EXT.

MIAMI - THE GARCIA HOME (1998) - DAY

Palm trees frame a small backyard packed with party

guests in high spirits fueled by Cuban music- it’s a
pachanga in full swing.

They dance salsa, they feast on roast pork, they play

dominó- men wearing Guayaberas puff away at their plump
cigars, scheming the last few plays which are nothing
short of intense.

JOHNNY, 9, races by it all, chasing a bunch of frantic

kids in a game of tag. He nails them all, except for
one. PETE sits in a tree above it all, pensive, way
too composed for a ten-year old.

Johnny spots him and their eyes lock. Pete dives from
the tree and sprints towards ‘base’ where he is pounded
by Johnny- it’s a tie.

They wrestle for the win, but it quickly turns into a

ticklish frenzy. Laughter beyond control...

PETE (V.O.)
They say the average person
laughs fifteen times a day...
but with as many cousins as I
had growing up, I wouldn’t
dream of counting.

The rest of the kids joins the fun. ALEX, 5, hurls

himself on top of the heap and gets hurt, but Johnny
gets him right back on his feet.

The crowd rushes over to a piñata that hangs off a

mango tree, one anglo boy falls short of the passion
that drives the rest of the crowd, he lags way behind.

PETE (V.O.)
Growing up in Miami was easy
because we weren’t different,
everyone else was.

Johnny takes more swings at the piñata than allowed and

is scolded by his father, BEBO, a Cuban Hulk.
 2.

PETE (V.O.)
(casually)
...and as long as we respected
the elders, those who
controlled and manipulated our
lives, things were fine.

Johnny bawls as Bebo mouths...

PETE (V.O.)
Because...I...said...so.

It’s Pete’s turn. He whacks the piñata and an

explosion of candy sparks the mad scramble for sweets.

Johnny rams his way through it all, causing a few

injuries along the way.

He is yanked from the heap and scolded, again.

PETE (V.O.)
Resistance was never
tolerated.

CUT TO:

A stash of candy in each hand, Pete approaches the

relatives as a salesman would a prospective client,
even pockets a few bucks.

EXT. THE GARCIA HOUSE - LATER

Pete hovers over an extra-large sheet CAKE with shiny

frosting and blows out ten candles.

An uproar of cheers and applause as he stands arm-in-

arm with Johnny...life is good.

PETE (V.O)
Unlike my cousin Johnny, I was
considered ‘tranquilo’- a
quiet boy, who never caused
any trouble.

That is, until I was eighteen-

CUT TO:
 3.

INT. THE GARCIA HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - YEARS LATER

Johnny sits stone-faced, while an excited Pete sits

next to him on a couch, he wears a NY Yankees cap.

On the coffee table is an envelope and next to it, a

large stack of cash.

His parents sit, facing him. Pete hands them a letter.

PETE (V.O.)
You know how most cultures
encourage their children to
become mature, independent
adults? Not mine.

An acceptance letter reads “COLUMBIA BUSINESS

SCHOOL...you have been accepted...full scholarship”.

And the Cuban reaction- a grim look from his father and
from his mother, sobs beyond control, she repeatedly
shakes her head, ‘no’. Tragedy in the making...

PETE (V.O.)
Asking to go away to college
was like requesting to be
disowned, it was considered
unimaginable.

Young Pete
Papa, porfavor. Please!

Tears flow, a lot of them.

PETE (V.O.)
After the added security of my
life’s savings and a lot of
begging...they still said no.

INT. DORM - SIX MONTHS LATER

Pete stands next to Johnny, his aunt, uncle, sister and

parents, it’s cramped.
 4.

PETE (V.O.)
Until they said yes, with
conditions.

The dresser resembles a sacred altar- holy cards, a

rosary and an oversized statue of the VIRGIN MARY.

A CRUCIFIX hangs over the doorway.

LATER

Pete, alone in his dorm, gazing at a huge spread of

sports MEMORABILIA pinned across his roommate’s wall.

Then on his wall- PHOTOS of his extended family, a MAP

OF CUBA and an AMERICAN FLAG.

INT. LECTURE HALL - TWO YEARS LATER

Pete, at the tail end of a presentation. The professor

applauds, then firmly shakes Pete’s hand.

PETE (V.O.)
Living the dream.

INT. RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL - YEARS LATER

Pete graduates with high honors, he struts across the

stage proud as a peacock, his extended family cheer him
on as he takes in the glory.

RELATIVES
(heavy accents)
Pedro! Mi amor! Mi baby!
Congratulations!

EXT. MANHATTAN - PRESENT DAY

Shots of Manhattan’s finest sculptures- LADY LIBERTY,

the CHARGING BULL, and in CENTRAL PARK- Cuban patriot,
JOSE MARTI.

Black Lincoln Continentals line the streets of the

Financial District as well-dressed executives are
dropped off by their drivers, others valet the classy
vehicles that define them.

Pete, now 36, steps out of his Porsche 911, sharply

dressed and fully charged.
 5.

PETE (V.O.)
Of course I missed them but
when opportunity knocks, you
just don’t turn around and go
home. Besides, location is
everything.

Pete walks briskly up a long stretch of stairs. A large

sign reads, “Panthius Advertising.”

He spots ERIC, a young intern in deep conversation with

a Gothic Girl wearing Starbucks attire.

ERIC
That fest was lit.

GOTHIC GIRL
Totally cray, cray.

PETE
(to Eric)
Let me guess- you realized you
were working too hard and
needed an early morning break.

ERIC
(to the girl)
I’ll see you at lunch.
(to Pete)
Good morning, Mister. The
copies, I was, uh, I had to
stop, literally, because they
moved the machines somewhere,
no idea where. I can’t even--

PETE
Eric, stop and just answer yes
or no. Did you make copies of
the P&L statement I need for
this weekend?

ERIC
(anxious)
No.

PETE
(calmly)
There are twenty-seven FedEx
offices in the Manhattan area.
 6.

ERIC
(embarrassed)
I totally get what you’re
saying. There’s one right on,
got it, mister, I mean sir.

INT. LOBBY AREA, PANTHIUS CORP - DAY

Pete walks through the lobby, towards an open elevator.

INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

He steps in. It’s packed, the norm. Pete whips out his
phone and dials, to hell with elevator etiquette.

PETE
Jon! Finally! I’ve been trying
to reach you...oh..I was in a
meeting with Rosen, we worked
it out, yea, got him to agree.
So, Jon, the retreat, it’s all
set, just need the final ‘go
ahead’ on the agenda.

JONATHAN (O.S)
(cuts in and out)
--can’t talk, about to step
into- with my Dokushan-
learning so much out
here...decided to make changes
to it...all set, nothing to
worry about.

PETE
You’re cutting in and out-

JONATHAN (O.S.)
--a whole new set of ideas for
it.

PETE
Everything we spoke about
before you left is in there- I
circle back to our core
values, touched upon employee
adaptability, too.
(MORE)
 7.

PETE (cont'd)
Touched upon that we’re
growing too fast, morale is
low, deadlines are being
missed...

Pete makes eye contact with a colleague in the

elevator.

PETE
(points, whispers)
That’s right, I’m talking
about you. That report was due
two days ago.

INT. RECEPTION AREA - DAY

The doors open and everyone steps out. The colleague

walks away quickly, embarrassed.

JONATHAN (O.S.)
--it’s going to be a fun
one...time to focus on you,
son.

PETE
(suddenly confused)
Fun? I’m going for a more
serious approach, I wouldn’t
call it fun. Hello?

JONATHAN (O.S.)
--she’s great, you’ll meet her
today and you’ll love her.

The call drops.

EXT. ZEN GARDEN - DAY

JONATHAN HARRIS, late 50’s, tall, lanky, stands in the

middle of beautiful, bright green foliage. Birds chirp,
a sun beam shines upon him, barefooted and wearing a
Zen robe.

He faces Zen Master DAMO, 70, bald, of short stature, a

serene smile on his face.

Damo holds out his palm. It takes a few seconds but

Jonathan catches on, then shamefully hands over his
 8.

cell phone.

DAMO
(firm)
This is an extension of who
you are. You must stop this.

RICHARD
(embarrassed)
I’m sorry, I run a large
corporation--

Damo forcefully flings the cell phone far into the

garden, like a pitcher would a baseball. Jonathan
gathers himself then bows in obedience and respect.

INT. LOBBY - SAME TIME

Pete walks across a spacious lobby decorated in modern-

chic minimalism with a spectacular view of Manhattan.

There’s a buzz going- furniture is being rearranged,

expensive artwork taken down.

CRAIG ROSEN, 35, is high on the vibe. Next to him is

SUZI, late 20’s, eager to feel whatever Craig is.

CRAIG
The atmosphere is starting to
ease up. You feel it?

SUZI
(trying)
Not really.

CRAIG
We’re de-cluttering so sheng
chi is being released. Do you
sense it?

SUZI
Can’t say I do. Is that bad?

CRAIG
(eager)
Your desk is in a bad spot,
you’re getting all the bad
energy coming through the
door.
 9.

They spot Pete coming towards them.

CRAIG
Ah, here we have a prime
example of si chi. Exhaustive
energy, powerfully negative.

SUZI
(nervously)
Sh.

Pete notices a chime hanging down from the ceiling,

wavering above Suzi’s desk. It makes a light, tingly
sound.

PETE
(to Suzi)
Is there a reason for the
unpleasant sound?

SUZI
(anxiously
apologetic)
I can move the chime.

PETE
Or get rid of it.

SUZI
I can do that, too.

CRAIG
(cocky)
It keeps the good energy from
leaving the room, it stays.

PETE
That’s what all this is about?

CRAIG
(cocky)
We are implementing Feng Shui.
Jon finally agreed this
company could use--

PETE
(looking around)
-chaos and distractions?
 10.

CRAIG
A positive environment, with
natural energy flow roaming--

A maintenance worker walks in, hauling a large cart of

mirrors.

CRAIG
(to worker)
Every office gets one. Thanks,
buddy.
(to Pete, casually)
Try to embrace the vibe Pete,
might do you some good.

PETE
(snooty)
Actually Craig, I’m actually
into a whole other realm of
positive energy, it’s called
hard work in pursuit of the
American Dream. Call me weird.

He walks away.

CRAIG
(to Suzi)
SO weird.

INT. KITCHEN AREA

BRIDGET, 32, is pouring herself a lot of coffee in an

oversized coffee mug, her hair is styled in a really
tight bun.

In walks MARGIE, 40, excited about something.

MARGIE
Hey Bridge, your buddy is
sizzling hot this morning.

BRIDGET
I have few friends here.

MARGIE
(softer voice)
I’m talking about the one that
drives you nuts-- coming your
way.
(MORE)
 11.

MARGIE (cont'd)
(taking notice of her
hair style)
Ooo, cute little hair bun you
got there.

Pete steps into the kitchen.

PETE
(cordial)
Margie, Bridget, good morning.

BRIDGET
(smiling brightly as
she checks him out)
It is a good morning.

PETE
(to Bridget)
I need you to do something for
me.

Margie gives Bridget an encouraging nudge then leaves.

BRIDGET
(apprehensive)
What is it, Mr. Garcia?

PETE
The new intern, Eric, he’s not
working out. I need a
replacement.

BRIDGET
(not surprised)
He’s the third one, what’s
wrong now?

PETE
Language barrier.

BRIDGET
He’s from Idaho.

PETE
Yea, but I don’t speak
millennial and I’m not
interested in learning another
language. Thank you for all
you do.
 12.

He leaves. Bridget bites her lip in frustration. She

yanks at her hair bun, unravels it, frantically runs
her fingers through it, then takes a few deep breaths
to calm herself.

INT. PETE’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Pete walks into his highly organized office and sits at

his desk, his mind preoccupied.

A woman walks in carrying a Pothos plant and sets it

down on his desk. This is EDNA, Pete’s assistant, 75,
built like a boxer, a hearing aid in each ear.

PETE
Nope, not interested.

EDNA
It’s supposed to remove toxins
from the air but I’m sure it’s
all bullshit.

PETE
Give it to Craig, he’s got
toxins to spare.

Edna throws it in the garbage, causing a loud noise.

Pete’s cell phone rings and he glances at the Caller
ID. It reads “TITA”. He sighs, ignores it.

