Representing Asian-Australians on Television (Screenplay & Exegesis)
THE NEW LOWS: REPRESENTING ASIAN-AUSTRALIANS ON TELEVISION (SCREENPLAY & EXEGESIS)
BENJAMIN LAW PhD Student: Creative Writing and Cultural Studies Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology www.creativeindustries.qut.edu.au Cricos No. 00213J
[email protected] 07 3358 2895 | 0409 762 027
Submitted: May 2009
PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR: Geoffrey Portmann [email protected] | 0418 271 540
ASSOCIATE SUPERVISOR: Carol Williams [email protected] | 07 3864 8234
ASSOCIATE SUPERVISOR: Harvey May [email protected] | 0416 201 229 ii
The work in this dissertation is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original, except as acknowledged in the text. The material has not been submitted, in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university.
SIGNED ……………………..………………………………………….…………………
iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
ABSTRACT ix
PREFACE xi
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 METHODOLOGY 7
2.1 Creative Writing as Research 8
2.2 Research Strategies 9
2.21 Contextual Review 9
2.22 Screenwriting as Creative Practice 10
2.23 Rejected Methodologies 11
3.0 CONTEXTUAL REVIEW 15
3.1 Asian Australian Identities 15
3.2 Asian Identities on Screen 21
THE NEW LOWS (SCREENPLAYS) 47
Concept Document 47
Episode 1: Graduation 51
Episode 2: Christmas 103
Episode 4: Valentineʼs Day 156
Episode 6: Birthday 207
4.0 THE NEW LOWS 259
5.0 CONCLUSION 265
6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY 271
v vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the input of my supervisors in this project: Carol Williams, Harvey May and Geoffrey Portmann. Over the last three years, their advice and guidance has been invaluable. Alan McKee also provided excellent guidance for revision in the projectʼs final stage. I would also like to thank Stuart Glover, my original supervisor, for both his ongoing encouragement and generosity of time, as well as my examiners Jinna Tay and Geoff Lealand, whose final recommendations and advice was invaluable. The Queensland University of Technology provided me with a full scholarship to complete this project from 2005 to 2008.
Thank you also to the following people: Romy Ash, Rhianna Boyle, Felicity Carpenter, Simon Cox, Fiona Crawford, Helen Franzmann, Marieke Hardy, Krissy Kneen, Anna Krien, Anthony Morris, Anthony Mullins, Denny Ryan, Cory Taylor, Mia Timpano and Lorelei Vashti Waite. All provided much-needed feedback during the development of the creative work, at various stages of its development. Thank you also to Nike Bourke, Matthew Condon, Kári Gislason, Roger González, Ross Hope, Sam Martin, Kris Olsson, Sharyn Pearce, Aaron Peters, Rebecca Pouwer, Fiona Stager, Louise Stansfield, Alice Steiner, Ellen Thompson, Jo Walker and Zöe Zepherelli for the added support.
Thank you to my siblings Candy, Andrew, Tammy and Michelle. I cannot overstate how necessary these people are. Thanks also to my father Danny, and my grandmother for their ongoing love and support. And needless to say, none of this would have been remotely possible without Scott James Spark.
This project is dedicated to my mother Jenny Phang, and the memory of her mother.
vii viii ABSTRACT
This project utilises creative practice as research, and involves writing and discussing four sample episodes of a proposed six-part dramatic, black-comedy1 television mini-series titled The New Lows. Combined, the creative project and accompanying exegesis seeks to illuminate and interrogate some of the inherent concerns, pitfalls and politics encountered in writing original Asian-Australian characters for television. Moreover, this thesis seeks to develop and deliberate on characters that would expand, shift and extend concepts of stereotyping and authenticity as they are used in creative writing for television.
The protagonists of The New Lows are the contemporary and dysfunctional Asian-Australian Lo family: the Hong Kong immigrants John and Dorothy, and their Australian-born children Wendy, Simon and Tommy. Collectively, they struggle to manage the family business: a decaying suburban Chinese restaurant called Sunny Days, which is stumbling towards imminent commercial death. At the same time, each of the characters must negotiate their own personal catastrophes, which they hide from fellow family members out of shame and fear. Although there is a narrative arc to the series, I have also endeavoured to write each episode as a self- contained story.
Written alongside the creative works is an exegetical component. Through the paradigm of Asian-Australian studies, the exegesis examines the writing process and narrative content of The New Lows, alongside previous representations of Asians on Australian and international television and screen. Concepts discussed include stereotype, ethnicity, otherness, hybridity and authenticity. However, the exegesis also seeks to question the dominant cultural paradigms through which these issues are predominantly discussed. These investigations are particularly relevant, since The New Lows draws upon a suite of characters commonly considered to be stereotypical in Asian-Australian representations.
1 Also known as dramedy.
ix x PREFACE
Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions. I'd like to have a word for “the sadness inspired by failing restaurants.”
— Jeffrey Eugenides2
A few years ago, late on a Friday night, my partner and I were walking through the Brisbane suburb of Wooloongabba, through the suburbʼs main streets. The districtʼs centrepiece is a massive, monolithic sports stadium, which looms over the surrounding houses, pubs and restaurants. Itʼs big enough to cast a doomsday shadow on the main road during the day. Unusually for a Friday night, not much was open. However, it wasnʼt long before we came upon a sight you can see in most Australian suburbs nowadays: the crackling fizz of dying neon lights, the sound of a lone wok frying inside the kitchen, and the hopeful smile of a Chinese woman waiting outside, a menu clutched to her chest. That night, it was clear no one was heading into that place for a meal. Business was dead. It was your typical, failing suburban Chinese restaurant.
As someone raised by parents who managed Chinese restaurants most of their lives, I have an intimate understanding on the difficulties of making these businesses—or any small business— work towards making a profit. My father has managed small businesses, most of them restaurants, since before I was born. (Now, having recently turned 60, heʼs cottoned onto the fact that Chinese food isnʼt so popular, and manages a Thai restaurant instead.) Some of his business endeavours have been spectacular success stories; others have been veritable failures. So while it might pain most people to see a Chinese restaurant limping towards imminent commercial death, it especially pains me to see family restaurants owned by Asian families go down that route. It is a little close to home. For me, restaurants like these can be the saddest places in the world.
This one in Wooloongabba was particularly poignant. The restaurant was a massive, hollowed- out cavern, with enough space to fit close to a hundred diners. It would have been a sight in the late 1970s, which is probably when it was originally built. But here it was, completely empty on a
2 Middlesex, 2002: 217.
xi Friday night, which represented the peak of their business week, and no one was there. We passed the restaurant without much ceremony. However, some questions lingered in my mind afterwards. What kind of family ran this restaurant? With so few patrons, how did they afford the rent, or to send their children to school? And how was the businessʼs obvious decline affecting the family inside who ran it?
Those questions were compelling enough to act as a starting point in developing the television series concept at the heart of this project: The New Lows. Because I have a background in journalism, I have to admit that I still have difficulty understanding or pinpointing why I chose to create fiction with The New Lows, rather than simply going into the restaurant and writing non- fiction about the family instead. By writing fictional characters and lives instead, I chose to do what most people does when confronted with questions about the lives of others: I speculated. In doing so, I have raised other unavoidable questions, removed from the basic curiosity I felt towards the workers of Wooloongabba. While my screenplays tries to answer those initial, curious impulsive questions about the restaurant and its workers in a creative way, the exegesis examines these other questions, which centre on identity, representation and race.
xii 1.0 INTRODUCTION
In Adrian Tomineʼs most recent graphic novel Shortcomings (2007), there is a brief scene early on that shoots to the heart of this thesis. It plays out as a dialogue between the characters Ben and Miko, both of whom are Japanese-Americans in their 20s. We first meet them as they watch a short film at an Asian-American digital film festival, showing a young Asian-American woman learning home-spun Asian “haiku-like” wisdom from her emotionally-brittle grandfather. Though she has always considered him cold and uncommunicative, the short film concludes with the woman receiving poignant advice, through a fortune cookie the grandfather has made in his factory. As much as the crowd loves—and is moved by—the film, Ben is bothered that no one else sees it like he does: as embarrassingly earnest and clichéd. Ben asks Miko: “I mean, why does everything have to be some big ʻstatementʼ about race? Donʼt any of these people just want to make a movie thatʼs good?” Miko responds: “God, you drive me crazy sometimes. Itʼs almost like youʼre ashamed to be Asian.” Ben is offended by that. “What? After a movie like that, Iʼm ashamed to be human” (Tomine, 2007: 13).
Considering my name is also Ben, I almost feel as though Tomine has created a surrogate or stand-in character for me. Tomineʼs gently neurotic scene captures and distils some of the anxieties I raise and examine throughout this exegesis: namely, concerns and questions surrounding concepts of stereotype, ethnicity, otherness, hybridity, worthiness and authenticity. It also asks whether such “statement” issues can ever be avoided when foregrounding protagonists who are ethnic Asians, especially seeing as in the context of Tomineʼs graphic novel, the opening scene between Ben and Miko plays out a commentary on race and identity in itself. The scene inevitably makes its own point about representation and identity politics—that it can be tiresome, and often serves to compromise artistic integrity by replacing it with a sense of “worthiness”, or cross-cultural importance and edification. This exegesis explores this idea that writing Asian hybrid protagonists is an act inherently encumbered with identity politics, and investigates what those politics are. It also examines how they can be—and have been— negotiated, and how best to overturn ideas of stereotype and authenticity, using the process of writing my own original creative work as the central case study.
The New Lows is an original series of screenplays I have written, which focus on the fictional Chinese-Australian Lo family as Asian-Australian protagonists: the Hong Kong immigrants John and Dorothy Lo (late 40s), and their three Australian-born children Wendy (25), Simon (17) and Tommy (12). Set in the familyʼs split home and restaurant (the ironically-named Sunny Days) the
1 series takes place over the course of one summer as Tommy hits puberty, Simon is denied university entry, Wendy returns home from the collapse of her marriage, Dorothy goes through a nervous breakdown, and Johnʼs health declines. At the same time, the old restaurant itself is gasping its own way towards imminent commercial death.
Because I am Chinese-Australian myself, and my family has managed Asian restaurants all my life, the initial impulses behind developing The New Lows were obviously personal. On a creative level, works I admire often happen to revolve around families, such as Jonathan Franzenʼs novel The Corrections, Alan Ballʼs television drama Six Feet Under, or Todd Solondzʼs caustic feature films. Conveniently, the Loʼs family situation seemed to provide a clear scenario in which dramatic potential could be mined. From a creative standpoint, some of the fundamental questions presented by this situation seemed ripe for dramatising. For instance, most parents and children often claim not to understand one another, so how are miscommunications and misunderstandings exaggerated when parents and children—because of language barriers— literally do not understand one another? How do families survive volatile change? And in a environment (like family businesses) where private and public life is conducted in the same space, what faces do we choose to show, and which ones remain private? Those recurring themes that lay the groundwork for engaging drama—miscommunication, dealing with change, keeping secrets—could be heightened with the characters and setting of The New Lows.
Clearly, the initial creative impulse that triggered off writing The New Lows had nothing to do with a desire to illuminate aspects of the Australian screen industry, or to pursue academic investigations into the world of Asian-Australian representations. However, it is impossible and, perhaps, irresponsible to ignore that embarking upon writing television screenplays that purposefully foreground Asian-Australian characters as protagonists comes encumbered with certain politics, which is clearly demonstrated by precedents in television and cinema, as well as the commentary and debate which surrounds them. For instance, one of the most enduring questions is whether there are enough ethnic minorities on television (Williams, 2000; Dent, 2000; May, 2003 and Courtis, 2005)? The question of quantity, in particular, has been an ongoing, sustained focus of cultural commentators for the past half decade, and not without reason. While there were roughly one million (out of a total of 18.9 million) Australians of Asian descent living in Australia in 1999, not one Asian-Australian face appeared in a major television series that year (Williams, 2000). Recent newspaper articles spanning five years (Williams, 2000; Dent, 2000; Molitorisz, 2003; Courtis, 2005) repeatedly questioned why our pluralist and apparently “multicultural” society was not been reflected on our screens. Industry research
2 reports, like the Australia Councilʼs The Taxidriver, the Cook and the Greengrocer (Bertone, 1998), as well as academic investigations (Ang, 2000; Jakubowicz, et. al., 1994) reached a shared consensus that non-Anglo-Celtic faces on Australian television are still a rarity. People of an Asian—and particularly Chinese (Courtis, 2005)—background are observed as one minority group who have suffered a particularly unfair deal when it comes to being represented on television.
With such intense anxieties and frustrations surrounding the quantity and visibility of on-screen ethnic minority representations, it is understandable that, consequently, the quality of existing on-screen representations is subject to fastidious scrutiny (Chan, 2000; May, 2003). Are specific representations of minorities “simplistic and/or patronising” (Chan, 2000)? When there are simply not enough representations, the few that do exist bear the brunt of the attacks. Eventually, many of these attacks fall under the umbrella critique of whether a representation is stereotypical or not. As discussed in more depth later, concepts of stereotype—and the way in which they are used as a basis for outrage—can be problematic. In the United States, organisations such as watchdog group MANAA (the Media Action Network for Asian Americans) devote their resources to “monitoring the media and advocating balanced, sensitive, and positive coverage and portrayals of Asian-Americans”. MANAA even offers a step-by-step list of “stereotype busters” on its website to combat what it sees as common, problematic representations of Asian Americans (www.manaa.org, 2007).
However, I also have deep misgivings about the idea of boycotting of specific images of Asian identities in favour of prescribed “positive” alternatives, as MANAA suggests. As discussed in- depth later, the idea that there are correct or “authentic” ways of representing Asian identities, or that such a thing should even be aimed towards, bothers me. There is still much anxiety surrounding what makes an Asian representation “good” or “bad”, “authentic” or “stereotypical”. Those kinds of binary distinctions produces the dominant perception that by simply inverting a bad stereotype—from a Vietnamese grocer, to a Vietnamese corporate CEO—we suddenly have “positive” representation.
From a practitionerʼs perspective, I would suggest the obligation for screenwriters is far more complicated. Writing a good character is a more difficult exercise than identifying a tired status quo and inverting it. Instead, the challenge in this context is to foreground Asian characters as protagonists or key players. In some cases, if the genre allows, there may be room to expand their emotional repertoire towards something more complicated than first impressions. Rather than rejecting any pre-existing stereotypes, what I have chosen to do with The New Lows is
3 actively embrace a suite of pre-existing stereotypes, and interrogate their surface values by expanding expectations of those images. In a way, this creative exercise is arguably about reclaiming images marked as stereotype. Moreover, the exegesis aims to question and interrogate how stereotype is construed and interpreted in cultural studies and Asian-Australian discourses.
There are obvious limitations in what The New Lows, as both a screenplay and exegesis project, can actually achieve here. If anything, this project acts as a litmus test, a discussion and an experiment, around which the idea of writing characters that expand, shift and extend concepts of stereotyping and authenticity can be developed and deliberated upon. Even the final, edited screenplays will be creative works in the infancy of their development, by default of their medium. Needless to say, a screenplay is not a final creative product in and of itself—it is only a blueprint, a hypothetical proposition or proposal, not aimed at a public audience, and essentially an incomplete work in progress (Taylor, 2006). As a result, its “success” cannot be measured in terms of commercial or critical success, or reception. Writing The New Lows and the issues it has raised cannot have universal ramifications about writing Asian-Australian protagonists for the local screen.
This is also another problem here, inherent in many creative practice research projects, which are coupled with exegeses. It is the assumption that the creative work is designed as a response, or—worse still—a prescription, to “fix” an undesirable industry status quo, as identified in the exegesis. This is not the case. As a creative work, The New Lows cannot realistically go about solving or addressing aspects of the screen industry, nor does it aim to. I would have deep reservations about suggesting that the dysfunctional, emotionally-paralysed characters who inhabit The New Lows, written by a novice screenwriter, are recommended paragons of positive Asian-Australian on-screen representation. Moreover, I have strong reservations about the idea of “positive” screen representations in general. Similarly, I imagine most screenwriters would not relish the prospect of developing creative work with the task of fixing or addressing problems, such as visibility or stereotype, within the industry.
However, what writing and examining The New Lows can provide is a single case study on how broader, public discourses on identity politics—within the paradigm of Asian-Australian studies— can both enrich and interfere with the personal process of creative writing. It is something besides which precedents in television and broader discourses on Asian-Australian studies can be discussed and examined. In a television landscape where Asian-Australian visibility is simultaneously lacking, and subject to intense criticism, discussing the development, writing and
4 editing processes of The New Lows is intended as a launching pad towards broader discussions on Asian representations in the domestic screen industries, and the criticism surrounding it. Written from the perspective of an emerging screenwriting practitioner, this project—which locates itself in the praxis between practice and reflection—hopes to simply offer one, single new insight into these issues.
5 6 2.0 METHODOLOGY
In the introduction to her co-edited anthology Alter/Asians (2000), Ien Ang argues that while there has been a “dynamic scene of Asian cultural production” in Australia, consideration and discussion on these cultural works have been conspicuously absent from cultural studies discourse, in which “Asian-Australian identities are explored, negotiated or contested”. She adds that both creative practice and critical theory in these areas are equally important:
It is through and within modes of artistic expression and cultural criticism that the struggle of representation is most actively fought out […] There is still hardly any public recognition in Australia of Asian Australians as subjects of representation, as intellectuals, artists or writers vigorously intervening in, and making inroads into the dominant culture, and as active makers of culture in their own right. (Ang, 2000: xxiii, xv)
Some sectors of the creative industries may, indeed, be “dynamic” sites of Asian-Australian cultural production. However, where local screen industries—especially television—are concerned, the quality and quantity of such inroads are comparatively anaemic. Still, this project engages with Ien Angʼs central argument that it is important to both create and contest representations of Asian-Australians, especially in dominant cultural forms like film and television, and aims to actively engage in both those activities within a creative practice-led research mode of investigation. The screenplays for The New Lows represents the production of original, creative work. The exegesis complements the creative works, and represents the dialogue, or “cultural criticism”, to which Ang refers. It examines screen works featuring Asian- Australian and other ethnic Asian characters in key roles, as well as the development and discussion of The New Lows through a cultural studies framework. Overall, this research project has the following outputs:
. Concept document for The New Lows;
. Four 52-minute television screenplays3; and
. A 20,000-word exegesis.
3 Approximately 13,000 words each.
7 Creative practice (the screenplays) will account for 65% of the entire project. This exegetical component will account for 35%.
2.1 CREATIVE WRITING AS RESEARCH
Tertiary institutions in Australian have, for at least the last 15 years, actively encouraged creative practitioners at a postgraduate level to adopt research methodologies that investigate and explicate the mechanisms, theories and contexts behind their creative works (Davis, 2003). Nowadays, within creative industries disciplines, there is an increasing demand for formalising these modes and outputs of “practice-led research” (Haseman, 2005), “practice-based projects” (Biggs, 2000) or “creative practice as research” (Haseman, 2005), all interchangeable terms essentially describing the same thing: academic projects that incorporate producing an original, creative work alongside—or, in some cases, as an alternative to—the production of a written thesis” (Biggs, 2000).
Such a working paradigm is not without its problems. On a fundamental level, there is a profound difficulty in reconciling critical analysis (an almost forensic and, sometimes, destructive exercise) and creative work (an inherently constructure pursuit) in a way that does not damage the work. Because of its status as a relatively emerging research methodology, creative practice as research continues to attract scrutiny and debate within tertiary institutions. The way in which artistic works should be investigated exegetically by practising artists, writers, musicians, actors and designers still seemingly represents conundrums within those respective disciplines, especially creative writing and, by extension, screenwriting, the discipline under which this project falls. Early creative writing practitioners even debated the necessity of an exegesis, and whether an exegetical component should be required to accompany postgraduate writing projects that produced original work. Some early PhD candidates in Creative Writing argued that "the text produced in a Creative Writing class is […] already a dialogic engagement with theory”, thus apparently disqualifying them from having to undergo the rigours of exegetical investigation (Perry, cited in Bourke and Neilsen, 2004: 1).
