1
RECK and IMA
MONOLOGUE (thick southern accent, uneducated)
Hi, ah… my name is ah.. RECK… Reck Jr.. I was born in Toph-ee’ North Car-lina. My daddy was a tater’ farmer. My mama raises hounds, hunter hounds… mostly rabbit hunters. My mama was 41 years younger than my daddy when he died makin’ love to her. My sister just turned 17 and she is a newlywed. She is 39 years younger than her husband. She is with child.
Like I said my name is Reck Jr., I am 43 years old and I ain’t never been married, but hope to be married some day. I figure if I’m like my daddy, my future wife might be only two or three years old right now. But I really, really like this older woman. Her name is Ima and she’s 33 years old. She is a southerner. I generally like southerners better than northerners, westerners are okay. Ima recently moved to Tucson, Arizona, and I fallered’ her. She ain’t all that happy ‘bout that, but my daddy said if you find a woman you really, really like, you’d better get a bridle on ‘er or she’ll get away. So here’s my story.
Scene 1 UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM – DAY
DR. JOYCE
In summary, dominance is a very important survival strategy in the lower animals as well as in the more sophisticated human animal. The strongest and the most dominant animal with the best genes, survives, and wins so to speak by passing their genes to the next generation.
LORRIS
Excuse me, Dr. Joyce isn’t it true that a person, who inherited quote “weak genes”, can overcome what they inherited by hard work and a healthy environment?
DR JOYCE
Oh yes, the nature-nurture controversy. Very interesting topic. We’ll take that up in chapter 14. (closing her notebook) Okay that’s it for today. Have a good weekend.
The students stand up and start walking out.
Scene 2 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - DAY
Two polished, preppie type guys sit at a library table. BRENT, older than Phil, stares into space with FRUSTRATION on his face. Phil, his chum, quietly turns pages in a book. BRENT looks over at a nerdy guy looking through a book. He holds his GAZE, EYES WIDEN, “AH HA” expression…
BRENT
(loudly, still looking at the nerd)
Losers!…
The NERD LOOKS up from his book toward Brent, WIDE-EYED and somewhat ALARMED.
BRENT
That’s it.
PHIL
(startled)
What?
BRENT
(emphatically, still LOOKING at the Nerd as the Nerd QUICKLY MOVES out of the area)
I’ll do my research on losers…. those genetic mutants.
PHIL
What the hell are you talking about, dude?
BRENT
Losers!
(looking out the window)
In High school you have the football star and… and the nerds and the terds. In corporate America, you have the wall street executive and the wall street toilet scrubber. Winners and losers. The game’s been around since sex itself.
PHIL
And you’re going to research what ?
BRENT
(looking out the window, loudly)
The losers. Those guys circling the toilet. The Omegas.
(pondering)
First I’ll do great research, then I’ll write my best seller, then some fame, and a lot of fortune.
(rubbing his fingers together gesturing cash)
Moolah and more moolah. That’s what makes my world go around.
(pausing, arrogantly)
I’ll be the next Dr. Phil-up. And, I’ll step on anybody who get’s in my way.
PHIL looks at him with PUZZLEMENT.
Scene 3 PSYCHIC’S OFFICE - DAY
PSYCHIC
(lots of make-up, rouge, etc)
(takes a puff of cigarette, blows smoke in Reck’s face)
So, young man, tell me, why are you here?
(CU) RECKs face is unusual, with a large forehead, buck-teeth, and half-closed eyes. His face is engulfed in smoke.
RECK
(subtle cough)
I ain’t never been to a psychic before but ah…. this man told me you might help me and Ah…there’s this girl, and ah… she’s real pertty’, I mean I know she’s the luv’ of my life.
PSYCHIC
(looking at Reck’s face, CU of his scrub brush hair, buck teeth, cow-like eyes, white face)
And…
RECK
And I like the way she laughs… and I like the way she talks, and ah… I like the way she sings, and ah I like the way she smells, and the way she makes these crazy faces…, and ah… I like her eyes…, and ah… how she does really crazy stuff… and ah…
PSYCHIC
Okay, okay I get the point, now you’re payin’ me by the reading, not by the hour. Now if you want to pay me by the hour that’s okay, but I’m expensive.
