THE SWEET HEREAFTER

THE SWEET HEREAFTER  

By

Atom Egoyan

Based on the novel by

Russell Banks

Final revised draft

Copyright c1997 Ego Film Arts

All Rights Reserved

FADE IN

INT. SUMMER COTTAGE -- DAY

A young family together in bed. It is a bright summer

morning. Father, mother, and a three year old girl are

still asleep. They are naked. A light breeze drifts into

the room. The scene is serene and softly suspended.

Head credits appear over this idyllic image. The little

girl turns in her sleep. A dog barks outside.

CUT TO

INT./EXT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

From the peaceful tableau of the sleeping family, the scene

shifts to a vehicle entering a car wash. The image is shot

through the windshield, from the driver's point of view.

The car enters the lathered world of spinning felt wheels

and gushing water.

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

Inside the car MITCHELL STEPHENS, a man in his mid-fifties,

listens to a stirring piece of music. The sound of the car

wash is filtered out by the strains of music.

CUT TO

EXT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

The phone booth is located in a rundown area of a large

city. A young woman, ZOE, enters the booth and lifts the

receiver.

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

MITCHELL STEPHENS is going through the wash. The automatic

mops and buffers embrace his car with water and suds. The

cellular phone in the car rings. MITCHELL picks it up.

MITCHELL

Yes? Yes, I'll accept the charges.

CUT TO

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

ZOE is on the phone. There's a figure outside the booth

waiting for her.

ZOE

Daddy, it's me...How are you doing?

That's great...Where are you?

What's that sound?

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

MITCHELL in his car, playing with the volume on his radio.

MITCHELL

I'm in a car wash.

CUT TO

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

ZOE

A car wash! Wow, I've never talked

to you when you've been in a car

wash. Make sure you've got the

windows closed.

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

ZOE

(over the phone)

Remember that time we were having

the car washed and I started playing

with the automatic window? How old

was I, Daddy? Five or six? I got

absolutely soaked, remember?

MITCHELL

Why are you calling me, Zoe?

CUT TO

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

ZOE

Why am I calling you? You're my

father. I'm not supposed to call

you? What's the matter with wanting

to talk to you, Daddy?

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

MITCHELL

Nothing's wrong with trying to talk

to me, Zoe.

ZOE

(over the phone)

So what's the problem?

MITCHELL

The problem is I have no idea who

I'm talking to right now.

ZOE

(over the phone)

'Cause you think I'm stoned, Daddy?

'Cause you think I've got a needle

stuck in my arm? Is that what

you're thinking, Daddy?

Pause. MITCHELL doesn't respond.

CUT TO

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

ZOE

Are you wondering if I scored,

Daddy, and I'm calling you for

money? That I'm begging? God, I

don't fucking believe it!

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

MITCHELL is emotionally stunned by ZOE'S voice. She is

heard over the phone.

ZOE

(over the phone)

Daddy! Are you listening to me,

Daddy?!

The music that MITCHELL has been listening to becomes louder

as he stares at the spinning felt wheels of the car wash.

ZOE (CONT'D)

DADDY!!!

MITCHELL

Yes.

ZOE

Why can't you talk to me?

MITCHELL

I...I just need to know what state

you're in so I know...how to talk to

you...how to act...

MITCHELL is in pain. He closes his eyes.

CUT TO

INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT

The phone booth is deserted. ZOE is nowhere to be seen.

Over this image, the sounds of a band playing a blues

number.

CUT TO

EXT. FAIRGROUND -- DAY

The blues number continues as the camera cranes down to the

bandstand of a country fair. A local band is rehearsing.

Around the practising band, various carpenters and

technicians are making final preparations for that evening's

big event.

One of the people watching the band is SAM BURNELL, a man in

his early forties. He watches his daughter, NICOLE, as she

sings into the microphone. NICOLE is sixteen.

NICOLE stares at her father as she sings.

ANGLE ON

SAM looking back at his daughter. He is intensely proud of

her. SAM is a carpenter, working on at the fair site. He

gets back to his work, hammering a supporting beam into the

grandstand.

CUT TO

INT. AIRPORT. WASHROOM -- AFTERNOON

CLOSE UP of a three year old girl, staring up into the lens.

Her face is full of sweetness and trust.

ANGLE ON

MITCHELL STEPHENS in a crowded airport washroom, watching a

young father, PETER, trying to change the diaper on his

three year old daughter.

MITCHELL stares at the little girl, his face registering a

wistful smile. PETER is having a hard time trying to find

the towel from the toddler's bag and keeping an eye on her

at the same time.

MITCHELL

Need a hand?

PETER

Sure, it you could find a towel in

this bag. I know my wife packed one

in there...

MITCHELL comes forward and searches through the toddler's

bag.

MITCHELL

You always think you're prepared for

these things.

PETER

Tell me about it.

MITCHELL

How old is she?

PETER

Almost three.

MITCHELL

(finding a towel)

Is this it?

PETER

Perfect.

MITCHELL

Here we go.

PETER

Thanks.

PETER lays the towel across the counter, and dries the

little girl. MITCHELL watches as PETER puts a new diaper on

her. The toddler stares up at MITCHELL, her eyes are

playful.

MITCHELL stares at the girl's face.

CUT TO

INT. CAR WASH. -- NIGHT

TIME CUT back to MITCHELL honking the horn of his car,

trying to get someone's attention. No response. MITCHELL

picks up his cell phone, and dials the operator.

MITCHELL