A decade has passed since Perry initially voiced those concerns about the usefulness of exegetical investigation in creative writing. Since then, there now exists a solid body of creative writing dissertations covering the spectrum of literature, biography, theatre, poetry and, of course, screenplays, which have been developed in both international and Australian institutions. In her conference paper A Working Model For Postgraduate Practice Based Research Across The Creative Arts (2003), D. Davis James dismisses the idea that the dual roles of artist and
8 researcher are incompatible. One PhD student is cited in Davis Jamesʼs report, insisting that the hybrid methodology of creative practice and theoretical examination (that is, creative work with exegesis) was imperative in excavating the “synergistic relationship between the practice and its theoretical and conceptual underpinnings” (Preston, cited in Davis James, 2003: 21). While concurring with James, Nigel Krauth also emphasises that in developing the structures of each creative writing PhD project, a degree of “elasticity” is required in devising methodologies according to each projectʼs demands, for the basic reason that elasticity is required in producing all creative works (Krauth, 2002).
Still, in their report The Problem of the Exegesis in Creative Writing Higher Degrees (2004), Bourke and Neilsen also identify the “strong need—as well as an expressed desire—for some measure of agreement” when it comes to the structuring methodologies involved in creative writing at a postgraduate level. In their experiences as supervisors (and, in Bourkeʼs case, also a student) they identified four distinct types of exegeses produced by Creative Writing students: First Order Journal Work (“emotional” diary-style reflections about writing the project); Second Order Journal Work (“self-conscious, evaluative, critical” writing about “process, product, praxis and practice”); literary theory exegeses; and cultural studies exegeses. Arguably, creative writing continues to develop in a “somewhat ad hoc manner”, and continues to seek a discourse of its own, rather than one exclusively sourced from cultural studies and literary theory paradigms (Bourke and Neilsen, 2004). Moreover, it becomes apparent that although—or, perhaps, because—“elasticity” is needed in methodological approach, it is imperative to clearly outline and define research strategies in Creative Writing PhDs. My research strategies are stated below.
2.2 RESEARCH STRATEGIES
2.21 Contextual Review Chapter 3.0 of this exegesis represents the contextual review, traditionally known as the literature review, the cornerstone of cultural studies and literary theory PhDs. It examines two bodies of texts. The first draws upon some basic tenets of post-colonial commentary, with the discourse defined as discussions which centre on both historical and contemporary ideas of identity, based on various issues including (but not limited to): “migration, slavery, suppression, resistance, representation, difference, race, gender [and] place” (Ashcroft, 1995: 2). Particular attention is paid to discussions on otherness, hybridity and cultural or racial authenticity. More specifically, this section of the contextual review is firmly located in Asian-Australian studies. As a rapidly growing field of study, Asian-Australian studies is now recognised not simply as a branch-out of cultural and post-colonial studies, but as its own discrete discourse that examines
9 “diasporic cultures, politics and histories of those of Asian descent in Australia” (AASRN website, 2007). A 1999 conference called Alter/Asians—which would go on to spawn the book of the same name— is cited as a key event where various disciplinary fields in cultural studies (Australian studies, multicultural studies, cultural studies on literary and performing arts, popular culture and the media) converged to mobilise the then nascent area of “Asian-Australian studies” (Khoo, 2001). Prior to this, Asian-Australian discourse was banded together with either “Australian” studies or “Asian” studies in universities, which many felt ensured that the concepts of “Asian” and “Australian” were segregated into false binaries, and that the two terms were made “mutually exclusive categories” (Gilbert, et. al., 2000). Nine years have passed since that conference, and Asian-Australian studies has since grown into a site of vigorous and contested dialogue and debate. It has also become an intellectual discourse mobilised and consolidated with national events, most significantly, the bi-annual Asian Australian Identities Conference in Melbourne, the second of which I attended in 2007.
The second body of texts examined for the contextual review are primary creative works and their surrounding discussions. The creative works consist of contemporary examples of Australian television and cinema where Asian and Asian-Australian identities have been foregrounded as protagonists or key players. This is not meant to be an exhaustive or comprehensive catalogue of such representations. Instead, screen works are discussed depending on their relevance to issues being raised, including feature films like The Home Song Stories (2007); Footy Legends (2006); and Floating Life (1996); television mockumentary comedies The Librarians (2007) and We Can Be Heroes (2005); as well as reality television shows Nerds F.C (2006) and Australian Idol (2004). These are discussed in the context of specific issues of representation in Asian-Australian studies, or issues raised in writing The New Lows. It also examines other non-Australian screen works foregrounding other Asian ʻhybridʼ or hyphenated identities (such as Asian-Americans) as case studies, including the feature-length black comedy drama The Motel (2005); the stand-up comedy of Sarah Silverman and Margaret Cho; and reality television shows like Survivor: Cook Islands (2006) and American Idol (2004).
2.22 Screenwriting as Creative Practice Chapter 4.0 of this exegesis is titled ʻThe New Lows.ʼ This chapter examines the development, writing and editing decisions behind The New Lows and the content of the screenplays. Engaging in Second Order Journal Work, this section discusses characters and their narrative trajectories, and the ways in which the theoretical research has impacted or reflected the development of creative work.
10 As far as my professional development goes, it should be mentioned here that I entered this screenwriting project with minimal screenwriting experience. Therefore, I have also embarked on modes of professional development to complement the formal creative supervision I have received from Geoffrey Portmann and Carol Williams. In 2005, I attended an intensive screenwriting workshop with Australian writer and director Tony McNamara at the Queensland Writers Centre, and a television writing workshop with screenwriter and producer Anthony Morris at the Australian Writers Guild. In 2006, I voluntarily audited the Masters of Television Writing cohort program offered at the Queensland University of Technology, which involved writing and developing new television drama as a group. At the same time, I also sought one-on-one draft feedback on The New Lows from industry practitioners including television writer Anthony Morris, screenwriter Cory Taylor, film-maker Anthony Mullins, and television writer/producer Marieke Hardy. Two short stories on which The New Lows was based were also shortlisted and runner- up to the Queensland Young Writers Awards in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
2.23 Rejected Research Strategies The “elasticity” involved in developing this projectʼs methodology has seen several research strategies—many of them once thought vital to the project work—ultimately discarded. These research strategies have been rejected for various reasons, from being theoretically incompatible with the issues raised in developing the project, or for purely practical reasons, such as being unnecessarily time-consuming.
At the start of this project, I assumed comprehensive documentation of the screenwriting process, in the form of a reflective journal, was necessary in analysing the development of the finished product. Essentially, this documentation would have been First Order Journal Work, where writers reflect on emotional responses and personal anxieties on writing a creative work. This endeavour was quickly abandoned when I realised the chronology of the development of The New Lows was going to be accurately documented, by default, since I keep all old drafts of my work, where all obvious changes to the work could be identified, compared and discussed. In any case, I am not in the habit of journal writing in general. Eventually, I concluded that keeping reflective or diary-style journals as I develop any creative work was arduous and unnecessary. As Bourke and Neilsen (2004) note, many students who elect this model of exegesis often admit they write these journals retrospectively, thus voiding any sense of usefulness in the exercise. Like Bourke and Neilsen, I have reservations about this type of journal work, and question its general usefulness to practitioners outside of the specific project on which it reflects. There is a distinction between this type of self-reflexive journal work, and the discussions on revisions and
11 changes made to The New Lows, since they directly relate back to ideas and concepts raised in the contextual review concerning representing Asian-Australian identities. That material constitutes Second Order Journal Work.
In the initial stages of this project, I also had plans to thoroughly research the socio-historical background of the characters in The New Lows to ensure a level of “authenticity”. These plans included gathering oral histories of Asian-Australian families in South-East Queensland to ensure my characters were “accurate”. These research strategies—immersive-style journalism, and gathering ethnographic oral history accounts—were quickly discarded. Though I spent a few extra weekends working at my fatherʼs restaurant to get a renewed “feel” for the place, I had worked in my fatherʼs restaurants for many years already. If I did not already have a sense of the environment and demands involved in working in such restaurants, I never would. Eventually, I also dismissed the necessity of gathering oral history accounts of Chinese-Australian diasporas; after all, it was not their ʻrealʼ stories I wanted to tell through The New Lows, but fictional ones I had manufactured myself.
As I discuss more thoroughly later in the exegesis, I also wanted to avoid a sense of obligation towards maintaining any sense of “authenticity”—a strategy and endeavour I consider to be problematic. While The New Lows might focus on a Chinese-Australian diasporic family, I have strong reservations about emphasising the extent to which these characters are obliged to represent—or be representative of—sections of any community, Chinese-Australian or otherwise. While sociological texts about Chinese migrant diasporas might be useful in illuminating socio-historical contexts of character, it is problematic and illogical to suggest one or several characters can, or should, embody an ethnographic profile of any community.
For creative writers, these instincts towards maintaining a sense of authenticity comes from an honourable and legitimate desire to avoid stereotype. Asian diasporic communities, for instance, are accustomed to seeing grossly clichéd representations of themselves on screen (MANAA, 2007). However, one of the arguments forwarded in the contextual review is that the gross irony in this impulse towards achieving “authenticity” (the idea of which is often clumsily-constructed) is that such “honourable” intentions are often responsible for the very clichés one attempts to avoid.
It could be argued that no methodological approach in creative practice as research is ever water-tight. In acknowledging this, what I have endeavoured to maintain in my methodology is a hybrid and adaptable approach, transparency in my motives, and an ongoing scrutiny towards my own creative practice. Ang simultaneously describes Asian-Australian identity as something
12 which can be “explored, negotiated or contested”, and hybridity as a site of “contemporary cultural negotiation” (Ang, 2000: xvi). It seems fitting that a creative project and accompanying thesis exploring these ideas also adopt a hybrid methodological approach.
13 14 3.0 CONTEXTUAL REVIEW
3.1 ASIAN AUSTRALIAN IDENTITIES When delving into discussions of Asian-Australian studies and identity politics, one interesting point should be mentioned first up: defining “Asian”, “Australian”, “Australian-Asian” and “Asian- Australian”—and even the legitimacy of the common and casual use of these terms—is the focus of ongoing scrutiny within Asian-Australian studies. Such arguments even extend to whether a term like “Asian-Australian” warrants a hyphen4, and the contexts in which hyphenation, or its absence, is appropriate or not (Teo, 2001; Grace, 2006). Of course, debates surrounding these labels complicate the discourse further, since their usage is necessarily central to the discussion at hand. Thankfully, the inconvenient irony is not lost on most scholars in the field.
In any case, Asian-Australian scholars regard these sorts of labels—“Asian”, “Australian”, “Asian-Australian”—with scepticism. Their main reservation relates to any labelʼs ability to adequately represent the vast section of the population who fall under its broad categorisation (Ang, 2000). Ang observes that “Asian”, as with most labels and racial signifiers, implies the existence of one monolithic cultural entity of “Asian-ness” (Ang, 2000), while Ommundsen similarly suggests that hyphenated terms like “Asian-Australian”—which, while referring to an entirely distinct cross-section of people—also denies the possibility of plurality (Ommundsen, 2000). In observing others adopt such terms so readily and unquestionably, Chan observes an inclination to perceive “cultural differences in reductive terms”, a willingness to only understand concepts of difference “within a dichotomised scheme of essentialist coding” (Chan, 2000: 144), with “Asian” on one end of the spectrum as one rigid, concrete identity, and “Australian” on the other, as its own entirely impenetrable entity altogether.
At first glance, it may seem as though defining who is (and who isnʼt) “Asian,” “Australian” and “Asian-Australian” would be an easier endeavour if discussed in the context of geography. Although definitions of “Asia” differ from country to country, in Australia, Asians are regarded as those who inhabit the three distinct regions of the continent: Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam);
4 In the introduction to their co-edited anthology Diaspora: Negotiating Asian-Australia (2000), Helen Gilbert, Tseen Khoo and Jacqueline Lo says that although they employ a hyphen in “Asian-Australia” to mark a shift from established paradigms of Asians as detached foreigners from the dominant culture, they did not universalise its use and apply it to all the essays contained in the book. For Gilbert, Khoo and Lo, the varied and multiple ways of expressing Asian- Australianess reflected “identity formation as an ambivalent and contingent process” (Gilbert, et. al., 2000).
15 Northeast Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Koreas, Macau, Mongolia and Taiwan); and Southern Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Similarly, “Asian-Australians” could be defined as people of Asian heritage—including migrants and their second or 1.5 generation offspring—who reside in Australia. According to this definition, “Asian Australians” counted for 6.96% of Australiaʼs total population as of 2001 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001).
However, applying ethnic labels in the context of nationhood and location is not as simple as it first appears. The ways in which constructs of “Asian”, “Asian-Australian”, “second generation” and “migrant” has changed throughout the history of the Australian census is especially telling. Year to year, there have been significant discrepancies in census data. Gilbert, et. al. point out that until 1990, the Australian Bureau of Statistics also defined Middle Eastern countries as technically part of Asia; hence Australians who had originally migrated from Cyprus, Turkey and Israel were also considered to be Asian-Australian (Gilbert, et. al., 2000.) More recently, the 2001 census was also problematic, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics defining “second generation” non-English speaking (NES) migrants as Australians who had both parents born overseas. Prior to 2001, “second generation” migrants were defined as those having at least one parent born in an NES country. Even though many Australians cannot be confined to one category with their cultural background, the census did not allow second generation migrants to identify their parentsʼ country of birth, and instead allowed only one restrictive, all-encompassing tick-a-box variable: “born overseas” (May, 2003).
This is not simply a data problem. Oversights in adequately surveying Australiaʼs cultural make- up also suggests that Australiaʼs self-perception has yet to reconcile with the reality of its cultural make-up. While South-East Asian countries may represent Australiaʼs closest neighbours geographically, it is clear that despite a concerted cultural, intellectual and political push by Paul Keating for Australian to infuse its culture with “Asian culture and values” in the mid-1990s (Milner, 1996), the relationship between “Asia” and “Australia”—and the spaces in which the two overlap—has never been an easily negotiated or reconciled one. Julie Matthews boldly argues that in the Australian context, the very term “Asian” is still “blazoned with untenable and improbably ʻracialʼ associations that violently interpolate ʻAsiansʼ as radically Other” (Matthews, 2000: 30).
This idea that Australia perceives Asians as inherently and radically Other is not a new concept by any means, and has clear historical foundations. Compared to other diasporas, such as European—or what Tuan (2002) refers to as “white ethnic”—migrants in the country, Asian-
16 Australians occupy a unique position in these anxieties, having been the focal point of a particularly long history of hostility, from antagonism towards Chinese gold diggers in the 19th century coupled with paranoia about the ʻYellow Perilʼ, to anti-Japanese anxieties during World War II and the bombing of Darwin; to more contemporary fears about being “swamped by Asians” in the mid-1990s with the onset of Hansonism. Historically, the idea of Asians in Australia has brought to surface deeply embedded anxieties surrounding constructs of Australian national identity (Gunew, 1990). Ang argues that from the arrival of white Australians onwards, the idea of the “Asianisation” of Australia has loomed in the national consciousness as a “spectre”, a malevolent presence widely experienced as a “threat” (Ang, 2000: xviii).
These anxieties and tensions have manifested in various instances of hostility in recent years, such as the 2004 firebombings and racist vandalism of three Chinese restaurants in Perth on a single night. In the political realm, Pauline Hansonʼs infamous 1996 maiden speech in parliament expressed concerns that Australia was at risk of being “swamped by Asians”. Ien Ang would later question who actually had the authority to determine how much is “too many” (and too many for whom?), and took offence to the inference that there was some tacit line over which Australiaʼs Asian population could apparently step (Ang, 2000). However, conservative commentators would later cite Hansonʼs speech as an important milestone in Australiaʼs political and cultural landscape, as a mobilising and powerful moment “that struck at the heart of political correctness and challenged the authority of the ruling elites” (Australian News Commentary website, 2006). Whatever the case, it was a defining national moment and, tellingly, one that hinged upon debates regarding an Asian presence in Australia. It cannot be doubted that Hanson left her mark on Australiaʼs social and political landscape, and reinforced the ongoing perception that “Asian” and “Australian” were mutually exclusive terms. That general sentiment continued into the rhetoric of the former Howard federal government, in which John Howard expressed: “I donʼt like hyphenated Australians, I just like Australians” (cited in Wong, 2007).
With these issues in mind, those who do identify themselves as “Asian-Australian” represent an interesting meeting point of these discussions and debates, as people who inhabit, negotiate and, often, reject aspects of these dual identities, which are perceived to be largely at odds with one another. Media producer and actor Annette Shun Wah has Chinese ethnic heritage, with her ethnic Chinese mother born in China, and her ethnic Chinese father born in Australia (and raised in China). Shun Wah uses the term Chinese-Australian to describe herself, insisting “you can be more than one thing in your life” (ABC Radio National, 2003). Gilbert, et. al. argue that occupying this space—“of being both Asian and Australian”—unsettles and disrupts dominant notions of cultural, racial and national identity (2000). Ien Ang is an ethnic Chinese, Indonesian-born,
17 European-educated woman who now lives in Australia, and applies the pivotal term “hybrid” to describe her own personal cultural trajectory (Ang, 2001). Ang identifies neither as fully Asian nor Western, but a simultaneously all-embracing, ambiguous and inherently contradictory state of being “neither/nor, or both/and” (Ang, 2001).
For the past decade in contemporary cultural studies, there has been a significant shift towards this paradigm of hybridity, which emphasises “mixture, cultural interchange, and mutual cross- fertilisation” (Ang, 2000: xix). The predominant preoccupations of post-colonial studies have always centred on ethnicity and race, and the discourse has been a site of examining “shifting identities” and interrogating “previous certainties and debates” about identity and culture (Curran, 1996; Cottle, 2000). Considering this, the paradigm of hybridity in a globalised world is an inevitable progression in the field. In the mid 1990s, Bill Ashcroft heralded the growing discourse on hybridity as representing “the most vigorous and fruitful critical debates in recent years.” (Ashcroft, 1995: 184). It was a shift that endeavoured to establish “new anti-monolithic models of cultural exchange and growth” (Ashcroft, et. al., 1995), rather than emphasising cultural binaries. For instance, in charting the development of his own cultural identity from signifiers like “Negro,” “immigrant,” “Coolie” and “black”, Stuart Hall questioned:
As a concrete lived individual, am I indeed any one of these interpellations? Does any one of them exhaust me? In fact, I ʻamʼ not one or another of these ways of representing me, though I have been positioned as all of them at different times and still am some of them to some degree. But, there is not essential, unitary ʻIʼ—only the fragmentary, contradictory subject I become. (cited in Curran, 1996: 28)
The paradigm of hybridity is not entirely unproblematic. Chan argues the term comes encumbered with its own set of semantic and suggestive problems, implying hybridity is often employed as an overly simplistic and generalised stand-in term, meant to encompass a range of complicated concepts of diversity and ambiguity. For Chan, we have reached an “interpretive impasse”, stemming from a lack of vocabulary to adequately serve the state of being in-between: “that which is seemingly at once different and same, the Australian and the Asian, the ʻnot- Australianʼ and the ʻnot-Asianʼ? Therein lies the problematic of articulating ambivalence” (Chan, 2000: 150, emphasis author's own). In another essay published that same year, Chan describes an art exhibition he attended in 1996 at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane called Above and Beyond: Austral/Asian Interactions. He expresses deep reservations with the curatorial framing
18 of the exhibition, in terms of how hybridity was employed as an all-encompassing term, embracing so many different—and disparate—cultural identities and histories. It is something Chan finds inappropriate in its allusions towards suggesting “a problematic doctrine of conflation and equivalency” (2000), and an oversimplistic reductivism. For Chan, “hybridity” is far too easily granted a term, and is often used to paint broad brushstrokes for a whole body of people who share too little in common:
The so-called ʻborder blurringsʼ arising from the privilege of travelling and artistsʼ residencies are not the same as those attached to the condition of voluntary migration, nor are they the same as those resulting from colonisation, or those arising from political refugeeship. (Chan, 2000: 53)
In her essay Beyond Happy Hybridity (2000), Jacqueline Lo also takes to task what she perceives as an overly celebratory tone in discussions on hybridity, and how the concept is often presented exclusively in positive terms. For instance, Lenny Kaneko writes that “whether one is a rice eater or a bread eater is not so important today. What may be more important is that […] we may be neither but a consumer of both” (in Aguero, 1993: ix). Lo is right to observe that predominantly, discussion of hybridity does not go further than vaguely festive connotations, with its use restricted to a benign label in “stabilising” and “settling” notions of cultural difference (Lo, 2000). Instead, Lo (2000) and Tuan (2002) stress other implications of the term which, in contrast, focus on the process of “negotiation” and “contestation” between cultures. Those two terms—“negotiation” and “contestation”—are important to note, since they imply an active exchange. Lo echoes Anita Loombaʼs sentiments expressed in Colonialism/Postcolonialism where she describes all identities—“hybrid” or otherwise—as something which is “a constructed process rather than a given essence” (Loomba, 1998: 176).
