(First-darkness. Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" begins as opening credits start.)
All the Lonely People
Written and directed by
Steven Higgins
(Music fades out after the first few seconds. Fade in to far shot of church (Woodlawn?). NO SOUND!!! Slow zoom-in to church until front doors fill screen. They suddenly burst open as crowd exits and simultaneously sound comes in (instrumental music, underneath it, sound of people leaving). Cut to interior of church. Pan from side to back views of people slowly shuffling out the doors, talking to each other. As they file out they walk past and greet a man dressed as a priest. Medium close-up of priest (upper torso with hand seen shaking other hands as they go past). The other people are not seen at this point. Actual dialogue at this point is unimportant (maybe show dialogue from one person saying "Good sermon, Father." but remaining unseen except for shaking hands) but what is basically seen is that the people are indifferent about church but are pretending to want to come (I NEED A SYMBOL FOR THIS !!!). They politely congratulate Father on good sermon. (maybe we see preoccupied parent disciplining child--Father tries to strike up conversation while they congratulate him during this scene but they ignore him to discipline child, as in that scene from Fargo when the wife's dad ignores him to watch the hockey game.) Father knows they don't care and shows it. His expression is unchanging, wooden (close-up). While they exit, the camera stays on him with the people walking away from the camera out the door in the background. Suddenly his face lights up. Camera moves back to include in the shot a beautiful young Woman, wearing a very nice dress, who comes up to priest, smiling.)
Woman: (shaking Father's hand firmly--this dialogue could possibly be read during a close-up of their hands touching) Absolutely wonderful sermon today, Father. It was very moving. I really enjoyed it.
Father: (smiles) Thank you very much.
(Their dialogue continues unheard--discussing the wedding--but it is seen that they are happy to see each other. Camera closes back in on him alone as she leaves. He follows her with his eyes until she is gone. He continues to greet people but not with the fervor he had with her. He seems preoccupied. Music (?--possibly Carl Orff's Carmina Burana-Fortuna Imperatix mundi "O Fortuna"--?) slowly builds over dull roar of crowd, until it is all that is heard.
Dissolve to night view. Outside. Side view of church. Only light on in church is a dim light in basement. (Zoom-in?) Cut to interior of church, basement office. Walls are wood panel, plain. Furniture is a desk, plain (mostly empty, but maybe some props); (?two?) chair(?s?) facing desk; crucifix hanging on the wall above a small fireplace; and stand-up lamp in corner (maybe also a bookshelf full of books on religion--if so, pair of socks being darned will rest on shelf). It is indeed a very small, very plain room. Father is seated at desk, writing. Cut to close-up of his right hand as it scribbles sermon onto paper. Cut to dimly-lit apartment, interior. Television (turned on and snowy) is on right of screen; an old recliner is at the left. In chair is Drunk, dressed in flannel grungewear, passed out and holding bottle. Pan from side view to front view of Drunk with only the television on him for light. A hand reaches down from the right of the screen and touches him on his left shoulder gently. He starts, wakes, and looks up in the direction of the hand. Cut to Woman standing over chair, talking to Drunk. She is dressed plainly. Cut to side view as Drunk jumps up from the seat and begins to argue with her. Cut to office (above view) as Father works on sermon. Cut back to Drunk, yelling at Woman. He is furious. He draws hand back as if to hit her. Cut to office, where Father puts down pencil, clasps hands, and prays. Close-up of hands. Cut to apartment. Woman's hand comes up to her face as she falls to the ground. Her face is bruised and she is crying. Cut back to Father, now frantically writing sermon. Cut to Drunk, standing over Woman screaming. Cut to shot of the chair the drunk had just occupied. The bottle sits in it alone, as they continue to argue in the foreground. Slow zoom-in on the bottle. Cut back to office (behind Father) as camera slowly focuses in on crucifix on wall. Music stops and black out.
Fade in to day, the apartment(calm music heard; in background, s f/x: birds chirping). Medium shot of Woman as she sits by the window, her face bruised slightly. She seems nervous, frightened. She turns around apprehensively and looks over her left shoulder. Cut to view of Drunk in bedroom, passed out on bed. Cut back to Woman as she slowly gets up. We see now as she stands and the camera pulls back that she is dressed very nicely. Cut to view of bedroom as she sneaks past it. Cut to Woman, still nervous, opening door, exiting quietly, and slowly shutting door. Cut to outside the apartment. Woman stands at door for a moment. We see her expression change to a much more calm one. Then she confidently walks off.
