INT. SHERATON HOTEL - DAY
Many PEOPLE, in business attire, sit at round tables, eating a catered lunch.
A banner across the wall reads, “Attilex Games: The future is in his fingers,” and shows
a picture of a little boy’s hands on a video game controller.
WILBUR DAVIDSON, 42, short, burly, plump, stands behind a podium in the center
of the room. On a table beside him is an Attilex video game system.
He clears his throat, making a whale like noise that echoes through the room and causes
a few people to jump in surprise.
He takes out a stack of note cards and reads from them.
DAVIDSON
(reading every word)
Hello and welcome. Each year at the
Attilex Games company luncheon, the
president, and that would be...
He shuffles through the cards, searching for the next one.
DAVIDSON
Me... chooses one person to honor
with the Outstanding, Superior,
Excellent Creation Award, an award
I created myself in honor,
originally, I mean, of...
He turns to the next card.
DAVIDSON
Myself.
At a table in the audience, FAITH, 24, pretty, long hair, bright eyes, turns to her boyfriend, TYLER, 28, clean-cut, freckle faced, and whispers in his ear.
FAITH
Is he always like this?
TYLER
Nah...
He leans forward, as if letting her in on a big secret.
TYLER
This is one of his good days.
DAVIDSON
But, because I got out of the creation
side of games ten years ago, I can no
longer honor myself with the creation
award. At least...
Davidson looks thoughtful, as if considering a new idea.
DAVIDSON
I don’t think I can. Anyway, I have
already chosen someone else to honor
this year with the award.
TYLER
(in Faith’s ear)
Larry Gallop.
FAITH
Who?
Tyler points to a tall, lanky man wearing glasses and working at a lap top.
DAVIDSON
And no. It is not Larry Gallop.
Everyone turns to stare at Larry who is totally oblivious.
DAVIDSON
This year’s award goes to...
He turns to the next card.
DAVIDSON
Little Red Riding Hood.
Everyone in the audience looks shocked and confused.
DAVIDSON
Oh. No.
Davidson laughs.
DAVIDSON
My daughter’s study cards got mixed in.
DAVIDSON
It actually goes to... Tyler Clark.
TYLER
(to Faith)
Did he really say my name?
DAVIDSON
Yes, you heard me right. Tyler is the
man. Get up here, Tyler.
Tyler rises and walks to the center of the room. Davidson hands him a large, golden, phallic shaped award.
DAVIDSON
Congratulations, Tyler. And in honor of...
He turns to the next note card.
DAVIDSON
Tyler. I am going to have my son,
Bruno here.
He motions to BRUNO, small, adorable child in the audience.
DAVIDSON
Demonstrate Tyler’s latest game.
A huge screen comes down from the ceiling. Bruno walks to the center of the room,
picks up the controller attached to the game system.
Santa appears on the screen. He jumps into a reindeer drawn sleigh full of machine
guns and flies into the air. He sweeps through the sky, bombing houses with tiny,
pinecone shaped grenades, and shooting people on the ground below.
Faith looks at Tyler, an expression of despair on her face.
DAVIDSON
That’s enough, Bruno.
Bruno keeps playing.
DAVIDSON
(louder)
I said enough, Bruno.
Bruno glares at his father, then pauses the game.
DAVIDSON
And that, everyone, is Clark’s newest
game, Sleighing Santa and his Reingear.
Any...
Davidson turns to the next note card.
DAVIDSON
Questions?
EXT. TYLER’S JEEP - DAY
Tyler drives his green jeep through a busy street in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
INT. TYLER’S JEEP - DAY
Tyler stops at a red light at an intersection. He glances over at Faith, who sits beside
him, her body as far away from him as possible. She looks out the window, her eyes
follow a flock of birds.
TYLER
Tell me already. I can’t stand this silence.
No response. A minute later, she speaks.
FAITH
Why Santa?
TYLER
Huh?
The light turns green. He starts driving again.
FAITH
Why’d you have to exploit Santa?
TYLER
I didn’t exploit anything. I just had
fun with an old, archaic idea.
FAITH
Santa isn’t old and archaic.
Tyler smiles mischievously at Faith.
TYLER
Have you ever seen a young Santa?
FAITH
You know that’s not what I mean.
TYLER
Come on, Faith, this game’s gonna
provide a lot of money for us.
FAITH
Us? What us? You’re talking like
we’re married or something.
Tyler turns into a shopping center parking lot. He parks.
EXT. TYSON’S CORNER MALL - DAY
Faith looks out the window and sees a Tiffany’s sign.
FAITH
You can’t buy me, Tyler.
TYLER
I know that. If I could, I wouldn’t
want you.
He takes a blindfold out of his pocket.
TYLER
Do you trust me?
FAITH
You are not putting that on me.
TYLER
Would you be willing to do it
yourself?
Faith just stares at him.
TYLER
Please, Faith. I have a surprise
for you inside. Trust me, you’ll
love it.
Faith takes the blindfold out of his hands and puts it on.