Hybridity, or the condition of “multiple belonging” is not one that is simply granted, applied, and accepted. It is not a passive state of being. It requires agency; it cannot ever truly be a state of being “settled” at all. On the contrary, Lo emphasises how hybridity can be actively subversive in unsettling “dominant expectations of the unproblematic homology between cultural, racial and national identity” (Lo, 2000: 156), while Bhabha observes the “possibilities of new subject positions and forms of political agency” (in Gilbert, et. al., 2000: 5). Far from simple, the paradigm of hybridity is, to borrow a phrase coined by Bill Ashcroft, a way of looking at both the construct and construction of identities as “complex cultural palimpsests” (Ashcroft, 1995), rather than a static, blended mélange of constituent parts. Words like hybridity and complexity rightly
19 imply multi-dimensional facets of identity. However, rather than being something to automatically celebrate, Yiyan Wang describes the condition of “multiple belonging” as both “a blessing and a cause of problems” (Wang, 2000: 108). Aguero acknowledges that negotiating identities is a constant balancing act; any freedom that comes with the apparent ability to improvise cultural identities—“making ourselves up as we go along”—can be simultaneously joyous and burdensome (Aguero, 1993).
The idea of hybridity being a burden often stems from one of the most pointed issues unearthed in hybridity discourse: the ideas of cultural and racial “authenticity”, or what Tuan calls “the authenticity dilemma” (Tuan, 2002). This idea or construct of cultural “authenticity” is not a new discussion in post-colonial discourse. For instance, it is often unearthed in discussions on indigenous cultures, where preserving, maintaining and owning a sense of cultural authenticity is key in preventing the “contamination” of cultures historically subject to an “imperialist history of plunder and theft” (Brydon, 1995: 140). In an entirely different context altogether, Tuan argues that maintaining a sense of authenticity is a central anxiety to many Asian-Westerners, but also observes an impossibility in the pursuit. In the American context, Carol Wong argues that Asian- Americans particularly feel pressure to confirm to standards of cultural expectation:
No one ever asks a Polish American after the first generation why they donʼt speak Polish or are they ashamed of being Polish because they donʼt speak Polish. But (they will say) that youʼre ashamed of being Chinese, or you donʼt understand Chinese culture because you donʼt speak Chinese. (Wong, cited in Tuan, 2002: 215)
Tuan argues that Asian-Westerners have to confront the idea that they are less “authentic” than others—not quite “American” (or “Australian”), but not quite “Asian” either; they are perceived as diluted, “watered down, ʻless thanʼ versions of themselves” (Tuan, 2002: 209). This idea of cultural authenticity is an incredibly tenuous one. Yet, in their examinations of Asian faces on screen, these ideas of racial authenticity still hold surprising sway and authority with some critics and scholars. Often the discussion is led right back to the question posed at the beginning of this chapter: who is Asian? Clearly, the various criteria against which that question is measured are not water-tight. Geography, nationhood, and self-perception are all negotiable criteria; malleable, evolving and debatable. Notions of culture and nationhood are not static or fixed; they are constantly in flux (Brydon, 1995) and the rapid onset of globalisation has been marked by increasing fluidity and ambiguity in the ideas of nation and nationality once relied upon to dictate constructs of cultural identity. As Bhabha states, “the cultural temporality of the nation inscribes a
20 much more transitional social reality” (Bhabha, 1990: 1)—that is, with our broader ideas of nationhood and citizenship subject to such constant malleability, so to are our ideas of identity and belonging. Despite this, when examining representations of Asians in art and media, often the dialogue has not moved beyond notions of cultural accuracy and authenticity. Discussions held within that kind of paradigm can be extremely problematic. More often than not, this well- intended but misguided notion also often manifests in bizarre results, especially on screen.
3.2 ASIAN-AUSTRALIANS ON SCREEN Visibility, Representation and National Identity
Harvey May writes that “in the era of global media proliferation”, these post-colonial preoccupations with race, hybridity, authenticity and national identity are inextricably bound up with, and informed by, issues of media representation and use (May, 2003). The media—as the word implies—play a mediating role as the site where shared perceptions of social and cultural realities are formed and rejected, and broader notions of identity and belonging are structured, defined and negotiated. It is the arena in which the public are “invited” to construct broader notions of identity and belonging, between the dichotomies of “us and them”, “insider and outsider”, “citizen and foreigner” (Cottle, 2000).
With this in mind, it is telling that some of Australiaʼs most popular, mainstream, free-to-air television broadcasting in recent years have included reality programs focused on immigration and quarantine (Border Security: Australiaʼs Front Line, Seven), television dramas revolving around national border defence (Sea Patrol, Nine), to current affairs shows preoccupied with the threats posed by Australiaʼs multiculturalism (Today Tonight, Seven; A Current Affair, Nine). As recently as 2007, reporter for Seven Networkʼs Today Tonight Bryan Seymour reported on how Australian values were being compromised by a swollen growth in Asian migration. Amongst other tactics, the story saw Seymour interrogating two Chinese nationals about whether they had ever tried pavlova, who Donald Bradman was, and whether they had heard of ʻWaltzing Matildaʼ (cited in Media Watch, 2007). While some might argue the idea or construct of an essential, definitive Australian national identity is bunk, the public debate surrounding it remains very real.
If it is true that we construct ideas of identity, nationhood and citizenship through our engagement with, and representation by, the media, then it must follow that under-represented people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds (DCALB)5 have, historically, held a
5 The term DCALB refers to people born overseas in non-English speaking countries, their children, as well as Indigenous Australians (Appleton, cited in May, 2003).
21 marginal stake towards claims of what being Australian means. For at least a decade, the most consistent criticism by journalists, academics and industry commentators has been that DCALB people have been lacking on Australian television, especially in the realm of dramatic programming (Jakubowicz, et. al., 1994; Bertone, 1998; Ang, 2000; Williams, 2000; Dent, 2000; Molitorisz, 2003; Courtis, 2005). At best, this could be construed as an unfortunate oversight by an industry preoccupied with ongoing, broader concerns about its day-to-day survival; at worst, as reflecting engrained industry attitudes towards non-inclusiveness, and complacency in casting and writing.
An an industry level, this lack of visibility has been formally acknowledged as a problem for at least the last two decades. Australian television broadcasting policy from the 1980s onwards actively made measures to foster, promote and reflect Australian multiculturalism. Yet, by the early 1990s, there was still a distinct “poor record of achievement” in portraying cultural diversity in commercial television (May, 2003). Although the mid 1990s6 saw a brief, active period in which programmers, screenwriters, actors and producers were engaged with debates on representation and inclusiveness of DCALB players in the screen industries, it is telling that in the entire year of 1999, no Asian actors featured on Australian dramatic programming at all, despite there being approximately one million Australians of Asian heritage, in the country, at the time (Dent, 2000). Mayʼs thesis Australian Multicultural Policy and Television Drama in Comparative Contexts (2003) and his updated work Popular TV and Cultural Diversity (2008) both surveyed the visibility of multiculturalism in Australian television drama, and also noted that in 2000, the distinct lack of characters from an Asian background mean television representation was still “lagging behind the social reality” (May, 2003). In the world of Australian drama, journalist Brian Courtis noted “there appears to be a conservatism, a ʻyou-go-firstʼ reluctance at Australiaʼs free-to-air networks” in casting Asian-Australians in key dramatic roles (Courtis, 2005).
On informational and reality programming especially, Asian-Australian faces are becoming more prominent. On free-to-air television, there is television chef Kylie Kwong (Chinese background);
6 This period saw the Communication Law Centre and the MEAA—with assistance from the Office of Multicultural Affairs—actively campaign for specific policy to address the deficiency (May, 2003). The resulting Broadcasting Services Act in 1992 was the start of a series of events that decade that both encouraged, and seemed to confirm the desirability of, visibility and participation of DCALB practitioners in Australian television drama. These included conferences on diversity in screenwriting, Indigenous representation and multicultural audiences; federal government funding in the Keating administration to establish the Commercial Television Production Fund (CTPF) and SBS Independent (SBSI); and the launch of the culturally diverse mainstream drama series Heartbreak High in 1994 on a commercial network (Ten).
22 television doctor Cindy Pan (Chinese background); SBS newsreaders Lee Lin Chin (Singaporean Chinese background); Rena Sarumpaet (Indonesian background); Amrita Cheema (Indian background); JTV presenter Caroline Tran (Vietnamese background); Australian Idol contestants Jessica Mauboy (Indonesian and Aboriginal background) and Guy Sebastian (Malaysian background); childrenʼs entertainers Jeff Fatt of The Wiggles (Chinese background); Sun Park of childrenʼs entertainment outfit Hi-57; and the slew of contestants on the Australian version of Network Tenʼs So You Think You Can Dance? While this doesnʼt represent an exhaustive inventory of Asian-Australians featured on Australian informational and reality television at the moment, it does demonstrate that progress is being made.
Even in television drama and comedy, May notes that from 1999 to 2001, Asian visibility on local television drama steadily improved over the next three years: six shows featured Asian “sustainer” roles (Home and Away, Neighbours, Crash Palace, Going Home, Secret Life of Us, Something in the Air) while the drama All Saints had an ongoing guest role that lasted three years (May, 2003). However, May also notes that “sustainer” roles should also be seen in the context of guest spots, roles which are more likely to be actively cast for culturally or ethnically specific purposes, therefore limiting the repertoire of Asian-Australian roles and characters visible in Australian television. While on paper, it appeared as though visibility of Asian characters on screen was improving, there is also an argument to suggest they were included as specific narrative props to foreground “issues” related to ethnicity.
However, there are still seemingly reservations, or a lack of awareness, towards how to best incorporate Asian characters or plotlines into Australian drama. This is especially apparent when contrasted with the sophisticated and popular character and plotlines commonly found in overseas dramas, such as those in the UK and the US (May, 2003). This historical lack of Asian- Australian visibility in dramatic programming has meant that the onus on screen practitioners to “get it right” has greatly and incrementally heightened over the years.
Defining Stereotype The irony is that such pressure has historically translated into a series of poor and embarrassing representations of Asian-Australians on television. While lack of visibility is commonly cited as the predominant problem with Asian-Australians on screen, the second criticism is that the representations that do exist are stereotypical. It has also been suggested that Australia is
7 Park replaced another Asian-Australian: Kathleen de Leon of Hi-5, who was of Filipino background. It is interesting and worth acknowledging that producers of Hi-5 would have had to actively seek out another female Asian Australian to replace de Leon, to maintain a consistency of cultural diversity within the show for young audiences.
23 actually noteworthy when it comes to Asian diversity on screen, since we have a surprisingly broad repertoire of Asian stereotypes featured on television regularly: “crime-prone gangster types to assimilated, docile ʻmodel minorityʼ citizens; from welfare-dependent, job-stealing refugees to affluent, job-creating (but tax-dodging) professionals” (Gilbert, et. al., 2000: 7).
Despite the termʼs liberal use—and centrality—in media and academic criticism on representation, the meaning of the term “stereotype” itself is rarely interrogated in those same discussions. In Stereotyping: The Politics of Representation, Pickering defines the term as “one- sided characterisations of others, and […] a unilinear mode of representing them” (2001: 47), and observes their function is usually regarded as inherently problematic, “because of the way they portray a social group of category as homogenous” (2001: 4)8. On those levels, stereotypes are perceived as a denial of diversity, a denial of specifics, and denial of individuality. As with all methods of labeling and categorising people, these concepts also directly relate to issues of power or, as Moncrieffe puts it, how “labeling can shift—or sustain—power relations in ways that trigger social dislocation [or] greater equity” (Moncrieffe, 2007: 1). Still, despite the discourseʼs complexities, McKee (2000) argues that the term is often used badly and observes an irony here: that the term itself—“stereotype”—is often bandied about in an imprecise, over-generalised and all-encompassing fashion, or used as a stand-in to describe three discrete, completely unrelated, types of representations people deem undesirable. These are:
(1) representations that resemble previous representations; (2) representations that are one-dimensional; and (3) representations that are negative. (McKee, 2000)
The first interpretation regards stereotype as an act of creative laziness, claims of which are something most screenwriters would actively endeavour to avoid. The second interpretation relates to the sophistication and complexity of characters, and although an earlier version of this exegesis stressed that complexity was the key factor in addressing poor Asian representations on television, and argued enhancing moral and narrative complexity could ensure “less stereotypical” representations of Asian characters, obviously, it is not as easy as this. It could also be argued that specific genres—such as soap operas, informational programming and situation comedies—do not even allow for complex characters by default of their form, though that doesnʼt take into account the many complex characters written for these genres in overseas
8 See also Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media (ed. Paul Martin Lester and Susan Dente Ross, 2003) for further reading.
24 imports, such as Seinfeld (US), The Office (UK, US), Coronation Street (UK) and Shortland Street (NZ)9.
The third interpretation—that stereotypes are negative representations—is perhaps the least helpful of the three. It is a subjective call and personal judgment. Deciding whether an image is fundamentally “positive” or “negative” is not only an impossible task, it is a tedious one, too. However, as McKee points out, this does not prevent people—academics, media commentators, lobby groups—from constantly pursuing that route of challenging stereotypes. Some organisations exclusively devote their energies to such endeavours. One example is the Asian- American watchdog group MANAA, an organisation which aims towards battling negative Asian stereotypes. For them, their work is especially important in the American context, since “American entertainment media [defines] the Asian image to all the world”. MANAA states that too often, Asian characters are portrayed in television and cinema as “a shorthand symbol for anything antithetical to American or Western culture”, reinforcing a false dichotomy between “American” and “Asian”. Such a dichotomy also reinforces the notion there are no distinctions between Asian-Americans and “Asian nationals”, the latter of whom bear no cultural allegiances to America (MANAA website, 2007).
It is interesting to see the extent to which MANAA goes in compiling a considerable list of what they consider recurring, negative stereotypes seen on American screens. For instance, according to MANAA, stereotypical occupations for Asian characters include: restaurant workers; Korean grocers; Japanese businessmen; Indian cab drivers; TV anchorwomen; martial artists; gangsters; faith healers; laundry workers; and prostitutes10. MANAA does not stop at stereotypical occupations. They go on to list stereotypical characteristics in Asian characters, such as: Asian-Americans who cannot be assimilated; Asians as inherently predatory; portraying Asian racial features, names, accents, or mannerisms as inherently comic or sinister; relegating Asians to supporting roles in projects with Asian or Asian American content; Asian male sexuality as negative or non-existent; unmotivated white-Asian romance11; Asian women as
9 I am deeply indebted to Associate Professor Geoff Lealand from the University of Waikato, one of this thesis’s examiners, who also adds that multiculturalism is often the norm in New Zealand-produced dramas such as Outrageous Fortune, since cultural advisors—especially for Maori protocol—are now an accepted norm in domestic productions. 10 One of the most commonly cited examples of a racially stereotyped Asian occupation and character from popular culture is the grossly caricatured Chinese servant Hop Sing, from the US television series Bonanza. In it, Hop Sing is an “excitable” and “incomprehensible” character played by Victor Sen Yung. Interestingly, Yung’s real life credentials of having graduated from the University of California with a degree in economics is regularly brought up as an example of a particularly inflated disparity between representation and real life (Holston, 2007).
11 For example: an Asian woman falling in love with a white man, simply by default of his race.
25 "China dolls"; Asian women as "dragon ladies"; Asians who prove how good they are by sacrificing their lives; Asian Americans as the "model minority"; Asianness as an "explanation" for the magical or supernatural; anti-Asian racial slurs going unchallenged; Asian arts as negative when practiced by Asians, but positive when practiced by whites12; lead Asian roles labeled "Amerasian" or "Eurasian" solely to accommodate white actors—and, finally, the absence of Asians together (MANAA website, 2007).
MANAA insists this is not meant to be a comprehensive or prescriptive list of stereotypes. Yet, this is clearly an exhaustive—and exhausting—inventory of no-go territory for a practising screenwriter. MANAA might insist that the list is “not intended as a bunch of ʻthou shalt notsʼ designed to inhibit the creative imagination”, and instead “designed to encourage Hollywood's creative minds to think in new directions” (MANAA website, 2007). However, it is not impossible to imagine that such embargos on specific representations might intimidate screenwriters and screen practitioners—whether they are Asian or not—into avoiding writing or casting Asian characters altogether. It is fair to say this would be more so the case in America than Australia, since Australia has no similar independent media watchdog like MANAA, and a far more limited screen industry in comparison. However, what is concerning about MANAAʼs doctrine is that inadvertently, MANAA—despite honourable intentions—creates a whole new set of false binaries, and goes about reinforcing that very same sense of essentialism against which they are trying to battle.
As further discussed in Chapter 4 of this exegesis, one concern I developed in writing The New Lows was that multiple aspects of the work—the characters, the plots, the setting—were vulnerable to being construed as cliché or stereotype, as defined by MANAA and dominant discussions of stereotype. This is an ongoing concern for any creative writer, but one I found heightened when writing characters of an Asian background for the Australian screen. It should be noted that the act of writing the screenplays concurrently with this exegetical component probably increased my awareness—and paranoia—of how my characters and plotlines would be construed and debated within Asian-Australian studies discourse. When I initially encountered MANAAʼs blacklist, it seemed as though my project was plagued with stereotypes, or that I had somehow inadvertently created an entire ensemble, or suite, of clichés.
Yet, after acknowledging these vulnerabilities in the project, I was not entirely convinced that my choices as a screenwriter were as simplistic as choosing whether to either reinforce or reject
12 See: Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal.
26 these collections of images. While there is a compulsion amongst other screenwriters to avoid such images completely, I became increasingly resistant to that approach. Having examined the texts discussed in this chapter, I began to question the validity of rejecting these characters on the basis they were somehow inherently stereotypical, and developed deep reservations towards the ideas of racial authenticity to which these discussions alluded. As writing and redrafting for The New Lows continued, I instead began to question whether there was room to adopt a hybrid approach, to purposefully focus and foreground so-called “stereotypical” characters and plotlines and, at the same time, interrogate and expand on their emotional and narrative potential.
Centrality and Agency McKee (1997) has also forwarded other ideas of how to discern and address poor representations of stereotypes. One of these is to gauge the extent to which characters feature in ongoing storylines, as opposed to finite ones. The centrality of a character in a program helps define their success, since an ongoing narrative arc or presence can help an audience align themselves with a character, or reads them sympathetically.
