Your Big Break

EXT. QUEENSTOWN AIRPORT - DAY

CARLOS, mid-twenties, Latin American (although nationality is of less importance than the inability to speak English), dressed tidily in shirt and trousers carries his backpack through the revolving glass doors and blinks in the sunshine.

He spies a taxi sign and heads towards it.

BRIAN, late forties, short sleeved shirt and jeans, sees Carlos coming towards his cab. He adjusts his jeans, puts on his biggest smile and steps forward.

BRIAN
Welcome to Queenstown. You need a taxi?

Carlos smiles broadly and in broken English speaks.

CARLOS
I go to hostel. Queenstown.

BRIAN
I'm your man. Brian.

He offers his hand which Carlos shakes, answering with his own name, and then he reaches for the backpack, opens a back door and motions Carlos inside.

INT. CAB - DAY

Brian is driving. He glances up at the rear view to speak to Carlos.

BRIAN
So how long Carlos?

CARLOS
Lo siento, sorry I don't understand.

BRIAN
How long?

CARLOS
Ahhh. I have only two weeks to live.

BRIAN
What you say?

CARLOS
To live. Only two weeks.

BRIAN
Jeez, that's not what I meant.
(BEAT)
Well you've come to the right place. Jeez.

Brian slows the car down and pulls over to the side of the road.

BRIAN
Well you're not staying in any hostel mate, not in your condition, I couldn't allow it. You can stay with us. We'll make up the spare room. Cindy's cooking chops tonight.

Carlos just smiles, confused as he hasn't really understood a word Brian said.

Brian starts the engine again.

EXT. FRANKTON ROAD - DAY

The cab drives down towards Queenstown. The sky is blue and peppered with white clouds and the lake sparkles to their left.

INT. CAB - DAY

Brian keeps checking on Carlos in the rear view mirror. Carlos is oblivious, a huge grin on his face as he takes in the scenery.

BRIAN (muttering)
Poor little bugger.

EXT. FRANKTON ROAD - DAY

The cab continues down into Queenstown.

EXT. BRIANS HOME, QUEENSTOWN - DAY

The cab is parked outside a modest suburban house. Carlos is still sat in the back, smiling but a little confused.

The front door of the house is open.

CINDY (O/S - shouting)
What the hell were you thinking Brian. We're not some damn flophouse for waifs and strays.

INT. BRIANS HOME, FRONT ROOM

There's not a lot of furniture in the room, a TV, a sofa and rocking chair and a hideous neon stripy rug but its spotless and the walls are covered in family photos and it feels homely. Brian and CINDY, blonde, late forties in a flowery old fashioned dress, no doubt a stunner in her day are both stood just inside the front door. Brian looks sheepish and he raises his hands apologetically towards his wife.

BRIAN
What could I do love, the poor bleeders only got two weeks to live.

Cindy is speechless. She leans out of the door and looks out at the cab parked outside.

EXT. BRIANS HOME, QUEENSTOWN - DAY

Carlos looks right back at her and smiles. She waves self consciously.

INT. BRIANS HOME, FRONT ROOM - DAY

Turning back to Brian.

CINDY
Two weeks you say?
(BEAT)
Well he's come to the right place.

BRIAN
That's what I said. Go get us a couple of cold ones love, I'll get his bag.

INT. BRIANS HOME, FRONT ROOM - DAY

Carlos looks confused but still strangely upbeat as Brian ushers him into the front room.

His backpack sits in the middle of the room and Cindy greets them both with a bottle of beer each. She fusses with her dress after her hands are free and gives Carlos a smile.

CINDY
Nice to meet you. Excuse the mess.

Carlos nods politely, still maintaining a bemused, almost nervous grin. He points to his backpack, concerned.

CINDY
Don't worry about that, you can unpack later. Brian, why don't you take Carlos up the hill, give him a view of the lake eh? I'll get those chops on shall I?

BRIAN
Good idea love.

He puts his hand on Carlos' shoulder and gently steers him out of the front door. Carlos looks back longingly as his backpack as they leave.

EXT. HILL OVERLOOKING QUEENSTOWN - DAY

Brian and Carlos are sat on the hillside. The lake stetches out to the mountains in the distance. Boats move slowly on its surface down by the town. It is a beautiful day, with scenery to match.

BRIAN
Some view eh?

He raises his bottle of beer towards Carlos. Carlos resigned to whatever fate has in store for him sighs and clinks his bottle against Brians. He looks relaxed as he takes in the view.

BRIAN
So what's ailing you Carlos? If you don't mind me asking?

CARLOS
Que? What?

BRIAN
What you dying of?

Carlos looks at him blankly.

BRIAN
Dying you know? Kicking the bucket, digging up the roses, you know.

Brian tilts his head to one side, puts his tongue out, pretending to be dead.

CARLOS
I don't understand. I'm not dying.

He beats his chest.

CARLOS
Strong, young. Like this country. No dying.

BRIAN
But I thought you said you had two weeks to live mate?

Carlos seems on firmer ground with this one.

CARLOS
Yes two weeks. I live in two weeks.

Brian takes a sip of his beer but struggles to swallow it through the laughter that is building up inside of him.

BRIAN (THROUGH LAUGHS)
You LEAVE mate. You LEAVE in two weeks.

He laughs and Carlos, although he doesn't really understand gives Brian an encouraging nod and grin. Brian looks out over Queenstown.

BRIAN
You're not gonna want to leave here mate.

He stands up and motions for Carlos to do the same.

BRIAN
Come on, lets see how those chops are doing. Then I'll drop you off at your hostel.

They start to walk down the hill.

BRIAN
You poor bugger. No-one ever wants to leave.

THE END

ABOUT 'TWO WEEKS':

No matter how long you have, New Zealand is the place to 'live' life to the fullest, as bothe Brian and Cindy are more than aware.

This is my second (and likely last unless I suddenly get inspired again) entry. I was thinking about how to put a human face on New Zealand and the characters of Brian and Cindy do just that. They are warm and welcoming, even after Brian realises his mistake.

It's tenuous I admit but I even threw in a line from Carlos to draw attention to his perception of New Zealand being young and strong. Maybe it's an error on my part (with both my scripts) but I guess I just didn't want to over egg the pudding.

If nothing else I feel I hit the comedy button a little more cleanly with this one. I wrote it in just under an hour and grinned the way through. Nothing felt laboured, even though I only had a slight idea where it was going when I began. All I had to work with when I sat down was the phrase 'two weeks to live' and knowing that I would end somehow with Brian saying, 'You won't want to leave mate.'

On the production side it is location light and I feel easily filmable in a two day period.

ABOUT ME:

I've been producing and directing corporate films for a few years now. I started out as an editor, both AVID and Final Cut Pro but when I got the opportunity to learn new skills I grabbed it with both hands.

I'm currently stranded in Northern Alberta having moved here for love :-) which I can assure you is the only reason to want to be here!

I have worked on a variety of types of production from glossy ad and web campaigns to more down to earth case studies but as yet never filmed drama. Hopefully that won't be too huge a cross against my name.

Some of my work is available to watch here - http://www.themattbarker.com