PV & Franny - Act 1

Go, Samory, No, sounds like a prison. Here we go one, two, three,
Samory Ready, I love this all right?
And Ty whenever.
You're in.
Act one Interior Overton High Day. We're just inside the
front doors of a large public high school. We pan
around the room, a wall covered in construction paper, posters
about American presidents, a water fountain dribbling gently, the girl's bathroom,
which opens to disgorged Judy sixteen.
She looks upset for a brief moment.
We hear her voice over, which fades away as she
walks out of frame.
But if Colin doesn't like me, then why did he
ask me to help him with his homework?
We're still panning in the front doors the boys bathroom,
and finally we're back where we started, only now someone
in a bulldog mascot costume stands in front of the posters,
looking vaguely minister. He pulls his cigarette out of a
pocket and lights it. He raises it to his grilled mouth.
The tip flares up, and a moment later, smoke seeps
out of the grill.
We hear the squeaking of rubber, soul and tile.
The bulldog looks over and sees Franny Blevins, a fifteen
year old Elvis Costello who stops in front of a
flyer close on Franny's face as his eyes scan the text.
After a moment, we hear a tearing sound and Franny disappears,
leaving the bulldog in the background staring after him. Exterior
Seattle Streets, afternoon. That sounded so dragnet Exterior Exterior Seattle Streets, afternoon. Franny,
chased by a small dog, bikes along a commercial street.
He looks two D like a game of Excite Bike.
I was struck by the flier and decided I had
to meet its author immediately.
Interior coffee shop, afternoon, p V. Gornic fifteen.
A bespectacled girl with long black hair and torn up
clothes sits writing.
In a notebook.
On the table are two small white cassio keyboards and
a clockenspiel. She wears thimbles on all of her fingers,
which makes writing difficult. Suddenly, a flyer slams down in
front of her.
Is this your flyer?
Insert? The flyer reads, seeking bandmates.
Influences include Sonic Youth, Except NYC, Ghosts and Flowers, James Blake,
James Dean, James Taylor, James Baldwin, and Rick James find
me after school at that one coffee shop. PEV looks
up at Franny examines him.
I didn't think much of him at first.
No, she continues, writing, have we met before?
Not to my knowledge, I only started at Overton this week.
I used to be homeschooled, but my tutor died.
Interior PV's house, living room flashback. PV sits opposite her tutor,
an ancient woman who appears to be a sleep PV
glances up from a geometry.
Textbook, Missus Llewellyn.
Interior coffee shop, continuous with before.
No, I'm pretty sure we've met. Then again, I have
a terrible memory. They say that's a prerequisite for happiness,
not so good for history exams.
What's your name?
PV pauses in a writing.
But he was persistent, and persistence is important in any
artistic endeavor. Did you know that the Beatles played more
than six hundred shows before they even got signed? Did
you know that the Beatles played more than six hundred
shows before they even got signed?
I didn't, but I do know that there are more
than three hundred and fifty thousand different kinds of beatles.
I'm Franny PV.
I'm sorry I was brusque before. I just hate meaning
new people and old people.
PV like the amplifier.
M hm tie. On page three, we just missed one
pickup right in the middle of the scene.
In the middle of page three, it says instead a
picture of a PB amplifier.
Oh okay, this was marked out in mind.
Oh sorry, yeah, I'm just not going to take responsibility.
This is not my fault. This is not my fault.
It was not.
Some fire.
I'm not sure if I can. What does I say?
It's an insert a picture of a PB amplifier.
Okayet inset inset yes, in set intel in bread a
picture of a PV amplifier. In set a picture of
a PV amplifier.
That's your real name, I had I legally changed.
Interior City Hall flashback. PV stands at the desk. A
registrar looks over her application.
He needs to be eighteen to change your name without.
A guardian present diam eighteen.
She presents a driver's license inset PV's fake driver's license.
Her real name is blurred out, and her birthday is
shown as twelve twenty five, two thousand and four.
Did you laminate this yourself?
Of course not.
Interior Kinko's another flashback. PV stands at the desk. A
Kinko's employee looks over the as yet unlaminated fake driver's license.