One of the earliest representations of Asian-Australians in a soap opera is renowned, infamous and painful to watch—albeit unintentionally funny. In 1993, a few consecutive episodes of the long-running soap opera Neighbours featured the Lims, a Hong Kong migrant family, moving into the street. Played by what some fans have described as “five of the worst actors the show has ever seen” (The Perfect Blend, 2002), each of the Lims were played by actors of various Asian cultural backgrounds and accents. Their main narrative trajectory involved being suspected of barbequing Holly, the family dog owned by Julie Martin13. Of course, the dog was found alive, the Lims were vindicated, Julie Martin felt ashamed and embarrassed, and the plotline was resolved under the spirit of promoting cross-cultural understanding. Neighbours fan-site and commentators The Perfect Blend wrote that from the start, the writers of the show had a clear agenda and a politically-correct message: “racism is wrong and foolish and all racists are basically just misguided individuals with too much time on their hands” (The Perfect Blend, 2002).
Very soon after, the Lims disappeared from Ramsay Street altogether. Having been offered very little in terms of character or narrative development, it was already time to go for the Lims, since they had presumably expired their usefulness on the show by promoting a message for racial
13 See: http://www.jumptheshark.com; www.perfectblend.net/features/20embarrassing.htm; and http://www.bbc.co.uk/neighbours/whoswho/whatwhenwhere/timeline/index.shtml?content/_1994/page1
27 tolerance. It is fair to say that if a genuine sense of cross-cultural understanding had been achieved on Ramsay Street, it would have been more likely that the Lim family actually stayed in the house into which they had only just recently moved. Instead, their presence simply evaporated. What these episodes demonstrated was not just a lack of confidence in portraying cultural diversity, but how noble intentions in foregrounding issues of race, culture and multiculturalism can go awry.
By all accounts, the Lims were stereotypes. However, they were accused of being so under predictable grounds: that they resembled previously-held notions of Asian-Australians; that they were one-dimensional, that they were “negative”. However, those criteria are tenuous, and could be rebutted easily by arguing the following: that there were few preceding representations of Asian-Australians in soap operas in 1993; that all soap opera characters—regardless of race— tend to be one-dimestional; and that “negative” is a subjective call. However, the Lims can be criticised—and harshly—on one unshakeable criteria: their degree of centrality and agency to the Neighbours universe. Rather than being characters whose perspective was central to the show, the Lims were used as narrative props to promote a cross-cultural lesson for the other Neighbours characters, rather than allowed to be characters themselves. What began as an admirable attempt to include Asian-Australians became a painfully worthy exercise, and conspired to undermine the very aims that Neighbours had set out to achieve14.
More recently, one of the media domains in which these ideas of stereotype, agency and centrality have been most fought over has been reality television. CBSʼs Survivor in the United States is one of the pioneering and most popular programs of the genre, but did not include a single Asian-American contestant until its fifth season in Thailand15. Having cast predominantly Caucasian contestants for most of its run, it wasnʼt until its 13th season that race was even made a casting priority. That was only because race was the theme on which that season was explicitly shaped, with Survivor: Cook Islands dividing its cast members explicitly along lines of ethnicity. The contestants were separated into groups of African-Americans, Caucasian-Americans, Latin- Americans and Asian-Americans. The premise attracted widespread criticism upon its announcement in the United States, with many commentators insisting it echoed racial segregation (cited in McManus, 2006), and led to lucrative key advertisers pulling out their sponsorship of the program.
14 However, it is worth noting that the next significant Asian presence in Ramsay Street arrived in 2002 in the form of Lori Lee, an ongoing and popular character whose New Zealand nationality meant the character could have been cast in any ethnicity.
15 28-year-old Taiwanese-American Shii Ann Huang.
28
However, the show proved to be incredibly progressive and innovative in its treatment of race. As far as the Asian tribe went, the producers seemed to cast a wide net in scoring a variety of Asian-Americans from different ages, professions, and socio-economic backgrounds: Yul Kwon (a Korean-American law graduate, 31), Becky Lee (a Korean-American law student, 28), Anh- Tuan “Cao Boi” Bui (a Vietnamese-American beauty therapist, 42), Brad Virata (a Hawaiian/Filipino-American fashion director, 27) and Jenny Guzon-Bae (a Filipino-American real estate agent, 36).
It was 42-year-old Vietnam War refugee Cao-Boi (pronounced “cowboy”) who proved the most interesting of the bunch: he sported tattoos, long hair, and jewellery, refused to bow down to notions of political correctness, and possessed an apparent inability to shut up. Throughout his entire time on the show, he would make pointed and biting remarks about his Asian ethnicity. In the pilot episode, as the team exhaustedly rowed to their private island in a makeshift raft, he made references to how little they weighed as Asians, how much rice they ate, the fact that this was his second-time as a boat person, and how he didnʼt fit the stereotype as a “hard-working mister engineer with jackets, suits, ties [and a] nice car”. When the other contestants told him to stop making stereotypical Asian jokes, Cao Boi retorted: “Donʼt make stereotype? What? Whatʼs fact is fact!” (in Burnett, 2006). When it came to his personal construction of racial identity, Cao Boi was a dizzying mass of contradictions, and a fascinating demonstration of “strategic hybridity” (May, 2003) in action. In some situations, he would go out of his way to affirm and joke about all sorts of Asian stereotypes; in others, he would chastise the younger contestants for not being “Asian” enough, or for lacking respect for their culture. All along, however, it was Cao Boi himself who exercised personal agency over issues of identity and race, and was constantly negotiating and challenging dominant ideas of racial representation throughout the show.
Naturally, Cao Boi was evicted from the show early. Eventually, it was Korean-American Yul Kwon, who won the entire series of Survivor: Cook Islands. His dominating and ongoing presence throughout the entire show attracted widespread admiration, especially towards the ways in which he expressly and verbally said he was on the show to defy stereotypes of Asian men. In later interviews, Kwon expressed that one of the primary reasons for agreeing to participate on the show was to challenge dominant stereotypes about Asian men in the American media. Given, Kwon was, in some respects, an affirmation of commonly-held images of academically high-achieving Asian men: a 31-year-old Korean American, who graduated as valedictorian in high school, had an undergraduate science degree in theoretical computer science, obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Yale and worked as a legislative aide in
29 Washington (CBS, 2006). Clearly, Kwon was a nerd, and an Asian nerd at that. But Kwon not only had intellect; he also had muscles, eloquence, good looks and charm. During the seasonʼs broadcast on US television, Kwon was declared one of People magazineʼs Most Beautiful People that year, with the magazine describing him as a “sexy man in sexy surroundings” (cited in Hua, 2006). He became an instant sex symbol, a hero amongst the Asian-American community, and a spokesperson invited to host a special CNN series about contemporary issues facing Asian-Americans. He presented a mainstream television audience with a prospect rarely seen before: an Asian nerd with sex appeal. The narrative arc of Survivor helped as well; Yul and his non-Caucasian tribe (consisting of, by the end, another Korean-American, a Mexican- American and an African-American) were cast as underdogs, but became the primary team for whom audiences barracked.
Asian nerds are seemingly a stereotype with currency at the moment. In Australia, the SBS Australian reality television series Nerds F.C. was another interesting prospect: take a group of self-described nerds who have minimal exposure to physical exertion or exercise, train them by expert former soccer stars, and have them play an exhibition match against a professional team in front of 25,000 people. Of the 14-member team of the first series of Nerds F.C, three were Asian-Australians: Robin (a video game fanatic); Som (computers, theatre, public speaking); and John (physics, maths and engineering). The second series featured the two Asian-Australians Matthew (film-culture) and Glenn (anime and gaming). In the debut series, all of the nerds had tremendous difficulty adjusting to the physicality of soccer training, and their general lack of physical prowess—in strength, endurance and co-ordination—was highlighted as an obvious source of humour. Laughing, former Socceroo and celebrity coach Milan Blagojevic said in the pilot episode: “When I say that their physical condition is poor, their football is disastrous”. Fellow coach and former professional Andy Harper joined in, describing their lack of familiarity with basic motor movement as “remarkable” (in Waterhouse, 2006).
What was surprising and refreshing about the series was how each participant on the show was never ashamed to be labelled—or present themselves as—a nerd. While the nerdsʼ inability to perform physically was always intended to provide the humour of the show, the point was never to mock them, and nor did any of them feel humiliated or embarrassed by the multitude of bizarre exercises they underwent, which included: training with elite athletes; recording a theme song, dancing with sexy women to record a video clip of the same, horrific theme song; playing against an all-female soccer team (and losing spectacularly); and, perhaps most horribly, playing against a team of convicted criminals in prison. Almost immediately, the group of boys won the admiration and respect of their hardened coaches, who assumed an almost protective brotherly
30 role. Rather than being the butt of the jokes, the nerds made the jokes themselves: they came off as emotionally sensitive, innately self-aware of their physical limitations, self-deprecating, and clued-in. Though the show was played for laughs, the participants had agency and control over how those laughs were delivered. After all, they were the ones who signed up to a show called Nerds F.C. in the first place.
Perhaps it is unsurprising that reality television would become such a significant domain in which Asian stereotypes—especially those of Asian men—would be been explored and, in some cases, challenges and dismantled. Despite the heavy and obvious interventions of the editing suite, it is difficult to argue the merits of such characters, and whether they are stereotypes, since they are real, living people. However, there are moments in reality programming where that assumption can be challenged, and issues regarding agency and centrality are demonstrated as being significant. Consider the emergence of William Hung from American Idol, and Zhuo “Flynn” Liu from its sister program Australian Idol, both in their respective programʼs 2004 season. In the initial audition stage, each program saw an physically unattractive, heavily-accented Asian male sing atonal versions of hit pop songs, both of whom seemed completely unaware of their lack of talent. While Hung sung an awkward rendition of Ricky Martinʼs ʻShe Bangsʼ, Liu sang Michael Jacksonʼs ʻBeat Itʼ, complete with gangly, limp-wristed and uncoordinated dance steps. The juxtaposition must have been delicious for Australian Idol producers: the unabashed sexiness of the song, and Liuʼs almost blunt lack of sex appeal. After the judges commented on Liuʼs performance, tears of laughter streaming down their faces, they gave Liu a resounding “no” as to whether he would make the next round of auditions. Outside the room, Liu very humbly thanked Australian Idol for having given people “the opportunity to finish their dreams, to tell people music is the good stuff, that music is connected with their life” (in Fremantle Media Pty Ltd, 2004).
It is hard to argue against the idea that Liuʼs audition was funny. However, so are most of the disastrous first auditionees who have no idea of their inability to hold a tune. Liu was singled out as having extra appeal, presumably because of his ethnicity and the currency it held. Having seen the meteoric cult rise of the endearingly daft William Hung in that yearʼs American Idol16, many commentators argued that Australian Idol producers almost went out of their way to manufacture a similar cult following and notoriety with Liu in Australia (Ausculture, 2004). While Liuʼs naïveté might have been genuinely endearing in the initial audition, his various cameo
16 Soon after his appearance on American Idol was broadcast in the United States, Hung appeared on numerous national television talk shows, including Jimmy Kimmel, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Entertainment Tonight, The Late Show With David Letterman, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dateline NBC, and CBS's The Early Show. Hung later released an album of covers, which sold approximately 200,000 copies and peaked in the top 50 of the U.S. Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart (Wikipedia, 2007).
31 appearances that popped up throughout the series seemed increasingly mean-spirited. They culminated with the finale at the Sydney Opera House, in which Flynn sang tonelessly, danced in a revealing tank-top, accompanied by professional choreographed dancers. One must give Liu the benefit of the doubt in assuming he was smart enough to understand his popularity was an ironic joke and, like his American counterpart William Hung, understood that he was “a strange breed of celebrity that has gained fame not by [a] dint of talent, but because of the novelty derived from his lack of talent […] a subject of joke, rather than a person to be admired”
(Wikipedia, 2007). However, one sequence of events casts doubt on the idea that Liu understood the irony. Soon after his appearances on Australian Idol, he pursued intensive cosmetic surgery on his cheek bones, jaw bones and eye-lids “for my career” (Fawcett, 2005), implying a genuine attempt towards staking a real and sincere claim in the Australian music industry. Liuʼs original claim to fame was based on a joke, and the methods through which those laughs were manufactured were firmly out of his hands.
Authenticity In discussing stereotypes, MANAA argues that for them, “negative” images of Asians are usually shaped by people who lack: (1) understanding about Asians; (2) foresight as to how such images would affect the Asian-American “community”; and (3) the ability to eschew relying upon on a limited range of clichéd stock characters. To clarify: MANAA claims these stereotypical representations are usually written by non-Asians, who cannot help but manufacture an inauthentic portrayal of Asian-ness. However, casting judgements on whether a representation is authentic or counterfeit—and having those claims relate directly to the writerʼs ethnic heritage— leads us into the problematic terrain of “the politics of authenticity and essentialism” (Yue, 2000).
In the Australian context, however, it has not always been non-Asian screen practitioners that have been criticised for writing Asian characters perceived as lacking. In the realm of cinema, for instance, the mid-1980s to early 1990s represented a prolific period of representations of Asian- Australians, written by Asian-Australian screen practitioners themselves, most of which did not generally receive positive reviews. During this period, funding bodies such as the Australian Film Commission and SBS commissioned several short film works by Asian-Australians, a body of work which Audrey Yue has since categorised as the first phrase of Asian-Australian film-making (Yue, 2000). This phase is exemplified by practitioners such as Pauline Chan (The Space Between the Door and the Floor, 1990; Hang Up, 1990; Dusty Hearts, 1991), Teck Tan (Silk Dreams, 1988; My Tigerʼs Eyes, 1992) and Laleen Jayamanne (A Song of Ceylon, 1985; Row, Row, Row Your Boat, 1991). Yue states that in examining these works, three specific types of criticism are unearthed, all of which have since become seemingly embedded in the discourse of
32 critiquing Asian-Australian representations. To reduce it to its most simple terms, these works were considered problematic (and were also problematised) for being either “not Asian enough” or “too Asian”. There was also the criticism that some works—such as Jayamanneʼs—were too weird or avant-garde.17
The short films of Pauline Chan18, some of which were entered into the Cannes Film Festival, are typically relegated to the first category: “not Asian enough”. The Space Between the Door and the Floor (1990) is a black and white film noir homage set in the suburbs of Australia, while Hang Up (1990) is a straightforward, cheeky short film about a man talking on a telephone landline who falls off the side of a building. Because she was born in Saigon, grew up in Hong Kong, and studied in Australia, Chan is, for all intents and purposes, an Asian-Australian film- maker. Though there might not be anything in her screen work to distinguish her as such, one would argue there was no onus on her to infuse her work with Asian-Australian characters, plotlines or motifs, simply because of her cultural heritage. However, this means she is subject to criticism as to whether her work qualifies as being a part of Asian-Australian cinema, or whether she even is an Asian-Australian filmmaker, as such. Of course, it depends on how one defines an Asian-Australian filmmaker: a filmmaker who happens to be Asian-Australian, or a filmmaker (Asian-Australian or otherwise) who produces work about Asian-Australianess. It is interesting how Yue summarises the criticisms of Chanʼs films during that time, and how issues of authenticity prevented the work from being judged on its own artistic merit:
Because Pauline Chanʼs Cannes Film Festival entries are Anglo-identified, feature Anglo-Australian characters and do not appear to signify ʻAsianʼ content, she is generally considered not authentically ʻAsianʼ. (Yue, 2000; emphasis mine)
Teck Tanʼs Silk Dreams (1988) was relegated to the category on the opposite side: “too Asian”. The film is an earnest account of a young Vietnamese manʼs life as refugee in Australia, finding
17 Surely, this is the ultimate indictment that Asian screenworks—and the characters who inhabit them—are too grossly alien for a mainstream audience. Jayamanne, whose work was defined by a “theoretically informed and deconstructive approach to film-making” (Yue, 2000), was most noted for her 1985 film Song of Ceylon. It centres on the Sri Lankan ritual of spirit possession and cure, and opens with a hissing and jarring spoken-word monologue over a series of stylised tableaus of women: “I will eat you up, eat you, eat you, eat you.” More performance art than anything else, one does not have to stretch the imagination to discover it did not have find a broad audience upon its release. Running at 50 minutes, for many, it would be considered close to unwatchable.
18 Not to be confused with the Hong Kong actress of the same name.
33 his feet in a new country alongside his grandmother. Separated from the remainder of his family, he regularly sends them letters and care packages of paracetamol, which his family can either use themselves, or sell on the Vietnamese black market for money. The food he eats is exclusively Asian. The friends he associates with are exclusively Asian—mostly Vietnamese or Cambodian refugees themselves—and there are clear “us and them” lines drawn between the Asian refugee population of the area and the Anglo-Australian population, whose sole appearance in the film is represented as threatening and aggressive. Audrey Yue says the film has been since criticised for being too stereotypically and conspicuously Asian, both in its issues and apparently excessive use of Asian visual motifs (Yue, 2000).
In the realm of US television comedy, the work of Korean-American comedian Margaret Cho makes an interesting case study. Originally a stand-up comedian from San Francisco, Choʼs popularity soon saw her signing a deal to star in her own sitcom in the US. When the sitcom All American Girl debuted in 1994, it was promoted by its American network ABC as a pioneering television milestone, and billed as “the first Asian-American family on television” (Cho, 2002). Cho played Margaret Kim, a rebellious, second-generation Korean-American 20-something, living with her traditional and conservative migrant parents. It was generally agreed upon that the show was not very funny. The show was both a commercial and critical misfire, and after its premise was repeatedly tampered with and tweaked by the showʼs producers, All American Girl was cancelled after its first season.
Years after the show was cancelled, Cho once again took to the stand-up comedy circuit to massive success, and released her memoir Iʼm the One that I Want (2002), which shared the title of her one-woman show. Both the stand-up act and memoir frankly discussed the many reasons behind the sitcomʼs failure, and the conflicting pressures and expectations from both the television network and its Asian-American audience. There was a massive backlash from sectors in the Asian-American community at the time. “How come there are non-Korean people playing Korean people?” was a regular question directed at Cho (in Cho, 2002). Another criticism was that the show was actually lampooning, rather than properly representing, Asian-Americans. Because the show had been universally panned on a critical level, it was especially hard for Cho to accept that Asian-Americans—the audience they were trying to represent—were also turning their backs on the program (Cho, 2002).
Interestingly, the criticism leveled against All American Girl was contradictory. Viewers complained Choʼs character was too wild, and one Korean girl from Choʼs hometown wrote a letter to the editor saying that watching Margaret Cho made her feel “great shame” (in Cho,
34 2002: 130). On the other hand, Choʼs friends and peers, including Quentin Tarantino, insisted Choʼs on-screen character was too tame. In one episode, Choʼs character publicly embarrasses her family during a stand-up routine, and after a confrontation, learns her lesson and promises never to humiliate her family again (Jacobs, 1994). Tarantino rang her up and insisted: “They took away your voice! Donʼt let them do that! You fucking live to publicly embarrass your family!” (in Cho, 2002: 131). Despite the contrary feedback, producers bowed down to general concerns that the show be made more “authentic” in its portrayal of a Korean-American family. Halfway through production, an “Asian consultant” was hired, who would tell Cho and the other actors how Asians never wore shoes indoors, and to always use chopsticks. The move personally offended the cast, with Cho later arguing that “authenticity” was never the problem, and that the real racism stemmed from the expectation that there was such a thing (Cho, 2002).
