SATURDAY
A SHORT FILM SCRIPT BY JOHN A. MCNULTY
FADE IN:
INT. PARISIAN APARTMENT – DAY
ANGLE
A young man asleep. He is buried in the covers. There is hair all over the place. There are crusty formations in his eyes as he sleeps soundly. This is TOM. American ex pat living in Paris. Early thirties.
AGNES (O.S.)
Wake up!
Tom rubs his eyes and opens them slowly to find AGNES standing at the foot of his bed wrapped in a sheet. Agnes is a French woman in her early twenties.
TOM
What?
AGNES
I would like to know how you feel… about –
(thinks for a second) Christmas…
TOM
Can I wake up first?
AGNES
No, I want your first impressions. Right here. Right now. The first thing that comes to your mind. Go.
TOM
I don’t know. Snow?
AGNES
Good. What else?
TOM
Coffee.
AGNES
Coffee? That’s what you think of when you think of Christmas?
TOM
No. I need coffee…
INT. KITCHEN – MINUTES LATER
Tom is preparing a coffee.
Agnes is standing behind him in her matching bathrobe.
AGNES
I’m interested in tapping into your childhood memories.
TOM
Why would you want to do that?
AGNES
Because I don’t feel like I know the real you.
Tom breathes out heavily.
AGNES
What was that? Are you mad at me?
TOM
No.
AGNES
Why can’t you look me in the face?
TOM turns and looks at Agnes proudly.
AGNES
Not like that. It’s not honest.
Tom returns to face the coffee pot and then gives another exaggerated turn.
AGNES
You’re being a wise ass.
TOM
It’s early.
AGNES
That’s no excuse.
TOM
It’s Saturday.
AGNES
That’s not an excuse either.
INT. CAFÉ – DAY
Tom is picking from a croque monsieur, barely looking up from his book. Agnes is sitting across from him, dissecting a croissant.
Agnes begins banging a coin on the table.
Tom looks up annoyed.
TOM
Can you stop doing that please?
AGNES
I’m frustrated.
TOM
You think?
TOM
I’m a quiet person.
AGNES
I know.
Tom stares at Agnes for a long beat, then…
TOM
You are very important to me.
AGNES
Really. Name three things that are important to you about me.
TOM
That’s not fair. Listing things is bad for the health. It’s cheap and it’s maudlin and I won’t play that game. I’m getting some cigarettes. You want some cigarettes?
Agnes folds her arms.
Tom gets up and goes to the TABAC COUNTER in the distance.
EXT. STREETS OF CLICHY – DAY
Tom is walking and smoking. He tries to take Agnes hand but she refuses.
INT. BATHROOM – DAY (TOM’S DETAILS)
Agnes is scrubbing herself down in record time to save the hot water for Tom. She turns the water off before forgetting that her hair is still riddled with shampoo. She turns the water back on quickly and rinses it. Then turns it off.
TOM (V.O.)
Okay, fine. I love that you take quick showers because you want to save me the hot water.
EXT. STREETS OF CLICHY – DAY
Tom is still walking and reflecting. Agnes is listening intently.
TOM
I also love how you remember to buy me almonds when we go shopping, even though you almost choked on one last Bastille day.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY (TOM’S DETAIL)
Agnes choking on an almond. Tom is behind her, encouraging her to cough it out. She is turning blue.
EXT. STREETS OF CLICHY – DAY – TOM
is still reminiscing.
TOM
I also quite enjoy the fact that you can play Maurice Chevalier records but also admit that him singing about little girls in that musical comedy Gigi is extremely creepy.
CUT TO: SCENE FROM GIGI
Where Maurice Chevalier is singing “Thank Goodness for little girls.”
EXT. STREETS OF CLICHY – DAY
TOM
I would just say that those are a few of your many, many strengths. Satisfied?
Agnes stops in her tracks. She points to his coat.
AGNES
Can I have a cigarette now?
TOM
Sure.
