snowbound with peaches
brian tolle
We HEAR muzak, ambient sound
BEGIN TITLES
Large animated snowflakes fall slowly
END TITLES
FADE IN:
INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT - LONG SHOT - JACK.
(Note: Throughout scene, camera is in motion from camera cue to camera cue, with no cuts. except for the close shot of the desk clerk)
The LOBBY music continues, we also HEAR the noises of a video game echo through
the lobby.
JACK is sitting at a table-style version of Donkey Kong. He is wearing only a t-shirt, shorts, and socks. His hair is neatly combed and trimmed and he has a goatee.
We HEAR Mario die. Jack breaks from his game, looks up at the front desk of the
hotel, and smiles.
His new man starts, and he resumes playing the game.
MED. SHOT - JACK PLAYING GAME
From the SOUNDS of the game, we know that he is playing well. He looks up from the game, at the front desk.
MED. SHOT - FRONT DESK
The desk clerk is crouching on a stool, changing a light bulb. He is an attractive man in his early twenties. He does not notice Jack at all. To his right is a
dark doorway. There is FAINT music coming from the doorway.
CLOSE SHOT - DESK CLERK CHANGING LIGHT BULB
LONG SHOT - JACK AT GAME
Jack looks to the door, and back again. He suspects that the door may be the bar. He stands, the game is still going. He walks to the door.
As Jack approaches the door, the camera DOLLIES backward, keeping him at a consistent distance. The MUSIC from the doorway grows louder, until he is framed in the doorway.
INT. BAR - NIGHT - EXTREME CLOSEUP - collins glass FILLED WITH ICE
A woman’s hand with long red nails pours whiskey into the glass. Sour mix is poured into the glass.
We follow the level of the liquid as it rises.
We FOLLOW the hand that is making the drink as it gets a maraschino cherry from a bin, and places it in the glass.
ANGLE WIDENS TO INCLUDE the rest of the bar. The bartender hands the drink to Jack.
Jack is sitting at the bar. On one side of him sits PEACHES. She is middle-aged
with shaggy black hair, a black blouse with a western feel to it, and a short black skirt and cowboy boots.
A CUTE MAN is sitting on the other side of him. He is wearing a cheap button-down shirt and jeans. He is reading a newspaper and drinking.
The Bartender, a pretty woman in her mid-twenties, picks Jacks drivers license off the bar and examines it briefly. She hands it back to him, but Peaches swipes
it and begins examining it closely.
The Bartender gives Peaches a quick, evil glance.
PEACHES
I’m Peaches. Who are you?
JACK
Peaches?
PEACHES
It’s my god-given name.
Peaches quickly pulls out her wallet and flips it open.
INSERT - PEACHES’ WALLET
We see her drivers license and a snapshot of Peaches dressed as a clown and a bearded man, seemingly enjoying themselves.
PEACHES (OS)
See?
BACK TO SCENE
JACK
(pointing to man in snapshot)
Who’s that?
Peaches puts her wallet away as quickly as she brought it out. She continues examining Jack’s drivers license.
PEACHES
You know, I like you much better without the goatee.
Peaches holds Jacks license up to compare it with him.
PEACHES POV - JACKS LICENSE AND JACK
PEACHES
You look like my father with it.
MED. SHOT - JACK AND PEACHES
Jack can not figure out how to reply. Peaches begins reading his drivers license
.
PEACHES
My God. 1971? Do you know, I was your age in 1971.
Jack is still unsure how to handle the situation. he stares at her blankly.
PEACHES
Honestly now, do I look that old?
JACK
No. I never would have guessed.
(reaches for his drivers license)
Could I>>
PEACHES
Louise? Your middle name is Louise? Isn’t that kind-of a girlie name?
Jack stares at her, not sure if he should grab his drivers license, or explain.
Peaches hands him his license.
JACK
Lou-eese. It’s French. It was my grand-father’s name.
PEACHES
You know what my middle name is?
JACK
What?
PEACHES
You wanna know? You’ll never guess.
JACK
Okay.