Uh are you trying to give me to laminate a
fake driver's license?
Of course not.
We hear the sound of a copy or PEV looks
over and sees Franny making copies. Interior Coffee Shop, continuous.
With before I knew we'd met before.
Franny sits down opposite PV.
I guess we have what were you making copies of? Anyway?
Interior Kinko's continuous with previous flashback. Franny pulls one of
the flyers out of the tray. Inset. Franny's flyer shows
a very ugly dog, along with the text trying to
lose this dog answers to Lemur. Please, if you see him,
do not return him to me Franni. Interior Coffee Shop,
continuous with before did it work? Franny points Lemur's waiting
outside the coffee shop, just next to Franny's bike.
Man, that's one ugly dog.
Sorry, it's okay, So you want to start a band.
No, I want to continue a band, but with more
musicians than I have.
Now, Oh, how many musicians do you have? Now?
One? What do you play?
Guitar?
Leader, rhythm?
Yes, what about you?
Primarily cassio, biltone, monophonic synthesizer and glockenspiel.
Cool. So what do you want to call the band?
What's your name again, Franny?
Hmmm? Probably just PV?
Then okay, what about the album?
I'm torn at the moment.
Either My Sorrow is Depthless or Where's My Pony?
They're both really good.
I know you want to hear a song?
Sure.
PEV stands up and shouts at the baristo, who has
been playing a tranquil Nora Jones tune.
Hey Hey.
He turns off the song, and she sits cross legged
cracks her knuckles.
This one's called don't touch Me.
PV begins. We hear a full band, even though it's
just her playing.
Don't touch me, don't touch me if you touch me.
I think I'm gonna scream, don't touch me, don't touch me.
If you touch me. I think I'm gonna scream.
Don't don't touch me.
Do don't touch me?
If you don't touch me.
I think I'm gonna scream.
Don't don't touch me, do don't touch me.
If you don't touch me.
I think I'm gonna scream.
I don't like you. I think I even hate you.
I don't hate you. I think maybe I love you.
I don't love you. I don't even like you. Don't
touch me, don't touch me, don't, don't don't touch me. Don't, don't,
don't touch me. If you don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't.
Don't touch me.
Don't, don't, don't touch me. If you don't, don't, don't, don't, don't.
I don't like you.
I think I even hate you.
You.
I think maybe I love you even like you.
Don't touch me, don't.
Don't talk to me. Silence.
A number of customers have left Franny's, clearly in love
after a beat that barista turns Nora back on.
That was awesome.
I know, Oh sorry, thank you.
Now, if we're thinking of starting a band, obviously, I'll
have to audition you.
How's your lunch period looking? Tomorrow?
Wide open interior, overton lunch room. The next day, we're
in a traditional high school lunchroom. Franni enters he spots
TV alone at a table.
Hey, so you want to go straight to the music
room or should we eat?
Somebody hates me?
What?
Somebody hates me?
I got a hate note in my locker. We have
to figure out who put it there.
What about the audition?
This is the audition.
A band is a family, Franny, we have to support
each other holistically.
Now, who do you think wrote it?
She glances around the lunch room.
What about him? He looks mean?
I doubt it. That's Dale Wilson in the World's Nicest Bully.
We slide over to Dale Wilson, who does indeed look
super mean. A small kid walks over and fearfully deposits
a handful of change on the table.
Here's my lunch money deal.
I've told you a million times. I don't want your money.
I'm sorry, it's not more.
I'll do better tomorrow.
He scurries off. Dale looks confused, even hurt.
Please don't.
We slide back to Pev and Franny.
Okay, what about her? She's got crazy eyes.
No, that's Aaron Coltrera, Editor at large for the Overton
Free Press.
Aaron Coltrera a mousey girl in over Large hipster glasses
interviewing the bulldog mascot for the last time.
Who's inside?
That costs you?
No comment? We slide back to PV and Franny.
Aaron's always looking for dirt, but she's mostly harmless.
Okay, and what about that girl?
Huh?
