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FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
1 EXT.--NIGHT SKY Autumn evening FULL of STARS. Music plays over as credits roll. DISSOLVE TO: 2 EXT.--DAY LAURENS, IOWA It is a hot day in early September in Laurens, a small rural community in north central Iowa. The main drag, all of four blocks, is bookended by a giant grain elevator and a John Deere dealership. No cars on the road. CUT TO: 3 EXT.--DAY SMALL HOUSE & NEIGHBORING HOUSE At the neighboring house, DOROTHY, a rather large woman, 50ish, with bleached blond, cropped hair is sunbathing in a chaise lounge. She is wearing bermuda shorts, a tank top and eye protectors over her eyes. Next to her is a small table with a plate on it. Out of the other house, which has chipped siding and faded, peeling window frames, comes ROSE (late 30s, brown hair in a pixie cut, stocky, in jeans and a cotton shirt). The door slams and Rose heads down the walk. Dorothy doesn't move a muscle or remove her eye protectors. DOROTHY Hey Rose. Rose doesn't break stride but yells over... ROSE Hey Dorothy. Rose exits and we remain on the two houses and Dorothy sunbathing. After a moment, Dorothy reaches over and feels the plate next to her. She lifts the protectors and checks out the table...sees she's out of treats, gets up, grabs the plate and heads into her house. As the screen door slams shut behind her we slowly move in on the house Rose came from. We might be hearing footsteps as we move closer. The sound leads us slowly toward the rear of the house. As we continue moving closer we hear a short peel of rubber followed by a thudding sound and a sound like a stick dropping. We hold on the house in silence. CUT TO: 4 EXT.--DAY HOUSE AND NEIGHBORING HOUSE As before. Dorothy comes back out carrying the plate now filled with treats. Munching all the while she settles back into the chaise lounge and resumes sunbathing. DISSOLVE TO: 5 EXT.--DAY LATER--SMALL TOWN BAR IN LAURENS A small brick storefront bar. Two windows with neon beer signs are on either side of a red door with a window in the shape of a tilted martini glass. The door opens and BUD, a stocky 70ish man in jeans, a cotton shirt and construction boots emerges. He looks down the street. Not seeing anyone he turns and sticks his head back in the door of the bar and yells in... BUD I'm goin' over there. He lets the door close and heads off down the street. Another man, SIG, late 60's, 6'0", 265 lbs., in bib overalls and a seed cap, comes out the bar door holding a long-neck beer bottle and watches Bud walk away. SIG We're waitin'. CUT TO: 6 EXT.--DAY LAURENS RESIDENTIAL STREET Bud is striding down the street past small and weatherbeaten houses. The yards are mowed and dotted with lawn chairs and picnic tables. He approaches the house we saw earlier. He turns up the walkway, reaches the front door and starts knocking somewhat angrily. BUD Alvin! Alvin Straight! CUT TO: 7 EXT.--DAY THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD Dorothy doesn't move a muscle when she hears the knocking. She yells across the yard to Bud. DOROTHY Rose left a couple of hours ago. CUT TO: 8 EXT.--DAY SMALL HOUSE Bud jumps. He hadn't seen Dorothy until she spoke. BUD Did you hear me hollerin' for Rose? I'm not lookin' for Rose. DOROTHY I ain't seen Alvin today. BUD Did I ask.... Bud stops for a look at Dorothy who still has the eye protectors on. He shakes his head in exasperation. He resumes knocking on the door. BUD Straight. ......you're late!! Not getting any response he heads around to the backyard and finds no one. He goes up to the back door and starts knocking. BUD (cont'd) Alvin?! CUT TO: 9 INT.--DAY KITCHEN From inside the darkened kitchen we see Bud through the door window, knocking. BUD What the hell Alvin! At a break in his knocking on the door we hear an off-camera voice. ALVIN Come on in Bud. Bud, startled, reaches down, opens the door and enters. He stands blinking and flustered, letting his eyes adjust to the darkened room. BUD Where the hell are you Alvin? I can't see a damn thing. ALVIN I'm right here Bud...watch your step. Bud's eyes adjust and he follows the sound of Alvin's voice to the kitchen floor right at his feet. ALVIN STRAIGHT is stretched out on the floor. He is in his 70s, a lean man, weathered face, bald with a full, scruffy white beard. He is wearing a plaid cotton shirt, worn jeans and black cowboy boots. There is a wooden cane lying on the floor next to him. BUD What the hell's goin' on? What in god- damn hell are you doin' on the floor Alvin? What'r ye nuts? You're supposed to be down at Davmar's one hour ago. At this point a shadow falls on them and Dorothy fills the door frame. DOROTHY What's going on.... She sees Alvin on the floor. DOROTHY (cont'd) (panicking) Oh my god Alvin! ALVIN (with resignation) Hey there Dorothy. Dorothy makes a beeline for the phone, and picks it up. BUD What the hell are you doin'? DOROTHY (breathlessly) What's the number for 911? Bud rolls his eyes. ALVIN (with authority) Dorothy, put that phone down. She doesn't move. Her face flushed, bosom heaving, she looks back and forth between Alvin, Bud and the phone. Bud strides over to her and yanks the phone out of her hand. BUD I gotta call the bar and tell them we're not comin'. Dorothy grabs the phone back, wild-eyed. DOROTHY Bud Heimstra are you crazy? We have a stricken man here. Bud hesitates and looks over at Alvin, assessing his condition. BUD You stricken Alvin? Dorothy starts dialing. ALVIN Dorothy, PUT THAT PHONE DOWN! Dorothy hesitates. Bud tries to wrestle the phone from her. We hear the front door slam and Dorothy and Bud freeze. Rose enters the kitchen from the front of the house. ROSE Dad? What's all the.......yelling? She stops short. She takes in the scene...Bud and Dorothy at the phone and her dad on the floor. ROSE (cont'd) What have you...........done to my dad? BUD Oh for cry aye. ROSE Dad?..........are you........? Rose starts to cry. ALVIN (exasperated but forcefully) I just need some help gettin' up. CUT TO: 10 EXT.--DAY PARKING LOT We see Rose helping Alvin get out of the passenger side of their car. Once standing, Alvin won't move. Rose is tugging on his arm. He is not budging and he's shaking his head. ALVIN I'm not goin'. ROSE Dad..... ALVIN I'm not goin'. ROSE Dad....you promised me. After a pause Alvin nods. ALVIN Alright Rosie. They slowly make their way across the hot parking lot to the Doctor's office. CUT TO: OMIT SCENES 11, 12, & 13. CUT TO: 14 INT.--DAY EXAMINING ROOM The nurse and Alvin enter the examining room. She turns to him and hands him a robe. NURSE O.K. Mr. Straight, you need to take off all your clothes except your underwear and put this robe on. ALVIN (gruffly) Just bring me the doctor. CUT TO: 15 INT.--DAY DOCTOR'S RECEPTION, LATER Rose is standing in front of a series of bird paintings. ROSE I see you like birds. I build.......bird- houses........for bluebirds. NURSE Oh, that's nice. ROSE Yah.....Pete sells my birdhouses........at the.....Ace. NURSE Oh...I'll look for them next time I'm in. CUT TO: 16 INT.--DAY EXAMINING ROOM Alvin leans against the examining table as he pulls his pants to a close and fastens his belt. He is shirt- less. His skin hangs loosely off his rib cage. He has a serious farmer's tan: lily white chest and shoulders and arms with nut brown face, neck and hands. A middle-aged DOCTOR GIBBONS is standing looking over some notes. DOCTOR GIBBONS So you're not sure just how long you were on the floor? ALVIN (shaking his head) I remember my cane slippin'...and losing my balance.... (he pauses, concentrating) ...next thing I knew Bud Heimstra was banging on my kitchen door. The doctor nods at this account and writes something in his notes. Alvin sits on the examining table and looks around. He takes in the foreign room: bright fluorescent lights, slick pastel Formica surfaces, matching pastel framed art, bio-hazard warnings and medical equipment. He looks back to the Doctor and catches the man watching him with a look of concern on his face. ALVIN (cont'd) Somethin' the matter Doc? The Doctor switches to an attempt at a smile. DOCTOR GIBBONS Listen Alvin, sometimes it's my job to tell people things they don't want to hear. I'm concerned about you. I think you need an operation on those hips. ALVIN No operations. DOCTOR Well...this morning you fall and can't get off the floor...that's your hips Alvin. You'll have to use a walker to get around now. ALVIN (barks) No walker. DOCTOR Fine...a second cane then. You say you're not seeing too well. That could be a diabetes-related problem. I would like to run some... ALVIN No! The doctor looks back down at his notes and up at Alvin. DOCTOR GIBBONS I can see and hear that you smoke. I would guess you're in the early stages of emphysema. And Alvin you have circulation problems. I worry about your diet and unless you change some things quick, there will be some serious consequences. Alvin doesn't say anything. He just stares at the Doctor. CUT TO: 17 INT.--DAY KITCHEN ALVIN sits at the kitchen table and takes a deep drag off of a Swisher Sweet. Two canes are propped up against the table. Rose looks on. She stands in the middle of the kitchen holding a birdhouse, fret- fully watching Alvin. She holds the birdhouse out to him. ROSE It has a.........red roof. Alvin looks at the birdhouse and smiles at Rose. ALVIN That's another pretty one Rose. He continues smoking. Rose, pleased at his response, turns smiling to do a few dishes. She sets the birdhouse down. ROSE I want to paint the.......next roof... (she blurts) ...blue. Alvin smiles again. ALVIN That's a good idea. Rose turns to the window and thinks for a while with a smile on her face. As she reflects, her smile begins to fade. ROSE What did the.......Doctor say? Alvin puts out the Swisher Sweet. ALVIN Said I'm goin' to live to be a hundred. Rose smiles at this. Alvin stands, puts on a cream- colored Stetson and heads to the back door. ALVIN (cont'd) Time to cut the lawn. ROSE I can......cut it for......you...Dad. Alvin is navigating the door with his two canes in hand. Says gently back over his shoulder. ALVIN I got it sweetheart. Rose turns, clears the table and takes dishes over to the kitchen sink. Out the window over her shoulder we see Alvin cross the backyard and mount a Rehds riding mower. She sets the dishes in the sink, then gets distracted by the birdhouse. CUT TO: 18 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD Alvin tries to start the mower. No luck. He performs a slow, painful, laborious dismount. Then in a quick move he turns and bangs the mower with his cane. ALVIN Damn! CUT TO: 19 INT.--DAY LAURENS ACE HARDWARE A group of locals are in the store. SIG, BUD, PETE, mid-60s, 6'0", lean, gray and wearing slacks and a red Ace vest, and APPLE, early 60s, short, bald and talkative. He is wearing a short-sleeve shirt and a tie. He's concentrating on his right boot. He frowns as he works it up and down with his toes. His attention is split between working the shoe and watching the Weather Channel which is on the television over the counter. APPLE (all the while stomping his foot) Looks like another low comin' out of the panhandle of Texas. That's where they all come from. You know in the winter that's where we get all our big dumps. PETE Apple I doubt very much if we'll be getting snow this week. Sig giggles. SIG And here comes Alvin Straight. He's not movin' too well. PETE Well he took that bad fall. BUD An hour late! I found the darn fool on the kitchen floor. SIG He looks like he ain't gonna make it to the door. If he was a horse they'd shoot 'im. PETE (scolding) How old are you now Sig? Apple has his shoe off and is digging inside of it with his hand. He looks up at Pete's remark. APPLE He's 70 in September..."Oh the days dwindle down to a precious few..." SIG You can shut up any time Apple. Alvin enters. They turn their heads, nod hello. Bud scowls. PETE Mornin' Alvin. What can I do for you? Alvin approaches the counter and opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by... APPLE Local forecast! CUT TO: 20 INT.--DAY HARDWARE STORE TELEVISION The Weather Channel. The local forecast runs with the accompanying music. Conversation stops abruptly and they all turn to watch the local forecast together. There is the potential for thunderstorms later in the day with a possible tornado watch. PETE And what can I do you for Alvin? ALVIN Plugs for the Rehds. Won't start. CUT TO: 21 EXT.--LATE DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD Alvin is changing the plugs, smoking Swisher Sweets. Rose is sitting on aluminum lawn chair painting the roof of her birdhouse blue. A storm is moving in. Alvin looks up to the sky. ALVIN Storm comin'...not mowin' today. CUT TO: 22 INT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S LIVING ROOM Alvin and Rose are watching Storm Watch on the Weather Channel. CUT TO: 23 INT.--NIGHT THE TELEVISION IN ALVIN'S LIVING ROOM WEATHER PERSON Severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watch continue until 9 PM for all of west central Iowa. The National Weather Service advises seeking shelter in basement rooms. Avoid all windows... CUT TO: 24 INT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S LIVING ROOM Rose and Alvin sit by the window watching the lightning. A big bolt cuts through the sky to the ground. ALVIN I love a lightning storm. ROSE Me....too Dad. The phone rings. Rose is reluctant to leave the show at the window and lets it ring 3 or 4 times. Finally she gets up and leaves the room to answer the phone in the kitchen. ROSE (off camera) Hello.........this.......is Rose. Yah...yah...Uncle......Lyle? Alvin's expression changes to a frown as the light of the TV plays off his face. He does not turn his head or speak but he is listening and reacting to Rose's conversation. ROSE (cont'd) Oh.......no. When? O.K. Ah..ah...I'll tell him. Yah. O.K. bye. Rose comes back in and sits down. She doesn't say anything and neither does Alvin for a bit. We see another big crack of lightning out the window. The Storm Watch continues off screen. WEATHER PERSON (voice over) A tornado has been sited in Ida County. Sac, Calhoun and Pocahontas Counties are all under tornado watch... ROSE (cont'd) That was Bobby...Uncle Lyle had a....a .....ah...stroke. On the word "stroke," a bolt of lightning brilliantly illuminates Alvin's face. Then he sits stonefaced in darkness looking out the window. He doesn't respond. ROSE (cont'd) Dad? CUT TO: 25 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S HOUSE Alvin's house is being buffeted by a fierce midwestern electrical storm. CUT TO: 26 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S YARD Alvin is mowing the lawn. CUT TO: 27 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S HOUSE, KITCHEN Rose is standing at the kitchen window talking on the phone. Over Rose's shoulder Alvin crosses back and forth through the window frame riding the mower. Rose is talking to one of her brothers. ROSE No Bobby he....didn't say much......They both been so......stubborn. No......no it was longer. I remember...It was July 7, 1988. Bobby, I always remember.....the dates. Through the window we see Alvin stop the mower. He sits and stares. He lights up a Swisher Sweet. ROSE (cont'd) I....don't know...what......he'll do. Rose hangs up and looks back out at Alvin sitting on mower. CUT TO: 28 INT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S LIVING ROOM Rose is sitting in the dark looking out the window at the freshly mown lawn. She hears a noise and turns. There is Alvin, with two canes, silhouetted in the doorway to the kitchen. ALVIN Rose honey, why don't you come in here and join your dad for a cup of coffee. Rose looks puzzled. This is not a common invitation from