Under the title card, “BASEBALL AND VIDEO GAMES”, a DOOR SLAMS.
-INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
ECU on a pair of sensual female lips:
MOLLY
I can’t believe your parents left you alone for
the whole weekend.
ECU on male lips, bursting with anticipation:
ZACK
Believe it, baby.
TITLE CARD: “ZACK & MOLLY”
Their faces meet and kiss in a sloppy
CU. A wide shot reveals they are standing by the door of a spacious house, MOLLY having just entered. Still kissing, the two of them attempt to wind their way over to the couch. ZACK accidentally pushes Molly into the coffee table. She barks her shin and cries in pain, then laughs and they continue making out. They fall mostly lengthwise onto the couch, Molly more or less above Zack.
Both Molly and Zack are attractive and in their late teens. Their
zest is remarkable. Their frantic pace slows down somewhat. Between kisses:
MOLLY
It’s so good to see you. I thought I would
die of boredom. My stupid brother keeps
making me play checkers with him.
ZACK
Let’s not talk about your brother now.
MOLLY
Sorry. Let’s not talk about anything.
She reaches out of frame and UNZIPS his fly.
ZACK
You wanna do it right here? We could
go up to my room, you know. There’s
a thing called a bed there.
MOLLY
(whining baby-talk])
Oh, but I don’t wanna get up.
ZACK
I watch baseball with my dad on this couch.
MOLLY
Zack, I’m ready now.
(melodramatically)
Take me, lover! Ravage my body!
ZACK
Mmm, yes ma’am!
(confidentially)
I got a little secret you might want to know.
MOLLY
What would that be?
ZACK
I got so excited about this weekend, I
masturbated three times already today.
Molly pauses in mid-nibble. Slowly, their faces separate. She smiles, nervously.
MOLLY
That’s a joke, right?
ZACK
Well, kind of.
MOLLY
Wait, so you did or you didn’t?
ZACK
Well, I...I did, but it’s like...I don’t--
MOLLY
Oh my god.
She ZIPS his fly up, then extricates herself and climbs off the couch. Zack assumes the role of the sensitive apologizer:
ZACK
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up. I
totally like ruined the mood, there was no,
um, need to say that...
He trails off, as Molly pierces him with a stare that’s a strange mixture of wounded and vindictive.
MOLLY
Yeah Zack, why did you say that?
ZACK
I don’t know, I heard it turns some girls on.
MOLLY
It does not!
ZACK
What do you mean, it doesn’t?
MOLLY
How could it?
ZACK
I-I don’t know. It’s just that it’s something
we usually don’t talk about. I--
MOLLY
Well, why should we talk about it? I don’t
do it, you shouldn’t be doing it, what is
there to talk about?
ZACK
Wait, why shouldn’t I be doing it?
MOLLY
Because we have a healthy sex life, Zack!
Because you’re not a-a little kid playing in
the bathtub--or a, a prison inmate or a
porno freak like your friend Denny--
ZACK
Who did you have for sex ed? ‘Cause I
don’t think we saw the same filmstrip.
MOLLY
Zack. Look. Stop kidding around. I’m--
I think I’m gonna go.
She turns toward the door.
ZACK
Wait. Wait. Molly wait. I’ll stop.
She turns back to him.
ZACK
I don’t know why this is so
important to you, but God, if it’s
something you’re willing to walk out
on me over, then, I’ll just stop doing
it altogether. Okay?
MOLLY
Oh, Zack. That’s so sweet.
She walks over to him and gives him a hug--almost motherly.
MOLLY
So, I’ll see you next weekend, then?
ZACK
What?
MOLLY
Well, I can’t hang around here. You have
a habit to break.
ZACK
But, if you’re here, I guarantee I won’t do
it.
MOLLY
Well, yes. Now, as I see it, we need some
insurance you won’t be a bad boy this
weekend. Is there anyone around who
could sleep over this weekend?
Zack thinks hard. His face says he doesn’t want to, but he doesn’t want to upset Molly.
ECU of Zack’s fingers punching buttons on a touch-tone phone.
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
ECU of DENNY’s fingers pushing
Nintendo controller buttons.
TITLE CARD: “DENNY”
Denny, Zack’s aforementioned friend, has joined Zack on the couch and sits fixedly playing a video game while Zack stares dejectedly at the screen.
DENNY
Wait, explain it to me again. What exactly
did you agree to?
ZACK
I have to stay in the house. All weekend.
Can’t leave. And your job is to watch me
and make sure I don’t...you know...play
video games.
DENNY
Video games?
ZACK
You know, play? With my...joystick?
DENNY
Uh huh. So, we’re like, quarantined here?
ZACK
Yep.
DENNY
Tell me why you agreed to this?