Irony and Mega-Bigotry Representations and images of people do not exist within a vacuum of context. It has been noted before that within cultural studies discourse, there is a given tendency towards seeking out the most critical interpretation of any text. In textual analyses of African-American representations, for instance, Shohat and Stam observe an inclination for critics to latch onto stereotypical archetypes in their own readings:
[The] exclusive preoccupation with images, whether positive or negtative, can lead to a kind of essentialism, as less subtle critics reduce a complex variety of portrayals to a limited set of reified formulae. Such criticism is procrustean; the critic forces diverse characters into preestablished categories. Behind every Black child performer, the critic discerns the “pickaninny”; behind every sexually attractive Black actor a “buck”; behind every corpulent or nurturing Black female a “mammy”. Such reductionist simplifications run the risk of reproducing the very racial essentialism they were designed to combat. (Shohat and Stam, 1994: 199)
Representations of Korean grocers or Indian cab-drivers, for instance, certainly have the potential to be stereotypical. If that character is limited to those defining traits, features and functions, and does not extend beyond visual and superficial character cues, that representation is limited, and reinforces old, tired ideas. But such images are not stereotypes in and of themselves. My misgivings with stereotype are more concerned with the fact that such representations are artistically lazy, rather than being “inaccurate” or “inauthentic” portrayals of
35 race. If, as discussed earlier, it is difficult to define exactly what constitutes “Asian”, then how can anyone possibly “accurately” portray an Asian?
Alan McKee echoes the sentiments expressed by May, Hay, Shohat and Stam, in arguing that “by always seeking out the worst interpretation of texts, we may be hampering our attempts to understand how they are working in culture” (cited in May, 2003: 21). One of the more relevant, timely and innovative examples of how Asian representations are currently working in culture, is how irony is used. While we might have reached an era of casual postmodern intertextuality and double-speak, it is still not surprising that not everyone understands an ironic joke. This is perhaps redundant to mention, since irony is, by definition, embedded with the potential for meaning and intent to be misunderstood. Some express their reservations towards the use of irony in comedy involving racial commentary, since the stakes are seemingly too high to risk misunderstanding and earnest compliance with the racism being parodied. However, the perception of danger infers a lazy audience, with Anderson arguing that when done well, “irony is social chess, the playful manipulation of lazy expectations” (2005). It demands sophistication, intelligence active enquiry of its audience. Hutcheon adds:
… as a double-talking, forked-tongued mode of address, irony becomes a popular rhetorical strategy for working within existing discourses and contesting them at the same time. Its inherent semantic and structural doubleness also makes it a most convenient trope for the paradoxical dualities of both post-modern complicitous critique and post-colonial doubled identity and history. And indeed irony … has become a powerful subversive tool in the re-thinking and re-addressing of history by both post- modern and post-colonial artists. (Hutcheon, 1995: 133)
In 2001, the American comedian Sarah Silverman—a young, attractive Jewish woman—was the centre of a massive outcry amongst Asian-American action groups, most notably MANAA, after making a joke on the late-night television show Late Night with Conan OʼBrien about feigning racism to get out of jury duty. One of her friends tells her to simply write “I hate chinks” on the form. However, Silverman does not want to be construed as racist, and instead decides to write “I love chinks” (Silverman, 2001). The joke was not new. It was an extension of the old Homer Simpson joke, when he gives the sage advice to Bart that “getting out of jury duty is easy; the trick is to say youʼre prejudiced against all races” (Moore and Swartzwelder, 1992). Silverman simply spun it into a personal narrative to suit her medium of live stand-up.
36
Of course, her version of the joke incited an enormous furor with MANAA, whose head Guy Aoki demanded an apology from all parties involved. Television broadcaster NBC and Late Night host Conan OʼBrien both issued apologies; Silverman did not. Instead, she later appeared on several television interviews to set the record straight. The first interview was a television panel on Bill Maherʼs Politically Incorrect program, where she appeared alongside an incensed Aoki. His problem was largely with Silvermanʼs use of the racially derogatory word “chink”, arguing that the joke could have been equally funny had Silverman used the phrase “Asian-American”. The debate was typical—and predictable—of discussions attempting to explicate how race, irony and comedy intersects in the media. Instead of attempting to understand context and the language of irony, grandiose rhetoric about free speech and racial tolerance was instead at the centre of discussion. Silverman was visibly frustrated during the recorded debate—so much so, that she eventually simply resorted to calling Aoki a “douchebag”.
In a later interview with the current affairs program Niteline, Silverman was more articulate. She explained that from her perspective, the joke was not a racist joke, but a joke about racism19. Silvermanʼs intention to parody racism by acting it out on stage was misunderstood. For her, she was critiquing racist attitudes, parodying a particular brand of happy, patronising racism endemic in America by exclaiming “I love chinks”. She was disappointed that people—such as MANAA and Aoki—did not understand the difference between her performance of a racist, and what she was endeavouring to parody through it. Silverman pointed out that although her persona on stage was still, essentially, Sarah Silverman, it heightened and exaggerated two personality traits: ignorance and arrogance, since she sees both reflected in contemporary America (Silverman, 2001). In essence, Silverman basically plays a redneck, myopic version of herself on stage.
Anderson identifies this type of comedy as “meta-bigotry”, where comedians like Sarah Silverman and Sasha Baron Cohen address social problems by parodying our discussions of them, and manipulating stereotypes about stereotypes. He also adds that “itʼs a dangerous
19 Race is a topic from which Silverman refuses to shy. Her stand-up has included quotes such as: "Everybody blames the Jews for killing Christ, and then the Jews try to pass it off on the Romans. I'm one of the few people who believe it was the blacks"; "I was raped by a doctor, which is so bittersweet for a Jewish girl"; "Everyone knows that the best time to get pregnant is when you're a black teenager”; and “I’m definitely going to adopt from China. Definitely a boy from China. Because I don’t know … somebody told me the girls there are useless, or something” (Silverman, 2006).
37 game. If you're humorless, distracted, or even just inordinately history-conscious, meta-bigotry can look suspiciously like actual bigotry” (Anderson, 2007). It is interesting to note the response of Margaret Cho to Silvermanʼs scandal, in which she described Silverman as “so stupid”. Though Cho knows Silverman personally as not being a racist, she describes the shock value Silverman embraces as being “irresponsible”, and not properly opening a dialogue about the issues she parodies (Cho, in Tseng, 2005).
While the use of irony and meta-bigotry is sometimes claimed as problematic, Australian television comedy has been unafraid to tread in that territory. A pioneering example is the 30- minute mockumentary Babakiueria (1986), directed by Don Featherstone and written by Geoffrey Atherden. Its conceit is a simple role-reversal: that 200 years ago, it was Aboriginal people who colonised an indigenous white population, adapting their traditional name for the place (“barbeque area”) into “Babakiueria.” The film is loaded with all the patronising attitudes embedded in mainstream coverage of Aboriginal “issues”, except it is directed towards white people and their “culture.” One scene is particularly biting in its humour: it shows a white daughter taken away from her “typical” white home, to be educated amongst the more affluent Aboriginal population. The mother looks clearly distressed as her daughter is taken away. “Parting with a loved one is never easy,” the black reporter says in voiceover. “I said goodbye to my mother recently when she went on a holiday. So I know how they feel” (Featherstone, 1986).
More recently, one of the more bizarre and—for me—inspired examples of sophisticated meta- bigotry at work was Chris Lilleyʼs performance of the Chinese-Australian character Ricky Wong, for ABC TVʼs comedy series We Can Be Heroes (2005). With the character of Ricky, Lilley transgresses and subverts Asian-Australian representation through a means that is both questionable and daring: Lilley is Caucasian, and obviously so. Lilley portrays Ricky, complete with a wig and pitch-perfect Hong Kong accent, while supporting roles—including Rickyʼs family, friends and PhD supervisor—are all played by actual Asian-Australian actors. The character of Ricky Wong is a 23-year-old PhD student with a penchant for musical theatre. His narrative trajectory involves him often neglecting his physics PhD—for which he has been nominated Australian of the Year—by becoming deeply involved in the universityʼs Chinese musical theatre societyʼs stage musical. The musical, titled ʻIndigeridooʼ, is about the Aborigines of Australia, which sees the Asian-Australian theatre troupe adorn themselves with black unitards and dress up as Australian Aboriginals including Cathy Freeman, Deborah Mailman and—in one misguided moment—the singer Marcia Hines. (Hines is African-American descent.) Needless to say, the resulting humour is outrageous: Ricky is camp, compares Asian penis size to Aboriginal penis
38 size, and confesses his desire to play a “retarded” person (since those roles always attract Oscars).
Since the success of We Can Be Heroes, and the significantly larger following of Lilleyʼs spin-off series Summer Heights High (in which Lilley plays, amongst other characters, a Tongan schoolboy), some scholars have expressed deep conflict and ambivalence towards the character of Ricky Wong. They see Lilleyʼs portrayal as tapping into an uneasy history of “yellowface”, a tradition of white Caucasian actors inhabiting Asian roles for a laugh at the characterʼs expense (Ito, 1997).20 In the program for a recent Asian-Australian short film festival in Brisbane, Alan Han expressed a wariness towards the Lilleyʼs ironic comedy, and asked: “So, why are we meant to find Ricky funny? Are we laughing at Ricky as an ʻAsianʼ or as a white actor playing an Asian?” (Han, 2007).
It is a valid question. Han is right in arguing that for many viewers, Ricky Wong will inevitably only operate on a single level and remain a cheap laugh; a white guy, in a bad wig, with a funny Chinese accent, lampooning Asian-Australians. Just as Silvermanʼs jokes about chinks will reinforce the use of the word to those who donʼt understand she is parodying racism, Rickyʼs segments in We Can Be Heroes could also be interpreted as serving to promote tired, stereotypical images of Asian-Australians (Chin, cited in Han, 2007), with people ultimately missing the joke. At first glance, Lilleyʼs comedy, for all intents and purposes, appears to be parodying Asian Australians, rather than providing any sort of useful commentary on race.
However, for me, the point—and genius—of Lilley's character pivots around Rickyʼs narrative context, not just his image and character. Rickyʼs participation in the musical ʻIndigeridooʼ is telling. At one moment, a representative of the universityʼs Indigenous department, alongside an Aboriginal elder, is depicted as walking out of the musical mid-way through, obviously disgusted. The breaking point is a musical number featuring an Asian actor dressed as Cathy Freeman, singing a song whose lyrics included the lines: “You can win gold / your Dreamtime is here.” Because it is glaringly inappropriate for a white man to play an Asian man, Lilley gets to the punchline first. He plays out that inappropriateness by incorporating it into Ricky Wongʼs narrative, and has an Asian man depict an Aboriginal—in an earnest and patronising musical, no less. It is a stinging and ironic meta-commentary, and highlights the inappropriateness of the situation through inappropriate behaviour. Lilley says:
20 The most infamous example is perhaps Mickey Rooney as the Japanese Mr. Yunioshi in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1962.
39 … theyʼre the taboo things. Youʼre not allowed to impersonate an Asian person if youʼre not Asian and youʼre […] barely allowed to mention Aboriginal people. Certainly not impersonate them. And so I combined that, to have a Chinese student dressing up as an Aboriginal person […]. Iʼm just exaggerating it to try and be funny. (in Romeo, 2005)
Lilley says that he was actually warned about the backlash he would receive to the Ricky Wong character, but that to date, his feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from Asian-Australians. In fact, Lilley says he has had Asian people come up to him in the streets, tell him how much they love the Ricky Wong character, before launching into an arsenal of impersonations themselves (in McManus, 2007). Itʼs an interesting proposition to have Asian people approach Lilley in the street and impersonate his character: here are Asians, impersonating a white man, impersonating an Asian who, on television, goes on to impersonate Aboriginal people.
Ricky Wong isnʼt a problematic portrayal of Asian-Australianess; rather, the character serves to demonstrate and act out the problems associated with representing Otherness—in this case, Asian-Australianess—on television. In some instances, Ricky Wong actually functions as sharp and direct meta-commentary on the poor state of Asian visibility on Australian television screens. The best example is perhaps a scene in the final episode of We Can Be Heroes, where Ricky auditions for the Australian soap opera Home & Away for the role of a “typical Aussie lifesaver” called Heath Samson who is a “surfer boy […] very big on the chicks”. It causes much confusion with his fellow buffed, blonde Caucasian auditionees. In that scene, Lilley demonstrates a stinging point: Ricky Wong is as Australian as anyone else, but because of his Chinese heritage, is also considered inextricably ʻOtherʼ in the realm of dramatic television broadcasting. While cultural commentators baulk at obvious cues of racism—the use of a racial pejorative like “chink”, or a white man dressing up as an Asian—it is important to recover oneʼs bearings after the initial shock to consider alternative meanings, interrogate images beyond their obvious cues, and take into account narrative context.
Parodying racism is increasingly becoming a hallmark in Australian television comedy. One of the most recent examples of the trend is ABC comedy The Librarians (2007), in which head librarian Frances OʼBrien runs a metropolitan public library with ruthless passive aggression. Frances is also hideously painful, socially awkward and despised by her socially diverse co- workers, which includes a Vietnamese cleaner, a Muslim community liaison officer, a Chinese
40 librarian, and a wheelchair-bound deputy head librarian. A typical exchange involves Frances trying to instruct Barbie, the Vietnamese cleaner, to clean off the genital-themed graffiti from the “Just Returned” section of the library. When all the other staff members start making crass double entendres about the situation (“Frances, should I get out the steam cleaner for Barbie, or will it just be a hand job?”; “Could that pull it off, do you think?”), Frances misses the point, and interprets everyoneʼs laughter as something else completely. “Oh, I get it,” she says. “Barbie, I suppose you wonʼt want to clean the penis … youʼll want to throw it in a wok with some black- bean sauce and eat it!” This is followed by silence and horrified stares. Eventually, Frances breaks the silence by stating: “Well, they eat dog” (Hope, 2007).
Here, the cues are obvious—the clear discomfort of her multi-racial staff, the awkward silence, and the resentment levelled towards Frances. They are all clear indicators for audiences to extend and share that same distaste the staff members feel towards Frances. Like Butler, comics like Silverman and Lilley are both sophisticated and brave to actively interrogate the idiocy of racism and ignorance, by demonstrating and parodying the idiocy, rather than providing a literal, direct commentary themselves. Of course, this all demands a level of sophistication from audiences too, but many cultural commentators do not trust the audience will get the joke. Performers such as Silverman, Lilley, and even the formidable Sasha Baron Cohen, extend that trust—and of course, suffer the consequences21. Silverman plays an especially dangerous game: while performers like Cohen and Lilley adorn outrageous costumes and wigs to portray a character, Silvermanʼs persona looks very much like her real self. It is difficult to distinguish between Silverman the performer, and Silverman the person. These comedians share a common technique, in performing and lampooning racism, rather than commentating on it literally. It is an approach that is, despite its garishness, actually nuanced, subtle and complicated. However, in an age where racism manifests in far more nuanced, subtle and complicated ways than before, it seems strangely logical that more complex and sophisticated ways of providing commentary on race are needed.
Art Recently, contemporary works featuring Asian-Australian characters on screen have developed more confidently and robustly. In my mind, they share similar traits: the foregrounding of Asian-
21 One of the most controversial and publicised stunts of Cohen’s involves his misogynistic and anti-Semitic character, Kazakh journalist Borat, singing a song to a crowd at a country music club in Tuscon’, Arizona. The song, called “In My Country There Is Problem”, contained the chorus “Throw the Jew down the well”. Later, the Anti-Defamation League of America sent Cohen a letter stating that while they understood his ironic intent with the song, they were concerned sections of his audience would not grasp the intended irony (Anti-Defamation League, 2004).
41 Australian characters as protagonists or key players; a confidence in narrative voice and character development; the assured use of either humour or provocation in its storytelling; an emphasis on the strategic hybridity of characters; and an ongoing commitment to expanding “stereotypical” visual archetypes of Asians in Australia. Moreover, this phase is also defined by the how the creators of these works have made active inroads—through marketing, screenwriting and casting—towards attracting a mainstream and international audience, rather than restricted to Asian-Australian viewers, arthouse audiences or the film-making community. Dishearteningly though, it must be acknowledged that although such endeavours are a positive step forward, they make limited inroads into a broader national consciousness.
The release of Clara Lawʼs feature film Floating Life in 1996 is widely cited as beginning the second phase in Asian-Australian screen. Essentially a tale of migration and loss, Floating Life focused on the sprawling Chan family, and captured the intangible and transient emotional state of its characters (Mitchell, 2003). The Chans consisted of two parents and five children—three of whom are adult and split up between Hong Kong, Germany and Australia. The parents and the two teenage sons prepare to migrate to Australia to join second sister Bing on a newly developed estate in Sydneyʼs suburbia, where Bing introduces an “iron regimen of total, cold-turkey assimilation to Western ways” (Kraicer, cited in Mitchell, 2003: 281).
On one hand, Floating Life might be construed as your quintessential “sad migrant drama”, with a strong sense of geographical and emotional dislocation—the “floating” to which the title refers—permeating the film. Each sibling deals with their own personal horrors (abortion, mental illness, suburban ennui and, in one scene, even neo-Nazi hostility), while the parents grieve over their own sorrows and Bingʼs deepening depression. It is not exactly light viewing. However, humour unexpectedly buoys this film. At one point, draconian and highly-strung Bing chastises her teenage brothers for reading porno magazines and picking up bad habits from their Caucasian Australian friends: “Youʼre here as migrants; not to enjoy yourselves.” While the film is clearly written as serious drama, it also has moments of humour that attempts to redeem it from sinking irretrievably into earnestness. The audience is also invited to see Australia—especially its newly developed suburban landscape—in a completely different light, and invited to view the country from an outsiderʼs perspective.
With plotlines taking place between Hong Kong, Canada, Germany and Australia, Floating Life was truly international in its scope for an Australian film, and became Australiaʼs first submission for the Best Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards. The film was nominated for three Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards in 1996, including Best Achievement in Direction, Best
42 Original Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (for Annette Shun Wah). Despite the critical support, the film was seen by very few audiences in Australia. It suffered from an almost comically limited cinema run (two weeks in some metropolitan arthouse cinemas), although it was broadcast on SBS heavily and repeatedly thereafter. While its access to mainstream and international audiences was not significant, Floating Life was the first in a large body of films and television programs foregrounding Asian-Australian protagonists, which made active endeavours to appeal to a broad body of viewers. Unfortunately, while the film was well-received critically and amongst film scholars, it failed to appeal to a wide audience.
Since then, the new wave of screenworks featuring Asian Australians has continued to progressive greater levels of success. In cinema, the works included in this wave have included: Khao Doʼs look into Cambramattaʼs disenfranchised youth The Finished People (2003); Rowan Woodsʼs drug drama Little Fish (2005); Khao Doʼs feel-good comedy Footy Legends (2006); Dee McLachlanʼs prostitution drama The Jammed (2007); and most recently, Tony Ayresʼs autobiographical migrant drama The Home Song Stories (2007). All films have made active efforts to appeal to mainstream audiences, but remain firmly located within the realm of arthouse audiences, while mainstream faces like comedian Anh Do (Footy Legends) still fail to attract an audience to the screens.
The most recent addition to that oeuvre—Ayresʼs The Home Song Stories (2007)— has been the most successful so far, at least in critical terms and international exposure. Based on Ayresʼs own recollections from childhood, The Home Song Stories tells the story of Rose (Joan Chen), a Shanghai nightclub singer who moves to Australia with her two young children after being propositioned by an Australian sailor. Rose is a monstrous figure. On first glance, it appears as though she has been written and cast in the archetype of the Asian “dragon lady” as listed by MANAA. Rose is certainly not likeable, mainly because she makes for such poor mothering material, moving the children from “uncle” to “uncle”, competing for her loverʼs affections against her daughter, and bedding men 20 years younger than herself. She is a prickly character: narcissistic, unfaithful and mentally unstable. After repeated suicide attempts and a deeply violent outburst against her daughter, Rose eventually succeeds in hanging herself. However, American actor Joan Chen plays Roseʼs manic neediness, ferocity and vulnerability with sympathy and understanding. Chen was adamant that she was not made into a monster, and tried to extend the idea the fact that despite her flaws, she loved her children (in Hawker, 2007). In rehearsals for shooting, Ayres and Chen would argue over the script, Chen saying that on the page, Rose was written unambiguously as a villain. Ayres says:
43 Joan was concerned that Rose could be seen too harshly [and] operated on the premise that this woman loved her children fiercely, completely […] she just doesn't always do the right things, but she's driven by the right motives. (in Hopgood, 2007: 21)
Moreover, Chen wanted to emphasise why Rose acted how she did. Despite Roseʼs actions, the audience is keenly aware of the circumstances that have shaped her. Chenʼs commitment to portraying the character sympathetically, and not as the antagonist, paid off. At screenings of the film, Chen was particularly struck by the ways in which Chinese audiences would stand up for the character, understanding and interpreting her within the paradigm of a wider, collective immigrant experience (Hall, 2007). They wanted to defend her.
