What is a Meaningful Life

	WGA Reg. Number 948993 (Italian) 1097569 (English) © SibaMedia 2005-2010 All rights reserved.

Treatment

Title Card: “Chapter 1 – An introduction and a gift”

Which is better: a ONE WAY life or ... a WRONG WAY life?
When you ask yourself questions like this it usually means you are at the end of the rope... and I'm already falling down.
My name is Stephen BORTOT, I'm 32 years old and I write screenplays.
Please focus your attention on the precision of my words. I said "I write" not "I'm a writer" because, in that case, it would mean that I earn a living as a writer and this is not the case.
I can assure you this is not an artistic choice. I have the scars to prove it. If money doesn't give you happiness, at least they can let you watch it on TV.
And yet, it's thanks to this passion that I began the quest for the meaning of my life... yes... because -you know- everybody has one. It's important to have it... for instance there are some people who find it in their own sons...
Well, they can be of any races... or someone prefers going around with a beauty... car
... or, maybe just travelling around... just to enjoy the discovery of the unknown.
Some people, and they are a great amount, find the meaning of life in money – as does my landlady, Mrs Lira.
I know, I know what are you thinking... at my age I haven't yet decided what I want to be... but if you knew the truth... you wouldn't buy it. Well, maybe you could ... or maybe not... but maybe you could help me... why not? If I told you from the beginning...
No, no, you are right, you are right... from the beginning is too much... let me start from my 10th birthday party... I remember there was an enormous cake on the table.

It’s May the 4th and the sun is shining. All my friends are playing hide and seek. All but me. My mother dressed me up in my birthday outfit. She looks at me so proudly. How can I refuse to please her? My father too is so proud of me. He is talking to the other fathers about my will to someday become like him. I said those things to please him too. I didn’t think that I was compromising my entire future.
My imagination is already running and, to while away the time, I change my father into a mouse, Mr. Perry into a pig and Mr. Johansen into a rabbit.
Finally something interesting happens. Valentina, 9 years old, short red hair, blue eyes, freckly and a smile that can illuminate an entire day is bringing her gift to me: a bright new typewriter. I’m so happy. We used to play together and she is always my princes.
My father and my mother aren’t happy about it and when my friends start to tease Valentina and I… Well…
My mother still remembers the cake spilled on her dress as one of the biggest disasters of her entire life.

Title Card: “Chapter 2 – A forecast and a lesson”

That night, while I’m playing with the shadows of my room, I hear them saying “you’ll see if that crap machine doesn't end up in the attic in less then a week”.

Five years later my mother is cooking while I’m writing my first long novel. I have problems with a sentence and the inspiration is lacking. I’m so focused that I don’t hear my father coming back from work nor do I hear his complaining about young colleagues as he approaches my room. I remember the look in his eyes while he orders me to stop writing, do my homework, don’t ruin my future. When he exits I turn towards the typewriter and the sentence is still there, waiting for me. Then I try to write without pushing too much but there was not enough ink on the paper. The third time a loud sound fill the room and in five seconds my typewriter is smashed on the floor.
I learned that lesson.

And now I am learning what the Personnel Manager is saying to me 15 years later, this day of my promotion, and the day of my 30th birthday.
His long presentation of my new role inside the company is crystal clear. So much that as I leave the office I’m glad and inspired. I’m expecting that something big is about to happen.
While I’m packing away my stuff from my old office, which I shared with 50 other people, I’m very happy.
When I enter the new office , also with 50 other people, I’m a little less happy.

Title Card: “Chapter 3 – We are all Lemmings”

An colleague escorts me to my new desk - the farthest from the door, in order of seniority - as he explains my new duties.
But his presentation is less effective then the one made by another colleague that is playing with the computer. He is older and it seems that the company has forgotten about him. He is amusing himself blowing up little creatures on his computer screen.

Tonight at diner everyone is content: my mother, my father, my father in law, the family priest and, obviously my wife Lucrezia who, as usual, matches the tone of the wall paper.
All of them are so smiley, happy and self satisfied for my achievement and they keep talking and talking and talking. Until the moment when the candles are spent.
In this moment I remember that I made an oath when I was 15 years old while I was putting the pieces of my typewriter into the yellow shoebox. “When I’m 30 years old everything will be different”.
Blowing out the candles then, I imagined that their heads blow up one by one.
Oops, is that bad? Am I a terrible person? I don’t know. I just know that when I open my eyes they are still there. And they want to know what did I wish.
Obviously I can’t tell them and, fortunately, Lucrezia solves my dilemma saying that we have a surprise: we are trying to have a baby.