PEACHES
I don’t have one. Peaches. Nothing before, nothing after.
(beat)
When I was born, my father>> he was a biker>> he was doped up on more stuff than my
mom>> and when he sees me come out -- oh, I was breech -- he sees my come out and
he says “Peaches”.
MONTAGE
A) A peach rotating slowly against a black background. It rotates so the crease
is facing us.
B) A baby’s bottom being slapped in the delivery room. A booming voice SAYS “Peaches.8f We HEAR a baby cry.
MED. SHOT - JACK
Jack looks at her blankly. Peaches reaches into his glass and takes the cherry from his drink.
JACK
I’ve>>
He begins to leave, but reaches back and shakes her hand.
JACK
(continuing)
>>nice meeting you.
He walks away from the bar. He walks over to a small table in the middle of the
room. He opens his book and props his stocking feet on a chair.
INT. BAR - NIGHT - MED. SHOT JACK AT TABLE
Peaches watches him from the bar. He can feel her eyes on him.
He can’t concentrate on his book. He flips through pages.
He takes a drink and watches the ice in his glass swirl.
He flips through some more pages of his book.
He takes another drink. He swirls the ice in his glass. He holds the glass in front of him and stares at the ice swirling. We can hear the ice CLINK in the glass. The ice moves faster.
JACKS POV- HIS GLASS
In the b.g. is the bar. Cute Man sits in the middle, Peaches on the right, no one is to the left. Cute Man is doing a crossword puzzle.
Jack moves the glass to hide Peaches.
Jack moves the glass to hide Cute Man.
Jack moves the glass to the empty space to the left.
Jack moves the glass to hide Cute Man. The Bartender is standing to the left glaring at him. Peaches smiles at him from the right.
BACK TO SCENE
MED. SHOT - JACK AT TABLE
Jack finishes his drink in one gulp. He walks to the bar, Peaches is trying to pretend that she does not notice him.
JACK
(to bartender)
Could I have another? And could you make this one with Jack Daniel’s?
The bartender picks up the bottle of Jack Daniels. It is nearly empty. She pours the small amount in it into the drink, throws the bottle away, then heads to the stock room.
PEACHES
(quietly to Jack)
We were married.
(into her beer)
Were married.
Jack looks around to see who she is talking to. He realizes that she is talking
to him.
JACK
Who?
PEACHES
In the picture. It’s my ex. Now - screwing my best friend. Well, my ex-best friend.
JACK
Oh.
PEACHES
My ex-best friend and I used to own a cleaning business. We’d clean houses. Professor’s houses mostly. Professors are pigs. We don’t do it anymore.
JACK
Oh.
PEACHES
I hear she got AIDS. Hmf. Teach them.
(beat)
God. I’ve got to clean a place at 8 a.m., alone.
JACK
She has AIDS?
PEACHES
She deserves it. Slut.
JACK
(getting angry)
No one deserves it.
PEACHES
(deflated)
Slut. They deserve each other.
Peaches finishes her beer in one drink and mopes over to the juke-box. Jack watches her go, slight concern in his face.
The bartender brings his drink. He hands her his money.
Bartender nods.
JACK
(to Bartender)
Thanks.
CUTE MAN
You don’t mess around, do you.
JACK
(confused)
What?
CUTE MAN
With your liquor, you don’t mess around. Only the good stuff.
JACK
No. I mean, yeah.
(beat)
What are you drinking?
CUTE MAN
Tanqueray and tonic. T’n’T.
(laughs)
JACK
Mm. Hmm.
Peaches has selected a song on the juke-box and it begins playing. It is a slow,
dancy, Mellencamp type of song.
CUTE MAN
What brings you to this neck of the woods?
JACK
Snow. We were going to Chicago, but the weather had other plans. What brings you to town?
CUTE MAN
I install video security systems. It’s okay, I get to travel>>
(motions around the bar)
see the sights. We’re installing in a new department store.
JACK
Video cameras?
CUTE MAN
Yeah. You get some weird shit on those tapes.
CLOSE SHOT - JACK
JACK
Is it true that you can watch people in the dressing rooms?
