement. ELLEN What it is -- is the truth. MAURICE I don't follow.Beat. ELLEN Maurice, what would you do for me? What would you do for our love? I'm not talking about saying, I'm talking about doing.Maurice notices the STRAIN IN HER VOICE. MAURICE Is this going to be similar to the flower incident? ELLEN (very emotional) Sometimes people need to see things done for them -- because sooner or later they don't believe the words anymore. MAURICE (raising his voice) You don't think I love you?Customers react. ELLEN (lowering the volume) I want to be shown... (beat) Maurice would you do anything for me? MAURICE Yes. ELLEN Anything? MAURICE What do you want from me? Would I swim across an ocean for you?... Would I walk across the United States for you? Yes... Yes I would. You know that. ELLEN (soft) No I don't. I don't even know if you'd walk across the street for me.Maurice is getting redder by the second. The entirerestaurant hangs on his response... MAURICE So what have you done for me that's so earth-shattering?The waiter closest to the table cringes with Maurice's words.Ellen drains of color. She stares at him in complete andutter disbelief. She drills him with this iron glare for aneternity then grabs her purse and heads to the exit. Mauricestares at the table for a moment to gather what's left of hisdignity and follows her out.The waiter moves to the table and clears the aftermath. Hesees Ellen's fortune crumpled next to her tea cup. Heunravels it. The fortune reads... "YOU ARE A FRIENDLY AND GENEROUS PERSON." CUT TO:INT. BEDROOM - DAYThe room is LIT BY ONE BEDSIDE LAMP. Maurice is sitting inbed wearing a robe. Reading glasses at the end of his noseas he rubs a yellow cloth over a SILVER MEDALLION. Themedallion has a raised picture of a lamp, the kind Aladdinuses, seated on an open book and the words BOOK SOCIETY -1992. Maurice meticulously rubs away the smudge marks.Ellen is at the edge of the bed -- as far from Maurice aspossible. Her back is to him as she sleeps under the covers.She speaks without turning around. ELLEN Why do you polish that thing all the time? MAURICE You're talking to me? ELLEN Why do you polish it?Maurice studies the impressive silver medallion. MAURICE A Book Society Award is a very prestigious thing. ELLEN Why are you polishing it -- in bed -- in your pajamas -- at 11:15 at night? Are you going to show it to someone? MAURICE No. ELLEN Then why? MAURICE There's no reason. ELLEN Exactly. No reason. No occasion. It just makes you feel good to do something for it, to express your pride and affection for it some how... (beat) How come you'd do that for a piece of metal and not for me?Maurice has no answer. He just stares at his hands.ELLEN'S face can be seen under the covers facing away fromMaurice. Her eyes are red. The tears roll off her nose andland on the pillow unseen and unheard. CUT TO:INT. KITCHEN - MORNINGThe kitchen table is mockingly empty. No bread. Not even acrumb. Maurice, dressed for work, eyes the table with greatresolve. He rubs his hands together ceremoniously. MAURICE I can do this.Maurice moves to the fridge and gets out two eggs, onions,green peppers and mushrooms.CLAUDE is chirping INCESSANTLY FROM THE HALL.The pile teeters precariously in Maurice's arms as he movesto the counter. Next the pans come out -- He tries to pullthe bottom pan from the cabinet -- CUT TO:BEDROOMEllen is seated in bed, arms crossed -- equal resolve in herface. A LARGE METALLIC CRASH OF POTS ECHOES FROM DOWNSTAIRS.Ellen grabs her robe. CUT TO:HALLWAYEllen gently takes Claude out of his cage. She kisses him.The bird, once frantic, instantly at peace. ELLEN (whispering) You missed mommie... worried when I didn't come down... my baby... so sweet.Ellen feeds the bird as she peeks around the corner, carefulnot to be seen. Maurice is desperately trying to cook an outof control omelette. It spills over the sides and SIZZLES onthe range top. He tries to scoop it up with the pan, tiltingit further -- further -- the entire omelette slides onto therange. Maurice frantically tries to wrangle it back in. Manvs. Egg. Man losing.Ellen has to keep herself from laughing. Her expressionchanges to pity as she watches the chaos unfold. CUT TO:INT. BAKERY - MORNINGEllen scrutinizes a new three loaves of raisin bread. ELLEN That one.Angelo smiles and packages the chosen loaf. CUT TO:INT. KITCHEN - MORNINGA defeated Maurice is eating an apple. He looks up withsurprise as Ellen walks into the kitchen from the back door,a bag under her arm. She glances at him and then moves tothe counter where she prepares the bread for serving. Ellenlooks down into the trash to find the rebellious omelettesitting uneaten.The bread gets laid out in its usual basket, in its usualmanner. Maurice says nothing as Ellen pulls two eggs fromthe fridge and cracks them on a sizzling pan with expertease. ELLEN Onions?Maurice smiles warmly at his wife's back before moving to herand hugging her from behind. He whispers in her ear. MAURICE Why do you put up with me?Beat. ELLEN Love... has something to do with it.Maurice reaches over and turns off the stove. He then turnEllen around and kisses her long and hard. Ellen pulls awaygently and stares into his eyes. Maurice looks veryemotional. MAURICE I do love you... very, very much. ELLEN Show me. MAURICE (with all his heart) I will -- I promise.Ellen kisses Maurice and returns to the eggs. Mauricecontinues to hug her from behind. The MORNING SUN pours intothe kitchen covering Ellen and Maurice in a golden bath. CUT TO:INT. EMPTY STORE - AFTERNOONA large black man wearing a dress shirt, sleeves rolled up tothe elbows TURNS ON a switch. A SET OF TUBE LIGHTS FLICKERTO LIFE.CARL STONE leads Maurice out to the main room which ispresently a cob-web infested, barren space with a fewdiscarded packing boxes left in the corners.Maurice runs his fingertips against the wall. MAURICE History and the arts will be here...His hand makes a grand swirl pointing to another area. Hesays the next two words with great awe as if he was sayingsomething holy. MAURICE The Classics...Carl watches curiously as Maurice walks around in a trance.He moves to the bay window that over looks the street. MAURICE We'll have a hand-painted sign... (another grand swirl) ... Parker Books.Maurice's already bright eyes, brighten even more as he spotsthe security guard strolling up and down the front of thejewelry store. The guard catches his stare and waves.Maurice is aglow... He turns to Carl. MAURICE This is my dream... it's finally here.Carl has to smile -- rarely does he see someone so happy. CUT TO:INT. OFFICE ROOM - AFTERNOONWe are in Carl's cramped upstairs office... just enough roomto walk amongst the file cabinets.Maurice holds his pen over the documents before him. MAURICE I wish my wife were here. She should see this... (stalling) She had a doctors appointment in Blue Bell. That's a one and a half hour drive. Ellen's been going to that doctor since she moved to Pennsylvania... CARL (understanding) We could do this tomorrow? MAURICE Ellen gave me strict orders to sign it... We invited some friends over -- you see, for a celebration.Carl smiles patiently, he's seen this before.Maurice gathers his strength as he puts pen to paper... Hescribbles his signature quickly and let's the pen drop to thetable top as if all the energy drained from his body. Helooks up to Carl with powerful eyes. MAURICE Every journey begins with one step right?Beat. CARL Enjoy your party Mr. Parker... Your new store will be waiting for you Monday morning.Carl and Maurice shake hands like best friends. CUT TO:INT. HOUSE - NIGHTA wine chiller sits proudly on the coffee table. The SOUNDSOF LIGHT CONVERSATION float through the room. About tenfriends and family have gathered.Maurice sits on the sofa nearest the window. He's listeningto the drone of TED PRICE.Ellen is not present. TED ... So she says the "L" word, after two dates, the "L" word! She says 'Don't you believe in true love? Love that can conquer all?' I say, 'Whoa, hold on. Just so we're clear on things, I think love these days is shit. It don't mean a thing and it don't stand for nothing. Shit.'... You know what she says, 'Fine, but how do you feel about kids?'Everyone near the SOFA LAUGHS. A CAR LIGHT DANCES ON THECURTAINS... Maurice quickly pulls the curtain aside andwatches as the car pulls past the house and around thecorner. Maurice turns back from the window hiding hisconcern and without missing a beat... MAURICE It's nice to see you don't have any scars from your divorce.This brings on another ROUND OF LAUGHTER.THE TELEPHONE RINGS.Maurice rises from his seat -- but is waved off by ADELLEMATLIN who picks up the phone right away. Adelle isMaurice's niece, early thirties, very attractive and alwayssmiling -- except at this moment.Ted begins another one of his stories -- the words areincoherent as Maurice watches Adelle carefully... Adelleturns her back to the room as she talks and then DISAPPEARSinto the kitchen stretching the phone cord around thedoorway... Something is definitely wrong.Maurice steadies his gaze at the door of the kitchen...eternal seconds pass before Adelle appears again. She looksdifferent -- ghostly. She glances up for a fraction of asecond locking eyes with her uncle -- she immediately looksaway.Maurice watches Adelle move to her husband GERALD andwhispers in his ear. Gerald changes instantly -- taking onthe same ghostly transformation -- his eyes dart to Maurice.Ted's story is cut off as Maurice speaks LOUDLY... MAURICE What's wrong?The room goes SILENT as all eyes fall on Adelle and Gerald. GERALD (shaking) Maurice, can we go into the dining room?Beat. MAURICE What's happened to my wife?This hits everyone in the room like a bomb. A dread hangsover every passing second... Gerald crumbles under themoment... Adelle begins to cry. GERALD There was a car accident... Drunk driver.Some of the crowd reacts. A women covers her mouth. Themoment is unbearable. MAURICE (to himself) Please God -- don't do this.Gerald cracks -- the tears start to flow from his eyes. GERALD Maurice, it was serious... I don't know how to --Gerald buries his face into the heels of his palms as iftrying to contain an explosion in his head. GERALD Oh Jesus, please help me... She didn't... Ellen didn't make it... Ellen's dead Maurice.Maurice closes his eyes shut tightly... like a child scaredof the dark.Adelle blacks out, knocking over the wine chiller on the wayto the ground. In less than a minute the room hastransformed from a celebration to a mourning. Everyone isfrozen staring at Maurice for their cue... A child in hermother's arms begins to cry as if aware of the circumstances.EXTREME CLOSE UP. Maurice opens his eyes slowly. The roomstays still as Maurice stares at Ellen's HAT sitting on thepiano. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. PARKER HOUSE - MORNINGA "FTD" Florist truck pulls up. A delivery man, moves withan extravagant bouquet of flowers to the front door. HeRINGS THE DOOR BELL. No answer. KNOCKS. No answer.The delivery man looks to the ground and searches, beforeplacing the bouquet on the porch.WE NOW SEE that the porch is completely covered with flowers,bouquets and wreaths. The delivery man tip-toes his waythrough the maze of condolences and moves to his truck. CUT TO:INT. KITCHEN - MORNINGMaurice waits, as the SOUND OF THE FLOWER TRUCK FADES AWAY,then looks into Claude's cage. Claude sits on the highestperch and continues to call to his mother. Maurice stares atthe pile of untouched food on the floor of the cage. MAURICE Eat the food Claude... CUT TO:LATERMaurice seated at the kitchen table.He looks at the bouquet of flowers still seated on the windowsill. The violet orchids are all dead and shriveled up. DISSOLVE TO:INT. PARKER HOUSE - NIGHTThe house feels abandoned -- lifeless.THE HOUSE IS SILENT EXCEPT FOR THE FRANTIC CHIRPING OF CLAUDEFROM THE HALL. His hopeless cries punctuating the air everyfew seconds. CUT TO:BEDROOMMaurice sits in a chair facing Ellen's wardrobe closet. TheLIGHTS IN THE ROOM ARE OFF. The room is lit only by theLIGHT FROM THE HALLWAY STREAMING IN AT AN ANGLE.Maurice gets up and with a great deal of uncertainty, opensthe closet. Maurice stares at the collection of hangingdresses.He reaches out and pulls the cloth of a floral dress towardshim... He closes his eyes and smells the cloth... his facetightens in pain... both hands cling to the dress tightly...he tries desperately, can't fight it -- Maurice Parker beginsto cry.His hands grab frantically at the rest of the dresses --pressing them to his face and chest. MAURICE Oh God... I'm sorry Ellen... I'm so sorry...He hugs the dresses as if they were her. His weeping turnsto a torturous wail of grief... all the love, all the angerspilling out in this one moment.He falls to the ground yanking all the dresses down with him-- they collapse atop him... He buries his face in his wife'sclothes...The MUFFLED SOUND OF HIS CRIES ECHOES through the lonelyhouse. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. PARK - MORNINGThe neighborhood park. The trees in full bloom. Mauricewalks down a path leading to the open fields. Only motherswith strollers and the elderly are out this early. CUT TO:PARK BENCHMaurice is seated on a park bench. Across from him is anELDERLY COUPLE -- in their seventies. The OLD WOMAN is frailwith tiny eyes that disappear when she smiles. The husbandis a skinny man with a baseball hat that makes him look likea little boy.Maurice watches them silently as they sit and hold hands...Their warm laughs and whispered conversations stinging him.He watches as the old man gets up. The old woman tries tomake him stay, but he playfully pulls away. She shakes herhead like a shy school girl as the old man walks back downthe path by himself.The old woman glances Maurice's way. OLD WOMAN Good morning. MAURICE Good morning.The old woman glances at the empty baby carriage standingnext to the bench. OLD WOMAN Is it a boy or a girl? MAURICE Oh, that's not mine.Maurice gestures to the woman and baby who are sitting on ablanket in the grass. MAURICE I don't have kids. OLD WOMAN You should. Children are a blessing from God. I have four.The old woman studies him. OLD WOMAN Are you okay?Beat. MAURICE Is that your husband?She nods, "Yes." MAURICE You look so happy -- how long have you been married? OLD WOMAN Forty-seven years.This hits Maurice hard. OLD WOMAN Are you married?This hits Maurice even harder. MAURICE (this is painful) Yes... Seventeen years.The old woman looks down the path for her husband. MAURICE Where did he go? OLD WOMAN He's getting my sweater from the car. I said there was a breeze. (shaking her head) I told him not to go.Beat. MAURICE May I ask you a question that might sound strange? OLD WOMAN Yes.Beat. MAURICE How do you know he loves you?The old woman looks at him oddly. MAURICE I mean besides... time -- how did you know ten years ago -- twenty years ago?She thinks hard... tough question. No answer for a momentthen --The old woman sees something out of the corner of her eye --her husband is walking up the path with her white lacesweater over his arm...She smiles as the answer comes to her. OLD WOMAN Because he shows me... he's not much for words, but he shows me.Maurice sits back -- her answer lingers in the air like ahaunting voice.Maurice watches as the old man comes back and drapes his wifewith the sweater. The old woman waves as they continue downthe path... hand in hand. CUT TO:INT. DOCTORS OFFICE - DAYAn obese woman with a hacking cough sits to the left ofMaurice... To the right, a man with a patch over his eye. NURSE Parker... Maurice Parker.The nurse sticks her head outside the glass divider tillMaurice stands up. CUT TO:EXAMINATION ROOMDR. ROYCE checks a chart. Maurice watches him from his perchon the examination chair. DR. ROYCE So what's the deal Maurice? MAURICE Pardon? DR. ROYCE I mean why the sudden voluntary visit -- usually it takes gun- point to get you in here... MAURICE Routine, I assure you. I just wanted to gage my health. Am I healthy? DR. ROYCE Yes -- you are. MAURICE I'm going to ask you a question that may sound peculiar.Dr. Royce folds his arms and waits... What's this all about? MAURICE How far could an individual walk if they had no athletic training -- you understand, just an ordinary person?Dr. Royce stares at him suspiciously. DR. ROYCE I know what you're getting at. MAURICE You do? DR. ROYCE I've seen it before. MAURICE You have? DR. ROYCE You're feeling old and you want to start exercising. A lot of men your age feel the need to recapture their youth. Don't feel embarrassed about it. MAURICE (playing along) Okay. DR. ROYCE You should start slow and easy -- fifteen minutes a day. MAURICE No. How far in one attempt -- what's the farthest someone like myself could walk?The doctor is confused again. MAURICE Just for curiosity sake that's all? DR. ROYCE I don't know -- maybe twenty miles... Of course I'm not recommending that... if someone like you had to I mean... that's how far they'd probably get before