RECK
Okay, but she’s real pertty’, too.
PSYCHIC
You said that.
RECK
But… I mean bein’ pertty’ is just a little tiny speck of what she is… and she’s…
PSYCHIC
Okay okay, I’ve got the point, now what do you need from me?
RECK
Ah, I wanna’ know… ah… is she gonna’ marry me.
PSYCHIC
Hmm…is she gonna marry you? Hmmm…
(she looks at Reck, then closes her eyes)
Ah…that’s a big question.
(opening her eyes, placing cards on the table, pausing, looking at the cards, SHAKING her head, then looking at Reck, studying him)
CU of Reck’s face carefully and seriously watching her.
PSYCHIC
Hmm…
RECK
So what da’ ya’ see?
PSYCHIC
I definitely see something, definitely see something…
(pause)
RECK
Well tell me what ‘che see?
PSYCHIC
Yes, I see ah… yes I do…. I see… Hmmm…
RECK
(raising his voice in anticipation)
Well tell me. For Pete’s sake tell me what ya’ see...
PSYCHIC
Yes, yes, I do see marriage in your future… yes…
RECK
Yes, yes, well who is it? Is it Ima? It’s gotta’ be Ima.
PSYCHIC
Ima… Ima… Hmm…
RECK
(impatiently)
Is it?
PSYCHIC
(taking another puff of cigarette)
I’m not sure… who it is… it could be Ima… yes it’s certainly possible.
(looking at her watch)
You know that’s considered a reading. Now if you want more information, I’ll need another payment.
RECK
Well I need to know. You can’t just stop.
PSYCHIC
Okay, okay that will be twenty more dollars. This is pretty serious stuff.
RECK reaches into his pocket and pulls out a match-box car, a yo yo, some dollars. He COUNTS them out, not enough, then goes through his little change purse, and counts out several quarters, then dimes and finally four pennies.
RECK
I only have nineteen dollars and seventy four cents.
PSYCHIC
That’s enough.
(she sweeps the money)
RECK
Now tell me, is it Ima?
PSYCHIC
(looking at the money)
Okay…
(looking back down at her cards)
Yes… Yes… I’m getting something, oh yeah, oh yes, yes, it certainly could be Ima. Yes it surely could be…
RECK
Great! Great! Gees…Gees almighty…. Do you see anything else? What about kids?
PSYCHIC
(closing her eyes, opening them, looking at her cards)
Yeah, that’s easier, I see kids, I see kids everywhere.
((CU) Recks smiling ear to ear, disbelief)
Definitely see kids. Probably about five, maybe six.
RECK
Five or six! God you’ve gotta’ be kiddin’. Nobody in our family ever had six kids. I can’t believe it.
(Reck excitedly jumps up and bounces toward the door, stops, and turns)
Bye, and thank you, thank you, so much. I may be back.
RECK runs out the door. The psychic looks at him with a STUPID PUZZLED look, then takes a puff of cigarette, and starts picking up the money.
SCENE 3b UNIVERSITY – DAY
(LS) Buildings on the campus of THE UNIVERSITY OF ELITA (MS) of building as people walk through the campus with books. Brent walks into view and enters the door. Cut to (CU) sign over large building: ‘DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY’
Scene 4 PROFESSOR PUNTMAN’S OFFICE - DAY
Brent sits in the professor’s office. A name plate sets on his desk, “John H. Puntman, Ph.D.”. The professor, an unusual looking character, disheveled, with unkempt hair, a bolo tie, drinks right out of a coffee pot with old stains and dried looking food around the outside. He has a coffee stain on his shirt. He is somewhat nervous and chews on an eraser. Papers are everywhere, some with coffee stains. There’s three or four Kleenexes wadded up and scattered on the table. Brent HANDS papers to the professor.
BRENT
I’ve decided on my research topic.
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
Okay. Great, so tell me about it.
BRENT
Losers… you know an observational, naturalistic study on losers.
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
Okay… now Brent I want you to use professional language when you talk about potential subjects. Absolutely no slang terms.
