The Evergreen Game

A screenplay adaptation of Philip K Dicks Confessions of a Crap

Artist.

By Joseph Zizys

FADE IN
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE DAY
A car is driving fast along a winding country road.
JACK
(V.O)
I am made out of water. You wouldnt
know it, because I have it bound in. My
friends are made out of water too. All
of them. The problem for us is that not
only do we have to walk around without
being absorbed by the ground but we also
have to earn our livings.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR DAY
CHARLIE is driving the car.
passenger seat.

BONNIE sits in the front

JACK
(V.O)
It was during the time I lived up in
Marin County with Charlie and Faye that
I enjoyed some of the most interesting
moments of my life.
CUT TO:
EXT. SOPPING CENTRE CAR PARK DAY
Charlies car pulls up.

Charlie Jumps out, slams door.

CHARLIE
I swear to God Im going to kill her.
We follow Charlie into the shop, he fills a basket with
various items, he scowls at the tampons on the shelf, we cut
to a shot of the shelf, brightly lit rows of shining tampon
packets cover the screen.

CHARLIE
Shoppings beneath her is it, I have to
do it, Im beneath her. Im gonna kill
her.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAR DAY
BONNIE
Did you bring my gum?
CHARLIE
Here
Bonnie opens her gum and begins chewing we cut to a shot of
a bar seen through the windscreen, we cut back to Charlie,
he pulls up outside the bar
CHARLIE
Stay here
BONNIE
(screaming)
No! I want to come with you
Charlie locks Bonnie in the car, walks into the bar, we cut
to Charlie walking out of the bar, it is darker than it was
and Charlie is visibly drunk. Bonnie has fallen asleep in
the car.
CHARLIE
(mumbling)
Ill kill her
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN NIGHT
FAYE is in the kitchen, preparing food
JACK
(V.O)
My sister Faye got me to move in with
her and Charlie on account of how I
cant take care of myself, according to
her. This was before Charlie died. But

Ive always been able to take care of

myself, at least thats my opinion,
based on the scientific facts at my
disposal.
CUT TO:
Charlie enters the kitchen, shopping bags in his arms
FAYE
Hi
CHARLIE
(proffering a jar of smoked oysters)
Look what I got for you
FAYE
(taking the jar)
Oh
CHARLIE
(taking tampons from bag)
and this
FAYE
Thanks
Charlie hits Faye in the chest as she takes the tampons, she
falls backwards with a crash, Charlie lumbers towards her,
we cut to Bonnie and ELSIE in the doorway, Elsie is crying.
CHARLIE
(shouting)
Mind your own fucking business. Get out
of here.
Charlie turns back to Faye, who tries to get up, Charlie
hits her again, she knocks over a ceramic ash tray as she
falls back down, Charlie holds her, dazed in a sitting
position with one hand while he distractedly picks up the
broken pieces of the ash tray with the other, Faye suddenly
pushes forward, unbalancing Charlie and gets past him, she
runs, gathering the children and is out the door.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOUSE NIGHT

Charlie follows Faye and the kids towards the car.

CHARLIE
You know how much it upsets me we
should be able to talk about this where
are you going?
FAYE
I dont know
Faye gets in the car, speeds off, Charlie stands staring for
a moment then turns and walks back into the house.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN NIGHT
Charlie surveys a half prepared meal on the kitchen bench,
and begins methodically finishing the cooking.
CUT TO:
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE DAY
A Car is driving fast along a winding country road.
FAYE
(V.O)
My brother Jack was living in a one room
bed sit in town when we heard about the
shoplifting incident through my parents,
apparently hed taken some chocolate
covered ants from the local store, to
investigate the possibility of reviving
them. I had just wanted to go down and
give him a piece of my mind, I wanted to
try and get through to him, with his
warped brain, to make him see sense for
once in his life.
The rest was
Charlies idea, Charlies fault.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET DAY
Car pulls up in front of dilapidated apartment building,
Charlie and Faye get out, walk in.

CUT TO:
INT. CORRIDOOR DAY
Jack opens door and lets Charlie and Faye in.
JACK
Hello
FAYE
You twit
CUT TO:
INT. APARTMENT DAY
Charlie and Faye stand in the apartment, Faye clears some
magazines from a chair and sits down, Charlie looks around,
a series of pans and close ups on various objects follows.
CHARLIE
What the hell is all this crap?
JACK
(indicating some rocks on a bench)
I got those on account of the
possibility of radioactive ores.
Jesus youre
working?

