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Green Chair Reader

"The Mind's Eye"
by Gwen Wilson & Codie Harrision
Golden Seed Productions

FADE IN:

EXT. HOUSE (ELEGANT)- DAY

DOLLY IN:

PIANO MUSIC plays lightly in the background. Children are playing outside. Politely separating them and a beautiful house is a little WHITE FENCE. In the driveway is a NEW HIGH-END SPORTS CAR. BLOOMING FLOWERS hang in the doorway and the grass is remarkably GREENER than the other yards.

INT. FRONT ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

AMANDA is 17. She sits alone in a large and empty room PLAYING THE PIANO. She is deeply enveloped in the piece. Amanda holds down the FOOT PETAL and closes her eyes as she plays.

INT. KITCHEN (ELEGANT)- DAY

MOM is baking in the kitchen but there is NO MESS. Bagged flour and sugar, and tins of baking soda, baking powder and salt are neatly in a row on the counter. There are several containers of other homemade BAKED GOODS and a large bowl of colored fruits. In the kitchen window is a vase of beautiful FLOWERS. Mom takes a tray of perfectly baked SUGAR COOKIES out of the oven and individually places them on a rack.

                                                                 CAMERA GLIDES TO:

INT. HALL- DAY

Lining the walls are INDIVIDUAL PICTURES of the family members. Strangely, there are no pictures of them together.

                                                                 CAMERA GLIDES TO:

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

The bedroom door is slightly AJAR. Around JUSTIN’s room are beautiful HAND-DRAWN and PAINTED PICTURES, most of which have RIBBONS pinned to them. These pictures contain mainly DULL COLORS and do not stand out. On the desk next to him is a CAMERA and an AWARD-WINNING WATERCOLOR; this one is also dull. Around his room are masses of ART SUPPLIES. Justin, age 15, is PAINTING. He dips his brush from a palette of colors.

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

The bedroom door is CLOSED. TAYLOR, age 13, is dressed in black tights and a small t-shirt. She is practicing a dance routine.

CAMERA GLIDES AROUND HER ROOM.

Taylor has a beautiful CANOPY BED and a several large MIRRORS. There are PORCELAIN DOLLS on one shelf and DANCING AWARDS on another.

INT. HOME OFFICE- DAY

In the office is a bookshelf with several ADVENTURE NOVELS and a couch with a pillow and blanket. The office door CLOSED.

DAD is sitting at a desk surrounded by PAPERS and empty WHITE COFFEE MUGS. He is showing a little stress.

Mom comes in holding another identical mug. She places it down near her husband and picks up the empty ones. On her way out Mom secretly GLANCES at her husband and, as if defeated, closes the door behind her. Dad doesn’t acknowledge her.

Frustrated by his work, Dad picks up his mug and one of his novels and leaves the room.

INT. FRONT ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Dad, reading his book and holding his mug, walks past Amanda. Amanda, who pretends not to notice his presence, PRESSES the piano keys a little harder. Dad exits to room. The music book on the piano begins to SHAKE but Amanda does not notice and continues playing. She goes to hold down the foot petal but it is no longer there. The room begins to shake.

SHAKE TO:

INT. FRONT ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY (FEELS LIKE SAME MOMENT)

The room is shaking and Amanda is still playing. However, instead of a piano she plays on a keyboard. She doesn’t notice.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. FRONT ROOM (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS

The shaking stops and the room is back to normal. Amanda continues to play as if nothing had happened. She slowly looks over her shoulder to where her father exited.

INT. KITCHEN (ELEGANT)- DAY

Mom appears distracted as she stares out the window. Slowly she turns and takes another tray of cookies out of the oven. These are very BURNED but Mom does not notice. Instead, she methodically places them on a rack with the others.

Dad walks into the kitchen. Still reading, he picks up a burned cookie and takes a bite. Disgusted, he puts it back, takes a sip of coffee and leaves. Mom continues to place cookies on the rack, but with each one the room begins to shake.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. KITCHEN (UNPOLISHED)- DAY (FEELS LIKE SAME MOMENT)

The room is shaking and Mom still puts burned cookies on the rack, but the setting around her has changed. The counter is a MESS with flour and DIRTY DISHES and the flowers in the window WILT.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. KITCHEN (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS

The room has stopped shaking. As if nothing happened, Mom puts the last cookie on the rack. She stops as she notices the bitten one.

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Taylor is dancing confidently. Suddenly she trips over what seems like nothing. The room begins to SHAKE.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (UNPOLISHED)-(FEELS LIKE SAME MOMENT)

The room shakes to reveal that Taylor’s room is decorated very differently. In the place where Taylor tripped lays a large COTTON DOLL. Above is a shelf with several others, none of which are porcelain.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS

The shaking stops abruptly. Taylor glances in her mirror and expresses some self-doubt. She is suddenly overwhelmed by the mirrors all around her.

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

The living room is almost entirely WHITE and is very spacious. A large FLAT-SCREEN TV hangs on the wall. A beautiful vase of FLOWERS sits on the GLASS COFFEE TABLE. Dad, still reading his book, sits down on the WHITE SOFA. The momentum stirs his coffee and a DROP slowly runs down the side of the mug. Unnoticed, the brown drop of coffee plummets in slow motion to the couch. It violently hits the sofa and the room SHAKES.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY (FEELS LIKE SAME MOMENT)

Dad reads in the same position on a BROWN sofa as the room shakes. The placement of the Unpolished room’s furniture parallels the placement of that in the Elegant room. However, this furniture is of much lower class.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS

The room stops shaking and Dad is still reading. The coffee stain has begun to spread.