Tom reaches into his coat pocket and retrieves a cigarette. He stands there in the wind and tries to light one for her.
TOM
So?
Agnes takes a long drag before answering.
AGNES
So, that is very cute but mostly meaningless bullshit that you think that I want to hear.
TOM
Fine.
AGNES
You think you are in some American romantic comedy where you can say the right thing and the music will play. I want you to say things that you really feel. From the deepest, darkest part of your soul.
TOM
From the deepest, darkest part of my soul?
AGNES
Even if it is so ugly that it makes me shudder from disgust. Or embarrassment.
TOM
Can we just enjoy our Saturday?
EXT. RODIN MUSEUM GARDENS – DAY A MONTAGE showing
1) Tom and Agnes looking up at the Gates of hell. A WIDE gulf exists between them.
2) Various ANGLES showing the Gates of Hell by Rodin.
3) Angles showing Tom and Agnes’ faces individually as they look up at the statue.
The sequence is shot in still photographs over MUSIC.
INT. METRO – DAY
Agnes and Tom ride silently.
INT. APARTMENT – NIGHT
Tom walks in on Agnes who is messing with his blender, placing various ingredients in without thinking. Tom is somewhat horrified.
TOM
What are you doing?
AGNES
I’m making a strawberry daquiri.
TOM
Do you even know what a strawberry daquiri is?
AGNES
Not really. I’m just putting all this crap in the blender and hoping for the best.
Tom watches intently as Agnes tries to add strawberries to the blender.
TOM
Why don’t we open up a good bottle of wine?
AGNES
We always have wine. I want a strawberry daquiri.
TOM
Fine, I’m taking a shower.
AGNES
Fine.
Tom leaves Agnes to her own devices.
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
Tom comes out of the bathroom in his towel and sees Agnes curled up on her chair enjoying her strawberry daquiri and reading a cheap airport novel.
He creeps up behind her and begins rubbing her shoulders.
AGNES
Whenever there is an awkward moment of silence between us, you begin giving me a massage. Why is that?
TOM
What’s wrong with giving you a massage?
AGNES
You’re hiding your true feelings.
TOM
You think?
AGNES
Yes.
TOM
Maybe I just want to give you a massage?
AGNES
(rolls her eyes) Not likely.
TOM
You know what your problem is. You’re living in a French film where people just talk endlessly about their problems and miss out on life in the process.
AGNES
I like French films.
TOM
So do I. But I don’t want to live in them.
Agnes gets up and gets her coat. She begins heading down the stairs.
TOM
Where the hell are you going?
Agnes winks delicately. Then turns around and falls down drunk. Tom reaches for the blender and sees that all of its contents have been drunk.
TOM How much did you just drink?
AGNES (slurring her words and trying to get up)
A lot. She keeps heading to the door awkwardly.
TOM
Wait a minute. You can’t go out like that!
AGNES
Why not?
TOM
Cause you’re trashed.
AGNES
I’m pregnant.
EXT. PLACE DE CLICHY – NIGHT
Florescent lights and halogen bulbs light up the rampant night life.
Tom is running to catch up with Agnes but cannot find her in the crowds of people.
He goes into a bar.
INT. BAR – NIGHT
Tom orders a drink from the BARTENDER. Sits at the comptoir and gets a kir royale delivered express.
He makes light of the situation by downing the glass in one go.
He calmly lights a cigarette.
We PAN ACROSS the place to REVEAL that Agnes is in the corner, seated with her coat on, WATCHING TOM carefully. Spying on activities.
Tom now casually glances around the bar to catch VARIOUS COUPLES chatting and laughing it up. Then his P.O.V. sweeps all the way across to catch Agnes.
Tom frowns in frustration.
He gets up and joins Agnes at her booth.
Agnes looks deeply into Tom’s eyes. Tom looks away, slightly un nerved, embarrassed by the scrutiny. He looks at the floor. At the ceiling. He tries to smile, he can’t.
