This is the second of what I expect to be three drafts in a ten minute movie im making when school starts. I think the ending might lose a little momentum. Anyway please read it and share any feedback. Also I hate the title so any suggestions on taht would be good.

Fade In

TITLE CARD - The Method Actor

Int. Auditorium

SERIES OF SHOTS

House lights fire into action. Blue curtains are lit by red, blue and white lighting. Someone cranks the curtain pulley. The curtains retract to the stage wings. The lights now bounce onto the stage itself. Someone in a white shirt and jeans rolls a mirror to center stage. Then a stool.

SOMEONE (O.S.)
(Spastic)
Quiet. Everyone just quiet down. We're going up in ten seconds.

OLIVER peaks his head out from behind curtains at stage left. He covers his eyes. Squinting at the blinding house lights. He is dressed in brown coat. He puts on a fedora and scurries towards the stage.

Oliver is jittery. He shakes his hands a bit. Exhaling deeply. He looks out at the audience

OLIVER
(playing a character)
To me nothing beats this. A full house, opening night. The thrill of theater. Nothing's more alive.

Oliver stops and takes off his fedora. He clutches it in his hands.

OLIVER (CONT'D)
But who am I kidding? I'll never have that. I'd be lucky just to have any audience. Have someone see me. Hear me. Believe in me.

Oliver begins to take the props off stage.

OLIVER (CONT'D)
I'll always be just another actor.

Oliver takes off his coat and fedora. Throwing them on a table stage left. He walks down the stairs in a white shrit and jeans.


SERIES OF SHOTS
Oliver turns off the stage lights. He closes the curtains. The house lights are turned on.

The entire house is filled with chairs. Not one is occupied. Oliver begins stacking the chairs. One after another. There's then wheeled to the nearby wall. The last chair is thrown onto a stack.

Oliver picks up his coat and fedora. He is about to open the door out of the auditorium when he hits his body against it and it doesn't open.

OLIVER
(entertained)
Every time.

Suddenly WESLEY bursts in. He carries a large Starbucks coffee.

WESLEY
(shocked)
Oliver! Should have known you'd be here all early. **** what time is it? 6 maybe?

Oliver adjusts his fedora hat until it looks just right.

OLIVER
(yawning)
Sounds about right.

Wesley has a grin stretch across his face. He playfully pounds Oliver on the shoulder.

WESLEY
You're not busy are you?

Oliver takes a step back and studies Wesley.

OLIVER
(suspicious)
Maybe, why?

WESLEY
We need to run through my lines. Come on it'll be fun. Follow me.

Wesley opens the door. He directs Oliver forcefully through it.

OLIVER
(obliged)
Ah, what the hell.

Int. School Hallway

Wesley is dressed in a knight's costume. He holds a ridiculous looking pirate sword in his right hand. Oliver stairs in pity.

OLIVER
(shaking his head)
Wow. Wesley you look...Never mind.

Oliver holds a script and lifts it up towards his face. He gives a nod to Wesley.

Wesley mimics an unsheathing of his sword.

WESLEY
(overacting)
Hazaa to the king and his men. For Henry will ride on the next fortnight.

CUT TO

Wesley's expression. One of both anguish and amusement.

WESLEY
What say you m'lord?

Wesley has a blank look. He snaps out of and looks at the script.

OLIVER
(superb acting)
Draw up our swords, then spill their blood!

Wesley nods. Then after a series of forced movements he pretends to dice his sword through the air. Wesley slips backward and trips.

WESLEY'S POV

Oliver is looking down on him shaking his head. He holds out and hand and helps him up.

WESLEY
So what do you think?

OLIVER
I think you need a miracle.

Wesley looks in despair. He slams his fist against a locker. Then he let's his body slide down to the ground.

OLIVER (CONT'D)
But first you need some acting lessons.

Int. Costume Room

Wesley, dressed in the same white shirt and jeans sifts through piles of costumes. He finds a magician's hat and looks intrigued. Wesley puts it on

CUT TO

Wesley with a full magician's costume on. He waves his wand.

WESLEY
Tonight you will witness magic people!

Wesley spreads his arms out and closes his eyes.

