Postcards From Paradise A Screenplay By c Gary Solomon, A.A.,B.A, MPH, M.S.W., Ph.D., Ph.D.(abd) FADE IN: EXT. DESERT ROAD - DAY . RACHEL, 30's, drives on a central Oregon highway. Snow capped mountains ring a clear blue sky. Car radio: Two seconds of Every Step She Takes. Mute. "A beautiful 72 degrees in Bend today." Mute. A few seconds of Ravel's Bolero. Mute. Finally, a talk show: BILL I can't agree with you more. You can't listen to a talk show today, radio or television, without hearing the word Cinematherapy. Rachel's hand pulls away from the radio. No nail polish. BILL You're listening to WKPL all talk radio. Tom, Cinematherapy is the exciting topic these days. TOM Without question, Bill. BILL Correct me if I'm wrong, it's been the hot topic for over a year now. TOM Oh it's been at least a year, could be a year and a half. BILL It's changing the way people deal with personal issues. WKLP listeners, if you've got a movie that you believe has helped you or could help others give us a call now. Those numbers 555-1515 and 555- 6666. Tom you know it's interesting. We've never been able to get in touch with the Movie Doctor himself. Rachel smirks. TOM No one has. Odd. Bill, what's the movie that gets to you? 2. BILL When a Man Loves a Woman. There's some scenes in that movie that really tear me apart. TOM No question, that's a great movie. BILL When Meg Ryan slaps her daughter across the face- (pause) I'm getting emotional just thinking about what it was like for that little girl. I saw myself in her. Growing up in a home where I never saw my mother sober more than two days in a row. But it wasn't my mother who beat the hell out of me, it was my father. TOM That must have been terrible. What an awful way to grow up. BILL That's enough about me, look at the phone lines. Listeners, don't get frustrated if you can't get a line. We've got another hour and a half to go. Torn, lets take a caller. Caller, do you mind giving us your name? SALLY Sally. Torn, Bill. I love your show and this is my favorite topic. Ever since I heard about Cinematherapy it's changed my whole life. BILL Sally, what's your favorite therapeutic movie? SALLY The Wizard of Oz. Rachel passes a road sign: CAFE- 7 MILES TOM Sally, that's a movie where the true meaning often escapes people. (fading) (MORE) 3. TOM (cont 'd) When L.Frank Baum wrote the Wizard Of Oz in 1909, he was, himself, on a personal journey. Like the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Mother Goose, Baurn was trying to teach us a lesson. Sally, what did you get from the movie? EXT. PORTLAND STREET - DAY PHYLLIS, 30's, walks down a busy street. It's not the high rent district. She turns and enters a building. INT. PAUL MILLER'S LOBBY - DAY Phyllis enters. A few magazines are on a waiting room table. Sign on an inside door reads: IN SESSION - DO NOT DISTURB Phyllis begins sitting down and PAUL MILLER, 40's, enters. PAUL Today's the big day. PHYLLIS I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. Paul gently places his hand on her shoulder as they move toward the session room. PAUL You have worked as hard as anyone I've ever known. INT. PAUL MILLER'S OFFICE - DAY A simple, ordinary office. Book filled shelves, a desk, a lamp. PAUL And the week? PHYLLIS I've had a great week. I don't think my life has ever been more perfect. My husband and I are doing great. Jess and Wendy are back on track, both in school, and I just got a promotion at work. I could never have imagined that life could be this good. 4 . PAUL I'm so proud of you. PHYLLIS I couldn't have done it without you, Dr. Miller. She's teary eyed. PAUL That means a lot to me. You did all the work, I just made sure you stayed on the yellow brick road. PHYLLIS My life changed the day I met you. Is there any way I can repay you? Something I can do to help you? PAUL The fact that you're leaving my office today as a different person is the best gift I could hope for. Just promise yourself you'll never go back to the way things were. PHYLLIS Never. PAUL Do me a favor . PHYLLIS Anything. PAUL When you leave my office today, do something