INT. TYSON’S CORNER MALL – DAY
Tyler leads Faith, blind folded, through the chaotic mall. They pass a large Christmas
tree where CHILDREN push and shove one another as they wait to see SANTA, a space
ship run by an ELF which advertises that “For only three dollars you can beam a letter to
Santa,” and a sleigh where kids can pay “only $2.00 to take a once-in-a-lifetime ride.”
TYLER
You’re lucky you can’t see this.
FAITH
What?
TYLER
A living testimony to the true
meaning of Christmas. A carnival of
Christmas commercialism.
He leads Faith through a crowd in the mall.
FAITH
I hate it when you start talking
like that. Especially when you’re
not seeing clearly.
He turns and looks at Faith, who is still blindfolded.
TYLER
I’m not seeing clearly?
FAITH
Yes. You’re missing the joy, the
generosity and love that Christmas
brings. You’re missing the -
WOMAN
Get out of my way, lady!
A large woman throws Faith off balance, as she pushes past her, running through the
crowd to the nearby toy shop which has a large sale sign in the window.
Faith, fraught with anxiety, takes her blindfold off.
FAITH
What? Was I in her way?
Tyler shakes his head.
TYLER
She probably just had too much of
that love you were talking about.
He puts her blindfold back on and continues leading her through the mall.
FAITH
She was an exception. There are
always exceptions.
TYLER
(almost inaudibly)
Not at Christmas, there aren’t.
INT. ARCADE - DAY
Faith and Tyler enter an arcade. KIDS play video games.
FAITH
I hope we’re not where I think we are.
Tyler leads Faith into a game booth called Dragons of Doom.
INT. DRAGONS OF DOOM GAME BOOTH - DAY
They enter the booth. It has a large screen with a computer keyboard attached to it.
Tyler helps Faith sit down.
Tyler takes her blindfold off, then picks up the keyboard.
Faith looks around, then puts the blindfold back on.
TYLER
What are you doing?
FAITH
We are where I thought we were.
TYLER
Oh, come on, Faith, this place has
a special meaning for us.
FAITH
Special meaning for you, you mean.
Your first game was tested here.
TYLER
I was referring to our first date.
Remember, this was the first game
we played.
He takes Faith’s blindfold off again.
FAITH
I remember. Can we go home now?
TYLER
After we play one game.
FAITH
You’re not serious.
TYLER
Please?
He takes her hand and looks pleadingly into her eyes.
FAITH
(with a sigh)
Fine.
Tyler puts a quarter in the machine. Then he picks up the keyboard and types in a
special code.
Faith watches him, suspiciously.
FAITH
You’re not giving yourself special
powers again, are you?
Tyler doesn’t answer. He watches the screen anxiously.
A man in a tuxedo, resembling Tyler runs across the screen, chasing after a beautiful
woman, resembling Faith, in a long white dress. He catches her and hands her a rose.
Tyler kneels down next to Faith, which is a difficult thing to do in the small booth.
FAITH
What are you doing?
Tyler takes an engagement ring box out of his pocket.
Faith gasps.
TYLER
This might not be the way you
always pictured it. But we had our
first kiss here, our first meal
here, even our first...
He smiles knowingly and raises his eyebrows. Faith blushes.
TYLER
And we always did talk about me
proposing here.
FAITH
But that was just a joke.
TYLER
(in a serious tone)
Not anymore.
FAITH
Can we talk about this some place quieter?
TYLER
Sure.
They climb out of the booth.
INT. FOOD COURT - DAY
Faith leads Tyler to a bench. They sit. Faith twirls her hair nervously as she speaks.
FAITH
It’s only been six months. And I’m
still in grad school.
TYLER
When you know, you know.
FAITH
But there are things you don’t know.
TYLER
So? If everyone knew it all right
away no one would get married. The
human race would die off and -
Faith gives him a look.
TYLER
What I mean to say is I love you.
Please, marry me.
FAITH
I want to marry you, I do. It’s just...
TYLER
Please say yes.
Faith looks away from Tyler. Her eyes fill with tears.
FAITH
I can’t.
She gets up from the bench and runs off.
EXT. GEORGETOWN CAMPUS - DAY
Faith, backpack over her shoulder, walks through the campus. She looks like a ghost: her
face is pale, she has circles under her eyes, and a frown on her face.
Her cell phone rings. She takes it out and answers it.
FAITH
(excitedly)
Hello?
INT. CLAUS KITCHEN - DAY
MRS. CHRISTINE CLAUS, late fifties, attractive, bouffant hair style, stands in the
neo-classical style kitchen. She wears a red apron over her sleek red and green dress.
She uses her shoulder to support the phone while she spreads chocolate chip cookie
dough on baking sheets.
MRS. CLAUS
Hi, sweetie.
INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES
FAITH
Oh, it’s you.
MRS. CLAUS
Yes, it’s only the woman who gave
birth to you.
FAITH
How are you, Mom?
MRS. CLAUS
Busy. I’m baking the old fashioned
way today.
FAITH
And Dad? How’s Dad?
MRS. CLAUS
That’s actually why I’m calling...
Mrs. Claus walks over to the fireplace and looks up it.
(CONTINUED) |