encountering serious physical walls. MAURICE Twenty miles? I see.Maurice thinks about it carefully as the doctor returns tothe chart. CUT TO:INT. AAA AUTO CLUB - DAYA hip young woman with her forehead wrapped in a headbandchews away on a stick of gum. JOSELLE leans over the counterwith Maurice and studies a map. JOSELLE Each inch represents 150 miles... MAURICE Making the grand total? JOSELLE Damn baby, relax. I'm getting to it. (taking on a rehearsed tone) From Philadelphia following the route highlighted to Pacifica California -- you're traveling an estimated three thousand two hundred miles...Maurice is a bit pale. He follows the yellow highlightedhighways winding it's way across the U.S. MAURICE Three thousand miles?... How many times does twenty go into three thousand? JOSELLE What was that? MAURICE Perhaps there's another route? JOSELLE This is the route approved by triple A. Even if you followed back roads the entire way, you'd still be looking at roughly the same distance...Joselle studies his concerned expression. JOSELLE Don't worry baby, it shouldn't take you more than five days if you just stop to sleep and eat. MAURICE By car right?Joselle scrunches her face in exaggerated shock and takes astep back to look Maurice up and down. JOSELLE How else you gonna get there on the ground?Maurice gives her a sad expression. If she only knew. CUT TO:INT. NEW STORE - DAYThe future Parker Books. The room sits as empty and barrenas before.Maurice sits on the floor against the far wall. He stares athis new store. His gaze turns to the window where the guardstrolls by. The guard doesn't notice him.Maurice looks terrible, his eyes red and framed by bags...his skin a yellowish white.He moves to his feet and TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS. CUT TO:INT. BOOKSTORE - AFTERNOONKris unloads the last of a shipment of books. He moves toMaurice who sits by the window to the street. Maurice pointsto a chair across from him and Kris takes a seat. MAURICE Why do you want to be a journalist Kris? What sparked your interest?Beat. KRIS I want to reach people. Nobody listens to me. This is my way to reach them. MAURICE To reach people, you have to feel something first... You write about the wrong things. How can you feel for dog food? The people at the Gazette don't respect it, and neither do you. KRIS This is a ghost town. Nothing ever happens. MAURICE Write from your heart. That's why the classics are great.Beat. KRIS Why are you telling me this Mr. Parker?Maurice looks out the window and picks up an envelope fromthe coffee table between them. He hands it to Kris. MAURICE Your bus is arriving.Kris opens the envelope and finds money. MAURICE It's one month's pay.Kris gets up. A shock of adrenaline hits him. KRIS Are you firing me? MAURICE No. No... I won't be here for a while. The store will be closed in the interim.Kris grabs his coat, shifting his attention between thewindow and Maurice? KRIS You going on a trip Mr. Parker? MAURICE Yes. KRIS Where? MAURICE California.Kris moves to the door. KRIS That's cool. What day are you arriving?Beat. MAURICE I'm not sure -- sometime in January I think.Kris stops cold. The door to the street half-open. KRIS When are you leaving? MAURICE Tomorrow.Kris is seriously confused now. Maurice decides to end theconfusion. MAURICE I'm walking there Kris. KRIS Walking where? MAURICE California.Kris' jaw hits the floor as the bus pulls to a stop acrossthe street. Kris pulls up his sleeve and glances at hisforearm. KRIS The hairs on my arm are standing up... Something strange is happening. MAURICE I always knew you had good instincts... (beat) Goodbye Kris. I'll see you when I get back.Kris hesitates before darting out of the store, across thestreet and into the bus. Kris takes a seat in the back anddigs into his bag and pulls out the tape recorder. CLICK. KRIS Thursday, September 25... 'The Death Of A Spouse - Can It Drive You Insane?' CUT TO:EXT. WYNNEWOOD PENNSYLVANIA - DAWNA BRILLIANT RED HUE BLANKETS THE HORIZON.The suburbs come to life...Men and women leaving for work...School buses picking up their cargo of passengers...Store owners opening their businesses... CUT TO:PARKER BOOKSA group of eleven year old boys including the twokleptomaniacs we saw earlier, are standing before a closeddoor staring at a sign. They look at each other beforeheading down the block.The sign reads: CLOSED - OWNER OUT OF TOWN. CUT TO:INT. HOUSE - MORNINGThe house is eerily silent.Three things lay on the dining table. A shoulder bag filledwith clothes. A carrying bag with personals. And a set ofmaps.Maurice checks the locks on all windows... He places all thefood in the refrigerator into a trash bag... He pulls out adrawer and loosens a side panel, a wad of money flops out.Maurice pockets the bills...Maurice walks through the hall with a portable cage. Hestops before Claude's hanging cage... no movement, nochirping. Maurice stares emotionally for a moment beforereaching in and carefully removing CLAUDE'S LIFELESS BODYfrom the bottom of the cage. Maurice looks down at the lostpet in his hands. MAURICE I know how you feel. CUT TO:EXT. HOUSE - MORNINGMaurice buries the bird in the backyard. CUT TO:DINING ROOMMaurice sits at the table... the essentials laying beforehim. He clings to a wallet size photo of Ellen.Maurice stands and gathers his things. CUT TO:EXT. PENNS LANDING - DAYMaurice stands at the edge of the water. Recreations ofhistorical ships are docked in the harbor. The old fashionedsails and masts sway in the gentle breeze.The SOUNDS OF A STREET VENDOR catch Maurice's ears. He turnsto see a funnel cake booth in a row of food stalls. CUT TO:EXT. TWENTY YEARS EARLIER - DAY (FLASHBACK)The harbor is jammed with people. A street fair is in fullswing. The SOUNDS OF A LIVE BAND MIX WITH THE CRIES OF THESTREET VENDORS...MAURICE -- EARLY TWENTIES... Skinny, dark rich hair. Heyells out from behind a booth of paperback books. YOUNG MAURICE Three dollars a piece... Two for four dollars! All the classics!A young woman emerges from the crowd of browsers. Mauricebegins to speak but is caught off guard by YOUNG ELLEN'Sbeautiful features. Maurice manages a few words. YOUNG MAURICE Can I help you?Beat. YOUNG ELLEN My father owns the food stall over there.Maurice looks over to find an enormous man serving food. YOUNG ELLEN You look thirsty.Ellen places the soda she had at her side on the table.Maurice is completely flustered. YOUNG MAURICE Hi, I'm Ellen.Ellen places her hand out. Maurice grabs it instinctivelyand shakes. YOUNG MAURICE Maurice.Ellen looks at the full table of books. YOUNG ELLEN Not doing too good huh?Maurice nods "no." YOUNG ELLEN It'll pick up. I've been coming to these things my whole life... people don't want to carry things as they walk around... you'll sell as the fair starts to end...Ellen waits for Maurice to say something but nothing comesout. YOUNG ELLEN You don't talk much do you? YOUNG MAURICE I read a lot.Ellen's father BELLOWS FOR HER OVER THE CROWD. Maurice jumpsat the sound. YOUNG MAURICE I better go... (Ellen starts for her booth) ... Come over if you get hungry.Ellen disappears into a sea of people. Maurice stands in awefor a second before snapping out. He shakes his head tohimself. YOUNG MAURICE I read a lot? CUT TO:LATER - IN THE FAIRThe people are filing out of the street. Maurice is a whirlwind of activity as people wave dollar bills at him callingout classical titles.Maurice glances over to Ellen's booth. She is watching himwith a big smile. Maurice gestures to the line with ashocked expression. Ellen laughs. CUT TO:FOOD STALLThe booths are packing up. Ellen helps pack away theremaining food. A book is placed in front of her on thecounter. The book is "Romeo and Juliet." Ellen looks up tosee a very shy Maurice standing before her. Ellen gives hima smile that melts him. MAURICE Are you trying to tell me something?Beat. Maurice eyes Ellen's dad who throws him deadlyglances. Maurice is very intimidated. He whispers to her. MAURICE (barely audible) Walk with me? ELLEN You like to take walks? MAURICE No. But I want to take a walk with you.Ellen looks at him carefully... looks right through him. ELLEN You just said something very sweet. CUT TO:EXT. THE EDGE OF THE WATER - DUSKThe water reflects the lights from the harbor. Maurice andEllen are standing very close. MAURICE What are you thinking?Ellen looks out onto the water. ELLEN It's one of those thoughts you keep to yourself. MAURICE Please tell me.Beat. ELLEN I was just thinking that if we actually became a couple -- this was a beautiful place to begin things.Maurice is bright red. Ellen giggles at his shyness.Maurice gathers his strength and looks her straight in theeyes.Maurice leans forward and kisses her softly. CUT TO:EXT. PENNS LANDING - MORNING (PRESENT)Maurice, tears in his eyes, stands in the spot they stoodmany years before. MAURICE (softly) I love you Ellen.On this empty dock... on this hot day in September... with nowitnesses and no fan-fare, Maurice Parker takes the firststeps of his journey.SUPERIMPOSED ON THE SCREEN: SEPTEMBER 26, 1993 CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYA topless CHERRY RED WRANGLER JEEP pulls out of a mechanic'sgarage and moves down route 32. Kris Reddy is at the wheel.A "Daily Gazette" sign flaps from his roll-bar.Kris changes the station on the radio as his eye catches aman walking on the opposite side of the street... Kris turnsback to the road -- mind racing... BRAKES SCREECH as the jeepslows and then RUMBLES over the island separating thelanes... making a U turn across a four lane highway. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYMaurice wiping his brow with a handkerchief. The Wranglerjeep rolls up next to him as he walks. Maurice doesn't stopwalking as Kris leans over the passenger seat. KRIS Phileas Fogg? MAURICE (looking ahead) ... Round The World In Eighty Days. ... Hello Kris. KRIS You're amazing... What are you doing Mr. Parker? MAURICE I told you.Beat. Cars HONK as they pull by the slow duo. KRIS You're walking to California? MAURICE Pacifica, California -- it's a coastal city. KRIS Oh, a coastal city. That's good.Kris looks around to see if anyone else sees the lunacy inthis moment. MAURICE Ellen told me that she didn't know if I loved her. KRIS She knew you loved her. MAURICE She wasn't certain... I never really showed her.Beat. KRIS I'm really lost. What does this have to do with walking? MAURICE I said, 'I would do anything for her'... and she didn't believe me. I said, 'I'd walk across the country for her'... she didn't believe me.Maurice looks to Kris rolling along beside him. He sees theworried expression on his face. MAURICE I need to show her how much I love her Kris. KRIS Why know? MAURICE Because I should have shown her before... Everyday, I should have shown her.Beat. KRIS Pacifica, California... that's a long ways away. MAURICE So I've been informed.Kris tries to act calm, but it doesn't last long. KRIS Shit Mr. Parker. You can't walk across the United States -- it's over three thousand miles.Maurice takes his time with the response. Kris waves morecars to pass them. MAURICE Ellen got up every morning and went to the corner store to get me my bread for breakfast... Everyday. Now that's about a quarter mile each way... 17 years... that comes to about three thousand miles... (he smiles to himself) And you know what Kris? KRIS What Mr. Parker? MAURICE She never ate a slice.Maurice picks up speed -- surer with every step... Kris slowsthe jeep to a stop and reaches into his bag. The mini taperecorder goes on with a CLICK. KRIS Thursday, September 26... 'The Question We Never Ask - What Would We Do For Love?'Kris watches through the windshield as Mr. Parker disappearsdown Route 32. CUT TO:EXT. PARKER HOUSE - AFTERNOONThe wreaths, flowers and bouquet have now tripled in number.They spill onto the lawn and walkway. A neighborhood dogrummages through the more colorful bouquets. CUT TO:INSIDEThe abandoned house. A TELEPHONE RINGS CONTINUOUSLY. Itstops after a string of rings. It BEGINS AGAIN AFTER A FEWSECONDS. CUT TO:INT. BOOKSTORE - AFTERNOONThe dark bookcases echo the RINGS OF THE TELEPHONE. Theanswering machine finally picks up. MACHINE (ELLEN'S VOICE) Hello you've reached Parker Books -- our store hours are eight to six... CUT TO:INT. ADELLE'S HOUSE - AFTERNOONA center-city Town house. Wall to wall books, "CognitivePsychology", "Physiology of Behavior", "Abnormal Psychology","Clinical Psychology", the titles cover every shelf and everytabletop.Adelle Matlin hangs up the phone, and moves to the livingroom where her husband is reading a paper in his recliner. ADELLE Something's wrong. I'm worried.Gerald looks on with an assuring smile. GERALD He probably just went somewhere. ADELLE Where? GERALD For a walk. I don't know.Beat. ADELLE Uncle Maurice? Are you kidding? He hates walking. CUT TO:EXT. MOTEL - NIGHTNighttime. The empty street ECHOES with the TIRED SHUFFLE OFMAURICE'S FEET.Maurice stops in this tracks and picks up a CRUSHED COKE CANFROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. He places it upright at the placewhere he stands. Maurice immediately walks off the highwayinto a small MOTEL PARKING LOT. CUT TO:INT. MOTEL - NIGHTA motel clerk checks his wooden keys. CLERK Pool times are 11 am to 5 pm, there's cable in every room with two premium channels. HBO and CINEMAX. Pay Per View Channels can be -- MAURICE I need a bed and I need Tylenol... that's all. CLERK The room comes with two twin Sealy Posturepedics... but the Tylenol will be extra.Maurice stares at him with exhausted eyes. CUT TO:THE INSIDE OF A FLORAL PRINTED ROOMMaurice's shoulder bags are on the bed... The WATER ISRUNNING IN THE BATHROOM.Maurice gently moves his hands under the bathtub head,checking the temperature. He sits on the edge of the tub.Maurice peels off his shoes with great pain. They slideacross the dull white tiles into the corner. The once wellkept English Loafers could be mistaken for trash now.Maurice rubs his barefeet with both hands -- grimacing fromthe pain. The tub is almost filled. Maurice stops the tap.The steam from the water fills the room.Maurice raises his legs with great effort and submerges eachleg into the steaming water. His eyes close with greatrelief as his body melts into the tub. Maurice lays his headon the side of the tub... It only takes ten seconds beforeMaurice's SNORING fills the bathroom. CUT TO:THE OUTSIDE OF THE QUAKER MOTEL ON ROUTE 32The neon MOTEL SIGN THROBS RED.SUPERIMPOSED across this image are the words: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA... MILE 26 CUT TO:EXT. MOTEL - MORNINGMaurice looks down the highway... eyes squinting to block outthe sun. The road winds and dissolves into the horizon...Maurice looks back the way he came -- a second ofindecision... the moment passes.Maurice takes a deep breath before moving to the CRUSHED COKECAN. He moves to the exact spot where he left the road thenight before and begins walking again... CUT TO:INT. NEWSPAPER BUILDING - MORNINGThe elevator BELL dings, letting off a cargo of newspaperpersonnel. FRANK AND SETH are two of them. They make theirway to the desks... a sea of desks pressed against each other-- each desk has a computer.Frank and Seth come to their corner and stop before a youngman, Phillies cap turned backwards, sitting behind an IBM 486DX... fingers flying over the keyboard. FRANK Someone's got a hot story. SETH What time did you get in?Kris Reddy keeps typing. He spits out the answer after a fewseconds. KRIS Five... Couldn't sleep. FRANK What's this one about Kris? 'Blinds or Curtains - The Eternal Question?' SETH No, no... 'Boxers Verses Tight Undies - The Battle Continues.'Frank and Seth crack up laughing. Frank reaches for theprintouts... Kris immediately covers them with his hand. Hestares up with a smile. KRIS Read about it on Sunday. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYMaurice exits an athletic store in a small town. On his feeta new pair of sneakers. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYMaurice as he walks down a winding highway. His new sneakersshuffling slowly.A SHARP PAIN SHOOTS UP MAURICE'S LEG. His knees buckle. Theshoulder bags tumble to the ground followed by Mauricehimself. From a distance it looks like he's been shot.Maurice grabs the back of his thigh and tries to straightenhis leg out... His face frozen in a painful expression.Maurice rubs his legs slowly -- working the cramp out. Herelaxes a bit as he finally straightens his leg. Mauricesits there motionless -- eyes glazed... defeated.The SOUNDS OF A BIRD snap him out of his trance. He looks upto see a PAINTED BUNTING, a bird about six inches in heightFLY DOWN from a tree and land on a rock next to him. Mauricestares at the beautiful bird curiously. Its body splashedwith brilliant blues, reds and greens. It looks out of placein these mundane surroundings. Maurice looks around theskies to see no other birds. The Painted Bunting chirps afew times before taking flight into the air. It circles overMaurice before disappearing behind the trees.Maurice smiles. He pulls himself to his feet with greateffort.Maurice opens all of his bags and begins emptying theessentials -- the maps, food, a canister of water.Maurice reloads one bag and pulls it over his shoulder withgreat effort. At his feet, are the rest of his belonging --piled on the side of the road.Maurice painfully begins walking again.WE PULL BACK on Maurice's figure walking on the highway...the pile of disregarded things laying by the side... Thehighway is endless... winding it's way for miles and milesinto a fixed dot in the distance. CUT TO:INT. ADELLE'S HOUSE - MORNINGSunrise on Pennsylvania. Gerald picks the PhiladelphiaGazette off the front porch. CUT TO:DINING ROOMGerald flips open the paper as he waits before an emptyplate. GERALD Smells good, honey. CUT TO:KITCHENAdelle puts the finishing touches on a stack of pancakes.She sets up two plates and brings them into theDINING ROOMGerald's eyes remain glued to the paper. Adelle comes to thetable, holding the golden pancakes over the table. Shenotices the strange look on his face. ADELLE What is it? GERALD Adelle... Maurice is in the paper.She stares silently at the paper laid out on the table. Theheadline beams at her: A PHILADELPHIA NATIVE'S LABOR OF LOVEAdelle is shocked. She gazes at an old picture of her uncleprinted underneath the headline. ADELLE Oh my God.She STORMS off into the kitchen with the golden pancakes.Gerald looks down at his empty plate longingly. GERALD Honey. CUT TO:INT. POLICE STATION - DAYSERGEANT DALLY pretends to be concerned. DALLY What would you like us to do? ADELLE Put out a P.B.S.... Or whatever it's called. DALLY A.P.B.... He isn't breaking any law. He's a grown man... He can crawl on his hands and knees to China if that's what he wants to do. ADELLE Sergeant, I'm a psychologist and I know the difference between normal whims people have and actions that clearly display psychological problems... My uncle lost his wife and it devastated him. DALLY We're very sorry about that. Some of our men were on the scene of the accident. ADELLE I think my uncle is suffering from a condition called Mania which is linked with depression. It is a time when an individual will act over-confident, and will act out impractical, grandiose plans. Sometimes these plans can be dangerous. DALLY How long does this... Mania last? ADELLE A couple days to a few months if untreated.Dally digests this information. DALLY Look, I'll see if anyone has spotted him recently. If I get any information, I'll call you. ADELLE Thank you. DALLY Don't wait by the phone. If he's really been walking this whole time, he's out of our jurisdiction...Adelle looks very emotional... on the verge of tears. DALLY Don't worry he'll be back. He's in his forties. He's had no physical training... He'll be back by the end of the week. CUT TO:EXT. HIGHWAYS - DAYA floating DOT moves along a flat stretch of road... DISSOLVE TO:EVENINGThe sun drops behind rolling hills. The DOT has becomeLARGER, sprouting arms and legs... DISSOLVE TO:NIGHTDarkness has fallen. The DOT has materializes into MAURICE. CUT TO:MOTELA clerk hands over a set of keys in exchange for money. DISSOLVE TO:ROAD - MORNINGMaurice walks back onto the highway and steps next to an oldboot that has been used as today's MARKER. Maurice startswalking from that point. DISSOLVE TO:DRUGSTOREMaurice grabs two handfuls of small green boxes. He placesthem on the table. The cashier stares down at the eightboxes of Ben-Gay and rings it up. DISSOLVE TO:ROADMaurice standing at the entrance to a tunnel that pierces theside of a mountain side. Maurice makes "The sign of thecross" and walks into the darkness... DISSOLVE TO:EXIT OF TUNNELMaurice appears on the other side with a smile of relief.He's awed at the beauty of the landscape. Tiny clusters ofbuildings far in the distance wrapped in a blanket of greenfor miles on every side. DISSOLVE TO:MOTELMaurice asleep in the bathtub. DISSOLVE TO:ROAD - DUSKIt's raining hard like gun-fire from the sky. Maurice sitson the edge of a road rubbing his legs. His hair matted tohis head. The rain pelts the ground in forceful waves. DISSOLVE TO:SUPPLY STOREAt a cash register, Maurice slaps ten more boxes of Ben-Gaydown on the counter. A teenage girl with braces looks at himlike he's Charles Manson. DISSOLVE TO:MOTELMaurice sleeps. His barefeet are propped up on his bag. Hisfeet are swollen and red with fresh blisters. A pack of iceis wrapped around his knee with an old shirt... The pictureof Ellen clutched in his hand. DISSOLVE TO:ROADTwo joggers pass Maurice as he sees a flashing school sign.It is a suburban town. The fallen red and orange leavescover every flat surface.SUPERIMPOSE: ELKHART, INDIANA... MILE 598 CUT TO:EXT. SCHOOL - DAYA line of cars pulls around a semi-circle driveway. Mauricewatches as parents drop off their children. A couple of tenyear old boys walk by. BOY Nice sneaks.Maurice realizes they're talking to him. MAURICE They are? BOY 2 Sure man, High-Top Nike Cross Trainers with heel supports and air cushioned soles -- They're nasty.The boys keep walking. Maurice looks down at his sneakerswith new-found pride.After a while, Maurice's attention switches back to the cars.One car in question catches Maurice's eye. A woman consolesa small child who doesn't want to leave the car. She wipeshis tiny tears with her hand and hugs him tenderly. Thelittle boy's head cradled in her arms. CUT TO:EXT. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)The Parker house many years ago. The house semi-furnished.Ellen carefully hangs her first bird photographs on the wall;a striking aerial photo of a GOLDEN EAGLE. Wings spread,soaring high over a mountain range. MAURICE I thought we both wanted the same things. ELLEN I've changed my mind. MAURICE You can't change your mind.Beat. Ellen takes a seat on the only sofa. ELLEN I want children. MAURICE You've just decided, is that right? ELLEN Yes.Young Maurice is visibly upset. MAURICE Ellen, there are two kinds of people in the world -- ELLEN Please not, 'The two kinds of people' speech. MAURICE ... People that were made to be parents, and people who were not made to be parents... My parents, were people who were not made to be parents but had kids anyway. I don't want us to be that way Ellen. ELLEN You can change. MAURICE Face it Ellen, I'm not the type of person who reads bedtime stories. But you love me anyway. ELLEN (upset) Don't be so sure.Ellen fiddles with her dress. She bites her bottom lip asshe tries not to cry. ELLEN (shaky voice) What if something happens to one of us? We'll be all alone.Maurice loses his hard demeanor and moves next to her. Helays his hand across her shoulder. MAURICE Nothing will happen to us. It's a bleak picture, I know, but we're going to be together till were old and grey and you don't remember my name anymore.Maurice lifts her chin with his hand gently. She blinks hereyes and a tear rolls down her cheek. He takes a deepbreath. MAURICE Let me think about it okay.Ellen brightens up immediately. MAURICE I'm not saying anytime soon. I'm just saying that maybe we can consider it down the road sometime.Ellen gives her patented glowing smile. She hugs him withall her strength. She whispers in his ear. ELLEN I love you Maurice Parker. CUT TO:EXT. INDIANA GRADE SCHOOL - DAY (PRESENT)Maurice walks away from the school, shuffling through thepiles of leaves that block the walkways.A child and her father walk down the path towards him.Maurice looks away painfully. THE CHILD'S SOFT LAUGHTERPOUNDING IN HIS EARS as he quickens his pace. CUT TO:INT. LIQUOR STORE - DAYJACKSON LIQUOR WHOLESALERS. For the kind of people who buywhiskey by the crate.Maurice has his map unfolded over the cash register. CASHIER I can show you the main roads, but that'll add ten miles to your trip. Do you mind ten miles? MAURICE I mind. CUT TO:OUTSIDE OF LIQUOR STOREThe parking lot of the store looks like a used truck lot.Every kind of supped-up truck one could possibly imagine ison display here.Maurice passes a CANARY YELLOW FLATBED PICK-UP with a groupof men drinking a newly purchased case of beer. Maurice getsabout ten feet past them when he stops, hesitates and thenheads back to them. MAURICE Excuse me, who's truck is this?The man sitting on the hood of the truck, has dark hair andhasn't shaven in days. This unfortunate gentleman is namedDENNY. DENNY Mine. MAURICE Are you and your friends planning on driving soon?Denny gives Maurice a greasy curious look. He squints hisglazed eyes. DENNY Yes we are. Who the fuck are you?Maurice, doesn't look scared, in fact he looks angered. MAURICE You don't know me from Adam, but I want you to do something for me. I want you to wait until you sobered up before you get behind the wheel. I know this is out of the ordinary, but one man to another, would you do me that favor?Silence. Then everyone in the group BURSTS OUT IN DRUNKENLAUGHTER. DENNY Are you a preacher? MAURICE (seething with anger) No, I just don't want anybody dying because I didn't say something when I had the chance.Denny's face goes blank. No emotion. His steady gaze almostterrifying. DENNY I'll drive my truck shit-faced if I want to. You better turn around and walk away preacher. You don't know who you're talking to.Maurice looks around at the hostile faces and decides on aretreat. Denny watches Maurice with predatory eyes. CUT TO:EXT. ROAD - DUSKMaurice practically hobbles his way down a road lined bytowering pines. He stops to take a drink from his canisterand keeps walking. The SOUNDS OF A CAR GROW IN THE DISTANCE.Maurice doesn't turn his back.The CANARY YELLOW TRUCK pulls over the ridge with a load fullof passengers. It gains distance on Maurice.Maurice hears the ENGINE and waves HIS ARM IN THE AIR --signaling for it to pass him. Maurice walks ten more feetbefore turning around.Maurice's face instantly changes when he sees the dementedgrins through the windshield of the truck. Maurice turns andquickens his pace... The truck picks up pace... Mauricebreaks into a run... The truck speeds up, passes Maurice andstops in front of him.Panic fills Maurice as he watches the truck unload it'sdrunken passengers. Eyes scan the forest on either side fora way out. Maurice decides to stand his ground. MAURICE (to himself) This is Indiana -- nothing's going to happen to you. DENNY You need a ride, Preacher?The men walk up to Maurice. MAURICE No thank you I'll walk.A tall lanky gentleman gestures to Maurice's shoulder bagwith his beer can. Some beer sprays Maurice's feet with thegesture. WIL Where you coming from? MAURICE Look gentlemen, I'm late, I need to -- DENNY I've been thinking -- who the hell is this preacher guy? Coming up to me and my friends? Looking like he wanted to kick my ass for drinking?Denny gives Maurice that inhuman stare. Maurice is clearlyfrightened. DENNY Then I figured it. You're angry. You lost somebody, because some asshole was drinking.Maurice is frozen. DENNY Maybe you lost a son? A sister? A wife?Maurice looks up for a millisecond. Denny doesn't miss it. DENNY (stepping closer) A wife?... Did someone piss drunk run into your wife? Crushed her like a bug. Snapped her bones? MAURICE That's enough.Maurice is red with anger. Denny loves it. DENNY Oh the preacher's getting angry again... (Denny goes ice cold) Tell me something. Did she die instantly or did she feel every torn muscle and shattered bone? Were you there to help her? Or were you safe at home when the windshield sliced into her face -- MAURICE I'll kill you!Maurice swings. Denny easily avoids it. Maurice doesn't seethe first BLOW COMING, IT HITS HIM IN THE CHEST -- Mauricegasps for air as he buckles to the dirt. Hands grab --restrain. A POWERFUL KICK IN THE RIBS -- ANOTHER...LAUGHTER... ANOTHER SET OF VICIOUS KICKS... The road andforest begin to spin... A PAINFUL SLASH ACROSS HIS FACE...Maurice prepares for the next blow... it never comes. REDAND BLUE lights swirl... Maurice looks up, barely focusing --a man leans over a car door... The image becomes clearer -- aPOLICEMAN stands poised -- gun aimed directly at the menhovering over him. POLICE OFFICER (distorted and slowed) Step away from him now! CUT TO:INT. INDIANA POLICE STATION - EVENINGOFFICER MERRIL GREY -- balances a phone on his shoulder as hespreads a new coat of mayonnaise on his hoagie. OFFICER GREY Need an I.D. check on a Maurice A. Parker...Grey reads Maurice's license. OFFICER GREY Driver's number 22 184 877... (listening) He was assaulted by a group of men just outside Elkhart, Indiana... CUT TO:INT. PHILADELPHIA POLICE STATION - EVENINGSergeant Dally, the officer Adelle spoke to earlier, listenson the other end of the phone his mouth agape. DALLY How is he?... That's good.Gesturing to a young officer at another desk to come over.Dally, cups the phone. DALLY Call Adelle Matlin... tell her we found her uncle. CUT TO:INT. PHILADELPHIA GAZETTE BUILDING - EVENINGThe sea of desks are empty. One empty desk is lit -- KrisReddy's desk. THE CRACKLE OF A SHORTWAVE/C.B. UNIT FLOATSTHROUGH THE LARGE UNOCCUPIED ROOM from an adjacent room. TheVOICES OF DALLY AND OFFICER GREY ARE DISTORTED BUT AUDIBLE.WE MOVE TO the back room to find Kris writing furiously infront of an elaborate C.B. setup.He jots down the words as fast as they're said: "Maurice Parker... Elkhart... Route 80... Precinct 18..."The transmission gets cut as the phone conversation ends.Kris quickly rolls the chair across the room and grabs a mapoff the shelf.The map gets pinned under two coffee cups and a ceramic frogas Kris traces the route from Philadelphia to Indiana... Hesits up straight in astonishment as his eyes hit the KEY ofthe map. KRIS Jesus -- he's walked six hundred miles.Kris glances at the hairs on his arm and smiles. CUT TO:LATERKris at his computer and in the 'zone.' Fingers flying overthe keys passionately. On his desk is a cardboard box filledwith letters all shapes and sizes on the verge of overflowingthe top of the box. One the side of the box are the words,"Labor of Love - Fan Mail." CUT TO:INT. INDIANA POLICE STATION - MORNINGDAWN IN INDIANA -- the sun spills over the horizon. CUT TO:EXT. INDIANA POLICE STATION - MORNINGMaurice and Officer Grey are seated on the front stairs ofthe precinct drinking coffee when ADELLE MATLIN DRIVES UP.Adelle steps out of a RENTED TOYOTA CELICA. Her tense --frightened eyes betray her mental state for the past tenhours. She walks to the stairs. GREY Mrs. Matlin... good morning.Maurice slowly gets up. Adelle is in shock as she looks atthe stranger before her.Maurice stands in a 'COLTS' football T-shirt, faded jeans andsneakers. His left cheek is black and blue, and his arm andside are bandaged. ADELLE Uncle Maurice, you're wearing sneakers? MAURICE High-top Nike Cross-Trainers with heel support and air-cushioned soles. They're nasty.Adelle wasn't sure what that meant. She shakes it off andhugs Maurice. She is visibly relieved to have him in herarms. GREY My shift ended an hour ago.Adelle notices the ROSE in Grey's hand. Grey catches herglance. GREY It's for my wife. ADELLE What's the occasion?Grey looks to Maurice -- they exchange a knowing smile. GREY No occasion.Adelle notices the WINK exchanged between Grey and Maurice. GREY You can use the conference room, if you want to talk. ADELLE That won't be necessary. GREY Fine. ADELLE We can talk on the way back -- I rented a car.Beat. MAURICE It'll be kind of hard to talk, since you'll be in the car and I won't.Adelle gives Maurice an angry glare -- Maurice holds hisground. GREY The conference room is down the hall on your right. CUT TO:INT. POLICE CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNINGFile cabinets in the corners. A small rectangle table takesup ninety percent of the space in the room.Maurice is seated -- his legs extended straight on anotherchair. Adelle paces the front of the room. ADELLE And your store? What about your new store? What about all your dreams? MAURICE I have new dreams now. ADELLE I don't accept that. MAURICE Maybe one day -- after you've been married twenty years you'll understand. ADELLE Uncle Maurice -- I spent all our frequent flyer miles on a one way ticket here... I have a rented car outside, just listen to me. (beat) Come back with me now, and if you still want to do something like this in a year -- maybe we'll plan a car trip across the country -- Gerald and I will come along -- MAURICE I have to walk -- by myself -- all the way -- every inch. ADELLE It's impossible. MAURICE It's what she asked for... It's what I'm going to do. ADELLE She was being symbolic. What if she asked you to fly to the moon? MAURICE You'd be visiting me at Nasa.Adelle changes gears. She takes a seat next to Maurice andstudies his legs and tired face carefully before uttering thewords. ADELLE (whispering) What if you don't make it? MAURICE I'll make it. ADELLE If you really want to do this... plan it out. Rest up. Train for it. Build up your body. Plan every stop along the way. How much money? Time? Really do it properly. This is all so -- by the seat of your pants. MAURICE No it's not. ADELLE Why did you take the back roads here? They're not safe. You'd know that if you'd planned.Beat. MAURICE I've all ready gone six hundred miles... I can't do it again. ADELLE If you can't redo these six hundred miles when you're rested and ready, how are you possible going to walk another two thousand-five hundred miles in your present condition?Maurice is stumped. He looks unsure. He instantly looks onthe verge of tears. MAURICE Nothing's going to happen. ADELLE Uncle, the way I was told, if that police car didn't happen down that road, you would be dead right now. That guy Denny, had jumped bail in another state, he's dangerous... They'll be other Dennys, if you don't plan.Maurice stares down at the table -- the life draining fromhim with every word she says. ADELLE Ellen, deserves you to do this right. Really make it -- if you're going to do it. She deserves it. CUT TO:INT. CAR - DAYThe RENTED TOYOTA CELICA turns out of the police station ontothe main road.Adelle holds a cushion in the air as she looks in therearview mirror. ADELLE Do you want this? It's a long ride.Maurice is stretched out in the back -- his legs propped upon a blanket. Maurice shakes his head "no" silently.His sad eyes watching the passing scenery. The speeding carswallows up the miles effortlessly. Maurice watches theJackson Liquor Wholesalers whiz by... The painful hills heclimbed, gone, in an instant... The school where he watchedthe children being dropped off, swishes by in a blink... allthose miles lost.Maurice shuts his eyes in pain. CUT TO:EXT. GAS STATION/REST STOP - DAYThe rented Toyota Celica is parked at the convenience store.Maurice is seated in the back staring out at the eighteenwheelers that come in and out of the parking lot. He glancesin to Adelle who is gathering food.Maurice's dull eyes are about to shut when something catcheshis attention. He sits up and stares out the window withgreat intensity. Maurice watches as a large truck pulls intothe parking lot, across it's side in blazing red -- "Jackson Liquor Wholesalers - Since 1945"Maurice scans the area... gas station ATTENDANTS... A BEARDEDHOMELESS MAN laying next to a heating unit... KIDS eatingfast food on old picnic tables...Maurice's gaze steadies on the TRUCK, as the driver fills thetank with gas. CUT TO:A PHONE BOOTH INSIDE THE CONVENIENCE STOREAdelle is on the phone. ADELLE We'll figure everything out when we get there... Oh, he's going to need a lot of help with this... He wasn't even going to come with me, I had to tell him that he could do the walk later if he plans well... I know, but by that time I'll have gotten him some treatment... I just want to get back home before he changes his mind. CUT TO:CAR - LATERAdelle gets in the front seat of the car keeping the bag offood on the passenger seat. She starts the car as she talksinto the rearview mirror. ADELLE You want something to eat?She stares at Maurice covered in a blanket with his back toher... an unresponsive blob. ADELLE I know you're feeling a lot of emotions right now. It's okay to be mad. It's okay to feel helpless. It's part of the healing process. I understand. I do.Adelle puts the Celica into drive and pulls out onto thehighway. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. ADELLE'S HOUSE - EVENINGEvening in Philadelphia. The rented Toyota Celica pulls intothe driveway. The front door of the house opens. Geraldwalks out to greet them.A tired Adelle slips out of the car and hugs Gerald. ADELLE He was exhausted -- slept the whole way.Adelle and Gerald move to the back door of the Celica. Theyopen it and stare at Maurice covered by the blanket. Adelleshakes the blanket. ADELLE Uncle Maurice we're home... Uncle Maurice.Adelle shakes Maurice, who stirs a little as he wakes. Hisfeet slide out from under the blanket -- Adelle starescuriously at the ARMY COMBAT BOOTS that dangle out. ADELLE Uncle Maurice?Adelle pulls aside the covers... THE HOMELESS MAN, from thegas station, sits up. ADELLE'S SHRILL SCREAM BLASTS THROUGHTHE AIR. Gerald and Adelle stumble back as the large,bearded man struggles out of the car and looks around thequiet neighborhood. HOMELESS MAN So this is the City of Brotherly Love.The homeless man raises his hand. He holds up MAURICE'S WELLPOLISHED BOOK SOCIETY MEDALLION and kisses it lovingly.Adelle and Gerald stare back speechless. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. ROAD - MORNINGJACKSON WHOLESALER'S PARKING LOT. The truck from the gasstation, the only vehicle parked before the store. CUT TO:EXT. ROAD - MORNINGMaurice back on the road. His limp only slightly visible atthis point in the day. The bandages rubbing him with everystep.The highway takes him around a beautiful bend of trees. THEAIR IS FILLED WITH THE SOUNDS OF BIRDS. Maurice spots aYELLOW WARBLER, a striking bird about eight inches long withvivid yellow feathers. It sits elegantly on a nearby branch.He walks towards it -- it stays in position. Closer. Thebird chirps back at him. Maurice is within arms reach of thebird. MAURICE Ellen would have loved you.Maurice looks closer -- and notices it's wings. The feathersbend back -- a dark area at the center. MAURICE How did that happen?Maurice watches the bird hop around the branch -- unable tofly. CUT TO:INT. PARKER KITCHEN - FIFTEEN YEARS EARLIER (FLASHBACK)The kitchen is a different color. The refrigerator andappliances are brand new. Ellen walks in -- somethingcradled in her hand. Maurice looks up from his paper to seeEllen move to the sink and lay a motionless bird on thecounter. ELLEN (shaky voice) It must've hit the window... I think its neck is broken. MAURICE Don't bring it in here -- it probably has all kinds of diseases.Ellen finds an eye dropper from the table and fills it withwater -- she lets a few drops fall into the birds mouth. CUT TO:BEDROOMEvening, just before bed. Maurice is reading. Ellen ismonitoring the bird closely. It lays on the bedside table --wrapped gently with a hand towel. A morsel of food islowered into its mouth with a pair of tweezers. The birdstares blankly at the ceiling. MAURICE It isn't going to make it Ellen. Let the poor thing go quietly. ELLEN It'll make it.Her delicate hand rubs the bird's stomach. CUT TO:LIVING ROOMThe GRAPHIC IMAGES of the TV FLICKER on Maurice's face. Heglances back to Ellen who talks to the bird cradled in herarms. ELLEN (softly) You must miss flying. Being way up there in the clouds looking down at all of us. You miss that don't you? You miss playing with your friends and talking with them...In the SOFT LIGHT of the lamp -- Ellen has transformed into amother rocking her child to sleep. CUT TO:KITCHENMaurice is reading his paper. ELLEN Maurice! Maurice! Come out here.Maurice looks through the window to see Ellen waving to himfrantically. CUT TO:BACKYARDEllen points to the ground. The little bird awkwardly walksaround the porch.The bird's wings BURST into motion -- flapping hard --catching the wind. Ellen jumps up and down, bursting withpride, as her little child takes flight. MAURICE I don't believe it.Ellen hugs Maurice. ELLEN All he needed was love. Once you have that, you can do anything.Young Maurice and Ellen watch the bird soar into the bluesky. CUT TO:EXT. STREAM - DAY (PRESENT)Maurice is kneeling at a stream by the side of the road. Hegently clears away the dirt from the Yellow Warbler'sfeathers. MAURICE You'll be all right. A couple days and you'll be up there again.Maurice carries the bird back to the trees. He lays it backon the branch. He stares at it's beautiful coat with asmile. MAURICE Ellen would have loved you. CUT TO:INT. ADELLE'S KITCHEN - DAYAdelle is on the cordless. Her fingers tapping on thekitchen table angrily. Gerald moves around her as he setstwo plates at the table. ADELLE Yes I understand, it does sound humorous, but this is a very serious situation.Gerald is cooking. He gently flips the chicken breast in abutter and garlic sauce. GERALD This smells good. ADELLE Why am I such an authority? GERALD (under his breath) Here comes the resume. ADELLE I received my B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, my P.H.D. from Bryn Mawr College. I worked three years at the Boston University School of Medicine, during which time I had articles printed in the "Journal of Educational Psychology", "American Journal of Psychology", "Psychology Review" and "Science"... So I think it's safe to say my opinion is valid.Gerald brings the sizzling pan over and divides the steamingdish into both plates. ADELLE Look, please find him for me... Officer, I tried... but I brought back the wrong person.Gerald quickly scoops some rice onto both plates. His mouthis watering as he goes for the utensils.Adelle abruptly stands at her place. ADELLE Stop laughing!Gerald gets into his seat at the table just in time to seeAdelle angrily hang up the phone. She stares off into spacebefore unconsciously cleaning the table. Adelle picks upboth plates of food... GERALD Adelle --Gerald's heart sinks as Adelle pops open the trash can with atap of her foot and dumps the picture perfect meal into thegarbage. She goes to the sink and rinses the platescompletely preoccupied with her thoughts. She mumbles toherself as she shuts off the water. ADELLE He says he admires him.Adelle storms out of the kitchen. Gerald sits at the emptytable with a fork in his hands. He shakes his head indisbelief. CUT TO:EXT. MIDWEST HIGHWAYS - DAYThe land is flat. From the roads one can see endless fieldsin all directions. When the wind blows, the crops bend inunison, changing the shape and texture of the land for amoment and instantly changing back with a snap of the wind.Maurice takes in the beauty of the land through a painfulgrimace. Occasionally clutching his right leg in moments ofextreme pain.Maurice rests on an abandoned tractor by the side of the roadand watches the wind change the fields. He closes his jacketas the gusts become stronger. DISSOLVE TO:HOTELThe clock clicks past 11:30 am. Maurice is still in bed --the curtains drawn. He crawls out from under the sheets anddowns two pills with a glass of water. He looks bad. Hisface pale, his eyes at half-mast. He wipes unnatural sweatfrom his brow and melts into the bed again. DISSOLVE TO:STREETJust after dusk. A small town's main road. Maurice quietlypasses under the street lights.He stares up and tightens the hood on his parka as the firstSNOWFLAKE falls into the SHAFT OF THE STREET LIGHT. Soonthousands of flakes fall into the light... DISSOLVE TO:GAZETTE BUILDINGKris fields calls frantically as the LIGHTS BLINK ANXIOUSLYon his phone. The front page of the Gazette is posted on hispin up board. It reads... "HE MARCHES ON..." Underneath isA PICTURE of Maurice standing outside his bookstore holdingup THE BOOK SOCIETY MEDALLION proudly.A teenage boy gets off the elevator and maneuvers an enormousbag over his shoulder... emblazoned across his back are thewords "MAIL ROOM." The boy comes to Kris and empties the bagon Kris' desk without a word. Hundreds of letters cascadedown swallowing the table top and covering Kris who stares inawe as the letters keep coming. DISSOLVE TO:MOTELMaurice is COUGHING PAINFULLY. He crouches over the edge ofthe bed and holds his side with every strain.Maurice looks worse than ever. His hair and shirt are soakedwith sweat. The coughing attack stops. Maurice take acouple deep breaths before laying back down.His feet are visible -- sticking out from beneath the sheets.They look like someone has beaten them with a stick, swollenand bruised. They disappear under the sheets. DISSOLVE TO:SNOW COVERED ROADSthat stretch into a white oblivion.SUPERIMPOSE: ELM CREEK, NEBRASKA... MILE 1,564 CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYEarly morning. The branches of the trees are encapsulated inice. The snow piled ten inches on every surface. Maurice,buried deep beneath three layers of clothes, looks around.His breath materializes with every step. He forces a weaksmile at the magical landscape before him. White. Pure.Peaceful.The SOUNDS OF A VOLVO STATION WAGON urges Maurice to the sideof the road. As it passes a little girl waves from thepassenger window. Maurice puts on a brave face and wavesback.Another CAR ENTERS the picture -- A DARK BLUE FIREBIRD risesover the hill in the opposite lane moving fast, too fast.SLOW-MOTION as the Firebird skids over the ice and the snow-- the driver desperately trying to gain control... Themother in the Volvo hits the BRAKES as the Firebird spinsinto her lane... Maurice yells out. MAURICE No!The cars IMPACT with a sickening CRUNCH -- BACK TO REAL TIME:The Firebird spins into a guardrail, breaking through it andcoming to a stop in a bank of snow.The Volvo isn't so lucky. It flips from the impact...sliding on its roof, driving through the snow, down theroad... It comes to a rest a hundred feet away.SILENCE. STILLNESS. The entire event took only seconds.Maurice runs frantically after the Volvo. The windows areSHATTERED. Snow has packed into the over-turned car. No onecan be seen inside the vehicle.Maurice kneels down and punctures the wall of snow with hishand. His arm disappears up to the shoulder. His facegrimacing with the strain. His arm comes out slowly...A few MUFFLED SOBS ARE HEARD BEFORE the little girl breaksthrough the wall of snow and slides out of the window. Shelets out a DESPERATE GASP for air as Maurice pulls her out bythe wrist.Maurice clears her mouth and face and watches as she coughs. MAURICE (panting) It's okay. It's all over.Maurice lays her gently against a snow bank, before moving tothe other side of the car. DRIVER (O.S.) Is she okay?Maurice looks up to see the driver of the Firebird walkingtowards him. He looks dazed.Maurice doesn't waste another second and plunges his arm inthe snow... deeper than before. His cheek pressed againstthe snow, almost laying flat on the ground. MAURICE (frantic) Oh no... she's wearing a seat-belt.Maurice fishes around... his teeth clenched... He lets out aPOWERFUL GRUNT as he pulls back with all his strength -- awoman's WRIST appears first, then the tangled hair and thenthe body spills out onto the road next to Maurice.The driver appears over the Woman and Maurice and loses itwhen he sees them. DRIVER It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault.Maurice, out of breath, clears the woman's face and mouth --no movement. No sound. MAURICE Come on... please...Maurice holds her nose and breaths into her mouth... MAURICE Please...She doesn't respond. CUT TO:A FRIGHTENING FLASHThe mother's UNCONSCIOUS face turns into ELLEN. Her lifelesseyes -- her bruised cheek and forehead. Her neck at anawkward angle. Maurice stares down at his wife in horror. MAURICE No Ellen... don't die... CUT TO:THE MOTHERbeing revived by Maurice. He pushes her chest in counting...push, count, breath... push, count, breath...The mother's BODY TWITCHES, slightly at first -- thenobviously... The mother let's out a FEW PAINFUL COUGHS.She takes a breath. Life quickly returns to her body.Maurice places her head in his lap and hugs her, lightlyrocking back and forth. The tears streaming down his redface. MAURICE Everything's going to be fine Ellen. I won't let anything happen to you. I love you sweetie. Everything's going to be different now.The SCENE BACKS OUT as Maurice comforts this stranger in hisarms. CUT TO:EXT. ROAD - AFTERNOONThe police have descended on the scene. Traffic has beenblocked off in both directions. The LIGHT thrown by theambulances tints the snow and fields a THROBBING RED.Maurice's face can be seen in the shadows of the backseat ofa police car.OUTSIDE THE CAROFFICER HANSEN AND OFFICER TANDY converse. HANSEN What's his story? TANDY His name is Maurice. He's dancing around everything else. HANSEN Red flag, man. TANDY If he's in trouble with the law -- fine. Not our problem. He yanked two people from a car wreck, let's give him some space.Hansen looks in at the drawn, exhausted face of Mauricethrough the window. Hansen opens the back door. HANSEN Maurice, you need anything? Which way were you headed? We can drive you. MAURICE No thank you officer. I'll walk.Hansen throws a sharp glance to Tandy. Hansen turns back toMaurice. HANSEN Grub? Food? How about food? Our dime at the local diner...Maurice mulls this offer. HANSEN Come on man, you're a hero. In Nebraska we don't let hero's walk around with empty stomachs.Beat. MAURICE ... I need to be brought back here. HANSEN Deal. CUT TO:INT. DINER - EVENINGThe end of the meal. Maurice sits in a booth across fromHansen and Tandy. They watch as Maurice coughs violentlyinto his napkin. HANSEN You look like shit Maurice.Maurice takes a couple strained breaths. MAURICE Getting old. TANDY How long have you been footing it Maurice?Beat. MAURICE Too long... (looks around) Excuse me gentlemen.Maurice gets up and heads to the bathroom. Hansen and Tandystare at Maurice's shoulder bag laying on his seat. HANSEN Red flags man. TANDY Not our problem. HANSEN Why so vague? Why so evasive? He could be somebody hot. TANDY Not