WESLEY
What you see is what you get.

He removes his hat and holds it. He begins to wave his wand at the hat. Calm at first then more furious.

WESLEY
It's magic!

Wesley opens his eyes and the hat drops. It tips to the side and a rabbit begins running around the costume room.
Wesley's jaw drops. He sprawls out on the floor and searches for the rabbit.

The rabbit runs back and forth, throughout the room. Wesley's spots it and chases it back into the hat. He sighs and leans against a wall to take a breath.

WESLEY (O.S.)
Oliver?

Oliver snaps out of a doze. He is now wearing his regular clothes but has the hat in hand.

OLIVER
Wesley did you see that?

Wesley looks confused. Oliver looks at the hat and starts looking around.

CUT TO

The magician's costume. Folded up neatly on a box.

Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.

OLIVER
The rabbit. Running around here. From the hat?

WESLEY
A rabbit? What, no. I don't know. Look maybe you need to lie down for a second. I'll get you a glass of water.
OLIVER
NO! Look, I swear I saw a rabbit. When I put on that magician's costume. Now I know it's crazy. But it was as real as anything.

WESLEY
I'm sure you just imagined it.

Oliver starts breathing heavy. His eyes dart all over the room desperately.

OLIVER
It was there Wesley. It was alive. This is no show I'm putting up to impress you.

WESLEY
I better go.

Wesley walks off. Oliver is about to cry. His lips quiver. Cautiously he approaches the hat. He peaks inside and sees nothing.

A rabbit appears out of nowhere inside the hat. Wesley smiles. He starts running towards the door when he looks inside. The rabbit is gone.

Int. Auditorium

Oliver is lying a couch. The couch is in the center of the stage. A blue light is illuminating the scene. Oliver's expression is grim and hopeless.

INSERT

Oliver's watch that reads 9:00pm.

He sighs and looks around. Oliver gets up and walks off stage.

Int. Prop Room

CLOSE UP

The light flickers on.

A prop room is filled with ancient treasures. A tricycle is one of them. Oliver gets on and bikes around with joy.

He pedals down the hallways. Oliver stops and looks at the walls. They are covered with people's names.

Oliver returns to the prop room and gets off the tricycle.

Int. Costume Room

Once again Oliver finds himself here.

OLIVER
I can become whoever I want.

Oliver picks up a basketball jersey.

MONTAGE

Ext. Basketball Court

Oliver falls from the sky and hits the pavement.

OLIVER
Damn that hurt. I own this court now boys.

A ball rolls towards Oliver. He gets up. Oliver dribbles the ball and goes for a lay-up.

Int. Classroom

A basketball falls on top of Oliver. He is dressed professional and takes a bite out of an apple.

OLIVER
Who threw that!

Oliver picks up a measuring stick and slaps it against his fist.

OLIVER
I have had just about enough of you little brats!

He slaps the stick forward.

Int. Costume Room

Oliver swings the stick and hits a wall. He drops the stick and sees an army helmet. Excitedly Oliver puts on the helmet. Then he closes his eyes.

BLACK SCREEN

SAGEANT MAJOR (O.S.)
Platoon. Pull back. I repeat pull back. The enemy is in full force. Get out of this godamned battlefield!

Ext. Forest

Gunfire sounds from all directions. Oliver is in his full army costume. He is lying down. He caulks loads and fires his gun when he realizes he doesn't have one. Oliver pulls out an old style, army phone. He cranks it

OLIVER
Sergeant Major. Get me outta here. I want out!

SERGEANT MAJOR
Relax kid. You're gonna be fine. Just run back.

Oliver looks around in fright. He dashes through the forest. Gunfire continues. Oliver turns around for a split second.

SLOW MOTION

A bullet pierces Oliver's gut. He double's over and his helmet falls off him.

OLIVER
Ahhhh! I didn't want this! I didn't want this!

Int. Costume Room

Oliver is lying in the same position. His helmet is to the side of him. Oliver is wearing his normal clothes once again. Slowly he checks his wound. It is still they are. His shirt is now covered in blood.

OLIVER
It is real, isn't it?