special for yourself. Take a walk in the park, buy yourself a treat, whatever. Celebrate who you have become. They both stand up and hug. She wipes a tear from her eye. PHYLLIS Goodbye. PAUL Goodbye, Phyllis. You're on your way to a most wonderful life. Phyllis starts out the door. 5. PAUL Keep in touch. Let me know how your doing. PHYLLIS Postcards from paradise? PAUL Postcards from paradise. Paul sits at his desk and wipes his eyes. He turns on the radio. Light music plays. He's making some notes in Phyllis' file. A knock on the door. Paul looks up, puzzled. INT. PAUL MILLER'S LOBBY - DAY Three men at the door. One suit/tie and two police officers. Paul opens the door. SUIT Dr. Paul Miller? PAUL How can I help you? SUIT Are you Dr. Paul Miller? PAUL I'm Dr. Miller, how can I help you? SUIT Dr. Miller. You're under arrest. PAUL What ... SUIT You have the right to remain silent. PAUL What is this ... Police officers handcuff Paul. 6. SUIT Anything you say can and will be used against you ... INT. MULTNOMAH COUNTY JAIL CELL- DAY Paul sits alone. GUARD Dr. Miller, you have a ... Just outside the cell door stand GUARD, 50's, and ANDREW DARREN PHILLIPS, 40's. PAUL Andrew! How have you been? So, what are you in for? Guard opens the cell door. Andrew enters and stands over Paul, looking down at him. ANDREW Rather inappropriate time for your wit, don't you think Paul. You've really done it this time haven't you? You've pushed the envelope over the edge. Your lack of professional standards has landed you where I always knew you would end up. PAUL I've been charged with ... ANDREW Murder. PAUL Murder. ANDREW That's why I'm here. PAUL You obviously know what this is all about. ANDREW Well of course I know what this is about. Don't be a fool. Why else do you think I'd be in this ... Andrew looks around the cell. 7. PAUL How's your practice going? ANDREW I'm no longer in practice. And, this is no time to be talking about my life. You're in deep shit here. You've been charged with manslaughter. Don't you understand the seriousness of this matter? PAUL You seem to know, Andrew. Why don't you tell me? ANDREW One of your patients ... PAUL Daniel Jacob. I treated Daniel Jacob. Daniel was a good patient. Worked hard. ANDREW And you used movie therapy. The same foolishness you were experimenting with while we were in college. PAUL Why Andy. I'm truly touched. You remembered. ANDREW How could I forget? How could I forget that nonsense you were trying to put over on everybody? Paul, who the hell do you think you are, changing the way therapy's been practiced for 75 years? For the love of God, who the hell do you think you are? PAUL The same person I've always been. ANDREW You have a responsibility to ... PAUL To myself, Andrew. To myself and no one else. 8. ANDREW You took an oath. You have a responsibility. And you're here because of your irresponsibility. PAUL And? ANDREW And that guy you practiced movie therapy with put a gun in his mouth and blew his brains out. PAUL So let me get this straight. I stop seeing him six months ago, he commits suicide and I'm responsible. ANDREW Those are charges. Manslaughter. PAUL Well, they're just charges. By the way, how's Mary? ANDREW This is no time to be asking me about my life or my wife. PAUL You know what, you're right. I'm sorry. How is she? ANDREW She's doing just fine. Manslaughter, those are the charges. What are you going to do now? PAUL That's a two parter. Part 1, I don't know what I"m going to do. Part 2, that's great. Tell her I said hello. ANDREW You haven't changed a bit. You're nothing but a wise guy therapist who makes a mockery of all our good work. You deserve what you get. Andrew exits. 9. PAUL Be sure to tell Mary I said hello. Andrew stops and turns around. ANDREW Oh, and one more thing. Irrespective of the outcome of this trial I don't think you'll be practicing in this state or any other state if I have anything to say about it. And I do. PAUL (quietly) You always did, Andrew. You always did. EXT. DOWNTOWN PORTLAND - DAY The front steps of Hewett, Baker, LaMonde, Young and Associates loom.