At the Bend
Excerpt from "Bananafish Sandwich"
by Kevin O'Malley
Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 New Hampshire Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Background: Nick and Jillian always commemorate a childhood dunking in the chilly waters of the Connecticut River near Hanover, NH (covered in a flashback later in the script) with their annual "May Day River Swim." There seem to be other forces at work besides reminiscing as Nick expounds upon the second Gestalt law:
The closer two elements are, the more likely
they are to be seen as related.
EXT. THE BEND IN THE RIVER -- AFTERNOON
Nick and Jillian ride their bikes up to the edge of the river. Nick instantly peels down to his boxers and dives in. He lets out an agonized howl.
NICK
Goddamn! Cccccold!!!
Jillian parks her bike. And slowly takes off her baggy sweat pants and her oversized sweatshirt. She wears the smallest bikini ever worn in the state of New Hampshire.
Nick turns to look as she dips a toe in the water.
NICK (CONTINUED)
Imagination. Over...rated.
She kicks water at him and dives in before he can notice how much she is blushing.
MONTAGE
Nick and Jillian swimming...
splashing....
jumping off the rope swing.
Enjoying clean (cold) water fun.
BACK TO SCENE
Nick and Jillian sit on the old dilapidated dock warming in the late afternoon sun. Her back to his shoulder. Nick has a long stick that he is idly drawing designs with in the water.
JILLIAN
Whatcha drawing?
NICK
A gravestone.
JILLIAN
Oh, that's cute.
NICK
Did you know that Keats didn't want
his name on his grave?
JILLIAN
Hey, aren't you in my English class?
NICK
"One whose name was writ in water."
Nick writes "Jillian" in the water. He looks up at her and smiles.
JILLIAN
See, writers never stop writing. Even
when they stop writing.
(she lightens the mood)
Hey, remember when we used to draw on
each other's back and try to figure out
what it was?
She straightens up and aims her back to him.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Go ahead. You first.
Nick smiles and thinks a bit. He brushes her back as if erasing a blackboard.
He starts by writing the letter "F."
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Is that a letter? Damn, I think my skin
is dyslexic.
NICK
"I think my skin is dyslexic." That, folks,
is a sentence that has never been uttered
on Planet Earth.
JILLIAN
Nah, I'm sure somebody has said it before.
But, "I think my skin is dyslexic and it is
most certainly a perfect day for a bananafish
sandwich." Now, that. That's never been said.
NICK
You're nuts.
He laughs and starts writing on her back again. Jillian concentrates as hard as she can.
JILLIAN
F...A...T. Fat? Fat?? Ellis, you are not
telling me I'm fat! Look at these guns!
(makes a muscle)
All muscle, pal.
NICK
I'm not done.
He keeps writing.
JILLIAN
H...E...R. Fat. Her!!
(spins around with mock anger)
What are you, in sixth grade? Oh, you are
so toast!
Nick grabs her by both wrists and they tussle in fun.
NICK
Wait, wait, wait. Lemme do it again. Turn
around. Just turn around, Jel.
She starts to say something and Nick takes her head and turns it back forward.
NICK (CONT'D)
Okay. Concentrate.
He writes again. Modifying the sequence.
JILLIAN
F...A. Fa?
(concentrating)
T...H...E. The?
(confused)
R? R? Fa...the...r? Fa...ther?
(figures it out)
Oh, my god! Father! Right? Father!!
She turns around to see Nick with a big self-satisfied smile on his face.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
"Fat her" becomes "father." Ooooh, that
could have some bad serious implications
for people in therapy.
(shudders)
How'd you figure that one out?
NICK
Homework. From my Saturday Psych class
up at the college. If you wanna know, it's
actually an example of the second law
Gestalt theory.
JILLIAN
God bless you?
NICK
Gestalt. It's German. Pronounced like
"gish talt." It's the law of proximity.
The closer two elements are, the more
likely they are to be seen as related.
Nick gives her an ain't-I-clever raise of his eyebrows. Jillian likes this game.
