CONTINUED: 2. BUTTONS It s Buttons, actually. MARK...It s not looking good for Mom.

Transcription

1 CONTINUED: 2. Mark sighs deeply. It s Buttons, actually. What s going on? MARK...It s not looking good for Mom. Buttons s heart stops. Mark continues to speak, but the words are all drowned out. He stares ahead, looking into the distance. INT. S CHILDHOOD HOME- KITCHEN- DAY FLASHBACK. A landfill disguised as a kitchen. Dishes piled up in the sink, food sitting out, cigarette butts lining the tiling...and in charge of it all, is (late 40s, early 50s). She sits at the table, chain smoking, enjoying every carcinogen in the stick. Across from her is YOUNG (10), a little boy, pre-clown make up, looking up at her, awestruck, yet terrified. Son...it s time I told you something. Something you were bound to find out at some point... Mama pulls out a photo of a man in a suit, and tie. (CONT D) Do you remember who this is? YOUNG...That s Dad. Correct. Remember how I told you your father got drafted and then was gunned down in a blaze of glory? Yes. YOUNG (CONTINUED)

2 CONTINUED: 3. Well, that didn t happen. Mama takes the another photo out from behind the other one, and places it in front. It s the same man, in clown make up? (CONT D) Your father is a clown, Daniel. A good for nothing, low life, red nose. The whole idea of it goes against God. Beat. She stands up. (CONT D) Traipsing around a glitzy stage, heeing and hawing, honking your nose at those shriveling numbskulls. I can t imagine doing that shit for the Queen of England. She notices Buttons sad expression. (CONT D) Running around the country, making a fool out of yourself, mocking the very ground you stand on. It s terrible. It s putrid. It s shameful. Don t be ever be shameful, Daniel. Mama gets up, and walks very close to Young Buttons. (CONT D) You were always Mommy s good boy. She puts the cigarette out on the table, and softly rubs his upper back. She begins to walk out of the room. (CONT D) Happy Birthday, sweetheart. Young Buttons sits terrified in his chair. He looks around to make sure she s gone, and pulls out a red nose from his pocket. He puts it on his face, and honks it. He sighs deeply.

3 CONTINUED: 9. Buttons steps behind the curtain, but quickly pops back up, holding a red matador flag. The song Habanera from Carmen begins to play. He drudges his way to the stage, violently staring stage left. Mama has appeared once again. He tempts her with an eyebrow raise. She doesn t budge. He shakes the flag, nothing. He runs his foot back and forth on the stage, revving up like he s going to charge. Mama squints, and revs back. Buttons does so once more, and taunts her to come toward him. We cut out wide to reveal Mama is not on stage at all, and the crowd is desperately confused. Buttons brings the flag over as if a bull has just come through it. The crowd begins to dissipate. They go through a couple more charges. We come back to Buttons point of view to see that Mama is actually running through the flag. After he successfully tricks her three times, she winks at him. He winks back. He throws the flag to the side, and looks out to the audience. Everyone is gone. He pies himself in the face out of desperation. Nobody is there. Buttons cries, alone. INT. S CHILDHOOD HOME- S ROOM-NIGHT Buttons sits on the edge of his bed, crying, clown make up running down his face. He looks over to the packed suitcase over by his desk and continues to cry. INT. S CHILDHOOD HOME- FAMILY ROOM-NIGHT Mama is still passed out on the couch. Teenage Buttons quietly opens the door, suitcase in hand. He makes his way back to the front door, when he hears: Going somewhere? TEENAGE (through tears)...i ll be right back, Mama. Okay, honey. Teenage Buttons opens the door, and begins to walk out. He looks back one last time, and sees his mother, passed out on the couch, laughing to herself at the TV. He can t look any longer, and closes the door. Mama is alone on the couch.

4 10. EXT. S CHILDHOOD HOME- PRESENT DAY-DAY Buttons stands outside his home in his full clown outfit. Trembling, he walks towards the front door. INT. S CHILDHOOD HOME-HALLWAY-MOMENTS LATER Buttons stands outside his mother s room. BEEPING and BOOPING can be heard from outside the door. He starts to walk away, when his red nose falls off. He bends over, picks it up, and looks at it. He can hear faint laughter while looking at it. He puts the nose back on his face, and slowly opens the door. INT. S ROOM-CONTINUOUS Buttons sees Mama, asleep in her bed, hooked up to machines. He can barely stand it. He inches closer to the bed, and taps Mama on the shoulder. She slowly wakes up, and looks at her son....who are you? It s me, Mama, your son....i have a son, his name is Mark. Do you know where he is? No, Mama. Buttons wipes off his eye make up. It s me...daniel. Mama realizes who he is. She is shell shocked. Get out of here. I wanted to come see you. And you did. Now leave. (CONTINUED)

5 CONTINUED: 11. Mama. Get. Out. Buttons, disappointed, begins to walk away. He stops at the door, and turns back around. You know, I have a show tomorrow in the park. You should come out and see it. I think you d like it, actually. Buttons leaves. She picks up the photo of Buttons s father from before, and starts crying. She puts the photo down, and rolls her eyes. EXT. PARK- DAY Barely anyone is in the crowd this time. Buttons sits backstage, laser focused on his performance ahead. He peaks behind the table, and looks out. No Mama. He stands up, and walks out on stage, where there is nothing but a table and a chair, and a cloth covering a tray He takes a deep bow, then pulls out a hat, and cane. He begins to do a bit of a dance, and steps on his foot. He picks up his foot, and yells in pain. He then stubs his other toe on the table. Hopping around the stage in pain, he sits down in the chair, and takes the cloth off the tray. On it are two pieces of bread, and two forks. He begins to do the little tramp routine with the bread, and his legs in unison, when he whacks himself in one eye, then the other. He gets up, blindly maneuvers around the stage, and slips on one of the piece of bread. He pretends to fall, and lands on the chair. A cream pie comes in from off screen, and nails him in the face. Ta da! He gets up, and there are maybe three people in the audience. They walk away. Buttons is crushed. Once they leave, Mama is revealed behind them, in a wheelchair. Mark stands at her aid. Mama gives him a small nod. He nods back. He smiles through the cream.