CHARLIE
nut, are

you

still

FAYE
Of course he is!
JACK
I had to temporarily give up my job at
the factory
FAYE
Why?
JACK
Im too busy

FAYE
Doing what?
Jack gestures at a pile of notebooks, Charlie picks one up
and thumbs through it.
CHARLIE
Its a diary!
JACK
No. Its a scientific account of proven
facts.
FAYE
How are you supporting yourself?
JACK
Im OK
Faye puts head in hands, breaths heavily.
FAYE
(V.O)
I knew this meant mum and
giving him handouts and of
their age they could barely
support themselves, let alone

dad where
course at
afford to
Jack.

FAYE
(aloud)
Get me out of here
CUT TO:
INT. CORRIDOOR DAY
CHARLIE
Jesus Faye, Hes your flesh and blood,
you cant just leave him like this
FAYE:
The hell I cant
CHARLIE
He obviously cant take care of himself

FAYE
Thats for sure
CHARLIE
There are jobs in the country he could
do, milking, or something, lets drive
him back with us.
FAYE
Jesus, thats all we need, a certifiable
nutcase living in our home.
CHARLIE
Once we found him a job, he could move
out, hes your flesh and blood for
fucks sake
FAYE
(not compassionate but needing to control, fix, Jack)
OK
CUT TO:
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE DAY
A car is driving fast along a winding country road.
CHARLIE
(V.O)
It wasnt long after wed moved jack in
that we found them.
Car winds into country town, Faye is looking out the window,
we see a slow-mo of a couple on the street, NAT and GWEN
stand by their bicycles Gwen strokes Nats face.
FAYE
I have to know them.
Stop the car.
Arent they beautiful? You stay here.
Faye steps out of the car, Charlie leans across.
CHARLIE
Wait.
FAYE
What?

CHARLIE
Come back.
Faye shakes her head, Charlie steps out of the car and walks
towards her.
FAYE
God damn you, you motherfucker, theyre
going to get on their god damn bikes and
ride away!
CHARLIE
Let them, we dont know them, Theyre
just kids, probably up for a swim in the
bay. What do you care about them?
The pair ride off up the road.
FAYE
I wonder if theyre brother and sister,
or if theyre married and on their
honeymoon. Who are they? Who would know
them? I could ask Pete the postmaster
CHARLIE
What do you want to meet them for? You
want to fuck them? Which? Both?
FAYE
Theyre so pretty. I cant stand not
knowing them.
CHARLIE
I guess you get pretty lonely up here.
FAYE
(laughing)
I get so lonely I could go crazy.
CUT TO:
Charlie and Faye drive out of town, Faye looks wistfully out
the window.
CHARLIE
(V.O)

I suppose it was the feeling that there

was something I couldnt give her,
something lacking in her that I couldnt
provide that made me want to keep them
from her, but nothing she wanted could
be kept from her for long, nothing.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAR DRIVING DAY
Charlie is driving back into town
CUT TO:
INT. SHOPPING CENTRE - DAY
Charlie is queuing in the 12 items or less line, he turns
his head, looking around in boredom, we follow his gaze out
the window where we see Gwen and Nat.
CHARLIE
(V.O)
Seeing them again I new I had to bring
them back with me, show Faye that I
understood, and show myself that I too
could just walk up to them, like she
would have, just walk up and take
control of life, like she always could.
CUT TO:
EXT. SHOPPING CENTRE DAY
Charlie approaches Nat and Gwen
CHARLIE
Hi, new to the area?
CUT TO:
EXT. COUNTRYSIDE DAY
Car drives along a country road, we close in to see Charlie
with Gwen and Nat.
CUT TO:

Car arrives at house, Faye steps out to see Charlie helping

Gwen and Nat out of the car, she smiles, and Charlie grins
back.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
On lounge room, we pan around in slow motion Gwen, Nat,
Charlie and Faye are drinking and chatting.
NAT
(V.O)
We where only just married.
We still
had boxes left unpacked in the house, we
where meant to be just beginning
FADE OUT.

Ok this is the bit where faye falls for nat, we get

introduced to nat and gwen properly, we need to become aware
of charlies discomfort, and the fact that jack is present
but not participating