ZACK
‘Cause I...wanna make her happy.
DENNY
Sounds like you’re gonna make yourself
pretty dang unhappy.
ZACK
Nah, I mean...I can do it...
DENNY
Okay, okay. This is where we have to lay
all the cards on the table. You play video
games, what, once a day?
ZACK
Yeah. Pretty much.
DENNY
Pretty much.
ZACK
Yeah.
DENNY
Lies make baby Jesus cry...
ZACK
All right, lately, it’s been like twice. But that’s
just because school just got out, y’know?
I’ve got nothing to do all day.
DENNY
Okay. See I myself am pretty dedicated to
three times a day. But then I know I’m more
loose-wristed than the average bear. Now
exactly when do you have until? When can
you do it again?
ZACK
Uh, all we said is the weekend...so I guess
that means anytime Monday...but the point
is that I stop doing it altogether. You know?
This is like, my cold turkey period.
DENNY
Man, see, this is the problem. This girl, she
makes you stupid. There ain’t no way you’ll
stop doing it forever. You’re a MAN, for
Chrissakes.
ZACK
Well, she was convinced that only perverts
and prisoners do it.
DENNY
Well did you tell her she was wrong?
ZACK
Well, I tried, but...what evidence do I really
have?
DENNY
There’s plenty of documentation on the
subject! Did Molly never think to just pick
up a medical journal? Or a Penthouse?
ZACK
I don’t know! She seemed like really
freakishly reluctant to talk about it. I doubt
she’d seek out the facts on her own.
DENNY
Well if she’s got all these freakishly
cockamamie ideas about how you’re
supposed to behave, and she’s freakishly
making you do shit you don’t wanna do,
why are you still with her?
ZACK
Because she’s...because I wanna be.
DENNY
You wanna be with a girl who’s as
severely sexually repressed as this?
ZACK
She’s not sexually repressed, believe me.
DENNY
Yeah, I think she is, if--
ZACK
Not when I’m with her.
DENNY
But what about when she’s with herself?
She acts like she’s never done it, sure,
but do you think maybe she has a little
secret to hide?
ZACK
Nah.
DENNY
Why are you so sure?
ZACK
Because I trust her.
DENNY
Well she doesn’t trust you! She’s makin’
my dumb ass babysit you all weekend.
Look my point is that the girl’s just wrong.
Her outlook is warped and it’s warping
you. And I think you owe it to yourself
to show her that you’ll do whatever you
damn well please. Play all the video
games in the world.
ZACK
Well, that’s just not gonna happen.
DENNY
Is that so?
TITLE CARD: “11:01 p.m.”
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Zack and Denny are watching TV on the couch. Most of the lights in the house are off and they’re bathed in the
cathode ray glow. Empty pizza boxes and beer bottles are on the coffee table and the floor. Denny stirs and reaches for the TV guide.
DENNY
Oh hey, let’s see what’s on Skinemax.
Zack acts disinterested. Denny leafs through for a bit, and then:
DENNY
Nice! “Indecent Obsessions 3”! And we
can just catch the beginning!
He picks up the remote and changes the channel. We can hear the dreamy sax and tasteful moans of soft-core porn. Denny stares at the screen with the intensity of a hungry wolf, grinning ever so slightly. Zack watches, trying to not let it affect him, but after a few moments he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
DENNY
Now, I actually did catch the first two
“Indecent Obsessions” movies, and it’s
surprising because the second one really
was kind of a sequel to the first one. It
woulda been really hard to follow what
was going on had I not seen them both.
ZACK
Denny. What’s going on is they’re
fucking. It’s porn.
DENNY
Yeah, but why? Is it because they’re
strangers and the mystery excites them?
Is it because they’re trapped in a loveless
marriage and looking for an escape? Is it
because one of them’s a gardener? Or
maybe all three? See, the specific fantasy
is what matters. The mythical archetype.
The virgin. The whore. The conquering
hero. The cheerleader. It’s all so simple,
yet it goes so deep. God, I love fuckin’
porn.
Zack gets up from the couch.
DENNY
Where you going? You’re gonna be lost
for the rest of the movie.
ZACK
Bathroom.
DENNY
(falsetto, imitating Molly)
Make sure you don’t play with yourself
in there now! Or I won’t love you
anymore.
ZACK
Shuddup.
Zack exits the shot. Denny’s eyes widen at something onscreen.
DENNY
Hey, make sure you’re out in a few!
In the distance, we hear the bathroom door SLAM.
INT. BATHROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Medium shot-framed from the waist up.
Zack unzips his fly and urinates. He stares up at the ceiling. He seems to be trying to clear something from his mind. After the last couple of drops, he hesitates just the tiniest instant, and then zips back up.
