The InheritanceA Screenplay by ScottTheScreenwriter A wealthy, elderly man on his death bed attempts to bring his estranged, dysfunctional family back together one last time in order to decide who most deserves to inherit his fortune. FADE IN: INT. MANUFACTURING FACILITY - DAY A large, octagonal piece of polished metal. Contorted mechanical arms protrude from each side and come together in the middle, like a robotic spider, ready to strike. Two of the arms begin spinning rapidly. A long, metallic coil is produced from the middle, as if out of thin air. The arms stop on a dime. The spider is motionless for a moment, until a third arm whips down and grasps the coil with pincer-like claws. A fourth arm glides effortlessly forward and slashes at the coil. With one clean swipe, it flies away from the machine. The whole process repeats itself, producing coil after coil. An army of springs move down a wide, rubber conveyor belt, as if marching off to war. A waterfall of springs. One by one they fall off the side of the conveyor belt. Each of the springs is grasped by a metallic claw and forced against a small plastic nub. Suddenly, it's clear what we're looking at - a normal, everyday spring door stop. EXT. MANUFACTURING FACILITY - DAY Truck after truck leaves the large compound in a single file line. On the side of each truck is a logo that reads "Gennaro Manufacturing". EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY The trucks fly down the highway, three abreast and five deep. They switch lanes and merge with each other like Olympic synchronized swimmers. EXT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY One of the trucks backs up to the loading bay of a large hardware store. A man motions for the truck to keep moving. It comes to a stop only millimeters away from the edge of the building. The man winks and gives the driver a thumbs up. INT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY A hardware store employee takes a box-cutter to a cardboard box filled with door stops. He eagerly tosses them onto pegs. Before long, an entire wall is filled with them. He stands back to admire his work. A man approaches with a shopping cart. He grabs a box, looks it over, and tosses it in the cart. INT. CUSTOMER'S HOUSE - DAY The man kneels down and screws the spring door stop into the side of the wall. The man walks OUT OF FRAME. A door swings INTO FRAME and bounces against the stopper. A moment later, a Labrador Retriever trots INTO FRAME. He cautiously approaches the door stopper and paws at it. He then proceeds to rip it off the wall, munching away happily on his new favorite toy. EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY A nondescript two-story office building. Dozens of cars are parked in front of it, and many more buzz by on the nearby freeway. INT. OFFICE BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER A brightly-lit office building, littered with cubicles that stretch out as far as the eye can see. The fluorescent lighting gives everything a sickly blue hue. TED (30s), a tall, very tanned and ruggedly handsome man, is seated behind a desk with a phone cradled in his neck and a book of carpet samples in hand. TED So you were looking at... Mystic Pine? (beat) And how large is your office? (beat) Five thousand square feet. That's fantastic. I did my entire house in mystic pine last year. Sometimes I just lay there on the floor naked and make snow angels on it. It's beautiful, you'll love it. Another male employee stands at the photo-copier. He looks so bored that he might as well have had a lobotomy. A female employee is seated at a desk with two piles of papers in front of her so high that they cover her face. She takes one paper off of each stack, staples them together, and then repeats the process, over and over. BILL GENNARO (40s), a particularly dour-looking individual is seated at his desk. He's a little too short and a little too fat, but he seem OK with it. He's wearing a white collared shirt with three differently colored pens sticking out of the front breast pocket. He stares forward at his computer screen with baggy, unenthusiastic eyes. CLOSE ON COMPUTER SCREEN Bill is surfing Priceline.com. Hawaiian destinations are littered across the screen, accompanied by photos of overly enthusiastic white people frolicking on beaches around the world. BACK TO SCENE Ted wanders over to Bill's cubicle. TED (CONT'D) How you doin', Bill? Bill quickly closes the website and brings up a spreadsheet full of carpet sales figures. BILL Oh, hey, Ted. TED I'm shoving off for the weekend, just wanted to let you know that I closed the Western Electric deal. Five thousand square feet. (Ted whistles) S**t load of rug, my man. I know you made first contact, split the commish'? BILL (nodding) Sure, that's fine. Bill appears unenthusiastic, almost lifeless. TED You get your bonus yet? Bill makes eye contact with Ted and gives him a fake smile. BILL You have to make your numbers to get a bonus. TED Jesus. Sorry, man. We all have tough months. BILL I was planning on taking the family for a vacation this year. I guess that won't be happening. TED Sorry to hear that, pal. BILL Yeah. Sorry for being such a Debbie Downer. What are you up to this weekend? TED Taking the family to Jamaica for a week! Bill rolls his eyes. BILL (sotto) Of course you are... TED A little fun in the sun, the kids get to go wild, and I get to lay on the beach and take in the sights. Let's just say the ol' spank bank will be overrunning with funds by the time I get back, you know what I'm sayin'? Those Jamaican chicks are wild. I hear they don't shave. Anywhere. Bill initially appears disgusted by the comment, but nods all the same, attempting to appear enthusiastic. TED (CONT'D) Take care, buddy! See you in a week. Ted gives Bill a firm pat on the chest before walking away. Bill coughs uncomfortably from the impact of the overly friendly gesture. Bill glances at a wall clock. CLOSE ON WALL CLOCK The time reads 4:59. After a moment, it switches over to 5:00. BACK TO SCENE Quick as a flash, Bill stands up, turns his monitor off, grabs his jacket and speed walks down the hallway. EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER Bill approaches his minivan and throws himself inside. INT. BILL'S MINIVAN - CONTINUOUS He sits there for a moment, a defeated look about him. If he looked any sadder, a funeral might break out. His CELL PHONE RINGS. He answers it. BILL Hey, hon. (beat) Yeah, just left. Should be home soon. I just need to make one stop first. Love you too. Bill hangs up the phone and reverses out of the parking spot quickly, TIRES SQUEALING. INT. BANK - LATER Bill enters the bank in a hurry. He stops, looks around, and scampers over to an ATM machine. CLOSE ON ATM MIRROR Bill adjusts his hair and straightens his tie. He notices an ink blotch on his shirt. His pen must have popped when Ted slapped him on the chest. BACK TO SCENE BILL Jesus. F**k you, Ted. He tries to rub it but it just smears. ARTHUR (O.S.) Mr. Gennaro? Bill turns to find ARTHUR THOMPSON (40s), the burly, mustached, perpetually glum bank manager, glaring back at him. BILL Yes. Hi. ARTHUR Right this way, sir. Bill walks toward him. They shake hands and Arthur leads him away. INT. BANK - ARTHUR'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER Arthur is seated behind a large oak desk in a small corner office. He's skimming through a stack of papers and signing every other one with a lightning fast signature. Bill is seated across from him. He nervously rubs his hands on his legs and peers around the office. CLOSE ON FRAMED PHOTO Arthur, his wife and two boys are standing on a beach. Everyone in the photo is smiling, except Arthur, who has the same sourpuss in the photo that he has right now. BACK TO SCENE BILL Beautiful family. I've got two of my own at home. Boy and a girl. Family is everything, that's what I always say. Arthur glances up from his paperwork. ARTHUR That's an old photo. I'm divorced. She got the kids. Hand me that? Bill leans over and grabs the photo frame. He hands it to Arthur. Arthur takes it and very forcefully throws it in the trash can. Papers from the trash go flying into the air. Arthur studies the papers in front of him as debris from the trash can begins to settle down around him. ARTHUR (CONT'D) So, you were looking for a loan, is that correct, Mr. Gennaro? BILL Yes sir, absolutely. ARTHUR Ten thousand? Arthur whistles to himself in surprise. ARTHUR (CONT'D) What will you be needing the funds for? BILL Well, actually, I was hoping to take my family on a vacation this year. We were thinking somewhere warm. Maybe Hawaii or... Jamaica? Have you ever been? Arthur raises an eyebrow without looking away from the papers in front of him. ARTHUR The sun makes me freckle. What do you do for a living, sir? BILL I'm a carpet salesman. ARTHUR OK, and which dealership are you with? BILL No, not car. Carpet. Car-PET. Arthur raises another eyebrow. ARTHUR All right... Arthur jots down a few notes on the paper in front of him. ARTHUR (CONT'D) I wasn't aware that carpet needed salesmen. Car salesman would have looked better on paper, I'm not going to lie. A lot better. But then I guess you wouldn't need the loan in the first place, would you? Arthur allows himself a rare, but reserved smirk. Bill frowns. BILL It's just that things have been really tight lately, financially speaking. I've been promising the kids a vacation for years, and they deserve it. My job, you see, it pays well enough, but it's just not always enough to -- ARTHUR Let me stop you right there. BILL What's wrong? ARTHUR This sounds like it could go on for a while, plus I hear the same sob story every day from every schmuck that sets foot in here. No offense. (beat) I'll be in touch in the next few days. Arthur extends his hand and Bill leans over and shakes it. BILL Thank you for your time, sir! I look forward to hearing back from you! ARTHUR Gennaro. (beat; Arthur looks lost in thought) Gennaro. Why does that name sound so familiar? BILL You're probably thinking of Gennaro manufacturing. My father's company. ARTHUR That's right! I pass by at least one of their trucks every morning on my way in to work. What do they do, anyway? BILL They make just about everything. Their claim to fame... well, my father's claim to fame was the rubber door stopper. ARTHUR He invented that? BILL Yeah. Among other things. He has about a million patents. ARTHUR (enthusiastically) No s**t. You invent something like that, you must have some real f**k you money. Bill nods slowly, rolling his eyes. BILL He's very... well off. (beat) Yes. ARTHUR (whistles) Must be hard following in the footsteps of someone like that. BILL I wouldn't know. I guess so. Whatever. (awkward beat) Are we done here? Arthur, brow furrowed, stands up and extends a hand to Bill. Bill stands up and accepts the gesture. Arthur suddenly leans in close, as if to tell a secret. ARTHUR (sotto) You look like you jacked off a Smurf. Bill looks down at his shirt. BILL Yes, I know. Thank you. Arthur nods solemnly and winks. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - NIGHT A small bungalow in suburbia. It's seen better days, as is apparent by the faded blue paint job, crooked garage door and a roof that's begging for attention. INT. BILL'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER ALLISON GENNARO (40s), Bill's wife, a tall, blonde-haired woman who is clearly out of his league, is standing in the kitchen, chopping carrots for the meal she's preparing. ALLISON Alex, can you please call your sister in here to set the table? ALEX GENNARO (8),a young boy with curly brown hair is seated at the kitchen table, a cell phone in the crook of his neck and a laptop in front of him. ALEX West of Main Street is my territory, Tony, how many times do I have to tell you? (beat) Well, I don't care if you think it's a dead zone, I see potential in it. There's a new construction site in that area. You know what that means? Thirsty construction workers. Do I have to spell everything out for you? ALLISON ALEX! ALEX Sorry, I've gotta go. Keep me posted. (hangs up the phone; turns to his mother) Mom, I'm conducting business over here. ALLISON You're eight. The only business you should be conducting is your homework, which I know you haven't touched yet. ALEX Mom, these lemonade stands are brutal. Do you have any idea what kind of competition I'm up against here? ALLISON Just go get your sister, OK? ALEX Fine. (beat) SADIE, MOM WANTS YOU! ALLISON I could have done that myself. Suddenly, the front door opens and Bill walks through. ALLISON (CONT'D) Hey hon! How was your day? BILL As good as it gets. Sorry I'm late. (to Alex) Hey, champ. Please tell me you're doing your homework and not... (Bill leans over and looks at the laptop) ...West of Main Street, huh? Should be a good location. There's that new construction site that just went up there. ALEX THANK you! ALLISON Don't encourage him. SADIE GENNARO (13), the spitting image of her mother, only twenty-five years younger, enters the room. BILL Hey, sweetie, how was school today? SADIE It was great, Dad. Just a blast. Sadie rolls her eyes as she heads to the kitchen and begins setting the table. BILL You're being sarcastic, aren't you? I picked up on that. Bill walks past her to the kitchen and kisses Sadie on the head en route. The PHONE RINGS. Sadie grabs it. SADIE Hello? (beat) Yeah, he lives here. (beat; Sadie looks confused) Dad, it's for you. Some weirdo, he says it's about your Dad. Should I tell him to get lost? Bill looks even more confused. BILL No, I'll take it. Sadie tosses him the phone a little too aggressively. Bill manages to catch it, but shakes his hand in pain. He scowls at Sadie, who just shrugs back. BILL (CONT'D) This is Bill. INT. LAW OFFICE - CONTINUOUS JONATHON COHEN, a tall, skinny Jewish man wearing a suit and tie is seated behind a desk in his office. JONATHON Hello, Mr. Gennaro, how are you this evening? INTERCUT telephone conversation. BILL Fine. Who is this? JONATHON My name is Jonathon Cohen, I'm your father's estate lawyer. Did I catch you at a good time? A beat. Bill pauses to choose his next words very carefully. BILL Is he dead? JONATHON Dead? No, he's not dead... yet. I'm sorry to call you out of the blue like this, but as it turns out, there are some questions about his estate that need to be answered. BILL Like what? JONATHON Well, that's what I need to talk to you about. I'm afraid I can't do it over the phone, though. William has requested that you come to see him in person. Tomorrow, if possible. I've already contacted your brother and sister, they have both agreed to come. Bill doesn't respond. He rubs his face with his one free hand. JONATHON (CONT'D) He's sick, Mr. Gennaro. Bill's attention is suddenly diverted back to the conversation at hand. JONATHON (CONT'D) He has been for some time, but he feels these may be his final days. The matter of his will is all that's been on his mind lately. I hope you can appreciate that. Bill looks lost in thought. He glances around at his family. ALLISON What is it? What's wrong? INT. BILL'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT Bill is brushing his teeth vigorously. Foam is building around his mouth like a rabid dog. He spits into the sink. Allison walks up behind him. ALLISON I really think you're going to regret it if you don't go. BILL Al, I don't know if you're aware, but he and I don't really see eye to eye. There's a reason our kids have never even met him. ALLISON And don't think I'm not thrilled about that. I've kept my mouth shut on this whole subject for a long time, Bill, you know I have, but I really think you're making a mistake here. BILL He's got his business to keep him company, he doesn't need me. It's all he's ever cared about anyway. Do you have any idea how many birthdays he missed when we were growing up? ALLISON I know, all of them. BILL You're damn right all of them. And forget about holidays. I only remember one Christmas when he was actually home, and that was only because he was so sick, my Mom wouldn't let him leave the house. "Time is money, and I'm wasting both". That was his favorite line. ALLISON What about your brother and sister? Aren't they going? BILL Oh please, all they see is dollar signs. Shoshanna is already working hard for another alimony check from husband number two. I'm sure a nice little inheritance from Daddy would be right up her alley. ALLISON Well, so what? What if he does want to cut you guys in? We're not exactly living high off the hog here, Bill. Any sort of inheritance he wants to leave us is fine by me. How long have we been wanting to fix this place up? And what about college funds for the kids? Sadie is only a few years away and she barely has anything saved. BEDROOM Bill and Allison enter the room and crawl into bed together. BILL I don't want his money. ALLISON Bill. