‘Off Rhyming’
A time-script exercise
FAM4040F
April 2017
INT. ’THE BAD BADGER’ SUPPER CLUB – EVENING
The lights are down.
The semi-formal AUDIENCE MEMBERS whisper over the candles at
their tables. Their ages range wildly from the mid-twenties
to the octogenarian, though very few seem to have brought
their families.
A flurry of coat-wearing customers hurry back to their seats
from interrupted smoke-breaks.
Eventually the whispering stops of its own accord. The
pervading shadows are off-set by the red and gold draperies
and table-cloths.
A spotlight finally turns its shine to the pre-set mic-stand
on the place’s small stage, which all the tables are
cunningly arranged to face.
An unassuming MC – late 40’s, black, wearing a suit-jacket
and hat but no tie – slides over to make his introductions.
He coughs first, then
MC
Good Evening, Gentleladies and
Gentlemen. How y’all doing?
The usual scattered chorus of cheers and ’goods’.
MC
(Mopey-faced)
Hey, that’s no way to greet such a
world-renowned entertainer. How do
y’all feel tonight?
A more convincing version of the same scattered chorus.
MC
Ah, you guys are so flattering. But
I’m actually making way for
somebody new tonight, so you’ll …
just have to transfer all your
rightful enthusiasm on over to him.
A few chuckles, but mostly a light, appreciative groan
emanates from the audience.
MC
Yeah, tonight I’m introducing a
song-and-dance man by the name of
Danny-
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.
A loud collective cheer goes up at the mention of the name.
MC (CONT’D)
Ah, so you all have heard of him?
That’s such a nice surprise. He
usually plays pretty poky places
… like concert-halls and every
major festival and so on. So it’s
kind of a treat to have him here
with a sizable crowd. When he
started doing his own songs just
round the corner from the Badger,
he said he was lucky if he could
get 15 people to stay through his
whole set. Are you guys gonna stick
around tonight?
The same collective cheer, enhanced by anticipation.
MC
Well I won’t hold him back from you
then. So please join me in
welcoming the one and only (we
hope) Danny Bell!
The loudest cheer yet, as the MC leaves and swaps places
with DANNY, whom he hugs as they cross paths.
DANNY BELL is a sixty-something veteran with ghost-white
hair, sleep-kissed eyes and a sturdy figure. He’s wearing
jeans and a black jacket over an old t-shirt with the
time-worn casualness of a man free from boredom.
He brings with him a stool and a travel-beaten guitar. He
adjusts the mic to suit his seated position then
off-handedly waves to the audience before beginning to tune
his instrument.
He takes a hypnotic amount of care in doing so.
Eventually he seems satisfied.
DANNY
Hello, everyone.
The crowd hello’s back.
DANNY
I’m going to start with the oldest
song I can still remember.
Hopefully you can all remember it
too, ’cause I might need some help
on the chorus…
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
He starts to strum a very slow, meandering folk melody.
DANNY
(Singing)
You never… come to me… for your
con-sul-tations
All I’ve ever… asked of you… is
just a few… in-ti-mations
Of who you are… and how you
manage… your-e-lations
But right now… I’m starving…
for in-for-mation.
His face is now, as always, wrapped up in the song he’s
playing, his eyes transfixed by the strings, not the
audience.
DANNY
(CONT’D)
You’ve always… told me… that
company loves misery
But that don’t… entitle us… to
anyone’s sympathy
I always… assumed you knew…
what you mean to me
Just the first entry in your litany
of mysteries
His aging hands flutter more quickly up and down the
fretboard and across the guitar’s soundhole.
DANNY
(CONT’D)
But we’re at home… together
We belong to… whenever
Everything only gets… better
If you’ll stay in my dreams
If you’ll stay in my dreams
If you’ll stay-
INT. SHABBY APARTMENT – NIGHT
DANNY’s hands are now those of a young man, though still
playing with undiminished verve.
DANNY
(Softly)
– in my dreams.
He finishes with an unconfident flourish.
He is now 23, wearing a scruffier version of the same outfit
with longer hair, laying back on a scrimpy single bed.
The apartment is tiny, fulled with small piles of books and
surrounded by gig posters and a window overlooking an
equally dingy building across the street.
MADDY (O.S.)
So who’s that one about?
DANNY
(Smiling)
I don’t know. Could be about
anyone, really. But do you like it?
MADDY (O.S.)
I think I’ll like it when it’s
finished. It’s getting there. For
now, you’re getting better, Jem.
You really are.
DANNY
Phew, I’m not crazy, I’m not crazy.
He puts the guitar down beside the bed.
DANNY
(CONT’D)
Hey Maddy, come over here.
(Beat)
Just come here.
MADDY – 21, red hair and in her pajamas – does come over.
She sits by him, holding his shoulders, halfway between an
embrace and a talking-to.
They look into each other’s eyes for a good while, each of
them about to start speaking then cutting themselves short.
Eventually she just kisses him on the forehead then hugs him
close, looking into the middle-distance over his shoulder.
4.
INT. ’THE BAD BADGER’ SUPPER CLUB – EVENING
This gaze is replaced by that of a sixty-something MADDY –
well-aged, hair a little less bright – leaning on her hand
in silence.
She’s sitting at one of the tables in the second row,
looking up at the stage. She lifts her head to catch DANNY’S
eye.
Gradually the sound of clapping returns like an inrushing
wave.
DANNY acknowledges her gaze, nods and smiles back.
DANNY
I’ve still never found the right
ending for that one.
(Beat)
What next?
MADDY smiles.
Categories: Movie Scripts