On October 1, 2015, my mother made her final dramatic exit. Making up her own mind to not go through dialysis after finding out her one remaining kidney was failing, she stopped eating and drinking until three days later it was all over. No-one knew her intentions but after finding the doctor's report from the Monday before she died, it was clear what she'd learned and what her final decision was. Stubborn? Yes. Insanely smart? Yes. The most complicated person I'd ever known and tried to love was a woman everyone in the world called Doll Baby.
I had taken a writer's class with Del Shores shortly after she passed away and wrote a short script about the phone call my grandparents got in 1968 informing them their daughter and then husband had been in a severe car accident while out of town. The husband, Tommy, didn't make it and died on their trip to the hospital two hours away. After sorting through some of mother's private papers I realized there was more to the story and continued to write the then short script into a full length screenplay. I had some help about a year ago from Patricia Resnick, original writer of the movie and later musical 9 to 5. Great feedback and some really good direction on how to take care of the "so whats" helped bring the story to life. It started with a way to deal with the pain of losing the only parent I ever knew (but did I really know her?). Below is a lengthy excerpt from the beginning of the screenplay. It was a scenario we played out all too often - same emotion, different circumstances.
The 1st of this month was 6 years since she's been gone and I guess she has been on my mind a lot lately. Let me introduce you to my mother:
J.R. - OFFICE - AFTERNOON
J.R., 40, a mortgage underwriting VP, sits in his office
crunching numbers. His phone rings.
J.R.
Underwriting. This is J.R.
PHONE CONVERSATION IS ONLY GLORIA'S VOICE.
GLORIA
Hello Underwriting, this is your
mother.
J.R.
Hello mother, this is your son.
GLORIA
You busy?
J.R. Eyes a big stack of files.
J.R.
Nah. How's your hammer hangin'?
GLORIA
Well, I just got back from Piggs.
For the second time. They forgot
to ring up my orange juice at the
sale price.
J.R.
You drove back across town to get
$.30?
GLORIA
It's the principle! I think that
checker, Sheri, has it out for me.
You remember the one with the lazy
eye?
J.R.
Yeah, I could really use her. I
bet she can 10 key like a beast and
still keep an eye on Jill making
personal phone calls.
J.R. Yells out of his office to a co-worker.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Jill! I need the approvals for
those Janecek refis by 3!
GLORIA
Tell her I said hi.
J.R.
Later. She's got enough
distractions right now. Speaking
of - what can I do for you?
GLORIA
I bought a pork tenderloin.
J.R.
Mmmhmmm...You making us dinner?
GLORIA
I can't wait until 10:00 to eat.
J.R.
How about I drive in this Friday?
J.R. pulls a box out of his desk drawer labled "home movies"
J.R. (CONT'D)
Actually, I have a little something
for you.
GLORIA
Property taxes are due on the
timber.
J.R. Looks a little agitated but flips through a file and
pushes on.
J.R.
And I'll bring my checkbook.
GLORIA
Don't work to hard sweetheart.
J.R.
Yes, Mother.
J.R. hangs up the phone.
INT. GLORIA'S HOUSE - AFTER 5.
J.R. Pulls up in his car and walks towards the house.
Inside the kitchen there is a glass of scotch on the counter
and the table is set except for the pork that's sitting on
the stove. J.R. Walks in with his bag and a little box.
J.R.
Hello? I'm looking for the lady
who washes...
Nobody answers. J.R. picks up the glass of scotch and takes
a whiff. He takes a sip.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Mama?
GLORIA, 70's, big hair, dressed in a white button down,
jeans, pearls, big rings, and a Sam Moon tiara walks in the
room.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Howdy Mrs. Aster.
Gloria walks over and gives him a big hug and as he
reciprocates she slightly winces in pain.
J.R. (CONT'D)
What's...
GLORIA
Oh, my fibro is acting up.
J.R. Looks pensive then walks over and starts to cut the
meat. Gloria takes her scotch and goes over to the table and
sits down.
J.R. Clocks a prescription bottle - pain killers. Nothing
new.
J.R. and Gloria sit at the table.
GLORIA (CONT'D)
How was your drive?
J.R.