CUT TO:
INT. RETAIL STORE CHANGING ROOM - ANGLE - OVER THE WALL
The front desk clerk stands in his underwear. He flexes and admires himself in the mirrors.
CLOSE SHOT - CUTE MAN
CUTE MAN
Well, you’re not supposed to, but>>
CUT TO:
INT. RETAIL STORE CHANGING ROOM - ANGLE - OVER THE WALL
A woman stands in her underwear. She is stuffing her bra with home electronics.
MED. SHOT - JACK AND CUTE MAN
Cute Man and Jack smile and begin giggling. They are tickled by their thoughts.
Peaches is standing at the juke-box, staring at them.
CUTE MAN
(nodding at Peaches)
Looks like you’ve made a friend.
JACK
You think so?
CUTE MAN
I’d watch out if I were you.
(beat)
Uh-oh.
JACK
What?
INT. BAR - NIGHT - DANCE FLOOR
Peaches has moved to the dance floor, she is dancing alone. She dances slowly and seductively. She is staring at Jack.
MED. SHOT - JACK
Jack takes his drink and goes back to his table. He puts his feet on a chair and
opens his book.
Peaches continues dancing. She is still looking at him. He reads.
Peaches grimaces and crosses to the bar. The Bartender wipes a glass and glares
at Peaches. Peaches grabs Cute Man and takes him to the dance floor with her.
They dance in a slow, awkward sway, not focusing on any one thing, looking around
the room in a bored daze. Cute Man holds her close and begins to rub her ass.
Peaches stops dancing. She is not interested in Cute Man’s advances. She heads
to the bar.
PEACHES
(to the bartender)
Gimme another beer.
The Bartender stops wiping her glass. She slowly sets it down. She grabs a beer
from the cooler, and in one quick gesture, opens the beer and slams it down on the bar so hard it begins to foam over the top.
Peaches
(taking the beer)
Thanks.
Peaches crosses to the table where Jack is sitting. She straddles the seat where
Jacks stocking feet are propped. He looks up from his book at her.
She takes a big swig from her beer, sets it down, and begins massaging his feet.
PEACHES
What are you reading? Is it Shakespeare?
JACK
It’s Oscar Wilde.
PEACHES
Wild. How about you read to me?
JACK
I don’t know if it’s quite your speed.
PEACHES
Try me.
JACK
I don’t know if anyone else in here would appreciate a public reading.
PEACHES
(loudly)
Oh, screw ‘em. They don’t care, anyway.
Jack thinks about it.
JACK
Okay.
Jack thumbs through his book until he finds a good place to start. He looks at Peaches and nods for approval to start.
PEACHES
I brought you a peace offering.
She holds up a maraschino cherry.
JACK
Thank you, but I already have one in my drink.
Peaches puts the cherry in her mouth, holding the stem between two fingers. She
slowly sucks the cherry off of the stem, then rolls it on her tongue.
Jack sits up, putting his feet on the floor as he reaches for his drink.
PEACHES
I’m going to the lady’s room to freshen up. And when I get back>>
Peaches inhales seductively, slightly sticking out her chest. Jack smiles a weak
smile.
Jack nods.
Peaches stands up and slowly walks to the doorway that leads to the lobby.
Jack sits, dazed at his table.
CUTE MAN
Run. Run far. Run Fast. Now. While you still can.
Jack nods, the spell is broken. He finishes his drink, grabs his book and stands
.
Bartender
Go on. You can have her. Dumb bitch.
Jack looks at the Bartender.
MED. SHOT - BARTENDER AT BAR
The bartender wipes a glass.
MATCH FADE TO:
MED. SHOT - BARTENDER AT BAR
The Bartender wipes a glass. She is dressed like a man, with the same fake beard
that she is wearing in the photo in Peaches’ wallet.
MATCH FADE TO:
MED. SHOT - BARTENDER AT BAR
The bartender wipes a glass.
LONG SHOT - INT. BAR
Jack walks quickly to the door. He pauses, silhouetted in the door frame.
FADE OUT.
THE END
