TITLE - Dragonfruit Drifter
STYLE – David Small style, Nicholas Weisz, Miyazaki except more experimental approach. Less clean, more unfinished watercolor look. Especially the background. And things transform into each other.
MAIN CHARACTERS -
Euclid - age 8 boy, rebellious, great imagination, wants adventure, hates the boring
Dr. Stan - pipe, sometimes obnoxious, Euclid's buddy
Mom - caring, loves her son, concerned for his safety, lost her husband.
McNally - free-spirit with no responsibility. drifter. armless - uses feet with dexterity and perfection. Wishes he had a family.
EXT. ROOF– MID-DAY
Euclid is blowing on his pipe on the roof. The rooftop is adorned with a pet rooster eating a reluctant worm, buckets, a bowling pin with a top hat and his dad's picture.
Dr. Stan: Whoa.
Armless homeless dude runs on top of the train, going the opposite direction. Running from the train conductor.
OS: Wowwww…
Jumps off and loops in the air, floats, and lands gracefully on a mushroom tree making many birds fly away.
Euclid: Who is he?
The pipe (Dr. Stan) in his hand, mesmerized, says: ...my brain just exploded.
Euclid takes his glasses off and gives a glance: Nope, still there, Dr. Stan.
Euclid lies back.
Dr. Stan: Wait Euclid! Did you not see that!? You could be the superhobo's armed sidekick. Go meet him!
Euclid responds: ...wouldn't that be something...
Euclid imagines the joy he saw in the jumping hobo and recalls it somewhere. Takes the picture off the bowling pin -- his dad has the same joy seen in the hobo. Cut to a bird's eye of him underneath a dragonfruit tree branch on a higher roof.
TRANSITION = dragonfruit tree silhouette shape turns into a faceless silhouette of a woman walking across revealing Euclid and his mom in town
NEXT DAY – EXT. STREET – MID DAY
Mom takes Euclid out for groceries. He’s carrying a large stone egg and has his toy pipe. People are bland and faceless.
Dr. Stan: Look!
Euclid sees homeless guy on the street, talking to animals. He waves back. Euclid tugs on mom’s shirt. Mom doesn’t care: Let’s go, come on.
Mom again: Euclid. Please!
Mom tugs Euclid away and he looks back.
McNally claps with his feet. Animal laughs.
TRANSITION = happy animal face turns into bummed out Euclid face at dinner
INT. EUCLID'S HOUSE - EVENING
Dr. Stan (continuous throughout the scene): You gotta go meet him, Euc! What if he leaves tonight? Huh? You’re gonna regret it forEVER. Just do it. Imagine his tales of adventure. Everything's boring here anyway! Your mom won’t even notice after dinner. What if you can join him and travel everywhere? This is your chance.
Shot of empty, undecorated dark house with Euclid and Mom eating a silent dinner. Euclid spins around his gruel. Another dad photograph being silly is on the fridge. The mom never makes eye contact. Mom’s face is blurred.
Mom (while Dr. Stan is talking): Get rid of that pipe, sweetie and focus on eating. Remember to chew. Euclid, come on. Why aren’t you eating? Are you even listening ?
Euclid reluctantly places it to the side where the pipe continues.
Dr. Stan (over top of mom's voice): Do it. do it. do it. do it. do it. You know you wanna. Do it. do it. Do it.
Euclid flips out: ALRIGHT!!
(at the same time bangs fist on table and the brain bounces out of Dr. Stan)
Mom looks down at Euclid and his toy pipe. Euclid looks up not sure what to think.
TRANSITION = Euclid escapes onto his ladder that appears behind him and climbs to his rooftop
EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT
Euclid shoves the pipe in the rooster's beak.
Euclid: Sorry Dr. Stan... you've done for today.
He grabs a dragonfruit off the tree and takes off.
Dr. Stan: Aw Euc--don't---
Rooster blows the pipe making him go euphoric.
TRANSITION = floating brains turn into Euclid carrying the dragonfruit.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Euclid shyly brings the dragonfruit to McNally and offers it.
Euclid: ... uh hi I'm Euclid.
McNally smiles, breaks it in half and gives Euclid the other half.
McNally eats his fruit with his feet. Euclid puts his hand in his fruit. McNally kicks the fruit into Euclid's face.
Euclid frowns. They look at each other with fruit all over their face. Pause for 5 seconds. Euclid tries to hold in his laughter. McNally heartily laughs. Euclid responds by letting himself laugh some more.
McNally leans forward: Grab on.
Euclid grabs on to his cape. McNally jumps on a roof and eventually jumps up to a tall mushroom tree and sits down. A stunning view of the bland town. Fireflies rest around the two.
McNally relaxed: Ah. this is nice... so kid, what brings y'here?
Euclid: ... looking for adventure.
McNally: Yer mum must be worried.
Euclid: ... meh. Hey, can I come with you?
McNally: Absolutely not, kid! Responsibility's not for me.
Euclid: I can help you carry stuff.
McNally: Ha! My two feet can outhandle anyone. But let me tell ya, if there's one thing that matters... one thing i wish i had.. it's a family that cared for me. that's real love.
Euclid: Mines so boring.
McNally: Not with you there, it ain't.
Train approaches.
McNally: Oooh! I better run.
McNally jumps on the train and lands.
McNally: Thanks, boy!
Euclid thinks. "Not with you there".
He smiles and waves back.
TRANSITION = Mushroom tree turns into him and his rooster and worm.
EXT. ROOF - DAY
Euclid is playing harmonica. His rooster and worm are dancing to it.
Mom offscreen: Euclid! Lunch!
Euclid brings his pipe to eyelevel.
Euclid: Dr. Stan, please don't talk over my mom anymore.
Dr. Stan: Oh. ...Sure.
TRANSITION = Dr. Stan shrinks into Euclid’s hand
INT. HOME - DAY
He stand by the doorway to the kitchen.
Euclid: Mom. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you yesterday.
Mom: It's alright.
Euclid thinks.
Euclid: Hey... can I show you something?
TRANSITION - mom climbing up on the roof. Her face is no longer blurry.
EXT. ROOF - DAY
Mom: Wow…
Euclid sees his mom’s face and smiles.
Mom: This is magnificent.
Euclid gives mom a dragonfruit.
Mom looks back at the photo of their dad on the top-hatted bowling pin: And dad's here too.
The rooster and the worm also sit.
Mom places Euclid’s head on her shoulder.
Euclid shows her the pipe: This is Dr. Stan... he's my sidekick.
Dr. Stan: Actually, you're mine.
Pans up to the sky.
END
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