Humanity’s Lens: “Being There” - Discussion
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:10 amFADE IN:
1 INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN
A large-screen color TV dominates a room sparsely decorated
with expensive furniture of the twenties. There are no
books, magazines, newspapers to be seen. A man, CHANCE, is
in bed, sleeping. His eyes slowly open, and, with no change
of expression, he sits up and turns on the TV with a remote
control. He reaches for a pocketwatch on the bedside table,
and, as he looks at it, the watch chimes. He gets out of
bed, crosses to the closet, his eyes never straying from the
TV. Chance puts on a bathrobe and leaves the room.
2 INT. POTTING ROOM - DAWN
The room is filled with the tools of a gardener. Chance enters
and turns on a 1940's black and white TV that sits on a shelf.
A wheel with colored gels spins in front of the set, giving
an early form of color television. He waters a few of the plants
in the potting room as he watches TV.
3 INT. GARAGE - DAWN
Chance, with a dust rag and feather duster, cleans off a 1935
limousine, in perfect condition.
4 INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN
Chance takes off his robe, hangs it in the closet, changes
channels on the TV, then goes into the bathroom.
5 EXT. GARDEN - MORNING
A light snow is falling in a garden between a three-story
brick townhouse and a one-story rear building, guarded on
either side by a high brick wall. The door to the rear
building opens, Chance peeks out, then goes back inside. A
moment passes and Chance reappears, this time with an
umbrella. Smartly attired in suit and tie, Chance, with an
eye on the garden, crosses to the townhouse.
6 INT. TOWN HOUSE - REAR ENTRANCE/HALLWAY - MORNING
Chance enters, hangs his umbrella on a door knob, then
crosses through the hall. As he goes, we reveal that the
furniture in the house is covered with sheets.
7 INT. TOWN HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MORNING
A large table, covered with a sheet except for two place-
settings. A TV is on the table. Chance comes into the
room, sits and turns on the television. He watches the
screen for a moment, then turns, as if expecting someone.
No one appears, so he turns back to the TV. After a time.
footsteps are heard and Chance smiles. LOUISE, an elderly
Black maid, hurries into the room, visibly distraught.
CHANCE
Good morning, Louise.
LOUISE
(out of breath)
He's dead, Chance! The Old Man's
dead!
CHANCE
(flatly, turns
back to TV)
...I see.
1 INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN
A large-screen color TV dominates a room sparsely decorated
with expensive furniture of the twenties. There are no
books, magazines, newspapers to be seen. A man, CHANCE, is
in bed, sleeping. His eyes slowly open, and, with no change
of expression, he sits up and turns on the TV with a remote
control. He reaches for a pocketwatch on the bedside table,
and, as he looks at it, the watch chimes. He gets out of
bed, crosses to the closet, his eyes never straying from the
TV. Chance puts on a bathrobe and leaves the room.
2 INT. POTTING ROOM - DAWN
The room is filled with the tools of a gardener. Chance enters
and turns on a 1940's black and white TV that sits on a shelf.
A wheel with colored gels spins in front of the set, giving
an early form of color television. He waters a few of the plants
in the potting room as he watches TV.
3 INT. GARAGE - DAWN
Chance, with a dust rag and feather duster, cleans off a 1935
limousine, in perfect condition.
4 INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - DAWN
Chance takes off his robe, hangs it in the closet, changes
channels on the TV, then goes into the bathroom.
5 EXT. GARDEN - MORNING
A light snow is falling in a garden between a three-story
brick townhouse and a one-story rear building, guarded on
either side by a high brick wall. The door to the rear
building opens, Chance peeks out, then goes back inside. A
moment passes and Chance reappears, this time with an
umbrella. Smartly attired in suit and tie, Chance, with an
eye on the garden, crosses to the townhouse.
6 INT. TOWN HOUSE - REAR ENTRANCE/HALLWAY - MORNING
Chance enters, hangs his umbrella on a door knob, then
crosses through the hall. As he goes, we reveal that the
furniture in the house is covered with sheets.
7 INT. TOWN HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MORNING
A large table, covered with a sheet except for two place-
settings. A TV is on the table. Chance comes into the
room, sits and turns on the television. He watches the
screen for a moment, then turns, as if expecting someone.
No one appears, so he turns back to the TV. After a time.
footsteps are heard and Chance smiles. LOUISE, an elderly
Black maid, hurries into the room, visibly distraught.
CHANCE
Good morning, Louise.
LOUISE
(out of breath)
He's dead, Chance! The Old Man's
dead!
CHANCE
(flatly, turns
back to TV)
...I see.