Runaway Bride

       MAGGIE
   (blathering)
  I love you, too.

 They come up for air.

       IKE
  Wait.  We have to talk.  We have to do
  some talking now.  Pull up a railing.

 Maggie sits on the railing, then Ike backs up and sits on the
 opposite railing.

       IKE (cont'd)
  You have to go down an aisle and say "I
  do".  You have to get married.

       MAGGIE
  To who?  Are you asking me?

       IKE
  Me?

 Ike backs up to opposite railing and sits facing Maggie.

       MAGGIE
  Yes, you!

       IKE
   (thinks)
  Well, you do have the dress.

       MAGGIE
  And the church.

       IKE
  And the wedding date.  There's the two
  of us.
   (beat)
  So, you think... maybe... You have to
  go down the aisle with somebody you
  love and who love you back.

       MAGGIE
  I'm okay with that.

       IKE
  So am I.

       MAGGIE
  So, we'll...

 They both nod and sit there smiling, sort of. The organist, Ted,
 closes the church door.

   TED
  Good night.

 Ike pulls his tape recorder out of his pocket and quietly speaks
 into it.

       IKE
  I'm getting married.

 WIDE SHOT:

 They smile at each other and remain sitting.  Then, silence.

       CUT TO:

 EXT. STREET/HALE/ATLANTIC HOTEL - THAT NIGHT

 Ike drives up and parks in front of the hotel as he talks on his
 cell phone.

 INTERCUT WITH:

 INT. FISHER AND ELLIE'S BEDROOM (NYC) - NIGHT

 Ellie's on the phone.  Fisher sits nearby.

       ELLIE
  Ike's going to get married.

 Fisher throws himself onto the carpet and rolls himself
 helpless with laughter.

       ELLIE (cont'd)
   (without turning to him)
  Fisher, if you pee on that Persian,
  I'll kill you.

       CUT TO:

 INT. BEAUTY SALON - NIGHT DAY

 Maggie talks to Peggy, Cindy and Grandma Julia.  Grandma Julia
 sits under a hair dryer.  Sprout, the dog, sits in his basket.

       CINDY
  I love his eyes.  I just believe
  they're listening to you.

       PEGGY
  His hair... any color.

       GRANDMA JULIA
  I like his tight butt.

 Peggy laughs.

       MAGGIE
  Grandma!

       PEGGY
   (to Cindy)
  See, this is a mature relationship. 
  She's really found it.

       CUT TO:

 LOVE MONTAGE SHOTS:

 EXT. OCEAN - DAY

 Ike and Maggie fishing.

 INT. MAGGIE'S WORKSHOP/HOME - DAY

 They play ping-pong.  They laugh, enjoying the moment.

 INT. MAGGIE'S HOUSE - DAY

 Ike and Maggie have fun playing cards.  The game is slapjack.

 EXT. FIELD - DAY

 Maggie and Ike horseback riding.  They sit on their horses
 amongst trees, "nuzzling".  Ike reads as he pushes Maggie in a
 tire swing.

 INT. MAGGIE'S ROOM - DAY

 Ike and Maggie open and close a Hoberman ball by holding its
 opposite ends in their teeth.  Grandma looks in.

 INT. MAGGIE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

 There is a fire in the fireplace.  Maggie and Ike sit as Ike
 shows Maggie some passages from his favorite books.  He's
 reading something from Yeats at the moment.  They seem happy.

 EXT. CHURCH - THE DAY OF THE WEDDING

 It is a media circus including FOUR REPORTERS, Midday with
 Meredith and the T-shirt Vendor.  Plus three other people the
 reporters are interviewing, a GERMAN LADY, BUTCH KENAN, a
 farmer and Grandma Julia.  Reporter DINA NAPOLI walks down the
 church steps.

       DINA NAPOLI (OF WBAL)
  Wedding bells are ringing for the
  fourth time today in Hale, Maryland. 
  Maggie Carpenter, "Always a Bride --
  Never a Bridesmaid", will be attempting
  to complete her fourth wedding ceremony. 
  We'll come back on the air when the
  results are in.  Back to you, Jessica.

 Meredith, the low-end public access TV reporter, films himself
 pointing a cheap video camera himself.

       MEREDITH
  The turnout for this morning's wedding
  is usually reserved for royalty or
  Hollywood stars, but Maggie Carpenter
  is Hale, Maryland's special star and
  the citizens of Hale are out in full
  force today.

 The NY T-shirt Vendor pitches his wares.

       T-SHIRT VENDOR
  I got "Bye-bye Birdie".  "What part of
  'I do' don't you understand?"... Get
  your "Runaway Bride" T-shirts here...

 Reporter JULIE MURPHY stands near Grandma Julia and Mrs.
 Pressman.

       JULIE MURPHY (Channel 6)
  The bride's been here for almost an
  hour, but being around in the beginning
  was never her problem.  We'll be here,
  showing you the full wedding ceremony,
  we hope.

 Reporter JACKI and TIFFANY stand at the edge of the CROWD
 reporting.

       JACKI/REPORTER #3 (WBOC TV16)
  Will she or won't she?  That is on the
  minds of these several hundreds folks,
  who are standing here this morning. 
  Not to mention on the mind of Groom
  Number #4, ex-USA Today columnist, Ike
  Graham, who is missing in action.

 EXT. WINDOW OF CHURCH/INT. SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM - DAY

 INSERT window of church.  Peggy peers out the window at the
 carnival scene.  Cindy sits with Maggie as she leans forward,
 doubled over on a child's chair.  Peggy moves from the window to
 sit with them.

       MAGGIE
   (moves to window)
  He's not coming.  Watch.  He's not
  coming.

       PEGGY
  No, no.  I saw eight geese flying in a
  "V".

       MAGGIE
  You and your lucky geese.  You always
  see geese.

       PEGGY
  Not eight...

       CINDY
  And in a "V".

       MAGGIE
  Eight is good... "V" could be Victory.

 They ad lib various words starting with the letter "V".  Maggie
 is nervous.

       CINDY
  Rub your ears.

       PEGGY
  Yes, rubbing your ears is very soothing. 
  Cory does that to me when I
  hyperventilate.

 Maggie rubs her ears.

       CINDY
  We do it to our dog.

       MAGGIE
  It's hurting.

       CINDY
  We'll rub.

 After they rub Maggie's ears a bit:

       PEGGY
  He's here!  He's here!

 They all squeeze and peer out window.  They scream in excitement. 
 Cindy rushes to Maggie's wedding dress.

       CINDY
  I'll get the dress.

       MAGGIE
  He's here!... He's here!

       PEGGY
  Now's the time for calm... If you don't
  calm down, you won't get your dress on...
   (reassuringly)
  He's the one... He's the one.

 Peggy moves to help Cindy with the dress.  Maggie stands alone at
 the window a moment.  She picks up a toy horse.

       MAGGIE
  This is not a good sign.

 Maggie goes over to Peggy and Cindy, and starts to get into her
 bridal gown.  They continue to ad lib words standing with the
 letter "V".