Edna leaves the room for a moment then walks right back
in with a Buddha fountain that she connects and places
on Pete’s desk. Water squirts from the Buddha’s mouth.
He stares at it, then shakes his head disapprovingly.

The phone rings again.

PETE
I had the most bizarre
conversation with Jon just
now.

EDNA
He got weird out there, right?
I knew it would happen. I bet
they have him reading Chogyam
Trungpa’s Crazy Wisdom.
(MORE)
 13.

EDNA (cont'd)
My neighbor read it and now
he’s so soft-spoken and kind-
hearted, I can’t stand it. We
used to be good friends.

Edna glances at the Caller ID.

EDNA
(pointing to the
phone)
Your sister, she also called
earlier. I confirmed you
weren’t kidnapped and still
very much alive.

PETE
What could she possibly want?

Edna opens a drawer and pulls out an extra large card

stock invitation, party streamers hang from it,
colorful confetti fall on Pete’s desk. Edna doesn’t
flinch but Pete certainly does.

EDNA
You didn’t RSVP for your dad’s
retirement pachanga.

PETE
I couldn’t commit.

EDNA
I read that a pachanga is an
event where Cubans party hard
and an exaggerated amount of
food and liquor is served.

PETE
(indifferent)
That’s about right.

Pete whips out a mini desk vacuum and sucks up the

confetti, one by one.

EDNA
Did you know suntan lotion was
invented in Miami and that
it’s the only major city in
the United States founded by a
woman?
 14.

PETE
(unimpressed)
Fascinating.

He hands the phone to Edna then puts away the vacuum

and collects his ipad then heads for the door.

PETE
(firmly)
Call her back, tell her I have
a corporate retreat to run and
I can’t just drop it and go to
Miami. And send my dad a case
of Glenfiddich, fifteen.

EDNA
(with attitude)
Signed, Your Neglectful Son!

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Pete steps into the hallway and runs into Craig, also
late, also heading towards the conference room.

Following close behind are colleagues SCOTT- tall and

lanky, peculiar hairstyle, and HENRY- short, stocky,
dressed in Mafia-Italian style fashion, way too shiny
for a work setting.

CRAIG
Was that Edna yelling? Sounds
like she may need to change
the batteries on those hearing
aids.

PETE
(composed)
I grew up with loud, I’m used
to it.

CRAIG
You know you’re probably the
only executive in Manhattan
with a secretary on Medicare?

PETE
And with a higher IQ than all
of you put together.
 15.

Craig rolls his eyes as he walks into the Conference

Room along with the others.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS

A woman stands at one end of the room, she wears a

loose, white dress and braids in her hair. This is
MOLLY STAPLETON, 35, sexy, beautiful, there’s an aura
to her that draws you in, like, immediately.

The rest of the team shuffle in and take their seats.

ANDREA, 40, painfully shy and uptight, takes a seat
next to PENELOPE, 35, joyful, and optimistic.

CRAIG
(gazing at Molly)
Jon mentioned a special guest,
but he didn’t mention how
special.

PETE
(to Craig, annoyed)
He told you about this? When?

CRAIG
(waving at Molly)
Hello, my name is Craig,
account manager. That’s Pete.

PETE
(to Craig)
I can introduce myself, thank
you.
(to Molly)
Account Director, Pete Garcia.

MOLLY
(happily)
I know all about this team. I
met with Jon before he left.

PETE
(intrigued and
annoyed)
What? Why?

MOLLY
Jon has hired me as your
business coach.
(MORE)
 16.

MOLLY (cont'd)
I’ll be leading the upcoming
corporate retreat.

PETE
I’m sorry, you’re a what?

MOLLY
I’m actually a mindfulness
coach but I work with a lot of
executives. You’ll find my bio
and a full itinerary in the
binder in front of you.

Pete leafs through the binder rather quickly and stops

at a picture of a man in a rather bizarre yoga pose.

CRAIG
(glancing at Pete)
If she’s leading the retreat
that means--

SCOTT
(to Pete)
You’re not.

MOLLY
Jonathan shared your agenda
with me, Mr. Garcia. I assure
you my program will help
create the mindset you want
for your team.

PETE
(mumbles)
This is going to be a complete
waste of our time.

MOLLY
(addressing the team)
Your day to day grind here can
really suck you into a place
where you are not self aware
on how you perform, or how you
treat your colleagues, even.
(they all glance at
Pete)
(MORE)
 17.

MOLLY (cont'd)
Learning to live in the
present moment, learning the
practice of mindful leadership
will provide you with the
tools you need to measure and
manage your life as you’re
living it.

CRAIG
(flipping to a page
in the binder)
I can totally master that
pose.

ANDREA
Is participation required? I’m
shy.

PENELOPE
She is, painfully. Don’t
worry, I intend to fully
participate.

MOLLY
You’ll be fine, Andrea. I
assure you the activities are
meant to bring you to a
peaceful place within yourself
where you will feel
comfortable and free from all
inhibitions.

HENRY
(to Scott)
The last girlfriend I dated
told me I needed self-
improvement. Is that what this
is?

SCOTT
I think so.

PETE
(to Molly, beyond
frustrated)
With all due respect Ms.
Stapleton, what this team
really needs is--
 18.

MOLLY
(direct)
-interior freedom, it’s a real
challenge for executives today
to balance stress and personal
issues. Performance in the
work setting can be greatly
affected as a result. I assure
you that learning self
awareness will create a better
outcome in productivity.

PETE
(reading through the
binder)
The Power of Stopping. That
doesn’t sound very productive.

MOLLY
(addressing the team)
Let’s have an open mindset
this weekend, shall we?, Now,
I have a lot to do so I’ll let
you review the binders on your
own time.

As they leave the room...

PENELOPE
(to Andrea,
excitedly)
I’ve never been to Miami!

CRAIG
You have to try the cafe con
leche...oh, and they add guava
to everything- pastries, even
drinks, I love Cuban cuisine.

HENRY
I’ve always wanted to visit
Miami, home of Tony Montana.

SCOTT
Say hello to my little friend.

Molly stays behind with Pete, who’s in total in ‘doom

and gloom’ mode.

PETE
Of all places...
 19.

MOLLY
Miami is the perfect setting,
vibrant atmosphere, lots of
positive energy, it’s--

PETE
(loudly)
--overcrowded, humid, hot,
everything is so ‘over the
top’.

MOLLY
I put a lot of thought into
what this team needs, I’m
quite confident it will be a
success.

PETE
What my team needs is to
revisit the core values this
company was built on-
integrity, accountability,
diversity, passion,
leadership. And we’re going to
learn that from Laughter
Meditation?

MOLLY
(smiling)
It’s an ice breaker.

Pete points to a page in the binder where a woman is in

the strangest of yoga poses.

PETE
Yoga, really? That pose can
bring about very uncomfortable
emotions, especially for a
man.

MOLLY
The practice of attempting to
hold any yoga pose for an
extended period of time
teaches you to focus on just
that- uncomfortable emotions,
helping you to accept them and
eventually grow to become at
ease with them.
(MORE)
 20.

MOLLY (cont'd)
There are many who accept the
challenge and some even
practice the Navy Seal’s
secret to mental toughness in
order to master it.

PETE
When you hit a wall you’re
only 40 percent through your
stores of energy and
determination.

MOLLY
(impressed)
I’m looking forward to working
you this weekend.

Pete smirks then carefully places the itinerary binder

on the conference room table and walks out.

INT. PETE’S APARTMENT - LATER

Pete stares into an empty suitcase.

He faces a closet full of business suits. He opens

drawer after drawer in search of something he can’t
seem to find- casual clothes. Not happening.

Finally, he comes across a t-shirt that reads: COLUMBIA

UNIVERSITY, he packs it, along with a pair of shorts
that fit way too small, and a few white t-shirts. Next,
a pair of never-worn sneakers.

Then finally the suits, there are plenty of those.

Pete in a cab, he arrives at JFK. Going through

security, he spots Molly and the team, wearing Hawaiian
shirts and sundresses.

Pete boards the plane, spots Molly. He waves an

exaggerated ‘hello’ along with a forced smile. She
smiles back, it’s genuine.

The plane takes off, images of the New York skyline

dissolve into the coast of South Beach and all its chic
hotels.

The plane takes a slight turn and the glare of a

glowing sun strikes Pete’s face. He squints and shuts
the window shade.
 21.

The plane lands. Pete encounters the cultured decor at

Miami International Airport. We’re definitely not at
JFK anymore.

At a cafe near baggage claim, men wear Guayaberas as

they stand in line for a dose of Cuban coffee paired
with a pastelito.

Women seem to wear a lot less clothes here, they’re

sexy and curvy, Pete surely notices. He glances at a
large neon sign that reads, “Welcome to Miami!”

INT. UBER - LATER

The driver peers at him through the rear view window, a

smile from ear to ear. He wears a Guayabera.

UBER DRIVER
(yelling, in a heavy
accent)
Welcome to the 305! Eso dice,
Pitbull, eh?
(singing, with style)
I know you want me (want me)
You know I want cha (want cha)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro!

PETE
(not at all amused)
The Fountainbleu.

CAB DRIVER
De donde vienes?

PETE
(annoyed)
Manhattan.

UBER DRIVER
(yelling, even
louder, strong
accent)
Oh! Me encanta los Yankees.
Love them.

The driver blasts Latin music. Pete immediately pops

his ear buds in.
 22.

He observes ‘Miami’ on the drive to the beach. Highway

signs and high rises, homes of sleek design, yachts
along the waterway, and the sun as strong as the vibe-
festive and vibrant.

EXT. THE FOUNTAINBLEU - LATER

The Uber pulls up to the hotel. Convertibles are being

valeted, lively guests in classy beachwear...and
there’s Pete, exiting the Uber in his tight, grey
Armani.

UBER DRIVER
Pero no tienes calor, chico?
Porque aqui se suda la gota
gorda. Very, very hot here.

PETE
(with a forced smile,
sweating)
Got it.

Pete grabs his suitcase from the trunk and head towards
the lobby.

INT. FOUNTAINBLEAU - CONTINUOUS

Pete enters, the team is checking in, he approaches

them.

PETE
(sarcastic)
Lovely afternoon in sunny
Miami, isn’t it Ms. Stapleton?

MOLLY
It certainly is.

CRAIG
(to Pete)
You look really sharp in that
suit, Pete.

Scott and Henry snicker as they fan themselves. Pete

ignores them, turns to Molly.
 23.

PETE
I can’t recall right now, what
is the first fun-filled
activity on the agenda?

MOLLY
Laughter Meditation.

PETE
Isn’t that kind of an
oxymoron? ‘Cause if you’re
chuckling, you aren’t
necessarily meditating.

MOLLY
(enjoying his sarcasm
but not letting on)
In free flowing laughter, your
mind is focused on a
particular action and it
trains to maintain attention
and awareness.

PETE
(cocky)
But isn’t it easier just to
listen to a comedian, for
example, ’cause it’s more
natural, not forced...

The next reservation clerk becomes free and Molly is

next.

MOLLY
(to Pete)
I highly recommend Laughter
Meditation, it has great
benefits for people like you
who take life way too
seriously.

INT. BALLROOM - LATER

The entire team sits in a circle. The room is bright

and airy, with lots of windows and an amazing view of
the ocean.

INT. HALLWAY - SAME TIME

 24.

Pete is late and hurries down the hallway but slows

down when approaching the entryway, peeks in, eyes on
Molly.

MOLLY
We’re going to start without
Pete, he can catch up. So
team, this type of meditation
is great for getting you in
tune with your body and for
releasing your inner energy.
I want you to stretch your
mouth by opening it really
wide and then closing it, make
funny faces, or flare your
nostrils, you can also scrunch
your nose up like this.
(laughing)
Let the laughter flow...

PETE
(under his breath)
This is such crap.

Molly face gestures are absolutely ridiculous and the

rest of the team’s are even more bizarre. They crack
up.

MOLLY
Now make animal noises with
loudness and force.
MOOOOOO...MEEEEEOOOOOOWWWW.

MOLLY
Now take that laughter and use
it for your benefit. Let it
out...let it flow...