Alvin. ROSE Dad..........we're not going to move again are we? You always set me down for a coffee when you tell me we are going to move again. Alvin laughs a little. Rose is clearly wary. ALVIN No honey...we're not breaking camp. Rose sighs in relief and smiles. Alvin pauses, clearly uncomfortable. ALVIN (cont'd) Unless you make so many bluebird houses we run outa room. ROSE (taking her father seriously) Dad..oh jeez..I can stop making them... ALVIN Easy honey. Your pa was just makin' a joke. Rose is relieved. Alvin pauses and draws a breath. ALVIN (cont'd) Rose. I'm goin' to get back out on the road. I'm goin' to go see Lyle. ROSE But Dad....how are you.......? Alvin turns and starts to hobble toward the kitchen. ALVIN I haven't quite figured that out yet. He moves off into the kitchen. CUT TO: 29 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD From around the side of the house comes Rose hauling a large piece of aged plywood. She talks as she wrestles with the large board. She is speaking to Alvin who is on the back stoop with a wrench and a ball joint. She is also reasoning aloud with herself. ROSE One...Your eyes are bad....That is why you don't drive your car because you cannot see the signs anymore. Rose turns and looks directly at Alvin. He is letting her vent. ROSE (cont'd) One...Your eyes are bad. Rose walks back around the corner of the house and returns with another large piece of old plywood. As Rose enunciates her reasons she ticks them off on her fingers. ROSE (cont'd) Two...Lyle is in Wisconsin which is 317 miles away. You can't take any bus straight to Mt. Zion. You'd have to stay overnight in Des Moines....and.....then there's no bus to Zion. Rose eyes Alvin again. She vanishes around the corner one more time. Alvin continues working on the ball joint, adding oil to loosen the bolt. Rose comes around the corner again. ROSE Three....Your hips. You can't hardly stand for two minutes and when you do stand up after you are sitting down this is the sound you make when you stand... "aaaaaraaaaarrrrhhgggg. " That is your arthritis sound. Alvin chuckles at her impersonation of him. She is almost finished with her tasks. Her talking slows as she gets to the last of her rant. ROSE (cont'd) Four....You are 73 years old. You were born when Calvin Coolidge was President of America. Rose sits down next to Alvin on the stoop. She is hot, tired, worried and upset. Her voice almost breaks as she finishes her speech. ROSE (cont'd) You are 73 years old......And I can't drive you there. ALVIN Rosie....darlin'....I'm not dead yet. This subdues Rose. Alvin looks at her for a beat, turns and moves to a stool with the wrench and ball joint. He begins screwing the ball joint to a beam. ROSE (tired and exasperated) What are we building? CUT TO: 30 INT.--NEXT DAY GROCERY STORE Rose is pushing a grocery cart down the aisle. She checks a list in her hand. ROSE Coffee. Rose places eight large cans of Folgers into the cart. She counts as she deposits them. ROSE (cont'd) One...two...three...four...five...six... seven... eight. She checks list again. ROSE (cont'd) Wieners.... Rose places several large packs of wieners in the cart. ROSE (cont'd) One...two...three....four...five.....six. She reaches back into the cold meat case. ROSE (cont'd) Braunschweiger. Rose makes faces in incremental disgust as she counts. ROSE (cont'd) One......two........three.......four.... She hates braunschweiger. She checks her list again. She moves down the aisle and into the next one. She pauses before a display. ROSE (cont'd) Bug juice. Rose throws insect repellent into the cart. ROSE (cont'd) One. She checks her list and nods in satisfaction, heading to the checkout counter. CUT TO: 31 INT.--DAY GROCERY STORE CHECKOUT COUNTER Rose is loading her purchases onto the counter. BRENDA the checkout girl looks on with a curious expression. Brenda is 20ish, cute, a little hefty. Very cheerful. BRENDA (a statement) Havin' a party. Rose looks at her blankly. ROSE Oh......Jeez I love parties. BRENDA Yah, me too. ROSE So where's it at? Brenda is confused. BRENDA Where's what at? ROSE Your party. BRENDA I'm not havin' a party. I thought you're havin' a party. ROSE I am? BRENDA Well yah...look at all that braunsweiger. ROSE Yah it's a lot of braunschweiger. Brenda starts to ring up the braunschweiger. ROSE It's for my dad.....for his.....trip. My dad.......He...is going to.......Wisconsin. BRENDA Oh Wisconsin! A real party state. Rose is keeping an eye on her items. She makes a "yuk" face. ROSE I hate braunschweiger. Brenda, still checking, nods in assent and makes a sour face. CUT TO: 32 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD Rose comes walking out of the house with groceries. She sets them on the picnic table and heads back into the house. Alvin loads the groceries into the now finished trailer. The back door of the house opens and a big sheet of foam rubber flies out the door followed by Rose. She hauls it over to the trailer and sets it in. She fusses over its arrangement. CUT TO: 33 INT.--DAY ACE HARDWARE Pete, Sig, Apple, & Bud are in the store. They are watching the Weather Channel. Sig has a toothpick in his mouth. Apple is sitting on a stool. Alvin and Rose enter. PETE Morning Alvin. How are you today Rose? Alvin nods. Rose smiles. ROSE (blurts) My.....dad....is going to see.....his .....brother. I keep askin' him how....he's goin' to get there.....but he doesn't say.....nothin'. Alvin throws a look at Rose. She smiles. PETE Your bluebird houses are selling well Rose. I'm gonna need some more from you. SIG Taking a trip Alvin eh? ALVIN Yup. Apple is sitting on a stool with one shoe off. His hand is inside the shoe. APPLE Well if you're traveling by car you know my wife'll get those AAA trip tix. Those babies'll tell you where every piece of construction is all along the "I" system. PETE I don't suspect Alvin'll be takin' your wife along with him Apple. ALVIN Oh Lord. BUD You can take my wife. Alvin chuckles and then sets one cane against the counter. With his other cane he makes his way down the store aisle to the gas cans. He grabs one 5-gallon container and heads back to the counter. SIG Where's your brother at Alvin? Alvin sets the can on the counter. He turns to walk back down the aisle. ROSE Mt. Zion. Sixty-three miles east of the Missi.....ssippi. PETE Sixty-three miles, eh Rose? APPLE Did you know that the Mississippi..the old mighty Mississipp..is the single most profitable waterway in the world? Did you know that the Japanese harvest pearls outta the river down to Prairie du Chien....pearls! SIG And carp. PETE And walleye...need help there Alvin? ALVIN No thanks, Pete. Pete and Sig exchange a glance and look at Rose. She smiles. Alvin picks up another 5-gallon gas can. SIG What's doin' at your brother's Alvin? The Straight family reunion? Alvin gives Sig a look. ALVIN You could say that. Alvin puts the other gas can on the counter. SIG (goading Alvin) Alvin you got three 5-gallon cans. Fifteen gallons of gas there. Just what you gonna do with that much gas? Rose is getting nervous with Sig's prying ways. She knows that this is a sensitive area for Alvin. She looks to the TV. ROSE Local forecast! The whole gang stops and watches as the Weather Channel gives the local forecast. CUT TO: 34 INT.--DAY THE TV SCREEN The local forecast runs and the radar is looking clear. CUT TO: As soon as it is over they look at each other to remember where they were in conversation. SIG Ahh....so what you need so much gas for Alvin? Alvin returns to the counter. This time he has two medium-sized Styrofoam coolers. Alvin stops and looks long at Sig. ALVIN Sig, you are one nosy sonofagun. BUD You got that right. Sig clamps his jaw. Alvin turns back to Pete. ALVIN Pete, I'd like to buy that from you. Alvin points to a contraption used in hardware stores to grab things on high shelves. Pete sees what he's pointing to and gets a possessive jolt. He turns to Alvin. PETE Jeez Alvin. ALVIN Well? Pete eyes the grabber. He looks down the aisle to the other end of the store where he's got another grabber hanging. PETE I do have two of them...I guess I could sell you that one. ALVIN Five bucks would seem about right. PETE (puzzled) Those things are hard to come by Alvin. It would take me two months to get another one on order. That's a damn good grabber. Jeez...I can't let that grabber go for less than.....jeez.....$10.00. ALVIN (considering, not too happy) OK. Ring her up. Pete pulls down the grabber and longingly works it a few times and sets it reluctantly down on the counter. Alvin smiles. Pete starts ringing up Alvin's items. PETE Three 5-gallon gas cans at $9.89. Two Styrofoam coolers... The beautiful bells and clicks and hammers of the old cash register are the only sounds in the room. PETE Two coolers, 99 cents and one....one...Alvin... ALVIN Ring it up Pete. PETE With tax that's $44.25. Alvin fishes out a large black wallet held to his belt by a chain. He pulls out two twenties and a five and hands them to Pete. SIG What you need that grabber for Alvin? Alvin turns to him. ALVIN Grabbin'. Apple has his arm up to his elbow digging in his boot. Suddenly he feels something. APPLE Hah! It's a nail! CUT TO: 35 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD Alvin and Rose are in the backyard. Alvin takes a can of W-2 lubricant. He sprays the hitch holder on the trailer. Then he laboriously makes his way across the lawn to the riding mower. He sprays the hitch ball on the mower. Rose is confused. Alvin then mounts the lawn mower. He begins backing it up to the trailer. Awareness finally crosses Rose's face. Her jaw drops. ROSE Oh.....jeeez Dad. Oh jeez......Dad. CUT TO: 36 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S BACKYARD Alvin is seated on a chaise lounge smoking a Swisher Sweet. He is looking at his mower/trailer rig. A mosquito coil burns beside him, casting a warm glow on the scene. Rose is lying on the ground on a blanket looking up at the stars. It is a beautiful autumn evening. ROSE (cont'd) ...that trailer is too heavy for that...it's a lawnmower. You are going to....drive....a lawnmower to...another state. ALVIN Now Rose you gotta cease with your worryin'. You get that from your mother. ROSE But Dad....you....can't. ALVIN Rose...."can't" doesn't live here. Alvin takes a puff of cigar. ALVIN It's gonna be fine Rose. ROSE Dad....please. I will find someone to drive you to Wisconsin. Pete........you like Pete.....Pete...he is a good driver. ALVIN Now, Rose, sweetheart...... Rose is starting to tear up. She is so worried about what he is doing. He reaches down and takes her hand. ALVIN (cont'd) I been on the road plenty. Didn't your mom and I haul you kids all around the country? Rose nods, close to tears. She counts. ROSE One, Wisconsin...Two, Minnesota... Three, Wyoming but not long...Four was Oregon. We had goats. Five.....New Mexico and......six.....good old....Iowa. ALVIN Remember when we traveled...you and your sister and brothers... Rose nods and the reminiscence makes her happy. ALVIN (cont'd) We sure saw a lot. We all liked travelin'. ROSE Yeah. (smiling at first but then the worry returns) But this is different Dad. ALVIN It is Rose...it's easier..I'm not luggin' seven kids in the back. Rose nods. Her emotions are confused. ROSE But Dad.....you will be all alone. Won't you be lonely? ALVIN Rosie...sometimes a man likes bein' a little lonely. Rose ponders this notion. A new anxiety creeps in. ROSE I will be alone......here... This stops Alvin. He realizes he hadn't really thought about that and it makes him feel both bad and a little worried. He hides his concern. ALVIN And you're going to be just fine. Dorothy is next door and she can't keep her nose out of our business. She'll be over here seven times a day. Rose laughs. ROSE Wait 'til she hears about.........this Dad. They both share a laugh. ALVIN Rose I got to go see Lyle. I got to make this trip on my own. I know you understand that. ROSE I guess so.... ALVIN Look at that sky Rose...full of stars tonight. CUT TO: 37 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S BACKYARD POV a sky full of stars. CUT TO: 38 INT.--DAY GROCERY STORE Dorothy is at the checkout counter. Brenda is checking her out. BRENDA One bag of potato chips, two boxes of powdered donuts, one bag of corn nuts, six pack of Coca-Cola, two Snickers, three Hostess Sno-Balls... DOROTHY Give me a couple packs of Salem lights will ya hon? Dorothy glances out the window of the store just in time to see Alvin passing on his mower hauling the trailer. DOROTHY Well....I don't believe my eyes. Brenda looks up and glances out the window. She sees Alvin passing on the mower. She doesn't miss a beat in her checking. BRENDA Oh yah. He's goin' to visit his brother in Wisconsin. DOROTHY On a lawnmower?!?! BRENDA Yah... DOROTHY Great party place, Wisconsin. CUT TO: 39 INT.--DAY HARDWARE STORE The Weather Channel is STILL on. Pete, Sig and Apple are watching. As they watch they hear a noisy engine approach out front. They turn to the store- front window. Alvin pulls into frame hauling the trailer behind his riding lawn mower. SIG (stunned) Crimenetto. All three exit the hardware store after Alvin. CUT TO: 40 EXT.--DAY LAURENS MAIN STREET The three hardware regulars trot alongside Alvin as he passes out of town. APPLE Alvin just what are you settin' out to do here? BUD Oh for da cry eye Alvin. APPLE Alvin you are gonna get blown right off the road is what I'm afraid. SIG (running out of breath and stopping, bending over, hands on knees, wheezing) Oh.... (puffing) ... jeez Alvin. All three stop and watch as Alvin moves slowly out of town. PETE (to no one in particular) He'll never make it past the Grotto. CUT TO: 41 EXT.--DAY IOWA COUNTY HIGHWAY 314 Tight shot of very, very slow yellow center line moving through frame to the tune of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" a la Easy Rider. CUT TO: 42 EXT.--DAY IOWA COUNTY HIGHWAY 314 Wide shot from behind and then beside Alvin which takes in expansive landscape. A beautiful sunny day. America at five miles an hour. CUT TO: 43 EXT.--DAY IOWA COUNTY HIGHWAY 314 Close shot Alvin happy to be on the road. Diggin' the pig farms. Music plays over. CUT TO: 44 EXT.--DAY SAME HIGHWAY Alvin passes a farmhouse. A farm wife is hanging clothes on a clothesline. She gawks. A boy gawks. A dog chases after Alvin. Alvin holds out his hand with a wiener in it. The dog sticks with him for awhile. We ride along with the two of them for a bit. Alvin turns to dog. ALVIN Go on home now. The dog looks a little crestfallen but realizes Alvin is right. He wheels and heads back home. CUT TO: 45 EXT.--DAY SAME HIGHWAY A farmer in the field on a John Deere tractor cutting third crop hay. The mower and tractor are on in parallel tracks heading in the same direction. The field tractor passes him and he and the farmer exchange waves. CUT TO: 46 EXT.--DAY SAME HIGHWAY Alvin sees a sign that says, "Only Five More Miles to The Grotto of West Bend Iowa." CUT TO: 47 EXT.--DAY SAME HIGHWAY Alvin is approaching the outskirts of the town of West Bend. His reverie is interrupted by a distant, building sound. A huge truck approaches and flies by Alvin with a deafening roar. It completely rattles lawn mower, trailer, and Alvin. Alvin's hat is blown off. He has to stop the mower, get out his canes, do the slow dismount. He struggles down through a ditch into a field. He retrieves the hat, goes back down through the ditch. He climbs back up out of the ditch onto the road and mounts the mower. Real time. Just as he sits down, the tractor dies. Alvin hauls himself off the mower again and pops the hood. Shaking his head he gets back on the mower. DISSOLVE TO: 48 EXT.--DAY Alvin is sitting on the mower in the same spot. He reaches back into food locker, grabs a cold wiener. He sits and eats. DISSOLVE TO: 49 EXT.