Uneventful. How's your scotch?
Gloria jiggles her glass and smiles.
GLORIA
It's good to have you home.
They both help their plates.
INT: KITCHEN GLORIA'S HOUSE AFTER DINNER.
J.R. Is washing off plates and Gloria pours another scotch
then exits to the living room.
GLORIA
I think I'll pull an Aunt Jo and...
J.R. grins sheepishly
J.R.
Lock yourself in the bathroom until
I'm done?
GLORIA
I'll be in the living room.
J.R. Closes the dishwasher and picks up the prescription
bottle and sees the date of refill was 5 days ago. 30 pills -
he opens the bottle and sees there are only 10 pills in
there. Still, nothing new.
J.R.
20 pills in 5 days...she's tapering
off.
INT: LIVING ROOM
Gloria is 1/2 laying down on the sofa with a crossword and a
pen but not working the puzzle and J.R. Is sitting in the
chair next to her.
J.R.
Hard one? Is it the Times puzzle?
GLORIA
Mmmhmm.
J.R.
What was it your mom said about
working a crossword with an ink
pen?
GLORIA
Confidence.
Beat.
J.R.
What ya wanna' do? Watch a movie?
Play canasta? Go throw rocks in
the lake?
GLORIA
I've been thinking...
J.R.
Did you enjoy it?
GLORIA
Were you in the storage room the
last time you were home?
J.R.
Huh?
GLORIA
Some stuff was moved around.
J.R.
I swear I don't know how you can
tell in 10,000 square feet of junk.
Gloria getting noticeably upset.
GLORIA
Well, it's my junk!
J.R.
Now don't get all tits a flutter.
You're already asking that bra to
do all it can.
J.R. Gets up and gets the box he came in with and hands it to
Gloria. Her mood instantly changes.
GLORIA
What's this?
J.R.
Open it and find out.
Gloria opens the box and it's 8MM reels and a DVD. It's
actually a DVD of home movies J.R. had converted.
GLORIA
Is this what you took out of my
room?
J.R.
Yes. And I can make more for you
to give to the family.
GLORIA
Why waste your money? I've seen
these - that's enough.
J.R. Should be surprised but isn't. This is typical
behavior... what's hers is hers.
J.R.
I've not seen them yet. How about -
we watch it?
J.R. walks over to the player and puts the DVD in.
GLORIA
Did you put all those reels on
here?
J.R.
Yeah. They were dated so I just
had them put in that order.
Gloria looks miffed.
GLORIA
I wish you'd have asked me first.
J.R.
What's the big deal?
Beat.
I thought you'd like this. Can we
just enjoy the sentiment?
GLORIA
You just did this so you could
watch...
J.R.
Yes mother. I'm selfish and wanted
to force you to watch old home
movies to make me happy.
Gloria has to stew a minute. J.R. gets him a glass and
brings the bottle of scotch back with him to the living room.
He tops off her glass.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Now, would you like to tell me
what's really bothering you?
GLORIA
I just wish you would have asked me
first.
J.R.
That kinda' ruins a surprise.
Gloria takes a swig of scotch.
GLORIA
OK. Put it on.
J.R. Turns on the TV and starts the movie.
They both watch and comment on who is who.
GLORIA (CONT'D)
There's Daddy. Oh God, that was
the Christmas he sawed the turkey
in half.
J.R.
Why is he smiling like that?
GLORIA
He was just being a ham.
J.R.
Right there - in front of the
turkey...
Gloria looks at her son in a "you're a dumb ass but I still
love you" way. Then she sees her mother and starts to tear
up.
GLORIA
Oh, there's Mama. Oh, Lord. I
miss her SO MUCH.
J.R. Tries to smooth over the awkwardness. This happens
every time she sees a picture of her mother.
J.R.
Where is this? The house on Old
Wire Road?
GLORIA
Yes
J.R.
That linoleum floor was blinding.
GLORIA
That's 27 layers of paste wax.
They both laugh. Virginia was very meticulous.
J.R.
Which dog is that?
GLORIA
That was Daddy's prize bird dog,
Jinx. Did I ever tell you about
someone stealing him?
J.R.
No.