They let out all sorts of noises in laughter form- the

knee slapping laugh, the nasal laugh, it’s all over the
top obnoxious.

A text message from Edna suddenly pops up on Pete’s

phone.

GLENFIDDICH DELIVERED. PACHANGA UNDERWAY. DON’T BE AN

ASS.
 25.

Pete bolts down the hallway, whips out his cell phone
and dials...

PETE
(into the phone)
Jon, the laughter meditation
is a complete disaster, they
sound like hyenas, and acting
like them for that matter. I
decided not to participate and
preserve my dignity. This is
not at all what I had in mind
for this weekend. Call me back
so we can discuss my agenda
again.

INT. LOBBY- CONTINUOUS

He walks briskly through the lobby, out the revolving

doors...

EXT. VALET BOOTH - CONTINUOUS

...and approaches the valet.

PETE
Cab, please.

Pete glances at his watch, a cab drives up and he gets

in.

INT. CAB - CONTINUOUS

CAB DRIVER
A dando vamos?

PETE
Westchester, 2151 Southwest
82nd Avenue.

CAB DRIVER
Que que?

PETE
(with a Cuban accent)
Westchester, 2151 de la
Southwest y la 82 avenida.
 26.

CAB DRIVER
Ahora si.

First class hotels, mansions, palm trees, the Miami

Marlins baseball stadium...Pete takes it all in.

A middle-class neighborhood, with an elementary school

and a little league baseball park, this is more
familiar to Pete.

The cab drives up to a modest home, cars are parked and

crammed into this small, front yard. Pete pays the
driver and steps out.

EXT. GARCIA HOUSE - DAY

The sound of Cuban music can be heard coming from the

backyard.

Pete steps up to the front door, takes a moment to

collect himself.

PETE
(under his breath)
Here we go.

INT. GARCIA HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

He opens the front door and steps into the house.

There’s an older lady at the kitchen sink, adding

olives to a large pot of black beans. This is BEBA, 78,
the aunt/second mom to everyone in the family.

PETE
(embracing her)
Beba.

BEBA
(sympathetic smile,
in a heavy
accent...)
Mi amor! Que bueno que
vinistes. Your parents are
going to be so happy.

PETE
And surprised.
 27.

She places her hand gently on his face, they embrace.

BEBA
Mi Pedrito.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

A corner table crowded with picture frames- there’s

young Pete sitting at a piano, another with his
grandmother next to her sewing machine, the school
picture with the really bad haircut resembling the
shape of Gumby’s head. Pete cringes at that one.

PETE
(in disbelief)
What were they thinking?

THIN VOICE (O.S.)

Are you a stranger?

Pete turns around. A little girl sits at the edge of a

large couch.

PETE
(startled)
I used to live here. Lucy,
it’s me, Pedrito.

LUCY is 5, well-poised, in pigtails. She strokes her

doll’s hair with a brush.

LUCY
Do you live in New York?

PETE
Yes, I’m your--

LUCY
Godfather.

PETE
Right.

LUCY
They talk about you.

PETE
(offended)
Who does?
 28.

LUCY
They say they never see you
because you never visit and
that you’re a loner.

PETE
(defensive)
Hey, I work my ass off--

Lucy reacts with a lifted eyebrow. Pete sighs, plops

himself on the couch next to her.

LUCY
Do you want me to teach you
how to make a French Braid?

PETE
(blatantly)
Not really, no, I don’t think
I would ever have a need for
those skills.

LUCY
Do you wanna have a staring
contest?

PETE
(glancing at the
backyard)
I should go out there.

She sets her doll down and turns to face Pete.

LUCY
I’m going to count to three
then the first person that
starts laughing is a big
loser.

Lucy makes a hand gesture resembling the letter ‘L’.

PETE
(not into it)
Got it.

LUCY
One....two...three...GO.

Pete and Lucy maintain a fixed gaze but Lucy begins to

flinch and starts to giggle.
 29.

Pete forms the letter “L” with his fingers and holds it
up to his forehead....LOSER.

EXT. BACKYARD, GARCIA HOUSE - DAY

Pete steps outside, about a hundred people crowd this

small backyard.

It’s a three-ring circus of entertainment- the hungry,

the dancers and the domino players.

And of course, there’s Johnny on a make-shift stage,

loud and electric as ever.

Pete walks over to his cousins PEPI and MIKEY, both in

their 30’s, husky and well-built.

PEPI
(pleasantly
surprised)
Coño. Damn, bro!

MIKEY
No way, hey, it’s the Latin
from Manhattan!

They embrace, it’s a Cuban-style hug, forceful and

tight, followed by a harsh pat on the back.

PETE
You two look healthy.

MIKEY
(pointing at his
suit)
Not as good as you in that
Armani. Eso costo un ojo de
la cara.

PETE
(chuckling)
It wasn’t that expensive.

MIKEY
I know Armani, don’t bullshit
me.

PEPI
(to Mikey)
No you don’t, bro.
(MORE)
 30.

PEPI (cont'd)
You bought that Armani knock
off. I know you wanna forget
that happened but it happened.

PETE
(a hearty laugh)
That’s right.

PEPI
(laughing)
And you wore it. Many times.

MIKEY
(still feeling it)
Until Beba threw it in the
wash. I had to donate it.

They all laugh.

PEPI
(to Mikey)
Oye, pay up.

Mikey reluctantly takes a dollar out of his wallet and

hands it to Pepi.

PEPI
(to Mikey, pointing
at Pete)
No bro, the deal was five if
he called, ten if he showed
up. You owe me a ten.

Mikey hands over a crisp ten, with attitude.

Pete shakes his head in disbelief. Whatever.

PETE
(glancing at Johnny,
absorbed in his own
performance)
Can’t get ‘em off the stage,
huh?

MIKEY
Ni amarrado.
 31.

PEPI
(laughing)
You’d have to tie him up and
yank him off. A grito pelao.

JOHNNY
(into the mic)
Una Mama Juana, que tenia yo,
abrio la nevera y tambien se
la bebio, y un vasito de jugo
que tenia yo con tres
gallititas, tambien se lo
comio...

The loud shriek of aunts and uncles is suddenly heard

as they rush over to greet Pete.

AUNTS
No lo puedo creer! Es
Pedrito! Gracias a Dios y la
Virgen Maria! You’re here!
Praise Be to God! Niño! Dejame
verte!

He is smothered in kisses and many forceful embraces.

UNCLES
Caballo! Estas seco! Oye, you
need Cuban food. Que
barbaridad. Olividate de la
manzana grande, Nueva York no
alimenta. Ven aqui chico que
te quiero y me quedo corto.
Dame un beso cabezon y un
abrazo fuerte que me debes un
millon. You owe me un million!

Pete embraces them all, finally gets to his mom,

MARIA, 60’s, classy and serene. TITA, is next. This is
Pete’s sister, 33, she carries AMANDA, twenty months,
she’s all cheeks.

MARIA
Que sorpresa! What a surprise!

TITA
(jokingly)
Miracles do happen.
 32.

PETE
Hi Mami.
(to Tita)
This is Amanda?

TITA
Twenty months today.

PETE
(embarrassed)
Has it been that long?

TITA
(firmly)
Yes, it’s been that long.

MARIA
(to Tita)
It doesn’t matter, he’s here
now. Dejalo tranquilo.

PETE
Where’s Papá--

Out of nowhere, Pete is tackled to the ground. It’s

Johnny, this is so him.

PETE
(pissed)
What the hell, Johnny?!

JOHNNY
(angry but not
really)
Call you back, can’t talk,
have a meeting- you’re a piece
of crap of a cousin, you know
that?

PETE
(frustrated)
Fine. Now get OFF.

They get up and Johnny embraces him.

JOHNNY
(loud,
affectionately)
I miss you, bro! Pero eres una
plasta!
 33.

PETE
(annoyed)
Yea, ok, I suck, whatever.
(collects himself)
You look fit.

JOHNNY
I’m aging well, right?

PETE
(to Maria)
Where’s Pop?

She points and there’s GUILLERMO, late 60’s, sitting at

a table playing dominoes with older relatives. He’s got
a Godfather-stance to him, a plump cigar hangs off his
lips.

Pete approaches the table.

GUILLERMO
(surprised but
reserved)
Coño, the Big Apple decided to
show up!

RELATIVES
El Big Shot de Nueva York!
Tu te crees el Presidente o
que carajo! We never see you!
Dame otro beso, como te quiero
viejo.

They all share hugs and finally it’s time to hug dad.
There’s a slight tension between them but also some
joy.

PETE
You look good, Pop.

GUILLERMO
(dismissive)
Old and wrinkled is what I am.

PETE
(with a hint of
disappointment)
And retired, thought you had a
few years left in you.
 34.

GUILLERMO
So did I.

JOHNNY (O.S.)
Bro, wanna Mojito?!

PETE
(to Guillermo,
pointing at the
dominoes)
Good luck.

GUILLERMO
Gracias, but I never need it.

OLDER RELATIVE
(as they set up for
the next game)
Que he doesn’t need it? Eso
dice él, when he plays against
me, he needs it.

They laugh, all in good fun.

EXT. BAR AREA, BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

Pepi and Mikey are watching Johnny as he pours Bacardi

Rum into a cocktail shaker, and the rest of the
ingredients.

He shakes it in an exaggerated motion but that seems to

be Johnny’s style in everything he does. Pete pours
himself a Scotch.

JOHNNY
(to Pete)
Have a Mojito, dude- I make a
mean one.

PETE
I’m good.

JOHNNY
It’s the Cuban drink, was
Hemingway’s favorite, te lo
pierdes. Your loss.

Johnny passes out Mojitos, then grabs his own.

 35.

JOHNNY
To the long lost cousin,
welcome back, bro!

PEPI AND MIKEY

Salud!

PETE
Cheers.

Glasses clink. A song plays over a speaker, Perfidia,

Guillermo and Maria come together for a sweet dance,
cheek-to-cheek. The family applauds and gathers around.

LATER

Maria approaches Pete.

MARIA
Dime, mijo. How are you?

PETE
(a pause)
Busy.

Maria nods, so what else is new.

MARIA
(frowns)
Mi vida, do you remember what
Abuela used to say?

PETE
God’s voice is louder than
your own...

MARIA AND PETE

So shut up and listen.

MARIA
Don’t rush through life, mi
amor.

PETE
I’ll try.
 36.

MARIA
(with a sweet smile)
Try a little harder.

Pete nods, a smile breaks through.

EXT. BACKYARD - HOURS LATER

Pachanga continues in full swing with no end in sight,

it’s a Cuban thing.

Pete spots Johnny tying up a garbage bag and heading to

the garage. Pete follows him.

INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

It’s packed with typical household stuff, a Harley

parked in the corner.

PETE
(hesitant)
Hey Johnny, I gotta head out.

JOHNNY
(sarcastic)
Let me guess, you got a
meeting.

PETE
Something like that.

JOHNNY
Le sumba...

PETE
It’s a work thing.

JOHNNY
Always is.

PETE
Look, it’s a business retreat.
It was supposed to be
somewhere else then my boss
made changes to it and I ended
up here.
 37.

JOHNNY
(disappointed)
So that’s why you’re here.

Pete notices at a few photos taped along the garage

wall- Pete and Mikey jamming on guitars, Pepi on drums
and there’s Johnny, microphone up to his mouth.

PETE
(pointing, needing to
change the subject)
Remember those days?

JOHNNY
All the time.

PETE
Those were good times.

JOHNNY
(pointing)
Take your Harley. Your dad and
I worked on it last month for
the hell of it. She’s good to
go.

PETE
Maybe tomorrow. I already
called an Uber.

Johnny completely ignores Pete and pulls the bike out

of the garage and onto the driveway.

PETE
(not fighting it)
I’ll just cancel that...
(while tapping on his
phone)
So how is she?

JOHNNY
Mamá? Her life sucks but she’s
clueless so it’s all good in
her world, comes and goes. She
was a bit off today, stayed
home with a caregiver.

PETE
Say hello for me, not sure if
she remembers--
 38.

JOHNNY
Come by tomorrow, she mentions
you all the time. I have to
make shit up about why you
never visit.

PETE
I’m not sure that I can break
away.

JOHNNY
(firm)
Eso es cuento, you owe me some
time. A lot of it.