--DAY Alvin is sitting on the open back door of the trailer looking back down the road. He sees a bus approaching. He waves it down and the bus stops. The side of the bus has written large "SUN-RAY TOURS." CUT TO: 50 INT.--DAY INSIDE TOUR BUS The doors of the bus pop open to reveal Alvin standing there with his two canes, wearing his Stetson. ALVIN I'm having some engine trouble. The busdriver cranes his neck to look beyond Alvin and spies the lawn mower and trailer. BUSDRIVER What the heck are you driving there. ALVIN A Rehds. The busdriver is puzzled by this answer. ALVIN (cont'd) Can you give me a lift into town? BUSDRIVER I can get you as far as the Grotto. This is the SUN-RAY Tour. ALVIN I'd appreciate that. Alvin climbs on board. CUT TO: 51 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S POV OF PASSENGERS The bus is filled with senior citizens, mostly women. Each occupant is wearing a name tag bearing "SUN- RAY TOURS" and their name. CUT TO: 52 INT.--DAY BUS Alvin just gazes at the passengers. CUT TO: 53 INT.--DAY BUS, ALVIN'S POV A sea of white, blue and pink hair and wrinkled faces. One lady pops up and snaps his photo. She then turns and snaps a photo of the lawn mower and trailer. CUT TO: 54 INT.--DAY BUS Alvin moves down the aisle toward a seat. His canes are hanging one from each arm as he grips one seat back after another. Some of the women cringe slightly as he passes. One old lady leans over to another. OLD LADY #1 My Edward loved his riding mower. CUT TO: 55 EXT.--DAY WEST BEND GROTTO The bus pulls up to the Grotto, a fantastic, magical tourist attraction. The old people begin to get out of the bus. CUT TO: 56 INT.--DAY BUS Alvin sits patiently waiting for everyone else to leave the bus. People give a variety of looks as they file out. Alvin watches them as they walk into the Grotto. As the last person disappears through the entrance, he stands and slowly exits the bus. CUT TO: 57 I/E.--DAY GROTTO Pan of the interior wall of the Grotto. It is a beauti- fully detailed structure of pieces of rock and crystal. The stations of the Cross are represented on the two sides of the interior walls. Alvin sits on a bench in a courtyard inside the Grotto looking at what he sees. The bench is situated under a spreading oak tree. In the background we see the group from the bus with the tour guide talking through a megaphone. TOUR GUIDE ...The Pastor of this Catholic Parish began his work on the Grotto in 1912 and continued it until his death in 1954. All this work you see before you was done by hand... An old gentleman (WENDELL) breaks from the group and approaches Alvin. Wendell is wearing a seersucker suit with a bow tie. He is walking with one cane. He walks up to Alvin sitting on the bench. WENDELL May I share the bench? As you can see I have a little arthritis myself. ALVIN Be my guest. Wendell sits, gets himself situated and leans forward on his cane. WENDELL This was one fellow who had quite a bit of time on his hands. ALVIN A lot of work. The tour guide in the background has made some comment which causes all the women to start giggling. Alvin and Wendell turn at this. ALVIN (cont'd) So how's it traveling with a hen house? WENDELL Well I'll tell you. My wife passed away in '87. After she was gone I spent a lot of time alone. Oh there were women who came out of the woodwork trying to cook and clean for me. I managed to keep myself unattached and they finally stopped coming around. Then things got pretty quiet. I got to missing things. ALVIN My wife passed in 1981. Wendell nods and they sit quiet for a moment. WENDELL My daughter tricked me into one of these bus trips a couple of years ago. It was The House on the Rock if I'm not mistaken. A very interesting structure that. I was the only man on that bus. It was a singular experience. ALVIN I bet. They share a chuckle. WENDELL I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed all that femininity. I discovered how much I missed it. Since then I make one of these bus trips every other month. I rather enjoy the attention. ALVIN I live with my daughter Rose. Of course, it's different from being with my wife, but it's a comfort to have a woman around. WENDELL There's not a man born who doesn't enjoy being fussed over. ALVIN You wouldn't a had your way with any of these fillies now wouldja? Wendell pauses and chuckles. WENDELL It is a wonder how invigorating a tumble with a maiden can be. ALVIN If there's a maiden on that bus I'll dance a jig. WENDELL (chuckling again) See those three over there? They're Dominican nuns. Alvin begins laughing and Wendell joins in. Without rising from the bench Alvin moves his feet in a jig. The two fellas laugh again. They hear an outburst of giggles from the gaggle of gals and look their way. One of the women waves to Wendell. He waves back. The two men sit in silence for a while. WENDELL (cont'd) That's an interesting attachment to your lawn mower. ALVIN You mean my trailer. WENDELL Is that what that is? Why would you attach a trailer to a lawnmower? ALVIN I'm takin' a trip. That's where I bunk. WENDELL A trip on a lawnmower? That's an interesting means of conveyance. A bit hard on the hips isn't it? ALVIN No worse than a tumble with a maiden. The two laugh again. ALVIN It's not too bad. A little rough on the dismount. They laugh some more. It subsides. WENDELL And what's your destination? ALVIN Mt. Zion. WENDELL Wisconsin? ALVIN Yup. WENDELL I admire your gumption. Two women have broken away from the crowd and approach the bench. FIRST WOMAN Oh Wendell. The tour guide has so much to say. We hate to see you miss this. Wendell turns to Alvin and winks. Woman number two reaches down and flicks some lint off of Alvin's shoulder. Alvin smiles at her. ALVIN Thank you. The woman blushes. Wendell stands and turns to Alvin. WENDELL Bon voyage my friend. ALVIN Adios. Wendell and the two women walk away. CUT TO: 58 EXT.--DAY HIGHWAY 314 Alvin tight as he rolls along the highway at a surpris- ingly fast speed. He is holding on to his hat. Pull back slowly to reveal Alvin on the bed of a pickup sitting on his lawn mower as it rolls back into Laurens. CUT TO: 59 INT.--DAY LAURENS ACE HARDWARE The Weather Channel is on. The locals all turn their heads as Alvin passes through their view out of the window. SIG Told ya that mower wouldn't make it mor'n a few miles. Alvin (shakes his head), he's got more brass than brains. PETE (almost to himself) Hardly out a full day. APPLE Least he's not hurt. Old timer like that on the road. There's no tellin'. Pete, Apple and Sig stand looking as Alvin passes. Alvin looks straight ahead. WEATHER PERSON (off camera) ...and now for your local forecast. Contrary to their previous actions when the local forecast is announced, Pete, Sig and Apple do not take their eyes off of Alvin. They walk to the window as he passes out of frame. They peer down the street after him. CUT TO: 60 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S KITCHEN Rose is sitting at the kitchen table with Dorothy. Between them is a large bowl of potato chips and they are each drinking a large glass of milk. Dorothy's hair is now bright red. ROSE ...so the man in a pick up...he brought my...my dad back. DOROTHY Oh...I must've been at the beauty parlor. What kinda pickup? Alvin enters kitchen from inside the house, passes by them and on out the back door. He is carrying a pump action shotgun under his arm. He has a little trouble with the canes, the gun and the back door. The gals stop talking until he goes out the door. ROSE A Ford. Dorothy's eyes are glued to Alvin as she watches him through the kitchen window crossing the lawn. DOROTHY What's your dad doin' with that gun? ROSE I.....don't know. My dad...he got medals in the war for sharpshootin'.... But his eyes ain't so good now. All through this we see Alvin out in the yard. He begins to put his canes down and prop himself up against a picnic table. ROSE (cont'd) Once he shot....a cougar....right out....of a tree....it was up above me and my......brother Bobby. Through the window we see Alvin pick up the shot- gun and raise it to his shoulder. The two women unconsciously rise up out of their seats and move toward the window to see what is going on. Alvin pumps the shotgun and fires. The women can now see the target -- the Rehds lawnmower explodes. Alvin pumps once more and finishes it off. DOROTHY Jeez. CUT TO: 61 INT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S LIVING ROOM Alvin and Rose are watching the TV news. Alvin is gluing coins onto the hatband of his Stetson. ROSE What.....are those Dad? ALVIN My Mexican coins. ROSE Remember...I was born in New Mexico....June....20...1960. The Mexican coin is a........peso........Why are you gluing pesos on your hat? ALVIN Ballast. ROSE (repeating with some confusion) Ballast. CUT TO: 62 EXT.--DAY JOHN DEERE DEALER IN LAURENS IOWA Pan across flat Iowa landscape to huge John Deere sign. The camera moves down to find a herd of the huge, green titans of farm machinery; the John Deere tractors. We first see the biggest farm tractors John Deere makes, some more than a story tall with air-conditioned cabs, CD players and onboard global positioning computers. As the camera moves the vehicles get smaller, until the shot comes to rest on the spanking new John Deere Riding Mower, sparkling in the summer sun. As the camera rests on the riding mower we see Alvin, leaning on his two canes, gazing longingly at the mower. CUT TO: 63 INT.--DAY JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP Two salesmen stand sipping coffee from official John Deere mugs. The older man is Tom. He is late 50s, greying and stocky and short. A seasoned tractor salesman who has seen it all. He is wearing a John Deere sports shirt, yellow with green JD logo over his breast. With Tom is his young, energetic sales rookie, Andy. Andy is a big kid, just off the family farm, a little soft but full of sales gumption. He works on straight commission. He too is wearing a John Deere shirt and hat, which is a bit small for his great melon of a head. ANDY That's the LD 155 right Mr. Hillenbrandt. TOM As I told ya'...Andy I'd rather ya didn't call me "Mister Hillenbrandt." Tom is fine. People hear you call me Mister and they'll think I've actually become a real businessman. Pretty soon they'll all be calling me Mr. Hillenbrandt and I'd have to sell my implement business and move to someplace where folks call me "Tom" again. ANDY Sorry...T...T...Tom...it's just that I've been calling you Mister Hillenbrandt all my life... TOM Well you're out of school and a workin' fool like the rest of us now Andy and you can start usin' first names. And one other thing...that's not the LD 155, that's the LT 155. Alvin enters the showroom, where there are more riding mowers. ANDY (confidently) Would you like to me to handle this one...Tom? TOM Sure. It's Alvin Straight. I'm sure you'll do just fine Andy. Andy walks over to meet Alvin as he enters the door. As he leaves Tom ducks his head and leaves the showroom. He turns and looks at ALICE, the gray haired woman who is his bookkeeper. She crosses herself and raises her eyes to the heavens. Alvin is looking at another model of riding mower as Andy saunters over. ANDY Good morning. I'm Andy Laufenberg. Anything I can help you with today sir. ALVIN Well Andy Laufenberg...I'm looking to get a riding mower. I want good power -- comfortable ride. ANDY Well sir this is the one to look at. It's the John Deere LT 155.... Andy nervously reaches for a pamphlet. ANDY (cont'd) It's got a 15 horsepower Kawasaki engine. Cast iron cylin... ALVIN Japanese? ANDY (flummoxed) No ah sir...no I'm not. I'm mostly Dutch. ALVIN The engine. Kawasaki. A Japanese engine? ANDY Yessir. Alvin grunts. ANDY (cont'd) They...the Japanese make a very fine engine. The LD 155... ALVIN LT. ANDY Beg your pardon? ALVIN LT...LT 155...says here right on the side. Andy is flustered and begins fumbling with the pamphlet. ANDY And you're right sir...similar models. By Gish that is the LT 155. Same engine looks like and...it's...got....air cooling...electronic ignition...right here with that key....It's got a hydrostatic drive transmission. ALVIN And what would that be? ANDY Good question and I'm sure I can get that answer for you... Andy looks over his shoulder to search for Tom. Tom and the bookkeeper wave and turn back to some papers. CUT TO: 64 INT.--DAY JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP / BOOKKEEPER'S OFFICE ALICE How's he doin'? TOM Young salesmen are a painful thing to witness. You add Alvin to the mix and we may have to call the paramedics. Alice giggles. They continue to watch Andy and Alvin. ALICE Shouldn't you rescue him now? CUT TO: 65 INT.--DAY JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP Andy is still struggling. ANDY It's also got disc breaks...Mr...ah...Mr... ah...sir. ALVIN Straight. Mr. Alvin Straight. ANDY Well Alvin. Disc brakes on a lawn mower. Isn't that something? ALVIN You're young enough to be my grand- son. Proper thing would be to call me Mr. Straight. If a buck private called me Alvin I made him shovel slop. ANDY Right Mr. Straight. I'm a bit new at this and....and...well-- Tom crosses the showroom to them. Alvin nods. Andy looks relieved. ANDY Just talking to Mr. Straight here, Mr. Hillenbrandt... ah...well...he's interested here in a LT 155. TOM Mornin' Alvin. ALVIN Tom. TOM Alvin the LT 155 runs about $2500 dollars. What ya lookin' to spend today? ALVIN Not that much. TOM Follow me Alvin. Andy, Alice has some paperwork you need to fill out. ANDY (dejected) OK Mr. Hillenbrandt. TOM You did fine Andy. Didn't he Alvin? ALVIN Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Laufenberg. Andy walks away dazed and confused. TOM Can you follow me around back Alvin? I got something that might fit your needs. CUT TO: 66 EXT.--DAY REAR OF JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP The back lot of the dealership is an elephants' graveyard of tractors and implements and parts. If the front of the dealership is the color of John Deere green, the back is the color of rust. Tom and Alvin wind their way through the backlot talking as they go. TOM I set you up with that old Rehds that we had the last time didn't I, Alvin? ALVIN That you did. TOM That ran about $325. Same price range? ALVIN Generally. TOM You tradin' in the Rehds today? ALVIN I don't think so Tom. Tom nods. He decides not to ask more on the subject. TOM Pete tells me that you tried usin' the rider in an interesting way. Still planning to do that? ALVIN Still planning to Tom. TOM I know better than to talk Alvin Straight out of anything he sets his mind to. But I have to tell you Alvin that you have always struck me as a smart man.... ALVIN That's appreciated. TOM ...Until now. Alvin chuckles. They come around a large John Deere field tractor and there sitting amongst the heaps is an old John Deere riding mower. Strong, simple and still green with a golden-yellow, tractor- style seat. Alvin looks at it. ALVIN What year? TOM '66. Has the Kohler engine. We've used it for parts but I always order and replace them when they arrive. The guts are good. ALVIN How fast will it go? TOM 'Bout five miles an hour...more down- hill. It's got the old transmission. Nothing fancy. ALVIN What are you askin' Tom? Tom pauses and sighs. Looks around the lot. TOM Alvin, we've done business before. I know you're an old horse trader from way back and I don't much feel like sparring with you today. Hard to find a price on a riding mower that's near 30 years old. Your guess is as good as mine....I guess I'd just like to ask you what you're willing to pay. Alvin takes a look at the mower. ALVIN It's a good machine? TOM It's a good machine, Alvin. ALVIN I've got three hunnert and 25 dollars Tom. And there's no fiction there. TOM That sounds fine with me Alvin. Let's go and you can settle up with Alice. ALVIN One last thing Tom. You can tell a little something about a machine this old by who's run it. Do you know who owned it? TOM Sure do Alvin. Me. CUT TO: 67 INT.