GLORIA
Jinx went missing and after 2 or 3
days Daddy figured someone must
have taken him but nobody saw
anything. So, he went to a
psychic.
J.R.
What?
GLORIA
He was desperate.
J.R.
What happened.
GLORIA
Well, the lady told him a whole
bunch of stuff but basically that
the dog had been taken by someone
who lived in a white house on a
corner lot across from a KFC in a
town in Texas that sounded like
Pumpkin.
J.R.
That sounds like a bunch of
bullshit.
GLORIA
He was desperate! He also
remembered his buddy Cecile came by
with a man Ce had just bought a dog
from and when Daddy called him to
ask who that man was he found out
he was from LUFKIN, TX...Then Daddy
drove to LUFKIN. Circled the
blocks downtown and saw a KFC - the
white house - and his dog in the
front yard.
J.R.
WHAT?
GLORIA
That happened before I took this
movie and there's the damn dog!
J.R. Looks at the screen then back at his mom.
J.R.
Wow.
Some time passes as they watch then they get to a stretch
where there is a person J.R. Doesn't recognize.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Who is that man?
Gloria tenses up a little.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Where is this? I've never seen
this house before.
Gloria doesn't say anything.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Who's the man?
GLORIA
That's not a man, that's Randi. I
worked with her at the hospital.
J.R.
She looks like a man.
GLORIA
Well, she wasn't! How do you fast
forward through this?
Gloria is getting annoyed.
J.R.
Oh, look! There's Grandma Knight
on the phone...OOOOPP! She just
hung up on them. Remember when she
would just hang up on you when she
was done talking?
Gloria just stares at the TV.
J.R. (CONT'D)
Did she always do that?
No response still. Gloria sips her scotch.
J.R. Sees his Uncle Pee Wee throw something on the floor and
all the kids on the screen scurry to pick it up.
J.R. (CONT'D)
What's that?
GLORIA
The nickel scramble. He'd get a
roll of nickels and break them open
and throw them all over the hall
and all the kids would scramble to
get as many as they could.
It was so funny.
J.R.
Seems like a lot of sugar for a
dime.
GLORIA
You could buy a coke for $.10. It
was a pretty big deal.
The last scene of the movie finishes.
J.R.
Why weren't there any videos of me?
GLORIA
I told you that you just wanted to
do this for yourself.
J.R.
It's a fair question, mom. These
run right up to when I was born.
GLORIA
I got out the camera when you were
a baby but it didn't work anymore.
Some things just don't last
forever.
J.R.
Like this bottle of scotch. Can
you get up?
GLORIA
Yes, and I am going to because I
have to go to bed.
J.R.
Or go outside to smoke.
GLORIA
Shut up.
J.R.
G'night.
J.R. Goes down the hall to his bed. He has to remove a large
mirror off the top of the covers and gently sets it on the
floor. Fade to black on him crawling in the bed in his PJs.
INT: J.R.'S ROOM - MORNING.
J.R. Is lying in bed reading some text messages. It's 8AM
and nobody is stirring as he gets up.
J.R. Goes to the kitchen and makes a pot of coffee.
J.R Pours himself a cup of coffee and he's now dressed for
the day.
J.R. Goes in his mothers room and she's still in the bed.
J.R.
Hellooo...good morning, good
morning. Are you going to get up?
GLORIA
I will in a little bit.
J.R.
I made some coffee. I thought we'd
go to the cemetery before I leave.
GLORIA
You're going back today?
J.R.
Yeah.
GLORIA
Whatever you think is best.
Gloria starts to stir.
J.R. Heads back to the kitchen.
J.R.
I'll pour you some coffee.
Gloria having a little trouble getting out of bed.
GLORIA
Great!
INT: KITCHEN
Gloria comes in and sits at the table in front of her coffee.
J.R.
Breakfast?
GLORIA
No, this is good.
J.R.
Is there anything you need me to
do?
GLORIA
I need a check for the taxes.
J.R.
It's in that envelope on the table.
Gloria looks over and smiles back at J.R.
J.R. (CONT'D)
I enjoyed watching those home
movies last night. Makes me wish
that I could have been alive to
meet some of those people.
GLORIA
It was a different time.
