Crazylove

Written by

Carol Watson

REVISED 3/10/04

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM - APARTMENT - DAY

The sweet silence of slumber. Suddenly, an alarm clock on a nightstand SHRIEKS the operatic tones of Maria Callas.

A well-manicured hand, nails painted pink, slaps the snooze button and mutes Maria. A few seconds reprieve.

Then, another clock, stationed on a dresser, broadcasts the FORTISSIMO POUNDING of the "William Tell Overture." Toes, also painted pink, swing out of bed and run to the dresser.

LETTY MAYER, late 20s and beautiful, turns off the music. She opens a dresser drawer and surveys panties that are arranged by color, from white to beige to black. Behind the panties are rows of bras, also organized by color. Letty pulls out some taupe undergarments, checks them against her nails and replaces them in favor of a pink bra and panties.

Letty goes to her closet and removes a tailored, pink linen suit. She lays it on the bed. Beast, her cat, jumps on the bed and settles into the jacket. Letty swoops the animal off her clothes and brushes cat hair from the suit.

The scolding is cut short by an "Urge Overkill" song that SCREAMS OUT from another room. On cue, Letty heads down the hall, dressing as she goes. She CLUCKS for Beast to follow.

INT. KITCHEN - SAME

Letty turns off the alarm clock that BLASTS "Urge Overkill" from the counter and checks the time against her watch.

She swings open a cupboard to look at cans of cat food arranged by type. Seafood on the left, chicken in the middle, then, naturally, beef. Letty reaches for a can.

Letty considers the cat a moment, and chooses another can.

LETTY

Fine, then, chicken in gravy. But you're going to have to eat the liver tomorrow.

2.

INT. BATHROOM - SAME

Letty puts the finishing touches on her make-up and pulls back her hair, plastering an errant curl into place with hair spray. Yet another alarm clock sounds, this time BLARING the voice of shock jocks MARK AND BRIAN.

INT. ENTRY HALL - SAME

Letty hurries down the hall and turns off the clock, which is mounted near the front door. She bends down to kiss the cat good-bye, grabs a briefcase and leaves.

EXT. HALLWAY - CHASEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY

A school bell BUZZES. Grade-schoolers, clutching lunch pails, scurry past Letty, who stands outside an office door. She straightens her jacket, takes a deep breath and starts to turn the handle.

Letty is stopped cold when CHANDRA, 7, the victim of a bloody nose, runs up to her, bawling.

Letty looks quickly at Chandra, her watch, the door.

She bends down and pushes back Chandra's head. Chandra, off balance, places one very bloody hand on Letty's jacket lapel, staining it for all eternity.

Letty, grimacing, takes the bloody hand firmly in her own and guides Chandra down the hall, coaxing the child as she goes.

INT. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - CHASEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - LATER

PRINCIPAL GAIL LAUER, 40s, sits in uncomfortable silence with BILL JOHANSEN, the 50-something school Superintendent. Also present are MRS. MONTES, who is a School Board Member, and two other BOARD MEMBERS.

Principal Gail glances at the clock. Mrs. Montes taps her foot. Johansen clears his throat.

3.

The door bursts open. Letty stumbles into the room. She clutches her briefcase to her chest, trying to cover her blood-smeared lapel.

Letty continues to hug the briefcase while awkwardly bending down to shake hands with Johansen and the others.

There is no response. Letty reluctantly lowers the briefcase and reveals the stain.

Johansen smiles.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - CHASEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - LATER

A bunch of BOYS play kickball in a haze of sawdust. Chandra sits on a bench, clamping an ice pack to her nose. JENNY, a limber 8-year-old, hangs upside down from the jungle gym.

Letty talks on her CELL PHONE. She glances around to monitor her wards, eyes darting like a hawk's toward the kickball game.

4.

Letty dials again. She sees two boys fighting over the ball and moves in to break them up.

Brawl averted, out of the corner of her eye, Letty catches Jenny make the daring Cherry Drop back flip off the bar. She blows a series of ANGRY, STACCATO NOTES on her whistle.

The class bell BUZZES.

INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Tuxedoed waiters glide through the tony restaurant, where the patrons dare speak only in hushed tones. Letty sits sipping wine with her mother, MRS. MARTHA MAYER, immaculate in a cream suit, young looking for her 50-odd years.

5.

Letty's sister RUTH--early 20s and pretty, with flyaway hair and an ever-present smile--bounds into the restaurant, oozing happiness. Letty discretely waves her over.

Letty pours her a glass of wine.

Letty removes the nasty hair from her blouse.

Ruth smiles at her, but vacantly.

Ruth stares around the restaurant, a shit-eating grin plastered across her face.

6.

Letty passes her hand in front of Ruth's eyes.

Ruth can't hold it a moment longer without bursting.

7.

Mrs. Mayer's eyes immediately fill with tears. Ruth leaps up and hugs her mother. Other diners glance toward the table.

One WOMAN IN THE RESTAURANT taps the side of her glass with her fork and raises a silent toast to Ruth. Other DINERS follow suit. Ruth grins back and starts to giggle.

Mrs. Mayer dabs her eyes with her napkin.

Ruth dashes around the table to embrace the stunned Letty.

Ruth sits back down and pulls a gorgeous ring from her purse. She slips it on and wiggles her finger in front of Letty and her mother, who peers at it with approval.

Off Letty's frozen smile, we

CUT TO:

8.

INT. BEDROOM - LETTY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Letty's in bed, drawing a giant multiplication chart. PAUL LASCHER, early 30s, handsome in a corporate way, shrugs off his expensive suit.

He opens a drawer of Letty's dresser, and removes a neatly pressed T-shirt. He smooths out another shirt he has accidently rumpled in the process.

Paul lays his folded trousers across Letty's desk.

Paul sits on the bed, and leans against a pillow.

Letty holds up her multiplication chart and shows it to Paul.

9.

Paul kisses Letty on the cheek.

Letty hugs Paul.

Letty sensually caresses his shoulders.

10.

Letty continues coloring her multiplication chart.

Letty puts the chart down and sits up straighter.

INT. CLASSROOM - CHASEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY

Letty rubs her eyes with fatigue.Bobby stands next to her holding a crumpled paper bag.

The children perk up at this news.

Bobby opens the bag. He reaches in to remove the turtle. The children TITTER. Letty's on him in a second.

She grabs the bag. From outside, there is a KNOCK.Letty and the students look toward the window.

It's Ruth. She's been crying.She waves to Letty.Chandra waves back at Ruth.

11.

Letty puts up her finger to signal "just a minute" to Ruth. She sets the turtle bag on Bobby's desk.

Ruth knocks on the glass again. Letty glances at her distraught sister and walks quickly toward the door.

Letty leaves the room. The class watches through the window as Ruth throws her sobbing self into Letty's arms.

EXT. HALLWAY - CHASEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - SAME