PHASE ONE

written by

Kongyang

[email protected]
FILM: HEADPHONES
A lonely old man finds the last message his wife left him. A
tale of guilt, grief, and what it means to forgive.
 2.

ACT I. WILLIAM
FADE IN:

EXT. STREETS - DAY

There is the loud sound of rain. The sky is dark. WILLIAM is
standing on the sidewalk, wearing a woolen vintage black
coat, with his back to the camera, in the center of the
frame. Focus on WILLIAM's right hand, leaning on a black
umbrella, shaking and rocking slightly back and forth.
WILLIAM walks off the left of the screen without showing his
face, revealing a grave. A closeup of the grave shows the
name of LAURA and the date she died. In the reflection of the
marble, WILLIAM walks away.
The screen turns dark. The sound of rain continues.

INT. HOME - DARK (NOTHING ON THE SCREEN)

There is the sound of a ringing phone. It rings three times,
and then a clicking sound is made when the message goes into
voicemail.
FRIEND #1 (MALE VOICE, CHEERY BUT
WORRIED)
Hey, Will, man, you okay? You can
talk to me, you know, if you need
anyone. Call back so I know you're
safe. Take ca--
The audio is cut off. There are a few seconds of silence. The
phone rings again, and once more goes to voicemail.
INSURANCE SALESMAN #2 (CHIRPY YOUNG
MAN VOICE)
Hello, sir! My name is Tom and I'm
here from the Rodgers insurance
company, and we think you sir might
be interested in --
The audio is cut off. There are a few seconds of silence. The
phone rings again, and there is a violent sound of ripping
the phone out of the wall. Silence resumes.

INT./EXT. HOME/WORK - DAY

Sad violin music plays throughout this sequence.
 3.

WILLIAM directly faces the camera, expressionless, with

really sad eyes, his face big in the center of the screen.
Many scenes flash by, medium speed, with his face in the
middle with the same soulless expression, in the following
order:
WILLIAM is sitting on his bed, hair messy, having just woke
up.
WILLIAM is facing the bathroom mirror. His toothbrush and
razor are by the sink.
WILLIAM is on the bus, with his top hat on and his glasses,
with people talking and looking at their phones around him.
WILLIAM is in his office, the white computer screen light
flashing in his face.
WILLIAM is sitting at his kitchen table, in a dark
environment. The camera shifts to focus on his side profile,
in the dark. WILLIAM slowly folds his body and puts his head
into his hands.
Darkness resumes. A sob rips out. Silence resumes.
 4.

ACT II. LAURA

There is suddenly sound of the business of the streets.
LAURA (SWEET, YOUNG, FEMININE VOICE)
Look, Will! ...

EXT. STREETS - NEXT DAY

Show WILLIAM walking towards the camera, carrying a
briefcase, his face expressionless as usual. When he hears
the words, he slows down, and his face became more grim and
determined.
LAURA (OFF SCREEN, EXCITED)
... Look at the flowers! Aren't
they gorgeous?
WILLIAM stops, drops his briefcase, and scrunches his face,
closing his eyes. Darkness resumes on the screen.
LAURA (ANXIOUS, EXCITED) (CONT'D)
Look at them, look! Look at how
pretty they are. Just like the ones
you used to buy me when we were
young.
WILLIAM opens a silver of his eyes, and sees a blurry field
of tulips. WILLIAM blinks, and sees a bouquet--colorful,
blooming flowers--in front of him. Shift to the bouquets
point of view. WILLIAM walks forward, slowly, picks up the
bouquet along with the camera. WILLIAM carefully examines the
bouquet. WILLIAM suddenly crunches it. The camera shifts to a
trash can in the rain, with the ruined flowers inside.

INT. HOME - NIGHT

WILLIAM sits on the couch, facing the camera, not happy and
not sad, just sort of devoid of emotion. There are television
sounds in the background; a football team scored, and the
crowd cheers.
LAURA (WITH FOND DISTASTE)
I've never understood why you men
always watch this sport. It's an
awfully peculiar thing, don't you
think? It's a ball and it goes
around. What's there to see?
WILLIAM's cheek reddens, and chuckles. WILLIAM leans forward
and raises a glass of beer, and drinks a big gulp.
 5.

LAURA (RANTING) (CONT'D)

Well, of course people are entitled
to watch whatever they fancy. I'm
glad you like 'em, it's just that I
don't get why people are always
yelling over them.
(...)
I hope I didn't offend you,
darling.
WILLIAM's eyes are red rimmed. WILLIAM finishes the rest of
his glass, dunks the glass on the table, and weakly laughs.
WILLIAM picks up the remote on his right.
WILLIAM (CHOCKED)
M' sorry, Laurie. Let's watch one
of those old movies you like. The
ones with the handsome lad and the
lady, arguing? What was it again?
The camera focuses on the screen, which shifted from football
to the hill scene from the ending of "Pride and Prejudice".
LAURA (EXCITED)
Aw, darling, you didn't have to! I
can't believe you still remember. I
used to watch this every year, when
I was just a little girl. Remember?
I'd ask you to watch with me but
you always had work.
WILLIAM
Well, I--
LAURA (SLIGHTLY AGITATED)
I mean, I know that if you could
you would come home in an instant.
But bills had to be paid, hadn't
they? I just wish that you could've
came home a little earlier and have
dinner with me. We could've went on
a walk. Feed the ducks. Watch the
harbor and the sea. You could've
taken my hand and--
The TV is shut off. Sound cuts off abruptly. Loud breathing
is heard, with a hint of anxiety. WILLIAM rises off-screen
off the couch, stumbles to turn off the lights, and darkness
resumes.
 6.