PETE
(a pause, knowing
this won’t be easy)
Maybe, I don’t know. I, uh,
need a favor. Can you tell
Mami and Pop that I had to
leave? I don’t wanna make
waves with the party still
going on...

JOHNNY
(with attitude)
Bro.

PETE
What?

JOHNNY
They’re used to it by now.

PETE
Right.

That stung a bit.

Pete hops onto the motorcycle, revs it up.

JOHNNY
(pointing to the
bike)
Remember when you thought you
were hot shit on that thing?
 39.

PETE
(embarrassed)
No.

JOHNNY
(firmly)
Yea, you do. See you tomorrow.

Johnny heads back into the house. Pete gets on his

bike, it’s take a minute but soon enough, it feels like
an old pair of jeans. He takes off.

EXT. HIGHWAY - MOMENTS LATER

A pristine reflection of the Miami skyline bounces off

the water. In all its chic glamour, it’s Miami at its
best.

Pete takes it all in on this smooth ride.

EXT. FOUNTAINBLEU HOTEL- LATER

He arrives and valets.

EXT. POOL BAR TERRACE - CONTINUOUS

The work crowd is gathered at the bar, drinks are being

served.

CRAIG
Look who decided to join us.
We sent pics to Jon earlier.

PETE
Of you laughing like a hyena?

MOLLY
The activity was a success,
Pete, you should have been
there.

PETE
Yea, sorry, my family lives
here, my dad just retired
so...pachanga.
 40.

MOLLY
(amused)
Pachanga?

SCOTT
They served pachangas? Is that
like a Cuban chimichanga?

PETE
It’s an event where Cubans
party hard and an exaggerated
amount of food and liquor is
served.

MOLLY
I didn’t know your family
lived here.

PETE
I forget myself sometimes.

MOLLY
Let’s make this weekend about
team work, shall we, Pete?

PETE
(yea, whatever)
All about the team.

HENRY
(pointing at Pete’s
suit)
You comfortable in that?

PETE
(snappy)
Not really.

Craig and the others snicker, even Andrea smiles.

Molly notices a man standing twenty feet away, carrying

an oversized drum on his back.

Molly waves at the man walking toward her. This is

BOZ, Hawaiian, very tall and overly muscular.

Pete flags a waitress over.

 41.

MOLLY
(pleased)
There he is, right on
schedule.

PETE
(to Molly)
No way that guy can master the
Yin Yang pose.
(to waitress)
I’m going to need a double
scotch to get me through the
next hour.

She nods.

Boz approaches the team.

BOZ
You must be Molly.

MOLLY
(excitedly)
I’m so excited to finally meet
you.
(to the team)
This is Boz, he’s a meditation
guide, he helps people with
personal transformations.

CRAIG
(to Boz)
Your blog is awesome by the
way, I was browsing through it
for hours last night.

PETE
Hours? No way.
(to Boz)
Hey, I’m Pete Garcia.

Pete extends his hand to Boz for a proper greeting but

he avoids shaking it, gives him a pat on the back
instead.

BOZ
(smiling)
I don’t do handshakes, man.
Too formal. You comfortable in
that suit?
 42.

The waitress hands Pete his drink and he takes a few

long sips.

BOZ
(to the team)
Everyone, follow me.

PETE
(to Molly,
whispering)
Since when is a handshake an
improper way to greet someone?
That’s very unprofessional.

MOLLY
Lighten up, Pete. You’re not
in Manhattan anymore.

Molly catches up with the others as they walk onto the

beach.

Pete walks rather uncomfortably on the sand in his

tight Armani and sleek Ferraganos.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH - LATER

They are gathered on the sand. The sun is starting to

set and the water is a clear blue- we’re in beach
heaven.

Pete takes his sweet time removing his shoes, socks,

jacket, tie. He takes another long sip from his
Scotch.

BOZ
Can we gather in a circle?
Arms length. Good. Now take a
few deep breaths. All the way
in....and all the way out.

Craig exaggerates the breathing and makes a swooshing

sound when breathing out.
 43.

BOZ
Jon Kabat-Zinn explained it
best, “Mindfulness is
awareness through paying
attention, on purpose, in the
present moment, non-
judgmentally, it’s about
knowing what’s on your mind.”
Let’s focus on our senses.
Your eyes... what do you see?

Pete glances at Molly...he sees pure beauty.

BOZ
Your ears, what do you hear?
The ocean waves crashing on
the shore? A child’s laughter?

Pete gazes at the waves, the blueness of the ocean, a

child running away from a wave, giggling.

He grabs his Scotch glass and takes a few long sips,

he’d much rather do that than listen to Boz.

BOZ
(looking at Pete as
he sips on his
Scotch)
The sense of taste...imagine
yourself sipping on herbal
tea...or tasting the saltiness
of the ocean. And touch...dig
your feet into the sand, bury
them deep into the earth with
your toes, wiggle them,
freeing yourselves of built-up
stress.
(to Pete)
It’s best to wear loose-
fitting clothes so you’re not
so restricted in your
movements.

PETE
(sarcastic)
Thanks, that’s really good
advice.

Pete is hesitant to dig his feet in the sand.

 44.

PENELOPE
(loving it)
This feels so good!

ANDREA
(unsure)
This is the first time I step
in sand, ever.

SCOTT
Very soothing.

HENRY
I burnt my feet on the sand
earlier today so this actually
hurts.

BOZ
You are alive, free, grateful.
Any musicians here?

Boz starts to tap on a small drum, a soft rhythmic

beat.

Scott raises his hand.

SCOTT
I used to play the ukulele.
Just a little.

BOZ
That’s a fun one. Pete? You?

PETE
Nope.

BOZ
(to the team)
Allow the healing benefits of
the rhythm to flow within your
bodies....let it speak to your
soul, heal you....close your
eyes and take a deep breath
in....and out.

Pete’s as stiff as a board, he wants no part of it.

Craig closes his eyes, starts to sway back and forth.

Henry bends his knees, attempts to move up and down but

he can’t seem to capture a momentum.
 45.

BOZ
Think back to when you were a
child, when you could play,
sing or create whatever you
wanted...now bring that child
out.

Molly starts to move her arms, then her hips. Pete

watches her. She’s sexy without even trying, she just
is.

Craig exaggerates the movements, his eyes on Molly.

Pete attempts to block his view.

Penelope moves her body as if she’s doing ‘the twist’.

Scott copies her, Andrea’s moves are just plain weird.
Boz revs up the beat then finishes with a bang. They
applaud and cheer.

CRAIG
I felt so free, the energy was
racing through my body--

PETE
(to Craig)
Yea well, it wasn’t pretty.

BOZ
I believe you all tapped into
your chakras, I felt a good
vibe coming from all of you,
well, most of you, just keep
at it, Pete. I believe in you,
Thambi.

PETE
(sarcastic)
That makes me feel a lot
better Boz, thanks.

Boz grabs a larger drum.

PETE
(to Molly)
I’m not really enjoying the
present moment.

Molly ignores Pete. Boz starts tapping lightly on the

drum.
 46.

BOZ
Can we sit in a circle?
Drumming is actually an
ancient approach to
transformative healing...it
focuses on self-expression.
(tapping)
We’ll take turns. Who wants to
give it a try? Tap and keep a
rhythm, make it your own.

CRAIG
May I? I used to drum in high
school.

PETE
Oh, you were one of those
guys?

CRAIG
Shut up.

Boz hands Craig the drum and immediately, he starts to

overdo it, there’s no rhythm whatsoever. He glances at
Molly and she gives him a thumbs up. Craig smiles,
proudly.

That’s all Pete needs to see. He grabs the drum from

Craig.

PETE
I think we’ve had enough.

CRAIG
(annoyed)
I gotta see this.

The others snicker, even Boz is a bit surprised. Craig

crosses his arms, expectations are low.

Pete starts out slow but then goes at it, Ricky Ricardo
style, the Cuban in him breaks through.

He attracts a small crowd of spectators. Molly is

impressed by his intensity. She takes a picture of Pete
jamming.

Pete ends with a bang then gently hands the drum back
to Boz. Perspiration seeps through his dress shirt.
 47.

BOZ
Thambi, my man, you stole the
show!

MOLLY
Where did you learn how to
play like that?

PETE
It’s in my blood.

BOZ
Who’s next?

No one raises their hand, can’t beat that performance.

They wrap it up and head back to the pool area.

MOLLY
(to Pete)
Can’t wait to see what other
hidden talent you. Boz will be
back tomorrow.

PETE
Again? For what?

MOLLY
Yoga.

PETE
I may be late. I’m visiting my
aunt, she’s sick, takes all
these meds for depression--

MOLLY
(disappointed)
Whatever, Pete.

PETE
Let’s be honest though, yoga
is very unnatural for men. We
just weren’t created to be
that flexible.

MOLLY
The majority of men are just
resistant to working on their
flexibility and just refuse to
realize the benefits of it.
 48.

Craig does a cartwheel on the sand and the team breaks

into a laugh. Molly runs ahead to catch up with them.

Pete drops a shoe in the sand then his tie.

He glances back at the shore and catches a bright

orange sun illuminating the water. He takes it in, hard
not to.

EXT. JOHNNY’S HOUSE - DAY

Pete parks his bike in front of a small, unkept house.

He knocks on the front door repeatedly but there’s no

answer, he grows impatient so he knocks harder. He puts
his ear up to the door and hears the faint sound of a
woman lamenting.

Anxious, Pete heads to the back door of the house and

tries to open it with no luck. He removes a window
screen then sticks his arm inside the house to unlock
the door. It works.

INT. JOHNNY’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Pete rushes down the hallway and can now hear the woman
clearly screaming at the top of her lungs.

CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

He barges in to find his AUNT FEFA, 82, thin and frail,

sitting on a bathtub chair in the shower. Johnny is
struggling to keep her still as she tries to stop him
from washing her hair.

FEFA
Johnny ya, no quiero!

PETE
What the hell is going on?

JOHNNY
Help me out here, bro. She’s
slipping out of the chair.
(MORE)
 49.

JOHNNY (cont'd)
(rudely)
Mami, estate tranquila
porfavor.

AUNT FEFA
No quiero. Johnny ya!

PETE
Wha-- what do I do?

JOHNNY
She hates when I wash her
hair. Hold her, I gotta rinse.

Pete’s unsure of where to place his hands, it’s all so

awkward.

Wishing he was elsewhere, he shuts his eyes and grabs

her arm and hip. Water splashes on his face.

AUNT FEFA
(yelling)
Quien es ese hombre?

JOHNNY
Pedrito, que vino a verte.

AUNT FEFA
Ay Pedrito, como yo te
extraño, you never call me.
Dame un besito.

She smacks her lips together and throws him a kiss but
his eyes are shut, avoiding her nakedness.

Johnny helps Fefa out of the shower, dries her. Pete

exits the bathroom looking like he’s been through a
storm.

INT. JOHNNY’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

He finds himself in the middle of a mess- clothes

everywhere, dresser is packed with hair products, Bed,
Bath and Beyond coupons scattered about.

JOHNNY (O.S.)
I’ll be right out bro!
(to his mother)
Te voy a poner linda. Quieres
que te cante?
 50.

Pete overhears Johnny singing, in Spanish. Fefa hums

along and harmonizes with him. It’s sweet and quite
beautiful.

JOHNNY (O.S.)
Bro, come take a look!

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

Pete slowly opens the door, his aunt now fully dressed
in a pink house dress, her hair styled in a French
Braid. She smiles at Pete rather shyly.

Johnny sprays her with perfume then plants a big kiss

on her cheek. She glares at herself in the mirror and
lets out a little laugh.

JOHHNY
Bella!

Pete manages to break a smile.

INT. JOHNNY’S BEDROOM - LATER

Music blasts through a giant speaker.

Johnny stands in front of a floor mirror, running globs

of gel through his hair.

PETE
(mesmerized)
You must spend a fortune on
gel.

JOHNNY
It’s worth every penny.

PETE
Johnny, I don’t know what you
have planned today but I need--

JOHNNY
(excitedly)
Sorrrrrpraiy!
 51.

PETE
(firmly)
No, there’s no time for
surprises. I have to get back
to the beach but I need some
clothes, maybe something a bit
looser, and lighter in color.