Beat.
GLORIA (CONT'D)
You would have liked your
granddaddy. He would have had you
on a horse before you could walk.
He always wanted a son. Tommy and
I were going to give him a grandson
but I lost that one.
J.R.
I didn't know you lost a baby.
GLORIA
There's a lot of things you don't
know.
Beat.
J.R.
Is there anything you'd do
differently if you could? You
know...
GLORIA
You mean know then what I know now?
J.R. waits...
GLORIA (CONT'D)
Lots of things. I might have had
my own antique's business or held
onto a little more money instead of
begging my son to pay for the only
thing I have to leave him when I'm
gone.
J.R.
You've always spent your paycheck
before you could cash it. What's
the difference now?
GLORIA
That's what I've been thinking
about lately.
J.R.
Your paycheck?
Gloria is trying to be serious.
GLORIA
I haven't... I'm 70 and still have
a mortgage on my house. I drive a
12 year old car.
Mama and Daddy paid cash for
everything - and I could have...
J.R.
We never went hungry.
Gloria eyes say "true"
J.R. (CONT'D)
Who cares if a kid helps their
parents.
GLORIA
I just could have made some better
choices over the years.
Beat
GLORIA (CONT'D)
But the best one was deciding to
keep you.
J.R.
KEEP me? Were you going to give me
away?
GLORIA
No. I found out I was pregnant and
it wasn't too late to terminate but
I decided - even though your daddy
and me weren't cut out to be
married - that I was going to have
that baby.
J.R. Is a little unnerved at what he's just learned.
J.R.
I'm - I don't know what to say.
GLORIA
Oh, no baby. I didn't mean that
I'm upset that I had you. Having
you was the best thing that ever
happened to me. But, I was told
when I had that miscarriage that I
could never have children - with a
tipped uterus I'd never carry full
term if I could even get pregnant.
I came to terms with that and just
lived my life.
J.R. Thinks for a moment...
J.R.
With Randi?
GLORIA
We were friends, nothing else.
J.R.
I've heard you mention her before
but I thought it was a man.
GLORIA
We can talk about that another
time.
Beat. J.R. Sees this isn't going to end well if he pushes.
J.R.
Fair enough.
GLORIA
The 60's were a hard time. I hope
you never lose a spouse.
J.R. almost says something but then - Tries to lighten things
up a little.
J.R. Looks at her wide eyed as if to say "there you have it".
Beat
J.R. Pours himself another cup of coffee.
J.R.
More?
GLORIA
No. I'm going to get dressed.
Gloria hobbles as she exits.
EXT - Gloria's house - Afternoon.
J.R. is in his car and calls to his mother as he backs out of
the driveway.
J.R.
I'll call you when I get back to
Dallas.
GLORIA
If I don't answer just leave a
message on the machine.
J.R.
It's voice mail, Mom.
GLORIA
Whatever. Bye. I love you.
J.R.
I love you too.
J.R. Drives off and Gloria goes inside.
INT: GLORIA'S KITCHEN - AFTER J.R. DRIVES AWAY.
Gloria comes into the kitchen and reaches for her pills on
the counter. She takes two out and reaches for a glass as
she's hunched over the sink. She winces in pain. She
hobbles over to the chair at the table and sits down.
EXT: LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOW INTO THE KITCHEN.
Gloria falls out of her chair. It's all over.
INT: J.R.'S CAR - EVENING
J.R. drives down a 2 lane highway listening to the radio and
the phone rings. It is his cousin, Diane.
J.R.
Hello, hello.
Intercuts with
Diane
DAY - GLORIA'S HOUSE
DIANE, 60's, tall with long hair, big jewelry, She has a PhD
and loves her family. We see the ambulance in the background
pull away.
DIANE
Where are you?
J.R.
Just passed through Prescott.
Sorry I didn't come by to see
y'all...
DIANE
You need to come back. It's your
Mom.
J.R.
I just left her.
DIANE
She's gone.
J.R. Pulls over abruptly.
J.R.
What?
DIANE
We just came over to bring Doll
some fig preserves and found her -
just come on back. Come to our
house. The paramedics are leaving.
J.R. spins a U-turn and speeds off.
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