That's Judy Cortland. She's weird, but only because she thinks
she's a protagonist.
We pull back to find Judy sitting at a table
directly in front of PV and Franny, who suddenly go
blurry as if they become background characters.
There's Colin over there. I'm not going to look at him. Crap,
I looked at him. What are those two weirdos doing
looking at me? I bet they're just jealous of what
I have with Colin?
See what I mean?
Everybody else is just a side character in her story.
It's super annoying.
We return focus to PV and Franny.
You aren't important enough to Amereta Hayden?
No, then, who did it?
Well?
Have you roked anyone recently?
I did stop by rehearsal for the Overton Orchestree yesterday.
The interior music Room day the Orchestra wraps up a
pretty terrible rendition of when the Saints go marching in.
After the last note is parted out, Pev stands up
in the back of the room.
That was terrible.
None of you can be in my band.
That was terrible.
None of you can be in my band. Maybe just
back off it?
Just me, I honestly thought that was the note. I
would be a little more gentle.
That was terrible. None of you can be in my band?
She storms out the Triangle player dings the Triangle interior
over to lunchroom, continuous with before.
You're right, Franny, it must have been one of those
terrible musicians.
You've passed your audition. Let's start a band.
She puts out a hand to shake, but as Franny
reaches for it, Pev pulls back.
Just to be perfectly clear, once we're in a band together,
there can never be any sort of romantic relationship between us.
Oh why, I mean not that it, but why exactly?
Because artistic collaboration and romance are incompatible.
What about Fleewood Mac. We see a brief picture of
Stevie and Lindsay. We'll see brief flashes of every band couple.
Franny mentions, sure, but and the white stripes, the Cramps Arcade, Fire, Sonic, Youth, Abba,
New Order, I don't know, Blondie, Stereo lab, the Cocktail Twins.
Those are just the many exceptions that prove the rule. Okay,
so you can take.
It or leave it.
She offers her hand again. Franny agonizes, no way.
Could I have any problem with that? So I'm shaking
your hand now.
Eventually he does great Platonic Bandmates for Life, first rehearsal tomorrow.
Sure, Oh wait, I can't. I've got Chinese class. We'll
have to do Wednesday.
You speak Chinese, say something.
Okay oshen?
When need this?
Zuyba subtitled translation appears, I want to kiss your mouth?
What does that mean?
I dumpling? See you Wednesday.
Franny turns and walks off interior Chinese classroom.
Evening.
The class is being led through some drills by a
Chinese instructor. Phrases for wooing and courtship has been written
on the board. Franny's distracted, covering his workbook with PV
written in the style of the PV amplifier's logo.
Even though we were bandmates now, I couldn't stop having
romantical thoughts about PV. It made it difficult to concentrate.
Was jang ting when need its way? Subtitle I want
to kiss you on the mouth? Y woman? Waitoad fun
ba subtitle Let's go back to my place woman.
By the time Wednesday night rolled around, I was a
ball of nerves.
Nita pung Yona subtitle what about your friend? Is she single?
I had to be charming and I've never been very
good at charming.
Yeah me wrong?
Watch see walk ganju walufa who.
See subtitle You're smothering me. I feel like I can't breathe, so.
I invited my best friend over to advise me.
Interior Franny's Room night close on Aj Vascher, a young fifteen.
He's extremely dorky, but with an unshakable and frankly inexplicable confidence.
Rannie, it's all about confidence. If you think you're then
she'll think you're cool.
Look at me.
I know I'm cool, which makes me even cooler than
if I just thought I was.
We pull back to see that the two of them
are playing magic the Gathering.
And I'll remove three tokens from chre torture defiance to
deal four damage to your Angel of Acid. I don't know, Aj,
I'm not your confidence can be simulated. That's just something
unconfident people say. Exactly, attack, attack, attack, and I think
you're dead.
That's four six nine damage. Yep, you're dead. Sorry, you
got any food? No, but my mom left money so
I could order something.
Franny points to a fan of five dollar bills pinned
to a bulletin board. A note says for anything but.
Pizza, pizza obviously.
