Very Bad Things

Adam nods, eyeing his gas pump, willing it to pump faster. His heart starts to pound, he looks away, sees...

An LAPD police car pull into the station, stops in front of the mini-mart. TWO COPS inside.

ON adam, eye-balling the cop car. He slowly turns to steal a glance at the “suit.”

SUIT: How do you like that mini-van?

Adam’s tank is almost filled. He wants nothing more than to get out of there...

Lois rolls down the window.

LOIS: Honey, go in there and get some Starbursts.

ADAM: What?

LOIS: They’re screaming for Starbursts.

ADAM: Later.

LOIS: They’re screaming like monsters and it’s giving me a headache. Go get some fucking Starbursts.

Adam looks from the suit to the cop car...

ADAM: Fine.

TRACK with Adam as he walks from the pumping across the parking lot, past the cop car, his HEART POUNDING...

74   INT. MINI-MART        74

Adam quickly searches the candy section for Starburst. He looks out the window...

ADAM’S POV

The “suit” has finished with the gas but he’s not leaving...He’s taking a close look at Adam’s van. He seems to be checking the license plate...

ADAM: Oh my God.

Adam is blocking the aisle. He doesn’t notice a YOUNG  UNIFORMED COP trying to get past.

COP (O.S.): Excuse me.

Adam turns, panics, stumbles back, into the candy display and topples to the ground. ADAM lies flat on his back in a monster mess of candy.

COP: You okay?

Adam scrambles to his feet, trying frantically to fix the major mess – only making it worse. The IRANIAN STORE CLERK approaches, pissed.

CLERK: Just leave it!

ADAM: (determined) It’s okay.

CLERK: Leave it!

Startled by his tone, Adam staggers back, into a Gatorade display, slips and topples to the ground.

CLERK: GET OUT!
ADAM: (on his back) I’m sorry.

They young cop gives Adam a hand up. Adam stare at the cop.

ADAM: (tears in his eyes) I’m sorry.

CLERK: GET OUT!

Adam scurries out of the Mini-Mart, the Cop watches in confusion.

75   EXT. MINI-MART        75

As Adam races back to his car, the “Suit” moves in on him.

SUIT: The wife’s begging me for one. How’s the mileage.

Adam jumps in the van, quickly starts it up.

LOIS: Where’s the candy?

ADAM: There is no candy!

LOIS: What do you mean? It’s it’s a Goddamn Mini-Mart?!

KIDS: Dad?!

Adam, in a cold sweat, hauls out of the Gas Station, pulls into traffic, nearly gets hit, slams on the brakes, Lois rockets FACE-FORWARD into the dashboard.

76   FISHER & LIZ’S REHEARSAL DINNER – COCKTAIL RECEPTION      76

SERIES OF SHOTS:

Fisher and Liz greet their guests.

Moore smokes alone at the bar.

Boyd and Micheal charm a group of OLD LADIES.

Adam arrives with his family, Adam Jr., Timmy and...

Lois sporting a nose cast and two very black eyes.

Boyd and Adam check each other out; hostile and suspicious.

Adam takes Fisher aside.

ADAM: have you thought about what I said?

FISHER: Jesus Adam, can we not get into this now please?

ADAM: I got a migraine like a little monkey kicking in the side of my skull, Mike Tyson with a fucking sledge hammer trying to crack...

FISHER: (cuts him off) I got you.

ADAM: (dazed) Where’s the bathroom?

77   INT. REHEARSAL DINNER – NIGHT     77

A large dining room in a Westside restaurant has been taken over by the wedding party. Seventy-five guests, dressed up, are into the desserts. The toasts are about halfway over.

MR. FISHER stands in the middle of the room with the large blown-up pictures of Keith at different stages of his life.

MR. FISHER: (holding picture of Keith, age 4, on a mule) And this is Keith at age four and his best friend “Bunker the Mule.” Evidently, when they were in camp, Keith and Boyd got into some serious arguments over exactly who was Keith’s best friend – Boyd or the mule.

Mr. Fisher holds up a photo of a young Fisher and young Boyd, both scrappy and bloodied from a fist fight.