our problem. HANSEN It's going to look beautiful when he turns out to be that animal who paid a visit to the Steadman's house. TANDY This guy's not a murderer. HANSEN If he is, half the town has seen us take him out for dinner like a couple of jack-asses.That makes Tandy think. HANSEN If he's clean, he'll never know about it.Tandy looks to the men's bathroom door. TANDY Do it quick.Hansen instantly reaches over and begins rummaging throughthe shoulder bag. Hansen pulls out a little folder. Heopens the folder to reveal an old certificate. Hansen showsTandy the worn piece of paper. HANSEN A marriage certificate? Who the hell carries their marriage certificate around? TANDY Maurice and Ellen Parker... it was issued in Philly... Mr. Maurice Parker has come a long way from home. Why?Hansen returns the certificate and folder to the bag andleaves the booth quickly. CUT TO:LATERMaurice returns to the table to find only Tandy seated.Maurice sees Hansen in the phone booth at the far end of thediner. TANDY Hansen's whipped. Has to call his wife every two hours or she'll go ballistic when he gets home. CUT TO:PHONE BOOTH HANSEN P-A-R-K-E-R. Right. Get on the horn with Philly. Call me here. CUT TO:INT. PHILADELPHIA POLICE STATION - EVENINGSergeant Dally packs his things to leave. He sees the lighton LINE 1 LIGHT UP on his phone. He ignores it. The clerksticks her head around the corner. CLERK Line one Sarg. DALLY I'm not here.Dally zips his coat. CLERK It's the Nebraska state police. DALLY Nebraska? CLERK You know somebody named -- Maurice Parker?Dally freezes. He shakes his head as he unzips his jacket. DALLY (smiles) That son of a bitch made it to Nebraska.Dally grabs the phone. CUT TO:INT. GAZETTE BUILDING - EVENINGThe C.B. CRACKLES WITH THE VOICE OF SERGEANT DALLY AND THENEBRASKA POLICE.MICHELLE, a very introverted intern, stares at the radioastonished. CUT TO:A SMALL SIDE OFFICEIt now has "KRIS REDDY" etched on it's door. Kris looks upfrom his desk at Michelle who stands in the doorway brightred. KRIS What is it?Michelle just points down the hall. CUT TO:OFFICEMichelle scribbles down notes. C.B./NEBRASKA POLICE ... He saved a little girl, and her mother. Pulled them right out of the car...Kris stands, jaw hanging wide open. KRIS Where is he?Michelle checks her notes. MICHELLE (very soft voice) Umm, Elm Creek, Nebraska.Kris practically falls over. Michelle scribbles down morequotes. MICHELLE This story is big huh? KRIS Mammoth. MICHELLE The Gazette's small huh?Beat. KRIS What are you saying? This story is too big for this paper? MICHELLE (flustered again) Umm, no. It's just that -- KRIS God damn, you're right... You don't say much Michelle, but what you say is golden.Kris' mind is racing as the C.B. conversation continues. CUT TO:INT. DINER - NIGHTHansen scoffs down his third dessert. Maurice stares at himoddly.The PAY PHONE RINGS. Hansen jumps to his feet too quickly.He tries to recover. HANSEN (too excited) I was expecting a call.Hansen moves to the phone.Tandy winks at Maurice with a smile. TANDY Whipped. CUT TO:PHONE BOOTHHansen listens carefully to the officer on the line. OFFICER (ON PHONE) ... I'm on first name basis with half the city of Philadelphia... Hansen, apparently this guy Parker lost his wife and went a little fruity. I spoke with his niece, Adelle Matlin and she says to restrain him. That he's dangerous to himself. She says to call when we have him in the station. HANSEN Good work. CUT TO:EXT. POLICE CAR - NIGHTThe ride progresses in silence. Hansen and Tandy in thefront seat. Maurice's head is pressed against the back-seatwindow. His eyes begin to shut slightly as sleep overcomeshim. The car goes over a BUMP. Maurice jars awake. Heglances out the window to see a highway sign swish by in theHEADLIGHTS. 'ROUTE 80 EAST'.East? Maurice looks around quickly at the passing scenery. MAURICE Where are you taking me?Hansen and Tandy exchange looks. HANSEN I'm going to drop off Tandy at the station and then drop you back. TANDY That's all right isn't it? MAURICE Sure.Hansen looks back to the road. The drive continues insilence. Tandy checks his watch just when a CLICK -- A HARDWIND -- AND A METALLIC SLAM in quick succession shakes thecar. HANSEN What the hell was that?Tandy looks back -- Maurice is GONE. The back seat empty.Tandy stares out the blackness of the back window. TANDY Shit! He jumped! HANSEN Jumped where? TANDY Out of the car. He jumped out of the god damn car! CUT TO:EXT. FOREST - NIGHTMaurice staggers through the naked trees. Thin trees everyfew feet with no branches. The snow ankle deep.Maurice braces himself against a trunk, checking his hands.His vision blurs as he stares down at his scraped bloodypalms.The forest clears quickly into an open field. Far in thedistance across the field of white is a small pointedbuilding standing alone. The glow of a LIGHT can be seenthrough the windows.Maurice trudges through the deeper snow. Stumbling manytimes. The frigid wind pushing him to his knees. Mauricekeeps moving -- the field seems endless... CUT TO:DRIVEWAYMaurice's feet hit the snow of the driveway, just as his legsbuckle -- his face HITS the snow hard. He manages to rollover on his back with great effort. He stares up at thepointed building -- the dull light becoming duller...something blocks the light. A man. Maurice feels himselfrise into the air as two powerful arms scoop him off the ice.A PRIEST carries him into the doors of a CHURCH. CUT TO:INT. BACK ROOM OF CHURCH - NIGHTA dimly lit cathedral. Six foot six, FATHER BERCHMAN walksdown the center isle of the cathedral, through a clothcurtain and into aBACK ROOMwhere Maurice is sitting in a chair wrapped in a blanket. MAURICE What did they ask? FATHER If I had seen you. By the way I'm sorry about your wife. They told me. MAURICE Thank you... I'm sorry you had to lie. It must have been difficult. FATHER I asked the officers if you had committed some crime... If they had said 'yes', you would be speaking with them right now.This is the father's own room. Very sparse as one wouldexpect. He moves to his bureau and retrieves some pills. FATHER Take these, and if you're up to it, try to explain how it is you came to be sitting here.Maurice follows the father's instructions and tightens theblanket around his shoulders. MAURICE I'm walking for my wife.Beat. FATHER To where? MAURICE Pacifica, California. FATHER From where? MAURICE Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FATHER I see.Beat. The father nods as if this is not shocking news. FATHER Why? MAURICE Do you believe a person's soul lives on after their death? FATHER Most certainly. MAURICE And that that soul takes part of the person they were on this earth with them. FATHER That's a reasonable assumption. MAURICE I don't want my wife's soul having any doubts. FATHER Doubts? About what? MAURICE About my love for her.The father nods with understanding as if everything becamevery clear with that statement. FATHER You don't have to prove anything to her. MAURICE I'm not proving to her. I'm showing her. And I know I don't have to. I want to. I've realized, love is about giving. I'm alive, I can still give to her. I want to give her everything I can.The father studies this stranger before him with greatadmiration. MAURICE There are some people, including those officers, that are trying to stop me. They mean well. But they don't understand. I wouldn't either if I were them.Maurice struggles with the last words. He slumps back --physically drained.The father gets up and takes the empty glass of water fromMaurice's hands. FATHER I want you to stay here a few days until you're better. You're no use to your wife in this condition.The father moves for the curtain. MAURICE You think I'm crazy too.The father turns and smiles warmly. FATHER I have spent my life dedicated to love. Love of God. Love of humanity. And here you are living through love. Bathing in it. Using its strength, its magic, its ability to overcome any barrier... If you are crazy, I hope my insanity is not far off.Maurice's eyes well up instantly. CUT TO:EXT. CHURCH - WESTERN HIGHWAY - DAYFather Berchman wraps one powerful hand around a tiny silvercross dangling from his neck. The other hand waves high intothe air at the shrinking figure of Maurice Parker walkingthrough the snow. DISSOLVE TO:HIGHWAYThe long trek continues. The black tar of the roads peek outin spots as the SUN BEATS down on the flatlands. Mauricedrapes his worn scarf around a melting snowman. DISSOLVE TO:RESTAURANTWe are looking inside a fancy Center-City Philadelphiarestaurant. Adelle and Gerald are seated by an enormous baywindow. A waiter comes to their table with their maincourse. Gerald watches the food being served with greatanticipation.Gerald's eyes drift out the window to the magazine stand onthe sidewalk... He squints to see better. Realization hitshard... His eyes light up. He looks to Adelle and back tothe magazine stand.In a mad race for time, Gerald begins to devour the food onhis plate. The waiter and Adelle watch him in shock. Adelleglances out the window. Her eyes squint... then light up.She jumps to her feet and grabs Gerald by the arm, a forkfull of food drops to his plate. Gerald looks back at hisfull plate longingly as Adelle pulls him out of therestaurant.The waiter looks out the window to the magazine stand. Hesquints. CUT TO:MAGAZINE STANDThe NEW YORK TIMES are hung like stockings around the borderof the stand. On the front pages, a singular headline standsout among the others: "A JOURNEY OF THE HEART"A large PHOTO OF MAURICE is next to the headline. DISSOLVE TO:DINERA red-headed waitress slices a credit card through themachine and waits... Green computer letters blink - "Thisaccount has been closed."The waitress returns with the card -- she shakes her head"No" at Maurice who digs into his wallet for cash. DISSOLVE TO:MOTELMaurice slides two twenties across the counter to the motelmanager. Maurice checks the remaining bills in his wallet...only a few bills left.In the motel room we find Maurice sitting over the edge of abed buckled over in a coughing attack. It finally stops.Maurice flops back to the pillows, completely drained. DISSOLVE TO:ROADSThe flatlands have vanished. The roads now serpentinethrough mountain ranges.VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN RANGE; Maurice moves like a grain ofdust over the black line of the road.Maurice rests every half mile. He labors up every inclinewith ultimate effort. He braces himself with a branchserving as a make due crutch.Maurice spots a small town nestled in the arms of themountain range. He begins the journey to rest. DISSOLVE TO:GROCERIESMaurice pays for his food with the last few bills in hiswallet. DISSOLVE TO:ROADAnother stick serves as a walking cane. The multi layers ofclothes have been shed for a short-sleeve shirt. Mauricefollows a dirt road that breaks free of the mountains andinto the open country again.SUPERIMPOSE: COALVILLE, UTAH... MILE 2,472 CUT TO:EXT. DRIVEWAY - DUSKA dust covered mailbox at the end of a long dirt driveway.Maurice wipes the mailbox clean with his hand. The nameemerges like an ancient inscription from beneath the mud..."CALDWELLS." CUT TO:FRONT DOORMaurice tentatively moving to the front door. His handinstinctively clutches his empty stomach.The wind blows gently. Maurice shuts his eyes and takes adeep breath. He opens his eyes slowly to see a dinner tablebeing set. Potatoes, gravy, fresh baked bread... floatingthrough the half open window to Maurice's thankful smile.THE SOUNDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAN BE HEARD INSIDE.The first LIGHT KNOCKS go unheard with all the commotion.HARDER. The door squeaks open. Maurice puts on his bestsmile... the door opens wider -- no one stands before him. BOY (O.S.) Hi.Maurice looks down to find an adorable little boy, blackhair, big eyes and an even bigger grin. This is three yearold ISAAC CALDWELL. MAURICE Well, hello. ISAAC I'm Isaac... I'm three. MAURICE I'm Maurice Parker... I'm much older than three. Are your parents home?Beat. Isaac thinks. ISAAC You know what, I can play baseball with my brothers when I'm bigger. MAURICE Is that right? ISAAC You know what... I'm just little now, but I'll be big soon. MAURICE You'll probably be bigger than your brothers. ISAAC Yeah!Isaac is happy with this thought.Maurice looks up as MRS. CALDWELL comes to the door. MRS. CALDWELL Who are you talking to Isaac?Mrs. Caldwell stops as she stares at Maurice. MAURICE Hello, I'm Maurice Parker. I'm just passing through and I need to conserve what little funds I have... I need some food and a roof to sleep under for one night... Now I don't look like much, but if there are any things that need to get done around the house --Mrs. Caldwell doesn't listen, but instead yells behind thedoor. MRS. CALDWELL Dave... you're not going to believe who's here.Maurice looks at her oddly. MR. CALDWELL comes to the door;his face lights up. MRS. CALDWELL This is Maurice Parker -- the one walking for his wife.Mr. Caldwell is completely floored. So, for that matter isMaurice. Mr. Caldwell puts out his hand with awe. MR. CALDWELL If that ain't fate?... Hi, I'm Dave Caldwell. I do the copy for the anchor on the evening news down here. MAURICE Evening News? MR. CALDWELL We did a piece after your story ran in the New York Times.Maurice is truly surprised. MAURICE New York Times?Mrs. Caldwell ushers Maurice in the doorway by the elbow. MRS. CALDWELL Someone said they spotted you in town... Mr. Parker, you're a celebrity. CUT TO:INT. CALDWELL KITCHEN - NIGHTThe Caldwell family dinner... all twelve of them. Tenchildren talk and reach for food. Maurice sits at the endtalking, enjoying and sharing. Isaac sits next to himproudly. Maurice has blended in as another member of thisfamily. CUT TO:INT. CALDWELL GUEST BEDROOM - NIGHTAn inviting room. The kind prepared for visitinggrandmothers and grandfathers to stay in.Maurice checks himself out in the mirror... his borrowedpajamas fit nicely.He moves to the window and stares at the moon litlandscape... enormous, endless, dwarfing.The rocking chair CREAKS as Maurice melts into it. He rubshis calves slowly, the pain evident in his face. His headleans back after a moment... on the verge of sleep.The SOUND OF TINY FOOTSTEPS stirs him. He looks to thedoorway to find Isaac standing quietly at the door in hisbaseball P.J.s. MAURICE I thought you were asleep. ISAAC You know what... I remembered you were here and I woke up.Isaac walks silently to Maurice... Tip-toeing all the way. MAURICE Your parents would want you to be in bed. ISAAC You tell stories? MAURICE Oh no... I'm not good at that. Very bad in fact...Too late. Isaac climbs up into Maurice's lap with greateffort. Maurice looks down at Isaac who waits patiently forhim to begin. MAURICE I would be exceedingly boring.Isaac waits. MAURICE I don't do these type of things.Isaac -- still waiting. MAURICE See there are two kinds of people in this world. (beat) ... Just a short one okay?Isaac gets in position, cradled in Maurice's arms. Mauricesearches for something to say. MAURICE There was a boy named Isaac who wanted to play baseball, but he was too small and no one would let him play... but he kept practicing by himself -- waiting... He went to every game and sat in the stands with his glove. ISAAC You know what... maybe I ran onto the field and hit a home run. MAURICE Who's telling this story?Isaac points to Maurice. MAURICE Good, now the team had this great big player -- Big Billy. He was the best. He had them in the World Super-Bowl-Championship of little kids baseball. But right before the game, the second best player on the team was suspended because he played a prank on a nice man who owned a book store... When that boy grew up he was convicted on burglary charges and spent fifteen years in prison -- where he belongs.Isaac didn't understand that last part. MAURICE Anyway, Big Billy needed another player so he yelled into the stands. 