JOHNNY
(excited)
I’m in. Love shopping. You
need new threads for sure, you
gotta lose the dress pants
already.

PETE
I just need a few shirts,
maybe a pair of shorts. Or
two.

JOHNNY
And sandals.

PETE
(firm)
No, no sandals.

JOHNNY
You don’t know shit about
Miami fashion, ok? Let me
help you. I wanna dress you.

PETE
(composed)
Can we just go?

INT. BATHROOM - MINUTES LATER

Pete watches as Johnny takes his time washing his

hands, applying deodorant, spreading toothpaste on his
tongue then scraping it off with a plastic stick.

PETE
I thought we were leaving.
 52.

JOHNNY
I have to scrape my tongue,
take all the crap off that
causes bad breath. Don’t you
brush your--

PETE
Yes, I brush my tongue, relax.

JOHNNY
You hated brushing your teeth
when you were little.

PETE
Pretty sure that was you.

Johnny continues to scrape, over and over.

PETE
I think you’re good.

JOHNNY
Personal hygiene is more
important than beauty, you
know.

PETE
(fed up)
Yep.

JOHNNY
You never know when you’re
getting kissed!

INT. FAMILY ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Johnny plants a big kiss on his mother’s cheek.

JOHNNY
Mima! Me voy.

PETE
(to Johnny)
Is she going to be okay?

JOHNNY
Her sitter’s on the way.

Tia Fefa smiles sweetly at them and waves.

 53.

INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS

Johnny takes one last look in the mirror as he glides

his sunglasses on.

On a table is a photo of Johnny with his kid brother

Alex. Pete takes notice, seems saddened by it.

Johnny pats Pete on the back and quickly opens the

front door, as if to distract him.

JOHNNY
(sympathetically)
C’mon. Let’s go.

EXT. FRONT YARD - CONTINUOUS

A 1980 Camaro is parked on the side of the house.

JOHNNY
Remember that bet we made in
high school, about who would
be the first one to get the
Camaro? A little late, I know.

PETE
I have a Porsche, so...

JOHNNY
Impressive, but wait ‘til you
hear the sound system on this
baby.

INT. CAMARO - CONTINUOUS

Music blasts through the speakers. Pete is clearly

embarrassed as Johnny rolls down the windows, backs up
into the street and waves at neighbors.

INT. CAMARO - LATER

Johnny slows down as he passes a strip mall, points to

a storefront.
 54.

JOHNNY
That’s where your dad wanted
to open shop. Right there.
Great location.

PETE
What shop?

JOHNNY
A men’s clothing shop. Said
he’d make me manager, but it
never happened.

PETE
When was this?

JOHNNY
After Abuela died, he’s got
over a hundred Guayaberas,
hand-sewn by her.

PETE
Guayaberas- those Cuban
shirts?

JOHNNY
In linen, you know the classy
lady she was.

PETE
(pensive)
Did I come to her funeral?

JOHNNY
(curt)
You flew in and out the same
day.

EXT. CORAL GABLES- LATER

Merrick Park, a luxurious outdoor shopping mall in the

heart of Coral Gables.

This mall has it all-- the finest stores set in a

tropical, classy setting.

JOHNNY
Better than Fifth Avenue.
 55.

PETE
(firmly)
No, it’s not.

JOHNNY
(yelling, gleaming)
In the winter it is!

INT. MERRICK PARK - LATER

They step in and out of stores. Pete is not enjoying

himself but Johnny certainly is. He urges Pete to try
on an array of bright-colored clothes, linen pants and
leather sandals, it's so not him.

Johnny suggests a Guayabera.

JOHNNY
Gotta have one.

PETE
It’s not me.

JOHNNY
Bro, it’s part of our culture.

PETE
There’s just...too many
pockets.

JOHNNY
In Cuba, they were made to
carry guayabas after they were
picked from the fields.
(puts it back on the
rack)
When you’re ready, your dad’s
got a ton in storage.

INT. VERSAILLES RESTAURANT - LATER

Pete looks at his watch, a bit antsy. Johnny is

stuffing his face with garlic bread.

JOHNNY
(mouth full of bread)
Delicious.
 56.

PETE
And very fattening.

JOHNNY
Bro, you just ruined my
moment.

The waitress comes over with very large plates to match

the over-the-top portions of food served on them.

WAITRESS
Buen provecho.

JOHNNY
Gracias, Rosi.

Johnny grabs the ‘pan con bistec’- a thin steak,

tomatoes, loads of onions and thin-cut fries between
two slices of Cuban bread. He bites into it as if he
hasn’t eaten in days. Onions spill out from the sides
and onto his plate. Pete, on the other hand, takes his
time cutting his steak.

PETE
(a bit repulsed,
looking at Johnny)
More bread.

JOHNNY
(barely audible)
I bet you never eat Cuban food
in NY. And don’t give me that
“I love Tofu” shit.

PETE
(mouthful of steak)
This is amazing.

JOHNNY
Tastes even better on bread.

LATER--

Waitress come over and places two Cuban coffees on the

table with the bill.

WAITRESS
Dos cafecitos.

Johnny grabs the bill, hands it to Pete then downs the

shot of Cuban coffee, while Pete sips at his.
 57.

JOHNNY
You know you’ve become less
masculine while in NY?

PETE
(trying not to laugh
but can’t help it)
Come mierda.

JOHNNY
(joining in on the
laugh)
I’m serious, bro. It’s Cuban
coffee, not English tea.

INT. JOHNNY’S CAR - LATER

Johnny drives up to the Fountainbleu Hotel.

PETE
I’m super late but hey, thanks
for your shopping skills.

JOHNNY
I was Best Dressed in my
class, you know.

PETE
How can I forget? You wore the
banner around school for
months.

He gets out of the car, looking quite crisp in a short-

sleeve button-down, khaki shorts and boat shoes. The
look is so Miami.

JOHNNY
Estas entero, you look like
Pierce Brosnan, igualito.

PETE
(sticks his head back
into the car)
You can’t be serious.
 58.

JOHNNY
Except he’s more masculine.
Oye, I’m meeting Mikey and Pep
at the dock now and I’ll be
back. See you on the shore in
a half hour. Be there.

PETE
No way. I’ve got this yoga
thing now, I’ll call you
later.

JOHNNY
Yoga? What the hell for?

PETE
(as he walks off)
To waste my time.

Johnny beeps the horn repeatedly, pokes his head out of

the car.

JOHNNY
(yelling)
You look super hot!

INT. FOUNTAINBLEU HOTEL LOBBY - MOMENTS LATER

Pete hands the bell hop a wad of dollar bills and the
shopping bags.

EXT. POOL TERRACE - CONTINUOUS

Pete walks past the pool bar and heads to the beach
towards Molly and the others.

Boz is high up on a palm tree in a yoga pose that’s

quite impressive. He wears tight-fitting yoga pants,
bare-chested, his hair styled in a man bun.

Craig, on another palm tree, is two feet off the

ground, attempting the same pose but failing miserably.
He’s in full yoga wear, not easy on the eyes.

They all notice Pete in his new threads.

 59.

CRAIG
(to Pete)
Looks like someone is trying
to fit in.

PETE
(pointing at his yoga
attire)
No, I think you are.

MOLLY
(to Pete)
You look very Miami.

PETE
I blame my cousin.

Boz climbs down the tree. Molly and the girls applaud
Boz for the impressive pose, Craig for trying.

PETE
(to Molly, looking at
Craig)
Doesn’t self awareness include
being able to accept your
limitations?

MOLLY
(smirking)
At least he tries.

Boz leads the team over to the beach.

BOZ
(to Pete)
Hey, Thambi. You seem to be
feelin’ a little looser today,
huh?

PETE
What does Thambi mean, anyway?
I feel like you’re calling me
Bambi...

BOZ
It means brother, dude, bro.

PETE
Ah. Thambi.
 60.

Boz sets up a speaker and meditative music begins to

play. He starts to stretch and the rest of the team
attempts to do the same, except for Pete who stands
stiff as a board.

BOZ
I don’t know if everyone of
you have ever tried yoga, but
I know all of you have danced
at some point in your life.
Dance Yoga is a form of
meditation mixed in with dance
moves, it allows yourself to
move freely in rhythm while
stretching as the same time.
(stretching out his arms)
Now spread out your arms like
this and lower them to the
ground, do this several times.
Now loosen your hips, sway
from side to side like
this...you can follow my moves
or create your own.

Boz reaches down and grabs some sand and lets it run
through his fingers. Henry copies him but throws the
sand in the air instead and some of it lands in Scott’s
eyes, causing him to run to the water, to flush out his
eyes.

MOLLY
(to Pete)
Hitting that brick wall about
now?

This gets Pete going and he attempts to copy Boz’s

exact moves but instead, he slips on the sand. His
shorts tear and he lands into a split.

The groans are quite loud.

Scott and Henry are stunned, Penelope wants to help but

not sure how. Molly cringes while Craig blurts out
laughing, grabs his phone and takes pictures.

BOZ
(staring at Pete,
calm and collected)
It happens.
 61.

EXT. BOAT - SAME TIME

Johnny and the cousins approach the shore, about thirty

feet away.

MIKEY
(looking around)
Is someone crying?

Pepi spots Pete on the beach.

PEPI
Bro, check him out!

MIKEY
He’s in a split! Look at ‘em!

JOHNNY
(to Pepi)
That’s gotta hurt like hell.
Let’s go, before they call
Rescue. Mikey, stay here.

Mikey anchors the boat while Johnny and Pepi dive into
the water and swim to shore.

EXT. BEACH - CONTINUOUS

They walk up to Pete and find him curled up in a fetal

position, whimpering.

PETE
Me cago en la madre que
inventó yoga.

JOHNNY
He must really be in pain if
he’s cussing in Spanish.

CRAIG
(to Molly, with
attitude)
Who are these guys?

JOHNNY
We’re family, who the hell are
you?
 62.

JOHNNY
(to Molly)
You must be Molly.

MOLLY
Yes. Hi.

JOHNNY
We’ll bring him back later,
when he stops crying.

They carry Pete off to the water and swim over to the
boat, Pete holding on to each of them, still groaning.

EXT. OCEAN - LATER

Thick silence. The boat bobs as does Pete, gravely

seasick, wearing acupressure wristbands.

JOHHN
(to Pete)
Just like old times, huh? Have
another beer, you’re green.

Mikey hands Pete a beer.

PETE
(softly speaking)
That just speeds up
dehydration. Do you have any
crackers?

MIKEY
No dude, this isn’t Pre-K.

Johnny hands him a Costco-sized bag of Ruffles.

Fishing rods are held tight, as they wait for a bite.

A loud crunch from Pete, his mouth full of chips.

PEPI
Bro, they got ears.

JOHNNY
Sh!
 63.

PETE
(soft-spoken, mouth
full)
They have sensors and only
hear water vibrations.

PEPI
Is that what they taught you
in business school?

An even louder CRUNCH from Pete.

A fishing reel spins fast. Johnny hooks one and it’s a

fighter.

They all join in to help. Potato chips fly, beer

bottles roll on the floor.

Pete’s got a tight grip on the rod but he loses his

balance and falls in the water.

A shouting match--

PETE
(pissed)
Who pushed me?

JOHNNY
Why the hell would we push
you?

Pete tries to get back on the boat. They notice blood

in the water.

MIKEY
I see blood.

PETE
Blood!?

JOHNNY
Get back on!

PEPI
(trying to keep a
straight face )
Jaws!
 64.

PETE
Come mierda! I’m gonna kill
you--

They help Pete back on the boat.

Blood seeps through Pete’s shirt. In a panic, he strips

down to his underwear, expecting gashes all over his
body but there’s only one, tiny cut on his chest.

Johnny pulls a large Wahoo out of the water, bitten in

half.

JOHNNY
(pissed)
Barracuda got to it. Carajo!

Pete passes out and falls to the floor. They huddle

around him with little concern. Johnny opens a beer and
chugs it, burps with force, then pours the rest of the
beer straight at Pete’s forehead. No reaction.

Pepi picks up the half bitten fish and puts it up to

Pete’s nose. Nada. He lies motionless.

Mikey rubs his belly and suddenly looks a bit ‘off’.