Boyd sits with Moore at a table.

BOYD: Fisher had a less than normal relationship with that Donkey.

FISHER: (seated next to Liz) You always were a jealous man.

Mr. Fisher holds up a picture of Keith, Boyd, Moore and Micheal all in a Peewee Football uniforms.

MR.FISHER: After camp came football, and for those of you not following the sports pages back in 1977, you might not remember the Peewee Powerhouse Oklahoma, who, under the brilliant leadership of your’s truly, rolled to an auspicious league record of 0-12 scoring exactly zero touchdowns.

TIGHT ON Adam, looking extremely uncomfortable, surrounded by his family.

MICHEAL: The problem was coaching. Poor leadership.

As the room LAUGHS, Adam becomes visibly upset. Not keeping it together.

BOYD: The problem was our quarterback had trouble remembering his right from left...

FISHER: No, the problem, as I recall, was the lack of blocking...

As the guys debate, in front of the room, who’s fault Oklahoma’s 0-12 season really was.

TIGHT ON Adam. He’s had enough, excuses himself from the table.

TIGHT ON Fisher, seeing Adam, he quietly excuses himself.

78   EXT. BEACH RESTAURANT – NIGHT     78

Adam stands by his car trying to compose himself. Fisher approaches.

FISHER: You all right?

ADAM: I can’t fucking breathe. I’m sorry.

Boyd, followed by Micheal exits the restaurant.

BOYD: (approaching) OK. Definitely not cool! Definitely inappropriate behavior here.

FISHER: Shut up Boyd.

BOYD: Negative. This is not what we have worked out in terms of presented behavior.

FISHER: He’s having a problem here.

MICHEAL: What’s the problem Adam?

Moore joins the group.

MOORE: What’s the problem?

Al eyes on Adam, who’s eyes are starting to tear up.

BOYD: What is your problem?

ADAM: I can’t do this.

PAUSE.

MOORE: Can’t do what?

ADAM: We’re gonna get caught. I know we’re gonna get caught. They were eyeballing my car.

BOYD: What?

ADAM: At the seven-eleven.

BOYD: Who? What are you talking about?

ADAM: They’re on me. They’re smoking me out!

BOYD: (shouts) Nobody’s smoking anybody out.

FISHER:                                  MOORE:

      Shut up.                                 Quiet.

Liz is at the door of the restaurant.

LIZ: Keith? Is everything okay, honey?

Fisher bolts over to Liz.

FISHER: Yeah baby. Everything’s great.

LIZ: Well, can you come back inside?

FISHER: (not moving) Yeah. Sure.

LIZ: Now?

FISHER: Yeah. Look honey, I’ll be right in. I just...we’re just taking care of some Groomsmen last minute business.

Mr. Fisher approaches.

MR. FISHER: Everything okay?

FISHER: Yeah, Dad. It’s great.

MR. FISHER: Well, I’m in the middle of my Goddamn toast here.

FISHER: OK, OK. You guys just go back in. Dad, keep going with the toast, we’ll be right in. Go on.

Fisher ushers his father and Liz back inside, then turns, to quickly head back to the parking lot where things are escalating.

PARKING LOT

BOYD: (on Adam) You got some mighty fucking fine bad timing Adam. We got a rehearsal situation here.

ADAM: I don’t give a damn.

MICHEAL: About anybody but yourself. You never have.

ADAM: And you’re a little fucking reject.

MICHEAL: Eat my ass!

Micheal kicks Adam’s minivan

ADAM: Hey!

Micheal kicks it again, harder. Adam shoves him.

ADAM: If you ever touch my minivan again, I’ll make you sorry. Real sorry.

MICHEAL: You’re a loser.

ADAM: You’re the loser! A big    MICHEAL: You’re the loser! You think   

     Black hole sucking up                your shit’s so fucking

     Everything you touch!                Righteous! FUCK YOU! You were

     YOU MURDERED THAT GIRL!              There with us, boy! Right

     MURDERER! MURDERER!                  There! SIDE BY FUCKING SIDE!!!

FISHER: Shut up!

BOYD: Shut your fucking mouths!!!

Boyd and fisher separate the brothers.