'Who can play baseball?' And there was a little voice that yelled out, 'Me, I can play.' Everyone turned to see a little boy standing with a glove. ISAAC (beaming) That's me. MAURICE Right. But everyone saw how small Isaac was and laughed... but not Big Billy. He stared at Isaac carefully and then told him to join the game. It came to the end of the game. It was the eleventh or twelfth inning or whatever is the last inning of a game... ISAAC Nine. MAURICE Okay nine. Big Billy's team was losing and he was on base. That's when Isaac came up. He could barely hold the bat... Big Billy winked at Isaac... The ball was pitched -- Isaac hit the ball hard. It soared up and out over the stadium. Everyone cheered. Isaac hit a home run and won the game. After the game, Isaac asked Big Billy why he let he play. Big Billy smiled and said, I wasn't always Big Billy, I was Little Billy first... Isaac and Big Billy went off after the game and read a classic book together. The end. ISAAC You know what -- that was a really good story... Tell it again.Maurice has to smile as Isaac looks up anxiously. MAURICE There was a boy named Isaac who liked to play baseball...WE BACK OUT as Maurice rocks back and forth in his chair.Isaac falling asleep in his arms. CUT TO:EXT. CALDWELL DRIVEWAY - MORNINGThe family dog "Max", scurries up and down with greatexcitement. Max can sense something big is happening.The Caldwell clan, one and all has gathered at the end oftheir driveway. Maurice is escorted out by Isaac who clingstightly to his hand. Mr. Caldwell meets Maurice halfway andpulls him aside. MR. CALDWELL That's a nice watch.Maurice looks down at his beat-up Seiko. MR. CALDWELL I've always wanted a watch like that. MAURICE (unstrapping it) It's yours. MR. CALDWELL No. I won't take it unless I pay for it... Let's see, that's a pretty nice watch -- I can see that.Maurice watches him suspiciously as he pulls out an envelopefrom his jacket pocket. MR. CALDWELL Let's say I give you what's in this envelope for that beautiful watch.Maurice is handed the envelope. He opens it to find a thickPILE OF CASH, TENS AND TWENTIES. MR. CALDWELL I really want that watch. MAURICE This isn't right. MR. CALDWELL This is my only chance to get a watch like that. It would mean a lot to me and my family. Please take it. It really isn't that much.Maurice stares into the envelope emotionally and hands overthe watch tentatively. MAURICE This is a loan.Mr. Caldwell straps on the watch and then hugs Maurice.The rest of the family say their good-byes.Isaac won't let go of Maurice's hand as he walks out into thestreet. MR. CALDWELL Isaac, come back here.Isaac just holds on tighter. After Maurice and Isaac havewalked a few steps out into the street, Maurice kneels down. MAURICE I have to go now.Isaac's bottom lip protrudes as he tries not to cry. Mauricehas to hold back a few tears himself. He hugs Isaac tightly. MAURICE (whispers) Why didn't I meet you fifteen years ago?Maurice pulls away from Isaac slowly. Isaac runs to hismother's arms. Maurice waves good-bye to the Caldwells as heheads down the road. CUT TO:EXT. ROAD - DAYMaurice stops, bends down to the road and picks up a TORNWHITE PAPER STREAMER that spiraled its way to his feet.He looks ahead and finds both sides of the street lined withparked cars. Some of the cars are decorated with whitestreamers. CUT TO:OUTDOOR WEDDINGA beautiful canopy of flowers sits at the end of ten rows oflawn chairs. Maurice watches from near the cars. He smilesas the young bride and groom nervously say their vows.Everyone LAUGHS warmly as the groom stumbles over his lines. CUT TO:INT. CHAPEL - DAY (FLASHBACK)Moments before the ceremony. The guests are seated. TheORGAN is PLAYING. CUT TO:SIDE ROOMYoung Maurice sits on a chair in a tuxedo staring out thehalf-open door to an OLD MAN who tries to gain his balance byholding onto the wall. Maurice is upset. He runs hisfingers through his hair.THE DOOR OPENS wide as Young Ellen comes in. She is wearingher WEDDING GOWN. White lace, tight at the arms and waist --she looks stunning. ELLEN What's wrong? They said something was wrong?Maurice stares at his rented shoes. MAURICE I'm fine.Ellen moves to him and kneels before him. She lifts hischin. ELLEN Everyone's here. Everything looks beautiful. They even got the white dove I wanted for the cake -- so what's wrong? What is it?Maurice moves his gaze from her to the half open door. MAURICE It's him.Ellen looks back. ELLEN Your father? MAURICE He's plastered. ELLEN That's okay -- really it is. MAURICE No it's not. He should be here with me now, not trying to find some fucking bottle of Johnny Walker. He's never been there for me. I've always been alone.Maurice looks like he may cry. MAURICE I'm afraid Ellen... I'm scared of being alone again. What if one day you realize how boring I am? What if one day you realize you're not happy? (beat) I could have been alone before, but now you've changed things. I can't be alone anymore Ellen. I'm scared what's going to happen to me.Ellen takes both his hands and squeezes them between hers. ELLEN The day I met you, I gave you my heart. Today, I give you my soul. Where ever you are, where ever you go, I will be with you. Maurice Parker, I promise -- (she shakes him with emphasis) I promise, you will never be alone again. CUT TO:EXT. OUTDOOR MARRIAGE - DAY (PRESENT)The bride and groom run through a shower of rice into theirlimousine. CUT TO:INSIDE LIMOUSINEThey wave through the window as the car pulls away. Theysettle in and look to the seat across from them. On the seatis a fresh flower. Next to the flower is a note. The groompicks it up and shows it to the bride. It reads: "CHERISH EVERYDAY TOGETHER"It is signed "M.P."The bride and groom look at each other curiously. CUT TO:ROADThe limousine passes Maurice on the road as he walks. CUT TO:INT. GAZETTE BUILDING - DAYA fax machine rolls out a tongue of information. Michelle,the intern, snatches it and jogs through the maze of desks. CUT TO:KRIS'S OFFICEMichelle catches the tail end of a telephone conversation. KRIS -- Come on Pete, this is important, this is racism in our backyard... Aw, that's bull... just think about it, okay?Kris hangs up. KRIS They're pushing my Jewish temple vandalism story to the Metro section...Kris notices Michelle's familiar bright red face. KRIS What?Michelle is completely flustered as usual. KRIS Michelle, breathe... that's it, what is it, talk to me. MICHELLE (hands the fax over) Umm, Coalville Utah.Kris studies the fax before jumping up from his desk andmoving to the wall. An enormous U.S. MAP covers threequarters of the wall. RED TACKS mark a trail across theUnited States, beginning with Philadelphia. Kris puts a redtack at the top right corner of Utah.Kris notices through the open officer door that Frank andSeth are listening in. Kris nods to Michelle. Whoimmediately shuts the door on their view. Kris waves byebefore it closes. KRIS He's taking highway 80 all the way.Kris paces the room -- charged with excitement -- eyesoccasionally stopping on the map. Michelle watches Kris'animated expressions. KRIS You know what this is, don't you? It's a miracle. Not like... 'It was a miracle little Johnny passed his math test.' No! This is a real miracle... Turning water to wine kind of miracle. People should know about this, everyone, every single person... It's time for a blitz. Let's see what kind of TV interest we can generate.Michelle enjoys watching Kris when he's like this. MICHELLE Umm, he's going to make it isn't he? KRIS Maybe.Kris studies the map. KRIS But he hasn't hit the toughest miles yet. CUT TO:INT. ADELLE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHTThe lights are out. The FLICKER FROM THE TV dances overAdelle and Gerald. Adelle is fast asleep. Gerald is havinga late night sandwich. NIGHTLINE comes on the TV. TV ANCHOR What would you do for love? This is the question Americans are starting to ask themselves. The incredible tale of Maurice Parker's walk across the country has caught the imaginations of young and old.Gerald sighs. He puts the sandwich on the plate and hands itto his left -- obediently. PAN TO LEFT to find Adelle wideawake now. She glares at the TV screen silently as she takesthe sandwich and dumps it in the waste basket releasing someof her frustration.A COMPUTER MAP OF THE U.S. trails Maurice's walk on thescreen. TV ANCHOR At 44, this bookstore owner from Wynnewood Pennsylvania has tallied an estimated 2,400 miles. His latest appearance in Coalville Utah brought the spotlight of the country to that small town. GERALD Coalville Utah? ADELLE I can't believe it. TV ANCHOR Whatever has carried Mr. Parker through snow and rain and thousands of miles of this countryside, will have to carry him through the most dangerous part of his trek... The three hundred miles through the sweltering roads of Nevada... ADELLE My God. CUT TO:EXT. HIGHWAY - DAYA merciless sun beats down on a long stretch of highway. Theblack tar from the road melting slightly.No sign of Maurice. WE SEE into the distance, not a soul insight. WE LOOK to a hillside a hundred meters from the road.There we see a figure lying still in the shade of anoverhanging rock formation.Maurice has a towel over his eyes and his feet propped up onhis shoulder bag. He is fast asleep. DISSOLVE TO:DUSKThe SUN TURNS RED for one brilliant moment before hidingbehind the horizon. Like an alarm went off, Maurice wakes upand packs his things. CUT TO:ROADThe MOONLIGHT outlines a line figure hobbling his way step bystep with a walking stick.The air fills with a POWERFUL RUMBLE. Maurice turns to see awave of rocks and sand slide down a hillside to the road.They CAUSE A GREAT THUNDER that settles to dust. Mauricewalks down the center of the highway away from the hillside. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. HIGHWAY - DAWNTHE FIERY NEVADA SUN BEGINS ITS ASCENT INTO THE SKY. Mauricelooks bad. He's breathing heavy as he moves up a steepincline by the side of the road. His feet slide on the loosedirt. Maurice looks like he could collapse at any moment.He makes it to the indentation in the hillside -- just enoughroom to lay down in the shade. Maurice lays out slowly. Hepries off his sneakers, band-aids and blisters cover everyinch of his feet. Maurice dumps the sand out of his sneakersand painfully pulls them back on. His eyes close as he triesto unbutton his jacket... too late he's asleep.Maurice's bed is a rock that juts from the side of thehill... First WE SEE nothing, then some grains of sand escapefrom the crack where the rock meets the hillside. The CRACKBECOMES SLIGHTLY LARGER -- PULLING AWAY FROM THE HILL BY AFRACTION OF AN INCH. It stabilizes there.Maurice unaware of his precarious situation sleeps twentyfive feet above the ground. CUT TO:MID-DAYAnother sizzler. Temperatures in the nineties. The sun isdirectly overhead.Maurice stirs in his sleep, moving closer to the edge of therock.A STEADY STREAM OF SAND POURS FROM THE CRACK...A SLIGHT TREMOR...THEN THE FRIGHTENING SOUND OF ROCK MOVING AGAINST ROCK...Maurice wakes up as he begins to slide off... Hands scrapingat the dirt... He SLIDES OFF THE ROCK... Feet and handsdesperately trying to cling to the hillside... He picks upspeed as he tumbles down... Maurice looks down in time to seea small jut in the rock hurtling towards him... no time forpanic... SLAM! A SICKENING CRACK OF BONE as Maurice HITS therock square in the ribs... Maurice flops down the rest of theslope like a rag doll... he comes to rest in the dirt,clutching his ribs. The sun beats down on his stunned eyes.Maurice stares up at the dizzying slope. Sand stilltrickling down to a stop. He doesn't try to move for thefirst few seconds. His breathing increasingly erratic.Maurice drags himself to sit upright. The sharp painscausing a distorted grimace on his face. A short rest,before working his way to his feet. CUT TO:HIGHWAYMaurice uses a highway guardrail as a backrest. He takes aseat in the dirt. Maurice's hair is damp with sweat. Hisbreathing relegated to slow gasps. His left hand coveringhis rib cage protectively. Blood begins to trickle throughthe spaces between his fingers.Maurice closes his eyes for a moment, before his bent leggoes into spasms... Maurice is forced to straighten the leginstantly... jarring his tender rib cafe... Maurice clings tothe back of his thigh... Maurice is defeated... On the vergeof tears.He glances way down the road and spots a TINY CLOUD OF SMOKEmiles away in the distance. A car is moving in hisdirection.Maurice looks up into the DAZZLING WHITE SKY. Drops of sweatfalling into his eyes. MAURICE (whisper) It's over Ellen... I failed you again.Maurice looks down the road at the cloud of dust growinglarger. MAURICE I tried Ellen, I really tried... I don't have the strength.The cloud is now clearly a car... Maurice stares up into thesky again... The tears racing the sweat down his cheeks.Maurice YELLS TO THE HEAVENS. MAURICE You said I would never be alone!... You promised... (his yelling turns to sobs) ... You promised.Maurice's is interrupted by A SLIGHT RUSTLING BEHIND HISHEAD. Maurice turns and looks through his tears...There, a few feet from him, perched quietly and majesticallyon the guardrail is a GOLDEN EAGLE. It stands two and halffeet tall. It spreads it's great wings. The feathers expandlike a blanket, spanning six feet, and throwing a gentleshade on Maurice's face.Maurice is frozen in wonder. The MAGIC of the moment glowsin his eyes. Maurice's face gains life... The dark featheredeagle stands like a god before Maurice. The moment isbreathtaking. CUT TO:ROADThe car on the road, takes the last quarter mile inseconds... SCREECHING IT'S BRAKES at the sight of Maurice onthe side of the road.Maurice turns away from the bird as the car pulls up. Thedriver gets out and calls over the hood. DRIVER Hey, man are you okay?Maurice's face filled with strength. He grins through thepain. MAURICE I'm fine. DRIVER What the hell are you doing out here? You need a ride somewhere? MAURICE No thank you.The driver is concerned. He opens the driver door. DRIVER You by yourself?Beat. MAURICE No.This pacifies the driver somewhat. He nods and gets in thecar. Maurice watches as the car pulls away.He turns back to the guardrail -- the eagle is gone. Mauricelooks up into the sky. The Golden Eagle is flyingoverhead... a tiny dot against the blazing sun.Maurice struggles to his feet using the guardrail as support.Maurice takes his first step... DISSOLVE TO:EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAYSuburbia. Rows of similar houses with small lawns and custommailboxes. Beautiful trees line the streets creating acanopy over the roadway.Two women sit on a swing on the front porch of a smallsuburban home. JANIS AND AMMIE'S conversation is cut in midsentence. JANIS Who is that? AMMIE I don't know. What's the matter with him?Janis and Ammie stare to the street where a sunburnt MAURICEstaggers in a daze.MAURICE'S POVMaurice is on the edge of darkness... the trees and facesswimming -- mixed with the colors of red and blue clothwaving in the wind... Images come in and out of focus... twowomen walking towards him... Maurice clutches his head as thetrees start to swim faster -- color, lights, houses... DISSOLVING TO BLACK:Maurice collapses in the middle of this suburban street.Janis and Ammie run to his side.SUPERIMPOSED: "ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA... MILE 3,205" DISSOLVE TO:INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAYMaurice lays still on a hospital bed. His eyes slowly forcethemselves open. NURSE (O.S.) Good morning Mr. Parker.Maurice turns his head to the side. A pretty woman in herlate twenties, with LARGE LOCKS OF BROWN HAIR smiles back.This is STEPHANIE. STEPHANIE There are a lot of people worried about you. MAURICE (softly) Where am I? STEPHANIE In a hospital. MAURICE Which hospital? Did you take me back?Stephanie understands his worry. STEPHANIE You are in St. Vincent's Hospital in Roseville California. You've been here three days.Maurice closes his eyes in relief. MAURICE Thank God. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL - AFTERNOONThe room is crowded. Maurice is now propped up in a seatedposition. He tries to digest a set of fish sticks on a tray. MAURICE I can't believe you're here. I'm touched.Maurice looks across to ADELLE AND GERALD. MAURICE Are you two planning kids? ADELLE Maybe later. MAURICE You should definitely have children. They're really special.Adelle and Gerald are in shock. Maurice forks another fishstick with a smile. ADELLE I don't think you realize how serious this is Uncle. MAURICE How serious is it?DR. RAY, who has been standing by the window listening, stepsforward. DR. RAY You have two broken ribs, a punctured spleen and Acute Rheumatoid Arthritis.Maurice gives a comforting smile to Adelle. DR. RAY The normal amount of build up in your arteries has been aggravated by over exertion. This is called, "Claudication," As a result, there isn't enough circulation to your body. That accounts for the discoloration in your extremities and the muscle spasms I'm sure you've encountered. MAURICE Can it kill me? DR. RAY It can, but it'll have to wait in line.This surprises Maurice. DR. RAY We ran a C.T. and an M.R.I. We found bleeding in your brain. Your collapse was caused by "Transient Cerebral-Ischemia"... a sudden loss of blood circulation to the brain. In other words, Mr. Parker, you had a mild stroke.There is dead silence in the room. MAURICE (scared) I suppose I over did it.Adelle moves over to Maurice's side and holds his hand. MAURICE What steps do we take now? DR. RAY We operate. We find the artery in the brain and close the bleeding... I just did this procedure on a Senator and he's doing fine. MAURICE What are the odds? Do I have a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the operation? DR. RAY It's hard to say. It's a delicate surgery. There's no getting around the fact that it's a very high-risk situation.Adelle strokes Maurice's hair. Maurice stares down at hisfood before looking up with great resolve. MAURICE Then it'll have to wait until I finish. ADELLE What? MAURICE I finish the walk, and then we may take all the chances we want.The room is stunned. Adelle gets off the bed and collectsherself. ADELLE Listen to me very carefully, because I don't want you to misunderstand me... The walk is over Uncle Maurice. Done. Finished. You've made it to California, it was a miracle, now let's try to save your life. MAURICE (louder) I'm completing the walk. I'm almost there. DR. RAY Okay, Maurice keep it calm... (beat) We can talk about this again, but just so you know, we have a guard on this floor who's sole job it is to keep an eye on you.Maurice is crushed. DR. RAY There are a lot of people out there who would like to see you finish, including me, but I'm not willing to put your life in anymore risk than it is... We do the operation, and when you're better, you finish the walk.The room is dead again. Maurice drowns in his thoughts. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL CHAPEL - AFTERNOONA small chapel. Stain glass windows overlooking the parkinglot. Maurice sits in his wheel chair at the back of theroom. A few other patients are scattered in the four smallpews.Maurice has his hands folded tightly and stares up at thestatue of Mary. His concentration is broken as a man in afull black suit and black shirt sits next to him. Mauricenods at the priest. PRIEST Hello, Mr. Parker. MAURICE Hello. PRIEST How are you feeling? MAURICE Confused. I'm not sure what to do now. I'm not sure what he wants for me. PRIEST He wants to reward you... That's why I'm here. MAURICE (a little confused) What do you mean? PRIEST I mean you've done a great thing. You should be rewarded monetarily.Maurice is lost. PRIEST What's your shoe size? MAURICE What? Who are you?The priest reaches into his jacket -- for the first time WESEE a Polo design on his shirt and a gaudy gold chain aroundhis neck. PRIEST Clive Silver -- Marketing Executive at Reebok.Maurice stares at the card in disbelief. CLIVE We want you to do some spots for us. MAURICE What the hell is this?Some of the patients turn around. CLIVE I'm talking six figures, pay or play -- for two spots. We want to push a new line with you... America's New Hero.Maurice is flustered. He can't take this. His eyes becomedesperate.Clive waves his hands in the air excitedly. CLIVE Imagine grainy black and white shots of long stretches of highway -- quick cuts with a slow pounding beat underneath... Then we see a man walking up a steep incline -- it's you Maurice. We see shots of you walking. Cut. Cut. Cut. Fast... Music crescendoes -- Bham! Close up -- and you say... 'Reebok, Because There's Nothing You Can't Do.'Clive finishes. He is surprised to find Maurice in tears.Clive is thrown totally off as Maurice stares at him angrilythrough streaming tears. MAURICE My wife is dead.Maurice continues his powerful gaze until Clive looks away.Clive gathers his things and leaves the chapel withoutanother word. Maurice drops his head into his hands andcries quietly. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHTA change of shifts. Stephanie gathers her things. She liftsher coat off the counter. Underneath is a paper. She spinsthe paper to face her. The headline reads, "The End of aJourney - Parker Hospitalized." CUT TO:HOSPITAL ROOMStephanie peeks into the dark room. STEPHANIE (whispers) Good night Mr. Parker. I'll see you tomorrow.Stephanie waits for a response from the motionless figure onthe bed. She leaves the room a little disappointed.WE MOVE CLOSER TO THE BED. We see Maurice laying still --the battered photo of Ellen clutches to his chest. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL HALL - DAYStephanie is wheeling Maurice down the hall. Maurice has aglint of happiness in his eye. They move through the doorsmarked "Visitor's Area."Maurice stretches a huge grin as KRIS REDDY gets up from achair. Kris bends down and hugs Maurice emotionally. KRIS Tom Joad? MAURICE ... The Grapes of Wrath. KRIS You're amazing. CUT TO:LATERMaurice and Kris seated in the corner of the room. MAURICE I missed you Kris. KRIS I missed you to Mr. Parker. MAURICE Adelle told me, your writing is going well. The Crusader for social issues and all. KRIS You were right. From the heart is always better.Beat. KRIS I drove by the bookstore -- it's boarded up now. There's a sign over the wood -- "Office space available."The loss is evident on Maurice's eyes. MAURICE I haven't been too punctual with the rent. KRIS I was thinking you could open another store with investors. I'm sure a lot of people would want to get involved with you now.Maurice forces a smile. MAURICE Actually, I'm not worried about my career right now... I'm more worried about how you're getting me out of here?Beat. Kris glances at the hair on his forearm. MAURICE Are they standing? KRIS (running his hand over his arm) Saluting.Beat. KRIS Come on Mr. Parker. MAURICE What, come on? KRIS I can't do it. I want you to finish, but I want you to live more.Maurice sits back straight. He looks upset. MAURICE We do the operation after I finish. I can't risk not finishing... I thought you understood what I was doing. KRIS I do. MAURICE Why in God's name did you fly all the way here then? KRIS Don't do this. MAURICE ... To look me in the eye and say what's important to you isn't as important to me? To tell me you know what's best? To tell me life is more precious than what I feel for my wife?Kris gets very emotional. He rises from this chair. KRIS Mr. Parker, you can yell at me, if it'll help. But I'm not risking your life. MAURICE It's mine to risk.Maurice turns to the window away from Kris. KRIS Your operation is scheduled for Friday. I'll be back before then.Kris walks to the door and stops. KRIS She knows you love her Mr. Parker. She knows now. MAURICE (not looking at Kris) No more words. Until I touch the ocean with my hands... it's all just words.Kris is tortured. He leaves the room. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL HALL - DAYMaurice wheels himself into the hall from the waiting area.He looks around. His eyes lock on the EXIT SIGN over thedoor at the end of the hall. His eyes scan the area quickly.He immediately finds the guard on the floor staring at him.The guard nods ever so slightly as if to say, "I know whatyou're thinking." Maurice turns his attention to a small boyin a hospital gown, being scolded by a head nurse. HEAD NURSE You cooperate with us about taking your medicine and maybe we'll talk about candy.The head nurse takes a chocolate bar out of the boy's tinyhands. The boy offers no response. Maurice watchescuriously as STEPHANIE walks over and pats the boys head.Maurice catches a small exchange -- Stephanie slips anothercandy bar into his pocket. The boy breaks into a warm smile.Stephanie puts her fingers against her lips and winks.Maurice takes this exchange in with great interest. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAYStephanie steps into the room and prepares a tray of food.The SILHOUETTED FIGURE of Maurice seated near the bay windowturns to face her. STEPHANIE You should be in bed.The face stares back from the shadows. She feels himwatching. MAURICE What do your friends call you? STEPHANIE Steph. MAURICE Do you have a car, Steph?Beat. STEPHANIE You should be in bed...Stephanie moves to Maurice... She stops short when his facecomes into view. His eyes are raw -- red. His face puffy. STEPHANIE You're in pain. MAURICE I need your help. STEPHANIE They told me, you might try to talk me into something... You need to rest Mr. Parker... It's for your own good. (beat) I've been following your story for a long while. It's a beautiful thing you did. MAURICE You ever lose somebody Stephanie? STEPHANIE Mr. Parker, I'm supposed to give you your fish sticks.Beat. Maurice melts her with his expression. STEPHANIE ... My father. MAURICE Did you tell him everything you wanted to? Did you do everything you could while he was here?She shakes her head "No" -- the tears welling up in her eyes. MAURICE If I don't do this Steph, my life isn't worth saving.Maurice reaches out and squeezes her soft trembling hand. MAURICE Please, help me. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAYStephanie throws a nervous smile to the guard as she escortsa doctor down the hall... The doctor's oversized while labcoat almost drags on the floor as he tries to hide the painof being on his feet. MAURICE PARKER studies a bogus chartin his hands. His new glasses, sliding off his nose. Beadsof sweat -- revealing his agony. CUT TO:ELEVATORThree people in the elevator; Stephanie, Dr. Maurice Parker,and a female physician. The female doctor looks at Mauricecuriously, studying his demeanor -- she can't place him.The ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN on the third floor... The SOUND OF ATV FLOODS THE ELEVATOR COMPARTMENT. Maurice looks up inhorror to see a close-up of his FACE superimposed on the TVscreen seated on the receptionist's desk. A man gets on theelevator.The female doctor stares at the TV as the doors close -- sheimmediately turns to Maurice... her view is blocked by thenew passenger... the elevator progresses down 2... 1...The female doctor leans forward trying to get a glimpse ofMaurice... THE BELL DINGS as the doors open on the groundfloor.Doctor Maurice Parker and Stephanie quickly exit... thefemale doctor stays in the elevator and watches carefully. FEMALE DOCTOR (yells) Excuse me, doctor...DOWN THE HALL... Maurice pauses and turns around -- fearetched across his face. The female doctor looks around thebarren hall then turns back to Maurice. FEMALE DOCTOR Good luck.The female doctor smiles as the doors shut. After a fewmoments of shock -- Maurice smiles back.Stephanie yanks Maurice down the hall and out the EMERGENCYROOM EXIT. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYA colorful canopy of leaves... a familiar torn American flag.Stephanie's white VW Rabbit pulls to a stop. MAURICE This is it... This is where I fell.He turns back to Stephanie who stares back at himemotionally. STEPHANIE I never thanked my father. He did so much for me... I never thanked him.Maurice holds her sad face in his scared hands. MAURICE (whispering) It's not too late.Maurice gets out of the car painfully slow. He pulls hisshoulder back upright with a laborious breath. A sense ofpride returns to his face. He turns back to Stephanie andcatches a horrified look. He follows her stare...She is staring at his shirt... He looks down to see a DARKCRIMSON STAIN GROWING beneath the surface. He covers thearea with his hand. MAURICE You're going to have a lot of work to do when I get back. STEPHANIE Someone should be with you.Beat. MAURICE Someone is.He gives her his best smile and begins shuffling his feetover the loose gravel of the road... one step at a time. CUT TO:INT. HOSPITAL STAIRS - AFTERNOONA black man -- grey, balding hair walks hurriedly up thestairs. This is STAN NEWTON.Keeping in step with Newton is a police officer. SERGEANTEMORY, jet white hair, army cut, gives him an intimidatingappearance. CUT TO:OUTSIDE DOORNewton stops Emory before entering. NEWTON I'm afraid Mrs. Matlin is very upset.Emory lets the warning sink in before opening the door.Adelle's VOICE IS BOOMING. CUT TO:HOSPITAL ROOMAdelle YELLS at Dr. Ray, a few nurses, and the guard who wason duty. ADELLE ... "American Journal of Psychology", "Psychological Review", and "Science", so I think it's safe to say my opinion is valid.She catches her breath. ADELLE How does a grown man who can barely walk, just stroll out?... This is not James Bond here, this is my uncle who owns a bookstore, and gets outwitted by grade school kids pulling pranks!Adelle notices the new people in the room. NEWTON Mrs. Matlin, this is Sergeant Emory. He'll help us find your uncle.Adelle walks up to Emory. ADELLE Let me tell you a story Sergeant. There was a patient of mine who had a Golden Retriever, Mac... She loved Mac, not like a pet, but like a family member. One day, she had to leave Mac with 'friends', and wouldn't you know it, Mac gets away and ends up falling into a sewer. My patient comes back -- goes nuts when she hears that Mac has been in the sewer for over 48 hours. Apparently the cop who found the dog didn't want to get his pants dirty. And neither did anyone else. So of course, my patient decides to go in after it... she falls... breaks her hip and lands next to her dead dog, who died of toxic fumes down there...Adelle looks around at all the engrossed faces. ADELLE The moral of the story is... She sued for a lot of money! She sued the friends, the city, and the officer for negligence on duty. She has no Mac, no happiness, but she's very rich now... That was a dog. We're talking about a human being... (beat) I hope everyone clearly understands the chain of events that will occur if something should happen to my uncle, whom I love more than you can possibly imagine... Now Sergeant I would like to know right now, if you're willing to get your pants dirty for my uncle?Adelle and Emory have a staring contest. Adelle wins.Adelle stands alone in a room with four men, and she isclearly the one in charge.The door flies open. A police officer walks in pushing KRISREDDY through the door. OFFICER I found him sneaking up the back stairs with this.The officer holds out a long coat and hat. Emory walks up toKris. EMORY Did you help Mr. Parker leave this hospital?Kris looks to the empty bed and smiles... a BIG SMILE. KRIS No... But I was going to.Beat. Emory turns to the officer and ushers him to the door. EMORY Forget him. It's time to get our pants dirty.Adelle smiles. EMORY I want three black and whites from here to Handley Avenue. And no communication with the station. The press monitors the transmissions. KRIS (a born actor) They can do that? EMORY That goes for all of you. Not a word about this disappearance to anyone. Absolutely no press.Kris smiles innocently. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - NIGHTPolice vehicles roam the city streets -- slowing to a crawlat every white male over forty, walking the sidewalks. CUT TO:ADELLEscanning the crowded intersections through the open window ofher moving taxi. CUT TO:KRISpatrolling the streets on foot. He stops at a hot dog vendorand flashes a picture of Maurice from his wallet. The vendorshakes his head, "No."A COMMOTION BREAKS OUT ONE BLOCK DOWN... Kris spins in thatdirection... sees a crowd forming at the corner of thesidewalk... Starts toward them... Kris sees something throughthe thinner parts of the crowd... something laying on thesidewalk... A man! Kris' walk turns into a sprint.Kris works his way through the growing crowd, puncturing thecenter of the circle... Kris gazes down at the man writhingon the concrete... A black man, shaking uncontrollably. Awomen standing over the fallen man waves the crowd back. WOMAN He has Epilepsy, just give him room... An ambulance is on the way.The crowd spreads out. Kris looks down at the unconsciousman on the sidewalk sadly -- Kris' thoughts race. He moveson with newfound concern. CUT TO:INT. HOMELESS SHELTER - EVENINGA converted gymnasium. The room is splintered into rows offolding tables and chairs. Against the wall, is the servingstand. Groups of volunteers dispense sandwiches and soup.IN THE CORNERThe room is crowded with homeless men and women and a fewchildren. In the back we find MAURICE. In his old clothes,and tired disheveled appearance -- Maurice is virtuallyinvisible in this crowd. He presses something to his injuredside. His condition has worsened.He eyes the entrance where a POLICE OFFICER walks in andmoves to the serving counter. The officer asks the servinglady something, and shows her a picture. She shrugs hershoulders and continues serving. The cop takes one last lookaround the hundreds of hungry people leaving the room.Maurice pulls up his hand from underneath his shirt. Thenapkin he was holding at his side is SATURATED WITH BLOOD.Maurice replaces it with a clean napkin. DISSOLVE TO:EXT. POLICE STATION - MORNINGSUNRISE ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. CUT TO:INT. POLICE STATION - MORNINGEmory rubs his eyes as the papers pile up on his desk.OFFICER KLEIN lays out the newspapers one after the other. KLEIN ... L.A. Times -- 'He's Back.'... San Francisco Chronicle -- 'Have You Seen Maurice?'