She [Rose] did what seem like crazy things. But she couldn't read or write in Chinese. She knew no English. What skills could she rely on? She wasn't really resigned to her position in life, she wanted more. It made her very complex. (in Hawker, 2007: 4)
In 2007, The Home Song Stories was one of the yearʼs strongest Australian films with critics. By the end of the year, the acclaim for The Home Song Stories—both in Australia and abroad—had swollen. It had garnered official selection at the Berlin, Toronto, Edinburgh, New Zealand, Bangkok, Calgary, Eurasia, Cairo, Hawaii, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane International Film Festivals, and won a slew of audience-voted favourite awards from those festivals along the way. It was nominated for 14 AFI Awards, nine IF Awards, nine Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, and significantly, seven Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, consistently winning best actress awards for Joan Chen, as well as a best director award for Tony Ayres at the AFI Awards. But despite the deafening acclaim, the film was ultimately a box office failure domestically, only capturing $371,000 in Australian ticket sales (Dale, 2007).
It is an unfortunate commercial outcome for a film that actively targeted a mainstream audience. Ayres and the filmʼs distributors understood the need to make active inroads to a non-Asian audience, and this was reflected in the promotional materialʼs domestic tagline: “A True Australian Story”. At the 2nd Asian Australian Identities Conference in 2007, Ayres explained how this was a decision to engage potential viewers in the idea that this was not simply an Asian migrant story, but an essentially Australian one with mainstream appeal. This was not to align the film with the spirit of Howardʼs rejection of hyphenated Australians, as such; rather, it was
44 extending an invitation to broader Australians to see migrant stories as central to the Australian narrative.
However, the filmʼs domestic loss may yet be recouped by its international appeal. Through its casting decisions, it has two main drawcards: Joan Chen, a star with both Asian and American audiences, and Qi Yuwu, who is a massive teen heart-throb icon in Singapore. It is nice to think that through international exposure, The Home Song Stories might not only recoup some of its domestic losses, but also introduce a new repertoire of images to a broader audience; not only of what constitutes an “Australian” narrative, but also an expansion of the Asian “dragon lady” stereotype, as described by MANAA. However, screen practitioners have every opportunity to allow those blacklisted “stereotypes” a complex internal life that challenges, resists and broadens our assumptions of what those characters, upon first glance, might be. In this way, Ayres has not chosen to ignore or invert this idea of monstrous Asian women, but expand the emotional repertoire of such an archetype. She may be a dragon lady, but we also understand her personal trajectory intimately enough to understand why.
Ultimately, however, these types of naratives would be difficult to define as “entertainment”. Watching a brutally autobiographical film about a motherʼs suicide is only going to appeal to niche audiences, such as arthouse cinema-literate viewers, or those from Asian-Australian background. In terms of the inroads made by these films towards a broader national consciousness, there are obvious limitations. Yet, what is clear from these discussions is that we need to extend our vocabulary in how we both write and interpret Asian images on the screen, beyond their surface connotations, and beyond binary confinements of whether something is “good” or “bad”, “Asian” or “non-Asian”, “authentic” or “stereotypical”. One fundamental part of the problem is succinctly outlined by Dean Chan when he states that, simply, Asian-Australian studies has not yet reached a point where the discourse has developed a vocabulary that moves beyond “the loaded discourse of race, and the arena of ontological truth claims” (Chan, 2000). There is still a fastidious anxiety about what constitutes authentic Asian-Australianess, and protecting that concept from possible contamination or corruption. However, it is difficult to promote an “authentic” idea of Asianness, when the very idea is so difficult to define in the first case.
But in constantly inhabiting a defensive position with stereotype, it is all too easy to write or reduce any representation down to their constituent parts—race, gender, sexuality, geography, socio-economic status, or occupation—to a tired cliché, whether we are writers or critics. Sad Asian migrants, angst-ridden Westernised children, and Asian mothers as dragon ladies may be
45 seen so often to the point where they have come clichéd, but those same images have also been the starting point to some of the richest representations of Asian characters in recent years. In reducing characters down to such simplifications—in both our readings of them as critics, and our constructions of them as writers—stereotypes and “racial essentialism” (Shohat and Stam, in May, 2003) is only reinforced. Trevor Hay argues there is a tendency towards being anxious about “Asian” culture, and fastidiously “respecting it all the time, guarding its indigenous purity, and scrutinizing the arts for paternalism, orientalism and ethnocentrism”. For Hay, this trend deters people—both practitioners and audiences—from exercising a basic curiosity and imagination, and the ability to process and sift through stereotypes and “finding odd traces of truth, or for simply looking at them afresh and finding inspiration” (in Copeman and Scollen, 2000).
SCREENPLAYS FOR THE NEW LOWS ARE INTENDED TO BE READ NOW
46 THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
THE NEW LOWS (Television Series) by BENJAMIN LAW
CONCEPT/PITCH DOCUMENT
Written as the creative component in a doctorate project undertaken at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane.
© BENJAMIN LAW 2008 Unit 8G/172 Oxlade Drive New Farm, QLD 4005 Phone: 07 3358 2895 Mobile: 0409 762 027 E-mail: [email protected]
47 TAGLINE Dysfunction is our speciality. FORMAT Black comedy/drama mini-series; 6x one-hour television episodes. CONCEPT The New Lows is a black-comedy drama series about families, secrets and shame. It takes place in the home and family business of the Lo family: Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant. It’s the type of sad, decaying suburban Chinese restaurant found in every Australian suburb, and limping towards imminent commercial death. Each episode is set during a family milestone or public event: graduations, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, birthdays. Every episode focuses on a different family member forced to put on a happy face, despite private grief and humiliation. Needless to say, every laugh comes at a cost. SYNOPSIS The New Lows centres on the Chinese-Australian Lo family. The series covers a particularly tumultuous summer where the family are suddenly and unexpectedly forced together, under difficult circumstances. Eldest sister Wendy (25) retreats home after a failed marriage. Middle brother Simon (17) is knocked back from university. Youngest brother Tommy (12) is going through one hell of a puberty. Meanwhile, parents Dorothy and John (late 40s) are coming to blows over the restaurant and their marriage. For the Los, the décor of Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant might present a happy, comically shiny front. But what private shames lurk underneath the public face we present to the public, and our own family members? MAIN CHARACTERS JOHN LO (40s). The manager of Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant and the father of the family, John is recovering from a heart attack that took place the year before. He is the embodiment of emotional repression, and hides everything - the restaurant’s financial status, the state of his health, where he disappears to every night - and pays the consequences. DOROTHY LO (40s). The mother of the family, Dorothy insists everyone around her is happy, despite being clinically depressed herself. Dorothy puts on a happy front for everyone - family, friends, customers - but is inevitably let down by the reality of any given situation. Although she desperately tries to keep at the centre of the family, she is usually the last to know anything.
48 WENDY (25). The eldest daughter, Wendy is hopelessly lost and stuck in a quarter-life crisis. Her joke of an acting career has unceremoniously imploded, she constantly lets people down around her, and she embarrassingly finds herself back at her childhood home after her career aspirations, marriage and life spontaneously combust. SIMON LO (17). The middle-child, Simon is a mess of contradictions. On one hand, he is the snide, sarcastic, drug- taking, party-going member of the Lo family. On the other, he almost single-handedly managed the restaurant after John’s heart attack and feels the burden of responsibility on his shoulders. TOMMY LO (12). The youngest child, Tommy is your run-of-the- mill, clichéd Asian nerd. Chicken-legged skinny with thick- rimmed glasses and side-parted hair, puberty is not treating him kindly. Despite Tommy’s superior IQ and piano-playing skills, he’s right at the bottom of the schoolyard food chain. STYLE AND APPROACH Poignant, caustically dark and comic coming-of-age drama, which revolves around dysfunctional families and awkward interpersonal relationships. All potential for sentimentality and saccharine is cut through with ironic or savage humour. Cinema references: Welcome to the Dollhouse (Todd Solodnz, 1995) Floating Life (Clara Law, 1996) The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, 1997) American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001) The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005) The Motel (Michael Kang, 2005) Friends with Money (Nicole Holfcener, 2006) The Savages (Tamara Jenkins, 2007) Television references: Mother and Son (Geoffrey Atherden, ABC, 1984-1994) Freaks and Geeks (Paul Feig/Judd Aptow, NBC, 1999-2000) Six Feet Under (Alan Ball, HBO, 2001-2005) Arrested Development (Mitchell Hurwitz, Fox, 2003-2006) Shameless (Paul Abbott, Channel 4, 2004-2008) PILOT EPISODE: GRADUATION Tommy is set to play piano at Simon’s high school graduation ceremony, and Wendy has promised him to come home for the occasion. However, Tommy is stressed, knowing Dorothy has pinned her happiness on this occasion. But after Wendy misses her flight, things unravel, and culminates with a strange and extremely public humiliation on stage for Tommy. EPISODE II: CHRISTMAS
49 Wendy is lying low from her fractured marriage. She finds herself back at the family home, helping out at the restaurant, and encounters Gus, an old boyfriend from highschool. A series of misunderstandings leads Dorothy to believe that John is having an extramarital affair, just as the guests arrive for Christmas dinner. EPISODE III: NEW YEAR’S EVE Dorothy is left to care for John after his heart attack, while all her children venture out into their own separate social lives. Finding herself bored by her marriage, Dorothy starts trying to involve herself with her children’s lives, unaware that Simon has just received two bouts of bad news in one day. EPISODE IV: VALENTINE’S DAY Tommy is about to be sent off to a highschool survival camp in the bush. His friendship with Harry continues to grow, although Tommy’s infatuation with him is starting to border on obsession. After Harry secretly discovers Tommy’s sketches of him during a sleepover at Sunny Days, their tenuous friendship spectacularly disintegrates at the school camp. EPISODE V: CHINESE NEW YEAR John resists the battle plans drawn up by Dorothy and Simon to revive the business. While the family sees Chinese New Year as a perfect event to reinvent the business, John’s recent visit to the accountant confirms that the restaurant is on death’s door. After a monumental argument, Dorothy moves out for a trial separation. EPISODE VI: BIRTHDAY It happens to be Simon’s birthday, but the celebration is overwhelmed by the family drama between Dorothy and John. Dorothy is still living at Ruth’s and refuses to come back home, while John has started washing his own clothes with Dettol. Meanwhile, no one is able to make it to Simon’s birthday party. That night, Sunny Days becomes a target of a break-in.
50 THE NEW LOWS
EPISODE 1 (of 6): GRADUATION
by BENJAMIN LAW
Written as the creative component in a doctorate project undertaken at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane.
FIRST DRAFT (APRIL 2008) © BENJAMIN LAW 2008 Unit 8G/172 Oxlade Drive New Farm, QLD 4005 Phone: 07 3358 2895 Mobile: 0409 762 027 E-mail: [email protected]
51 1 INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE - DAY 1 A plain, no-frills doctor’s office. It’s quiet enough to hear the clock ticking. In the corner, there is a full-scale model skeleton. It is draped in tinsel, and wears a red Santa’s hat. TOMMY LO (12) sits in the patient’s seat. He’s Chinese- Australian, wears thick-rimmed glasses and combs his hair in a severe side-part. He’s skinny - all elbows and knees. Sitting opposite Tommy is a young Indian-Australian DOCTOR (30s) with a shaved head. He looks over a cardboard chart representing the month of November. Each day is alternatively marked with the letters “D” and “W”. As Tommy waits for the doctor’s response, he scans the out- dated medical brochures on the side of the wall. Amongst all the titles is one that catches Tommy’s attention: “Are You Depressed?” Tommy takes the brochure discreetly. He reads over a list: “Tell-tale Signs Your Loved One is Depressed”: (1) Lack of interest in physical appearance; (2) Loss of appetite; (3) Noticeable lack of energy; The doctor coughs, and does his best to give Tommy a reassuring smile. Tommy folds the brochure in his hands, and puts it out of sight. DOCTOR Now as we’ve said before, Tommy, there’s no such thing as “normal”. Still, only 14 dry nights. We could be doing better, couldn’t we? How old are you now? TOMMY Twelve. DOCTOR Right. The doctor folds the D & W chart up, and hands it back to Tommy.
52 DOCTOR (cont'd) You still doing everything we talked about? Going to the toilet before bed? No fluids after 8 o’clock? Sleeping okay? Tommy nods. TOMMY Yep. DOCTOR And you’re sure everything’s okay at home? Your Dad’s doing much better, I hear. No stress in the house? Tommy shakes his head. DOCTOR (cont'd) And these ... these incidents. They’re not happening during daylight hours, are they? TOMMY No. (pause) Just at night. The doctor smiles, opens a jar of jellybeans, and tips it in Tommy’s direction. 2 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - DAY 2 To establish. DOCTOR (V/O) That’s good to hear. And how’s your Mum? 3 INT. BATHROOM - DAY 3 DOROTHY (40s), Tommy’s mother, sits on the toilet and looks a mess. Her hair is uncombed, and old Snoopy-themed pyjamas are bunched around her ankles. She looks into the middle distance, spaced-out. She appears to be perfectly still, as though she has been sitting there for an eternity, thinking to herself.
53 4 INT. HALLWAY - AFTERNOON 4 Outside the bathroom, TOMMY knocks at the door. TOMMY Mum? DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) Just a sec! Tommy’s brother SIMON (17) - scruffy, slouching, hair all over his face - appears from behind Tommy. He grabs Tommy’s shoulders from behind and makes a face of disgust. SIMON Don’t use the toilet downstairs. Some customer’s backed it up, it’s like China down there right now. (beat) Has she only just gone in? TOMMY No, she’s been there for ages. Simon leans over Tommy, and bangs on the bathroom door with his fist loudly. SIMON (banging) Other people need to use the toilet, Mum! What are you doing in there? Taking a dump or giving birth? DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) Use the ones downstairs! SIMON (calling) It’s broken. Again. DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) Just wait! Tommy turns around to Simon, looking anxious. TOMMY (whispers) Is Mum okay, you reckon?
54 SIMON What do you mean? TOMMY Well. Have you noticed? (reciting) She’s stopped taking an interest in her physical appearance; she has a loss of appetite; she has a noticeable lack of energy ... Simon holds up his palm, bemused. SIMON Wait, wait, wait. What is this? Where are you getting this from? Tommy looks to the floor. TOMMY Don’t worry. It’s nothing. 5 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 5 Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant’s sign is painted with a overbearingly happy miasma of bright colours that have long since faded. The lightbulbs surrounding the sign flicker epileptically, and some have totally blown out. Aggressively perky Canto-pop music streams out into the street from tinny speakers. MUSIC (V/O) (Hong Kong accent) Loving is a happy time! / Feeling love inside my mind! / Got to love my happy song! / Love is good / Love is strong / Oh, love! Looking inside the restaurant, there is not one single customer. All of the brightly-coloured tables are empty. DOROTHY stands outside Sunny Days Chinese restaurant, standing in a cheong-sarm. She tries to hand out paper take-away menus to PASSERS-BY on the pavement.
55 DOROTHY Good evening! Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant. Would you like a menu? Hello sir, madam - would you like a menu? Please, come inside. The passers-by all ignore Dorothy. Her smile is bright and taut, but the elastic in it slackens with every rejection. 6 INTERCUT - INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 6 The Canto-pop music is even louder inside: MUSIC (V/O) (Hong Kong accent) Got to feel the love inside! / Feel your love it gets me high! / Singing happy loving song! / Love is good / Love is strong / Yeah, love! In contrast to the upbeat music, TOMMY observes everyone brooding in silent, morose tension, as he prepares spring rolls. SIMON folds napkins, bored, playing with the swinging hand of a waving lucky Cat made of plastic. Their father JOHN (40s, looks older) violently hacks into a chunk of unidentifiable meat, working out some inner frustration. He glares at the restaurant across the road: a slick, trendy Asian fusion restaurant, alive with PATRONS. He takes a moment, before hacking into the meat again. Tommy watches as Dorothy continues struggling with attracting customers inside. He tries getting Simon’s attention. TOMMY (discretely, to Simon) Gor-Gor. Simon continues to fold napkins, bored, staring blankly. Tommy throws a spring roll wrapper at his face. Simon looks up. SIMON What?
56 Tommy points his thumb towards Dorothy outside, as if to say, “Look.” Simon looks at Dorothy, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. Then he looks at Tommy, furrows his brow and shrugs, not understanding. Tommy tries to get John’s attention instead. TOMMY Dad? Do you reckon Mum’s alright out there? John peers over at Dorothy, who is still trying to convince customers to come inside, over-eagerly. Now she starts to look a little desperate and deranged, and potential customers are now taking even extra efforts to avoid her. JOHN (Cantonese) What do you mean? A beat. TOMMY Nothing. 7 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 7 From outside, we see the restaurant in its beaten-down entirety. Its wooden panels are coming apart. Its dying neon lights and lightbulbs flicker epileptically. The sound of crickets. FADE TO BLACK. TITLE: “THE NEW LOWS” 8 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - AFTERNOON 8 In an empty school assembly hall, towards the end of the school day, complicated and fussy classical music is being played on the piano. On the stage, teenage STAGE-HANDS are being bossed around by MISS CLEMENTS, a nervous bird-like sort of woman.
57 The stage hands finish hanging up banners around the stage, announcing a graduation ceremony. TOMMY sits at a baby grand piano, and is responsible for the music. It’s an incredibly complicated piece of classical music, and not something you would expect of someone Tommy’s age. The school bell rings. Tommy stops playing the piano, and takes a long gulp of water from an oversized water bottle. MISS CLEMENTS Okay, everyone. That’s it. I’ll be seeing you all tonight. Hopefully we can avert disaster, yes? The stage hands discreetly roll their eyes amongst themselves. MISS CLEMENTS (cont'd) Tommy. You’re all ready? (loaded) Your mother’s told me she’s very much looking forward to your performance tonight. Then, all of a sudden, cheerfully: MISS CLEMENTS (cont'd) Got to make mothers happy now, don’t we? Tommy finishes swallowing the water. His hands are noticeably shaking. He nods at Miss Clements. TOMMY Yes. 9 INT. SCHOOLBUS - AFTERNOON 9 It’s a swelteringly hot day, and all the bus windows are open. Primary and high school STUDENTS giggle and shout, scream at one another and joke amongst themselves. They swap and sign one another’s end-of-year school yearbooks happily. The bigger students wear Year 12 jerseys, and vandalise one another with nikko pen and crude drawings of genitals. In all the rowdiness, TOMMY sits completely by himself, and stares at his lap intently.