--DAY JOHN DEERE SHOWROOM Tom and Andy watch Alvin drive away on his mower. TOM Well congratulations, Andy. ANDY Thanks...Tom...but you sold it. TOM No sir...you spotted the customer and brought him in...I just cleaned up. You go on and see Alice. Three percent on $325 dollars outta be enough for a pitcher of beer tonight...but there'll be more where that came from. Andy walks away while Tom continues to watch Alvin drive away down the road. TOM (cont'd) (to himself) It's worth it to tell everyone you sold it to Alvin Straight. CUT TO: 68 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD Alvin and Rose are in the backyard repeating the good-bye. Alvin is perched on the John Deere mower and Rose is standing next to him arguing. ROSE But Dad I was.......right. You ran into trouble.........the first....day. Alvin is determined but gentle. ALVIN The only mistake I made was my equipment. I'm going to be fine now Rose. Nothing runs like a..... Alvin pats the mower...he looks expectantly to Rose...She is puzzled....she looks back at him...what is he talking about? ALVIN A Deere...Rose...Nothin' runs like a Deere. Rose nods, still not quite sure what they're talking about. Alvin motions his head in the direction of Dorothy's house. Rose looks over. CUT TO: 69 EXT.--DAY DOROTHY'S HOUSE Dorothy ducks out of the window where she has been watching Alvin and Rose. CUT TO: 70 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACKYARD ALVIN I gotta go just to give her something to chew on. Rose smiles. ALVIN (cont'd) You know I gotta do this Rose. Rose tries to smile through her anxiety, and nods. CUT TO: 71 EXT.--DAY LAURENS DINER OMIT CUT TO: 72 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S BACK PORCH Rose is sitting at her workbench painting a bird- house. She frowns and shakes her head. ROSE God.....I am.....so worried....about....... our dad. Please God....don't let nothin' .......bad....happen....to him. CUT TO: 73 EXT.--DAY IOWA HWY 314 AT GROTTO SIGN Alvin tools on by the point where he broke down before, tips his hat at sign. Secures his hat nice and snug. Here comes that ominous sound of an oncoming truck. Alvin shows no fear. The truck booms by, rocking trailer, mower and Alvin but THE HAT IS ROCK SOLID. Alvin smiles. CUT TO: 74 EXT.--DAY THE GROTTO Alvin drives past the Grotto and smiles. CUT TO: 75 EXT.--DAY IOWA HIGHWAY Alvin is moving down the shoulder and slows to a stop. He pulls out his box of Swisher Sweets and lights up. He sits for a moment and considers the landscape around him: a vast expanse of flat corn- fields and the road stretching into the horizon ahead of him. The mower is idling and there is no other sound. He is content. CUT TO: 76 EXT.--DAY Alvin slows down as he is passing a small woods on the side of the road. He comes to a stop and considers the woods. He makes his laborious dismount and stretches. He goes around back of the trailer, reaches in and gets his grabber and a tarp. He heads into the woods and begins grabbing some wood. This is no simple task since he's walking with the two canes. After grabbing a large piece of wood while placing it on the tarp, his hand slips off one of his canes. He tries to catch himself but falls face down on the ground. He doesn't move. CUT TO: 77 EXT.--DAY CLOSE SHOT OF ALVIN Cut close to Alvin's face. There is fear in his eyes and his breathing is labored. After collecting himself he looks around for his canes. CUT TO: 78 EXT.--DAY ALVIN ON THE GROUND He reaches out and gets a hold of his canes. With all his might he slowly struggles back to his feet. Still shaking he uses one cane to retrieve the grabber. With the grabber he gets the stick that had undone him and loads it onto the tarp and drags it over to the trailer. He puts the sticks into the back one by one. He climbs aboard and pulls back onto the shoulder and heads off down the highway. CUT TO: 79 EXT.--LATE AFTERNOON CAMPSITE IN A FARMER'S FIELD Alvin pulls off the road onto a dirt track leading into a field. He is in the wide open, no trees, no farm buildings. He takes a look at the surroundings and pulls off the track where the ground is slightly higher. He does the slow dismount off the Deere and stretches, rubbing his lower back. He goes about setting up for the night. He opens the trailer and pulls out an aluminum frame chaise lounge and some of the firewood he had gathered. He slowly gathers twigs & leaves for kindling for the fire. He opens up the food locker at the front of the trailer and pulls out a few items. He puts a few hot dogs and some bread and cheese on a plate. He sits down on the camping chair and proceeds to eat with little ceremony. It is not quite magic hour. DISSOLVE TO: 80 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR FARMER'S FIELD Alvin has built a fire. He sits in his lawn chair drinking coffee and smoking a Swisher Sweet. His canes are lying across his lap. The night is very quiet. Alvin listens to the quiet and the occasional rustle of small field animals. He looks to the horizon where the sun had set. CUT TO: 81 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR The sky is royal blue with a band of gold at the horizon. Higher up the sky is navy blue and there are a million stars as you can only see in a clear country sky. Alvin sits back and enjoys his smoke. FADE OUT. FADE IN: 82 EXT.--DAY HIGHWAY 18 Alvin going down the road. He sees a small figure up ahead. A car whizzes past Alvin. The figure ahead sticks out a thumb. The car passes by. Alvin approaches the figure, sees it's a young, tough- looking girl CRYSTAL. She has dark hair under a baseball cap. Somewhere between 13 and 17 years old. Heavy eye makeup, bad tattoo on her shoulder. She is wearing a tank top, cut-offs, high-top sneakers with tiger-striped laces, and a backpack. Alvin nods in acknowledgment as he passes her. She coldly returns his gaze. CUT TO: 83 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE Alvin is eating a raw hot dog. He has built a campfire. CUT TO: 84 EXT.--NIGHT SAME HIGHWAY WIDE SHOT Crystal is walking along. CUT TO: 85 EXT.--NIGHT SAME HIGHWAY CRYSTAL'S POV Crystal spies Alvin's campfire in the field along the road. The lawnmower and trailer are clearly visible and she remembers him from the road. CUT TO: 86 EXT.--NIGHT SAME HIGHWAY Crystal considers. Her face is unreadable...her inten- tions are unclear. She cuts off the road into the field and heads toward the campsite. CUT TO: 87 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE. Alvin barely looks up as Crystal walks into range of campfire light. Neither of them say anything for some time. CRYSTAL I couldn't get a ride. Alvin nods his head. Doesn't say anything for a bit. ALVIN Hungry? CRYSTAL Whatya got? ALVIN Wieners. CRYSTAL Wieners? ALVIN Grab a stick and cook one. He points to the fire. She hesitates...looks at Alvin for a bit longer. Alvin just keeps looking at the fire. Finally she looks around, finds a stick and leans toward Alvin to take a hot dog. She hunkers down holding the stick with the hot dog over the fire. She casts occasional glances at Alvin. More silence. She looks over to the mower and trailer. Her expression darkens. CRYSTAL What a hunk of junk. ALVIN Eat your dinner missy. Startled a bit at his abruptness she falls silent. She nibbles on her hot dog and then realizing how hungry she is she begins to eat faster. She polishes off the hot dog. Alvin notices this. ALVIN (cont'd) Get yourself another. She's relieved at this offer and gets another hot dog, puts it on the stick and holds it over the fire. They sit, not speaking, listening to a chorus of crickets and peepers. CRYSTAL How long you been out on the road? ALVIN I've traveled just about all my life. CRYSTAL I like being out on the road. ALVIN It's different for a girl alone. CRYSTAL (defensively) It doesn't have to be different for a girl. Alvin just nods his head. Doesn't speak or look at her. CRYSTAL (cont'd) Where you from? ALVIN Laurens. She nods, and sits quietly. CRYSTAL You got a wife back there? ALVIN Nope. CRYSTAL Kids? ALVIN My wife Frances brought fourteen kids into the world. Only seven made it.... My daughter Rose lives with me. No comment for a while. ALVIN (cont'd) Frances died in '81. Quiet for a time. ALVIN (cont'd) Where's your family? Now she's not talking. ALVIN (cont'd) You runnin' away? She still doesn't answer. Alvin leans back and draws on his cigar. He looks at the girl. ALVIN (cont'd) How far along are you? Crystal looks away from the fire into the darkness. CRYSTAL Five months. Alvin nods. More quiet. Alvin gets up, walks out of firelight with his grabber and comes back with a log. He throws it on the fire and works the embers for a bit. ALVIN My daughter Rose that lives with me...she's what some people would call a little slow. But she's not. She's got a mind like a bear trap for facts and keeps everything organized around the house. She was a real good mom....had four kids. He pauses looking into the fire. Crystal watches him expectantly. ALVIN (cont'd) One night.......someone else was watchin' the kids... DISSOLVE TO: 88 INT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S KITCHEN We see the shot of Rose sitting alone in the kitchen that we saw before. She is at the kitchen table smoking a cigarette and thinking. ALVIN (continuing in voice over) There was a fire. Her second boy got burned real bad. Rose didn't have nothin' to do with it. He pauses. ALVIN (cont'd) (continuing in voice over) ...but...because of the way Rose is... the state said she wasn't comp'tant to care for the kids and took them all away. DISSOLVE TO: 83 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE ALVIN Not a day passes she doesn't pine for those kids. Crystal looks away from him into the fire. He looks back to the fire, coughs. ALVIN Well, I'm headin' to see my brother Lyle. CRYSTAL Huh? ALVIN I said I'm goin' to visit my brother Lyle in Mt. Zion. CRYSTAL Where's that? ALVIN In Wisconsin. Just over the state line. CRYSTAL (nodding) Oh....Cheddar Heads. Alvin laughs at this and Crystal smiles, too. ALVIN Aren't those just about the dumbest things you ever saw a person put on their head? She nods and laughs. CRYSTAL I hear that's a real party place, Wisconsin. Guess I'll never get to find out. They sit in silence. Alvin looks away from the fire. ALVIN I haven't seen my brother in ten years. Alvin picks up the hot dogs and takes one out of the pack. He proceeds to eat it raw. CRYSTAL You're eatin' a raw hot dog! ALVIN (smiling) I like 'em straight up. Crystal makes a face. Alvin munches slowly. CRYSTAL Ten years is a long time. Crystal shivers with a chill. Alvin notices this. ALVIN There's a blanket in the trailer. Crystal leaves firelight. She rustles about in the trailer. CRYSTAL (offscreen) What the hell kind of boom box is this? ALVIN Eight track stereo...watch your god- damned language. CRYSTAL (offscreen) Are these videotapes or what? ALVIN That's music girlie. CRYSTAL They're huge!.....I never seen anything like this. We hear some rattling and the sound of the tape going in. A sweet Patsy Cline ballad floats out of the trailer and into the night air. Smiling, Crystal comes back into the light with a blanket around her shoulders. CRYSTAL (cont'd) Figured it out. ALVIN Good girl. They sit for a while and listen to the music. CRYSTAL Your brother. ALVIN Lyle and I had a falling out. CRYSTAL Over what? ALVIN I can't say as I recall. CRYSTAL Well that's pretty stupid. You haven't seen him in 10 years because of a fight and you can't remember what the fight was about? ALVIN You got some rude habits girl. Crystal is taken aback. She is quiet, thinking. ALVIN (cont'd) Maybe I do recall. Quiet for a while. ALVIN (cont'd) People do lots of stupid things, knowing they're stupid. He looks at her. She looks up. CRYSTAL Sorry. They both stare into the fire for a while. CRYSTAL So why are you going to see him now? ALVIN He's sick. Crystal is poking the fire with the stick. Alvin picks up another stick and he starts poking the fire. CRYSTAL My family hates me. They'll really hate me when they find out.... ALVIN You didn't tell them? CRYSTAL No...no one knows...not even my boyfriend. ALVIN Well that doesn't strike me as fair treatment of your people. CRYSTAL I can take care of my own problems. There is a pause as they watch the fire. Then Alvin speaks. ALVIN Don't let pride make you dumb. I should know. She's listening. ALVIN (cont'd) They may not be happy. But not so much that they want to lose you...or your little problem. CRYSTAL I don't know about that. ALVIN Well a course neither do I but a warm bed and a roof sounds a mite better than this...eating hot dogs on a stick with an old geezer traveling on a lawn mower. She giggles a bit and then falls silent. After a moment, Alvin stirs. ALVIN (cont'd) When my kids were young I played a game with them. I'd give each of them a stick. One for each of 'em, and I'd tell them to break it. They'd do that easy. Then I'd tell them to make one bundle of all the sticks and try to break that. A course they couldn't. I used to say that was family, that bundle. Crystal listens in silence. ALVIN (cont'd) Sleep in the trailer if you want. I'll be just fine here in my chair. CRYSTAL No, I'll be fine sleeping out here. Looking at the stars helps me think. Alvin nods. He begins to struggle to his feet. Crystal stands to help him. After a moment of hesitation Alvin accepts her arm. He stands, nods, smiles and moves slowly to the trailer. Crystal sits down alone to watch the fire. We hear the sounds of Alvin settling into the trailer. A bit of silence. ALVIN (from offscreen) Sweet dreams. CUT TO: 90 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S TRAILER Alvin's trailer door is open to the night air. We slowly push into the dark rectangular opening of the trailer. FADE IN: 91 EXT.--SUNRISE A wide establishing shot of the Iowa landscape at sunrise. CUT TO: 92 EXT.--SUNRISE ALVIN'S CAMPSITE Alvin crawls out of the trailer. Crystal's gone. Next to the cold campfire is a bundle of sticks bound with a tiger-striped shoelace. CUT TO: 93 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 A series of dissolves: Alvin is tooling down the road. DISSOLVE TO: 94 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 He passes a pig farm. DISSOLVE TO: 95 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 He passes a sheep farm. DISSOLVE TO: 96 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 He passes a dairy farm. DISSOLVE TO: 97 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 He passes a buffalo farm. DISSOLVE TO: 98 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 He passes an ostrich farm. DISSOLVE TO: 99 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR HWY 18 Alvin comes upon a concrete animal (yard ornament) manufacturer. He pulls off and sets up camp alongside. CUT TO: 100 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE Alvin is eating, thinking, enjoying the evening in the company of a menagerie of small concrete animals surrounding him in the campfire. The light of the fire plays off their faces. FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: 101 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 Cornfields on either side of the highway. The corn is high in the field, topped by swaying golden tassels. CUT TO: 102 EXT.