BRENT
Okay, sorry. Ah… I know better. So I mean misfits or physically unattractive subjects.
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
(not completely satisfied with his language)
Okay, tell me more.
BRENT
You know, there’s a ton of research on physical appearance and life success. You know shape of the face and sexual attraction and so forth.
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
Yes, yes, and I’m quite aware of that research, and what about that are you interested in?
BRENT
I want to look at these losers, I mean ah…asymetricals.
Brent SMILES at the professor looking for approval. (CU) Professor maintains BLANK LOOK.
BRENT
I want to examine their social characteristics, you know how they interact with others, how they work, how they play, and so on.
A KNOCK on the door. The door opens and LEIGH the secretary, a rather voluptuous lady, walks in. She wears a blouse with several buttons un-done. (Lee’s POV). Professor Puntman sits at his desk. Brent is out of view.
LEE
Hi honey.
(seeing Brent out of the corner of her eye, embarrassed)
Oh, I mean ah… Professor sir, I have those ah… ah…cup-cakes for you.
(she hands him the box, holding it at her breasts with cleavage at box edge)
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
(embarrassed)
Ah… ah…thanks Leigh. I think you know Mr. Thomas.
LEE
(turns to look at Brent, subtly smiles)
Oh… ah, yes hi…
(she smiles, turns and quickly walks out)
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
Uuh huh… so you were saying, ah… what were you saying? Anyway tell me more.
BRENT
Well, we know that people perceived as physically unattractive, are more likely to have financial problems, more likely to be involved in criminal behavior, poor social status, and so on.
PROFESSOR PUNTMAN
Okay, yes, that’s not new…
BRENT
So I’d like to look at say nine or ten subjects, all rated ‘below average’ in attractiveness, and then study them in their own habitat. Like studying chimps in the wild, so to speak.
Brent LOOKS up at the professor and SUBTLY SMILES. The Professor looks BLANKLY back at him. He takes a SIP right out of the coffee pot and grabs a cup cake, BITING INTO IT. Cup-cake cream sits on the corners of his mouth.
BRENT
And I want to closely study these “misfits”, I’m sorry, I mean these subjects… look at how they talk to people, how they relate sexually, and…
PROFESSOR PUNTMENT
And what would you be looking at?
BRENT
You know, the more subtle aspects of unattractiveness…(pause). For example, do these subjects expel gas in a tight places… or scratch their testicles in presence of women, pick their noses at the table and so on…
Scene 5 DESERT AREA - RUN-DOWN CAMPER/TRAILER – EXTERIOR – DAY
(CU) of Enus picking his nose with his pinky finger while he holds a hamburger in the same hand. Reck and Enus sit on crates at a make-shift table just outside Enus’s pick-up camper. Just to the right is a dead cactus, a box of garbage and a couple pairs of underwear hanging over a small make-shift clothes line. A hibachi grill sets on two cinder blocks. A toilet plunger sets near the cactus. A truck and an old jalopy are parked off to the left. Enus wears his antiquated tape player, FM radio with large head phones, and an atenna. His hair is slicked to the side and he wears very large wire rimmed glasses. His 70’s shirt is half unbuttoned. (MS) RECK eats a burger with ketchup and a string of mustard on the corners of his mouth. He has wire hair that sticks straight out and buck-teeth. He wears glasses with a little white glue on one corner. He wears an old shirt with long collar, buttoned all the way to the top button. He WATCHES Enus with finger in his nose.
RECK
Hey stop that, I’m tryin’ to eat.
ENUS
Stop what?
RECK
You’ve got yer’ finger up yer’ nose.
ENUS
Are you my mother or somethin’?
ENUS continues chewing, as he gazes across the desert, moving to the beat of his headphone music. Reck puts ketchup on his food, which is already saturated in ketchup. (CU) All that can be seen on his plate are lumps smothered in ketchup. Reck puts food in his mouth.
RECK
(with food in mouth)
You know En-us, I’m constantly havin’ those thoughts about Ima… I mean I can’t stop it. Do you think about that stuff very much?