Then, a protrusion of puke splashes onto Pete’s chest
and immediately, he awakens.

Beyond grossed out, he starts to hyperventilate.

PETE
(in a rage)
Which one of you asses--

PEPI
(to Mikey)
If you ever do that to me, te
mato. No joke, I’ll kill you.

JOHNHY
Pick him up, get him washed
off.
(to Mikey, super
pissed)
Do that again in my boat and
te arranco los huevos. You’ll
be left with nothing down
there, no private parts.
 65.

They grab Pete and toss him in the water.

PETE
(in mid-air)
Coñooooooo!

He lands flat on this back. OUCH!

EXT. BOAT - LATER

Pete sits, eyes closed, absorbed in his own misery.

Cuban music blasts through a speaker while Johnny and

the others enjoy their cigars and the boat ride back to
the shore. The view of Miami Beach is stunning.

Pepi puts a cigar up to Pete’s mouth.

MIKEY
Wanna puff?

PETE
(eyes closed)
No one talk to me. Please.

EXT. MIAMI BEACH - LATER

They are close to the shore. Johnny snaps his fingers

at Pete’s face.

JOHNNY
(to Pete)
Hey, you ok to swim?

PETE
(glancing at his
gash)
The salt is going to make it
hurt like hell.

PEPI
I got somethin’.

Pepi grabs a pill box from his bag, pops it open and
hands Pete a large pill along with a beer.

PETE
What is that?
 66.

PEPI
Relax, it’s legal, just got my
wisdom teeth taken out, works
like a charm. Zero pain. Nada.

Pete downs the pill and the beer in no time.

JOHNNY
(to Pete)
You gotta swim bro, we can’t
drive this thing up on shore.

PETE
What if I drown?

MIKEY
I get the Armani suits.

PEPI
I’ll take the Rolex.

Johnny straps a life jacket onto Pete. They all blurt

out laughing, he looks like a dork. Pete laughs too,
against his will.

PETE
I hate you guys, always a pain
in my ass.

JOHNNY
You can swim or float,
eventually you’ll end up on
the shore.

More hearty laughter.

JOHNNY
Hey, I’m deejaying tonight at
Mangoes right up the street
from you, let’s meet up later.

PETE
You can forget it, I have no
interest in going to a club.

JOHNNY
Okay, I’ll see you later.
 67.

MIKEY
(to Pete)
Oye, the blonde on the beach,
have you flirted with her yet?

PEPI
Do you even know how to flirt?

PETE
It would be unprofessional.

JOHNNY
Yea, well, she already saw you
crying like a baby, you can’t
get more unprofessional than
that.

PEPI
You ready? Time to say bye-
bye.

PETE
Hold on.

Pete takes a few breaths in and out to calm himself,

the way Boz taught him.

Pete gets thrown into the water and he begins to flap

his arms. All sorts of emotions are at play here-
laughter and pain.

The current slightly takes him in the wrong direction

so he gestures at a few teenagers to push him in the
other direction.

He waves at his cousins from the shore when he arrives.

Applause and cheers are heard.

EXT. POOL AREA - CONTINUOUS

Parched, sunburned and in pain, he approaches a pool

attendant folding beach towels. She is alarmed at the
sight of Pete, the life jacket still on him.

She hands him a towel.

POOL ATTENDANT
Sir, do you need a doctor?
 68.

PETE
(catching his breath,
as he wipes his
face)
Maybe later.
(moves his finger in
a circle)
Where’s the--

POOL ATTENDANT
Kiddie pool?

Pete shakes his head ‘no’, then gestures a ‘walking

movement’ with his fingers followed by a ‘circling
movement’ around his ear...

POOL ATTENDANT
Walking? Crazy people?

PETE
Labyrinth.

POOL ATTENDANT
(pointing)
On the other side of the adult
pool.

PETE
(as he hobbles away)
Got it.

EXT. LABYRINTH GARDEN - CONTINUOUS

Pete walks into the garden and finds the team gathered.

Molly spots Pete and hurries over to him. Craig can’t

help but snicker at the sight of Pete while he attempts
to unstrap the life jacket.

PENELOPE
(concerned)
What happened to you?

PETE
I almost died.

MOLLY
(alarmed)
You almost DIED?
 69.

CRAIG
(skeptical)
What?

ANDREA
How?

PETE
Barracuda.

MOLLY
Oh my goodness.

PETE
I think there might have been
a shark in the water, too.

SCOTT
Was it a nurse shark? ‘Cause
they’re harmless.

Pete takes off his bloody shirt and reveals a tiny

gash. Suddenly he’s feeling quite relaxed, the beer and
pill combo starting to kick in.

Molly is liking the view of Pete’s sexy chest, gash and

everything.

MOLLY
I think we should get him to a
doctor.

PETE
(pointing to the
Labrynth)
That’s not necessary, let’s do
this thing.

CRAIG
(to Molly)
May I give a little intro?
I’ve studied labyrinths.

PETE
(loopy and loud)
Can’t be much to it really,
it’s a path, like a sidewalk.
I prefer a sidewalk because
you actually end up somewhere.
This...
(MORE)
 70.

PETE (cont'd)
(pointing at the
labrynth)
...takes you nowhere.

MOLLY
(to Pete, calmly)
Pete, just relax a bit.

CRAIG
I want you all to notice how
the labyrinth is not a maze,
because mazes can have dead
ends. Labyrinths are
u...ni...cursal, unicursal,
meaning one lane.

Pete mouths the word ‘unicursal’.

CRAIG
This is a good time to
practice mindful walking...be
calm, walk slow. While on a
labyrinth, you can’t get lost.

PETE
(to Molly, soft
voice)
We’re only 40 feet from the
hotel, of course no one can
get lost.

Molly turns her back on the team, holding back from

laughing at Pete’s joke and them noticing.

CRAIG
Notice how some of the paths
may lead you away from where
you want to go.

PETE
Can we hop from one path to
the other?

CRAIG
(frustrated)
Why would you hop? The idea is
to find your way by walking--
 71.

PETE
Like this.

Pete hops from one path to the other.

CRAIG
That’s distracting.

MOLLY
(composing herself)
The idea is to imagine
yourself on a journey.

SCOTT
I thought of something to
meditate on.

PETE
(to Molly, about
Scott)
A new hairstyle, maybe?

Molly buries her face in her hands.

CRAIG
In the Middle Ages, they
imagined it was like going on
a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
because not everyone could
visit the Holy Land. It was a
devotion.

ANDREA
This is having the opposite
effect on me, I’m actually
getting pissed off that it’s
taking so long to begin.

MOLLY
Okay everyone, let’s all take
a deep breath and concentrate.

PETE
The winner gets a tostone, my
treat.

HENRY
What’s a tostone?
 72.

CRAIG
(beyond frustrated)
No one wins, this isn’t a
race.

SCOTT
I read once that you can
relate walking on a labyrinth
to your journey in life- there
is no single right way to
follow the path.

PETE
(obnoxious)
I completely disagree. You can
certainly walk down the wrong
path in life.

PETE
(to Henry)
A tostone is a large plantain,
fried twice, extra crispy.
Delicioso.

CRAIG
(loud and aggravated)
The labyrinth is an ancient
symbol that represents
wholeness of mind, spirit and
self--

PETE
(sways his body,
singing)
I’m on the road to Shamballa.
Oh, ohhhhh.
(to Scott)
You know it? Three Dog Night.

CRAIG
(trying to focus)
We have a choice as to whether
we want to walk the inner path
towards healing and wholeness
while we let go of the past.

PENELOPE
A journey of healing, I like
that.
 73.

PETE
(to Penelope)
Penelope, may I call you
Penny? Easier on the tongue...

PENELOPE
(matter-of-factly)
No.

PETE
Understood.

MOLLY
Perhaps some of you would like
to reflect on someone special
in your life or others that
have left us, your time spent
with them.

Pete stops walking, Henry bumps into him.

Gray clouds start to form in the sky and it soon begins

to sprinkle.

HENRY
You can’t just stop in your
tracks like that, now you’ve
thrown my Zen off.

MOLLY
It’s starting to rain.

PENELOPE
I think we should postpone
this.

PETE
Miami doesn’t stop because of
rain.

Just like that, it starts to pour, hard rain, bullets

of water. They all scramble and run for cover. Scott
slips on the grass and Henry laughs.

ANDREA
These raindrops hurt.

PETE
(standing in the
rain)
It’s just water!
 74.

Molly turns around to face Pete, the others are far

gone and it’s just the two of them.

Pete grabs a towel and holds it over him and Molly.

It’s raining hard but they’re cozy.

PETE
Go out with me tonight.

MOLLY
(thrown by the
invite)

Where?

PETE
(to Molly)
My cousin, he’s DJ-ing at
Manoges tonight, it’s right up
the street. If I don’t show
up, he’ll come get me and drag
me there.

MOLLY
I can’t. We have a session
later, on affirmations. You
should be there.

PETE
What are affirmations for
anyway? To express encouraging
words just to fluff the ego,
things that may or may not
actually be true about the
person?

MOLLY
Some people need affirmations,
it’s good for their self-
confidence.

PETE
I affirm that you’re really
beautiful.

MOLLY
(surprised)
That’s...sweet.
(gathering herself)
(MORE)
 75.

MOLLY (cont'd)
But, I have a job to do here,
Pete.

PETE
Okay, I’ll see you there.

He steps out into the rain, leaving Molly under the

towel, drenched, but with a smile on her face.

EXT. MANGOES - NIGHT

Pete passes a long line to get in and walks up to a

bouncer as big as a horse.

PETE
Hey, hi, my cousin Johnny is
the DJ tonight--

BOUNCER
I don’t know you bro, go to
the back of the line.
(to the crowd)
Next in line!

PETE
I know you don’t know me but
you know my cousin Johnny. He
told me to mention--

BOUNCER
(forceful)
I know all of Johnny’s cousins
and you ain’t one of them.

PETE
(annoyed)
I live in New York.

BOUNCER
You’re Pete? Dude, they talk
about you all the time, like
you never call ‘cuz you work
like a dog on Wall Street, and
that you’re a loner...

PETE
I don’t work on Wall Street.
Can I go in?
 76.

BOUNCER
Go ahead bro, happy to finally
meet you, man. Johnny’s my
peep, love that guy.

He slaps Pete rather harshly on the back but with

affection.

INT. MANGOES - CONTINUOUS

Pete walks into a vast dancing area of loud music and

colorful lasers flashing about the room and onto Pete’s
face. He puts his hand up to his eyes to protect them.

A waitress approaches him.

WAITRESS
Do you wanna order something?

PETE
(yelling)
These lasers can be very
dangerous to your eyes.

WAITRESS
(indifferent)
Then wear sunglasses.

PETE
(yelling, above the
noise)
Then I wouldn’t be able to see-
Oh, that was that a joke,
couldn’t tell, you said it
with such a straight face.
(feeling awkward)
I’ll have a Scotch, with ice.

She walks away and he stands alone, looking very much

like he doesn’t belong.

He glances at the stage and there’s Johnny, on top of

the world.

A tall, Latin Goddess approaches Pete. This is MARTICA.

She smiles but says nothing. Pete steps back,
intimidated by her demeanor and quite unsure on how to
interact with a woman of her body shape.
 77.

She draws closer to him.

MARTICA
(in a heavy accent)
Hola. Yo soy Martica.

PETE
Hello.

MARICA
(strong accent)
You are Pedro Garcia, no?
Johnny told me to look for a
guy who doesn’t wanna be here.

PETE
(sarcastic)
Yea, he’s really funny that
way.

Pete gets his drink, pays, and takes a few long sips,
an attempt to drown his anxiety.

MARTICA
Vamos a bailar!

PETE
I don’t dance.

MARTICA
Of course you do. You’re
Cuban!

PETE
I’m actually injured. I almost
died today, huge gash-

MARTICA
(sexy smile)
I’m glad you survived. Vamos.

She pulls him onto the dance floor.

PETE
(trying hard)
It’s been a really, really,
really long time since I’ve
been on a dance floor. I would
much rather...stand.
 78.

MARTICA
Don’t get tricky with me.
Johnny says you are a great
dancer, that you won a lot of
contests.

PETE
He’s a pathological liar, you
didn’t know that? A big one.