--AFTERNOON HWY 18 ON THE APPROACH TO WEST UNION, IOWA Alvin has had to pull into a busy four lane highway on the outskirts of a medium-sized city. There is no shoulder as there has been out in the country. The traffic is heavy. Drivers pass, some angry, some curious. A squad car pulls up behind and turns on its lights. Alvin is oblivious. Frustrated, the POLICE OFFICER (young but not a rookie) gets on the loudspeaker... WEST UNION POLICEMAN (very loud) Please pull your vehicle off the road. Alvin jumps and looks around. He sees the police car and pulls into the parking lot of a Computer Cosmos store. He sits patiently on the mower waiting for the officer. The officer approaches. WEST UNION POLICEMAN May I see your driver's license sir? Alvin looks at the guy and laughs. The officer looks off, takes a deep breath. WEST UNION POLICEMAN (cont'd) Have you been drinking today sir? ALVIN No sir. The Cop thinks for a minute, looks at heavy traffic passing by, looks at Alvin, his mower and trailer. WEST UNION POLICEMAN I'm going to have to ask you to step out...uh...get off of the lawn mower, sir. Alvin goes into the slow dismount. Officer regards this and reaches to assist. Alvin jerks his arm away from the officer. WEST UNION POLICEMAN (cont'd) Sir, would you just walk a straight line for me? Alvin looks at his canes, looks at the officer and proceeds to walk a straight line. WEST UNION POLICEMAN (cont'd) Sir, can you do that without the canes? ALVIN Nope, I'll tip over. The Cop looks down. WEST UNION POLICEMAN OK Sir. I don't believe you have been drinking but I'm gonna have to ask you to stay here at Computer Cosmos for another hour or so...just 'til traffic dies down. That would be best for you and the other cars. Alright? Alvin nods and hobbles back to the mower. He mounts and the cop watches this. The cop then gets into his squad car and takes off. DISSOLVE TO: 103 EXT.--DUSK THE COMPUTER COSMOS PARKING LOT Alvin sits and waits. Cars whizz by. DISSOLVE TO: 104 EXT.--DUSK RED ROAD ON HWY 18 Alvin is once again on a country road. A car passes him. The woman driving gawks at him as she passes. Moments later we hear off camera a screech of brakes and a heavy thud. We see Alvin react to the event up ahead. CUT TO: 105 EXT.--DUSK RED ROAD HWY 18 ALVIN'S POV Up ahead a blue Japanese subcompact is parked at a strange angle across the shoulder of the road. The engine is still running. Smoke rises from the hood. The driver car door opens and a hefty woman with a bouffant hairdo, stretch pants and a tunic gets out. Alvin's POV slow approach. He watches her as she walks around to the front of the car, and looks down to the ground. She looks up to the heavens and then begins pounding her open hand on the top of the car hood. CUT TO: 106 EXT.--DUSK RED ROAD HWY 18 Alvin reacts to the scene as he approaches. CUT TO: 107 EXT.--DUSK RED ROAD HWY 18 Alvin drives up to the woman. Alvin executes his slow dismount. The woman glances briefly at Alvin but barely registers his presence because she is so distraught. ALVIN Can I help Miss? DEER WOMAN No you can't help me. Jesus, Mary and Joseph. No one can help me. Alvin moves around to the front of the car. He notes that the car has quite a few dents. We see that the woman has struck a nice eight point buck. Alvin's face shows relief. All the while the woman rants and paces. DEER WOMAN (cont'd) I've tried driving with my lights on. I've tried sounding my horn. I scream out the window. I roll the window down and bang on the side of the door and play Public Enemy real loud...I have prayed to St. Francis of Assisi...St. Christopher too, what the hell! I have tried everything a person can do and still every week I plow into at least one deer. What is it? Alvin shakes his head. She now begins walking around the car, the mower and Alvin. She flails her arms. DEER WOMAN (cont'd) I have hit 13 deer in seven weeks driving down this road mister and I have to drive this road every day 40 miles back and forth to work. I don't know what to do...I have to drive to work and I have to drive home... She pauses. Takes a deep breath and looks out over the flat landscape. She turns and pats the deer carcass. DEER WOMAN (cont'd) He's dead. She starts to cry. DEER WOMAN (cont'd) And I love deer. She turns and climbs back in her car. She backs up and sprays gravel as she accelerates away. Her front fender falls off and she runs over it. Alvin watches her drive away, then looks down at the deer. CUT TO: 108 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPFIRE Alvin is eating a large piece of meat. Behind Alvin we see a full set of antlers mounted on the front of the trailer. CUT TO: 109 EXT.--MIDDAY HWY 18 IOWA FLATLANDS Alvin is driving along a particularly desolate stretch of road. His eye scans the horizon. He is wary. He slows the mower and brings it to a stop, the engine idling. We see Alvin's face tight. He sees something. CUT TO: 110 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 IOWA FLATLANDS ALVIN'S POV The Iowa horizon is a large dark mass. An occasional burst of light races through the black clouds. A breeze blows dirt along the field. Alvin's gaze searches for shelter. There are no farms near. He cannot outrace the storm. He spots a small outbuilding alone in the field. It is an old granary, used by farmers to store corn. CUT TO: 111 EXT.--DAY Alvin turns off the highway onto a narrow rutted field road used only by the farmer to get to his crops. It is pot-holed and uneven. Alvin stops at the entry to the road. Moving as quickly as he can, Alvin secures everything that could blow away on the mower and the trailer. Then he mounts the mower and races for shelter. As he's heading to the granary the sky darkens dramatically and the winds hit. He puts his head down into the gust, holds onto his hat and lets out a holler, carrying all the speed a riding mower can. He bounces across the field and closes on the granary. Just as a large crack of lightning, rain and the full gust of wind sweep in, Alvin makes it into the sanctuary of the granary. A smile crosses his face as he revels in the race before the storm and the pleasure of watching the thunderstorm from beneath a strong roof. He shares the granary with a flock of pigeons who have taken shelter as well. Alvin sits looking out on the storm, relaxed and content on his perch aboard the mower. DISSOLVE TO: 112 EXT.--DAY IOWA COUNTY HIGHWAY A warm afternoon. Alvin is making his way down a lonely stretch of Iowa highway. The perforated, yellow center line passes slowly below him. Suddenly Alvin hears a strange, whirring sound. A moment later he is startled by a strangely helmeted, goggled, bicyclist speeding by him. CYCLIST #1 On your left! Thank you. ALVIN What the......? Another whir and another cyclist passes. CYCLIST #2 On your left. Thank you. And then a trio of cyclists. Another rider approaches pedalling a recumbent bicycle. CYCLIST #3 Comin' by on your left. Thank you! ALVIN What in the hell....? Alvin pulls his rig over to the side of the road and watches as a large herd of cyclists, numbering more than a hundred riders, engulfs Alvin and his rig. One rider slows to gawk at Alvin and nearly causes an accident. Other cyclists wave as they churn by...a few yell greetings. CUT TO: 113 EXT.--DAY AERIAL VIEW OF IOWA ROAD We see a swarm numbering hundreds of bike riders passing Alvin parked on the road. DISSOLVE TO: 114 EXT.--DUSK IOWA ROADSIDE PARK Alvin pulls over for the evening to make camp at a county park. Also at the wayside are many of the cyclists who passed Alvin earlier. Pup tents abound. Riders, dressed in skin-tight, brightly colored spandex cycle togs, are spread about the park eating, drinking out of squirt bottles, stretching, hydrating, swapping massages and just plain preening. Alvin pulls into the park. Heads turn as Alvin passes through the crowd. A few onlookers begin clapping. Alvin, a bit of a showman, doffs his Stetson to even more applause. He pulls over to an open patch of campground and brings the John Deere to a halt. He begins his arduous dismount. A cyclist looks on. CYCLIST #1 That's the same sound we make when we dismount. CUT TO: 115 EXT.--NIGHT CAMPSITE Some cyclists, mostly younger, are gathered around Alvin's campfire and trailer. STEVE is in his early 30s, an earnest, likable fellow with a neatly trimmed beard. STEVE So you're averaging about twenty miles a day? ALVIN 'Bout that. She'll go five miles an hour if I push 'er. I stop when my hips start barkin'. The other talkative cyclist is RAT. He is early 20s, bleached cropped hair and he features a smattering of tattoos. He talks like a skateboarder. RAT Wow man, five miles an hour. Rat looks up to see a ball flying in his direction. He snags it and tosses it back offscreen. He's not exactly paying close attention to Alvin. STEVE So you're thinking about five weeks to get to your brother's place in Wisconsin? ALVIN I haven't given it a schedule. That would sound about right. RAT Oh man.....I could not handle five weeks on a lawn mower. ALVIN And I couldn't handle sittin' on one of them seats for more'n an hour....if that. You all walk like you got a case of baboon butt. Seems my ride is a bit more comfortable. The cyclists laugh. Rat catches the ball again. RAT So why the lawnmower? Rat tosses the ball. ALVIN Can't drive. My eyes. Don't like other people drivin' me where I want to go. RAT I can totally dig that. Alvin smiles and rises to get more firewood. Steve notices the difficulty he has walking and gets up to help. STEVE Can I ask how old you are Alvin? ALVIN Seventy-three. RAT Oh man. Seventy-three years old. Bad eyes, bad hips. ALVIN Eyes, hips....diabetes....circylation. Can't hardly believe it myself. I'm older than I ever thought I'd be. Two young spandex-clad women walk by. Alvin follows them with his eyes. ALVIN (cont'd) You don't think about old age when you're young. Shouldn't. STEVE When d'ya know you're getting old? Alvin stirs the fire. ALVIN The first time I felt old was when I saw a buddy die in the war. I got old that minute. The group around the campfire is silent for a while. STEVE There must be something good about getting old. Alvin ponders a moment, stirring the fire. ALVIN Hard to imagine anything good about goin' blind and lame at the same time. But still...at my age...you've seen most everything life has to dish out. You can separate the wheat from the chaff. You know to let the small stuff fall away. RAT Cool man. Rat snags the ball one more time. Someone offscreen yells BIKE RIDER (offscreen) Sally's in my tent. Rat laughs and throws the ball back. Still smiling and looking off... RAT What's the worst thing about being old Alvin? Alvin stirs the fire. The embers rise on the flames. Alvin watches the embers float up into the night sky and stars. ALVIN The worst thing about being old is remembering when you were young. Again the group around the fire falls silent. They listen to the night sounds. FADE OUT. FADE IN: 116 EXT.--DAY HWY 18 Alvin is moving out of the prairie and approaching the Mississippi Valley terrain. Corn is being harvested in the fields and the leaves have begun to turn colors. He begins to climb gently rolling hills. As he does the mower begins to show signs of strain. He pulls off the road half way up one of these gentle hills to lash his shift lever into low gear. CUT TO: 117 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT, IOWA HOUSE ON FIRE Close shot of an inferno. A house is burning down. CUT TO: 118 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT, DANNY RIORDAN'S FRONT PORCH Five people are sitting in aluminum chairs sitting watching the fire. They are drinking beer. They do not seem alarmed by the house burning down across the street. CUT TO: 119 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT IOWA Wide shot reveals that volunteer firemen are burning down the house as a firefighting exercise. CUT TO: 120 EXT.--DAY DANNY RIORDAN'S FRONT PORCH Everyone is clearly enjoying watching the house burn down and the firefighters scurry about. DANNY RIORDAN is the owner of the house on whose porch everyone is gathered. He is mid-50's shortish and stocky, and wears khaki bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt. His wife DARLA RIORDAN is of similar build and age and has a full head of blond, bouffant hair. She wears white capri pants and a bright yellow shirt. Their friends JOHNNY AND JANET JOHNSON and VERLYN HELLER have joined them for the festivities. Johnny and Janet are about the same age as Danny and Darla and have known each other since high school. They all have a strangely youthful air about them. Johnny and Janet are both very quiet, small and neat. Verlyn is quite a bit older and a farmer. He is very tan and rugged looking. At the same time he bears a certain air of refinement. DARLA RIORDAN Criminy sakes alive. You can feel the heat all the way over here. JOHNNY JOHNSON Makes you appreciate what a volunteer fireman has to do. DANNY RIORDAN That Rumelthanger place was an eyesore. DARLA RIORDAN Remember old man Rumelthanger? What a dirty old cur...never bathed. The smell that came off that man. I tell you, it was enough to make a girl faint. DANNY RIORDAN You always had an inclination to faint Darla. Darla blushes at this. JANET You know. There really is something about watching a fire that causes you to sort of go off...like it's hypnotism. VERLYN Time was when all civilization did was stare at the fire. They are happy. It's like the fourth of July and they are all feeling like kids watching a house burn down on a warm autumn afternoon. Shouts of volunteer firemen in the background. CUT TO: 121 EXT.--DAY BURNING HOUSE Shots of firemen battling the blaze. A small crowd has assembled next to the house to watch the show. The firemen turn and wave to the assembly. A wife is taking pictures. We hear a clattering sound intrude upon the scene. It is not coming from the fire. CUT TO: 122 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S FRONT PORCH Darla's attention is drawn from the fire by the rattling sound. She looks up the hill. DARLA RIORDAN What's that noise? One after another they turn their heads to the direction of the hill. VERLYN Now what in the sam hill do you suppose... Down the hill, barely under control comes Alvin on the mower. JOHNNY JOHNSON What on earth....? DARLA RIORDAN (to Danny) Honey bun...is that a lawnmower? JANET It's going too fast for a lawnmower. Isn't it Danny? DARLA RIORDAN And what on earth is drivin' that thing?! CUT TO: 123 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT HILL ALVIN ON MOWER Alvin is barreling down the hill, foot stamping on brake, no response. The steering becomes more difficult. CUT TO: 124 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S FRONT PORCH VERLYN That sure as hell is a lawnmower.... with an old Indian on top. JOHNNY JOHNSON He doesn't look like he has that thing under control. DANNY RIORDAN (he begins heading over to the scene and over his shoulder he adds) ...nothing runs like a Deere. CUT TO: 125 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT HILL ALVIN ON THE MOWER Wide shot of Alvin careening down the hill, picking up even more speed. CUT TO: 126 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S POV The road moves back and forth. Burning house fast approaching. Look to road bed flying by beneath the mower. This is much faster than Alvin or the mower has ever gone. CUT TO: 127 EXT.--DAY CLERMONT HILL ALVIN ON MOWER Alvin picks up speed. His hat threatens to blow off. Water is streaming from his eyes. Amazingly he makes it to the bottom of the hill without rolling the machine. As he comes to a stop the front porch gang reaches him. CUT TO: 128 EXT.