MIRROR REFLECTION BLACK SCREEN WITH TITLE CARD ROLLING Phone ringing can be heard over the opening credits. S DAD V.O. The messages Claire s Dad leaves her are fragmented and heard through several voice messages as the camera eventually travels through the MIRROR WORLD. Hi Claire honey...doing well... haven t heard about your project lately. You are working on it right?...we can t afford to send any money so you need that scholarship... You ve got to make the honor roll... You need an award winning piece...are you even trying...mentioned that you might be eating too much... You look like you ve gained weight last time I saw you...should be working not daydreaming...you re living in a fantasy world on my dollar...grow up stop being a child...can t support your decisions if you continue to make the wrong choices... (V.O) It s like I m never good enough for you! I keep trying and you keep saying it s not enough! I mean don t you love me for who I am? S DAD V.O. I guess I just expected you to be a better, more motivated person. Because right now I don t really love who you are or who you re becoming. I can t say I m proud of you because you continue to make the wrong choices. (V.O) Can t you just try to understand me? Try to see how I feel? How hard this is?... S DAD V.O.
CONTINUED: 2. (V.O) (sighs) I ve got to go to class. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DAY The bright colors and strange trees crowd the frame as we move toward a large mirror floating weightlessly in the landscape. This is happening at the same time as S DAD S VOICE OVER. (V.O) (disaffected drone)... similar to the idea solipsism. Since an individual can t know a mind outside of their own, the construct of reality must called into question. A dull monochromatic class room fills our view as we transition from the colorful MIRROR WORLD into bland REALITY. INT. CLASSROOM -- DAY is sitting in the back of the CLASSROOM. Her laptop is in front of her but it isn t turned on, a dim reflection of can be seen in the screen. The teacher paces in front of class. So without the continued reinforced illusion I could quite reasonably come to the conclusion that you re all construct of my imagination, and if so the... gazes out the window to more monochromatic dullness... except a single colorful tree stands in the middle of the gray. looks at it curiously....aire? Claire? jumps she didn t notice the teacher talking to her, or standing so close. (Stutters) Wha-what?
CONTINUED: 3. Well class, looks like I was right,this one definitely doesn t have a mind of her own. Giggles erupt from the class. I don t have a... mind? realizes this is going from bad to worse as the teacher slowly walks back to the front of class shaking his head. If you re not prepared to participate in class, I honestly don t know why you re wasting your time here. He turns at the front. Well? INT. BATHROOM -- DAY stands in front of the large bathroom mirrors painfully close to a panic attack. The sound of her heart pounding is heard overwhelming the background noise. She shuts her eyes as the giggles from her classmates return to her mind. Her head drops, but her reflection does not follow. Her reflection keeps a "Hannibal" gaze focused on Claire and grins. Keep it together. Don t let that asshole get to you. (exhales and nods to herself.) INT. HALLWAY -- EVENING walks through the HALLWAY. Her reflection moves at the same pace as her, until one window where the reflection is missing entirely. In the next moment the reflection is back. (V.O)... no dad I didn t! I was just distracted for a second and he... I was not being ARTSY! I was being normal! I didn t talk back!
CONTINUED: 4. INT. DORM ROOM -- NIGHT is sitting at her desk staring at blank pieces of paper. She[U+0092]s got pens and art supplies around her but hasn t put anything down. I haven t been getting enough sleep, and I haven t even started to work on the scholarship project... (sighs) I said I need... (sighs) never mind. (Claire puts her head in her hands). Yeah I know, all A s I promise... Yeah ok, bye. She sighs defeated and puts her phone on her desk. She stares at the blank piece of paper. In the mirror beside her we see her reflection sketching happily. She s sitting at the same desk jiggling her foot happily. Claire doesn t notice. EXT. CAMPUS -- DAY sits outside on a bench, a piece of paper held in her hands, but she looks off into the distance. We see over her shoulder a big red "F". The sound suddenly dies and only S breathing can be heard. She suddenly crumples up the paper and walks quickly toward a trashcan in front of a big reflective building. She is about to toss the homework when she notices her reflection in the building. MIRROR is grinning at her and beckoning. The crumpled homework falls from Claire s hand. MIRROR s grin widens as her hand breaches the window and grabs S wrist. doesn t even have a moment to react before she s dragged into the MIRROR WORLD. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DAY is laying on the ground unconscious. Strange animal sounds in the distance slowly wake her up. Her eyes flutter open. She is greeted by the strange MIRROR WORLD. MIRROR stands over her. scoots back surprised. (shakily) Who are you? MIRROR (Shrugs then laughs) I m pretty much your best friend. Probably your only friend actually.