... New York Post 'Unstoppable!'Klein lays the last paper on the table. EMORY Is that all? KLEIN No. The Mayor sent word, that he wants this thing handled quickly, before anything unfortunate happens. He said he doesn't want to be known as the 'Mayor of the City Where Maurice Parker Died!' EMORY Is that all? KLEIN No. Mrs. Matlin's waiting for you.Klein opens the door. Adelle walks in and stands at adistance from Emory. She looks beat. Her eyes arebloodshot, and tired. ADELLE What happened with the museum sighting? EMORY False alarm.Adelle is visibly dejected. EMORY It's been a long couple of days for all of us. So let me be honest. If he hasn't turned up yet, he's probably -- ADELLE No... No. EMORY I spoke with Dr. Ray this morning, and he said it was highly unlikely that someone in his condition could survive this long without medical attention, let alone walk sixty miles -- in fact his exact word was, 'Impossible'.Adelle fiddles with her coat. EMORY If I knew where he was, I'd get him off the street, but I think it's time that you, the Mayor, and everyone else be braced for the inevitable. CUT TO:EXT. JUNIPERO SERRA FREEWAY - DAYThe freeway is packed -- bumper to bumper. Cars standingstill in the hot sun.A hispanic man in his late forties, JUAN is seated in hisDodge Caravan when he sees someone in his rearview mirror. Aman is using a stick as a cane. The struggling man makes hisway along the shoulder very slowly.Juan reaches over to his passenger seat and turns over theL.A. Times. Under the heading, "He's Back!" is Maurice'spicture. Juan quickly rolls down his window as Mauricepasses by on the shoulder. JUAN (yelling) Hey, Maurice man -- keep going buddy!Maurice is startled at the man's yell, but then smiles whenthe words register. Maurice struggles forward.Juan keeps yelling encouragements... This grabs the attentionof other drivers who realize who is walking past them. Oneby one, car doors open and people call to Maurice. OVERWEIGHT WOMAN Don't stop Maurice! YOUNG MAN Go Mr. Parker!Cars start to HONK... More and more people turn to see thecommotion... The YELLING AND HONKING IS JOINED BY WHISTLESAND CHEERS --Maurice can't believe it -- he tries to smile but can't holdit. His face tightens with every step. His shirt is soiledwith blood. He raises his hand and gives a weak wave to awoman who holds up her little boy through the sunroof of thecar. CUT TO:A WCAU NEWS VANparked in the traffic. A NEWSREPORTER stares throughbinoculars. REPORTER Thank you God!The crew quickly prepares their cameras and equipment. Theymove like lightning. In seconds they are shooting the crowdand their hero.The air is CHARGED... THE NOISE GROWING, MORE AND MORE PEOPLEJOIN IN... LOUDER... People stand on top of their cars to geta better view... CUT TO:A POLICE CARstuck in traffic. OFFICER DAWSON looks around as the PARADEOF NOISE SURGES TOWARDS HIM. He looks out his window andcatches a GLIMPSE OF MAURICE LIMPING UP THE FREEWAY. DAWSON Sweet Jesus! CUT TO:INT. POLICE STATION - DAYOfficer Klein busts into Emory's office just as Adelle isabout to leave. KLEIN They found him.Adelle is instantly charged with life. KLEIN Dawson's on the C.B. -- wants to talk with you Sarg. CUT TO:RADIO ROOMAdelle and as many officers that will fit in the room arelistening to the radio conversation. EMORY What's going on? Where is he?Emory CLICKS TO LISTEN. THE SPEAKERS EXPLODE WITH HONKINGAND CHEERING -- IT SOUNDS LIKE A CARNIVAL. DAWSON YELLS OVERTHE COMMOTION. DAWSON (V.O.) He's just getting off 280. It's amazing Sarg... everybody's out of their cars and cheering him on. EMORY Shit, get him in your car and take him to St. Vincents.Beat. DAWSON (V.O.) You ever see that concert footage of the Doors, Sarg?Adelle and the room of officers look confused. EMORY What the hell are you talking about? DAWSON (V.O.) The Doors, the musical group. I saw a documentary where the police stopped one of their concerts, snatched Jim Morrison right off the stage... the crowd went frickin nuts -- they tore up the place -- it turned into a war. (beat) ... I'm not stopping this concert by myself. And there's no way you're getting backup here -- it's jammed up for miles.Emory is thinking fast. DAWSON (V.O.) Why don't we just let him finish Sarg?Beat. Emory looks at Adelle's expectant face. He talks intothe C.B. without taking his eyes off her. EMORY How does he look? DAWSON (V.O.) Like shit. He's bleeding heavily. He's having breathing problems and he's as pale as stone. If he wasn't moving, I'd swear he was dead.Emory thinks. He talks to the other officers in the room. EMORY Bring him in. Now! If he dies out there, who the hell knows what that crowd will do... (to himself) Let alone the Mayor.The room empties fast. Emory talks to Adelle. EMORY He'll be in a hospital within a half an hour.Somehow, Adelle's face doesn't convey much confidence. CUT TO:INT. PACIFICA MALL - DAYThe shops are empty. The food court abandoned.Close to five hundred people are huddled at the center of themall. The HI-FI HOUSE has four large screen TV's in theirbay windows and speakers on the outside of the doors to lurepassing shoppers in.All four sets have the same program on -- A NEWSBREAK onMaurice Parker. The crowd listening anxiously. TV ANCHOR ... He's headed West on Sharp Park Road... Witnesses describe him as seriously injured.A shock of concern shoots through the crowd. TV ANCHOR Lynn McCay and our Highway Cam -- has just spotted him...The picture cuts to a HELICOPTER SHOT OF DOWNTOWN PACIFICA --at first it just looks like an aerial of buildings, then thecamera ZOOMS. It catches a tiny figure struggling through astreet intersection. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYNewspapers spiral through the air. Maurice stretches hisneck up, squinting at the sun. The SILHOUETTE OF AHELICOPTER hovers above him. The NOISE is overpowering.Maurice's fatigue grows, every muscle, every ounce of energygoes into each step. Maurice clutches the side of hishead... the steps halted... hands trembling, teeth clenched,eyes squeezed shut. A surge of intense pain tries to bucklehim... Maurice fights it off as he moves his feet again.The helicopter SWOOPS above as he makes his turn onto a FINALSTRETCH OF ROAD adjacent to the BEACH.Maurice stops dead in his tracks as he turns the corner tofind a SEA OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR HIM. A momentous sight...people lined along the street for as far as the eye can see.AN EXPLOSION OF YELLING, CHEERING CALIFORNIAN'S ENGULFS THEAIR as they spot Maurice standing at the end of the street.The CROWD SURGES TOWARDS HIM.Maurice is dazed... the noise, the pain, the faces swirl inhis head as thousands of people surround him. Maurice isoverwhelmed. He is about to collapse when someone takes holdof his arm. Maurice turns to see KRIS REDDY STANDING NEXT TOHIM. In the midst of this chaos and growing madness.Maurice and Kris have an entire conversation with oneemotional look.The SOUNDS of SIRENS BREAK the moment. Kris turns to see twopolice cars turn on the street behind them.Kris turns to Maurice. KRIS Don't stop walking.Kris lets go of his arm and moves like lightning. He jumpsatop a fire-hydrant and yells to the crowd. KRIS The police are here. They're coming to take Mr. Parker away. He needs our help.Kris points to the squad cars inching their way up thestreet. KRIS Help Mr. Parker! Don't let them end the walk. CUT TO:THE SQUAD CARSAS THEY COME TO A HALT as a wall of people stand in theirway. The SPEAKER ON THE POLICE CAR BLARES THROUGH THE AIR. SPEAKER Step aside now! You are ordered to step aside now!The people don't move. A WOMAN carrying a BABY makes thebaby move her little hand in a waving gesture to the officersbehind the wheel of the police cars. The officers look ateach other in disbelief. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYThe far end of the beach road. A POLICE CAR SCREECHES TO ASTOP. Sergeant Emory and Adelle get out.Adelle is completely blown away. She looks around at thePANDEMONIUM. Thousands of men, women and childrencelebrating with APPLAUSE AND CHEERS, HELICOPTERS IN THE AIR,camera crews standing on raised platforms. Adelle drinks inthe ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE with awe.Emory yells orders into his WALKIE-TALKIE as Adelle breaksthe outer edge of the crowd and disappears into the field ofspectators. EMORY (yelling) What the hell is going on? It's frickin wall to wall people and they're way too emotional. We need mucho backup -- now!... Officers are to bring in Mr. Parker on sight, don't ask questions, don't hesitate, bring him in... I want a barricade placed along the entire beach area... Now God damn it, now!Emory CLICKS OFF and looks around at the growing crowd -- heturns to see a PUBLIC BUS UNLOADING PASSENGERS -- fifty morespectators rush off the bus and rush toward the crowdedstreet. EMORY Holy shit. CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYMaurice stares down at the ground... willing each new step.THE CHEERS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT BLURRING INTO AUNDISTINGUISHABLE SOUND.Maurice looks up for a moment as something grabs hisattention -- Maurice gasps for air as his eyes focus... Thesmall faces become clearer... Maurice stands twenty feet fromthe entire population of PACIFICA HIGH SCHOOL. They coverone side of the street for an entire block. Stretched overtheir heads, held up by twenty students is a HUGE HANDPAINTED BANNER. Maurice reads the words: "ELLEN IS WATCHING!" CUT TO:EXT. BEACH - DAYTrucks unload dozens upon dozens of blue-wooden barricades.An assembly line of officers place the barricades end to endat the place where the sand meets the pavement.Emory yells orders as a new truck arrives. CUT TO:INT. NEWS MONTAGE - DAYSHOTS OF THE PULSATING CROWD... GLIMPSES OF MAURICE MOVINGTHROUGH THE CENTER OF THIS MASS. OVER THESE PICTURES WE HEARSNIPPETS OF VOICES OF TV ANCHOR PEOPLE, RADIO PERSONALITIESAND ANNOUNCERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, DISSOLVING INTO EACHOTHER ONE AFTER THE OTHER... TV ANCHOR (V.O.) ... Through ten states and over three thousand miles... TV ANCHOR 2 (V.O.) ... A bookstore owner from Philadelphia Pennsylvania... CUT TO:FATHER BERCHMANthe father that brought Maurice in out of the cold in theMidwest, praying intensely in his chapel. AN OLD HAND-HELDRADIO IS ON THE PEW NEXT TO HIM. He listens to the updates. RADIO D.J. (V.O.) ... Ellen Parker killed by a drunk driver September 2nd... CUT TO:MR. CALDWELLIsaac's father, sitting in a TV station watching the monitorsas the feeds come in from California. Mr. Caldwell watcheswith great emotion, eyes glued to the screen. TV ANCHOR 3 (V.O.) ... A seven month odyssey through the heart of the country... CUT TO:SERGEANT DALLYthe police officer from Philadelphia who worked with Adelle.He listens with the rest of the precinct to a portable stereoon a windowsill. The room is silent -- everyone hangs on thewords coming from the speakers. RADIO D.J. 2 (V.O.) ... the power of the human spirit... CUT TO:GERALDin a hotel room. The TV FILLING THE ROOM WITH NEWS. Geraldsits behind two large room-service carts of food. He takes abig bite of a sandwich with an emotional smile to thetelevision. TV ANCHOR 4 (V.O.) ... A life threatening condition, Transient Cerebral Ischemia... CUT TO:ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITALwhere STEPHANIE watches in the jam packed recreation roomwith about thirty patients watching a TV screen mounted highin the corner of the room. Stephanie looks a mess, she'sbeen crying for a while. TV ANCHOR 5 ... a journey he began by himself, will end with a family of millions at his side... CUT TO:EXT. STREET - DAYThe BOISTEROUS crowd parts like a ripple effect as Mauricewalks through. The eyes fall emotionally on him as he staresdown at the ground trying to keep moving.Maurice gasps harder now, his eyes stinging with drops ofsweat falling from his brow. People in the crowd cover theirmouths in shock as they get a clear view of him... His shirtsoaked on one side with blood, his entire body shaking withpain, and exhaustion, his face hollow and pale -- ghostly.Maurice stops in his tracks. He looks up at a wooden sign,worn from the years of salt water air. The sign reads: "PACIFICA BEACH - 1/2 MILE"Maurice's thoughts fade away from this place, this time... CUT TO:EXT. PHILADELPHIA - FIFTEEN YEARS AGO - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)WE ARE IN THE PARKER BEDROOM. The lights are off. TheMOONLIGHT FROM THE WINDOWS BLANKETS Young Maurice and YoungEllen as they lay in bed. Ellen is cradled in Maurice'sarms. She is awake and watching the shadows dance on theceiling. She speaks in whispers. ELLEN What do you think heaven is like?Maurice opens his eyes and stares at his beautiful wife. MAURICE I don't know. ELLEN I think it's a different place for each person. MAURICE Did you have a dream?Beat. ELLEN I know where my heaven is. MAURICE Where? ELLEN Pacifica, California.Maurice chuckles. MAURICE Why there? ELLEN When I was ten, my family lived in Pacifica for a year. I used to go to the beach everyday that summer. I never felt so happy, carefree. It was a magic place for me... That's where my heaven will be.Beat. ELLEN Maurice? MAURICE Yes. ELLEN If I die, you'll know where to look for me? MAURICE Go to sleep Ellen. ELLEN No really, if God takes us away from each other, you know where to look now?Beat. MAURICE (pacifying her) The beach of Pacifica, California. ELLEN Good.Beat. MAURICE Go to sleep Ellen.Ellen smiles as she cradles deeper into Maurice's arms.Husband and wife fall asleep together. CUT TO:EXT. PACIFICA BEACH SIGN - DAY (PRESENT)Maurice snaps back to the present, the PAIN AND COMMOTIONcome back in a tidal wave of reality.Maurice wipes the tears in his eyes and tries to take a step.Someone blocks his way. ADELLE Uncle Maurice, please, we have to get you to a hospital.Adelle looks at her wounded Uncle sadly. She touches hisshirt and her hand comes away with blood. MAURICE I have to finish first. ADELLE I won't let you die.The inner circle of people bursts open, as KRIS BREAKSTHROUGH. KRIS Let him finish Adelle. He's almost there. ADELLE (yelling) He's almost dead. Can't you see that! This has nothing to do with you.Maurice touches Adelle's cheek turning her attention back tohim. He barely manages to get the words out. MAURICE It has nothing to do with you either... This is between Ellen and me.Beat. Maurice begins crying uncontrollably. MAURICE I'm begging you...Maurice takes her hand and bends down putting his forehead toher hand as if getting blessings from her. MAURICE Let me do this for Ellen, let me do this for my wife.Adelle's heart is breaking. She weeps openly as shestraightens her Uncle to an upright position. She wipes thetears from his eyes with her hand gently.AT THAT MOMENT THE INNER CIRCLE BREAKS OPEN AS TWO OFFICERSRUSH IN. They reach for Maurice. ADELLE Touch him, and they'll be a riot...Adelle stands firm, the strength in her growing with eachsecond. ADELLE ... and I'll start it.The officers are taken off guard. They look around at thecountless sea of eyes on them. Adelle sees they won't doanything and moves to Maurice's side.Maurice begins to walk again. Adelle to one side, Kris tothe other and thousands of people following in step. CUT TO:EXT. BEACH FRONT - DAYThe wave of people led by Maurice walk toward the beach. Thebeach is blocked off by barricades all along it's perimeter.Police officers stand every ten feet along it's edge.A young officer watches fearfully as the ocean of people movetowards him. OFFICER GANTZ TALKS INTO HIS WALKIE-TALKIE. GANTZ He's coming. What should I do? CUT TO:SERGEANT EMORYat the other end of the beach barricade, holding backhundreds of people trying to get to the beach. Emory holdshis walkie-talkie and looks around at the sea of anxiousfaces. He makes eye contact with a woman in tears. CUT TO:OFFICER GANTZclicking off his walkie-talkie as the crowd presses up to thebarricade. Officer Gantz is in awe as Maurice appears fromthe crowd -- looking like a ghost of war... a holyapparition. Maurice works his way painfully to Gantz.Gantz looks into Maurice's pleading eyes. Maurice tries tosay something, but nothing can come out...Gantz turns away from Maurice and picks up one of thebarricades. He makes an opening about three feet wide.Gantz turns back to Maurice, stands at attention, and stepsaside. GANTZ (with unspeakable admiration) Watch your step Mr. Parker.Adelle and Kris watch in amazement as Maurice TAKES HIS FIRSTSTEP ONTO THE SAND. CUT TO:EXT. BEACH - DAYAn empty beach. ALL SOUND AND CHAOS DISAPPEARS. THE GENTLEHISS OF THE OCEAN FILLS THE AIR.The last fifty yards...The steps in the sand, heavy, torturous. Each step, a stepcloser to her...Maurice picks up the pace. His numb feet making prints inthe sand. His lungs on fire...Twenty feet left... Ten... Five...The COOL WATER engulfs his feet and ankles. Maurice falls tohis knees like a man falling before God.Kneeling in the water, Maurice raises his hands to his eyes.The water spills between his fingers... clear, pure, magical.Maurice GASPS hard as he falls onto his back. The watercomes in and washes over him... Gasping harder... He'sstaring into the sky... Another wave of ocean gently blanketshim... Gasp... He spots something above him, fluttering...his vision BLURS... WHITE FLUTTERING... SLOW-MOTION. THEIMAGE CLEARS... Maurice smiles as he makes out the image of aWHITE DOVE FLYING ABOVE HIM...Maurice takes a short breath, very short. His body goesstill -- his eyes stay fixes at one point... No more pain, nomore loss, no more words...The water washes over Maurice A. Parker...Over his lifeless body...And over his smile... FADE TO BLACK. \ No newline at end of file