Early Edition — “An Unexamined Life…”
"Early Edition"
"An Unexamined Life..."
COLD OPEN
FADE IN:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
GARY, MARISSA and CHUCK walk down a city street. They stop in front of a movie theater.
CHUCK
I’ll get the tickets.
(holds out his hand)
Uh... Gar?
GARY
Excuse me. Who’s the one with the job?
CHUCK
Who’s the one with the paper? The guy who could buy one measly lotto ticket and be a --
Gary hands Chuck a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet.
GARY
All right, all right. Just... buy the popcorn, or something.
CHUCK
You got it, pal. I’ll even spring for the buttered flavor, if you --
MARISSA
The tickets, Chuck.
Chuck moves swiftly to the box office.
MARISSA (CONT’D)
So, you’re finished for the night, Gary? That’s terrific.
GARY
A slow news day, for once.
MARISSA
This’ll be nice, the three of us at a movie. It’s been a long time.
Chuck saunters back, tickets in hand.
CHUCK
Bad news. The paper was wrong. The flick doesn’t start for another half hour.
GARY
I must’ve been looking at my paper. Tomorrow's showtimes. Sorry.
MARISSA
Perfect. We have time for coffee.
CUT TO:
INT. COFFEE HOUSE - NIGHT
Marissa and Chuck sip their cappuccinos as Gary paws through his paper. We briefly SEE the front page headline: MAYOR SIGNS NEW BILL INTO LAW.
MARISSA
Gary, what are you doing?
GARY
(glancing up)
Huh?
MARISSA
You said you were finished with the paper.
GARY
I was. I am. I just... I’m making sure I didn’t miss anything.
CHUCK
This isn’t healthy, big guy. You gotta learn to give it up once in a while. Live a little.
Gary gets up, folds the paper into his jacket.
GARY
I gotta go.
MARISSA
Gary! What about the movie?
GARY
This won’t take very long. I’ll be back before it starts.
They both give him sour looks as he moves to the door.
GARY (CONT’D)
I’ve got my ticket. Save me a seat.
He exits the coffee house.
CUT TO:
EXT. CHICAGO RIVER - NIGHT
Tour boats litter the harbor, loading and unloading tourists, coming and going. Gary arrives in front of Dock Seven. He checks the paper, confirming that he's where he should be, then moves into the loading area.
The last two people board the boat. As it shoves off from the dock, two twelve-year-old boys appear from behind Gary, running for the boat.
FIRST BOY
We're gonna miss it. Run faster.
Gary takes a quick peek at the headline, which reads: BOYS TAKE THE PLUNGE.
Gary starts after them.
GARY
Hey, wait. Don't do that.
SECOND BOY
Oh, man, your mom's going to be ticked off, isn't she?
FIRST BOY
We can make it. Come on!
Gary is close on their heels as they approach the edge of the dock.
GARY
Fellas, stop!
The Second Boy turns around as Gary gains on them. He loses his footing, begins to tumble over the side, into the water. The First Boy grabs him, but the momentum takes him over as well.
Gary grabs onto the First Boy, but he's still moving with forward momentum, so he too takes the plunge. All three of them hit the water with a loud SPLASH.
As Gary and the boys surface, a woman's voice is heard yelling from the boat. Gary looks at the two boys.
GARY (CONT’D)
I take it that's mom.
The First Boy nods slowly. The woman's voice lingers in the air as we --
CUT TO:
INT. GARY'S HOTEL ROOM - MORNING
Gary is barely visible, bed covers camouflaging his sleeping body. A small shift. His head bolts out from under the comforter.
CHUCK (V.O.)
The universe is an amazing thing. It has a habit of running itself, without any real help from any of us.
Gary grabs the clock. It reads eleven-thirty-four a.m.
GARY
(stuffed-up)
Oh, no.
He sniffs. His nose gurgles, wetly. He runs the back of his hand under his nose. He's definitely got a cold.
GARY (CONT’D)
Oh, no.
Outside the front door, the SOUND of a THUD. Not a PLOP, but a THUD. Followed by Carl the Cat's "MEOW."
CHUCK (V.O.)
But no matter how hard we rationalize that we are only a very small cog in a very big machine, as human beings we can't help believing that our part in this universe is actually much larger than it actually is.
GARY
(to the door)
What took you so long?
He opens the door into the hall. Looks down. A bottle of orange juice is beside the cat. No paper.
GARY (CONT’D)
What's this?
He picks up the o.j. as the cat runs into the room, with a whimsical "MEOW." He stares at the bottle of orange juice.
CHUCK (V.O.)
Which brings us to the guy who gets tomorrow's paper today.
Gary looks down the hall.
CHUCK (V.O.)
If he's not an important part of how the universe runs... who is?
Gary sneezes. Loudly.
FADE OUT.
END OF COLD OPEN