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe it's not even about that? Maybe he just wants to say goodbye. BILL He can send a postcard. ALLISON Just think about it, will you? Please? If not for me, then for the kids. BILL The kids. Yeah. (beat) Where is the time going? Alex is obsessed with that business of his. And Sadie... she doesn't even give us the time of day anymore. ALLISON She's a teenager, Bill. She's not supposed to like us. BILL I feel like everyone is just slipping away. Allison leans over and kisses Bill. He kisses her back before flicking the light off. ALLISON Just because it happened to your family doesn't mean it's going to happen to ours. Bill stares wide-eyed out into the moon-lit room. Something catches his attention on the floor. CLOSE ON HAWAII PAMPHLET The edge of the pamphlet is sticking out of his pants pocket with the word "ALOHA" printed in bright red letters at the top. RETURN TO SCENE Bill shakes his head. A beat. BILL We'd need to leave early. It's an eight hour drive. Allison rolls over and puts her head on his shoulder. She kisses him on the cheek. ALLISON You're a good man. BILL I'm a stupid man. ALLISON You can be both. Allison kisses him on the lips and they roll around under the covers. INT. BILL'S MINIVAN - DAY Bill and his family are travelling along the highway in the family minivan. Bill and Allison are seated up front, Sadie and Alex in the back. ALEX Sadie, can you pass me that bottle of water? Sadie is staring out the window, ignoring her little brother. ALEX (CONT'D) Sadie. Hello? Sadie. SADIE! BILL She's not talking to us right now, pal. Here, take my water. Bill takes the bottle of water from beside him and tosses it back blindly. It smacks Sadie in the head. SADIE JESUS!! ALLISON Bill! ALEX Nice aim, Dad. Why does she have to be so moody? Alex leans over and grabs the water bottle. SADIE (rubbing her head) Maybe because this is ridiculous? No one ever asked me if I was OK with any of this. I already had plans this weekend, why the hell do I have to do this? I thought we hated Grandpa. ALLISON Hey! Calm down! No one hates Grandpa. Right, Bill? BILL Yeah, sure. SADIE Uh huh, right, and that's why I have a better relationship with our plumber than I do with my own Grandfather? BILL Hey, I never wanted to hire him in the first place. I'm going to start taking more responsibility for the plumbing in our house from now on. ALLISON I think you missed the point on that one, sweetheart. ALEX Sadie, calm down. I was supposed to oversee two new stands this weekend. God knows what Jeremy Brinker is going to do with them. He has no financial awareness, I never should have left him in charge. BILL Well, we're all giving up things that are important to us, but family comes first, kids. Your Grandfather is sick. He wants to meet you before... you know. SADIE He didn't say anything about wanting to meet us. BILL It was implied. Heavily implied. SADIE He won't even know who I am. This is going to be so creepy and awkward. ALEX You're thirteen, your whole life is creepy and awkward. Sadie takes a swing at Alex, but he ducks. BILL Hey! Knock it off! Bill turns to Allison. BILL (CONT'D) This was a terrible idea. ALLISON Only seven and a half hours to go. EXT. BILL'S MINIVAN - CONTINUOUS The minivan speeds along down the open highway, off into the distance. EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - NIGHT As the sun begins to slip beyond the horizon, the family minivan approaches a large mansion guarded by enormous, ornate bronze gates. INT. BILL'S MINIVAN - CONTINUOUS BILL I see he's still as modest as ever. ALEX THIS is where Grandpa lives? Holy s**t! BILL (and Allison at once) HEY! Bill pulls up to the gates and comes to a stop. He rolls his window down and stares at the intercom system. BILL (CONT'D) Hello?! Silence. All of a sudden, the gate slowly begins to swing open. ALLISON I guess he's expecting you. Bill drives the car forward slowly. EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Jonathon Cohen, wearing a suit and tie, walks out of the front door of the house and approaches the car. Bill pulls up next to the house and gets out. JONATHON Mr. Gennaro, so glad you could make it. Your father has been looking forward to it all day. (beat) And this must be your lovely family! I'm so glad you brought them all along! SADIE (to her mother) I'm warning you right now, if we don't make it out of here alive, I'll come back to haunt all of you. This guy is giving off major Bates Motel vibes. JONATHON How was the drive? BILL (after a pause) Memorable. JONATHON Well, if you'll all follow me, I'll take you inside. Don't worry about your car, I'll have someone park it for you. ALEX Grandpa has people here just for parking cars? This guy's my hero. Sadie shakes her head at her brother's annoying level of enthusiasm. The family follows Jonathon into the house. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER A large, ornately decorated foyer. ALLISON Oh my God. This place is beautiful! WOMAN (O.S.) It better be for how much he spent on it. SHOSHANNA GENNARO (40s), Bill's blonde, sexy younger sister, approaches from the Great Room, along with her second husband, ELLIOT BLAUSTEIN (60s), a tall, thin, perpetually euphoric Jewish man. BILL Shoshanna. You made it here fast. SHOSHANNA (WOMAN) I flew in as soon as I heard. It's so awful to hear that he's not doing well. Poor Dad... I just hope that he knows what he's doing with his estate, it's such a beautiful home. I'd hate for it to go to the wrong person. BILL Subtle, Shan. Real subtle. SHOSHANNA I'm just saying... ELLIOT My darling, aren't you going to introduce me? SHOSHANNA I'm sorry, sweetheart, of course. Elliot, this is my brother, William. William, this is my husband, Elliot. ELLIOT Oh, William, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you! You're the car salesman, isn't that right? BILL Carpet salesman. Carpet. And you can call me Bill. ELLIOT Right! I'm sorry, that's my fault. My hearing, it comes and goes. You know, my law firm is undergoing some renovations, maybe I'll give you a call sometime! It would be good to keep it in the family! BILL Well, we're all about family around here, Elliot. I'm sure you'll pick up on that very quickly. ELLIOT And this must be your darling wife. What an exquisite creature, my goodness! Elliot takes her hand and kisses it gently. Allison blushes. ELLIOT (CONT'D) And two lovely children. Bill, you certainly have it all. ALEX Aunt Shoshanna, what happened to Uncle Eugene? SHOSHANNA Oh, we got divorced, sweetheart. ALEX Why would you do that? SHOSHANNA Because we didn't love each other anymore. ALEX My dad says you dug his gold. How much gold did Uncle Eugene have? Shoshanna's eyes go wide. ALLISON Alex! Hey! Why don't you go hang your coat up in the closet? Sadie stifles a laugh and shakes her head. SHOSHANNA Nice, Bill. Real nice. For your information, he was CHEATING ON ME. Whatever financial restitution I received was fully merited. BILL I'm sure it was. The boy doesn't know what he's talking about. I would never say something like that. ELLIOT From the mouths of babes. Kids can be so incorrigible. What a sweetheart. Suddenly, the front door swings open behind Allison and ANDREW GENNARO (30s), the younger sibling of Bill and Shoshanna, steps through. Andy is a thin, neatly dressed man with a very matter-of-fact way of speaking. ANDY Oh. Hello. (beat) Bill, I didn't expect you to be here. Good of you to come. (Andy turns to Allison and the kids and nods) Bill's family. ALLISON Hi, Andrew. BILL Andy. (Bill nods; beat) How's business? ANDY Very well, thank you for asking, Bill. My company actually just secured a new patent that I'm really excited about. Andy waits for someone to ask him about it. ANDY (CONT'D) OK, well, I guess I can tell you. Andy reaches down to the bottom of his jacket and pulls on his zipper. It unzips from bottom to top. ANDY (CONT'D) Reverse zipper. Andy smiles proudly. Everyone stares at Andy with a confused look on their collective faces. ANDY (CONT'D) It's like a normal zipper, but it goes bottom to top. Did you not see it? Here, I'll show you again. Andy goes to zip up his jacket again before being interrupted. BILL That's great, Andy. I think we get it. Bill rolls his eyes. SHOSHANNA Forever living in Dad's shadow. So typical. Do you seriously think anyone gives a s**t about your little inventions? Try doing something productive with your life for once. ANDY Oh, something productive? (points at Elliot) Is that his name? Elliot laughs, taking it all in stride. ELLIOT You kids are hilarious. I wish my family had your sense of humor. Just fantastic. ANDY Get out while you can, Husband Number Three, before she lays her parasites in your bank account. SHOSHANNA Number Two, NOT THREE! Shoshanna rushes forward angrily. SENIOR Quit your bickering! WILLIAM GENNARO SR. (70s), an old, frail man, is standing on the stairwell landing, leaning against a cane. Everyone in the room turns to look at him. You could hear a pin drop. SENIOR (CONT'D) Please, take a seat. We need to talk. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - GREAT ROOM - MOMENTS LATER A room fit for a king. Mahogany and oil paintings as far as the eye can see. Everyone is seated around a large, polished white table in the middle of the room. Snacks and sandwiches have been laid out, yet no one is eating. Senior begins coughing incessantly. SENIOR (CONT'D) Jonathon. Bring me a blanket, would you? It's a bit drafty in here. Jonathon nods and walks away. Everyone in the room stares at one other awkwardly. Clearly, the presence of the old man makes them all very uncomfortable. Elliot dares to break the silence. ELLIOT William, I just have to say... you have quite the decorative touch. This table, is this... ? SENIOR Ivory. Imported from Africa. One of the finest pieces I had ever seen, I had to have it. ELLIOT Well, it's just lovely. I don't normally go for ivory, but I must say it's so smooth and elegant, and the way it shimmers in the light... (awkward beat; everyone stares at him in silence) It's fantastic. BILL All right, this is stupid. Let's get this over with, Dad. You dragged us all down here. If you don't mind, I'd like to be on my way sooner than later. SENIOR I'm dying, William. I know I don't look it, but I am. BILL No, you look it. ALLISON Bill! SHOSHANNA What is it, Daddy? What's wrong with you? SENIOR Cancer. In the lungs of all the goddamn places. Didn't smoke a day in my life. That nicotine s**t is for hippies, how long have I been saying that? Jonathon comes back with a blanket and wraps it around Senior. Shoshanna begins to openly weep, long exaggerated sobs. BILL Oh, please. Elliot, can you wipe away those crocodile tears before I throw up? SHOSHANNA How dare you! I'm sorry if you don't show emotion when your FATHER tell you he's DYING! BILL You just can't wait to sign the will and get a third of all this, admit it. SENIOR No one is getting a third of anything! The room is dead silent again. ANDY What are you talking about? BILL Yeah, what ARE you talking about? SENIOR The three of you would never be able to cooperate in running my company. You can't even stand to be in the same room together. Gennaro Manufacturing is too important to me to piss it away like that. No, my inheritance will go to one of you and one of you alone. SHOSHANNA Now, what if we were just interested in the house? Could we work out some kind of a deal there? Senior shoots Shoshanna a disgusted look. SENIOR I'm going to spend a day with the three of you and your loved ones and each of you are going to show me why you deserve to inherit my company. Show me the kind of person that you've become. I don't want to die knowing that I raised three monsters that will tear everything apart that I've worked so hard to build. BILL This is absurd. (Bill turns to Jonathon) Is he serious? SENIOR Yes, I am. Senior stands up, putting all of his weight on his cane. His arm shakes as he struggles to stand. SENIOR (CONT'D) Get some rest, everyone. Be up by six. I don't like to sleep in. Time is money and we're wasting both. Senior hobbles away, leaving the rest of the family to sit in stunned silence. ANDY So we're all in agreement that I'm the best choice, right? I could cut you guys in as partners, eighty, ten, ten? Shoshanna looks like she's either going to throw up or cry. Elliot is still rubbing the surface of the table. ELLIOT Ivory. I never would have thought it was ivory. Marble, maybe. An awkward beat. ALEX Grandpa's kind of weird. Bill smiles at his son awkwardly. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT A lavish bedroom with rich, mahogany furniture. Expensive oil paintings adorn the walls. Bill and Allison are unpacking a suitcase. Sadie and Alex are both on the bed. Sadie is texting someone on her phone and Alex is playing a video game. BILL I don't like this, he's up to something. ALLISON He's just trying to do what he thinks is right for his company. He's right, you know. The three of you would tear it to shreds. BILL You're... defending him? Seriously? (Bill scoffs) Why would he want us to run it, anyway? He hasn't spoken to any of us in fifteen years. I'm sure he has people that he'd trust over us. ALLISON I'm not defending him, it's just... look. I know I pressured you into coming here, but if you're not comfortable with it, we can go home. You saw your father, you heard what he had to say... if you want to leave, I'm behind you, one hundred percent. BILL So now that I've come all this way, I should just give up and let those idiots get all the money? ALLISON Don't call them idiots in front of the... (sotto) K-I-D-S... (Allison motions to the kids) SADIE Seriously, mom? We're not dogs, we can spell. ALLISON Sorry. Bill, we're not cut out to be millionaires. We don't know the first thing about running a huge company like this. We're just not those kind of people. I'm sorry. BILL I think I owe it to myself to try. You said it yourself, the kids are going to be off to college before you know it, how are we going to pay for it? ALLISON We'll find a way, we always do. BILL I'm tired of always trying to find a way. THIS is a way. Right here. I'm going to give it a shot. It's not going to be easy, but I'll try my hardest to win over that miserable old b*****d. ALEX When we're rich, can we get a house like this? Our house sucks, I don't think I'll be able to live there anymore after this. SADIE Thank God for that, maybe Grandpa will adopt you, you little freak. ALEX Mom, Sadie's sexting with her boyfriend again. SADIE I am not! That's so gross! You're such an a*****e. Alex grins as he continues playing his video game, never taking his eyes off the screen. ALLISON Alex, cut it out. (to Sadie) You're not... are you? SADIE Oh my God, Mom! ALLISON Well, I don't know! Kids these days are disgusting. I heard a story on the news the other day. There was this boy who sent pictures of his little penis to all the girls at school. You'd tell me if anything like that was happening, right? Alex bursts out laughing. SADIE I'm literally going to slit my wrists if you don't stop talking. BILL No one's slitting anything. We have a big day tomorrow, I need you all on your best behavior. No more talking about little penises. We need to show Grandpa what a good, wholesome, morally-driven family we are so that I can take all of his money when he's dead. ALEX Can we talk about big penises? A pillow gets thrown at Alex from OFF SCREEN. It knocks him off the bed. INT. BILL'S VAN - DAY Bill's family is back on the road. One thing is noticeably different this time - Senior is uncomfortably wedged between Alex and Sadie in the back seat. BILL All right, Dad, where are we going? SENIOR Somewhere your mother and I took you kids when you were younger than these two. BILL Please, we never did anything as a family. SENIOR (Senior scoffs) How quickly you forget. You were in love with this place. Fishing, camp fires... hell, you even used to skinny dip in the lake. Your mother would take you in and you'd just thrash around. Senior lets out a few sickly coughs. SADIE We're going CAMPING? Are you serious? SENIOR What's wrong with that? Reconnecting with nature, telling stories around the campfire. You kids today with your smart phones and your... GPS. You don't know what real life is anymore! BILL Dad, we're not big on camping. Any of us. You couldn't have told us this before we left? SENIOR Don't you start, too. Your mother would turn in her grave if she heard you say that. Senior turns to Alex, who has his face buried in a video game. SENIOR (CONT'D) What about you? What the hell is that thing? Alex pauses his game and looks up. ALEX It's a video game, Grandpa. Don't worry about it, your generation wouldn't understand. I'm looking forward to this camping trip, though. I spend a lot of time outdoors myself. You have to when you're the owner of Gennaro Lemonades and Fine Drinks. A smile creeps onto Senior's face. SENIOR You don't say. (to Bill) My grandson is an entrepreneur? At least one of my descendents has some hope for himself. Maybe I should give the company to you. Bill frowns and bites his lip. SENIOR (CONT'D) I think that's fantastic, young man. There's nothing more important than building equity at a young age. Time is money. BILL Dad, don't fill his head with that garbage. SENIOR Perk up your ears, Nancy. You could learn a thing or two. Bill closes his eyes as though he's trying not to explode. SENIOR (CONT'D) Does this thing run on corn starch or can you take it faster than 20 miles an hour? EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Bill's van cruises down the highway. Behind it is a large SUV, following closely. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS Elliot is in the passenger seat and Shoshanna has the wheel. Andy is sitting in the back. SHOSHANNA This is bullshit, we should have Dad with us. They're getting valuable suck-up time right now. I bet Bill has his head so far up Dad's a*s, he's snacking on last night's dinner. He's such a prick. ELLIOT He won the coin toss, sweetheart. Plus, I have to tell you, he seems like a lovely man. Just lovely. SHOSHANNA Shut up, Elliot. Elliot smiles to himself. ANDY You let her talk to you like that? ELLIOT Oh, she doesn't mean it. Sure, we have our little skiffs but we're never worse for wear. Relationships are all about the give and take, Andrew. ANDY If you say so. ELLIOT What about you, don't you have a special someone in your life? ANDY My business is my life. She provides all the love I need. SHOSHANNA Please. You sound just like that old mummy. The only difference is, he made something of his life. You're making upside down jackets for morons. ANDY Yeah, well, who do you think Dad's more likely to give his company to? A black widow like you? A neutered family man like Bill? When it comes right down to it, he's gonna see that I'm the only one that bothered following in his footsteps. ELLIOT Oh, I think you want to take a left up here, looks like Bill's signaling. Bill's van is just ahead of Elliot's SUV. The left signal is blinking. SHOSHANNA Didn't I tell you to be quiet? ANDY Give and take, huh? Elliot smiles awkwardly and shrugs, trying hard to maintain his jovial attitude. EXT. CAMPSITE ENTRANCE - DAY An archway fashioned from an oak tree reads "Muscowequen Lake Campsite" in large carved letters. The two vehicles pass beneath the sign and continue on down the dirt road beyond. EXT. CAMPSITE - MOMENTS LATER The vehicles pull up to the campgrounds. Bill and his family start to pile out of their vehicle, while Elliot, Shoshanna and Andy exit theirs. Jonathon approaches the vehicles from across the campgrounds. JONATHON Gennaro family. Welcome! BILL What are you doing here? JONATHON Your father insisted I come to oversee this little experiment of his. Senior is struggling to get out of the van. He extends his cane out awkwardly to the grass to attempt to gain some leverage. Shoshanna sees the old man and rushes over. SHOSHANNA Daddy, stay where you are, let me help! BILL Oh, Lord. Bill shakes his head. Shoshanna gently helps him out of the vehicle. SHOSHANNA There you go. Look at you, so independent! BILL You think he's gonna be OK, there Shan? You wanna give him a piggyback ride while you're at it? Shoshanna shoots him a nasty look. SENIOR Thank, you, sweetheart. Senior takes in the scenery. Rows of pines surround the campsite. A large circle of rocks lie directly in the middle, surrounding piles of wood for a fire. SENIOR (CONT'D) I remember the last time I was here with you kids. I had just made my first million and we came here to celebrate. Shoshanna, you were still in diapers at the time. And Bill. I remember trying to teach you how to start a fire. You gave up after five minutes. Kept complaining to your mother that your fingers hurt. BILL I was four years old, Dad. SENIOR That was your excuse then, too. Bill turns to his wife and makes a fist. Allison closes her eyes nods her head, compassionately. SENIOR (CONT'D) Well, let's not stand around like a bunch of idiots. You kids start pitching the tents. I want them up within the hour. Consider it your first test. I want to see some initiative. Jonathon has everything you need in his truck. Andy sprints past Jonathon to the trunk of his car and starts frantically pulling out poles to assemble a tent. Bill shakes his head. BILL Dad, this is ridiculous. You're going to hand over a multi-million dollar company to whoever can put together a goddamn tent the quickest? SENIOR Go ahead, keep standing around with your hands down your pants. See how fast the tent builds itself. Alex laughs. ALEX Nice one, Grandpa. Senior winks at him. Bill reluctantly heads to Jonathon's trunk. As he walks by Jonathon he sneers at him. BILL I hope you're enjoying this. Jonathon smiles. JONATHON There's nowhere I'd rather be. Bill mutters to himself as he begins to pull poles and tent fabric out of the trunk onto the ground below. EXT. CAMPSITE - MOMENTS LATER Bill is standing in front of a massive pile of plastic poles and fabric, looking confused. ALEX What do we do first? BILL Well, Son, first we put together the support rods. SADIE Which ones are those? Bill surveys the pile in front him. BILL I have no goddamn idea. Andy is frantically assembling his tent. He's moving so fast that he's dropping the support rods that he's trying to assemble. He pauses and pulls his phone out of his pocket. CLOSE ON PHONE Andy presses play on the YouTube video he has cued up. TENT EXPERT And now, we pull the support beams through the fabric until they extend out the other end about halfway. BACK TO SCENE ANDY Right. Andy begins doing as the video suggests. He's clearly in it to win it. Shoshanna and Elliot are trying to work together to finish the task at hand. SHOSHANNA Hand me that pole. ELLIOT Which one? SHOSHANNA The one by your feet. Elliot bends over and picks up a long white pole. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) That's a support beam, you idiot! I said the pole, the one you just put together! ELLIOT Oh goodness, you know, this is actually quite a bit more difficult than it looks, I have to say. Bill seems to be getting the hang of it, perhaps we should see what his secret is? Bill has one of the poles secured in the ground at both ends. It's bent in the middle and quivering against its own tension. ALLISON OK, now let it go, honey. BILL Are you sure? It doesn't feel right. ALEX Come on Dad, we're not gonna win this thing unless you hurry up. Bill lets go and one end of the pole comes out of the ground and smacks him in the face. He flies backward onto the ground. Senior, who is watching the action from a lawn chair, chuckles to himself and shakes his head in disappointment. Jonathon, who is seated next to Senior, looks understandably concerned for Bill. Bill's face is bleeding. He wipes the blood away. ALEX (CONT'D) I don't think it was secure. Bill smiles a bloody, sarcastic smile and spits blood on the ground next to him. BILL No, son. No, it wasn't. EXT. CAMPSITE - DAY The rain is coming down hard. Bill and his family are huddled under their completed tent, which is about half as big as it's supposed to be, and bending awkwardly in the middle. Rain is dripping onto the top of Bill's head and running down his face as he stares glumly into the evening. With one hand, he slowly wipes away the water and shifts over an inch in the tent to avoid the stream. Elliot and Shoshanna are gathered under their tent as well. It's definitely sturdier than Bill's, but by no means is it a masterpiece. Several support beams seem to be bending awkwardly, and there's a few holes in the fabric. Elliot playfully extends his hand out into the rain and splashes Shoshanna. She takes her purse and clocks him in the face. Andy is sitting proudly under his tent, which is perfectly constructed. He's smiling ear to ear. His father is sitting beside him. Bill continues staring out coldly. Senior stares back, his eyes locked on Bill's. CLOSE ON BILL'S FACE DISSOLVE TO: FLASHBACK - EXT. - GRAVEYARD - DAY SUPER: "THIRTY YEARS AGO" Dozens of mourners are gathered around a large gravestone. A REVEREND, a tall man in his sixties, stands at the front of the pack. REVEREND And so we lay Annabelle Gennaro to rest, under God's green earth, where she may find peace in the afterlife. Senior (40s) and his three children are standing at the front of the group. Senior has a stern and harsh look to him as he listens to the words being said about his late wife. Bill (16), is staring at the ground. A tear forms in the corner of his eye and he quickly wipes it away. Senior steps forward. He bends down, picks up some dirt and tosses it onto the coffin. He walks back beside his children and puts a hand on Bill's shoulder, urging him forward. Bill inches forward and repeats the gesture. The DIRT SMACKS loudly against the coffin. INT. FUNERAL HOME - LATER The same group of people are now standing around inside the funeral home, chatting in hushed tones with one another. Bill is staring at a framed picture of his mother and father on their wedding day. They couldn't have looked any happier. Senior approaches Bill. He hesitantly lays a hand on his son's shoulder. Bill fidgets and removes himself from the embrace. SENIOR How are you, William? Bill stares forward at the picture in front of him, trying hard to ignore his father. A BUZZING noise can be heard. Senior reaches to his hip and pulls a beeper into view. SENIOR (CONT'D) I have to take this. Senior stares at his son for a moment before walking away. Bill turns and watches as his father leaves him. INT. FUNERAL HOME - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER Bill peers around the corner into the hallway of the funeral home. Senior is on a pay phone, engaged in a very animated conversation. SENIOR Well, tell them to reconsider. That contract goes to us, you hear me? I won't have it any other way. (beat; Senior checks his watch) Fine. Give me half an hour and I'll be there. Senior hangs up the phone and heads toward the main room. He runs into Bill at the doorway. BILL What are you doing? SENIOR I need to leave for a short time. Take care of your brother and sister. I'll be back soon. BILL Where are you going? SENIOR It's business, William. Time is money. BILL Even today? Senior shakes his head and lets out a deep sigh. SENIOR I wouldn't expect you to understand. Senior turns and walks away. Bill stares after him looking more sad than angry. EXT. FUNERAL HOME - NIGHT Bill, Shoshanna and Andy are sitting on the curb outside of the funeral home. The FUNERAL HOME MANAGER is locking the front door. He finishes up and walks past the kids. FUNERAL HOME MANAGER You kids have a ride home? Bill nods. BILL He said he'd be back... The manager lets out a sigh and smiles. FUNERAL HOME MANAGER Well, I can't very well leave you here, can I? Come on, I'll give you a lift. INT. BILL'S CHILDHOOD HOME - NIGHT Bill is sitting in a chair, holding the program leaflet for his mother's funeral. He flips through it, over and over again, seemingly lost in a daze. Suddenly, the front door opens and Senior walks through. SENIOR Good, you made it home. I'm sorry I'm late. BILL Sure. SENIOR Your sister and brother in bed? Bill nods. A beat. SENIOR (CONT'D) Thank you. Your mother would be proud. An awkward silence between the two. Senior begins to walk away. BILL Do you love us? The question takes Senior by surprise, as he stops suddenly in his tracks. SENIOR What kind of question is that? BILL I don't know. I hardly know you. SENIOR William, I... Senior seems to be at a loss for words. Suddenly, his BEEPER BUZZES again. Senior glances at it. SENIOR (CONT'D) I need to take this. Another awkward silence. Bill stares at the floor. BILL I need a ride tomorrow after school. SENIOR What for? BILL The university. I could get in a year early because of my grades. Mom was helping me study. SENIOR I'm flying out to Memphis tomorrow. Big meeting with prospective clients, very important. I'm sure you understand. BILL What about me? SENIOR You can call a cab, can't you? Bill closes his eyes and fights back tears. He suddenly stands up and grabs his jacket. He shoves his father aside and flings open the front door. SENIOR (CONT'D) Where in God's name are you going? BILL What the hell do you care? SENIOR Because I'm your father, that's why! BILL You think you're my father? You're not my father. You're a stranger. This is the most we've talked to each other in years. You don't give a s**t about any of us, you never have! Senior's beeper goes off again and he glances at it. Bill grabs it, smashes it on the ground and storms out the front door. SENIOR As long as you live under my roof you'll tell me where you're going! Bill slams the door shut. SENIOR (CONT'D) Fine, get the hell out of here then! Who needs you! Ungrateful little... Senior huffs. He turns to walk away but glances back at the door. He swings it open again. SENIOR (CONT'D) William, get back here this instant! EXT. BILL'S CHILDHOOD HOME - CONTINUOUS Bill walks quickly away from the house. He zips his jacket up tight, his breathe visible in the cold autumn air. END FLASHBACK. EXT. CAMPSITE - NIGHT Bill's sad eyes are staring forward, lost in thought, as the rain hammers down around the tent. Suddenly, the rain slows down and then stops altogether. Bill looks up into the sky. Senior exits Andy's tent. He coughs incessantly as he hobbles toward the middle of the campsite. He stops and looks from one person to the next. SENIOR I'm cold. Would one of you build me a fire, please? BILL Dad, for God's sake, did you not notice that everything's soaking wet? SENIOR Running a company is all about improvising. That's something you need to learn. I'm sure you'll find a way. EXT. CAMPSITE - NIGHT A massive fire roars to life in the middle of the campsite. A tire is on fire in the middle of the fire pit. Thick, black, acrid smoke is filling the air. The Gennaro family is gathered around it, down wind of the flames, warming their hands. Sadie starts coughing as the wind blows smoke into her face. ALLISON Don't breathe in the fumes, honey. (beat) Bill, couldn't you just go down to the bait shop and buy some dry firewood? BILL He wanted me to improvise. Don't blame me. Senior overhears the conversation and leans over. SENIOR I'm not gonna say it was a good idea, but it'll do. You've made worse mistakes. BILL What's that supposed to mean? SENIOR You know what it means. At least you've made it this far today without running away. BILL Is there something you