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Home Write me Photography - NYC 2085 - Wish You Were Here! Repubblica Blogroll Writing Sites WritersNet Paper Cuts Galley Cat A Newbie's Guide To Publishing Pub Rants Becoming A Writer Seriously The Rejecter Screenplay Sites Writer's Guild, East Nicholl's Fellowships Scriptapalooza By Ken Levine IFP copyright © 2008 manwithapen.com	The Annetteology FADE IN: EXT. HUDSON RIVER - DAY. VIRGINIA steers a small sailboat down river under a clear blue sky and the approving eye of her instructor, ED, and “life coach,” ANNETTE TRUVALI. ED Annette, why don’t you let the sail out a little? ANNETTE Okay. How’s that? ED Little more. Good. Virginia, a little to port. Always give yourself a wide berth when another boat’s coming upriver. VIRGINIA Port? How about I... ED Port. Good. Keep this course. VIRGINIA Aye-aye, Cap’n! ANNETTE You’re in control of this vessel, Virginia. Isn’t that right? ED Total control. ANNETTE How’s that feel? VIRGINIA It feels great. Great. ANNETTE If you can control this boat and be responsible for the lives on it, you can control your life back on land. Isn’t that right, Ed? ED Ought to be. Ed reaches into a small cooler and pulls out a sandwich. ED (CONT’D) Anybody? ANNETTE I’m fine. VIRGINIA Later. ED Suit yourselves. They sail on, soon enough passing under the Verrazano Bridge. ANNETTE It’s beautiful out here. ED Nothing but us and ocean now. VIRGINIA The ocean? The ocean’s pretty big. ED Don’t worry, just keep ‘er steady. You’re doing fine. They sail on. Annette revels in her pupil’s success. VIRGINIA Annette, this is great, I feel, just great. ANNETTE It was all inside of you, you just needed help drawing it out. EXT. HUDSON RIVER Annette looks around at the water, and turns back to see the city behind them. Where the sky was blue before, there are dark clouds. ANNETTE Hey. ED That looks nasty. VIRGINIA What? Oh, my. ANNETTE Is that coming this way? ED Maybe it’s time to turn back. VIRGINIA And head into it? ED Once it’s on top of us, won’t matter which way we’re pointed. Annette, take up that line. Virginia, let’s cut to port and flip it around. Got it? VIRGINIA Got it. ANNETTE This line? ED Untie it. Be ready to pull the sail in when she turns. ANNETTE Okay. ED Virginia? VIRGINIA Let’s go. She pulls the tiller and begins the turn. ED Pull in the line. Annette tries to pull in the line, but looses her grip on it. ANNETTE Oh, shit! ED Pick it up. She does, and pulls the boom in. ED (CONT’D) Let it out. The sail’s boom flies out as Virginia completes her turn. The boat’s now headed upriver, and into the storm. ED Virginia, you good? VIRGINIA I’m good. ED Annette? ANNETTE When do we call for help? ED If either of you get nervous or can’t handle it, I’ll take over the whole boat. Deal? VIRGINIA Deal. Annette? ANNETTE No call for help? VIRGINIA I can do this. ANNETTE Deal. ED You’ll be okay. The storm comes on quickly, darkening the skies and roiling the water. But Virginia, with grim determination, deftly guides the little vessel. ANNETTE This is nuts! ED Remember, steer directly into the waves. They hits us on the flanks, they’ll flip us. VIRGINIA Got it. Annette, let the sail out a little. She does. A little. Waves come at them furiously. Virginia steers the boat straight into them. Annette loses grip of the rope. ANNETTE Ahh! Ed grabs the rope, secures the sail and hands it back to Annette. ED You okay? ANNETTE No. ED Just hold onto the line. VIRGINIA (With vigor.) Ahh, Jesus! ED Nice, well done. VIRGINIA Come on! ED You got it. Good girl. VIRGINIA (To Annette.) Pull in that line. ANNETTE What are you doing?! VIRGINIA Tacking. ANNETTE Well tack over that way. I don’t want to die in Jersey. VIRGINIA Annette! Make ready on the sail; we’re gonna flip ‘er starboard. ANNETTE I’ve created a Captain Bligh. Under Virginia’s steady hand, they execute the maneuver perfectly. EXT. THE MARINA - DAY. As fast as it came, the storm’s past. The sailboat glides into a berth in the marina. The saturated mariners - Virginia, Annette and Ed - secure the boat. VIRGINIA Guess it was just a summer squall. ED You did a great job back there. Kept your head, piloted the boat, got us back safely. I didn’t even lose my sandwich. VIRGINIA Thanks! ANNETTE How about me? ED You didn’t fall overboard. ANNETTE Come on. I was pulling the rope, I was doing all kinds of stuff. ED We got home safely. EXT. THE STREET - DAY. Virginia and Annette walk down the street. VIRGINIA I felt like, that storm was put there, on purpose, to test me. ANNETTE Or to kill you, and me. VIRGINIA Nah, I knew we wouldn’t die. It was fate. ANNETTE Fate. VIRGINIA So, what’s up with the TV show? ANNETTE I meet with the producers next week. We’ll see how it goes. VIRGINIA You’ll get it. You’re the best. They walk by a street musician playing the violin. Annette puts a dollar in his open violin case and the women walk on.