CONTINUED: 5. How come I ve never seen you before? And why do you look like me? MIRROR What would you do if I said I was you? I d... call you crazy. MIRROR (grins) Guess that makes two of us. (motions between them before rolling her shoulders casually) Listen. As much as I love BS-ing with you, I ve really got some stuff to do. And there are some important things to know if you re going to survive. quickly gets to her feet and looks around. (to herself) This has got to be a lucid dream. She looks back to MIRROR and for the first time we see MIRROR is standing in the gray world of the college campus. MIRROR You think this is just a dream? Go ahead wake up then, that ll totally work. No! I ve had lucid dreams before, I just need to... (She pinches her self.) OW! Ok, my watch, if I count the numbers, 1... 2... MIRROR Yeah you have fun with that. MIRROR turns to walk away into the campus.
CONTINUED: 6. NO! Wait! jumps forward and slams into the almost invisible glass wall that divides the two worlds. No... She watches MIRROR walk into the distance. Claire sinks down and sits back against the wall eyes shut breathing hard, she s trembling.in the background we can see MIRROR walk confidently toward a group of boys and strike up a conversation. Meanwhile breaks into sobs. As MIRROR moves further away from the window the image slowly dissolves behind until it becomes invisible. jerks backwards as the glass wall disappears entirely. She turns around and sees nothing but the Mirror World behind her. Oh no... No no... stands looks around the strange new world. The rustle of undergrowth makes her quickly turn. She backs away from the noise. walks among the colorful trees. Ok. I need to find something... normal. Something to wake me up. Something growls a distance behind her and she breaks into a run. She hides behind a massive tree, while a dark beast stalks slowly behind her tree. She bends down and picks up a rock and holds it close to her. A noise in the distance makes the creature turn and it crashes off into the trees. breathes a sigh of relief. INT. DORM ROOM -- EVENING MIRROR walks into "her" dorm room and looks around dejectedly. MIRROR I thought I was supposed to be "artsy"? Her gaze catches the mirror by Claire[U+0092]s drawing table. No reflection, just the empty room. MIRROR chuckles.
CONTINUED: 7. MIRROR She s so screwed. MIRROR sits down and starts to draw. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DUSK stands on a hill gazing across the landscape of strangely colored trees. The sun has set and night is beginning to fall. As darkness is falling a bright glint catches her eye in the distance. She squints and starts toward it. INT. DORM ROOM -- NIGHT MIRROR has her phone pressed against her ear. MIRROR Really mom you shouldn t be such a worry wort, kids grow up ya know! She absentmindedly sketches. Rolls her eyes. MIRROR Yeah dad was harsh. But he s right, I was smart enough to get the scholarship. I m sure I m smart enough to keep it! EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- NIGHT walks through the trees, a bright square visible in the distance half obscured by leaves. Her curiosity turns to excitement and she start to run. INT. DORM ROOM -- NIGHT MIRROR is still sketching distractedly at a table. The mirror behind her is dark with the vague outlines of foliage. We see break through the trees and run toward the mirror. s hands slam up against it and she yells, but no sound carries through. MIRROR looks up from her drawing and sees trapped behind the glass. MIRROR (grins)ok well mom I have to go, I m going to hang out with a boy I met... Hahaha no I won t, BYE! She ends the call and glances at the mirror. is banging on the mirror. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DAY
CONTINUED: 8. Let me out! You can t do this! It s my life! MIRROR looks through the mirror and shakes her head. MIRROR (voice slightly muffled)sorry, this is the way it is now. You re the one stuck in there, while I get to play out here! (holds her arms out motioning to the real world.) Now where are your sexy outfits, I ve got a date with a boy! MIRROR gets up and walks out of view. NO! Again the mirror starts to fade once MIRROR is out of sight. is left along in the Mirror World. Night has fallen. A growl comes from the trees far too close. backs away and rushes toward a bush she clambers inside.bright eyes flicker open and a dark beast crunches closer in the clearing. is safely hidden in the bush, breathing as quietly as she can. The camera shifts to POV and the bright eyes of the beast look at the bush coming closer and closer before a noise has him rushing off into the dark again. INT. CLASSROOM -- DAY MIRROR stares out the window into the monochromatic campus, now three trees are colorful. She smiles to herself. The class giggles. Claire! I thought I made myself clear, if your not going to pay attention... Chill teach! Don t loose your shit. Since there s no empirical way to test the ideas Descartes suggests it s a logical dead end. If there s no (MORE)