want to talk about, Dad? SENIOR You were only sixteen, for Christ sake. And right after your mother passed. Your poor brother and sister had to cope without you. BILL Oh, poor them. I couldn't live in that house one minute longer with you people. (beat) And you. All you cared about was your goddamn business. When people in school asked me what my Dad was like, I had to lie and pretend that I even knew you. SENIOR I'm sorry that you feel that way. SHOSHANNA Daddy, don't listen to him. You did the best you could. BILL Shut up, Shan, I know you feel the same way. I'm not the only one here that hasn't spoken to him in fifteen years. Shoshanna looks taken aback by the accusation, but she can't come up with a retort. BILL (CONT'D) You know what? I've had enough of this s**t for one day, I'm turning in. Bill gets up and trudges back to his tent. He turns around and whistles. Allison, Sadie and Alex glance at one another before standing up and following him. INT. BILL'S TENT - MOMENTS LATER Bill angrily storms into his tent, sloshing water around as he does so. Enraged, he takes a bucket and hurriedly begins scooping up the puddles of water that have collected on the ground inside the tent. Just as he's about to throw another load, Allison and the kids walk in. SADIE DAD! Bill stops himself mid-throw and puts the bucket down. BILL Sorry. SADIE Dad, are you OK? BILL I'm fine, sweetheart. It's just been a very tough day for me. Your grandfather isn't an easy man to get along with. ALEX Why is he so mean to you? BILL It's the way he is, son. He's very set in his ways. It's the way he's always been. ALEX I'm glad you're not like that. Bill allows himself a rare smile. BILL Thank you, son. That means a lot. I always want to be there for you kids. Family first. That's the way it will always be around here, I promise you. In fact, I have something to tell you. I was going to wait, but... SADIE What is it? Bill pretends to ponder whether to tell them. ALEX She's not pregnant, is she? BILL Your mother? No. God, no. Allison looks surprised by Bill's jubilation. BILL (CONT'D) (to Allison) Sorry. (beat; Bill turns to his kids) Anyway... I feel like we've been growing apart a bit lately. Alex, with your business ventures. Sadie, with your friends. And Allison, between work and the kids we haven't had much time to.. "connect"... lately. Bill blushes. SADIE Gross. BILL What I'm trying to say is that I want us to go on a vacation together. A really nice vacation, not just some trip to the water park. Somewhere like... Hawaii. Bill patiently waits for a jubilant reaction, but everyone appears more puzzled than euphoric. ALLISON Bill, we never discussed this. How can we afford-- BILL Don't worry, I've got it all figured out. I took a trip to the bank on Friday and worked out the details. We need to spend more time together, I don't want this family to end up like mine did growing up. Bill looks from one person to the next for approval. They all stare back with a confused glare. ALEX Is Hawaii the one with the hula girls that wear the coconut bras? BILL You're goddamn right it is. A long beat. ALEX Sounds awesome, Dad! Bill smiles wide as he embraces his son. He waves Sadie and Allison over and they join in the embrace. BILL I love you guys. Now, let's go ask Uncle Andy if we can go sleep under his tent tonight, what do you say? The family stands up and leaves the tent mere moments before the entire structure collapses from the weight of the water. EXT. CAMPSITE - DAY The sun rises on the campsite. The burning tire is still sending up a thin trail of smoke from the middle of the grounds. EXT. CAMPSITE - CONTINUOUS The family is huddled around the fire, cooking sausages. Andy pulls his in and takes a bite. A wind blows, causing the fire to sway. Andy shudders. He zips up his jacket, top to bottom. Senior, who is sitting to Andy's left, takes notice. SENIOR Please tell me that's not your idea. ANDY You have a problem with the jacket? SENIOR I have a problem with stupid ideas. That's one of the most idiotic things I've ever seen, so therefore, yes, I have a problem with it! Senior begins coughing incessantly. ANDY Thanks, Dad. Thanks. You never showed any interest before in anything I've done, so why should you start now? SENIOR To save you from yourself. If you want my advice you'll scrap that idea before you make a damn fool of yourself. If you want to run my company, you won't be gallivanting around in a getup like that. ANDY This is a good goddamn idea, Dad! I did market research, people want this! SENIOR People, what people? Hipster idiots that probably can't afford a jacket in the first place? Andy stares down his father with slit eyes. ANDY You're a sad, twisted old man. Senior doesn't react. He simply takes his sausage out of the fire, cuts it up and begins eating it slowly. Andy plays with the zipper, zipping it up and down several times. He rips the jacket off and throws it on the fire. It ignites in a giant ball of fire. Bill shakes his head in frustration, after having overhead the entire conversation. BILL Nice, Dad. Real nice work. What's the plan today? I'd like to be heading home soon if you don't mind. SENIOR Nobody's holding a gun to your head. Go if you wanna go. As for the rest of my family and I, we'll be out on the lake today. Beautiful boating weather, I bet the trout are biting. BILL We're not getting on your goddamn boat, Dad. For the love of God, we've been out here long enough! Senior stares back with narrow, harsh eyes. BILL (CONT'D) I'm not getting on the boat, you can forget it. Enough is enough. Bill exhales loudly and shakes his head. EXT. LAKE - DAY A large fishing boat is bobbing back and forth in a large body of water. EXT. BOAT - CONTINUOUS Bill is holding a fishing rod and angrily staring out at the lake. Everyone looks miserable, except for Elliot, who has his eyes closed with a huge smile on his face. ELLIOT I haven't been this relaxed in years. You smell that? (Elliot inhales) Nature is so beautiful. Shoshanna wrinkles her nose. SHOSHANNA Smells like my gynecologist's office. Shoshanna glances to her left to find her father sitting alone with Jonathon, looking out at the lake, fishing rod in hand. Shoshanna slides over next to him. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Daddy, this has been such a lovely time. I'm so glad you asked us to come down. SENIOR Thank you sweetheart. I'm glad you came. Senior begins coughing. Jonathon hands him a handkerchief. Senior takes it and wipes his mouth with it. Shoshanna's face begins to contort awkwardly. She slowly begins to break down into tears, making exaggerated whimpering noises to go along with them. SHOSHANNA I'm sorry I was such a bad daughter. You deserved so much better. Senior grimaces and reluctantly puts a hand on her shoulder. Shoshanna takes the hint and wraps him in a hug. Her sobbing is only getting louder now. SENIOR You're a wonderful daughter. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. SHOSHANNA No, I'm terrible. When was the last time I called you? I can't even remember. SENIOR June twelfth, three years ago. The day after you got married. Shoshanna looks taken aback that he could recall it that quickly. Her crocodile tears quickly dry up. She releases her father from her hug and looks him in the eye. SHOSHANNA That's right. We talked that day, didn't we? SENIOR You told me all about the wedding and what a great time you had. Truth be told, though, I don't think you wanted to talk to me. Shoshanna breaks her gaze from her father's eyes and stares at the floor of the boat. SHOSHANNA You're right. Elliot made me call you. I didn't want to. Senior lets loose with a rare, reserved smirk. SENIOR He's a good man. I'm proud of you. Shoshanna looks her father in the eye and smiles, an actual genuine smile. Andy is watching the conversation from across the deck with a scowl that could curdle milk. He taps Bill, who is sitting next to him, on the shoulder. Bill swings around. BILL What? ANDY Get a load of this performance. And the Oscar goes to... A beat. ANDY (CONT'D) I... (beat) I have something I wanna run by you. BILL What is it? ANDY How are you making out with him? (Andy motions toward his father) Seems to me like you're not exactly making any headway. Bill shakes his head. BILL Not at all, this whole thing is pointless. He doesn't even want to try to make amends. I'll tell you right now, there's no way he's giving me the company. ANDY Well, you're not alone. You heard him before, he thinks I'm a hack. He'll never hand the company over to me either. BILL Well, he has to give it to one of us. Seems to me we all have an equally s****y chance. ANDY Do we? Andy turns back to look at Shoshanna, who is now smiling brightly with one hand on her father's shoulder and the other grasping his gnarled old hand. BILL What are you getting at? ANDY Nothing. I just thought that maybe... she could use some convincing. BILL What the hell are you talking about? ANDY Maybe we could strike a deal with her. Come on, she's clearly his favorite. Just look at them. There's no way you or I are getting that money. But her... BILL What the hell do you think we could possibly say to her, Andy? You think she's just going to give us our share of the inheritance? Are you delusional? Look at that goldmine husband of hers over there, that lanky, googly-eyed idiot. She married that thing just for a piece of his pie. You think she won't take the entire fortune and run with it? Come on, man. Get real. ANDY So maybe we don't let her! BILL Let her? What do you suggest we do, threaten her? Tell her to give us the money or... what, exactly? ANDY Just think about it. Let's leave it at that. Bill shakes his head. BILL There's nothing to think about. Shoshanna hugs her father and walks away. She winks at Bill and Andy as she goes. To Senior's left, Alex gracefully casts his fishing line out into the lake. Senior takes notice. SENIOR Looks like you're getting the hang of it. ALEX It's not that hard. SENIOR You look like a natural. Your father ever take you camping? ALEX No, we don't really go on vacations. This summer we're going to Hawaii, though! SENIOR Is that so? Alex nods his head proudly. SENIOR (CONT'D) Tell me again about that business of yours. ALEX It's a company I founded a few years ago. Gennaro Lemonades and Fine Drinks. It's not really much right now, but I have a few locations around town. SENIOR Did your dad help you start that? ALEX No, I did it on my own. Alex smiles proudly. SENIOR Is that so? My goodness. You're a natural businessman, just like your grandfather. Who would have guessed? ALEX I'm a bit nervous, though. I left my friend Jeremy in charge. I just don't know if I can trust him. Nice guy, but he doesn't know his a*s from an ROI. SENIOR Well, you need people around you that you can trust, that's important in business. Who are you going to leave in charge when you're in Hawaii? If you choose the wrong person, you could come back to a complete disaster. ALEX I don't know, I hadn't thought of it... SENIOR A man's business is the most important thing he has in life, don't forget that, son. If you can't take care of those you love, what are you good for? Don't let anyone compromise it for you. ALEX I won't. Thanks, Grandpa. SENIOR You're very welcome. Just remember that time is money, and you never want to waste either of them. Senior bends over and picks up Alex's fishing rod. SENIOR (CONT'D) But for now, why not see if you can catch another one? ALEX Sure. You know, I don't know why Dad doesn't like you. You seem OK to me. Senior's smile slowly fades from his wrinkled old face. SENIOR Well, grown ups are complicated like that. Don't worry yourself about it. Just enjoy the day. Senior hands Alex the fishing rod. Alex casts his line out into the lake. Senior stares out into the horizon and coughs. EXT. BOAT - LATER The sun is beginning to set on the fishing boat. Bill and his family are huddled around with fishing poles in hand. BILL You know, it really is relaxing out here. ALLISON You're right. The sun just doesn't look the same back home. BILL I'm really looking forward to getting away from it all. I think we should go away for a full two weeks. Maybe three! Really take the time to explore the islands and relax. Alex glances sidelong at his dad with a concerned look on his face. BILL (CONT'D) You kids should make a list of all the things you want to do while we're down there. I've always wanted to try snorkeling, myself. Alex, I know you'd love it too. Down there, under the water, it's just you and the fish. ALEX Dad? BILL Yes, son? ALEX I'm not so sure anymore. BILL Sure about what? What are you talking about? ALEX About the trip. I mean, this summer is just so busy, I have so much going on. I planned on opening up at least three new stands, and I hardly have the man power as it stands to keep the ones I have afloat. BILL So you get some of your friends to help out. What's the worst that can happen? ALEX I don't trust any of them. My business is important to me, Dad, I don't think you understand that. Bill is starting to get visibly upset. BILL You're coming on the trip with us, end of story. Alex pouts. ALEX That's not fair. Bill throws down his FISHING ROD in anger. It CLATTERS against the deck of the boat. BILL You know, I can't believe this. This is supposed to be something positive, something that we can share together as a family and you'd rather work? You're eight years old for god's sake, act like it. ALEX It doesn't matter how old I am, it's something I enjoy. Time is money, Dad, and I'm wasting both. Bill freezes, his eyes go wide. BILL What did you just say? ALEX What? BILL Where did you hear that? ALEX Nowhere. Nothing. Don't worry about it. Bill glares at his father, who is asleep at the other side of the boat. Bill stands up abruptly and lurches forward. He accidentally knocks his son's fishing rod into the lake. ALLISON Bill! Bill marches over to his father. He shoves him angrily, violently waking up the old man, who has just finished drooling all over himself. SENIOR What in God's name is-- BILL You miserable old son of a b***h! Stay away from my family, do you hear me? I knew that coming here was a mistake. SENIOR What the hell are you talking about, William? BILL You told my son... MY SON... that he shouldn't go on vacation with his family? That work is more important than family? Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to get it into his head that that's the OPPOSITE of how he should be thinking? Senior smirks at Bill. BILL (CONT'D) Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself? SENIOR I wouldn't expect someone like yourself to understand. BILL Someone like myself? SENIOR You're a family man, Bill, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to being successful. BILL And that's your problem. You equate success in life to success in business. That's so sad, Dad. I really do feel sorry for you. ALEX Dad, chill out. Grandpa didn't mean to make a big deal out of it. BILL Stay out of this, Alex! If you know what's good for you, you'll stop talking right now. SENIOR Nice way to talk to your son. For a man that's all about family, you're really doing a wonderful job here today. Bill winds up for a punch, but a hand ENTERS FRAME and holds it back. PULLING BACK, we see that Andy is holding Bill's arm in place. Elliot approaches and holds his other arm back. BILL You're crazy, you piece of s**t! I don't want your money, I don't want a single goddamn dime. Do you hear me? This is just like Mom's funeral. You have zero compassion for anyone but yourself! Bill attempts to walk away but Elliot and Andy hold him in place. BILL (CONT'D) All right, you idiots, let me go. Elliot and Andy release their grip. ALLISON That was real, mature, Bill. How can you speak like that to your own father, especially in front of our children? BILL I'm done with this. Let's get the hell out of here. EXT. BOAT - CONTINUOUS The boat drifts slowly down the river with the setting sun in the distance. EXT. CAMPSITE - NIGHT The sun is now beyond the horizon and the campsite is shrouded in fog. Bill's tent is busy with the hustle and bustle of activity. INT. BILL'S TENT - CONTINUOUS Bill is feverishly packing his family's belongings up into a large knapsack. ALLISON Bill, why don't we just wait until morning, I don't think we should be driving at night, plus the fog -- BILL NO! We're leaving right now. Pack your things. Get the kids ready. Bill hoists the knapsack onto his back and heads for his van. He passes by Shoshanna on his way there. SHOSHANNA Couldn't hack it, huh? I'll drop you a line soon and let you know what it's like to be filthy rich. Bill shoots her a glare that could cut a diamond. He continues on to his van, opens the trunk and throws the knapsack inside. Suddenly, Bill's PHONE RINGS. He answers it. BILL (angrily) What? INT. BANK - CONTINUOUS ARTHUR Oh. I'm sorry, Mr. Gennaro. Did I catch you at a bad time? INTERCUT telephone conversation. BILL Who is this? ARTHUR Arthur Thompson from West Mutual. We spoke several days ago about... umm... hold on. Arthur ruffles through some documents looking for the correct one. BILL My loan? ARTHUR That sounds right. Yes. BILL Is there a problem? Arthur reviews the document sitting in front of him carefully before speaking. ARTHUR Well, after reviewing your credit score, current outstanding loans, family income -- BILL Don't you dare... not today. ARTHUR I'm sorry, sir. There's just nothing we can do for you at this time. Bill takes a moment to process this information as he tries to remain calm. ARTHUR (CONT'D) Mr. Gennaro? Are you still there? BILL Look, I don't need much. Five thousand. (beat; Arthur doesn't respond) Three thousand. I can make it work with three. We don't have to go to Hawaii, we can make it work with less. Arthur scratches his head. ARTHUR Look, Mr. Gennaro. I like you. You seem like a good, hard working guy. Here's what I can do for you. (beat; Bill begins to look excited) If you open up a new checking account with us... (Arthur sighs) I'm really not supposed to do this but hey, I'm the Manager, I can do what I want, right? If you open a new checking account in the next week, I can offer you a free, brand new Mp3 player. Bill's smile immediately fades. BILL What? ARTHUR OK you caught me. The promotion ended last week, but what the hell. (sotto; Arthur's eyes light up like he's telling a dirty secret) Are you a Beyonce fan? You can put up to five thousand Beyonce Knowles songs on this baby. It's incredible. I snagged one for myself. It's good to be the boss. (Arthur giggles) Bill screams. He throws his phone down into the mud and stomps on it. Arthur looks down at his phone in confusion as the other end of the line is replaced with static. Beat. He shrugs. ARTHUR (CONT'D) (singing and moving his hips slowly) You decided to dip, but now you wanna trip 'cause another brother noticed me. I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips... A bank teller walks by and notices Arthur singing to himself. Arthur locks eyes with her, immediately stops what he's doing, puffs his chest out and glares at her. He continues the stare down as she walks away. EXT. CAMPSITE - CONTINUOUS One by one, each member of the extended Gennaro family stops what they are doing to look over at the crumbling waste of a man before them. Allison runs over to Bill's side. ALLISON What the hell is going on, Bill? Bill staggers back against the side of his van and slumps down into the mud. BILL My life is a joke. ALLISON What are you talking about? BILL That was the bank. No loan. No vacation. ALLISON Bill... (beat) That's fine. We couldn't afford it anyway, it's no big deal, we can just -- BILL It IS a big deal, Allison. Open your eyes, this family's been drifting apart for years. We need this! We deserve this! For God's sake, we both work like animals and what do we have to show for it?! Maybe my Dad was right all these years. Family is important, but at what cost? ALLISON What do we have to SHOW for it? How about a family that loves one another? Two beautiful children that, while they may not be perfect, they are to us. You've always said that nothing else matters. BILL Yeah, well maybe I lied. Maybe just once I'd like a little bit of success in my life, did you ever think about that, Allison? Of course not. Allison slaps Bill across the face. ALLISON How dare you. I've always supported you, no matter what. Bill rubs his sore face. ALLISON (CONT'D) Is this family not enough for you, anymore? If not, maybe you should just stay with these people a little longer. You're beginning to fit right in. Allison gets up and marches away. Alex and Sadie are looking on in confusion as she grabs each of them by the arm. ALLISON (CONT'D) We're going. Get in the van. SADIE What about Dad? Allison doesn't respond. She gets in the driver's seat and slams the door shut. Alex and Sadie reluctantly get in the van and close the sliding door. Bill is still slumped next to the van as it pulls away. He falls backward into the mud. Alex and Sadie stare out the back window of the van as it pulls away. Senior stares on from a distance, watching Bill's life unfold around him. He has a sad look about him, as though he sympathizes with his son, though he'd dare never say it. Bill stares up into the night sky, a manic look in his eyes. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - NIGHT Shoshanna is driving, Elliot is in the passenger seat, and Bill, Andy and their father are seated in the back. Everyone looks tired and defeated. ELLIOT William, I just wanted to say thank you for a such a wonderful little get together, we really should do this more often. I have a lovely little chalet in Aspen, maybe around Christmas we could do a ski trip? SENIOR Save your breath. I'll be dead by then. The smile fades from Elliot's overly enthusiastic face. ELLIOT I don't know that that's necessarily true. Modern medicine is full of surprises. I'm willing to bet that you'll be just fine. Right, honey? Shoshanna doesn't divert her gaze from the road in front of her. ELLIOT (CONT'D) You're tired. OK. It's been a long day, hasn't it? My goodness, we did so much in such a small amount of time, it's just amazing that -- BILL Elliot, shut the f**k up. Elliot nods silently to himself. Bill glances at Andy. He taps him lightly on the shoulder. ANDY What? BILL (sotto) I thought some more about what you said earlier. Andy looks confused. Bill motions to his sister. Andy nods in realization. BILL (CONT'D) (sotto) Let's do it. ANDY (sotto) Are you serious? Bill nods. ANDY (CONT'D) (way too loudly) Yes! OK! SENIOR What are you two blabbering about? ANDY Nothing. Go to sleep, Dad. SENIOR I'd love to, if you two would shut up. ANDY (sotto) We'll talk later. I'm very excited about this. BILL (sotto) That money's as good as ours. Shoshanna stares suspiciously at her brothers as they whisper back and forth. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS The van speeds down the lonely highway. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - NIGHT The five travellers enter the house one by one, each looking wearier than the last. Shoshanna helps Senior with his shoes and jacket as the other two glance back and forth at each other. SENIOR I suppose you three are in a big damn hurry to know what I've decided. The sooner you can drive off and never look back at this place, right? Bill and Andy exchange a frantic look. ANDY Actually, Dad... why don't you take the night to really think it over? This is a huge decision, after all. You don't want to make the wrong move here. This is your company we're talking about. Shoshanna looks confused. SHOSHANNA No, I want to hear the verdict now. Come on, Dad. What's the decision? Senior looks lost in thought for a moment. He coughs into a handkerchief. SENIOR Maybe you're right, Andrew. One more night to think things over. (Senior coughs; wipes his mouth with the handkerchief) Stay the night if you want. Or don't. Either way, I'll be in touch. Senior begins to slowly hobble away. Before he's out of sight, he stops in his tracks. Without turning around, he mutters something almost inaudible. SENIOR (CONT'D) Goodnight. The old man has a despondent look about him as hobbles away out of sight. SHOSHANNA Well, I'd say there's a better chance of a flying pig being struck by lightning than you two getting any money from that old buzzard. Come on, Elliot. Let's get the hell out of here. ELLIOT As you wish. Andrew, William, it has been an absolute pleasure. Elliot extends his hand. Bill and Andy nod back, shaking the man's outstretched hand. ELLIOT (CONT'D) Shan, baby, I just need to use the little boy's room. Go start the car for me? Elliot tosses her the keys and wanders off in search of the restroom. SHOSHANNA Well, until the funeral, I guess... Shoshanna nods at her two brothers, opens the front door and walks out of the house. ANDY All right, follow my lead. Andy produces a small bottle of chloroform from his pocket, along with a white handkerchief. BILL Where the hell did you get that? Are you always ready to knock women unconscious at the drop of a hat? Andy frowns. ANDY I found it on the boat. What kind of deviant do you think I am? Bill shrugs. ANDY (CONT'D) Come on. Let's get this over with. Andy and Bill head out the front door. EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Shoshanna is opening the driver's side door of Elliot's SUV as Bill and Andy approach. Andy holds the wet rag at his side as he slowly moves forward toward his sister. Shoshanna approaches the door and sees the hand coming at her in the reflection of the door. She swings around just in time to stop Andy from wrapping the rag around her nose. She leans away, confused. SHOSHANNA What the f**k is this? Shoshanna backs slowly away toward the house. She glances back and forth between her two brothers. Her gaze stops on the rag in Andy's hand. Suddenly, she makes a break for the front door of the house. ANDY Bill! Grab her! SHOSHANNA ELLIOT! HELP! INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - RESTROOM - CONTINUOUS Elliot is sitting on the toilet, flipping through a magazine. The faint cries of Shoshanna can be heard from outside. For a brief moment, Elliot looks concerned. After a moment, he shakes his head. ELLIOT Those kids... EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bill moves to block his sister's approach to the house. SHOSHANNA What are you doing, Bill? What is this? BILL Get in the car, Shan. ANDY Grab her, Bill! Bill looks reluctantly at his brother, who is closing in from behind. Shoshanna makes a break to the side. Andy lunges and catches her by the ankle. She falls to the ground, holding on tight until she manages to kick him in the face. Bill, seeing his last opportunity, grabs the cloth from Andy's pocket and lunges for his sister before she can get up. He covers her face with the cloth. She struggles for a moment before passing out. Bill looks over at his brother. Andy is holding his bloody nose in pain. ANDY (CONT'D) That b***h is strong. BILL Do you mind getting over here? Nice plan, by the way, now what the hell are we supposed to do? ANDY Pick her up, get her in the van. Bill does as he's told and drags her by the shoulders toward the van. BILL I can't believe I let you talk me into this. ANDY Yeah, well, what's done is done. Let's get the hell out of here. Andy helps Bill lift her onto the back seat of the van. They lie her down on her back and get into the front two seats, Andy behind the wheel. The van peels off down the road, tires squealing. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - RESTROOM - CONTINUOUS The squealing of tires can faintly be heard from outside. Elliot glances up with a look of concern on his face. He lifts himself off the toilet to peek out the window. The van speeds around the corner out of view. ELLIOT What the hell? Elliot quickly pulls his pants up and runs awkwardly out of the restroom. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - MOMENTS LATER Bill and Andy are on the road with their unconscious sister in the back seat. As Andy focuses on driving, Bill nervously looks back at his sister. BILL How long will she be...? ANDY I don't know. I've never chloroformed anyone before. BILL Well, what should we do if she wakes up? Andy tosses Bill the bottle of chloroform. ANDY Just give her another hit, I guess? BILL I don't feel right about any of this. How are we supposed to get her to cooperate? You think she's just going to agree to hand over Dad's company? ANDY Not at first. But she'll come around. Eventually. Andy smiles at his brother. ANDY (CONT'D) Don't worry. It'll work. Bill looks nervously back at his sister. ANDY (CONT'D) By the way, I'm sorry about your family. Bill glances at his brother. BILL It's nothing. Just a fight. Allison just needs the night to cool down. ANDY You know... I know we don't talk much anymore and I know that we're not as close as we used to be... if we ever were close, I don't know... but I just want to say that I... I envy you. BILL Are you serious? ANDY I wish I have what you have. I'm too much like Dad, though. He's IN me, that goddamn arrogant attitude of his. I obsess over success like it's some sort of drug. BILL You're not like him. ANDY Yes, I am. Well, a shitter version of him, anyway. I've tried to imitate him my whole life, but where has that led me? Dad made his first million by the time he was twenty-nine. You wanna know how much I'm worth now at my age? Bill shrugs. Andy makes a zero with his fingers. Bill looks taken aback. ANDY (CONT'D) Well, less than that, actually. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt. I really need a break. I just need enough capital to get my business off the ground and I know I'll be set. BILL The zipper thing? Andy nods. Bill rolls his eyes. BILL (CONT'D) Well, you'll get that chance soon. ANDY And who knows, once I'm a big success, everything else will probably just fall into place. Women like men with money, right? BILL You don't need money for that, Andy. ANDY For the sort of woman I'm looking for, you do. BILL When I met Allison, I barely had a nickel to my name. She didn't care. Hell, I still barely have a nickel to my name, but we make it work. ANDY I'm not like you, though. I don't have your... (Andy look at Bill; shrugs) ... well, I don't know what it is you have, but I just know that I don't have it. Shoshanna groans quietly from the back seat. BILL Oh, s**t. ANDY Give her another hit. Bill nods. He takes the bottle of chloroform and splashes some of it on a cloth. He then leans back and puts it on her nose. Shoshanna opens her eyes just in time to inhale the fumes. She immediately falls back asleep. BILL We're gonna give her brain damage or something. ANDY It would probably be an improvement. Don't worry, we're almost there. BILL Where are you taking her, anyway? ANDY Somewhere no one will come looking. EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - NIGHT Elliot's SUV, being driven by Andy, pulls up to the dilapidated building. All of the windows are broken and the front door is hanging off its hinge. The vehicle comes to a stop in front of the building. Bill and Andy both exit at the same time. Andy walks around to Bill's side and opens the back door. ANDY Help me out. You grab her legs. Bill leans inside the vehicle and shimmies his way toward his sleeping sister's legs. He grabs hold. ANDY (CONT'D) Ready? BILL Yeah. Shoshanna's body slides toward the door as Andy pulls her by the shoulders. INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER A dark, dank, mostly empty warehouse. Empty crates and shelving line the walls. Shoshanna is slumped up against a wall in the dark warehouse. A thick rope is tied around her waist and wrists. Her head is slumped forward at an awkward angle. Bill and Andy stand awkwardly in the middle of the room, staring forward at what they've done. BILL Does this seem wrong to you? Andy seems to weigh the question in his mind before answering. ANDY It probably should. BILL Well what do we do now? ANDY We wait. Right here. Until the old man calls her. She'll do the rest. BILL You're sure no one's going to show up? ANDY Look around. The place is deserted. BILL What the hell is this place? ANDY It's one of Dad's old manufacturing plants. He took me here a few times back in the day, before he moved operations. Place has been abandoned ever since. A SCRAPING noise is heard close by. Bill and Andy both turn their attention back to their sister. Shoshanna begins to slowly move her legs back and forth over the cold cement floor. Her eyes flit open and closed. She groans, a long, guttural noise. A noise that fits right in with the atmosphere of the place. SHOSHANNA What... where am I? Shoshanna glances around the room with slit eyes. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Bill? Andy? Bill and Andy share a nervous glance. Shoshanna looks down and realizes that she's tied up. She tries weakly to wiggle free with no success. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) What's going on? Why am I like this? She tries again to free herself, now with a little more force. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Help me! Get me out of this! Andy steps forward and kneels down in front of his sister. ANDY Later. Right now I think we better have a little talk. Shoshanna looks confused. She glances up at Bill and then back at Andy. INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER Bill and Andy are sitting on crates next to Shoshanna, who is slumped up next to the wall. ANDY So, when he calls, what are you going to do? Shoshanna is silent. She stares at the floor, not daring to move. ANDY (CONT'D) Shan. What are you going to do? She glances up with venom in her eyes. SHOSHANNA Have you both lost your f*****g minds? Bill, are you seriously going along with this? Mister dockers and loafers family man? How did he con you into this? ANDY Don't talk to him, talk to me. Tell me what you're going to do when he calls. Andy moves his jacket back from his hip, revealing a pistol at his side. BILL Jesus Christ. Andy! SHOSHANNA (genuinely frightened) Bill, get me the hell out of here, he's seriously lost it. Andy turns to Bill. ANDY (sotto) I'm not going to use it. Just go along with it. Bill shakes his head in disbelief. BILL Fine. Andy turns back to his sister. ANDY When he calls, you're going to tell him that you respectfully refuse his offer and that you think the money should go to me. SHOSHANNA Why you and not him? BILL Yeah, why you and not me? ANDY Because I'm clearly the more logical choice. I'm the one with proven experience, you're just some Milquetoast with a bad haircut. Why would he choose you? BILL Because I'm not a f*****g lunatic!? Bill touches his hair, wondering if the insult was grounded in reality. ANDY Look. Fifty-fifty. Just like I said. You have to trust me on this. SHOSHANNA Trust the a*****e with the gun that just tied up his sister? Sounds like a great plan. Shoshanna begins to struggle, trying to free herself. She pulls at the ropes, her arms straining under the pressure. She grunts and moans as the ropes pull tighter and tighter against her bare skin. ANDY That's not going to work. SHOSHANNA Let me the f**k out of here you f*****g lunatic! Let me out! Let me out! Let me -- Shoshanna suddenly shuts up, her attention diverted. Headlights flash into the warehouse as the sound of an ENGINE approaches. The sound is suddenly muted and the headlights die down. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) HELP! I'M IN HERE! HELP!!! BILL Was this part of your plan? ANDY Stay right here. Don't move. Andy moves toward the door of the warehouse. He removes his gun from the holster. SHOSHANNA HELP ME! HELP!! Andy moves toward the door. The sound of a CAR DOOR can be heard OPENING and quickly SLAMMING closed. The shuffling of feet. The warehouse door opens slowly in front of Andy as Elliot steps through. ELLIOT Shan? ANDY Don't move. Elliot turns to find Andy pointing a gun at him. ELLIOT Andy! There you are, I was wondering what was going on. You guys left without me, you silly goofs. Andy looks incredulous to the man's naivete. ANDY Are you f*****g with me right now? Elliot looks confused. ELLIOT (motioning to the gun) What's that for? Andy grabs hold of Elliot's collar and shoves him forward into the main room. SHOSHANNA ELLIOT! Oh, baby, I knew you'd come to save me. Get me out of here! BILL What the hell is he doing here? ELLIOT I borrowed one of your father's cars, I hope he doesn't mind. You don't think he'll mind, do you? Bill shakes his head in frustration. BILL I mean how did you find us? ELLIOT I uh... I installed... find-a friend on her phone. Shoshanna looks taken aback. SHOSHANNA You did what?! Why would you do that, Elliot? Are you keeping tabs on me? That's such an invasion of privacy! ELLIOT Sometimes you go out late at night and I don't know where you are. You don't call, you don't return my texts... I get worried that maybe you're... SHOSHANNA Maybe I'm what? ANDY He knows you better than he lets on. SHOSHANNA Shut up, you a*****e. ANDY What are you giving him a hard time for, anyway? He came here to help you, you dumb b***h. SHOSHANNA Elliot, just get me out of here. We'll discuss this breach of trust later. ELLIOT OK sweetums, let's go. Boys, it's been a swell weekend. My chalet, this winter, don't forget. There's a ski hill with your names on it! Andy has a firm grip on Elliot's jacket collar. ANDY Sit down. Over there. ELLIOT Uh huh. Sure. OK. Elliot quickly makes his way over to a wooden crate and takes a seat, his demeanor changing instantly to mild fright. ANDY Now we're all going to sit here and wait until the old man makes the call. ELLIOT That sounds good, Andrew. OK. Andy proceeds to tie Elliot's hands together with a heavy piece of rope. Elliot exhales loudly. ELLIOT (CONT'D) Sorry again about your phone, sweetheart. Shoshanna spits on him. ELLIOT (CONT'D) I deserved that. EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - NIGHT The moon rises above the warehouse, illuminating the area. INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS Shoshanna and Elliot are still in the same position. Bill and Andy are pacing back and forth in front of them. ELLIOT Andrew, I don't mean to be a pest, but you wouldn't have anything to eat around here, would you? ANDY Does this look like a Cracker Barrel to you? You can eat later, after this is done. And stop talking. ELLIOT Actually, you know what, I have a big of chips in my car from the trip in, do you think -- ANDY I said shut up! BILL Actually... I'm kind of hungry too. Andy rolls his eyes. ANDY Fine. Watch them. Andy quickly strides away. A DOOR SLAMS shut in the distance. Elliot looks around the room inquisitively to pass the time, seemingly oblivious to the danger he's in. Bill stares him down with a puzzled look on his face. Shoshanna glares at Bill with cold, dead eyes. Elliot locks eyes with Bill. They give each other a friendly nod, like two neighbors passing each other on the street. ELLIOT What's the square footage here, you think? BILL Uh... I don't know. Five thousand, maybe? Elliot whistles. ELLIOT Nice. BILL Yeah, you could do a lot worse. An awkward beat. Shoshanna shakes her head in frustration. A DOOR SLAMS open and closed. Andy approaches with a bag of Doritos. ELLIOT Oh, fantastic, you're a savior. Andy tosses them in his lap. ANDY Just promise me you'll stop talking. With his tied hands, Elliot struggles to open the bag. ELLIOT Would you mind? Sorry to be a pain. Andy sighs and walks over to Elliot, gun still in hand. He grabs the bag and attempts to open it with both hands, juggling the gun awkwardly in one hand. The bag won't open, despite his efforts. BILL You have to pull in one smooth motion. Use both hands. ANDY That's what I'm doing, goddamnit. Andy continues struggling with the bag. He moves the gun to his other hand to try to get leverage. SHOSHANNA You have to do it from the corner. See, the corner, it's perforated. ANDY There's no perforation! I know what perforation looks like, and that's not it! Plus, you're not supposed to be talking! BILL Andy, put the gun down and use both hands. ANDY I've got it, I've got it! With one last frantic pull, the bag tears opens and chips go flying, just as a loud BANG is heard. The room goes dead silent. Everyone turns around at the same time, just as Elliot slumps off his chair, a bullet hole square in the middle of his forehead. Shoshanna screams, a long blood-curdling wail. Andy looks down at the gun in confusion. He raises the broken chip bag and examines it as well, hoping it contains some clue to what just happened. SHOSHANNA WHAT DID YOU DO?! Andy shakes his head in disbelief. He glances at Bill. Bill is covering his face with his hands, his mouth open in shock. ANDY I didn't... I was just... Shoshanna slumps forward, a look of calm shock washed across her face. ANDY (CONT'D) Bill, I didn't mean to... Bill removes his hands from his face. He slowly and calmly walks over to Elliot's body. The CHIPS CRUNCH under his feet as he walks. He kneels down and grabs Elliot by the arms. BILL Grab his feet. Quickly. Andy nods. He kneels down, and grabs Elliot's feet, juggling the gun in one hand. BILL (CONT'D) WITHOUT THE GODDAMN GUN, ANDY! Andy nods and quickly holsters the gun. ANDY Good idea. Someone could get hurt. EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER Bill and Andy, each with a shovel in hand, are digging frantically at the ground outside of the warehouse. Elliot's body lies behind them, slumped awkwardly on the ground. BILL We need to call the cops, man. It was an accident, if we just explain that we were trying to -- ANDY We're not calling the cops. BILL Then what the hell are we going to do? You just killed a man, Andy. If you thought you had problems in your life before, just wait. ANDY I said we're not calling the cops. (beat; Andy stops shovelling) OK, that's enough. Andy plunges his shovel into the ground. ANDY (CONT'D) Help me with him. Andy and Bill both move over to grab Elliot. As Bill grabs him by the shoulders, Elliot's eyes flit open. ELLIOT (weakly) Remind me to thank your father... for a delightful weekend. Bill's eyes go wide. BILL Jesus Christ! Bill drops Elliot. His head smashes down against the ground. ANDY What?! What just happened? Andy drops his end too as Elliot's feet fly away from him. BILL He just talked! Andy glances over at Elliot, whose eyes are now closed again. ANDY The f**k are you talking about? He's dead! BILL Dead people don't talk! ANDY He's got a bullet hole in his forehead! He didn't talk! BILL You must have grazed a nerve or something. ANDY You mean that big brainy nerve between his ears? BILL I know what I heard! Andy kneels down and checks Elliot's pulse. ANDY Nothing. He's gone. Jesus, he probably WAS alive and then you dropped him on his head. BILL Don't blame me you a*****e, I'm not the one that shot him over a bag of Doritos! ANDY There was no goddamn perforation on that F*****G BAG! It was impossible to open! A beat. The two men stare awkwardly at the dead body. ANDY (CONT'D) F**k it. Andy grabs Elliot by the shoulders and drags him slowly to the hole that they just dug. He places his foot on the man's chest and with one powerful kick, sends him spiraling down into the hole. Andy grabs his shovel and begins covering up the body. EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - DAY The morning sun rises up over the warehouse. INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bill, Andy and Shoshanna are all staring forward into space in the dimly lit building. Bill and Andy are both covered head to toe in dirt. They all look fried and slightly horrified. Suddenly, Shoshanna's CELL PHONE RINGS. All three of them jump at the noise. Andy digs around in Shoshanna's purse and comes up with the cell phone. ANDY It's him. Bill looks nervous. He glances back and forth between his siblings. ANDY (CONT'D) (to Shoshanna) You've got one chance at this. If you f**k this up, you'll spend the rest of eternity in that hole with Elliot. I know you don't want that. I don't want that. Bill doesn't want that. Bill nods. ANDY (CONT'D) So, make it count. Shoshanna nods. Andy takes a pocket knife and cuts one of Shoshanna's bindings. Her hand comes loose, exposing the raw, red skin beneath. She rubs it feverishly on her leg to quell the itching. The cell phone continues ringing. ANDY (CONT'D) Answer it. Shoshanna scowls. She raises the phone to her ear, takes a deep breath, and answers the call. SHOSHANNA Hi, Daddy. (beat) I'm fine. (A long beat; Bill and Andy exchange nervous glances) I'm sorry, Daddy, but no. Bill and Andy smile at one another. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Everything should go to Andy. He's the only one that would know what to do with it. A brief moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a confused sound. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Yes, I'm serious. I'm sorry if I disappointed you, Daddy. I only want what's best... for the company. (beat) OK. I'll send them over. (beat) OK. I'll let them know. I love you too, Daddy. Bye. Shoshanna hangs up the phone and quickly tries to dial 9-1-1. Andy lunges for her and swats the phone out of the way, but not before taking five clawed fingers to the face. ANDY You b***h. (beat; Andy wipes the blood from his face) But you did good. Why does he need Bill there? SHOSHANNA He said this deal involves both of you. If you can't cooperate, he'll call the whole thing off. He was very clear about that. Andy glares suspiciously at his sister for a beat. ANDY (to Bill) Come on. (to Shoshanna) You sit tight. We'll be back before you have time to marry another rich Jew. Shoshanna spits on her brother's face. He wipes it away before standing up and leaving the room. Bill follows closely behind. Shoshanna smirks as they walk away. She glances around for a way to free herself and begins struggling with her bindings. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - MOMENTS LATER Bill and Andy are seated side by side. Andy is driving. BILL Are you sure we should be driving this car? What if we get pulled over? ANDY We'll say we borrowed it. No one knows he's missing. BILL Promise me that when this is all over, we'll never talk about it again, OK? ANDY When this is all over, we'll never have to see each other again, don't worry. It'll be like this family never existed. Bill has a pained expression on his face. BILL You know, my kids... they really enjoyed this whole trip. Seeing you and Shan and Dad... it's good for them. They didn't even know you guys existed. ANDY Yeah, well, maybe that's the way it should be. This family is beyond repair, Bill, don't try to be a martyr. BILL I'm not, I'm just saying... it's too bad that this is the way things ended up. EXT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS The car races down the long stretch of highway. INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER Shoshanna continues to struggle with her bindings. With her one free hand, she feebly attempts to release her other hand. She glances around the room for something to help her. A small rock sits just out of reach. She leans forward as far as she can, but it's no use. The rock is just out of reach. Shoshanna reaches down and unlaces her shoe. She swings it by the laces towards the rock. It takes several attempts, but she finally manages to hook the shoe around it. She reels it in slowly, and finally manages to get it close enough that she can grab it. She takes it in her hand with a triumphant look in her eye. She takes the rock and smashes it against the pipe that her other hand is attached to. It makes a dent, but other than that, it has no effect. That doesn't deter her. She continues smashing the rock against the pipe, over and over and over. It makes a loud metallic CLANG with each strike. EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - DAY The gate opens before them and Elliot's SUV passes through. Bill and Andy pull up to the house and quickly get out of the vehicle. ANDY All right, calm down. Let me do the talking. Bill nods. They both walk up to the front door and reach for the knob at the same time. Andy shoots Bill an angry glance and slaps his hand. Bill backs off and Andy opens the door. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Andy, Bill and Senior are all seated in the living room staring awkwardly at one another. An ornate fireplace is lit behind them, illuminating the room in an orange glow. ANDY So... how do you want to do this, Dad? Are there documents I need to sign right now or is this more of a ceremonial thing? S**t, should we be taking pictures? Bill, get out your camera. SENIOR Where's your sister? ANDY She's busy, but we don't need her. Like she said, I'm the man for the job. (beat) Dad? Senior furrows his brow at his son. SENIOR What exactly did your sister tell you? ANDY What do you mean? She told me that... that you... what are you talking about?! The company, it's going to me! (beat) Isn't it? Senior coughs into a handkerchief. SENIOR Why do you want my company, Andrew? Andy looks confused. He glances at Bill, who looks equally befuddled. ANDY Because I deserve it. I want to run your company for you, you need someone like me in charge, someone who puts business before family. Time is money, right? Senior coughs. He takes a sip of tea and leans back in his chair. He turns his attention to Bill. SENIOR William, do you remember your grandfather? My father, not your mother's. Bill appears lost in thought. BILL Sort of. We were pretty young when he died. I must have been only -- SENIOR Six. What do you remember about him? BILL Not much, really. Mostly just the times we visited him in the hospital. I guess that would have been right near the end. SENIOR We were dirt poor growing up. We lived on a farm... a small little house. He made just enough to get by. My four brothers and I shared a single bedroom. Sometimes, I'd sleep in the barn with the horses, just to have my own space. I'd wake up in the morning stinking of horse s**t. Senior coughs. Andy wrinkles his nose. SENIOR (CONT'D) I hated him for it. I vowed never to raise my children like that. I was going to be successful, to hell with him. He was a failure as far as I was concerned. Bill and Andy both nod, contemplatively. SENIOR (CONT'D) There was another side to him, though. One I never considered when I was that young. He spent every free moment he had with us. Every school play, every sports game. He was there. You never had to ask him to. He was just... Senior points to an invisible person at the side of the room. SENIOR (CONT'D) ... There. (Senior coughs; his eyes begin to well up with tears) How much better off were we, really? What sort of a life have I lead? BILL Hey, Dad, come on... SENIOR I'm the failure, not him! I was obsessed with success, only I didn't know what the hell success was. This weekend, seeing you with your family, William... seeing how much they adore you... THAT is success. Bill begins to tear up as his father continues talking. SENIOR (CONT'D) If I gave you this company... if I gave it to either of you... it would be a curse. You'd head down the exact same road that I did. I don't want to put either of you through that. You deserve a better life than that. Senior continues coughing. He wipes his mouth. Bill slowly reaches out and puts an arm on his father's shoulder. Senior reciprocates the gesture and pulls Bill in closer. The two men embrace. Bill's eyes well up with tears as he rests his head on the old man's shoulder. Andy has a dead look in his eyes, as if he hasn't been paying attention. Senior gestures for Andy to join in the group hug as he and Bill sob uncontrollably. A beat. ANDY (monotone; lifeless) So, we don't get anything. Senior shakes his head, wiping away the tears. Andy nods slowly. He stands up, dusts his pants off and then lunges at his father. Before Bill can react, Andy has his hands wrapped around his father's twig of a neck. ANDY (CONT'D) You miserable old son of a b***h! BILL Andy, stop! Bill grabs Andy by the shoulders and pulls him off the old man. Andy goes flying onto the floor. ANDY This has been one big scam! You're right, no one has any reason to give a s**t about you! Senior clutches at his heart as he tries to stand up. BILL Dad, don't move. Just stay still. The old man feebly stands, still clutching at his chest. He takes three steps before falling onto the ground. BILL (CONT'D) Dad! Jesus, call an ambulance! Bill kneels down to help his father. Andy stands above Bill looking stupefied. BILL (CONT'D) Do it! Andy nods. He takes his phone out and dials 9-1-1. Bill tries to revive his father by performing CPR. He pushes down on his chest and breathes into his mouth. BILL (CONT'D) Breathe, Dad! Come on, breathe! Bill continues the exercise, but it's pointless. The old man's eyes roll up into his head and he takes his last breathe. INT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY The body bag is zipped up by a PARAMEDIC, a middle-aged man who appears to be numb to the sight of dead bodies. Andy and Bill are seated on a couch, looking tired and defeated. Another paramedic arrives and together the two of them hoist the body onto a gurney and begin wheeling it out of the house. The first paramedic turns around on his way out. PARAMEDIC I'm sorry for your loss. They close the door behind them, leaving Andy and Bill to sit together in silence. ANDY Our loss. All those millions of dollars... BILL Hey! Knock it off. How can you be so shallow? A man just died. Our FATHER. Show some respect. (beat) Andy, what in God's name have we become? I need to get out of here and get my family back. Andy puts his head in his hands and groans. Suddenly, his head jerks up with a frantic look in his eyes. ANDY We need to get out of here right now. Bill's eyes go so wide, they look like two cue balls. BILL Oh, Jesus. Shan. Andy nods. BILL (CONT'D) Hurry up, let's go. The two of them leave the house together. Bill stops, turns around and takes one last look around at the foyer of the mansion before turning off the lights. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - MOMENTS LATER Bill and Andy are once again seated in Elliot's SUV. Bill is hanging on to the dashboard for dear life as Elliot swerves around the early morning traffic. BILL Can you please slow down? ANDY This truck's got balls. Elliot has good taste. Maybe I'll get one. How much do you think this cost him? BILL Maybe if you ask real nice, he'll let you keep this one. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Andy and Bill pass by a car that's driving just as wildly as they are. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS ANDY What the f**k? BILL What? What was it? Bill cranes his neck to search for the big mystery. Andy suddenly makes a hard U-turn. Bill's face is suddenly smooshed up against the window of the truck. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS The truck completes its U-turn and winds up halfway off the road, teetering dangerously close to the side of a ditch. Andy revs the engine and manages to stabilize the truck. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS Andy slams his foot down on the gas. The truck accelerates wildly, quickly catching up to the car in front of them. BILL What the hell are you doing?! ANDY You don't recognize that car? A look of realization washes over Bill's face. BILL Oh, s**t. ANDY I'm glad you agree. The truck continues forward, slowly gaining on the rear of the car in front, which just so happens to be the car that Elliot borrowed from Senior. INT. SENIOR'S CAR - CONTINUOUS A frazzled Shoshanna is driving the car, seated next to a freshly dug up Elliot. He's duct-taped to the passenger seat so that he'll stay upright. Suddenly, the tape holding his head in place breaks loose and his head slumps forward. SHOSHANNA Come on, baby, work with me. Shoshanna leans over and refastens the tape. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) All better. Shoshanna looks in the rear-view mirror just in time to see Elliot's SUV smash into her rear bumper. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) Oh, S**T! Shoshanna's head and shoulders go flying forward over the steering wheel, but she manages to maintain control of the car. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Senior's car swerves all over the road as Shoshanna tries desperately to maintain control. INT. SENIOR'S CAR - CONTINUOUS SHOSHANNA Hang on, baby! Shoshanna closes her eyes for a moment, breathes deeply and then jerks the steering wheel to the right. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Senior's car swerves violently off the road and plunges into the grassy terrain off the side of the highway. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS BILL What the hell does she think she's doing?! ANDY Hold on to something. Before Bill can let that last suggestion sink in, Andy swerves the truck to the right as well. Once again, Bill makes love to the window of the SUV. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Elliot's truck makes its way off the road in a violent fashion, catching air as it bounces off the side of the hilly terrain. ANDY WOOHOO! I told you this thing's got balls! How you doing over there? Bill throws up on his feet. Andy makes a disgusted face. ANDY (CONT'D) Hey, come on. Not in my car, man. Andy slams his foot down hard on the gas. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Elliot's SUV edges closer and closer to Senior's car until the two are bumper to bumper. INT. ELLIOT'S SUV - CONTINUOUS Andy swings the wheel to the right. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Andy nudges the rear panel of Senior's car and it swerves out of control. INT. SENIOR'S CAR - CONTINUOUS SHOSHANNA S**t! S**t! S**t! Shoshanna turns the wheel frantically from side to side to no avail. She begins pounding on the steering wheel. EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS Senior's car eventually stops spinning and comes to a stop. Andy stops his car and both he and Bill rush out to intercept their sister. Shoshanna gets out of her car in a hurry and runs over to the passenger side door, throwing her arms across it in defence. SHOSHANNA Don't come any closer! ANDY Shan, what the hell are you doing? SHOSHANNA I said back away! BILL What ARE you doing? What's so important in there? Bill steps closer to take a look but Shoshanna swings at him with one freshly manicured claw. Bill moves back to avoid the slash, but not before catching a glimpse of Elliot's body taped to the passenger side seat. Bill puts a hand over his mouth in shock. ANDY What's going on? BILL What the hell have you done? SHOSHANNA I need him! I need him and I don't need you getting involved! You've done enough! Now get out of here! Andy glances in the passenger side to get a glimpse of the horror within. ANDY Oh dear God. Shan, what the f**k are you doing with him? Shoshanna glances back at her former husband with a panicky look in her eyes. SHOSHANNA He can't die that way. He can't. He can't. BILL Why? SHOSHANNA He can't. Not like that. Not like that. Bill turns to his brother. BILL She's delusional. Andy shakes his head with a crooked smile. ANDY Life insurance. Shoshanna nods. ANDY (CONT'D) I knew it. You little gold-digging b***h. You're unbelievable. SHOSHANNA You're one to speak, you murdering psychopath! ANDY Speaking of which, I'm gonna need you to forget about that. Andy motions to the gun holstered at his side. SHOSHANNA Jesus. Calm down, Dirty Harry. Go stroke that thing somewhere else. BILL Shan, what the HELL is going on? SHOSHANNA He's insured for over ten million. (beat) IF death is accidental. If he's missing, I get nothing. Bill shakes his head in disbelief. BILL Shan, you need to drop this right now. He needs to go back in the ground and we all need to go our separate ways. SHOSHANNA Or maybe I call the cops right now? ANDY Maybe I shoot you? SHOSHANNA And have two murders to cover up? Neither of you are smart enough to figure out how to handle that. (beat; Shoshanna's eyes flash wildly) I have a proposition for you. Andy and Bill exchange a worried glance. EXT. CLIFFSIDE - DAY Andy and Bill push Senior's car in neutral up next to the side of a cliff. Bill walks over next to the edge and peers down. A seemingly endless crevasse. Gravity will not be kind to anything that manages to find the bottom. BILL Let's get this over with. Andy walks away, searching along the ground for something. Shoshanna walks over to the passenger door and opens it. She brushes Elliot's hair away from his eyes. She then begins removing the tape from around his body. Andy finds what he's been looking for. He bends over and picks up a large, heavy rock. BILL (CONT'D) This is just going to look like a suicide, Shan. You might as well have left him in that hole. SHOSHANNA You don't watch the news, do you? They just issued a recall notice for this car two weeks ago. Faulty breaks. BILL Actually, I do watch the news, but I didn't think I'd be using what I heard to plan insurance fraud with the corpse of my sister's ex husband. SHOSHANNA Well, there's a first time for everything. Andy walks past them and opens the driver's side door. He places the rock on the gas pedal. BILL We never speak of this again. Bill turns the key and shifts the car into drive. The wheels spin wildly in the mud. Suddenly, they gain traction and the car zooms off erratically toward the cliff. The three siblings stare forward with disbelieving eyes as the car travels away from them. INT. SENIOR'S CAR - CONTINUOUS Elliot's body bounces up and down violently. EXT. CLIFFSIDE - CONTINUOUS The car's wheel catches on a large rock, causing it to fishtail as it nears the cliff edge. Elliot's body suddenly smashes through the windshield onto the ground just as the truck flies over the side. A long beat. A loud smash from deep below as the car hits the trees. The three of them stare in horror at what just happened. Andy slowly strolls forward to Elliot's body, which is lying awkwardly just at the edge of the cliff. He puts his foot against Elliot's side and shoves him over the edge. Andy turns to face his siblings. ANDY Oh, by the way, Dad's dead and he decided not to leave us with anything. Shoshanna suddenly starts laughing unexpectedly. An erratic, insane laughter. Bill joins in. Andy cracks a smile and joins in as well. The three of them stare off into the distance, laughing maniacally at he absurdity of the situation. EXT. SENIOR'S HOUSE - DAY Senior's car pulls into the driveway as the hot afternoon sun blazes high above. The car pulls up next to the house and the three siblings exit the vehicle. They stand together awkwardly for a moment. BILL So... we're good, right? Shoshanna squints in the bright sunlight. SHOSHANNA We've never been good, Bill. An awkward pause. ANDY Shan, I'm sorry about -- SHOSHANNA Let's just leave it alone, OK? Keys? Andy tosses Shoshanna the keys to Senior's car. She catches them with one hand. SHOSHANNA (CONT'D) I guess I'll see you two at the funeral. BILL Right. Shoshanna nods to herself and slowly gets into the car. Bill and Andy stand together awkwardly as she pulls away. ANDY Let's get you home. Bill nods as the two of them get into Andy's car. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - DAY Andy pulls into Bill's driveway. The late afternoon sun is just beginning to set. INT. ANDY'S CAR - CONTINUOUS ANDY Here you are. Good luck. BILL Thanks, Andy. (beat) You know, as crazy as these past two days have been... it's been nice remembering that I have a family out there. It almost makes me forget about the kidnapping and resulting homicide. (beat) Almost. Bill smiles at his little brother. BILL (CONT'D) You take care of yourself, kid. ANDY You too, big brother. Bill nods and exits the vehicle. He heads for the front door as Andy pulls away. Bill tries to open the door, but it's locked. He searches for his keys but can't find them. He rings the doorbell. Alex appears at the window. He looks behind and yells something inaudible to someone in the house. The door suddenly opens a crack. Allison is staring back, looking extremely upset. ALLISON Hello, Bill. BILL Hi, Al. (beat) Can I come in? ALLISON I don't know. I don't know if I want you here right now. BILL Al, I'm... (beat; Bill tries to find the right words) It's been a very crazy day, can you please just let me in? Allison sighs and shakes her head. ALLISON When you stop taking this family for granted, you can come in. BILL Allison. (beat) What I said back there at the campsite, it was all bullshit. I was just pissed, that's all. (beat) Allison, Dad died this morning. Allison looks slightly taken aback by the news. ALLISON I'm sorry, Bill. BILL The whole thing was pointless. He's dead and he left us with nothing. Not a single penny. Allison's sympathetic look turns to anger. ALLISON And that's what's important right now, is it? BILL It's not, I'm just telling you that he decided -- ALLISON Your father is dead and you're more concerned about your financial situation. (Allison scoffs) Nothing's changed. (beat) I want you out of here. Please, just... just leave. BILL Allison, come on, please, just -- ALLISON (calmly) Don't make me say something I'll regret. Bill looks defeated. He nods his head and begins to walk slowly away. Allison closes the door as he walks to his car and gets in. INT. BILL'S CAR - CONTINUOUS Bill stares ahead with a dead look in his eyes. He looks around his car and something catches his eye. The Hawaii pamphlet is sticking up out of the couch cushions. With a look of rejuvenated fervor, he quickly backs out of the driveway. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Several oncoming cars have to slam on their brakes to avoid slamming into him. Bill peels off down the street, TIRES SQUEALING. INT. BANK - DAY Bill marches into the bank with a look of determination. He cuts the line and walks right up to a TELLER (40s), a short plump woman who has just finished helping a customer. An ANGRY CUSTOMER (40s), a large brute with a beer gut and plaid shirt notices the intrusion. ANGRY CUSTOMER Hey a*****e! End of the line! BILL (to the teller) I'd like to empty my account, please. TELLER Sir, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to go to the back of the line. BILL Look, I've had a long day, would you please just do as I ask and give me my money? TELLER Sir, as I said, I'm going to have to ask you to -- BILL (getting increasingly agitated) Listen, Lady! I'm calling the shots here, not you! I've had the longest goddamn weekend of my life, and I'm not about to let you get in the way. In the last twenty-four hours I've managed to alienate my entire family, my wife won't let me back into the house, my children think I'm an a*****e, my dad dropped dead in front of me, I was supposed to inherit a multi-MILLION dollar company but instead I get NOTHING and, oh yeah, my sister's husband... (The teller looks at him with bulged eyes; Bill calms down slightly) ... he's not doing so well. (Bill coughs awkwardly) Now, you go back there and you do whatever it is you people do, but when you come back, I better see all of my money in a big burlap sack. (beat; sotto) It doesn't have to be burlap, I don't know why I said that. Whatever you have is fine. The teller looks stunned. She turns and makes her way to a window where another teller is sitting. She points to Bill and mouths something inaudible. Bill looks around smugly. He glances at the angry mob of people behind him that he cut in front of. BILL (CONT'D) Won't be more than a moment. Thanks for your patience. The crowd continues glaring. The teller returns with a very small stack of bills, no more than half an inch thick. Bill looks embarrassed. BILL (CONT'D) Uhh... I think... small denominations would be better. TELLER (sarcastically) How small, sir? BILL Ones. All ones if possible. ARTHUR (O.S.) Is there a problem here, Mable? MABLE (TELLER) Not at all. I'm just helping this man, Mr. Thompson. Won't be more than a moment. Bill turns to lock eyes with Arthur Thompson. ARTHUR Welcome back, Mr. Gennaro. I was just about to call you about that loan. Turns out I was reading the wrong papers when I called yesterday. You're approved after all. How about that? (Arthur chuckles to himself; the smile fades from his face) I guess it's not that funny. Would you like to come back into my office after you're finished here and we'll get you all set up? Bill smiles back maniacally. BILL All this time... you mean to tell me that... that... I... Bill goes weak in the knees and bends over. ARTHUR Put your head between your legs, Mr. Gennaro. Take deep breaths. Atta' boy. You're gonna be fine. Bill regains his composure and stands up. BILL You know what? (beat) I don't care. (beat) There are more important things in life than money, Mr. Thompson. It's so sad that everyone obsesses over it. We work day in and day out for it. We dedicate our lives to it. We pour our sweat and our blood into it. We spend more time trying to earn it than we do with our own children. (beat) What good is it if you don't have anyone to share it with? It's just paper. Worthless, meaningless, goddamn paper, and I'm sick of it controlling my life! Several cheers erupt from the crowd behind Bill. Mable returns with a plastic bag full of money. Dollar bills are sticking out at every possible angle. MABLE Here's your enormous bag of money, sir. Bill nods slowly, slightly embarrassed. BILL Sort of took the wind out of my speech there, Mable. Bill awkwardly takes the bag of money. BILL (CONT'D) Thank you. ARTHUR What in God's name is going on here? BILL I'm getting my family back. No offense, Mr. Thompson, but you can take that loan and shove it. Bill walks out of the bank with a triumphant smile as he awkwardly holds the bag of money out in front of himself. The crowd goes wild behind him. Arthur stares at Bill, looking puzzled and amazed. ARTHUR (to Mable) What just happened here? ANGRY CUSTOMER He just started a f*****g revolution, that's what happened! I want my money, too! Other members of the crowd begin to pipe in as well, as the crowd begins to get unruly. "Me too!" and "he made some good points!" can be heard amongst the noise. Arthur puts two fingers to his mouth and emits an ear bleeding WHISTLE. The crowd goes silent. ARTHUR (loudly) Five dollar credit on everyone's account if you keep your money where it is! ANGRY CUSTOMER I'll take it! The crowd looks elated. Everyone is smiling and murmuring excitedly to the person next to them, as if this is the best thing that's ever happened in their lives. Arthur giggles to himself and raises an eyebrow at Mable. She smiles and nods in return. ARTHUR The almighty dollar wins again. INT. BILL'S HOUSE - DAY Allison and her children are seated around the dinner table. A box of pizza is open in front of them. All three of them are chewing in silence. Alex glances around the table, back and forth between his sister and his mom. Sadie is doing the same. Allison stares forward, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. Finally, she catches her son's glare. ALLISON What? ALEX Why can't Dad come in? ALLISON Your father's dealing with some things right now. SADIE You don't get it, numb nuts, do you? They're getting a divorce. ALLISON Don't say that. SADIE Well, it's true, isn't it? ALLISON No one's getting a divorce. ALEX Shotgun living with Dad! Allison turns her full attention to Alex. ALLISON Wow. Thanks. Alex smiles innocently as he reaches for another slice of pizza. Allison slaps the pizza box down on his fingers. ALEX Ow! I'll visit on weekends, jeez. Sadie shakes her head in frustration. Suddenly there's a loud HONK from outside. Someone is laying on the horn as if it was the end of the world. The three of them stare at one another in confusion before getting up and heading to the front window. Allison pulls aside the drapes to reveal a pile full of money sitting on the front lawn and Bill honking his car horn. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bill notices the family at the front window and stops honking. He quickly runs over to the pile. BILL Allison! I love you! I love you more than anything in this world! When I asked you to marry me, do you remember what I told you? INT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Alex and Sadie both look up at their mother, who is glued to the window. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS BILL I told you that as long as we had each other, that's all that we would ever need. Everything else was just bullshit. You and the kids, that's all that matters to me. All of this money here - it's meaningless! I don't care about it, I don't care about the inheritance, I only care about you! I'm going to prove it to you! Bill heads to his trunk and removes a jerry can. He strolls over to the pile and holds the can over top of the money. BILL (CONT'D) I'm willing to throw this all away if you'll let me back into your life. EXT. NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS By now, several neighbors have come out to inspect the source of the commotion. An ELDERLY MAN(70s) shakes his head. ELDERLY MAN Always knew that boy was fucked in the head. His wife nods in agreement and chuckles. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bill begins drenching the money in gasoline. INT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ALEX (smiling widely) Holy s**t, Dad's gone crazy! SADIE He's going to set our money on fire?! Allison has a tear in her eye as she looks out the window. ALLISON (half-smiling, half terrified) He wouldn't dare. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bill finishes emptying the jerry can and tosses it aside. He reaches into his pocket and produces a matchbook. BILL Allison. You're all I need, baby. With that, Bill lights a match and tosses it on the pile. The money immediately ignites. INT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS SADIE Holy s**t! Allison runs to the front door and swings it open, racing frantically outside. EXT. BILL'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS ALLISON Bill, you a*****e! She runs over to the pile of money, but instead of trying to put it out, she runs into her husband's arms and drowns him in the biggest kiss of their lives. After what seems like an eternity, she leans back and stares him in the eyes. ALLISON (CONT'D) You're such an idiot. Bill smiles and kisses his wife again. The two of them embrace on the front lawn as the fire behind them begins to grow and grow. Bill's attention slowly turns from his wife to the flames. BILL Umm... do you mind if I put that out now? That's literally all of our money. ALLISON Yes! S**t, yes! BILL I know it was to make a point but we should probably keep some of it. Bill runs over and grabs the hose from the side of the house. The kids run out onto the front lawn and hug their father as he hoses down the family savings. INT. CHURCH - DAY A large photograph of William Senior and his late wife is resting on an easel next to a casket adorned with flowers. Bill and his family, dressed in appropriate funeral attire, walk past the photo, up to the casket. Bill looks down inside the casket. BILL He looks so peaceful. It's hard to believe he's gone. Shoshanna and Andy approach. Shoshanna is wearing a lavish fur coat. ALLISON (sotto) Bill, your brother and sister. Bill turns around and gives them a smile and a nod. Allison leans in and hugs Andy and then Shoshanna, lingering on her longer. ALLISON (CONT'D) Shoshanna. (beat) I was so shocked to hear about Elliot. I'm so sorry. SHOSHANNA Yes, well... it was a big surprise for all of us. Bill begins to turn a deep shade of red. Andy coughs awkwardly. ALLISON Have they found out what happened yet? SHOSHANNA Faulty breaks. Go figure. Dad really should have taken it in for service. ALLISON You don't say. (beat) By the way, that's a lovely coat. SHOSHANNA Thank you, it's new. Shoshanna winks at Bill, who grimaces at his sister's complete lack of respect for the dead. ANDY I think the service is about to start. Shall we? Allison and Shoshanna nod and the family move away from the casket and toward the pews. INT. CHURCH - MOMENTS LATER Everyone in the church is now seated. ORGAN MUSIC is playing. Bill and his family are seated near the front, along with Andy and Shoshanna. Jonathon approaches the podium. JONATHON For those of you that don't know me, my name is Jonathon Cohen. I worked with William for nearly his entire career as his estate lawyer. For forty years we worked side by side, right up until his final days. William was a good man. A strong man. A passionate man. His passion for business was second only to the passion that he had for his family. William Junior, Andrew, Shoshanna. These are names I heard him mention often. He spoke so proudly of the family he had raised. And yet, there was a great sadness in his heart as well for having drifted apart from them for so many years. Despite that, it never stopped him from beaming with pride over what his children had accomplished in life. Things were never quite the same after his wife, Annabelle, passed, but oh, did he love those children. Shoshanna, Andy and Bill are all openly weeping as they sit side by side in the church pew. Jonathon turns to the photo of William. JONATHON (CONT'D) William, my old friend. I know you'll find peace in your next life. I myself am not a religious man, nor was he, but wherever he is, you can bet he's finding solutions to problems that don't exist, and selling them at ridiculous margins. The crowd laughs. JONATHON (CONT'D) And might I also speak of William's generosity, right up until the very end. Throughout the years, philanthropy was at the heart of his ambitions. During his time at Gennaro Industries, ten percent of every dollar earned went into a special account. That account, upon his death, was to be donated to the charity of his choosing, as outlined in his will. It's with great pleasure that I announce today that William is donating this money, more than five hundred million dollars, to the National Cancer Society, in Annabelle's honor! The crowd applauds loudly. Bill, Andy and Shoshanna's jaws are all scraping the floor. Shoshanna stands up angrily and inches her way along the pew. JONATHON (CONT'D) Ah, what a surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, William's dear daughter, Shoshanna would like to say a few words. SHOSHANNA That money belongs to me! He can't give it away to some stupid charity! Andy stands up abruptly as well. He races to catch up to Shoshanna, who is now approaching the dais. ANDY Yours? What did you ever to do deserve it? If it should go to anyone, it should go to me! Andy and Shoshanna are now both on the dais, next to the casket. SHOSHANNA He told you right to your face that he didn't want you to have his money! I wasn't even there, for all I know, he wanted ME to have it! Andy grabs her by the shoulders. ANDY You've been a bratty, self-centered b***h your whole life! He never would have given you a dime! Shoshanna slaps Andy and begins choking him. Bill suddenly stands up. Before he can make his own claim for the money, he looks back at his family. Bill locks eyes with his wife. A calmness washes over him and he slowly sits back down. He puts his arms around his family and kisses Allison on the forehead. With a big smile, he crosses his legs, sits back and watches the chaos unfold on stage. Allison is still choking out Andy. Andy tries to steady himself on the casket, which in turn falls off its stand, onto the floor. Senior's body falls out onto the floor, much to the alarm of everyone in the room. Allison has a horrified look on her face. Bill pulls her in close, still smiling. He seems to be completely lost in thought, despite the chaos playing out in front of him. BILL I love you too, Dad. The pews are now emptying as people get up to assist with the body and to break up the fight. People are shouting, screaming, running frantically. Bill and his family remain seated, embracing one another. THE END.
© 2014 ScottTheScreenwriterAuthor's Note
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1 Review Added on September 21, 2014 Last Updated on September 21, 2014 Tags: Screenplay, Comedy Author
ScottTheScreenwriterWaterdown, Ontario, CanadaAboutI'm a screenwriter based out of Toronto, ON. I began writing in 2013 and have quickly developed a love for the craft. It's something that I take very seriously, while at the same time enjoying every m.. more..Writing
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