TITLE CARD: “Saturday 2:32 p.m.”
INT. BATHROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack, wearing different clothes, framed in the same shot. Same activity--only he hesitates a little longer before zipping up. He looks at his watch and sighs. He walks out of the bathroom.
INT. HALLWAY, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack walks toward the living room.
ZACK
Denny? You think of something to do yet?
DENNY (O.S.)
Yeah, actually.
ZACK
Cool.
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack enters his living room to see porno mags strewn everywhere. On the couch, on the coffee table, on the floor. Easily fifty of them, probably many more. Denny is lying on his stomach on the floor leafing through a
Hustler, kicking his legs like a schoolgirl.
ZACK
Where did all these come from? You just
had them with you?
DENNY
Yep. Trunk of my car.
ZACK
Well, doesn’t that count as leaving the
house?
DENNY
Well, did you jerk off in there?
ZACK
No.
DENNY
You know what? I believe you. You know
why? ‘Cause you still look bad. Now what
I was figuring was, we categorize them. We
make a pile for the naked chicks, a pile for
the het stuff, a pile for the lesbo stuff, a pile
for the really kinky stuff, and then “other”.
See, what I really need to be able to locate
is the bestiality. I know there’s like at least
two dogs and a monkey in here somewhere.
ZACK
All right. All right, fine, whatever. Just as long
as we get it cleaned up before my parents get
back.
DENNY
Hell, man, you can keep all these if you want.
I mean, these are just my spares.
TITLE CARD: “Sunday 1:04 a.m.”
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Denny is passed out on the sofa. Again, porn music and moans emanate from the TV. Zack is nowhere in sight.
INT. BATHROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Here he is. He stands in front of the toilet, framed in the same shot as before, trying to talk himself out of it. His hands are below his waist, out of our view. He begins to move one of them. He closes his eyes. A warm sigh passes through him. His eyes snap open.
ZACK
Okay, didn’t count, didn’t count. I just
touched it, I didn’t really do anything. I’m
still good. Okay. Time to go to bed.
With great regret, he zips his pants.
TITLE CARD: “10:25 p.m.”
INT. ZACK’S BEDROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack is asleep on his bed. He wakes up and stumbles out of bed. He’s visibly shaking, and the dark circles under his eyes imply he didn’t get much sleep despite the hour he’s getting up.
INT. ZACK’S LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack stumbles in, bleary. Denny is on the sofa, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
DENNY
Morning glory. Shower yet?
INT. ZACK’S BATHROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
This is inside Zack’s head. It’s CLOSE-UPS of the inside of the shower--the faucets, the knobs, the nozzle. As phallic as possible. Then a slow
ZOOM-IN on the soap.
INT. ZACK’S LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
ZACK
I better not.
DENNY
Fine.
He sniffs and coughs, hinting that Zack is a stinky boy.
TITLE CARD: “4:16 p.m.”
INT. KITCHEN, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
Zack and Denny have acquired a deck of nude playing cards, and they’re vigorously playing
War at the kitchen table. This whole scene is shot in claustrophobic CLOSEUPS.
Denny SMACKS a card down. Ten. Zack SMACKS down another. Jack. Zack takes the two cards. The look in his eyes is something a little too intense. Denny SMACKS a card down. Seven. Zack SMACKS a card down. Three. Denny takes the two cards. Now Zack looks geniunely scary, but Denny looks unfazed. Zack SMACKS a card down. Eight. Denny SMACKS a card down. Eight. Denny’s eyes widen. Zack’s eyes light up. Both of them scramble madly to SLAP down four more cards in unison. At the end of Denny’s line is a queen. At the end of Zack’s...a jack. Zack POUNDS the table in frustration.
ZACK
FUUUUUUUCK!!!
TITLE CARD: “9:48 p.m.”
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Zack sits on the couch. He’s far off somewhere; his mind is unfocused and simultaneously fixated. He wavers in and out, trying to ignore the sound that’s coming from the bathroom:
DENNY (O.S.)
(singing)
Oh, and when I spank my monkey
I sing the wanking song.
A ditty fun and funky
for playing with my dong.
Oh how nicely you have grown
my lovely little schlong,
but I wouldn’t be here all alone
INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Denny is sitting on the toilet, fully clothed--he’s just fucking with Zack’s head.
DENNY
if youuuuu were veeeeeryyyy
loooooooooong!
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
We hear a FLUSH, and a DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. Denny comes back onto the scene.
DENNY
Oh, my little tune didn’t entice you to take
matters into your own hands? Hmmm. Well
how else could I convince you to make
yourself happy?
ZACK
Just two more hours. That’s all. Just two
hours.