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Justin dips his RED paintbrush into a GLASS OF WATER to clean it. As he takes it out the cup SPILLS over, ruining the painting and award on his desk, but adding to it an EXPLOSION OF COLOR.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (UNPOLISHED)-(FEELS LIKE SAME MOMENT)

Justin sits in the same position as he paints. The shaking room around him looks unpolished, almost tacky, and there are no awards or ribbons on the walls. The spilled water drips off the desk.

                                                                         SHAKE TO:

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS The room stops shaking and Justin continues to paint.

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Dad continues to read. The unnoticed stain has spread tremendously. Mom comes into the room and begins to clean. She looks at the couch but notices no stain.

INT. FRONT ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY The pictures on the wall begin to shake.

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY The porcelain dolls begin to shake.

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY The lamp on the table shakes and falls.

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Justin’s framed, award-winning drawing falls off the wall and shatters. Music stops playing abruptly.

INT. FRONT ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Amanda has stopped playing the piano. She looks around at the objects falling around her and suddenly realizes the house is being hit by an earthquake.

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

The coffee stain has taken over the couch. Mom stops cleaning.

As if he’s only heard a mouse Dad looks up from his book.

INT. HALL- DAY

The framed pictures of individual family members FALL off the wall and crash together on the ground.

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY Chaotic background music.

A porcelain doll falls off the shelf and shatters. The whole room is shaking. Taylor stops dancing, notices the doll and becomes aware of the earthquake. She runs out of her room.

INT. LIVING ROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

Mom and Dad look at each other for the first time. He notices the now brown couch, stands up and they both become conscious of the room shaking. They run out of the room.

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (ELEGANT)- DAY

The earthquake has ruined Justin’s room. Justin drops his paintbrush and stands. He freezes as he notices his ruined painting. Justin heads to the door but then hesitates.

INT. KITCHEN (ELEGANT)- DAY

Mom, Dad, Amanda and Taylor meet in the kitchen. Dad pushes Mom and Taylor under the kitchen table. In reassurance he gently touches Amanda’s arm and ushers her under as well. Amanda sits down, content with this small gesture. An object crashes down loudly beside her and frightens her. Dad scans the room and motions for Justin who comes nervously into the room. Dad leads Justin under the table and then follows. They sit there, huddled together. Items fall all around them. Pieces of ceiling crumble. Burned cookies rain down.

EXT. HOUSE (ELEGANT)- DAY

It is completely calm outside. Children are still playing.

One of the children look at the house.

POV: The house’s fence is brown and the green grass is pale. The flowers in the doorway wilt.

INT. KITCHEN (ELEGANT)- CONTINUOUS

Items crash violently. Under the table, around Taylor. Taylor is taken-back but Amanda wraps her arm is then calmed.

Finally the earthquake subsides along with the chaotic music. Dad cautiously gets out from under the table. He decides it is safe and motions for his family. They stand up together and, as if coming out of a fog, humbly look all around them.

INT. JUSTIN’S BEDROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY

There is no earthquake damage in Justin’s room, but the spilled water is still DRIPPING off his desk. The walls are lined with the same pictures but none are accompanied by awards. The room feels bare because there are very few art supplies. At Justin’s desk is the same ruined painting but his palette of colors is rather a PAPER PLATE.

INT. LIVING ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY

The living room looks very different than before but there is no sign of earthquake damage. The rug and couch are BROWN, the CURTAINS ARE TINTED, the LAMP IS STOUT AND CROOKED, the coffee table is WOODEN, flowers are WILTING, and the television is a much SMALLER BOX SET.

INT. TAYLOR’S BEDROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY

Taylor’s canopy bed is now a REGULAR TWIN BED, she has one single award rather than dozens, and her dolls are COTTON.

INT. FRONT ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- DAY

In replace of the grand piano is a SMALL KEYBOARD with a WOODEN CHAIR.

INT. KITCHEN (UNPOLISHED)- CONTINUOUS

The five are still standing in the kitchen. Their expressions have not changed.

On the kitchen counter is a MESS of opened flour and sugar bags, cookie trays, and mixing bowls. There is flour and cookie crumbs on the counter and stove and DIRTY DISHES piled in the sink. The baked goods and fruit don’t look nearly as organized or appetizing.

EXT. HOUSE (UNPOLISHED)- DAY

Children are still playing. The house’s fence is BROWN and CROOKED and the grass is a PALE GREEN. The flowers in the doorway WILT and the car in the driveway is an OLD STATION WAGON.

INT. KITCHEN (UNPOLISHED)- CONTINUOUS

Mom slowly turns her head to look at Dad. He turns to face her. They exchange looks of understanding. Taylor looks at Amanda; Amanda looks at Taylor. Mom touches the messy counter. She goes to clean up but then stops as she notices her husband has taken her hand. She appears UNCOMFORTABLE by this notion but then SMILES slightly.

INT. DINING ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- NIGHT

Mom, Dad, Amanda, Justin and Taylor sit around the dinner table. Mom and Dad are holding hands. On the table are paper plates, paper napkins, and containers of Chinese food. The others hold hands around the table. Together they close their eyes and bow their heads as Dad begins to pray.

INT. FRONT ROOM (UNPOLISHED)- NIGHT

Amanda plays the keyboard as Dad, Mom, and Taylor sit around her. On the table next to them is a plate of cookies from which they are eating. Justin comes out of his room with a new painting and a camera. This painting has much more COLOR than the others. He shows it to the family and they approve. Justin props up the camera and quickly goes to sit down on the couch. They smile and the flash on the camera goes off.

                                                                          FADE TO:

INT. HALL- DAY

Mom places the picture of them in the front room on the wall.

                                                                         FADE OUT.