CONTINUED: 9. (cont d) objectivity anyway what s the point pretending there is? It s just like a belief in god, no logic can challenge it. The teacher is flabbergasted for a second. Very... good. So Claire s argument is alluded to in the texts from Berkeley we ll be reading next week. Lets wrap up and I ll see you after the weekend. MIRROR smiles confidently then glances down to her laptop reflection where is yelling silently trapped in the screen. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DAY bangs her fist on a floating screen. MIRROR notices her through the glass. Hey! Let me out! Now! MIRROR wags her finger and closes the laptop and the mirror goes black. A loud growl makes turn. The beast has decided to finally show itself. It s more shadow that anything, but with the vague outline of a tiger and the glowing eyes and teeth of some nightmare wolf. s fear turns to determination. OK. If this is my dream, then this is my world. I ve got control. She bends down a picks up a rock. The beast takes a step forward and growls again. They stand off, neither backing down. EXT. CAMPUS -- DAY MIRROR is walking confidently through campus. She gazes over toward the reflective building that brought her into this world, then stops. As she approaches the MIRROR WORLD materializes and she sees still in stand-off with the black beast. jumps forward and yells at the beast (the sound cut off from behind the glass). The beast takes a step back, jumps forward again then rushes, the beast turns tail and disappears into the trees.
CONTINUED: 10. MIRROR Oh, wow. She totally did it. (grins) Not bad. EXT. MIRROR WORLD -- DAY The sound makes turn and she sees MIRROR standing on the other side of the glass. The two exchange a stare, with determination and resilience, MIRROR with surprise and defeat. slowly walks toward the large window. She tosses the rock up and down her hand. I ve had enough! I m ending this! winds up and throws the rock full force toward the window. EXT. CAMPUS -- DAY The rock flies toward the inside of the window and shatters the glass. MIRROR closes her eyes and holds up her hands to protect her face. Shards of glass fall to the floor, each with MIRROR s face reflected. slowly opens her eyes. She s surrounded by broken shards of the window, but she s back in her old reality. The broken shards of glass on the ground reflect MIRROR. looks up. GIRL (out of shot)are... are you ok? I don t know... what just happened? GIRL You just smashed that huge window! It was... awesome actually. You re Claire right? (nods) How do you know who I am? GIRL Oh, I m in your philosophy class. That was quite the response today. You really showed him. It was pretty impressive, I think you impressed him too.
CONTINUED: 11. The both laugh. She waves goodbye. I did that? I mean... thanks. (smiles) I don t know what made me say it. GIRL Well good job standing your ground. Although maybe less window breaking in the future. GIRL I ll see you Monday. INT. DORM ROOM -- EVENING is working busily on her art piece. A sheet covers the mirror next to her. She s humming along to music. Her phone vibrates and hits the speaker button. Hi Mom. S MOM (V.O) Hi honey... How did your date go? Oh! It wasn t very memorable. S MOM (V.O) Oh, well that s okay. He probably wasn t the one for you. You now... yesterday, you sounded like your old self again. Happy! Your dad said every time he talks to you lately, you sound sad. It was nice to hear you laugh! I... I guess I decided I needed a change. It was just school was weighing me down. S MOM (V.O) I know we ve been pushing you hard to get good grades, but it[u+0092]s just that we want the best for you. Your dad especially. It s hard to see your baby leave home. He worries about you and wants you to (MORE)
CONTINUED: 12. S MOM (V.O) (cont d) be happy. He thinks you have such amazing talent and wants the whole world to see it. He just doesn t know how to tell you he cares, that he worries about you when you re not around. Claire, we ll be proud of you no matter what. OK? Yeah, I know, thanks mom. (smiles to herself.) Hey so you know the scholarship piece I m doing? Tell dad I think it s going to be my best yet. It s a girl and her mirror reflection reaching out to each other. It s about trying and getting stronger even when it s hard. looks sideways to the covered mirror, she pulls the sheet aside and sees MIRROR happily sketching away in the reflection. Ok... I will. Ok bye mom. Tell dad I love him. Love you too. Mirror Claire looks at the camera grins and gives a wink. CUT TO BLACK.