Cut to day, exterior view of church (new, oblique angle). Music (?--possibly Wedding of kije by Prokofiev or Twenty Nine-five--?) starts. Cut to interior, full view of stage from back, with pews facing front. Father stands in center with bride and groom on his left and right. Basic, but condensed wedding ceremony is performed. At one point, cut to close-up of Father's face as he speaks, talking blandly. Cut to Father's P.O.V. as he scans those in attendance (Pan the indifferent crowd.). Close-up of Woman sitting in back. Cut back to close-up of Father's face as he grins. Rest of the sermon he smiles. Cut to bride and groom on "I do"s. Cut to kiss the bride. Cut to exterior, close front view of doors. They open. Camera zooms out to see people lined next to steps. In between camera and door is car, decked out with cans and "Just Married" signs. Bride and groom run down steps as rice is thrown. Cut to right side of steps looking up (rice thrower's P.O.V.) as a few people throw rice. (In crowd close to camera is Woman.) Cut back to full shot, as they get in car and it rolls away. Crowd disperses. Cut to right side view again. Woman turns around, smiling, despite bruise on cheek. Music ends.
Cut to the sun as it starts to set behind and to the left of the church. Calm music again. Cut to far-away of church with Woman sweeping rice off of steps with a broom. Cut to close, oblique angle. Father exits church through door and steps over to Woman.)
Father: (coming to her) Thanks for your help cleaning up.
Woman: (leaning on broom) Oh, don't worry; it was no trouble. Besides, I enjoyed the company.
Father: Me too. (nervous pause) I don't think you realize how much seeing your face each week in church means to me.
Woman: (shrugs) I just like your sermons. (now, more revealing) They're an escape to me. I guess I draw a lot of my strength to carry on from you.
Father: That's exactly how I feel sometimes. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like none of the others care, that they only come because they think it's the "right" thing to do, because of tradition, not because of actual spiritualness. But with you, it's different.
(Dialogue continues for a moment or two, unheard--about their motivations.)
Woman: (looks up, sees the sun setting, and realizes what time of day it is) Oh my goodness! (Sort of afraid) I didn't know how late it was. (hurriedly) I have to go. My husband will be worried about me.
Father: (loses smile) Your... husband?
Woman: (very rushed) Yes. I have to go.
(She goes down the stairs, broom still in hands. Suddenly she turns.)
Woman: Here.
(Close-up of Woman's hands shoving the broom to Father. Cut back to her again running off. He despondently reenters church and shuts the door.
Dissolve to night, side view of church, light in basement is on. Music (?--possibly excerpt from Carmina Burana--?) starts. Cut to interior, office. Father sits at desk, reading Bible. Cut to close-up, silent of woman saying "My husband...". Cut back to Father who shuts Bible, bows head, prays. Dialogue: Lord, forgive me for my sins. I humbly accept whatever punishment you see fit in your divine wisdom to afflict on me. Suddenly cut to upstairs. POV shot of someone running up to church doors and throwing them open violently, then falling into the pews. (S F\x heard of crashes and panting of person, as if out of breath) Cut to office. Father looks up as if hearing the clamor upstairs. He jumps out of his chair and runs to the door of the office. Close-up of chair on floor. Outside of door is stairs which he goes up into the auditorium. Cut to POV, person crawling down the aisle slowly. Close-up of the arms as they crawl and then collapse. Cut to door at back of auditorium as Father burst through it. The auditorium is dark but lit from outside by blue lights. He comes around pews into aisle and catches sight of a body lying next to a pew. Main door to outside seen open in background. He runs over, grabs the body, and turns it over to see who it is. Close-up of Woman's head limply turning. Cut to above shot of Father and body. Father lifts his head up to the camera and screams. Music is drowned out by the scream. It and the scene fade out.
Cut to Woman's dead face as it is zipped up inside a body bag. New, sad music begins. Scene is dark but flashing red and blue lights illuminate the area slightly. Cut to body being put into the back of an ambulance.Cut to Father looking at the back of the ambulance. Cut to back of ambulance, doors being shut. Cut to Father, being interviewed by a cop who is annoyed at the priest not paying attention to him. Cut to back of ambulance as it drives away. Cut back to Father talking to cop., who finally now regains the priest's attention.)