JILLIAN
Proximity. Hmmm.
She spins his shoulders around so she can draw on his back.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Okay, my turn.
She rubs his back with her hand. And stops, lost in thought.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Hmph. Here are those same two birthmarks.
NICK
Connect the dots. A new game.
She laughs, but again turns thoughtful as she gently traces a line between the two birthmarks.
NICK (CONT'D)
A straight line. Am I right?
She lightly bonks him on the head.
JILLIAN
Shut up. I'm still thinking.
Nick takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Jillian's expression changes. Her eyes are dodging around crazy-like.
She looks down at her bikini top and pulls it up over her breasts. She very, very slowly edges her nipples closer to his back. The second law of Gestalt theory in action.
Nick, still with his eyes closed, startles a little at her touch.
NICK
Ah, man, you are such a cheater! I'm
never going to guess if you use two
fingers.
JILLIAN
I'm not using my fingers.
Nick's eyes slam wide open.
He leaps to his feet and grabs his shirt and pants.
Jillian quickly pulls her top back in place.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Nick?
He's afraid to turn around and look at her.
NICK
Umm. You know, I told your dad that
I was going to meet him. So, uh, I
think I better hightail it.
He hops on his bike and is down the road before Jillian can get another word out.
She sits there stewing for a moment or two. She picks up Nick's drawing stick and chucks it into the river.
The closer two elements are, the more likely
they are to be seen as related.
EXT. THE BEND IN THE RIVER -- AFTERNOON
Nick and Jillian ride their bikes up to the edge of the river. Nick instantly peels down to his boxers and dives in. He lets out an agonized howl.
NICK
Goddamn! Cccccold!!!
Jillian parks her bike. And slowly takes off her baggy sweat pants and her oversized sweatshirt. She wears the smallest bikini ever worn in the state of New Hampshire.
Nick turns to look as she dips a toe in the water.
NICK (CONTINUED)
Imagination. Over...rated.
She kicks water at him and dives in before he can notice how much she is blushing.
MONTAGE
Nick and Jillian swimming...
splashing....
jumping off the rope swing.
Enjoying clean (cold) water fun.
BACK TO SCENE
Nick and Jillian sit on the old dilapidated dock warming in the late afternoon sun. Her back to his shoulder. Nick has a long stick that he is idly drawing designs with in the water.
JILLIAN
Whatcha drawing?
NICK
A gravestone.
JILLIAN
Oh, that's cute.
NICK
Did you know that Keats didn't want
his name on his grave?
JILLIAN
Hey, aren't you in my English class?
NICK
"One whose name was writ in water."
Nick writes "Jillian" in the water. He looks up at her and smiles.
JILLIAN
See, writers never stop writing. Even
when they stop writing.
(she lightens the mood)
Hey, remember when we used to draw on
each other's back and try to figure out
what it was?
She straightens up and aims her back to him.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Go ahead. You first.
Nick smiles and thinks a bit. He brushes her back as if erasing a blackboard.
He starts by writing the letter "F."
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Is that a letter? Damn, I think my skin
is dyslexic.
NICK
"I think my skin is dyslexic." That, folks,
is a sentence that has never been uttered
on Planet Earth.
JILLIAN
Nah, I'm sure somebody has said it before.
But, "I think my skin is dyslexic and it is
most certainly a perfect day for a bananafish
sandwich." Now, that. That's never been said.
NICK
You're nuts.
He laughs and starts writing on her back again. Jillian concentrates as hard as she can.
JILLIAN
F...A...T. Fat? Fat?? Ellis, you are not
telling me I'm fat! Look at these guns!
(makes a muscle)
All muscle, pal.
NICK
I'm not done.
He keeps writing.
JILLIAN
H...E...R. Fat. Her!!
(spins around with mock anger)
What are you, in sixth grade? Oh, you are
so toast!
Nick grabs her by both wrists and they tussle in fun.
