THE OTHER HEART
Screenplay

EXT. THE PARKING LOT OF SONIC BURGER - DAY

John, Ricky and Pudd sit in the car, eating.

RICKY
(re: corn dog) This tastes like a stalactite!

PUDD
Good one!

JOHN
You guys picked this place. Suffer.

PUDD
Ricky, why is your brother is so ill-humored today?

JOHN
I’m under a lot of pressure here. It’s the countdown.

PUDD
So what’s the plan, man? How you gonna make her stay put?

JOHN
I gotta make her want to.

PUDD
Let’s lock her in the basement and tie her up.

RICKY
I got rope!

PUDD
Excellent. Then we can make her dance and charge people to come over and watch her.

JOHN
C’mon, man! Throw me a line.

PUDD
Follow her to Boston and stalk her.

RICKY
What’s stalk?

PUDD
To pursue relentlessly.

JOHN
That’s kind of how I got her to go out with me in the first place.

PUDD
Alright, look. Where are you taking her this weekend?

JOHN
I don’t know! I’m under a lot of--

PUDD
Take her somewhere fun. Make her laugh. It’s what you do best. She’ll be putty.

RICKY
I wanna go to the zoo!

EXT. CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO - DAY

On Cheyenne Mountain, John, Ricky and Daniella walk along an outdoor path. Zoo animals roam inside fenced areas.

RICKY
Hurry up! There’s monkeys!

JOHN
(to Daniella) No way! You live right down the hill and you never came up here your whole life?

DANIELLA
Did I miss something?

JOHN
This place is so cool!

RICKY
Told you!

DANIELLA
If you don’t mind the smell.

JOHN
(sniffing) What smell?
They stop in front of a fenced-in area which encloses a few white-tail mountain deer.

JOHN
Lookit the way they move their necks. Like thus.
John imitates the deer, trying to make Daniella laugh.

DANIELLA
They’re inscrutable.
John looks puzzled.

DANIELLA
You can’t tell what they’re thinking.

JOHN
Like you.

RICKY
Here’s where the monkeys live!
John shrugs apologetically and they follow Ricky in.

INT. MONKEY HOUSE AT THE ZOO - DAY

Ricky runs off to watch a cagefull of monkeys swinging.
John and Daniella stare at a baboon, which stares  directly back at them.

DANIELLA
You can tell exactly what this one’s thinking.

JOHN
Yes, he’s quite scrutable.

DANIELLA
(to the baboon) What’s the matter?
John thinks she’s talking to him.

JOHN
No, I’m just--
John faces Daniella. His expression looks just like the baboon’s natural sad face. Daniella laughs.

JOHN
What? C’mon, what’s funny?
Daniella kisses his cheek.

RICKY
You guys! C’mere! The monkeys are screwin’!

INT. GIFT SHOP/SNACK BAR AT CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO

Ricky plays with the toys in the gift shop.
Daniella and John sit opposite each other at a table in the snack bar area. She sips bottled water, as John wolfs down a few hot dogs loaded with condiments.

JOHN
C’mon, have a bite--just a teeny one.
He wags a hot dog in her face.

DANIELLA
No thanks. Nitrates.

JOHN
I heard those are good for you.

DANIELLA
I wish I knew when you were kidding.
He chows down. Awkward silence.

JOHN
I’m sorry I took you here. I know you don’t like animals. Or kids. Or hot dogs. Or--

DANIELLA
(interrupting)
John, ever since we--

JOHN
Don’t.

DANIELLA
What?

JOHN
Make a speech. Sounds like your gonna make a speech.

DANIELLA
I just--

JOHN
It’s your mother, right?

DANIELLA
No! This is about you and me.

JOHN
And your mother. It’s always about me, you and your mother. (a beat, then:) Why are you going away?

DANIELLA
Guess!

JOHN
Can’t you like, do dance in Denver or something? Do you have to go so far?

DANIELLA
Far is the point.

JOHN
What about me? I’m just supposed to sit here and wait!?

DANIELLA
I never asked you--

JOHN
Well I want to sit here and wait! I don’t want anyone else! You’re perfect.

DANIELLA
Here we go again.

JOHN
Your eyes are perfect, you hair is perfect--look at it! Even your name is perfect-

DANIELLA
Who’s making speeches? You’re not listening to me.

JOHN
Listen to me! Don’t go!

DANIELLA
Make me.

JOHN
What?

DANIELLA
Make me stay here with you!

JOHN
I’ll--I mean--I’ll do anything you want! Just don’t go.

DANIELLA
Don’t just tell me to stay! Do something!

JOHN
What? I can’t--I mean--You want me to just--

DANIELLA
That’s right, John--stay in your cave!
Daniella runs out of the snack bar.

JOHN
(yelling after her)
Does this mean you’re breaking up with me? ‘Cause you never said it! If you don’t say it, it doesn’t count!
Daniella runs off. Ricky hurries over.

RICKY
Can I get this Barrel of Monkeys?
He pulls a few small plastic monkeys out of a cannister.

RICKY
See, they got long tails and you hook ‘em like this with the arms so they stay together.
He demonstrates, as John watches Daniella disappear.