EXT. STREETS - EVENING

WILLIAM walked on the streets again. It is raining. WILLIAM
went by a cafe playing gentle, romantic music. As WILLIAM
neared the cafe, he heard a voice.
LAURA (EXCITED)
That's such a lovely spot. Remember
when we used to have coffee here,
every day after classes? I'd get
one of those matcha things and
you'd always get one of those tiny
little cups.
WILLIAM stops in front of the cafe. WILLIAM contemplates for
a moment, and walks in. A side shot of WILLIAM walking into
the warm and homely cafe, leaving the cold outside.

INT. CAFE SHOP - EVENING

WILLIAM sits by the window seat, and looks out at people
passing. In his lap he holds a small cup of expresso. A small
pastry, half eaten, is on his side of the table. There is a
matcha latte on the other side of the table, also with a
chair facing the window.
LAURA (LOVINGLY)
Look at them, all wandering about--
I wonder where that man in that
silly hat is off to?
We see WILLIAM from the outside of the store, through the
window, his face pensive.
WILLIAM (MUMBLING)
Laurie, Laurie--
LAURA
I bet he's going home to his wife.
Look! He's got flowers in his
hands. I'd say he and his
sweetheart have been together for a
long while, and he's still heads
over heels for her. Isn't that
sweet?
WILLIAM (SLIGHTLY LOUDER, MORE
ANXIOUS)
Laurie, Laurie, Laurie ...
LAURA
Oh, look at that child! He's
adorable!
(MORE)
 7.
LAURA (CONT'D)
Stomping around in the rain like
that,his mother wouldn't like it at
all--
WILLIAM (LOUDLY, CHOKING UP)
LAURIE! Laurie, Laurie, oh god,
Laurie...
WILLIAM shakily puts his cup on the table, and sighs.
WILLIAM (MUMBLING) (CONT'D)
Laurie, please, go away, where-ever
you are. You need to see I'm no
good--no good, alright? I'm no good
for you, not for anyone. I didn't
deserve you one bit.
WILLIAM stands up abruptly, takes his umbrella and stomps
outside into the rain. The rain is bigger now than before. As
WILLIAM goes to the left, he keeps on talking.
WILLIAM (ACCUSATORY) (CONT'D)
Why are you still here, Laura? Go
be somewhere! Do something! You
don't want nothin' to do with
somebody like me. I tell you, you
know how I treated you; that ain't
right, and I know it.
WILLIAM wipes his arm across his face as he marches forward.
WILLIAM (WHISPERING) (CONT'D)
You know what might've been? If you
got married to a gentleman, a real
gentleman with money an'
everything, if you had someone who
treated you right, you would've
been--happy. You would've been
happy, and, and--you would've
lived. Goddamnit.
WILLIAM stops and looks up at the sky, his eyes brimming with
tears and remorse. WILLIAM becomes smaller and smaller in the
shot, as the camera moves away, and turns up to the sky as
well. The screen fades to white.
 8.

ACT III. THE POETRY

INT. OLD ROOM - DAY

WILLIAM is at home, sifting through LAURA's old things. The
sun is setting; the room is dark, but slivers of light come
through the window. Underneath a pile of old books and
magazines, he finds an old MP3. WILLIAM picks up and turns
the Walkman around with his hands, and "Dear William" is
written on the back.
WILLIAM pauses for a moment, without expression. WILLIAM lays
the MP3 gently on the ground, and leaves the scene. WILLIAM
returns with headphones. WILLIAM puts the headphones in his
ears, and plugs the headphones in the MP3.
Music continues throughout the reading. Liebesleid by
Kreisler.
LAURA (GENTLY)
For leaving the fridge open last
night, I forgive you.
FADE TO PUDDLES ON THE FLOOR, REFLECTING STRANGERS WHO PASSES
BY.
LAURA (CONT'D)
For the seedlings that wilt, now,
in tiny pots, I forgive you.
A FEW WILTED SEEDLINGS IN SMALL FLOWER POTS.
LAURA (CONT'D)
I forgive your letting vines
overtake the garden.
WILLIAM LYING ON THE GROUND OF A GARDEN IN DAYLIGHT.
LAURA (CONT'D)
For fearing your own propensity to
love.
WILLIAM STANDING IN FRONT OF A CHURCH, ARMS RAISED WIDE TO
HIS SIDE. SOUNDS OF PIGEONS.
LAURA (CONT'D)
I forgive you.
WILLIAM'S FACE FADE OUT OF THE DARKNESS, WITH A TEAR, AND
THEN FADE BACK IN (reference BBC Sherlock S4E4 End)
 9.

LAURA (CONT'D)
In forgotten tin cans,
may forgiveness gather. Pooling
in gutters. Gushing from pipes.
BLUE STREAKS OF LIGHT ERUPTS OUT OF THE GUTTERS. DROPS FROM
THE SKY. GENTLY COVERING WILLIAM AT THE CENTER IN FRONT OF
THE CHURCH. LONG-EXPOSURE.
LAURA (CONT'D)
I forgive you. I forgive
you. For growing a capacity for
love that is great
but matched only, perhaps,
by your loneliness.
DARKNESS. ANIMATION OF WILLIAM IN WHITE LINES, RED/PINK HEART
BEATING, FLASH BACK AND FORTH TO HIM IN THAT POSITION IN REAL
LIFE.
LAURA (CONT'D)
I forgive you. I forgive you. I
forgive you.
WILLIAM'S BACK IS FACING THE CAMERA. WILLIAM SITS AT THE LEFT
OF THE HILL. A REPLICA OF WILLIAM ENTERS THE SHOT FROM THE
RIGHT AND SITS NEXT TO HIM ON THE LEFT. THE REPLICA PUTS HIS
HAND ON WILLIAM's SHOULDER, AND LEANS ON HIM.
Fade to white.
THE END