--DAY BOTTOM OF THE HILL Alvin is sitting on the mower catching his breath and composure. He wipes the tears from his cheeks. Some of the volunteer fireman turn their attention from the burning house to the activity at the bottom of the hill. DANNY RIORDAN Mister are you O.K.? Alvin is a little shaky. Nods in answer to Danny's question. JOHNNY JOHNSON Jeez Mister you're lucky she didn't roll on you. ALVIN (a little short of breath) I think the belt's shot. DANNY RIORDAN I wouldn't be surprised. You don't have brakes on that trailer do you? Alvin shakes his head. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) Mister I worked for John Deere for thirty years so I can tell ya you shouldn't be hauling a rig like that behind a riding mower. At least not down a hill like that. Alvin doesn't really respond. Danny softens a little. Considers the situation. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) I'm Danny Riordan. He extends his hand. Alvin reaches out. ALVIN Alvin Straight. DANNY RIORDAN Well Alvin...let's get you and this rig off the road and see what the damage is. Alvin goes through the slow dismount under the watchful eyes of Darla and Janet. Danny and Verlyn start to push the mower and trailer and are joined by a couple of the volunteer fireman. Alvin brings up the rear, moving slowly. CUT TO: 129 EXT.--DAY BEHIND RIORDAN'S HOUSE Guys are pushing Alvin's rig into the backyard. They roll to a stop alongside a small separate garage. DANNY RIORDAN Well let's have a look at this mower. This is what? '65 ...'66? ALVIN '66. Danny is looking under the hood. He notices a small pool of oil forming under the mower. DANNY RIORDAN Well I can tell you right now Alvin you won't be going anywhere tonight. Aside from your drive belt being busted, you've got transmission problems. Where were you hoping to get to? ALVIN Mount Zion. DARLA RIORDAN Mount Zion, Wisconsin? Past Prairie du Chien? JOHNNY JOHNSON That's 60 more miles of hills. DANNY RIORDAN That's across the Mississippi. What's in Mount Zion Alvin? ALVIN My brother lives there. JANET Why didn't you take your car? ALVIN Don't have a driver's license. DARLA RIORDAN Couldn't your brother come to visit you? ALVIN He's had a bad stroke. VERLYN Where are you coming from? ALVIN Back a piece. DANNY RIORDAN West Union? ALVIN Nope. JOHNNY JOHNSON Hawkeye? Alvin just shakes his head. DARLA RIORDAN Not New Hampton. You didn't come that far? Alvin gets a small smile. ALVIN Nope. Janet jumps in thinking she's got it. JANET Mason City! Alvin shakes his head again. VERLYN You've come a long way haven't you? Alvin looks at Verlyn and nods. ALVIN Yes I have. From Laurens, Iowa. DARLA RIORDAN Laurens? VERLYN That's west of the Grotto. How long have you been on the road? ALVIN What's the date today? JOHNNY JOHNSON October 8th. Alvin thinks for a minute. Counts on his fingers. Looks up. ALVIN 5 weeks. I left Laurens on September 5th. DANNY RIORDAN You been bunking in that? Alvin points his thumb over his shoulder at the trailer. ALVIN That's my rolling home. They all swing their heads and look again at the trailer. Darla and Janet look at each other. They share a "Holy Cow" look. DANNY RIORDAN Where've you been settin' up camp? ALVIN In the fields. I'd just pull off the road every evening. I don't travel at night. DARLA RIORDAN Weren't you scared staying out there alone at night? There's a lot of strange people everywhere now. ALVIN Ma'am, I fought in the trenches in World War II. Why should I be scared in an Iowa cornfield? DANNY RIORDAN Well why don't you bivouac right here in our yard tonight? We got a bathroom out here in this garage you can use. ALVIN I appreciate that. I believe this machine is in agreement with you. CUT TO: A130 EXT.--LATE AFTERNOON RIORDAN'S YARD Alvin, Danny and Darla are rigging up a lean-to of plastic tarp and tree limbs. The lean-to extends out from the garage. ALVIN Sure is nice of you folks to help me with this. DANNY RIORDAN Well...there's a lot of rain in the forecast and you don't want to be stuck in your trailer. Darla is on a stepladder attaching a red wooden fish to the top of the post. DARLA RIORDAN I do a little woodwork art. I thought you might like some fish on your tent. ALVIN My daughter Rose builds birdhouses. DARLA AND DANNY (in unison) Oh that's nice. CUT TO: 130 EXT.--NIGHT RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin is perched in the doorway of his trailer smoking a Swisher Sweet. CUT TO: 131 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV: BURNT OUT HOUSE Alvin is gazing out into the night. He looks over at the smoldering house. A few orange embers in the ashes and one fireman on watch. The fireman lights a cigarette. CUT TO: 132 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV: RIORDAN'S HOUSE Lights turn out one after another. CUT TO: 133 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV: THE SKY The stars and the moon in a beautiful clear autumn (still dark blue) sky. FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: 134 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Four men are standing around looking at Alvin's mower: Danny, Alvin and two guys from the local John Deere dealer. HARALD AND THORVALD OLSEN (they are both tall and skinny with big adam's apples. They have bright blue eyes and very ruddy red cheeks. They are prematurely bald). They are twin brothers and bicker like an old married couple. Can't agree on anything. HARALD I tell you Thorvald it's a '65 John Deere 110. THORVALD It's a '66 Harald. I fixed one just like it three years ago. That was a drive belt too. HARALD '65. THORVALD '66! DANNY RIORDAN (to Alvin) They're twins. Siamese, separated at the opinion. Alvin chuckles. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) It's a '66. Ask Mr. Straight. They both look to Alvin. Each of them still sure they're right. ALVIN '66. Harald kicks the ground. Thorvald smirks. Blows his nails and shines them on his shirt. DANNY RIORDAN So Olsens. How bad is it? ALVIN I can't be dawdlin' here. I gotta get back on the road. The twins look at the lawn mower and then at each other. Thorvald turns back to Alvin who is waiting expectantly. THORVALD Well you know about the transmission. The belt is shot, you blew a head gasget, you're in bad need of oil, and your right side tires are bald. Alvin takes this in. ALVIN Is that all? HARALD Well it wouldn't be a bad idea to remove the blade assembly...As best as I can tell ...you're not mowin' any lawns. CUT TO: 135 INT.--DAY RIORDAN'S KITCHEN. Darla is kneading bread. She is up to her elbows in dough. Danny walks in, grabs a beer from the fridge and sits down at the kitchen table. He lights a cigarette. There is a small TV on the kitchen counter. The Weather Channel is on. DARLA RIORDAN Storm rollin' in. Danny sits lost in thought. He doesn't react to her. DANNY RIORDAN It's going to cost him a bundle to fix that mower. I don't think he's got that kinda money. DARLA RIORDAN Mmmm. DANNY RIORDAN I wouldn't drive that old thing to Excelsior. It's a lawn mower for god's sake. DARLA RIORDAN Mmm Hmmm. DANNY RIORDAN He was damn lucky he made it to the bottom of that hill. He could've been killed. Easily coulda' been killed. DARLA RIORDAN Yah. Ah huh. DANNY RIORDAN He's none too strong. Did you see how he can't walk without those canes? DARLA RIORDAN (still kneading) Uh uh. DANNY RIORDAN The hills just get worse the closer you get to the Mississippi. Darla stops kneading her bread and smiles. With dough up to her elbows she walks over to Danny and kisses him on the forehead. DARLA RIORDAN Go ahead and drive him honey. Mt. Zion can't be a half day. That's fine. Darla goes back to her dough as Danny keeps thinking. DARLA RIORDAN (cont'd) ....You're a good man Danny Riordan ....That's why I married you despite what my mother said. Danny smiles, gets up from the chair and stands behind Darla. DARLA RIORDAN (cont'd) Now shoo. CUT TO: 136 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin is sitting in the open door of his trailer. He looks around to make sure he is alone. He pulls out his wallet and looks inside. CUT TO: 137 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin's POV of inside of wallet. A couple of twenties and a ten and a few singles. CUT TO: 138 EXT.--AFTERNOON RIORDAN'S BACKYARD 138 Alvin closes up wallet, puts it in his pocket. He lights up a Swisher Sweet and gets pensive. CUT TO: 139 EXT.--DAY BACK DOOR RIORDAN'S HOUSE Alvin knocks on door. Danny comes to the door. ALVIN I'm in need of a phone. DANNY RIORDAN Why sure...come on in. ALVIN I'd like to call my daughter and give her an account of my recent travels. DANNY RIORDAN Sure, sure. Come on in. He opens the door wide to allow Alvin past. ALVIN If it's all the same to you I was wondering if you have one of those phones without a cord. DANNY RIORDAN The door's wide open...come on in. ALVIN I can talk from out here. Danny smiles, goes back in and returns with a portable phone. DANNY RIORDAN Here you go. You're more than welcome to sit down at the kitchen table. Darla and I can leave the room if you're lookin' for a little privacy. ALVIN Thank you. Out here's just fine. Alvin turns and starts to hobble away. Danny is starting to shut the door. Alvin turns back to him. ALVIN What area code am I in? I don't think this is 712 anymore. DANNY RIORDAN No it isn't Alvin, that hill rolled you into 319. You'll need to dial a one and your area code to get her. ALVIN I thank you. CUT TO: 140 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S LAURENS HOME KITCHEN The phone is ringing. Rose enters kitchen carrying a birdhouse. She picks up the phone. ROSE Dad? Oh dad...I'm...(she starts to tear up)...so glad to hear you. ROSE (cont'd) I been so worried. I know....you can....O.K. I won't. ROSE (cont'd) Clermont? Is that......in Iowa?....Oh. ROSE (cont'd) Yah. Oh...your social security check...yah.....it's here. ROSE (cont'd) O.K....the check......I send it to you......O.K. ROSE (cont'd) Yes....I will....take it down....hold on......Dad. She puts the phone down, puts down the birdhouse which she has been holding through the conversation. She rummages through a drawer in the kitchen. No luck. She moves stuff around the countertops. No luck. She moves out of the kitchen and we hear her rummaging in the other room. CUT TO: 141 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin is patiently sitting at a picnic table. A little smile comes across his face. CUT TO: 142 INT.--DAY THE STRAIGHT KITCHEN Rose comes back into the kitchen with a big smile on her face holding a fat carpenter's pencil. She picks the phone back up. ROSE (cont'd) O.K. Dad...I have a .......pencil. It's one of those ones you use when you're building stuff. She concentrates and writes for what seems a long time. ROSE (cont'd) I'm going to read.....it back. CUT TO: 143 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin, phone to his ear, nods several times as Rose haltingly reads back the address. ALVIN That's right. I know I can count on you sweetheart...........I'm fine. I'm hobbled here but as soon as I get that check I can head out to Lyle's..........Are you O.K. there alone?...... Good, we can't have too many bluebirds in the yard. CUT TO: 144 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACK PORCH Close up Alvin sets the phone down on a few dollars on the porch. CUT TO: 145 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Danny's POV. He comes out the door and watches Alvin hobbling back to his trailer. CUT TO: 146 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACK PORCH Danny stoops and picks up the phone and money. He takes a look at Alvin and goes back in the house. CUT TO: 147 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD. Alvin settles into the doorway of his trailer. Lights up a Swisher Sweet. DISSOLVE TO: 148 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD A Coleman cookstove is fired up and has a large pot of water boiling on top of it. CUT TO: 149 EXT.--DAY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Alvin is stretched out on his chaise lounge. He is watching the water boil. Danny approaches. DANNY RIORDAN What are ya cookin' Alvin? ALVIN I'm making my Mexican coffee. DANNY RIORDAN Mind if I join you? ALVIN You'd be a guest in your own yard. Danny goes off, comes back with an aluminum folding chair and sets it up next to Alvin's chaise lounge. DANNY RIORDAN I talked to the Olsen twins and they estimate it will cost you around $250.00 to get this mower running again. ALVIN That's twice what it oughta be. Must be because they're twins. Danny smiles at this. DANNY RIORDAN You know I'd be happy to drive you the rest of the way to Mount Zion. Alvin starts shaking his head. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) It'd be a nice Sunday drive for me and Darla. We enjoy crossing the river. Especially with the trees in color. ALVIN I appreciate the offer friend. I'd like to finish this my own way. DANNY RIORDAN Even if you fix your mower there are hills bigger than Clermont's between here and Zion. There's no guarantee that your machine won't break down again. In fact I'll guarantee it will. Alvin, this machine was meant to go across a lawn, not the state of Iowa. ALVIN You're a kind man talkin' to a stubborn man. This is a trip I'd like to finish. Danny resigns to Alvin's decision. Lights up a cigarette. DANNY RIORDAN Well then let me give you a loan for the repairs. ALVIN Well that is generous. And if I needed that help I'd take it. But I phoned to have money sent to me. I gave my daughter your address. I hope that's O.K. Danny knows better than to argue with the proud man about money. DANNY RIORDAN Well then Alvin you'll stay right here in our yard until you're ready to go. We enjoy your company. ALVIN I'm thankful for that. Danny is satisfied with this arrangement and sits back to enjoy the fine afternoon. They both sit and smoke contentedly listening to the honking of a passing flock of Canadian geese. FADE OUT. FADE IN: 150 INT.--DAY THE RIORDAN'S YARD ALVIN'S TRAILER Alvin is sitting in his trailer with the door open. Suddenly Darla and Janet pop their heads into either side of the door opening and quickly pull back. DARLA RIORDAN (v.o.) Oh excuse us Alvin. We were just looking for you. ALVIN (smiling) Well you found me. It's alright ladies, I'm decent. The two heads pop back into either side of the frame of the door. DARLA RIORDAN Well we had some brownies we thought you might enjoy. Janet extends a plate of brownies. DARLA RIORDAN (cont'd) Janet makes the best brownies in Fayette county. She wins a prize for them every year at the county fair. Janet is very embarrassed by this. JANET My mother's recipe. DARLA RIORDAN She won't tell anyone what the secret ingredient is. Janet shakes her head. No way. 151 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S TRAILER Alvin graciously accepts the plate. ALVIN Thank you Janet. Very much. I'll let 'em cool down a little...can't eat hot food. But I sure have a sweet tooth. I love brownies. Haven't had any since I went on the road. My daughter Rose makes a pretty good brownie. 152 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S TRAILER JANET Does she live in Laurens? ALVIN Yes. She lives with me. Just the two of us. JANET Oh. Everyone is quiet for a bit. Alvin is holding the plate and the two women's heads are just hanging there. Darla shakes herself. DARLA RIORDAN Well we'll be moving along. We just wanted to make sure you're doing O.K. Anything you need? ALVIN No, thank you kindly. DARLA RIORDAN Well don't you be afraid to ask now. 153 INT.--DAY ALVIN'S TRAILER ALVIN I'm doing just fine. Thanks again. 