MARTICA
Let’s go!

Pete downs his drink. The music is blasting and there’s

a strong vibe moving the crowd. Martica is all over it.

Pete stands, frozen. It’s all too much for this NY

executive.

Johnny glances over at them and pounds his fist in the

air in excitement. Into the microphone, as he shakes
his bootie--

JOHNNY
Mueve el culo Pedro! Shake
that bootie that’s been in
hiding. Shake it, shake it,
shake it..

The look on Pete’s face says he hopes it can all go

away. Martica stares him down like a commander would a
soldier.

He bites his lip, it seems to help get the momentum

going.

EXT. BAR LOUNGE - SAME TIME

Molly sits at the bar with the work crowd, bored out of
her mind. Craig is analyzing his glass of champagne.

CRAIG
Personally, I like small
bubbles in champagne, which is
the result of fewer impurities
in the still wine when
fermentation occurs.

PENELOPE
That’s very interesting.
 79.

MOLLY
Is it? Oh, I mean, it is.

CRAIG
You know Molly, that
affirmation exercise was
amazing. I learned qualities
about myself I didn’t even
know I had.

MOLLY
Yea well, they may or may not
be true.

CRAIG
(confused)
What?

MOLLY
I mean, you should be self-
confident, despite what people
might think or say.

CRAIG
Well, it’s still nice to hear.

Craig chugs the rest of his champagne.

MOLLY
I think I’ll turn in.

CRAIG
C’mon, the night is young.

MOLLY
Let’s have a free night, shall
we?

They say goodnight and she walks away, through the

lobby and out the front doors of the hotel.

EXT. MANGOES - LATER

Molly stands in line, noticing a crowd of Latin women

wearing tight-fitting dresses and very high heels.

INT. MANGOES - CONTINUOUS

Molly, in the bathroom, as she applies lipstick while

keeping one eye on the women entering, all voluptuous,
all sexy, all Latin.
 80.

Molly walks over to an area near the dance floor. She’s

a bit disoriented- it’s dark, the music is too loud and
the lasers are annoying, but the dancing is phenomenal.

Pete is letting loose on the dance floor. This is a

side of Pete that perhaps he’s never even seen. The
crowd is feeding off of Pete’s vibe now, and it’s
pretty strong.

Molly’s eyes are suddenly fixated on a man with a

striking resemblance to Pete, except this man is
dancing, moving quite well to the beat and having a
wonderful time.

Her eyes widen. OMG- that’s Pete.

OMG- Molly is here.

Their eyes lock, then her eyes shift from Pete onto
Martica just as she’s shaking all that she possibly
can, Cuban Dirty Dancing style.

PETE
(embarrassed)
Molly!

She turns around and heads to the exit, Pete leaves

Martica and goes after Molly. Johnny takes notice of
the drama.

JOHNNY (O.S.)
Gonna take a little break
guys, giving it over to DJ
Jack- Jack is in da house!

The party crowd cheers.

EXT. MANGOES - CONTINUOUS

Pete approaches the bouncer.

PETE
Where did she go? The blonde.

BOUNCER
She’s way ahead of you, dude.

Pete takes off. Johnny appears on the scene.

 81.

BOUNCER
(to Johnny)
Hey Johnny, I met your cuz.
He’s nothing like you, bro.

JOHNNY
Yea, he’s a nerd, now. Where
did he go?

BOUNCER
(points, then, to the
crowd)
IDs out!

EXT. PARKING LOT - MOMENTS LATER

Johnny catches up to Pete.

JOHNNY
Oye, Macho Man, what’s going
on?

PETE
(turning around,
pissed)
This is all your fault.

JOHNNY
I wasn’t caught dirty dancing.

PETE
I invited her, she shows up
and I’m dancing with
Martica...because of you.

JOHNNHY
Nope, that’s on you, but let
me tell you, I’m super happy
those hips can still move.

PETE
(completely
frustrated)
You are so damn sneaky, SO
sneaky. You’ve always been
that way, it’s annoying as
hell and I hate that about
you.

JOHNNY
You’re losing me, bro.
 82.

PETE
I’m supposed to be committed
to this retreat and do
everything this woman says, no
matter how ridiculous it seems
so I can re-connect with my
inner self, deflate the ego
and work happily ever after
with my team who are a bunch
of immature, lazy imbeciles
that think having fun is
valuable to the company.
Nothing has gone right this
weekend. Nothing. And stop
bossing me around.

JOHNNY
(remaining calm)
Like anyone ever could. Ever.

PETE
(even more furious)
You’re saying I always did
whatever the hell I wanted and
no one could tell me crap?

JOHNNY
Yep.

PETE
(pointing angrily)
You’re an idiot. No, you’re a
stupid-idiot.

JOHNNY
You’re a weirdo.

They stare each other down, like two kids about to

fight. Pete tackles Johnny and down they go. They
wrestle, like old times, it’s fierce and competitive.

A rush of strength comes over Johnny and he pins Pete,

who pushes him off and gets himself off the ground.

JOHNNY
Stop making yourself the
victim.
 83.

PETE
You’re the one that’s so damn,
needy.

JOHNNY
Oh right, ‘cause you don’t
need anyone in your life. You
have all you need Mr. Big
Apple, the Big Shot, sooo
independent, sooo mature, sooo
professional...

PETE
I don’t give a shit what you
think or anyone else thinks.

JOHNNY
‘Cause you’re too busy loving
yourself.

PETE
That’s right. In fact, I’m
going to affirm that. I LOVE
MYSELF VERY MUCH. I’M VERY
SUCCESSFUL AND PROUD OF
MYSELF!

JOHNNY
Good, ‘cause you got nothing
else.

A pause, while Pete takes that in.

PETE
(firm)
I made a life for myself.

JOHNNY
You ran away.

Pete tackles Johnny to the ground. Round 2.

PETE
You’re not the boss of me.

JOHNHY
You’re not the boss of ME!

Pete pins Johnny.

 84.

PETE
(yelling)
Why don’t you just come out
with it? I know what you’re
thinking.

JOHNNY
I don’t know what the hell
you’re talking about.

PETE
Say it. Say that it was me,
the accident, that it was my
fault. Go ahead. It’s what the
entire family thinks.

JOHNNY
No, we don’t.

PETE
Bullshit.

JOHNNY
(calm)
We were all there that night
on the boat. The waters were
rough.

PETE
(angry)
But it was me who told Alex to
take the wheel.

JOHNNY
None of us saw that buoy.

PETE
(intensely)
He was a little kid amongst a
bunch of drunken assholes.

Johnny walks away, Pete stays sitting on the ground, a

tear runs down his face.

EXT. FOUNTAINBLEU - LATER

Pete looks for Molly around the pool terrace and the
labrynth, but there is no sign of her.
 85.

EXT. GARDEN - SAME TIME

She sits in silence on a bench, meditating, her eyes

closed.

Pete takes notice of her and walks up behind her.

PETE
(whispering)
Sh. Keep your eyes closed.

He makes his way around the bench, gently slips off her
shoes, then grabs her hands, pulls her up.

Hand in hand, he guides her, her feet gliding along the

soft grass, her eyes still closed.

PETE
(whispering)
What do you sense?

MOLLY
The darkness in my eyes
and...the softness of my feet,
the warmth in my hands.

He snaps off a rose from a nearby rosebush and places

it under her nose. She takes a long breath in through
her nose, the moonlight shines upon them.

MOLLY
(eyes closed, but
smiling)
The smell of a rose.

Pete leans up against her and with his hands, he grabs

her face and gently kisses her.

MOLLY
(softly)
The taste of a man’s lips.

She waits, her eyes still closed.

A few seconds later, she opens them. No one is there.

She picks the rose off the ground and smiles.

 86.

EXT. HIGHWAY - LATER

Pete speeds along the highway, a beaming moonlight

above it all.

INT. GARCIA HOUSE, PETE’S BEDROOM - DAY

Pete, curled up in his old twin bed from his youth,

dead asleep. A Yankees baseball cap hangs off the
headboard.

Lucy quietly sits at the foot of the bed, doll in hand.

An alarm goes off and he wakes up, startled to see

Lucy.

PETE
Hey.

LUCY
I didn’t know you were
sleeping over. I slept over,
too.

She hands him a drawing. It’s of Pete- he’s got a thin

body and a very large head with lots of hair.

PETE
(surprised)
Is my head really that big?

LUCY
(shrugs)
You just need a haircut.

Pete runs his fingers through his hair.

PETE
You’re right, I do.

PETE
Thanks for the drawing. I have
to get up now.

Lucy stays put.

LUCY
What did you want to be when
you were growing up?
 87.

PETE
(pensive)
A superhero.

LUCY
Which one?

PETE
Superman.

LUCY
Why?

PETE
(into it)
Well, because he wears a
business suit over his super
power suit and he flies over
buildings and sees everything
that’s going on below him.

An awkward pause.

PETE
What about you?

LUCY
I wanna be a nurse like my
mom.

PETE
(embarrassed)
Good idea.

MARIA (O.S.)
Lucy, ven!

Lucy hands Pete her doll.

LUCY
You have to practice.

Lucy leaves the room. Pete grabs the doll and carefully
styles her hair in a French braid.

PETE
Not too bad.

INT. HALLWAY - LATER

 88.

Pete walks down the hallway, notices his dad sitting in

his home office, reading a letter, a look of
disappointment on his face. He wears a linen Guayabera
and dress pants.

Pete walks in and Guillermo quickly puts the letter

away in a drawer.

GUILLERMO
Que pasa?

PETE
Nada. Why are you dressed up?

GUILLERMO
I’m going to a Mass. Dormistes
aqui?

PETE
Yea, I wanted to sleep here
one night before I head home.

Awkward silence.

PETE
Where’s Mami?

GUILLERMO
She went to pick up food, for
later.

Guillermo leaves the room, pats Pete on the shoulder

before heading out.

Pete walks over to a picture frame of him, Johnny and

Alex. Pete gazes at it, his face grows serious.

Next to it, a black and white picture of his dad as a

young boy, stone-faced, standing next to him is a
Monsignor, in front of a Pan Am airplane. He carries a
baseball mitt in one hand and a small, American flag in
the other.

Pete glances at another picture, his dad in later

years, standing amongst a large group of men and women
in Guayaberas, holding a title board that reads:
Operation Pedro Pan.

He opens the drawer, pulls out the letter.

 89.

It reads: YOUR REQUEST FOR A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN HAS

BEEN DENIED. Pete quickly slips the letter back into
the drawer.

EXT. FRONT YARD - LATER

Pete, on his bike, he rides a few blocks then turns

into a strip mall, the same one Johnny stopped at a few
days earlier. He gazes at the sign on the storefront
that reads, “For Rent”, a phone number listed
underneath it. Pete takes a picture of it.

EXT. CEMETERY - LATER

Pete turns into a cemetery, drives through it then

parks. He walks through the plots and around large
statues of The Pietá, the Holy Family and the Virgin
Mary.

He stops, squats in front of one tombstone that reads:

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS. ALEX P. GARCIA, MAY 15, 1993 -
AUGUST 31, 2005. REST IN PEACE.

Pete chokes up. He looks to his left and notices a

burial service going on under a tarp.

Family members gently lay roses upon a coffin while a

priest gestures the sign of the cross over it.

The service ends and the crowd disperses. The priest

walks towards Pete, on the way to his car.

Pete recognizes him. This is FATHER MARTIN, 55, Cuban,

slim, kind face. He notices Pete sitting on the ground.

PETE
Father Martin.

FATHER MARTIN
(happily)
Pedro? Pedro Garcia. Mijo,
it’s been years.

Pete stands up, they embrace.

PETE
I think since--
 90.

FATHER MARTIN
Yes, since then. How are you,
my son?

Pete pauses.

PETE
(pensive)
I’m here on business, but
also, my dad retired.

FATHER MARTIN
(smiling)
Pachanga, huh? Good for him.
How are you?

PETE
(struggling)
I’m not too sure, Father.
Since I got here, I’ve been
feeling...

FATHER MARTIN
Displaced?

PETE
(enlightened)
That’s exactly how I feel.

Father Martin takes a deep breath in, then out.

FATHER MARTIN
You have been away for quite
some time, haven’t you?