58 His hair is covered in spitballs. Tommy does his best to ignore them, but another one comes flying over and sticks to the side of his face. In Tommy’s lap is his yearbook, which is entirely absent of signatures. Another big spitball lands on Tommy’s hair. This is courtesy of three bullies (all 12) - BOB (fat), ROD (skinny) and TODD (pimply) - sitting behind Tommy. Despite being only 12-years-old, they look massive. Towering over the others, Bob is clearly the ringleader. The three of them laugh, but Tommy doesn’t flinch. This is a routine occurrence. A skinny, nerdy Asian girl VANESSA (12, braces, glasses) sitting opposite Tommy comes to his defence against Bob. VANESSA (with a pronounced speech impediment) What’s your problem? Leave him alone. Bob laughs, and elbows his cronies. BOB What are you? His girlfriend? Tommy glances to the side, embarrassed by Vanessa’s intervention. Bob ignores Vanessa, grins, and blows another spitball into Tommy’s hair. Numb, Tommy takes a puff of ventolin, and presses the bus bell. 10 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - AFTERNOON 10 The sound of hammering. Inside the restaurant, the air-conditioner is broken, and ice- cream containers catch the dripping water. Mismatched models of electric fans stand around the restaurant, uselessly blowing hot air around. There are Christmas decorations scattered everywhere: on the tables, on the floor. Ancient cardboard boxes labelled “XMAS” have been opened and gutted.
59 DOROTHY in on a ladder, hammering nails into the wall and hanging worn-out tinsel, wiping sweat off her forehead. JOHN works on a banner that reads “Happy New Year 1995”. He trims off the out-dated year and cuts out a new one. His shirt is unbuttoned all the way down, revealing the scars of open- heart surgery. SIMON pulls out a welded dreadlock of fairy lights. It is irretrievably, irrevocably tangled, and holds its shape as a solid cube-like mass. Simon looks at it with distaste, and wipes sweat off his brow too. SIMON Has someone called the air- conditioning guy yet? JOHN (Cantonese) It’s too expensive. Simon groans. SIMON We’re just going to leave it broken, then? No response. Frustrated, Simon proceeds to pull apart the fairy light cords violently. He then holds them up for his parents to inspect. SIMON (cont'd) Is there any reason why we have to keep using these? TOMMY comes in with his backpack, looking glum. He gives everyone a half-hearted wave. Dorothy smiles broadly when she sees him, and pulls him over for his mandatory hugs and kisses. TOMMY (morose) Hey Mum. JOHN (Cantonese) Tommy! Last day of school, eh? How was it?
60 TOMMY Hot. Dorothy sniffs his forehead, and winces. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Your hair smells funny. Tommy looks embarrassed, and struggles out of her grip. SIMON Guys, can I head out tonight with Kevin? Dorothy pivots on the ladder. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Your sister’s coming back home tonight. Don’t you think she’d like to spend it with the entire family? SIMON Oh, come on, Mum. She wouldn’t care! Tommy, do you care? Before Tommy can respond - SIMON (cont'd) Dad, do you care? John shrugs. Simon smiles at Dorothy triumphantly. DOROTHY (passive aggressive) Fine, no one care. Is okay. This would be the point where Tommy interjects. But he can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he looks at the floor. Silence. Dorothy glares at everyone. Then turning back to the wall, she starts violently banging another nail into the wall. Everyone else winces as she works out her passive aggression.
61 DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) If you really want to go, I’m not going to stop you! Sensing tension, Tommy goes over to the old box of Christmas decorations. He goes to pull something out. TOMMY Hey, look. He pulls out a plastic, electronic Santa Claus. He plugs it into the wall. It lights up, and starts waving, dancing and speaking in a Stephen Hawking-like mechanical voice: “Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho.” Silenced by the tension, the family watches the Santa dance. It is very tacky. SIMON Awesome. 11 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON 11 The same classical music from earlier fills Tommy’s room, except it is played on an electronic keyboard this time. Everything in the room sits at right angles to one another - an electronic keyboard, the desk, Tommy’s stationery. A massive collection of books line the shelves in geometric perfection. There is also a framed family photo on the wall of John, Dorothy, Simon, Tommy, and the eldest sister: Wendy. Everyone smiles ridiculously. The photo is a little dated: everyone has their waistbands high above their navels. Dorothy has her hair in a perm, Simon (13) sports a mullet, and Wendy (21) wears thick-rimmed rainbow coloured glasses. TOMMY sits at his electronic keyboard, looking over sheet music, playing complicated piano piece. The phone rings. Tommy stops playing and picks it up.
62 TOMMY Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant, Tommy speaking. How may I help you? WENDY (V/O) Tommy! It’s Gar-Jer! Tommy sits up bolt straight, alert and alarmed. Then looking suspicious: TOMMY (testing her) Gar-Jer? Where are you? 12 INTERCUT - INT. WAITING ROOM - DAY 12 Eldest sister WENDY (mid-20s) has a mobile phone to her ear. WENDY I’m at an audition. They’re just running late, that’s all. She sits in a waiting room alongside other young ACTRESSES. She is the only non-Caucasian in the room. The others recite lines, scripts in hand, rehearsing. Tommy looks at his watch. TOMMY Why are you at an audition now? You need to be at the airport soon! Mum’s expecting you. I emailed you all the bookings and everything. WENDY I know, I know. I’ll be there, don’t freak. TOMMY Gar-Jer, you promised. WENDY Tom-Tom, this audition is so important. If I get this, it could develop into a regular role. Do you know what that means? An actual ongoing role? TOMMY (loaded) Mum’s borrowed the video camera for tonight.
63 WENDY (to herself) Oh Jesus, the video camera. Outside Tommy’s room, there are footsteps. TOMMY Just wait, she’s coming. WENDY (V/O) Tommy, just in case I don’t make it, don’t wait for me, I’ll meet you guys there, okay? (beat) Okay? Tommy? Tommy hangs up on Wendy as the footsteps get louder - DOROTHY enters Tommy’s room with a video camera in hand. She holds it away from her body as though it were a bomb, clearly not comfortable with the technology. IN THE MONITOR: we see a distressed and harassed-looking Tommy. DOROTHY (Cantonese) And this is Tommy’s room! What’s today, Tommy? TOMMY Friday. DOROTHY (Cantonese) And why’s today special? TOMMY (routine) Because Gor-Gor’s graduating from high- school, I’m playing at the ceremony - DOROTHY (Cantonese) What else? Tommy’s smile falters, and he finds it difficult to say: TOMMY And Gar-Jer’s coming back tonight for it. And she hasn’t been back in a year.
64 DOROTHY (Cantonese) And everything’s going to be perfect. Dorothy smiles. Tommy deflates. TOMMY (Cantonese) And everything’s going to be perfect. Dorothy scruffs his hair, then leaves, still peering into the video camera monitor awkwardly, humming to herself. In the hallway, we hear: DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) Simon, Simon! Say hello to the video camera! SIMON (O/S) (monotone) Oh god. Tommy takes a puff of ventolin, and starts rubbing his temples, looking stressed. SIMON enters the room discretely, trying to hide from Dorothy outside. He closes the door behind him. DOROTHY (O/S) Simon! SIMON Can I hide in here? Mum has the video camera, and she’s using it like a weapon. TOMMY I know. SIMON Who was on the phone? TOMMY (depressed) Gar-Jer. She’s not going to make it. Simon grimaces.
65 SIMON Big surprise. (pause) Mum’s going to shit a brick. 13 INT. AUDITION ROOM - AFTERNOON 13 WENDY stands in a bare room, opposite a DIRECTOR (40s, extroverted) and a PRODUCER (20s, unkind-looking). The director claps his hands together, ready to talk. DIRECTOR Righto. Thanks for that. And what was your name again, sweetheart? WENDY Wendy. Wendy Lo. DIRECTOR Well, Wendy. That was great, actually. Very impressive. Wendy beams, trying to look modest. DIRECTOR (cont'd) I loved what you did with that one line: totally turned the meaning of it upside down. Gotta remember how you did that. He exchanges a loaded look with the producer. DIRECTOR (cont'd) And you know: I’m all for diversifying up the screen. You know, United Colors of Benneton vibe, all that jazz. (sympathetic) But I’m not sure people are going to buy you in this role, if you know what I mean. WENDY (confused) Right ... The producer and director exchange a look, then look back at Wendy. The producer leans forward on the table. PRODUCER (loaded) Do ... you know what he means?
66 It takes a moment. But then Wendy makes the connection. DIRECTOR It’s just. We’re after a certain “look”. When she realises what they’re saying, she slumps a little, but then puts on a fake smile. WENDY I see. 14 INT. CAR - AFTERNOON 14 WENDY sits in the passenger seat of the car with a mobile phone to her ear, scowling. She waits for the other line to pick up. Driving the car is her husband PETER (late 20s), who is dressed in corporate attire. Their car is stuck in traffic. WENDY I really needed that job too. (beat) I’m an idiot. There were two choices: the lead role, or a walk-on role as a prostitute. I really should have gone for the prostitute. PETER Half of the roles you play are prostitutes. WENDY I know. PETER Wendy: I hate to say it. But I don’t think you’re going to make it. WENDY (offended) Pete. PETER No. I meant the plane. He points to the car-radio clock. PETER (cont'd) You’re going to miss the flight. Wendy examines the time.
67 WENDY Shit. 15 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - AFTERNOON 15 In the master bedroom, there are boxes of plastic takeaway containers that line the wall. JOHN is getting dressed into a collared shirt and looks uncomfortable in it, continually tugging at the sleeves. JOHN (Cantonese) But the sign says that we’re open (English) “Seven Days a Week”. (Cantonese) It’s false advertising when we close. DOROTHY smiles broadly and artificially in front of the mirror as she applies rogue. DOROTHY (Cantonese, bubbly) How often does your son graduate from high school? How often does your other son perform in front of the whole school? Come on, Mister. Tell me! (English) It’s a “special occasion”! (Cantonese) Plus, Wendy will be here. How often does that happen? John puts up his palms in defence. JOHN (Cantonese) Okay, okay. I get it. I have ears. TOMMY knocks on the door, and comes in, dressed immaculately in his school uniform. He takes another puff of ventolin. TOMMY (monotone) I’m ready. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Has your sister called yet? Is she close?
68 Tommy stares at her blankly, unsure of what to say. 16 EXT. AIRPORT - AFTERNOON 16 WENDY and PETER stand outside their car, parked alongside the airport road. They watch as an aeroplane flies directly over their head. Wendy looks at the tickets in her hand, then looks at the plane again. WENDY Fuck. She looks at Peter helplessly. PETER Now what? 17 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 17 JOHN and DOROTHY enter the assembly hall, which is already half-full with PARENTS, STUDENTS and other CHILDREN. They’re followed by SIMON and TOMMY. Tommy nervously scans the crowd, and clutches his stomach. He looks as though he’s going to be ill. Dorothy still looks comically happy. DOROTHY Where is she? Can anyone see her? SIMON You mean Wendy? DOROTHY Tommy spoke to her on the phone today. She said she’d meet us here. Simon gives Tommy a quizzical look: “Doesn’t she know?” Tommy avoids eye-contact with him. 18 INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT 18 At the airport, PETER and WENDY deals with an AIRLINE EMPLOYEE, while an angry QUEUE forms behind them. WENDY I know, I know. It’s non-refundable. You’ve said already.
69 But it’s obvious I haven’t used my ticket, otherwise I’d be on the plane and I wouldn’t be talking to you, right? AIRLINE EMPLOYEE (exasperated) If you read over the terms and conditions, you’ll see that they explicitly state that it cannot be exchanged for another flight. If you miss the flight, it’s your responsibility to - Someone in the queue groans and says: QUEUE (O/S) Come on, sweetheart! Everyone here’s got a plane to catch, too. AIRLINE EMPLOYEE Look, if I could help you, I would. But there just isn’t another flight in that direction tonight. The earliest one is tomorrow morning, 5.30am. You can book online. Wendy turns around helplessly, and then stares the employee down. WENDY (to airline employee) Look. I’m desperate. I don’t earn that much money, and I promised my family ... I promised them. I promised - Running out of words, Wendy turns to Peter for help. WENDY (cont'd) Peter, you tell them. QUEUE (O/S) Come on! But Peter simply stands there, looking sheepish. PETER (O/S) Wendy. Maybe we should just step aside for the other people? Wendy’s shoulders slump.
70 19 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 19 In the assembly hall, MISS CLEMENTS takes the stage, her tall crane-like frame bending over to speak into the mike. There is terrible feedback, which gets everyone’s attention. MISS CLEMENTS Ooh! (beat) Just a quick announcement everyone. We’ll start in ten minutes. If everyone could please turn off their mobile phones, we would greatly appreciate that. DOROTHY, JOHN, SIMON and TOMMY are still standing, though everyone else seems to have found themselves seats. SIMON Does it really matter if she’s here anyway? DOROTHY (Cantonese) Simon! How can you say that? It’s not the same! You only graduate once. I wanted everyone here. TOMMY Maybe you guys should just sit down first, and save a seat for her. Dorothy turns around slowly on the spot, looking for seats. It seems the assembly hall is almost filled to capacity now. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Where should we sit? TOMMY Just sit with people you know. Dorothy looks around at other parents, who socialise and chat easily amongst themselves. She puts on her bright, forced smile - the one she reserves for hospitality. Judging by the lack of eye contact, it’s clear Dorothy and John don’t know anyone. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Maybe we’ll just sit towards the back.
71 (beat) What about you, Tommy? Do you sit with your friends? Tommy scans the room. He spots BOB, ROD and TODD from the schoolbus this morning. Bob spots Tommy at exactly the same time. Despite being only 12-years-old, he makes obscene cock-sucking gestures at Tommy. Tommy turns quickly away. Bob and his cronies laugh nastily. TOMMY I think I need to be backstage, actually. 20 INT. CAR - NIGHT 20 In the car, WENDY and PETER are stuck in traffic, and aren’t moving an inch. Wendy stares out the window, angry and brooding, with her arms crossed. WENDY Why didn’t you say anything before? You’re the lawyer, your job is to argue. (beat) It was like you were on their side. PETER I wasn’t on their side. There just wasn’t anything we could do. Loaded silence. WENDY Don’t worry: I won’t come to the party and embarrass you. PETER Jesus. Where did that come from? (pause) I was going to invite you. Do you want to come? I didn’t think - WENDY God, no.
72 PETER So why are you making a deal of it? You just said you didn’t want to come. WENDY Okay. Jesus! I’ll come! She re-crosses her arms. Peter shakes his head, frustrated. 21 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - LATER 21 In the front row, SIMON sits next to his friends KEVIN (17, blonde afro) and SANJEEV (12, Indian-Australian). All three of are almost crying after sharing a private joke, and slap each other on the chest, bent over with laughter. Surrounding them are all the other Year 12 graduates who roll their eyes at the trio. Kevin whispers something into Simon’s ear, prompting Simon to turn around to face the girl behind him. JANE (17, attractive) raises an eyebrow at him. Simon grins at her happily. SIMON Kevin says you’re going to his party tonight. JANE Maybe. What about you? Simon sees JOHN and DOROTHY, who sit towards the back of the assembly hall. Some parents try to sit in the empty seat next to Dorothy, but she curtly gestures to them that someone is sitting there. Simon spots the empty chair, and grins to himself. SIMON (to Jane) I think there’s a good chance I might be at the party, yes. Finally, the HEADMASTER appears on stage. He is an overweight, walrus-like man. Everyone starts clapping, including Dorothy and John.
73 It doesn’t last long: because of the heat, everyone goes back to fanning themselves with the paper program, looking exhausted. TOMMY watches from behind the curtain. HEADMASTER Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, parents, friends! It’s an honour being here for the end of year assembly, and for the graduating ceremony of this year’s Year 12s. Applause. HEADMASTER (cont'd) As you know, my name is Mister — SIMON (to Kevin and Sanjeev) Man-boobs. Kevin laughs. HEADMASTER (CONT’D) — Wallace, and most of you probably already know me as - KEVIN The man who molests your children. Simon, Kevin and Sanjeev try to hold in their laughter, but their faces turn red with the effort of holding it in. 22 INT. MANSION - NIGHT 22 PETER and WENDY enter the foyer of a waterfront mansion. Peter wears his suit, while Wendy wears a dress that is ill-fitting: too tight around her waist, too loose around her bust. Both are still frowning, tense from the car episode. WENDY My tits are weird in this dress. Why’d you tell me to wear this thing? She catches her reflection in a glass surface and tries adjusting her breasts. PETER Jesus, Wendy. Stop touching yourself. Your tits are fine.
74 WENDY They’re “fine.” What a ringing endorsement. PETER Come on, what the hell do you want me to say? They’re resplendent, okay, Wendy? Amazing. A young, handsome WAITER (20s) approaches them. Wendy and Peter immediately plaster on massive smiles as he nears them. PETER (cont'd) Hi! WAITER Hi there. Can I take your coat? As he collects Peter’s blazer, he smiles at Wendy sympathetically, almost knowingly. WAITER (cont'd) (to Wendy) How are you both this evening? PETER Fine, thanks. WAITER (eyes only on Wendy) That’s good to hear. WENDY (discrete) I thought you said this was casual. Casual doesn’t involve people taking your coat. The waiter hears, and flashes Wendy a conspiratorial smile. Wendy looks to the floor, bashful. PETER I don’t know. I guess this is casual for them. From across the room, a woman speaks with a rich, moneyed voice: JENNIFER (O/S) Hello darlings!
75 PETER Jennifer! JENNIFER is in her 40s, a heavily-made up Stepford Wife-type, who has a glass of champagne in her hand. She greets both of them with a kiss. JENNIFER Peter! Wanda! WENDY Wendy. JENNIFER Wendy! Jennifer kisses Wendy on the cheek. Self-consciously, Wendy smooths out of her dress, trying to discreetly readjust her breasts again. JENNIFER (cont'd) Come come, darlings. Everyone’s inside! She leads them onwards. Wendy mouths “fuck” to Peter, and he shrugs: “What?” As they follow Jennifer, a WAITRESS walks past Wendy with glasses of champagne on a tray. Without hesitation, Wendy takes two. Peter goes to reach out for one, but Wendy starts drinking from both glasses immediately. 23 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 23 Backstage, TOMMY sips water, sweating and nervous. He takes a deep breath. Polite applause (O/S) comes from in front of the stage curtains. On stage, the HEADMASTER presents graduation certificates to Simon’s classmates. HEADMASTER Kevin Lawson. Applause. KEVIN goes up to the stage, goofy grin on his face. He shakes the headmaster’s hand, then gives the thumbs up to the audience like an idiot.
76 Laughter. HEADMASTER (cont'd) Simon Lo. Applause. Tommy glances through the curtains backstage to see Simon walk on-stage to receive his graduation certificate. He shakes Mr Hank’s hand, and then faces the audience. JOHN and DOROTHY beam. Dorothy has the video camera to her face. John takes a photo. Simon waves a little and grins back at his parents. Then Tommy’s perspective shifts, and he notices BOB is looking directly at him, an evil grin on his face. Bob does a throat- slitting gesture, right into Tommy’s direction. Tommy immediately closes the curtains. He resumes pacing back and forth nervously. HEADMASTER (O/S) (cont'd) Christine Lund. Applause. He walks over to a table, and grabs the side of it, looking ill. All of a sudden, he starts dry-heaving, as though trying to vomit. HEADMASTER (O/S) (cont'd) Eric McEwan. Tommy bends over violently, heaving dry. HEADMASTER (O/S) (cont'd) Amanda McPhee. Tommy heaves again. He takes a moment to collect himself, and then folds his arms over his chest protectively. 24 INT. MANSION - NIGHT 24 WENDY stands in the corner, and has her arms crossed over her chest too. She looks insecure and embarrassed in her dress, and drinks champagne a little too eagerly. LAWYERS and their PARTNERS have gathered in a lavish entertaining deck that overlooks the harbour. JENNIFER sits next to IAN (70s), a white-haired, stern-looking man. He is Peter’s boss.