154 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S TRAILER The ladies disappear from view. Alvin moves out of the trailer and perches in the open door. Just then a pickup truck pulls into the yard and Verlyn emerges from the cab. As he approaches Alvin, both men watch the women walk into the rear of the Riordan house. Verlyn reaches the trailer with a smile on his face. VERLYN Janet give you a plate of her brownies? Alvin chuckles at this and reaches behind him into the trailer. He pulls out the plate of brownies. He holds it out to Verlyn. VERLYN (cont'd) Well how about that timing. Janet makes... Alvin joins in and they say in unison: VERLYN & ALVIN ...the best brownies in Fayette county. VERLYN (cont'd) She wins a prize every year at the county fair. He reaches and takes a brownie off the plate. ALVIN Her mother's recipe. VERLYN (munching) Chocolate chips. ALVIN Huh? VERLYN The secret ingredient...no one's supposed to know.....chocolate chips. Alvin takes a brownie too and the two men enjoy the delicious experience together. There is a brief, comfortable silence between them. ALVIN You've had enough rain this summer, have ya? VERLYN Put up third crop hay last week. ALVIN Dairy farm? VERLYN Beef. I got too old for milking and both my sons moved to Dubuque. ALVIN I worked cattle in Montana. Back when it was all by horse. Before the war. VERLYN Army? ALVIN (looks off) Infantry. Third Corps. VERLYN Under Bradley. I was Second Corps. Another silence. Alvin offers Verlyn a Swisher Sweet. Verlyn accepts. VERLYN (cont'd) I been out on errands and I'm headin' for a beer. I thought you might like to join me. Alvin ponders the offer briefly. ALVIN I don't drink no more but I'm always up for a change of scenery. Thanks. The two older men, both with troubled hips, head for Verlyn's truck. CUT TO: 155 I/E.--DAY VERLYN'S TRUCK CLERMONT Alvin enjoying the ride. Alvin leans out the window to look at the road flying by. CUT TO: 156 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S POV. The road is flying by. CUT TO: 157 I/E.--DAY VERLYN'S TRUCK ALVIN Sittin' a little higher and goin' a little faster. VERLYN Wait'll I get 'er over thirty. They both chuckle. CUT TO: 158 INT.--DAY CLERMONT BAR Alvin and Verlyn at the bar. The Weather Channel is on the television over the bar. There are some local farmers in the place. There is a cribbage board at a table. Old timers are slapping cards on the table. Verlyn is drinking beer. Alvin is having a glass of milk. VERLYN I can still have my beer but I can't drink the brown stuff anymore. Alvin nods with understanding at this comment. ALVIN I picked up a mournful taste for liquor in France. (shaking his head) When I came back I couldn't drink enough of it. I wasn't worth a stick of stove wood. Mean. A preacher helped put some distance between me and the bottle. He helped me see that I was drinkin' because some of the sights I was still seein' from over there. Verlyn nods. Takes a sip of beer. Looks straight ahead at the back bar. VERLYN Lot of men came back drinking hard. My brother Dewey did that. Spent most of his adult life drinking from noon on. He was an awful sweet drunk though. Alvin takes this in. Nods quietly. ALVIN Everyone trying to forget. I can see it still in a man right away. Verlyn looks quickly at Alvin. VERLYN Yup. ALVIN It was one hard day after another hard day all strung together. VERLYN Yeah. The bartender comes over. Verlyn orders another. The bartender looks to Alvin who is nursing his glass of milk. ALVIN No, I'm good thanks. The bartender moves down the bar. Alvin and Verlyn sit in silence. Verlyn is peeling the label off of his long neck bottle. He is really concentrating on this process. VERLYN There was this one time...We were just ...waiting on our first warm meal in ten days. Verlyn looks up quickly at Alvin in the mirror on the back bar to see how he's reacting. Alvin just looks into his milk glass but doesn't stop him. VERLYN (cont'd) ...We thought we'd seen the worst. They hadn't given us much trouble from the air. Verlyn takes another drink of beer. He stops working on the label. He looks straight ahead at the back bar. VERLYN (cont'd) I was on a rise with the quartermaster working on more coffee for me and my buddies. A stray Focke-Wolf comes over the treetops and drops an incendiary right on the mess tent...all my buddies... The Kraut banks right in front of me on that hill and......I can (he pauses and the memory becomes the present) see the Iron Cross...(suddenly unable to speak...he tries in a choked voice)....right in front of me (composes himself, shaking his head).... There is silence. Alvin gives Verlyn time to set himself. VERLYN (cont'd) Then I look...I couldn't tell which of my buddies it was burnin' up down there. Verlyn can barely finish his story. Alvin is very still and quiet. Verlyn has collected himself and looks quietly to the mirror of the back bar. VERLYN (cont'd) "...Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night." Verlyn looks down, slightly embarrassed at his speech. Alvin thinks about what he's heard. He starts with his own story. ALVIN There is a thing I can't let loose..... All my buddies faces are still young... The spirit of the thing is that the more years I have... the more they lost. And... it's not always a buddy's face I'm seein'. Sometimes it's a German face. By the end we were shooting moon-faced boys.... Alvin takes a sip of milk and draws a deep breath. ALVIN (cont'd) I was a sniper. The way I grew up...you learn how to shoot huntin' for food. Alvin stops. He's not sure if he's going to continue. ALVIN (cont'd) They'd post me up front, damn near ahead of the line. I'd sit still forever. Amazin' thing what you can see just sittin'. I'd look for the officers...or their radio guy or artillery spotter... Sometimes I'd sight a gun nest by the smoke and fire into that. Sometimes it was just movement in the woods. Alvin pauses. ALVIN (cont'd) We had a scout. Small guy. Name of Kotz. He was a Polish fella from Milwaukee. He would always take recon and he was good. We went by his word and he saved our skins more'n once. A short fella. Alvin sets both hands palm down on the bar. He looks hard at his hands. ALVIN (cont'd) We had broken out of the hedgerows...made a run across the open when we come upon a woods an' started drawin' fire. I took my usual spot. I saw some movement real slow like. I waited for ten minutes and it moved again. I fired. The movement stopped. We found Kotz the next day. Head shot. He had been movin' back toward our lines. Everyone in the unit thought he was taken by a German sniper...everyone all these years. Everyone but me. Alvin and Verlyn sit real quiet for a while. Verlyn shifts on his stool...shakes his head. FADE OUT. FADE IN: 159 EXT.--NIGHT RIORDAN'S HOUSE Alvin is sitting in his chaise lounge having a smoke. It is night time and he is sitting without a fire in the dark. CUT TO: 160 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV OF THE SKY A crisp, star-filled sky. CUT TO: 161 EXT.--NIGHT RIORDAN'S HOUSE Alvin looking up at the stars...pain in his face. FADE OUT. FADE IN: 162 EXT.--DAY DANNY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Danny and the two Olsen brothers are fixing the mower. Alvin looks on. HARALD You can work all day and you won't get that piece off with that wrench. THORVALD (from beneath the mower) Danny, did you hear me ask Wisenheimer there for his advice on how to fix a riding mower? HARALD Fine. Then we'll all just stand here and wait for Mr. Wizard to finish...Anyone got a deck a cards? THORVALD (still beneath) Very funny Harald. If it was you underneath here we could all go home and wait for winter. Then we could just put the snowplow on this rig. DANNY RIORDAN Jeez you two can bitch. I heard you about killed each other last week over horseshoes at the Dew Drop. Harald gets a mad look on his face. THORVALD (up from beneath) See Harald...brainiac...I got the mower assembly free with this little old wrench here you said wouldn't work...Well I'd say it worked pretty good, wouldn't you? Help me slide'er out here and we can settle up. They slide out the mower assembly. Thorvald steps back, wiping the oil off his hands. Harald is pulling out the bill. He reads off of it. HARALD I got the labor and parts coming to $247.80. He hands the bill to Alvin. Alvin scans it. He looks up at them. ALVIN That's a little heavy for light work. The Olsen brothers are a little taken aback by this. Alvin moves over to the mower and starts a slow circle around it. ALVIN (cont'd) Now I got old man's eyes... He reaches down and runs his hand along the treads of the tires. ALVIN (cont'd) ...but I was noticin' these new tires...... Danny is starting to enjoy himself. He crosses his arms and smiles at the Olsens. HARALD Well, now we did take them off of a resell, but the treads are good. Alvin, still caressing the treads gives him a long look from under the brim of his Stetson. ALVIN Friend, are you chargin' me good or are you chargin' me new? HARALD Uh, (turns to his brother) Thorvald? THORVALD Well I guess we can make an adjustment there. Danny pulls up a lawn chair and lights a cigarette. Hunkers down for the entertainment. ALVIN I figure that adjustment to be about $30.00? Is that what your pencil's sayin'? DANNY RIORDAN Sounds right to me. The twins give Danny a dirty look. ALVIN Now about that labor. I'm agreeable that you boys have put some real time in on this job. But a man's gotta ask when he workin with twins, especially a bickerin' pair, how much workin' was fightin'. DANNY RIORDAN You got that right. THORVALD AND HARALD (in unison) Shut up Danny. ALVIN If I were to judge from the joyous affair I've seen today I would calculate a 20% discount on the labor charge. Thorvald and Harald exchange a look THORVALD Anything else mister. ALVIN Now I'm not from these parts exactly but where I come from this is a mighty rich charge on a can of Iowa oil. Thorvald and Harald can not believe this old fart. THORVALD Take the oil. No charge. ALVIN Well that's a splendid offer that I very much appreciate. Now what's your tally? Danny turns grinning to the twins. They are slightly befuddled. HARALD Uh...uh. Looking at Thorvald who shrugs. HARALD (cont'd) ...uh...$180.00 even? ALVIN Done. Sticks out his hand which each of the twins takes in confusion. Alvin brings out the money, and pays the twins. They see that he has 4 c-notes in his wallet. ALVIN (cont'd) Now it's thanks to you boys that I can get back on the road. Alvin stuffs the change in his wallet and puts the wallet back in his pocket. ALVIN (cont'd) I drove this rig across Iowa. I'm hopin' it'll hold into Wisconsin... Alvin looks up at them. ALVIN (cont'd) ...that's where my brother lives. Haven't seen him in ten years. Alvin looks at the Olsen brothers. They squirm under his gaze. ALVIN (cont'd) No man knows your life better than a brother near your age. He can know who, and what you are best than most anyone on the earth. He stops for a moment. Looks hard at the Olsens. ALVIN (cont'd) My brother and I said some unforgivable things last time we were together. I want to put those times behind us. This trip is just one hard swallow of pride. I'm only hopin' I'm not too late. They make to gather their tools and leave. ALVIN (cont'd) A brother's a brother. Danny smiles at this. The Olsens move to get out of there as fast as they can. CUT TO: 163 EXT.--NIGHT DANNY RIORDAN'S BACK YARD. Alvin is cooking up a large jug of water for coffee. Danny is sitting in the chair watching Alvin and smoking a cigarette. He has come to enjoy his time out in the backyard with Alvin. DANNY RIORDAN I've gotta tell you Alvin that I'm worried about you. About you...about your trip on that mower. ALVIN Not to worry. Me and my machine are in splendid form after our stay here. DANNY RIORDAN You're sure are you Alvin? Alvin just nods. A somewhat awkward silence settles on the scene. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) Well. Little more silence. Danny puts out his cigarette. DANNY RIORDAN (cont'd) I guess I'll be turning in. See you in the morning then before you go. ALVIN I'll be traveling plenty early. Alvin takes off his hat and stands directly in front of Danny. ALVIN (cont'd) I want to thank you for your kindness to a stranger. Danny stands up from his chair and puts out his hand. DANNY RIORDAN It has been a genuine pleasure having you here Alvin. Write to us sometime. Alvin takes his hand in a firm shake. CUT TO: 164 EXT.--EARLY MORNING DANNY RIORDAN'S BACKYARD Tight on door of trailer closing. Alvin comes around and gets on the mower and starts her up. CUT TO: 165 EXT.--SUNRISE DANNY RIORDAN'S HOUSE Danny is standing at a window unseen by Alvin. He has been watching Alvin's preparations from inside the house, sensing Alvin's reluctance for goodbyes. Alvin pulls out onto the road. CUT TO: 166 EXT.--SUNRISE RIORDAN'S FRONT PORCH Danny steps out onto the porch, holding a coffee mug. He watches Alvin in the distance heading down the main drag of Clermont. CUT TO: 167 EXT.--SUNRISE MAIN DRAG CLERMONT Traveling shot of Alvin going through a sleeping Clermont. The only vehicle on the road is another John Deere tractor. Alvin and the farmer exchange the farmer wave. CUT TO: 168 EXT.--DAY A HILL JUST WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI Shot of empty road, top of the hill. The trees on either side of the road are in full fall color. Alvin and the mower rise into view. Then he stops and eyes the steep downhill grade. He sets his hat and starts down. CUT TO: 169 EXT.--DAY ANOTHER HILL JUST WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI Alvin again crests a hill. This one a bit bigger. Again he takes a deep breath. He lashes down the gear shift and heads down the hill. CUT TO: 170 EXT.--DAY THE LAST HILL LEADING DOWN TO THE MISSISSIPPI Alvin pulls up to the top of a big hill and comes to a stop. CUT TO: 171 EXT.--DAY HILL TOP ABOVE THE MISSISSIPPI Close up of Alvin looking and taking off his hat. CUT TO: 172 EXT.--DAY SAME HILL TOP ALVIN'S POV. The beautiful, broad Mississippi stretches out before him. The hills are in full autumn foliage. There is river as far as the eye can see. It is dotted with boats and barges. Directly across from Alvin, the Wisconsin River flows into the Mississippi... the sun glints off their surface where they join. Alvin secures his hat and gets back out on the road. CUT TO: 173 EXT.--DAY TOP OF LAST HILL WEST OF MISSISSIPPI OMIT 174 EXT.--DAY SAME HILL OMIT 175 EXT.--DAY MACGREGOR IOWA OMIT 176 EXT.--DAY HIGHWAY LEADING TO THE BRIDGE. As he approaches the bridge over the river, Alvin has to pull more off the shoulder and into the slow lane of traffic. He begins his crossing. CUT TO: 177 EXT.--DAY HIGH ANGLE SHOT OF ALVIN ON BRIDGE Alvin is tooling along in the slow lane. The landscape around the bridge is breathtaking. Cars and trucks pass him. A car tailgates him. Traffic behind him begins to build. 178 EXT.--DAY MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE Alvin riding on his mower, enjoying the view at his nice, slow pace. The mower's pace allows him to enjoy the scene. People in cars and trucks pass and gawk in disbelief. A few are irritated. Some kids take his picture. One child motions for him to blow his air horn. 179 EXT.--DAY HIGH ANGLE SHOT OF ALVIN ON BRIDGE Alvin at mid-point of the span. The number of cars backed up behind him has increased. The flow of cars in adjacent lane become affected by the gawkers. Alvin has no idea that he is now a one man traffic jam. 180 EXT.--DAY MISSISSIPPI Alvin on his mower. He is oblivious to the traffic behind him. He is really enjoying the view of the Mississippi. 181 EXT.--DAY HIGH ANGLE OF ALVIN ON BRIDGE Now there is a serious back up behind Alvin. He is 3/4 of the way across the bridge and cars are backed up 1/2 way back. 182 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S POV Alvin scans the river but as his view moves past the "WELCOME TO WISCONSIN" sign... 183 EXT.--DAY ALVIN'S FACE TIGHT ...his expression changes from blissful tourist to concerned motorist. 184 EXT.--DAY ALVIN POV Next to the welcome sign Alvin's sees a Prairie du Chien police officer leaning against his squad, lights revolving. 