In effect the next morning we are busy right on this mission when the alarm clock sounds aloud and she can’t avoid the meeting with her friends. My complaining about Saturday morning and privacy and intimacy are useless and I found myself with usual duties… pay taxes, fix the garbage and don’t soil the home.

When she finally leaves I can think to myself and immediately I go to the shed looking for my relic. I have to search in all the corners and small places but in the end I find it: the yellow shoe box with my old typewriter still there, full of cobwebs and memories. I try but I can’t avoid crying.

Monday morning at the office I can’t concentrate on work, my mind is wandering away from me. My colleagues seem to look at me as if I was crazy and I decide that I need to refresh my face with some cool water. I go into the bathroom and it happens… a new idea… as in the old days… I have just a pen but no paper to write on. Then I take a piece of toilet paper and I put it into my pocket.

That night I try to fix the typewriter but the only result is that I cut my hand. In the morning Lucrezia asks me what happen and I have to invent the first lie.

Title Card: “Chapter 4 – For just a little lie, there are no problem at all”

At work is so boring and my mind is creating new ideas. But I need something to write with so I decide to buy a laptop computer. The only person that can help me is the old colleague that knows everything about computers.

I have to find a way to buy it being sure that nobody knows. Obviously the day I go to the computer shop there is my boss there and exactly that night he is going to have diner with my parents. And then… I have to invent a new lie.

At the same time Lucrezia is complaining because a shirt of mine that she has just washed is soiled again from an inked piece of paper. Luckily she just gave me a good scolding because she thinks that it was only a receipt and in this way she doesn’t suspect a thing.

Finally I have my computer and all night long to write. My work starts to have a problem but… what could happen for just a few night without sleeping.

Nothing important if we don’t consider that night when the Barts were having dinner with us and I fell asleep, or when my boss send me a call to order for my delays or the complaints of my wife because last Saturday I forgot to pay our taxes.

I found a brochure about screenwriting schools and I begin to dream about it. The only person that seams to understand me is my old colleague who is able to show me interesting solutions to avoid problems at work.

My wife continues to complain but I avoid the discussion. I hate conflict and to plead my motivations now would mean new conflict… Better wait… after all… I get away with it very well.

Title Card: “Chapter 5 – Gotcha!”

Well… maybe. One night I’m either too noisy or maybe she just gets up to get a drink, I don’t know. Nor do I know whether she is more upset because I make the slippers dirty or because I lied to her.

But now, I swear, I’m telling the truth and I’m trying to show her my point of view, to share with her my dreams, and my passions - dreams that we have never shared before - and I really hope that she understands me.

My hope lasts one night. The day after our discussion my parents are called. In walks my father, my mother and the family priest; they even thought to bring the exorcist.

My parents are not able to lie and after a few useless words they accuse me of betraying their trust.
My reaction is furious. I punch and kick all of them before jumping out of the window and run away. Oops, - maybe I just imagined to do it.
What I really do is say everything I didn’t say in all my 30 years. Wow, what a vent. I’m pretty sure that, my neighbours’ too have heard what I said.

The morning after I feel different. Full of energy and positive thoughts. What a pity.
The war machine has already started. The gates of inferno are open behind me, but I can’t see what’s going on in front of me.

At the beginning I thought it was my father, then I discovered that it was my dear old colleague who betrayed me. I’m fired.

Back home I discover that my wife has changed the alarm password and packed my stuff. Ok, I can’t stand this situation anymore, anyway.

When Lucrezia comes home I try to convince her. She reminds me of that one day when we said, “for the rest of our life”. She is right and I want to bring her with me. There will be hard moments but we will be together. But she won’t leave the house that my parents bought for us nor all the furniture inside. And then I remind her - “For richer or poorer” - and I leave with a bag, my laptop and my yellow shoe-box.

Title Card: “Chapter 6 – Life is beautiful, isn’t it?”

That something was going really wrong was easy to see. But I was too happy to be free to understand it when my ATM doesn’t work. Too much adrenalin in your veins can make you blind.

Now, in a motel, I open that brochure about an Italian Screenplay School in Los Angeles. I have some money in the account that I use for my “secret” purchase and I can get to it.