DENNY
I’ve got it! I’ll just call Molly and ask her
what her problem is!
He strides over to the phone. Zack looks in horror.
ZACK
Don’t! She’s hung up about it enough as it is!
DENNY
And I, for one, am curious why, aren’t you?
He picks up the receiver and begins dialing. Zack leaves the couch and walks to Denny.
ZACK
She’ll hang up on you!
DENNY
So what are you afraid of?
ZACK
Because she’ll never forgive me!
DENNY
Hi, Molly? It’s Denny. Listen, did you ever
just take your finger and--
Zack TUGS the phone cord out of the wall.
ZACK
All right. I’ll do it. Is that what you want to
hear?
DENNY
Isn’t that what you want to hear?
Zack doesn’t answer. He walks off toward the bathroom. Denny ushers him inside and Zack shuts the door. Denny leans against it.
DENNY
I’m really glad you decided to do it, man.
No girl is worth putting yourself through
this.
Inside, Zack (framed as he was before, not as Denny just was) has his face in his hands. He’s torn.
DENNY (O.S.)
So, I think you should just dump her
tonight. I mean, why wait until the
morning?
Cut to Denny, outside.
DENNY
Don’t let it seem like she got the better
of you. Just tell her you’re not gonna take--
ZACK (O.S.)
Could you shut up, please?
Cut to inside. Zack is staring at the toilet. It’s huge, taunting him.
DENNY
Sure, man.
We hear Denny walking away, whistling his song.
ZACK
(whispered, to himself)
I can’t think straight! If I just do it, then...
it’ll be done and I can go on with my
fucking life.
He takes a deep breath and unzips his fly. He begins to masturbate, slowly at first, then quickly, then very quickly. We can hear the tiniest
BUZZ of light fixtures, and the
CRICKETS outside. His whole face is screwed up. He’s moving his arm faster and faster and then--
He shudders, and his eyes slowly open. We hear PLOPS in the toilet. He’s looking down at the toilet and himself with an almost detached air. He doesn’t seem to have experienced any pleasure. His face forms into a frown.
He POUNDS the wall with his fist (not the fist he was masturbating with).
ZACK
What the hell! That sucked!
CREDITS--WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER,
CINEMATOGRAPHER
VERY UPBEAT MUSIC on the credits--
Latin, with lots of horns. Over the
D.P. credit we hear the BEEP of an answering machine. We go back into the film. The music remains low under:
INT. LIVING ROOM, MOLLY’S HOUSE - DAY
Start with a CU of the answering machine. Then go into a series of shots of all the rooms in Molly’s house, empty of people.
INT. MOLLY’S BEDROOM - DAY
INT. MOLLY’S PARENTS’ BEDROOM - DAY
INT. PETEY’S BEDROOM - DAY
INT. MOLLY’S KITCHEN - DAY
INT. MOLLY’S LIVING ROOM - DAY
We start static, then pan around to see the answering machine on an end table. Molly and PETEY, her 10-year-old brother, are flanking it, listening. Under all this, we hear:
ZACK (O.S.)
(on answering machine tape)
Hi, Molly, it’s me. I, uh, I wasn’t able to
do it. I...played video games last night. But
the thing is...I’m not sorry. I mean, for some
reason, it was like the worst game I ever
played in my life, but still, putting myself
under all this pressure is just not worth it.
And while we were together and I was
playing video games all the time and you
didn’t know about it, they were great.
They were great games. When I was
thinking about you. So, I love you, Molly,
but if you have to control my life to be a
part of it, I’d just rather say...goodbye.
BEEP.
PETEY
What kind of video games is he talking
about playing?
MOLLY
The same kind you play, Petey.
CREDITS--ACTORS
Under the last credit, we hear a different BEEP and then we’re back in again:
INT. LIVING ROOM, ZACK’S HOUSE - DAY
This time it’s Zack’s answering machine. He’s standing watching it with his arms folded. He’s making her
come to him.
MOLLY
Hi, Zack. Look, I think I might have
been a little bit of a bitch. I mean, I
thought I was doing the right thing, but
how do I know for sure? I mean, nobody
ever talks about...video games...so...how
do I know what’s normal? But you seem
to know just what you’re doing. Look, I
know I might have seemed a little hung up
or whatever but the other day I kind of
accidentally walked in on my brother...like
doing that...and it really weirded me out. I
don’t know. But listen. I know you sounded
kind of mad. I mean I think I never heard
you that mad before. It was kind of...sexy.
So listen, if you’re not doing anything, give
me a call, because I want you to come over
so we can, uh...watch some baseball.
Zack raises his eyebrows and grins. We hear the CRACK of the bat and the crowd ROARING.
CREDITS--the rest of them.
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