The Bear Who Broke the World
The Bear Who Broke the World
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
The linoleum floor is peeled in places, with dirt wedged between the seams. Dirty dishes in the sink, on the counter.
INT. LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Hardwood floors. Crusty huaraches abandoned near a paisley-patterned couch. Makeshift bookcases - bricks and planks. A fern. BERKELEY BARB newspapers. An ashtray with a roach clip.
An overweight boy of 12, with a crew cut and BLOOD smeared on his face, stares at the curtained WINDOW. This is DAEDALUS STEPHEN O’NEILL (goes by “Steve”). Caked blood on his T-Shirt front, arms, and hands.
SIRENS. Off in the distance. Fire Engine. Getting closer.
Steve takes a deep breath. As he slowly exhales --
INT. PUB – THE STARRY PLOUGH - NIGHT
KEN WITOWSKY (26, scruffy, long hair), laughs loudly, expelling his breath over a dirty blond mustache.
SUPER: “Two Months Earlier”
A mid-sized pub, filled with PEOPLE on long benches and at the bar. Cigarette smoke wafts upward, drifts through the scattered beer bottles, wine glasses, and plates of food.
Mellow late-60’s MUSIC pumps through the pub.
KEN
-- the guy says, ‘That’s not a duck. That’s just my fucking luck.’
He laughs again.
Ken straddles the bench, facing ROSE O’NEILL (29, hard-edged, hair down her back). A half-smile, places her left hand on his. Neither one wears a wedding ring.
Across the table are Steve (heavier than in first scene, hair much longer, draped over his face) and his brother DEMIAN O’NEILL (6, skinny, sweet-faced, huggable). Demian doesn’t get the joke, but giggles anyway.
KEN (CONT’D)
(re: their empty drinks)
Another round?
His words are lost in the VOLUME of the MUSIC.
Demian smiles, nods. Steve shrugs.
Ken kisses Rose, then moves toward the bar. He passes other families, mostly young PARENTS and their young CHILDREN. A MOTHER breast-feeds while holding a conversation. Kids pick at their food, laugh with their siblings. A festive vibe.
NEW MUSIC CUE: Early 70’s Southern Rock
Steve watches Ken near the bar, speaking with KIRBY JOHNSON (24, big blond curls, a long forehead scar) conspiratorially.
Behind the bar, a Calendar is visible: June 1976
Rose takes a sip of her wine.
DEMIAN
(animated)
Mom. Hey, Mom! You know what?
His words are lost in the MUSIC.
ROSE
(distracted - MOUTHS)
What?
Demian looks at her, then down at his hands.
DEMIAN
(MOUTHS)
Never mind.
Rose continues to drink her wine.
INT. PUB - LATER
A movie is PROJECTED onto a pull-down screen. KIDS sit up front, ADULTS behind. Laurel and Hardy in The Music Box. A piano careens down the long flight of stairs.
LAUGHTER from the Pub Patrons.
INT. PUB - LATER
Rose and Ken, cozied up together with drinks in hand. Getting drunk.
A voice breaks through the Music.
ERIC
Hey, Omen!
ERIC ZYDENSKI (8, ratty clothes and hair) passes behind Demian.
Steve’s hand touches Demian’s shoulder. Demian reacts to something Steve said (UNHEARD).
DEMIAN
(MUSIC UP; he MOUTHS)
Nobody.
Eric disappears into the crowd.
INT. PUB - LATER
Another movie on the pull-down-screen. This time it’s Groucho Marx singing a number from Horse Feathers.
Fewer small kids now, more Adults without children.
INT. PUB - LATER
Rose and Ken face-to-face at the table. An argument brewing.
ROSE
You lost your fucking job?!
Ken tries to touch her, calm her.
KEN
Easy, Rose.
She aggressively, drunkenly, pulls away.
INT. PUB - LATER
The CROWD has grown much smaller. The movie screen rolled up and put away.
A MOTHER and FATHER lead their 10-Year-old DAUGHTER out of the Pub. Steve watches them exit. He looks at his watch, then over to Ken and Rose. They lounge on the bench, drinking. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
INT. PUB - LATER
On the table in front of Steve, tiny pools of spilled beer. Half-empty glasses. Cigarette butts.
His finger on the table, drawing the word “HOME” over and over again.
Next to him, Demian sways, fighting sleep.
ACROSS THE ROOM
Ken and Rose hug/dance to the music. All is forgiven.
INT. PUB - LATER
UC BERKELEY STUDENTS at the Bar and entering the Pub. People leaving the Pub. The New Guard replacing the Old.
Ken and Rose, drinking and talking to each other.
Across the table, Demian nearly falls over and off the bench. Steve’s hand steadies him.
STEVE
(VOICE Cuts in and out, competing with MUSIC)
Mom, can... home now?
Rose looks up, then back to Ken.
STEVE (CONT’D)
Mom... Demian is... –ing asleep.
Rose tosses her suede COAT across the table. The fringes land in a puddle of beer.
ROSE
...my jacket... crash on the floor...
STEVE
...both... school tomorrow... last day...
Music Fades.
KEN
So walk him home, Stevie. Your mom and I wanna finish our drinks. Keep our mellow going, you know?
He stares at Ken, confused and unbelieving.
STEVE
(stares at his watch)
But...
Ken has turned away from him.
STEVE (CONT’D)
It’s, like, eleven o’ clock.
(pause)
Ken?
No reaction. Steve gets up, leans over the table toward Rose.
STEVE (CONT’D)
Mom?
Rose is in her wine. Ken stands up, unsteady; the whites of his eyes filled with streaks of red.
KEN
(hard stare at Steve)
Go home.
Steve turns to Demian, asleep now. Back to Ken and Rose.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
The music from the Pub is silenced as the door closes behind Steve and Demian. A dimly-lit street. Subtle night sounds: a car whooshing past, a cricket. But mostly – Silence.
The boys walk up the street, toward home.
DEMIAN
(groggy from sleep)
They’re not coming too?
Steve shakes his head.
STEVE
(gently touches Demian)
They’ll be home later. Don’t worry.