Cop: So you say she attended your church regularly?
Father: (blankly) Yes.
Cop: And you just found her in the sanctuary, with no clue as to what happened to her or how she got there?
Father: (blankly) Yes.
Cop: What was her name?
Father: (shocked at this question, unknowing, then visibly shaken by his not knowing, begins to well up with tears in his eyes) I don't know.
Cop: (calmly speaks as if death was commonplace to him) Well, it doesn't matter. We'll run an ID check on her through the DMV, see if we can't find a match. (Starts to walk away)
Father: (suddenly looks up from his crying and stops the cop) When you find something out, please let me know. I want to be the one to notify the next of kin.
(Cop shrugs as if to say "whatever" and then walks off. Father is left alone on screen, tears welling up again. Flashing lights fade as if cars driving away. Father left alone in the dark. Fade completely to black.
Fade in to Father, standing in hall outside of apartment the next day, looking nervously at door in front of him. He looks down at printout paper he has in his hands. It is a photocopy of Woman's driver's license application from the DMV (possible close-up of Woman's face on it). He turns back to door, which is standing slightly open. He knocks apprehensively, pauses, knocks again. With second knock, door slightly opens. He then pushes on it and sticks his head in. Cut to interior of apartment, furnished as before. Drunk sleeps in chair. Father seen fully entering.)
Father: (apprehensively) Hello?
Drunk: (awakens) What? (gets up) Who are you?
Father: I... I knew your wife.
Drunk: How do you know my wife?
Father: She attended my church. I'm a priest at...
Drunk: (interrupts) Where is she?
Father: (visibly shaken, starts to speak) she...
Drunk: (interrupts again, surly) What time is it? She should be home by now.
Father: (almost crying) She's...
Drunk: (angry) She'd better be home soon.
Father: (slightly perturbed) She's not coming home.
Drunk: (shocked, angry) What? Where the hell is she?
Father: She's... dead.
Drunk: (surprised, unbelieving) What? What happened?
Father: I don't know. I found her in my church. She... she was dead when I found her. She... had bruises and cuts all over her.
Drunk: Well, good riddance.
Father: (shocked) What?
Drunk: Stupid woman couldn't do anything right, no matter how many times I told her.
Father: (peeved) How can you say that? She... she...
Drunk: She was an idiot!! Didn't listen to a word I said. (sits) Like yesterday. She comes home late from that stupid wedding even though I told her to be home early. I showed her what happens when you disobey me.
Father: (face goes blank as realization hits) You killed her, didn't you?
Drunk: What? No.
Father: (MAD!) You killed her!
Drunk: So what if I did? Who cares? She wasn't worth nothing!
Father: You're wrong. She was special. And you killed her! (grabs Drunk, pulls him up from chair)
Drunk: Whoa. Temper, temper. I thought you were supposed to be a man of the cloth.
Father: (barely restraining himself) She was the only one worth saving. And you killed her! You beat her and you killed her and you were so drunk you didn't even know what you did. You're the one who is not worth anything. (throws him down, grabs bottle out of chair, thrusts it at him--possible close-up) Here. I'm sure you'll end up killing yourself soon enough. (storms out, fade out)
(Fade in to close-up of Father's hands holding Bible. Music (??????) begins. Slowly zoom out to full view of Father standing over grave, reading from Bible, conducting funeral services. Cut to above view, close-up of just grave and Father. Slowly zoom out to reveal only person there is Father himself. As zoom out, he looks around, notices no one is there. He closes Bible (possible close-up of this to mirror in prior scene), tucks it under his arm, and walks away. Music mixes while fading with that of next scene.
Music (??????) builds over all other noise as dissolve to church on Sunday, interior. From back of church we see congregation. Cut to close-up of Father preaching blandly. Cut to Father's P.O.V., scanning indifferent crowd. Close-up of empty seat, formerly occupied by Woman. Cut back to Father who momentarily pauses then continues preaching even more blandly.
Cut to grave. Father walks up, carrying flowers. He sets them on grave and kneels by it, then collapses on it crying. Cut to her, shaking his hand in opening; close-up of her, sitting in back; her, smiling despite bruise at wedding; close-up of broom hand-off; and finally her dead body. Cut back to Father at grave. He looks up, removes collar, sets it on tombstone, and walks away. Slow zoom-out as wind blows collar and flower off. Slowly reveal entire graveyard. Blackout. Music ends.)