The Annetteology

FADE IN:

EXT. HUDSON RIVER - DAY.
VIRGINIA steers a small sailboat down river under a clear blue sky and the approving eye of her instructor, ED, and “life coach,” ANNETTE TRUVALI.

ED
Annette, why don’t you let the sail out a little?

ANNETTE
Okay. How’s that?

ED
Little more. Good. Virginia, a little to port. Always give yourself a wide berth when another boat’s coming upriver.

VIRGINIA
Port? How about I...

ED
Port. Good. Keep this course.

VIRGINIA
Aye-aye, Cap’n!

ANNETTE
You’re in control of this vessel, Virginia. Isn’t that right?

ED
Total control.

ANNETTE
How’s that feel?

VIRGINIA
It feels great. Great.

ANNETTE
If you can control this boat and be responsible for
the lives on it, you can control your life back on
land. Isn’t that right, Ed?

ED
Ought to be.

Ed reaches into a small cooler and pulls out a sandwich.

ED (CONT’D)
Anybody?

ANNETTE
I’m fine.

VIRGINIA
Later.

ED
Suit yourselves.

They sail on, soon enough passing under the Verrazano Bridge.

ANNETTE
It’s beautiful out here.

ED
Nothing but us and ocean now.

VIRGINIA
The ocean? The ocean’s pretty big.

ED
Don’t worry, just keep ‘er
steady. You’re doing fine.

They sail on. Annette revels in her pupil’s success.

VIRGINIA
Annette, this is great, I feel, just great.

ANNETTE
It was all inside of you, you just needed help drawing it out.

EXT. HUDSON RIVER
Annette looks around at the water, and turns back to see the city behind them. Where the sky was blue before, there are dark clouds.

ANNETTE
Hey.

ED
That looks nasty.

VIRGINIA
What? Oh, my.

ANNETTE
Is that coming this way?

ED
Maybe it’s time to turn back.

VIRGINIA
And head into it?

ED
Once it’s on top of us, won’t matter which way we’re pointed.
Annette, take up that line. Virginia, let’s cut to port
and flip it around. Got it?

VIRGINIA
Got it.

ANNETTE
This line?

ED
Untie it. Be ready to pull the sail in when she turns.

ANNETTE
Okay.

ED
Virginia?

VIRGINIA
Let’s go.

She pulls the tiller and begins the turn.

ED
Pull in the line.

Annette tries to pull in the line, but looses her grip on it.

ANNETTE
Oh, shit!

ED
Pick it up.

She does, and pulls the boom in.

ED (CONT’D)
Let it out.

The sail’s boom flies out as Virginia completes her turn. The boat’s now headed upriver, and into the storm.

ED
Virginia, you good?

VIRGINIA
I’m good.

ED
Annette?

ANNETTE
When do we call for help?

ED
If either of you get nervous or can’t handle it, I’ll take
over the whole boat. Deal?

VIRGINIA
Deal. Annette?

ANNETTE
No call for help?

VIRGINIA
I can do this.

ANNETTE
Deal.

ED
You’ll be okay.

The storm comes on quickly, darkening the skies and roiling the water. But Virginia, with grim determination, deftly guides the little vessel.

ANNETTE
This is nuts!

ED
Remember, steer directly into the waves. They hits us on
the flanks, they’ll flip us.

VIRGINIA
Got it. Annette, let the sail out a little.

She does. A little. Waves come at them furiously. Virginia steers the boat straight into them. Annette loses grip of the rope.

ANNETTE
Ahh!

Ed grabs the rope, secures the sail and hands it back to Annette.

ED
You okay?

ANNETTE
No.

ED
Just hold onto the line.

VIRGINIA
(With vigor.)
Ahh, Jesus!

ED
Nice, well done.

VIRGINIA
Come on!

ED
You got it. Good girl.

VIRGINIA
(To Annette.)
Pull in that line.

ANNETTE
What are you doing?!

VIRGINIA
Tacking.

ANNETTE
Well tack over that way. I don’t want to die in Jersey.

VIRGINIA
Annette! Make ready on the sail; we’re gonna flip ‘er starboard.

ANNETTE
I’ve created a Captain Bligh.

Under Virginia’s steady hand, they execute the maneuver perfectly.

EXT. THE MARINA - DAY.
As fast as it came, the storm’s past. The sailboat glides into a berth in the marina. The saturated mariners - Virginia, Annette and Ed - secure the boat.

VIRGINIA
Guess it was just a summer squall.

ED
You did a great job back there. Kept your head, piloted the boat, got us back safely. I didn’t even lose my sandwich.

VIRGINIA
Thanks!

ANNETTE
How about me?

ED
You didn’t fall overboard.

ANNETTE
Come on. I was pulling the rope, I was doing all kinds of stuff.

ED
We got home safely.

EXT. THE STREET - DAY.
Virginia and Annette walk down the street.

VIRGINIA
I felt like, that storm was put there, on purpose, to test me.

ANNETTE
Or to kill you, and me.

VIRGINIA
Nah, I knew we wouldn’t die. It was fate.

ANNETTE
Fate.

VIRGINIA
So, what’s up with the TV show?

ANNETTE
I meet with the producers next week. We’ll see how it goes.

VIRGINIA
You’ll get it. You’re the best.

They walk by a street musician playing the violin. Annette puts a dollar in his open violin case and the women walk on.