Int. Dressing Room

Oliver bursts through the door and walks up to the sink. He gets paper towel and starts padding his wound. Oliver holds his hands up and there's shaking. He ahs gone into shock. Oliver looks towards the mirror and sees his shaking hands.

OLIVER
(southern accent)
I'm private Matthew Scott.

CUT TO

Int. Auditorium

Oliver is sleeping on the couch. The blue light still illuminates him. Wesley sneaks into the auditorium. He goes into the tech booth. One by one he cranks up all the stage lights.

Oliver shields his eyes from the blinding lights. Wesley walks towards Oliver.

WESLEY
Oliver? What are you doing?

Oliver rubs his eyes. He reaches for his wound, realizing it was real.

OLIVER
Listen to me Wesley. I'm not sure if I'm normal.

WESLEY
What do you mean? Normal?

Oliver lifts up his shirt and shows the wound.

WESLEY (CONT'D)
Holy ****, how'd that happen?

OLIVER
Theatre, well it's my life. I think if something means enough to you. Eventually it becomes real. I can't have this place take away from me.

WESLEY
What place?

OLIVER
The theatre.

Wesley smiles.

WESLEY
Oh come on Oliver. You of all people should know that theatre's everywhere.

CUT TO

Int. Dining Room

Oliver sitting at a dinner table. He is eating alone.

WESLEY (V.O.)
Theatre's at the dinner table.

Ext. Back Yard
Oliver is jumping on a trampoline.

WESLEY (V.O.)
It's on a trampoline.

Int. Super Market

Oliver walks through the aisles with a shopping cart.

WESLEY (V.O.)
Hell. It's even at a super market.

Int. Auditorium

OLIVER
Well that doesn't do **** for me. I don't have any of those things. I don't have a family Wes.

WESLEY
What? I don't understand?

Ext. Oliver's House

Oliver comes out of the side of his house with a junky old red bike.

OLIVER (V.O.)
(describing situation)
Last year. I ran away. I ran away. I couldn't take it. I just sort of went crazy. So I biked as far as I could. Hat's how I ended up here.

Int. Auditorium

OLIVER (CONT'D)
Now I live here.

Wesley is shaking his head.

WESLEY
I known you for a long time man. But you gotta go home. You gotta go back to your family. Deal with whatever's happening.

OLIVER
I can't do that. I can't face that.

WESLEY
Stop pretending Oliver. Jesus. I gotta go.

Wesley storms off stage leaving Oliver alone on the couch. He sits alone for several seconds. Confused. His lip starts to quiver and he looks terrified.

Oliver laughs a bit under his breath. He runs backstage and pulls out a prop door. He shoves the couch away and stands in front. He stares for several seconds at the door. His hand starts to jitter. Then he takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. He opens the door.

OLIVER
Hey mom. It's me. I'm Oliver. Remember? Maybe you've forgotten who I am. But I know who I am now mom. I'm an actor. I hope you can accept that.

Ext. Oliver's House

Establishing Shot - For several seconds we see the same view of Oliver's House as when he left.

Cautiously Oliver bikes to the edge of his house. He lays down his bike and stairs at it. Then after he takes several deep breaths he walks towards the door. The rings the door bell.

The door opens.

Inside POV

OLIVER
Hey mom. It's me. I'm Oliver. Remember? Maybe you've forgotten who I am. But I know who I am mom.

Oliver's POV

OLIVER'S MOM looks in tears. She is shaking.

Inside POV

Oliver is now dressed in his military costume.

OLIVER
I'm an actor.

Int. Auditorium

We return to Oliver in front of the door. The curtains begin to close as we zoom out.

TITLE CARD - The End

Fade Out

I don't want to nag but could someone, anyone please give some feedback. Even if you jsut read the first scene and comment on that. Thanks a million

Wow - it's really original. I'm not sure I totally understand it, but the general idea is really unique. Good dialog too.

Is this something you're considering shooting?

It would need absolutely superb actors to pull it off.

Okay thank you for replying. Yeha I'm shooting it this fall. I already have the top two guys from my drama class as Wesley and Oliver. I'm still having trouble deciding some of the more artistic decisions. Anyway thanks again.