PETE
I’ve been promoted several
times and every position has
brought new challenges...
(a pause)
Yes, I’ve been away for a long
time.

FATHER MARTIN
You are here now and facing
emotions you have not felt in
a long time. When you left
Miami, you were very angry,
but also determined to start a
new life. You may have buried
your grief in your work.
 91.

PETE
I was in survival mode.

FATHER MARTIN
My son, this anger you carry
in your heart, it can destroy
you if you let it. It will
take a lot of courage and work
but you must root out what is
robbing you of peace.

PETE
I’ve learned a bit how to
become more self aware but
it’s not enough. And I don’t
pray.

FATHER MARTIN
Prayer is nothing more than a
simple a conversation with
God, the same as you would
have with your closest friends
and family. Ask God to fill
you with peace. Ask Him...then
wait and listen.

Father Martin smiles, sympathetically.

FATHER MARTIN
Suffering is a mystery, that
we are not going to fully
understand in this earthly
life. It serves to purify us.
I know it’s hard to understand
this but with an open heart
you can learn to accept
everything life brings.

Pete notices the date on the tombstone, then

realizes...

PETE
It’s today, oh man, they’re at
the Mass. I should go but, I
haven’t been to Mass in so
long.

FATHER MARTIN
(wraps his arm around
Pete.)
Walk with me.
(MORE)
 92.

FATHER MARTIN (cont'd)

Tell me what it is you carry
so heavily in your heart...

Pete and Father Martin walk.

At a distance, we see Pete in deep conversation as

Father Martin listens then raises his hand over Pete,
and gestures the sign of the cross over him, blessing
him.

FATHER MARTIN
Now forget the past and live
in the present moment, with
Him.

They share a warm embrace and part ways.

EXT. GARCIA HOUSE - LATER

Pete drives into his parents’ driveway and parks his

bike, enters the house.

INT. KITCHEN- CONTINUOUS

Beba prepares trays of food.

PETE
Beba, en que iglesia estan?

BEBA
En Santa Teresita.

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Pete walks down the hallway in a hurry and walks into

his parent’s bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Pete opens the closet. Beba walks in after him and

points to a box on the shelf.

BEBA
Es un regalo, para ti.
 93.

Pete reaches for the box, it’s dusty, a card on it

reads, “Para mi Pedrito, con cariño, Abuela.” He opens
the box and takes out a white, linen, Guayabera.

Beba smiles, then leaves the room.

Pete puts it on, looks at himself in the mirror as he

buttons it up. The fit is just right.

INT. KITCHEN HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Fully dressed, he grabs his keys, plants a big kiss on

Beba’s cheek, then heads out the door.

EXT. GARCIA HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

He rides through the neighborhood, passes by a baseball

park. A player nails the ball and it’s a home run. An
uproar of cheers can be heard from a distance.

EXT. ST. THERESA CATHOLIC CHURCH - LATER

Pete parks his bike.

INT. ST. THERESA CHURCH - CONTINUOUS

Mass is going on and the family is in the midst of

reciting the ‘Our Father’, holding hands, in
solidarity.

Pete slips into the pew, next to Johnny.

He grabs Johnny’s hand and lifts it up. Johnny is

pleasantly surprised. They share a smile.

PETE
...as we forgive those who
trespass against us and lead
us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil. Amen.

Time for the ‘sign of peace’, with this family, it

entails more than a handshake, it’s about tight hugs
and heartfelt kisses.

Aunt Fefa sits solemnly. In her hand, she clutches a

 94.

picture of Alex and a rosary. Pete helps her to stand,

she smiles and they embrace.

AUNT FEFA
(with a heavy accent)
Peace be with you.

PETE
La paz, Tia. Peace.

In line for holy communion, Pete gazes at the crucifix

high above the altar, the face of Christ in agony. Pete
receives communion, kneels in prayer at the pew.

EXT. FOUNTAINBLEU RESTAURANT - SAME TIME

The team gathers for lunch. Molly arrives late. There’s

an open seat next to Craig but Molly chooses another
one.

MOLLY
(measured)
Sorry, I was uploading
pictures.

PENELOPE
We ordered already, sorry.

MOLLY
That’s all right.

CRAIG
We’re all here except Pete,
again.
MOLLY
(curious)
Did everyone have a nice
evening?

ANDREA
I watched a bad movie.

SCOTT
I’ll never understand why
people watch an entire movie
knowing it’s a waste of time.
 95.

HENRY
I did worse. I called my ex
and left her an hour long
voicemail explaining how I am
more self aware.

SCOTT
(to Henry)
That’s pathetic. I fell
asleep on the beach last
night. Sleeping on the sand
gave me a really bad neck
ache.

PENELOPE
I ordered room service, I
enjoyed it.

CRAIG
(looking at Molly)
I meditated.

MOLLY
(a bit alarmed)
You did?

CRAIG
What did you do?

MOLLY
I couldn’t sleep so I walked a
bit ended up in the Meditation
Garden.

She looks at Craig hoping he wasn’t the one who kissed

her.

CRAIG
I was too tired to leave the
room.

MOLLY
Oh, I”m glad.

CRAIG
Why glad?

MOLLY
Uh, I’m just glad all of you
had time to yourself. Craig,
(MORE)
 96.

MOLLY (cont'd)
why don’t you lead the next
activity? Something has come
up that I have to deal with,
I’ll catch up with all of you
later.

CRAIG
Sure. I’m more than capable.

MOLLY
Great.

She walks away, takes out her cell phone and dials.

MOLLY
(into the phone)
Edna? I need a favor.

EXT. BACKYARD, GARCIA HOUSE - LATER

The family is gathered. Pete stands amongst his

cousins, Mojitos in hand, cigars being lit up. Mikey
points to Pete’s Guayabera.

MIKEY
You look really good in that,
bro. Now you take that back to
NY and show them how classy
Cubans are.

PETE
Will do.

JOHNNY
Let’s toast.

PETE
(pensive)
To Alex.

JOHNNY
We love you little brother.

MIKEY
Always with us.

PETE
And to us.
 97.

They nod.

JOHNNY
To us.

Mojitos come together. Clink. They drink up.

Pete walks over to his dad sitting by himself, puffing

on a cigar.

GUILLERMO
Comistes?

PETE
I’ll eat in a bit.

A bit of awkwardness fills the air.

PETE
Papá, I’m not very good with
apologies, we didn’t really
grow up with that practice
but... I want you to know how
sorry I am for being so
distant all these years.

Guillermo puffs at his cigar, as if Pete had said

nothing at all but we know he’s listening.

PETE
You were a great example to me
growing up- you worked hard
and provided well for us. I
didn’t want to leave home, I
just needed to go somewhere,
anywhere.

GUILLERMO
Johnny needed you.

PETE
(hurt, but patient)
I know but I also had my
ambitions and I managed to
detach. It was easier to.

GUILLERMO
(smiling)
I didn’t think that was you
but... I also understood your
ambitions.
 98.

PETE
I get that from you.

Guillermo smiles, it’s a half smile but it’s there and

it’s enough for Pete.

Pete glances at the family gathered in the backyard.

Lucy, waves to him, a sweet ‘hello’. Maria prepares
plates of food for the grandchildren.

Love is the force here.

PETE
Papa, how did you get to this?
I mean, can you really plan
something like this or does it
just happen?

A long pause, a puff at his cigar as he leans

forward...

GUILLERMO
(matter-of-factly)
I married your mother.

PETE
(pensive)
Right.

Understood.

He looks over to Mikey and Pepi who are setting up

conga drums, an amplifier, the works. Johnny walks over
and hands Pete a guitar.

JOHNNY
It’s been a long time, bro.

PETE
Too long.

JOHNNY
(to Pete)
Lagrimas Negras.

INT. GARCIA HOUSE - SAME TIME

Beba is carrying Amanda when she hears a knock on the

door. She opens it.
 99.

MOLLY
Hi, is this the Garcia house?

BEBA
Si, es la casa de la familia
Garcia.

MOLLY
I’m a friend of Pete.

BEBA
Ah, estan afuera. Outside.
Entra.

MOLLY
Gracias.

INT. GARCIA HOUSE - CONTIUNOUS

Molly scopes the room, the modest decor, the family

pictures, Pete as a boy with the bad haircut. She
smiles.

EXT. BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

Pete is singing, Johnnys joins in, harmonizing. Wow,

can they sing.

PETE AND JOHNNY

(singing, in
Spanish)
Y aunque tú me has echado en
el abandono
Y aunque tú has muerto mis
ilusiones...Lagrimas Negras.

Molly steps outside and is blown away by the scene- the

music, the family gathered, it’s a pretty good vibe.

Pete notices Molly, he smiles but continues to sing,

then slightly revs it up a bit.

The song ends and awkward silence follows.

The family awaits Pete’s next move.

He walks over to her.

 100.

MOLLY
(to Pete, whispering)
There’s good energy here.

PETE
(nodding, smiling)
Yea, it’s good stuff.

He turns to his family.

PETE
(to Molly)
This is my family.
(to the family,
looking at his mom)
And this... is my girlfriend,
Molly.

An uproar of welcoming cheers.

Pete kisses her, just like in the garden.

They greet her with warm hugs and sweet kisses. Lucy
runs over to them, doll in hand.

Johnny breaks into a Latin beat on his guitar, it’s

time to celebrate, Cuban style, let the pachanga begin.

They gather around Molly, Mojitos are poured, even Tia

Fefa seems to be enjoying herself. Pete attempts to
make a French braid in Molly’s hair as Lucy supervises.

EXT. FRONT YARD - LATER

The family is gathered around Pete, offering hugs and

kisses as an Uber driver patiently waits for all the
goodbyes to end.

Pete approaches his dad. Johnny stands next to him.

PETE
I’m heading home tomorrow.

GUILLERMO
Don’t take so long to come
back.

Pete hands him an envelope.

 101.

PETE
(to Guillermo)
This is for you. My gift, your
dream.

GUILLERMO
Que es esto?

Guillermo opens it and takes out a check, along with a

lease contract. Maria notices and joins him.

PETE
We’re partners. And you’re
going to need some help
running the shop.
(to Johnny)
Take care of things, ok?

GUILLERMO
It was my mother’s dream and
now it’s ours.

Guillermo and Maria embrace Pete.

It’s time to say goodbye to Johnny, this one tugs at

the heart. This embrace is long and tight.

JOHNNY
(moved)
I won’t disappoint you, bro.

PETE
Don’t quit your gigs, though.
Miami needs you.

Pete says goodbye to the rest of the family, Molly

follows behind.

Last but not least, is Lucy. Pete grabs her hand and
she walks him over to the Uber.

He places the luggage in the trunk then squats down in

front of Lucy, facing her.

PETE
Are you ready?

Lucy lifts her hand, she counts with a show of fingers-

one, two, three then nods...‘GO’. The staring begins.
 102.

Lucy clearly wants to win this staring contest, her

gaze is intense, her mouth shut tight.

Pete’s stance is not so intense. He takes a deep

breath, needing to distract himself.

His eyes start to tear up, he tries to hold them back,

but a few break through.

LUCY
I win!

PETE
(tender smile)
You win.

Lucy forms the letter ‘L’ for loser, then laughs. They
embrace, Pete finds it difficult to let go.

PETE
Don’t forget to call me every
day after school.

Another hug, another goodbye and he’s gone.

INT. MERRICK PARK - DAY - MONTHS LATER

Pachanga- except this time it’s at a mall, the very one

Pete and Johnny shopped at for his new threads.

Cuban music is blasting, Mojitos are served and cigars

are being passed out.

It’s the Grand Opening of a Guayabera shop- Guillermo’s

and his side kick Johnny. They stand proud as a
photographer snaps a picture of them surrounded by the
entire family.

A sign above them reads “An American Dream”.

EXT. ROCKEFELLER CENTER- SAME TIME

Same festive vibe but this one draws a different crowd-

tourists. They gaze at the window display revealing
Guayaberas in all styles and colors.
 103.

And there’s Edna, in a Guayabera dress, luring them in

to ‘come take a look’.

Pete stands in the midst of it all, living the dream.

He turns to Molly and kisses her, then together, they
dance a little salsa.

Pachanga.

THE END