NICK
Wait, wait, wait. Lemme do it again. Turn
around. Just turn around, Jel.
She starts to say something and Nick takes her head and turns it back forward.
NICK (CONT'D)
Okay. Concentrate.
He writes again. Modifying the sequence.
JILLIAN
F...A. Fa?
(concentrating)
T...H...E. The?
(confused)
R? R? Fa...the...r? Fa...ther?
(figures it out)
Oh, my god! Father! Right? Father!!
She turns around to see Nick with a big self-satisfied smile on his face.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
"Fat her" becomes "father." Ooooh, that
could have some bad serious implications
for people in therapy.
(shudders)
How'd you figure that one out?
NICK
Homework. From my Saturday Psych class
up at the college. If you wanna know, it's
actually an example of the second law
Gestalt theory.
JILLIAN
God bless you?
NICK
Gestalt. It's German. Pronounced like
"gish talt." It's the law of proximity.
The closer two elements are, the more
likely they are to be seen as related.
Nick gives her an ain't-I-clever raise of his eyebrows. Jillian likes this game.
JILLIAN
Proximity. Hmmm.
She spins his shoulders around so she can draw on his back.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Okay, my turn.
She rubs his back with her hand. And stops, lost in thought.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Hmph. Here are those same two birthmarks.
NICK
Connect the dots. A new game.
She laughs, but again turns thoughtful as she gently traces a line between the two birthmarks.
NICK (CONT'D)
A straight line. Am I right?
She lightly bonks him on the head.
JILLIAN
Shut up. I'm still thinking.
Nick takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Jillian's expression changes. Her eyes are dodging around crazy-like.
She looks down at her bikini top and pulls it up over her breasts. She very, very slowly edges her nipples closer to his back. The second law of Gestalt theory in action.
Nick, still with his eyes closed, startles a little at her touch.
NICK
Ah, man, you are such a cheater! I'm
never going to guess if you use two
fingers.
JILLIAN
I'm not using my fingers.
Nick's eyes slam wide open.
He leaps to his feet and grabs his shirt and pants.
Jillian quickly pulls her top back in place.
JILLIAN (CONT'D)
Nick?
He's afraid to turn around and look at her.
NICK
Umm. You know, I told your dad that
I was going to meet him. So, uh, I
think I better hightail it.
He hops on his bike and is down the road before Jillian can get another word out.
She sits there stewing for a moment or two. She picks up Nick's drawing stick and chucks it into the river.
Photo of Kevin O'Malley by Graydon Feinstein.
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About the Scriptwriter:
Kevin O’Malley is this year’s Grand Prize winner of the NHFF Screenplay Competition. His Coming of Age script, Bananafish Sandwich, is a quirky, heart-felt portrayal of teen ingenuity and determination. His short script, The 254 Year Old Boy, was a finalist selection in this years’ IFFF. He wrote and produced a documentary video on Life Magazine’s millennium issue entitled, Deconstructing Life. His documentary film, From the Other Side of the Desk, was featured as a teaching video for California Association of Independent Schools teachers. He has been the editor and production coordinator of the series, Speaking of Movies, with interviewer Jason Rietman (director of Juno and Thank You for Smoking). Kevin has taught film production and still photography at the Harvard-Westlake School in California since 1979, and has taught at the university level and at workshops across the country. |
About the Script:
"There is button you can press on itunes that will list the songs in your collection in the order of how many times you have played them. In second place (right behind 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps') on my list is Aimee Mann’s 'That’s How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart.' Probably because I went on a real jag playing the song while I was writing this scene. "It’s a pretty straightforward interaction between two best friends, that is, until they find themselves cascading into a wholly different type of relationship. Do they still sell that cold medicine, Contac? The one with the 'time released' ingredients. I sometimes describe my writing style as being similar to that -- time released. There are so many elements that were planted earlier on in the script that pop into sharp focus clarity in this scene. Not the least of which is that somebody’s heart is going to get broken." --Kevin O’Malley |