The school is exactly as I imagine… full of the colors, of creativity and strange people. Maybe too strange for me and I start to feel my self like a fish out of the water.
They are younger, smarter, differently dressed. I don’t understand their slang, I don’t understand their quips and quotations from movies that I never saw.
And the teacher destroys everyone of my ideas. After two months he suggests that I leave the school.

On the other side my wife took away the car, I ran out of money and so today I sold my computer.
I spend a night sleeping on the street right on the stars of Hollywood Boulevard. In the morning the Hollywood sign is the first thing I see.

Title Card: “Chapter 7 – Life is chaos and disorder”

I’m in a fast food restaurant. My mother would kill me if she saw me here. With the garbage from my Happy Meal I throw away my screenplay too. It’s seems worthless. With it I throw away my life and my dreams.

I remember the last words of my wife “I’ll always wait for you” and I decide to call. I have a few coins in my pocket and it’s just enough.
When she answers I can’t say anything, because she keeps talking and saying that they are ready to forgive me. Forgive me? Of what?

My reaction is full of rage and I destroy the phone before running down the street. I don’t know where I’m going. A car hits me and I hope it is the end but I’m still alive and still running.
The sound of horns and screeching wheels startled me and I enter into the subway station.
I keep running, I don’t even take the ticket and a policeman starts chasing me. When I arrive at the tracks I’m ready to jump down but a train arrives and I jump in.

Everybody looks at me as if I was a fool. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I’m sure I look pretty strange - I’m dirty and probably smell bad - and barely open my eyes.
Suddenly I see it on the other subway car. A small charm bracelet with a bear but I can’t see the girl who wears it. When the train stops I step out and try to follow her.

First, I receive her bag on my face, then a punch on my stomach.
When I look up I can’t believe my eyes it is my Valentina. It takes more time for her to recognize me but then she starts to smile. You see - I gave her that bracelet on the last day we saw each other - when our mothers argued so hard that they refused not to let us see each other again.

I know, I know what are you thinking. It’s too easy. Where is the anticipation? Do you remember what my teacher at school told me about life and screenplay? (repeat the scene).
Well let me say this life is not action and reaction, cause and effects is usually chaos and disorder. Nobody knows why something happen, and this is a true story and it happen really like this. Well, maybe we wear something different but this is not the point… the point is… now I’m in her apartment.
It is cosy and warm. After a shower and a diner I feel better. We try to talk but it is so hard. She is ready to go to New York to live with her boyfriend.
The tension is unbearable for me and I already want to leave.
While I’m trying to figure a way out of there I see in her bookcase an old notebook that I recognise. It is my old writing notebook. When we were studying together she used to take my notebook from my bag to read it, but that day she didn’t have time to give it to me back.
But those days are far away. I felt weak and like a loser.
While we are eating our ice cream, all I can say is that ‘dreams are not broken. In this case you should seize the day and do something about them... dreams dissolve like my ice cream and it is too late to do anything” She tries to console me and offers her sofa bed for that night.

The morning after I woke up suddenly. It has been a long time since I have slept so deep. She enters through the apartment door. She went to buy me back my laptop and she has found a place where I can live. She says that I can pay her back with the first movie.
In the darkness I imagine I kiss her… or maybe it really happens, I don’t know.

I do know that she helps me to find my script in the garbage of the fast food restaurant and then she brings me to Mrs Lira, my landlady, before leaving for New York.

Now I’m ready again. Cleaned, healthy and full of energy like a newborn baby. But I need to do one more thing.
Understand that is just my fault and if I want to change this situation it’s entirely up to me. I write a lot but it seems that nothing has changed right up to when the lady says to me – ‘You can’t stay just here in this room and write. The world is outside - connecting and relating with people - this is what you need.’
And so I exit. After all these years I open the door to accept the risk and live in a world full of conflict.

Title Card: “Chapter 8 – The end”

No, no. Where are you going. It’s not finished yet. The caption was there just to anticipate that you are going to know how it ends.
Well, the answer is right in front of you.
If you are in a dark theatre and you have enjoyed seeing this movie, my movie, it means that it all turned out well and perhaps it really deserved to be rescued from that trash bin.
I’d like to tell you that with this I’ve found the meaning of my life. The only problem is that the meaning of my life is living in New York in the arms of another man, and that is not a good place where to leave her. What do you think? Wish me luck, I have an airplane to take and a princes to rescue.