Exterior Seattle Streets, afternoon. Franny bike's along the streets, holding
his guitar in one hand.
Lemur is still running along behind him.
On the way to PV's house. I was nearly overcome
with anxiety, even with the encouraging notes I'd written on.
The backs of my hands.
Franny glances down at the back of his hands. On
the left, he's written you are cool. On the right
see other hand. Exterior Pev's House, afternoon. Franny looks up
at the house. It's a castle. You could host royalty here.
Franny ties up leamer and passes through a gate. Exterior
PV's house, gardens continuous. Franny passes through an elaborate Japanese garden.
Franny crunches across the gravel of a wilder English style garden,
Franny crosses a tennis court overgrown with weeds, in a
croquet pitch in a putting green where a creepy groundskeeper
is trimming the grass with nail scissors. They make eye contact.
Franny finally arrives at the enormous front door. He presses
the doorbell. Beat don't go in there. Franny turns The
groundskeeper is very close.
Don't go in there.
Why not because.
We're renovating the foyer. Oh, he uses side door.
Thanks.
Franny goes. The grounds keeper notices a blemish on the
front door. He raises an electric sander he wasn't holding
a few seconds ago, and begins sanding the door.
I could do that.
Interior interior, Pev's House. Moments later, Franny enters a large
dining room.
Hello, Franny, is that you come upstairs?
Okay?
Franny looks around but doesn't see any stairs. He passes
through a restaurant sized kitchen, a sitting room, a.
Drawing room, and an indoor bowling alley.
Finally, he finds a small elevator manned by a doorman
who looks exactly like the groundskeeper. Interior elevator continuous.
So is that guy outside your twin brother.
What guy outside?
An uncomfortable pause, the elevator stops second floor, same as
the first. Franny exits the elevator. Interior PV's bedroom a
while later. PV's room is gigantic.
A large portion of it has given over to musical
instruments and recording equipment. Franny Marvel's at a nearly wall
sized poster of the band The Stranglers.
You a Stranglers fan.
Franny turns to find PV sitting on the bed.
I don't think I know them well.
You should.
We'll do an overview of seminal punk rock musicians at
a future rehearsal.
PV notices Franny's guitar.
You didn't have to bring that. I've got plenty of
guitars here.
PV gestures towards a rack of at least twenty guitars.
WHOA, I can see that.
Yeah, my parents buy me a lot of presents. It's
how they make up for their lack of presence. Exactly.
I think they're getting divorced, and it'll be contentious too,
because of all the money. Money makes people crazy, even
more than love.
I think where'd it come from?
Who can say where love comes from pheromones.
I guess, oh, I meant the money.
Oh, bottled water, bottled water.
Yeah, tapwater, bottled water.
Insert a still image of tapwater bottled water.
The catchphrase on the label says, who's got time to
walk to the sink?
Tap water bottled water? It's tapwater only bottled tap water,
bottled water.
This is not.
Me.
Oh yeah, that stuffs great, really quenching.
Yeah, my grandfather invented it, which meant my parents never
had to work, so they make music, terrible music, by
which I mean classical.
My parents were never together, and my mom's a pilot,
so I don't see her much. That's why I do
so many extracurricular activities like Chinese class yeah, andrama club
and guitar lessons, book club, aerial gymnastics.
Interior blacksmith day Franni stands next to an anvil.
I'm apprenticed to a blacksmith.
Exterior stable.
Day Franny brushes the main of a miniature horse.
I grew miniature horses, even though I'm allergic.
He sneezes, spooking the horse. Sure, it's an exterior garden.
Day Franny's drying a cactus with a hair dryer and.
I'm a member of the Succulent Horticultural Society of Seattle.
It's difficult to grow cacti here because of all the rain,
so we do a lot of drying.
Interior PV's bedroom continuous with before Franni sits down at
the mixing board.
Anyway, how do you want to start? Should we write
a song?
I think I should hear one of your originals.
Then we can attempt to synthesize our style into a
cohesive pole.
Okay, Franni takes out his guitar, a sheep busted up acoustic.
He takes a deep breath.
How about a love song,