ENUS
You mean impure thoughts? I have ‘em every minute of the day. I am a man, ain’t I?
RECK
The psychic said we’re gonna’ get married, but when is it gonna’ happen? I wanna’ do it now.
Enus SHAKES HIS HEAD with mouth full, then gives him a “what the hell look”. He then crams more food in his almost full mouth. He has lettuce hanging out of his mouth. RECK has ketchup and mustard on the corners. RECK picks up a pack of mustard from a pile of mustard on the table BITES into it, and SUCKS on it. Reck grabs another pack and SUCKS. Enus takes a big gulp of water and “GARGLES” a little then SWALLOWS.
RECK
(Reck looks at his watch then jumps up, still chewing)
I gotta’ go to work.
Reck walks quickly to the mirror hanging on the trailer wall, looks at self, then runs over to his jalopy, jumps in, starts, and then drives off leaving Enus in a DUST CLOUD. ENUS reaches over, grabs Reck’s scraps, and eats. He CHEWS as he PUTS food into his mouth. He TAKES a piece of bread, reaches across to Reck’s plate and SOPS up the juices in the plate. He STUFFS into his mouth.
Scene 6 HOUSE - RESIDENTIAL - DAY
An old wreck of a car goes over a speed bump with a sign “POPPI’S PIZZA” on the door.
CUT
Reck JUMPS out of the car with two pizzas.
CUT
(inaudible)
LS Reck KNOCKS on a door, door opens, Reck hands over the pizzas to the GUY, (JOHN). JOHN counts out some change, and SLAMS the door barely missing Reck’s head as he PULLS HEAD BACK. Reck looks down at his hand. CU of one quarter, a dime, and a penny.
Scene 7 NELLY AND IMA’S TRAILER – DAY - EXT.
(CU) A pair of “lady’s” outdated underwear with a hole in them, two hands fastening clothes-pins, and two hairy armpits fill the frame. Ima’s hands put clothes-pins on the panties on a make-shift clothes line.
Ima has a ninth-grade-education. She is a tom-boy, with outdated glasses, hair in out-dated pig-tails to one side, and one wet-curl draped over her forehead. She is usually barefooted. She lives with her aunt Nelly, a fifty-ish lady, eleventh grade education, out of style clothes, hair in a bun, and works as a waitress. They live in a small, home-made trailer in the desert.
IMA
(MS of only Ima’s hairy arm-pits and the panties. Thick, southern un-educated accent)
You need some new panties. My dead, aunt Maude used to wear this kind.
AUNT NELLY
(BACKGROUND VOICE, camera still on panties, difficulty reading some words, slowly)
Press the muscle around your breast and pull up gently. Be careful not to tug on the… breast itself… go in cir-ku-ler motions.
IMA
Good Lord, what are you readin’?
AUNT NELLY
Exercise magazine.
IMA
I ain’t never heard of an exercise magazine like that?
(LS) Nelly sits in her chair gazing at the magazine under the “make-shift” porch. A couple of lawn chairs sit next to each other with blankets and pillows.
Nelly messages the muscle above her breast (not the breast itself) near her breast bone.
Ima stands at the clothes-line now pinning up a very large bra. Ima lowers her arms and looks around at Nelly. Nelly has her hands in PRAYER POSITION in front of face with ELBOWS OUT.
IMA
What’s that spose’ to do?
(Talks as she walks over and sits on the lounge chair beside Nelly. She picks up her bed pillow laying on the chair with a blanket. She starts playing with the pillow.)
AUNT NELLY
(without looking up)
I don’t want my breasts to sag like grannie’s. She used to roll
‘em up like tootise rolls before puttin’ ‘em in her bra.
IMA
So that keeps ‘em from saggin’?
AUNT NELLY
That’s what it says, plump like young, ripe melons.
IMA
(gazing out, spacey expression)
Plump, ripe melons, Good lord.
(playing with her pillow, romantically hugging it)
You know I have a real strong feelin’, I’m gonna’ meet the man of my dreams real soon.
AUNT NELLY
(as she messages)
That’s who I’ve been lookin’ for all my life… the man of my dreams, but I keep findin’ the men in my nightmares.