185 EXT.--DAY PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WISCONSIN As Alvin approaches, the officer waves him to the side of the road. Alvin slows to a stop along the shoulder. The police officer begins to direct the cars past around Alvin, moving the gawkers along. He begins to converse with Alvin over his shoulder as he waves. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP Sir, are you aware of the congestion you caused on the bridge just now? ALVIN I wasn't. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP I am assuming sir that you have the appropriate registration to operate a Slow Moving Vehicle. Am I correct? ALVIN Yes sir. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP And where are you headed today? ALVIN Mt. Zion. At this the police officer stops directing traffic and walks over to Alvin with an incredulous look on his face. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP You are going to drive that to Mt. Zion? The Mt. Zion by Boscobel? ALVIN Boscobel? PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP The Mt. Zion by Blue River? That Mt. Zion? ALVIN That Mt. Zion ...yes. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP May I see some identification please? Alvin extracts his wallet and chain and hands over an ID. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP (cont'd) It says here you're from Laurens. That is...? ALVIN A bit west of the Grotto. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP And you've made it to Wisconsin with this setup? ALVIN I have. The cop stands back and takes in the whole rig: lawnmower, plywood trailer, antlers. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP (amazed) It says here Mr. Straight that you are 73 years old. How long have you been on the road from Laurens? ALVIN Goin' on six weeks. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP And what's your business in Mt. Zion? ALVIN My brother is sick. The cop considers this for a moment. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP Well Mr. Straight, we've got a problem here. All of this traffic that you've managed to stop runs right on through downtown Prairie du Chien. I'd like you to take the side streets. ALVIN Well I'd like to accommodate you but...I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the streets in this town. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP You stay right here Mr. Straight. Don't move. Alvin nods. The officer walks back to his squad and begins talking in the radio. Alvin sits and watches the river and the traffic. A car goes by and a dog barks at him from a window. Little children stare at him as they pass. The officer returns. He notices again the deer antlers mounted on the trailer. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP (cont'd) Do you have a hunting license? Alvin turns and sees he's looking at the antlers. ALVIN That was a road kill. Another Prairie du Chien squad car pulls up lights flashing. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP Mr. Straight, I'd like you to follow me. ALVIN Are you arresting me? PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP No sir....we're escorting you. The two squads bracket Alvin and move out into traffic. The caravan drives through the side streets of town. The squad cars have their red lights flashing. A state patrol car joins the procession. Locals look on in confusion and amusement. They wave and Alvin, a regular parade marshall, waves back. CUT TO: 186 EXT.--DAY EASTERN EDGE OF PRAIRIE DU CHIEN The lead police car stops. The other cars wave and peel away. The officer from the bridge walks over to Alvin on the mower. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP You take this up as far as 61, head north and it'll take you straight into Mt. Zion. Have a safe journey, Mr. Straight. ALVIN Thank you for the grand parade. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP Our privilege sir. He turns to walk away, then looks back. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN COP (cont'd) Must've been one slow buck. Alvin sits grinning on his rig, his head framed by the buck's antlers. CUT TO: 187a EXT.--SUNSET Alvin traveling along the Wisconsin country road. 187b EXT.--SUNSET Alvin pulls off the road to set up camp alongside a small country church and cemetery. 187 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE Alvin sits in his chaise by the campfire. A train whistle sounds in the distance. Alvin looks up, and looks into the sky. 188 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV Stars in the cool autumn sky with a crescent moon. The train whistle blows again. 189 EXT.--NIGHT Alvin looks off in the direction of the sound. His trip is nearing an end. He looks around at his surroundings. 190 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV He is camped alongside a small country church and cemetery. A simple iron archway guards the cemetery. The back door of the church opens and a swath of light cuts into the cemetery. A PRIEST in layman's clothes comes out carrying a plate and approaches Alvin. PRIEST I noticed your campfire. I brought you some dinner...meat loaf and potatoes. He holds the plate out to Alvin. Alvin hesitates and then reaches out and takes the plate. ALVIN I thank you kindly. Hope you don't mind my trespassin'. PRIEST Not at all. You've made a fine choice. You're camped next to one of the oldest cemeteries in the midwest. French Catholic trappers. ALVIN Marquette's party? PRIEST (nodding) Two of his men. Alvin reflects on this. He motions for the priest to sit down by the fire. The priest does so. PRIEST (cont'd) (hesitantly) I couldn't help but notice your rather unusual mode of transport. ALVIN (shakes his head and smiles) Well you wouldn't be the first person to say so Padre. The priest doesn't say anything...he waits on Alvin. Finally... ALVIN (cont'd) (he's ready to stop explaining himself to people) I can't see good enough to drive a car, I don't like someone else drivin' my bus and I got to get to my brother's place. PRIEST Fair enough. How far have you traveled? ALVIN Well now this vehicle doesn't sport an odometer so I couldn't exactly say...but I been on the road since September 5th. PRIEST But we're October 15th. Where in heaven's name did you start out? ALVIN Back in north central Iowa. Laurens, Iowa. PRIEST That must be over 300 miles from here! ALVIN I reckon that's not a bad guess. The priest gets up and walks over to Alvin's mower and trailer. He walks around it real slow...one full circle. He comes back and sits down by the fire. He looks at Alvin for a bit. PRIEST Well I would guess that you are on a mission. This sets Alvin to thinking. He nods to himself. ALVIN You know I wouldna ever thought of it that way but I guess you could say that's exactly what I'm doin'. PRIEST You say you've got to see your brother. Where is he? ALVIN So close I can practically feel him... Mt. Zion. PRIEST What's his name? ALVIN Lyle Straight. PRIEST That the fellow had a stroke some weeks ago? ALVIN That's right. You know him? PRIEST Well I do some work over at the hospital in Boscobel and I remember him coming in. He caught my attention because he lives in my parish. ALVIN He's Baptist. PRIEST I believe he told me that. He told me a few things as a matter of fact. Didn't mention having a brother though. Alvin looks up to the sky. ALVIN Don't think we've either of us had a brother for some time now. I'm hopin' to fix that... Alvin pauses for a moment. ALVIN (cont'd) So you saw him? ...He's O.K. then? PRIEST I only saw him that once...never heard anything more. There is a pause in the talk. Alvin takes in the scene. CUT TO: 191 EXT.--NIGHT SKY Alvin's POV of the crescent moon, the stars and down to the church and the cemetery. The priest waits for him to go on. Night sounds, train whistles. ALVIN Lyle and I grew up close as brothers could be. We were raised on a farm up in Moorhead, Minnesota. Worked so hard...my ma and pa pretty much killed themselves trying to make that farm work. Alvin shakes his head at the sorrow of this memory. He takes out a cigar and lights it. The priest patiently waits on him to continue. ALVIN (cont'd) Me and Lyle...we made games out of our chores. A day's work'd go quicker when it was just the two of us. We'd make up different races and wagers just to get our mind off the cold...Christ it was cold.... He looks quickly to the priest. ALVIN (cont'd) 'Scuse me Padre. The priest nods tolerantly. He waits for Alvin to continue. ALVIN (cont'd) He and I used to sleep out in the yard every summer night it wasn't pouring. After nine months of winter we couldn't get enough of summer. We'd bunk down as soon as the sun went down and lie there talkin' ourselves to sleep. Talk about the stars...and other planets, whether there might be other people like us out there, 'bout all the places we wanted to go...made our trials seem smaller. We pretty much talked each other through growin' up. Alvin looks up to the sky. CUT TO: 192 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S POV OF THE NIGHT ALVIN (cont'd) (voice over) Funny but lookin' up at these stars tonight and feelin' him so close...makes me feel I'm right back there again. All those years ago. They are both quiet for a bit...we stay on the night sky. PRIEST (voice over) What happened between you two? CUT TO: 193 EXT.--NIGHT CAMPSITE Alvin looks back down to the fire. ALVIN Well that's a story old as the bible...Cain and Abel. Anger...vanity ...mix those things up with liquor and you get two brothers not talkin' for ten years.... Alvin shakes his head. ALVIN (cont'd) It doesn't really matter anymore. He's quiet for a while. ALVIN (cont'd) I've lived on this earth for 73 years. I'm a humble man in the world but my life is so full that from where I sit now I'll be damned if I know how I did it all...growin' up on a hardscrabble farm...then went to war... (he shakes his head at these painful memories) ...God help us. (he pauses and takes a breath) I had seven children. We lived in every part of this beautiful country...I loved a woman for 40 years...and then she died. He has to stop for a while. The priest is looking into the fire. He gives Alvin all the time he needs. ALVIN (cont'd) (he takes a breath) I've got two daughters...one we lost track of back in '74...don't even know if she's alive. Got in with a mean fella. (another painful pause.) So...whatever it was made me and Lyle so mad doesn't matter to me now...I want to make peace...I want to sit with him again and look up at all the stars. The priest looks over at Alvin. Alvin looks up and becomes embarrassed. PRIEST Well sir, I say amen to that. CUT TO: 194 EXT.--NIGHT ALVIN'S CAMPSITE The hilltop wide under the stars. The fire glows small in the frame. The firelight's flickering illumination of Alvin, the priest, the Church and the cemetery. SLOW FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: 195 EXT.--DAY WESTERN WISCONSIN Alvin is driving through rolling Wisconsin farmland dotted with dairy farms and red barns. He sees a sign: "Mt. Zion. Unincorporated" CUT TO: 196 INT.--DAY MT. ZION BAR / GAS STATION The bartender sits behind the bar watching the Weather Channel. CUT TO: 197 INT.--TV SCREEN The weather person is giving the national five day forecast. WEATHER PERSON First frost of the season is expected for the midwest and great lakes region... CUT TO: 198 INT.--DAY MT. ZION BAR Something out the window catches the bartender's eye. He glances out and his expression changes to one of disbelief. MT. ZION BARTENDER What the.... He gets up off his stool and walks over to the window for a closer look. MT. ZION BARTENDER (cont'd) ...hell? 199 INT.--DAY MT. ZION BAR/GAS STATION Through the window we see Alvin hauling up the hill approaching the bar. 200 EXT.--DAY MT. ZION BAR GAS PUMP Alvin arrives at the top of the hill and stops at the gas pumps. Alvin executes his usual laborious dismount and enters the bar. CUT TO: 201 INT.--DAY THE MT. ZION BAR Alvin crosses the bar and perches atop a bar stool. He sets his canes against the bar rail and addresses the bartender. ALVIN I haven't had a drink in years but I believe I'll have a cold beer right now. MT. ZION BARTENDER What flavor? ALVIN What does a Miller Lite taste like? The bartender places a bottle in front of Alvin. MT. ZION BARTENDER Interesting rig you got out there. Make it up the hill OK? ALVIN That one and about 200 others. MT. ZION BARTENDER How far'd you come? ALVIN Iowa. Headin' to Lyle Straight's place. MT. ZION BARTENDER Iowa?...by God you must be thirsty. ALVIN One'll do thank you. Can you point me to Lyle's place? I don't quite recall the way...it's been an awful long time since I seen him. Alvin starts drinking the beer in short order. MT. ZION BARTENDER Cross 61 there on W. Take W to Weed Road and then take Weed on down to Remington. Remington drops down onto S...that's the county trunk by Frankie Schwartz's farm. On your right would be Lyle's place...if he's even there. I heard he's had a bad stroke...if you see him, tell him Micky O'Connor tells him to get better quick. Alvin finishes off the beer, gets up and heads out of bar. MARTHA, the bartender's wife arrives after Alvin's exit. She peers out the window. Then turns to the bartender. MARTHA I believe that would be a '66. CUT TO: 202 EXT.--DAY MT. ZION BAR Alvin exits and does his departure ritual. Proceeds down the road. 203 EXT.--DAY EXTERIOR VALLEY HWY W Alvin drives through a beautiful valley. CUT TO: 204 EXT.--DAY WEED ROAD ALVIN TIGHT Alvin knows that he is near the end of his journey. Then a look crosses his face. We hear the engine cough. Then with a puff of black smoke, the mower dies. Alvin sits alone on the dirt road. DISSOLVE TO: 205 EXT.--DAY WEED ROAD LATER THAT DAY Alvin is still sitting alone on the dirt road. DISSOLVE TO: 206 EXT.--DAY WEED ROAD EVEN LATER THAT SAME DAY Alvin still sitting. We hear the off camera sound of a tractor. Around the bend of the dirt road comes a big John Deere farm tractor. CUT TO: 207 EXT.--DAY DIRT ROAD WIDE The farmer stops and converses with Alvin. He is offering to haul Alvin. Alvin tries the mower again and to his surprise it starts. The farmer climbs on his tractor and proceeds down the road in front of Alvin. They continue like this approaching Lyle's place. Alvin turns off into Lyle's yard and the tractor keeps moving off. Alvin cuts his engine and the sound of the tractor fades off. CUT TO: 208 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR LYLE'S FRONT YARD Alvin dismounts and slowly walks toward the front door of the house. He stops in the yard and calls out. ALVIN Lyle. CUT TO: 209 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR LYLE'S HOUSE Close on the screen door. A pause...then we hear Lyle's voice from inside. LYLE Is that you Alvin? We hear a rhythmic bumping noise from inside. CUT TO: 210 EXT.--MAGIC HOUR LYLE'S YARD Alvin starts moving toward the front porch. Lyle comes out the front door using a walker. It makes the bumping noise. As Alvin climbs the few steps he and Lyle stand very close and take a good look at each other...at the old men they have become. LYLE Sit yourself down Alvin. They move slowly to the two chairs set up on the porch. They are situated about five feet apart on either side of the screen door. Lyle is on the right and Alvin on the left. CUT TO: Lyle looking out at the lawnmower and trailer in the yard. LYLE (cont'd) Did you ride that thing all the way here to see me? CUT TO: Alvin nodding his head. ALVIN I did Lyle. We stay on Alvin's face for a while. CUT TO: Close shot of Lyle. He is crying. CUT TO: Alvin...tears are running down his cheeks. He turns with a crying smile to Lyle. PAN UP TO: 211 EXT.--NIGHT SKY A sky full of stars. Music plays. The End