scene 3 final

INT. TRUCK - DAY

Tom, sporting aviator sunglasses, drives on a two-lane highway surrounded by fenced open grassland and distant hills. Traffic in opposite direction on the other side of a grass median strip. He looks out his window at the rolling freight train that makes a horizon line between earth and blue sky, then out the passenger window at cattle that dot the land beyond a house and barn. A horse's gaze aimed at him from the back of the horse trailer with Colorado plate ahead of him. He turns on the radio to static, punch-tunes it to ending of the Willie Nelson instrumental Bandera, smiles, the song ends, a moment of silence before Glen Campbell's cover of Galveston starts. Tom turns it up, sings along to the end of "sea winds blowing."  

CUT TO: 

INT. GREAT ROOM - DAY

Gil reading Foglost, FAINT WHIR OF CICADAS. The boys kicking soccer ball amidst the oaks.  

silly interlude two scenes a day re Final

"What small thing can I work on today?" indeed. And somedays mileage will vary. Act 3, for example, is for all intents and purposes is done. A day, for context, is generally the hour-and-a-half I have each morning before job clock-in. 

scene 1 final

Decided just now Yes to the bedroom as scene one, following a recent notion to jettison.  

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

TOM and WANDA, mid-70s, sit up in bed, under the covers, in pajamas, reading. Both wear glasses. Curtains closed across the window above the headboard. Lamp, eyeglass case and phone on their respective nightstands. Wanda peruses a Hawaiian Travel brochure. Tom is reading a grey hardcover book we can see is titled Foglost and written by H.C. Hardyn. Wanda turns page.

WANDA: Should we do a luau?

TOM: Well, what is it they say about when you're in Rome?

WANDA: Do as the Romans do.

TOM: Heck, I'm halfway thinkin' about takin' a surfin' lesson.

WANDA: Now that's some halfway thinking alright.

TOM: You think this ol' dog ain't got one more trick in him.

WANDA: I'd pay to see it.

TOM: Won't have to. Got 'em down the beach from our hotel. You just pull up under an umbrella with your mai tai, stick your toes in the sand and watch.

WANDA: Hmm. Maybe I'll take a hula lesson.

TOM: You know I'll be front and center for that.

Tom turns a page.

TOM (cont.): So whaddaya reckon the chances are we'll get lei'd.

Wanda, shocked, sets down the brochure, stares at Tom, who finally looks at her.

WANDA: Thomas Travis Walker, my goodness gracious.

TOM: What? Ain't that what they call them flower necklaces they put around your neck when ya get off the plane. A lei?

Wanda shakes her head.

WANDA: Yes, that's what they're called. But I'm not sure our airline does that.

TOM: Oh.

She returns her attention to the brochure, Tom his to the book.

WANDA: But I feel there's a good chance we will when we get to our hotel.

Tom looks at her, closes book. She looks at him, winks. He smiles. She puts brochure on her nightstand, Tom sets the book on his. 

CUT TO:

SCENE 2

.

Hawaii 1: elements

Thanksgiving.

Sunset.

Hunter, Chloe, Wanda, Ruth, Daisy, Gil, Maria, the boys in island attire.

Tom's ashes in the biodgradeable sea turtle that:

Chloe paddles out with on her surfboard.

The live sea turtle she sees pass beneath her.

Ukulele, Elvis and (Tom and Wanda's ringtone) If I Needed You.

what do we know about 1: John and Jan

We know they both are 70-something and, like their daughter Barbara and granddaughter Chloe, often use "what do do we know about" to introduce a question.

We know from Hunter's mountain meadow exchange with Tom that they are retired attorneys who live in Paso Robles, California. 

We know from their power-walk ballcaps that John went to Stanford and Jan to Cal Berkeley and that there is an old sports coupe in the driveway of their California ranch-tyle home. We know from their drive home from the airport with Barbara and Chloe that they also own a new SUV.

We know from the golf course scene that they play golf. We know from the scene in which we meet them that they, like Barbara and Chloe, play scrabble.   

Timeout

 

House built, now to paint and place furniture and fixtures, decorate, choose countertops, etc., but after a Timeout, aside from some backstory fun and tinkering. Sense of things in place having pushed through some Resistance, blah blah blah. Mornings at Mom's next week to begin Final, finally.      

Other titles: The Symbol of Checking and Stopping, Stoppage, Reposing, Non-action, Stopping

act 4 beats

act 3 beats

58. Next day. Hunter leaves in truck.

59. Hunter driving, radio music.

60. Gil and Maria.

61. Wanda and Ruth, Hunter arrive.

62. Sunset. Chloe with Barbara, Jan and John, re Ruth.

63. Night. H, W, R table talk, photo albums, wine re Gil.

64. H guest room, laptop, screensaver, R and W about the truck. 

65. Hill Country highway, Hunter driving, Wanda and Ruth. Arrive Gil's gate.

66. Gil on deck, sound of truck engine, arrival and intros.

67. Chloe and Barbara.

68. Fort Park. Women in kitchen. 

69. That night. H, W, R, porch with ice cream. Rain and thunder. Hunter's abridged backstory.

70. Gil in den, tequila and Bangkok pics. Enter the boys. 

71. Next morning. Hunter leaving. W and R, matinee at Arcadia and call Daisy.

72. Hunter driving, flat on the flat, abandoned structure as shade, manual in the glove compartment.

73. Chloe movie-maker in her room. 

74. John and Jan, Foglost best-seller, movie deal, selling Las Cruces for ____. John calls Hunter. Hunter at flat, fixed, John's ringtone, phone on seat. Their talk, add Jan, re out there to deliver Chloe's birthday present. End call, DRIVER stops to check on Hunter, re the truck, "my father's, and his before that." In, start engine, drive away.

75. Daisy gets Facetime from Wanda and Ruth.

76. Hunter's guest room, Hunter enter with boots and hat.

77. Doc. Going to Hawaii.

78. Leaving Laramie.

79. Hawaii.

80. Chloe birthday truck.

EPILOGUE: Gil and Hunter fishing.