77 Everyone laughs at a joke Peter has told. Jennifer slaps Peter’s arm, and even Ian cracks a smile. JENNIFER Oh, Peter - you’re a card! (to Wendy) Darling, Peter was telling us that you had an audition today, for - what was it? A television commercial? WENDY It was a detective series. You guys might find this funny: I was actually going for the role of a lawyer. Everyone laughs. WENDY (cont'd) I didn’t get it though. (joking) Apparently, Asian lawyers don’t exist, which is news to me. She laughs, but no one else laughs with her. She looks around the room, and realises none of the lawyers here are Asian: they’re all conspicuously Caucasian. Everyone smiles politely, without saying anything. In response, Wendy takes another swig of champagne, and polishes off the glass. Peter looks at her nervously. PETER Well! He smiles at everyone, and slaps his thigh. IAN (monotone) Well. JENNIFER Oh, I think acting would be so difficult. I could never do it! You’re so brave, darling. Well that’s what I think. Wendy smiles into her champagne glass. FEMALE LAWYER (icily) Isn’t it just prancing around, acting like an idiot, though? No offence.
78 WENDY (offended) No, no. PETER But acting’s only just one thing Wendy’s doing at the moment. She’s got a real job too, you know! (beat) Yeah, in fact, the other day, her manager at the department store asked whether she wanted to be deputy night- shift manager. And Wendy turned it down, because she needed the time to go for auditions! (beat) How’s that for commitment, huh? Huh? A pitying laugh escapes the female lawyer, despite herself. FEMALE LAWYER Sorry. I didn’t meant to laugh. Wendy looks hurt, then looks over to Peter for support. Instead, he stares into his drink, awkwardly. Wendy turns red with embarrassment. WENDY Peter? JENNIFER (kindly) Well I say: good for you, Wanda! WENDY Wendy. JENNIFER Wendy! Wendy stares into her empty champagne glass, inspecting it. She gets up a little unsteadily, then forces herself to smile. WENDY Will you excuse me. Wendy walks out of the room and into the hallway. Behind her, some of the female lawyers continue to laugh behind her back. The waiter - CALLUM - walks past with an empty tray, and comes over to her.
79 She places the empty glass on it. WENDY (cont'd) Thanks. Do have you got something harder by any chance? The waiter raises an eyebrow at her. Wendy looks defensive. WENDY (cont'd) What? CALLUM No, it’s just: you look familiar. Were you at the auditions today? For the detective - WENDY Yes. CALLUM (sheepish) It’s just: I auditioned too. This breaks the ice. WENDY (laughing) Oh my god! Yes! I totally fucked it up! CALLUM So did I! WENDY Oh, we suck! Wendy finally loosens up as they both laugh easily. CALLUM I’m Callum. WENDY Wendy. 25 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 25 On stage, the HEADMASTER reads out the last graduating student’s name: HEADMASTER And finally: Dirk Yates. A STUDENT receives his certificate.
80 HEADMASTER (cont'd) Please join me in congratulating this year’s graduating class. Applause. SIMON puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles. DOROTHY and JOHN both clap. HEADMASTER (O/S) (cont'd) Now for our final act of this evening - Backstage: TOMMY is bent over, still clutching his belly. With urgency, Tommy quickly walks over to MISS CLEMENTS, who delegates orders to student STAGE HANDS, looking distracted and stressed. HEADMASTER (O/S) (cont'd) - a student who needs no introduction. TOMMY Miss Clements? MISS CLEMENTS (not even looking at him) Thomas, you’re all ready? You’re on now! TOMMY But it’s just ... HEADMASTER (O/S) You would have heard of his recent efforts in the State Eisteddfod, which won this school the piano you see on stage right now. More applause. TOMMY ... I think I need to go again, if that’s okay? Miss Clements looks up at him sharply. MISS CLEMENTS Thomas. You just went! TOMMY I didn’t go properly! MISS CLEMENTS Don’t be stupid, Thomas. You’re on next.
81 She finishes adjusting his tie, and almost pushes him towards the curtain. Tommy stands behind the curtain, paralysed by fear. 26 INT. MANSION GARAGE - NIGHT 26 The garage is a car collector’s wet dream: motorcycles, BMWs, Mercedes, Alfa Romeos, all polished and shiny. WENDY and the CALLUM walk amongst them, cooing. Now properly drunk, Wendy holds her shoes in one hand, and drinks champagne directly out of the bottle with the other. WENDY But I want to start doing serious roles, you know? So that’s what today was about, anyway. Didn’t work. Wendy nods, and passes the bottle of champagne to the waiter. He takes a swig. WENDY (cont'd) I think I was too Asian for the role. CALLUM That’s messed up. WENDY Well apparently, so are our faces. They both laugh. WENDY (cont'd) It gets humiliating after a while, don’t you think? And everyone else around you starts getting breaks. And it’s such an ego thing: I mean, who do we even think we are? It’s pathetic. CALLUM I don’t think it’s pathetic. Suddenly, Wendy looks regretful. WENDY Sorry. At that moment, PETER comes into the garage, looking a little flustered. He spots her with the waiter.
82 PETER Wendy? What’s going on? I’ve been looking for you. He sees the bottle of champagne, gives her a look, and then pulls her aside. PETER (cont'd) (whispering) Are you out of your mind? Do you know who these people are? CALLUM I’ll leave you guys to it. Peter throws him a look of hate. PETER You do that. He watches as Callum leaves. When he turns back, Wendy is glaring at him. PETER (cont'd) What?
WENDY You didn’t back me up before. She was laughing at me, that lawyer - your work mate. And you didn’t say anything. PETER What was I supposed to say? 27 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 27 In the assembly hall, the AUDIENCE are applauding already. DOROTHY claps the hardest. But something is wrong with JOHN. He looks pained, and winces. HEADMASTER So ladies and gentlemen, it’s my great pleasure to introduce - John gets up to leave. Stunned, Dorothy grabs his arm, and almost pulls him back. DOROTHY (Cantonese) John! Where are you going!
83 JOHN (Cantonese) I need to ... I need ... HEADMASTER - a boy with extraordinary talents on the piano. Before he can answer, John shuffles out awkwardly, and stumbles out of the room. PARENTS scowl at him as he shuffles past them, blocking their view. JOHN Sorry, sorry, sorry. DOROTHY (whispering) John! John! HEADMASTER Please welcome to the stage - DOROTHY John! Parents scowl and shoosh at Dorothy. Backstage, TOMMY takes a puff of ventolin. HEADMASTER (O/S) - Thomas Lo! The audience breaks out into applause. Tommy gives one last-minute pained look in the direction of MISS CLEMENTS. She gives him an unsmiling, business-like thumbs up. Sheet music in hand, head down, Tommy is revealed as the STAGE HANDS open the curtains. More applause. 28 INT. KID’S BATHROOM - NIGHT 28 In the old primary school basement toilets, all the fittings are sized for little people. Muffled applause comes down from upstairs. JOHN sits on a tiny toilet seat, and massages his chest. He looks uncomfortable, like he has terrible indigestion. He reaches into his pocket, breaks off a nitroglycerin tablet, and
84 puts it in his mouth. He continues rubbing his chest, looking slightly better now. 29 INT. MANSION BATHROOM - NIGHT 29 In the marbled bathroom, WENDY is now utterly drunk, and re- applies her make-up haphazardly. She looks into the mirror, looking herself up and down and impersonating Peter, placing emphasis on a different word each time: WENDY (to the mirror, impersonating Peter) Do you know who these people are? Do you know who these people are? Do you know who these people are? There is a knock on the bathroom door, and the young WAITER enters. WAITER Oh. I’m sorry. Wendy turns around, swaying. She smiles, trying to be seductive. WENDY Not at all. 30 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 30 TOMMY plays the piano. His fingers move like lightning. It is the same piece of music he was rehearsing earlier in the day. The audience is captivated. It’s hard to believe a boy his age is playing this stuff. DOROTHY gets all this on video camera, smiling. But there are empty seats on either side of her - one for Wendy, one for John. When she looks down at both of them, her smile falters a little. SIMON watches Tommy performing in the front row, smiling lazily. KEVIN and SANJEEV watch Tommy play, stunned. VANESSA - the nerdy Asian girl from the bus - sits, captivated. She smiles broadly at Tommy, revealing her braces. BOB, ROD and TODD mutter to each other and grin evilly at Tommy. Bob starts making his trademark cock-sucking gesture at Tommy.
85 Tommy ignores him, and continues to play. Upon closer inspection however, his knees are rigid and locked together uncomfortably. His face looks like an impending explosion. Despite himself, a small spasm travels through Tommy’s knee. He really has had too much water to drink. He winces, defeated. Then it happens: behind the piano stool, a small trickle of liquid runs down the stool’s wooden legs. In the audience, SIMON narrows his eyes and realises what’s happening. JANE and KEVIN both cover their mouths. SIMON (softly, to himself) Get him off of there. PARENTS cover their mouths; bite their lips. DOROTHY, sitting at the back, can’t really tell what’s going on through the video camera. She watches, oblivious. She nods her head to the beat of the music. Tommy hasn’t lost control of the piece yet, though the puddle is becoming more and more obvious. His pants soak through and turn dark with urine. By zooming in, Dorothy finally sees what’s happening. In the monitor: we see the puddle. Dorothy takes her eye away from the video camera, and puts a hand to her mouth. DOROTHY Ai-ya. MISS CLEMENTS (O/S) whispers from behind the curtain. MISS CLEMENTS (O/S) Thomas. Thomas. Psst. Pssst! Tommy perseveres with the music, apparently oblivious to Miss Clements. Catching everyone by surprise: MISS CLEMENTS (O/S) (cont'd) THOMAS!
86 The music (O/S) stops with a dissonant, jarring slamming of notes. 31 INTERCUT - INT. MANSION [BATHROOM] - NIGHT 31 The lights are turned off in the bathroom, although there are muffled groans. The bathroom door opens, and PETER stands at the doorway. PETER Wendy, are you in here? He turns the light on. WENDY sits on the basin, her back pinned against the mirror. The WAITER’s pants are by his ankles, and he thrusts into her. As Peter comes over, the waiter pulls up his pants and zips up his fly awkwardly. WAITER Mate, I’m sorry. I - PETER Get out. He makes a hasty exit. Peter races over and closes the door behind him before anyone else can see. Wendy looks at Peter, a little apprehensive, but also slightly unfocused. PETER (cont'd) Wendy, what - Suddenly, she vomits all over Peter’s shirt. 32 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - NIGHT 32 Ashamed, TOMMY gets up off his puddle and leaves the piano. There is squealing feedback from the microphone. The curtains close: creak, creak, creak. JANE shakes her head, hand over mouth. KEVIN covers his face, wincing through his fingers as if he’s been watching a horror film. SIMON looks at the both of them, then towards the stage, biting his lip. VANESSA stares at her lap - her mouth a little ‘O’. BOB, ROD and TODD snicker.
87 The HEADMASTER looks baffled. Simon gets up out of his chair to go backstage. Taking that as her cue, DOROTHY switches off her video camera and rushes off, as well. There is an awkward silence. Someone in the back coughs. The headmaster finally reappears on stage again to mend things. He looks flustered and flabbergasted. HEADMASTER Well. The things kids do, hey? Anyway, while we work through this “technical difficulty”, I’d like to remind parents that ... BACKSTAGE: the HEADMASTER (O/S) continues talking, muffled by the curtains. MISS CLEMENTS wipes down a humiliated TOMMY with a towel. She passes a clean towel to a young FEMALE STAGE HAND, gesturing for her to clean the piano stool. The stage hand grimaces. MISS CLEMENTS Clean the piano stool with this. The female stage hand looks at the rag - and at Tommy - with disgust. Tommy stares at his feet, unable to meet her eye. She walks off. She summons another young MALE STAGE HAND. MISS CLEMENTS (cont'd) Find something dry for Tommy to wear. Rolling his eyes, the male stage-hand walks off. Miss Clements continues to wipe down the pants of a humiliated Tommy with a Chux cloth, almost violently. Tommy looks depressed. TOMMY Miss Clements? MISS CLEMENTS What, Thomas?
88 Tommy hesitates, holding back tears. TOMMY (quietly) My socks are wet. Awkward silence. Then we hear the male stage hand address Miss Clements: STAGE HAND (O/S) Miss Clements? 33 INT. VAN - NIGHT 33 JOHN drives the van in silence. DOROTHY sits shotgun and stares straight ahead too, her arms crossed, obviously angry with John. STAGE HAND (V/O) I think I’ve found something. In the back: TOMMY wears an ill-fitting Peter Pan outfit, made of lycra. He looks angry and embarrassed, and stares out the van’s window. SIMON sits next to Tommy, holding his rolled-up graduation certificate. He watches him for a while with pity. Then he sees those Peter Pan tights again, and despite himself, lets out a little laugh. Tommy glares at his brother. TOMMY What? SIMON (chuckling) Sorry, dude. Those pants. Tommy gives him the finger. John glances over at Dorothy, whose angry expression isn’t budging. After a while: JOHN (Cantonese) I’m sorry I missed your big moment, Tommy. SIMON He’s probably glad you did. Anyway, Gar-Jer wasn’t there, either.
89 DOROTHY (to John, Cantonese) Where were you? JOHN (Cantonese) Toilet. SIMON Don’t worry about it, Dad. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Tommy scowls at Simon. SIMON (cont'd) I didn’t mean you! The van zooms on down the road. WENDY (V/O) (slurring) We’re going home? Already? 34 INT. TAXI - NIGHT 34 PETER, who sports dried vomit on his shirt, gets in the backseat of a taxi with a semi-conscious WENDY slouched over him. She can hardly walk. He looks angry and business-like. Wendy’s eyes are semi-closed, and she smiles to himself stupidly. Peter is about to close the door behind them, when Wendy’s arm shoots out and keeps it open. She takes a moment, then vomits onto the bitumen. She starts laughing as she spits onto the road. WENDY Sorry, sorry! The female TAXI DRIVER glances in the rear mirror and meets eyes with Peter. TAXI DRIVER You vomit, you pay! PETER (brisk) Yes, yes, we know. (to Wendy) Are you done? Wendy laughs.
90 WENDY (sing-song) All done! Peter shuts the door, and the cab drives off. WENDY (cont'd) (slurring) You know, I’ve just realised something. Producers hate me. Directors hate me. My agent’s going to hate me. My family hates me. You hate me. I think even I hate me! Where’s the love, Peter? Peter crosses his arms. PETER Just shut up.
WENDY Do you still love me, Peter? Peter doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks out at the window, exhausted, as the taxi passes a billboard advertising a an STI awareness campaign for herpes, featuring Wendy’s face. Wendy points at it. WENDY (cont'd) Hey, hey! That’s me! PETER That’s you. WENDY Wendy! PETER That’s right. WENDY Where’s Peter? PETER That is a very good question. 35 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 35 JOHN and TOMMY enter into upstairs living room looking utterly deflated. John plonks the car keys down on the bench.
91 SIMON and DOROTHY trail after them. DOROTHY I still can’t get a hold of your sister. I hope she’s alright. (beat) If you want, we’ll still have time to catch the fireworks on the rooftop altogether. Tommy gives her tired look, still in his lycra Peter Pan costume. SIMON I think Tommy needs a shower? John starts taking off his shoes, while Tommy begins to take his plastic bag of soiled clothes off to the laundry. The Peter Pan costume rides into his bum, and he pulls it out with his finger. DOROTHY (Cantonese) But it’s time to celebrate. SIMON What are we celebrating? Public humiliation? JOHN (Cantonese) I’m going to sleep. Dorothy looks at him wide-eyed and unbelieving. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Sleep? John looks at his watch. JOHN (Cantonese) Why not? I don’t feel so great. I think I ate something bad. (to Simon) As for you: weren’t you going to that party? He throws Simon the car keys. Before Dorothy can say anything, John has already gone upstairs. He whistles as he disappears.
92 Simon grins at Tommy and Dorothy. SIMON I’ll see you guys tomorrow, right? (beat) Right. Awesome. He leaves. Tommy and Dorothy are left on their own. Dorothy smiles weakly at Tommy and his hideous costume. DOROTHY What about you, Tommy? Do you want to watch fireworks together? TOMMY I’m going to have a shower. Tommy sulks off upstairs. From upstairs, there is the sound of a door closing. And just like that, Dorothy is left alone. 36 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT 36 TOMMY stands against the wall in an old family bathroom in his Peter Pan outfit, staring straight ahead and numb. It is obvious he has been crying. Right next to his head, on the wall, there are line markings with the names ‘Wendy’, ‘Simon’ and ‘Tommy’ next to them, indicating the heights of children at various ages. Tommy lines up with his name and current height. Slowly, Tommy begins to slouch, depressed. And soon enough, Tommy doesn’t match up to his current height any more. He seems to be shrinking, rather than growing up. 37 EXT. KEVIN’S PLACE - NIGHT 37 In stark contrast to Tommy’s depressive state: On the hills hoist, there is a bladder of cask wine tied to the top. It spins around. TEENAGERS - including KEVIN, SIMON, JANE and SANJEEV - chant drunkenly: TEENAGERS Goon! Of! Fortune!
93 The goon bag stops on Simon, who drinks directly from the bladder into his mouth. TEENAGERS (cont'd) Skol! Skol! Skol! In the distance, another teenager is vomiting in the bushes. KEVIN (hollering) You hurl, you’re outta the game! 38 INT. WENDY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 38 PETER opens the door, and supports an almost unconscious WENDY through the living room. She nearly trips over the coffee table and laughs like an idiot. PETER Jesus. Just ... With difficulty, he navigates him around the coffee table. Wendy giggles, only semi-conscious. When they get to the bedroom, gravity takes hold and Wendy collapses diagonally across the bed. She doesn’t move. Peter shakes her head. PETER (cont'd) (stern) Wendy. Get up. Exhausted, he runs his fingers through his hair, then sits next to her. He shakes her shoulders; no response. After a moment’s silence: PETER (cont'd) When are you going to grow up? But she is already asleep. Still fully dressed. She begins to snore loudly. Peter crosses his arms, and glares at her. While Wendy sleeps, Peter drags out a suitcase, clicks it open, and starts packing clothes for her. He is business-like and efficient. Wendy continues to snore ...
94 39 INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT 39 In the bedroom, JOHN also snores loudly. DOROTHY lies in bed next to him, wide awake. John is totally unconscious, but rubbing his heart scar in his sleep. His arms and legs are sprawled out. Then he does this weird thing with his throat like he’s trying to cough up a hairball: ‘kaarh’. Dorothy glances over at John, unimpressed. DOROTHY John. No response. DOROTHY (cont'd) (more insistent) Ah-John. He stirs, then barely-awake: JOHN (Cantonese, half-asleep) What? Outside, the sounds of fireworks begin. Through their bedroom window, different shades of blue, red, green and orange start gently exploding against the walls. Dorothy smiles. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Look! John! The fireworks have started. But John simply lies there, continuing to make the raspy noise in his throat: “kaaarh”. He’s fast asleep. Dorothy rolls onto her back, stares at the ceiling. She pulls the sheets off her, gets out of bed. 40 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 40 The fireworks continue outside, illuminating the walls with explosions of colour.
95 DOROTHY pulls out two teaspoons from the freezer, and puts them over her eyes. She strands there for a while, as if blind - the spoons don’t come off. She looks like an alien. She takes the spoons off her eyes, and is about to close the door, when something catches her eye: an old box of Have-a- Heart ice-blocks. 41 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 41 The lights are off, but the fireworks continue outside. On Tommy’s desk, there is a new dry and wet chart for December, though there are no markings yet. TOMMY lies in bed, already in his pyjamas, his legs wrapped around his pillow. He stares out the window. There is a knock on the door. At this, Tommy puts the pillow behind his head, then closes his eyes immediately, pretending to be asleep DOROTHY pokes her head inside the room. DOROTHY Tommy? She steps inside. DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) Tommy, I know you’re awake. Dorothy sits on the side of his bed. Tommy opens his eyes, slowly. DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) Can I come in? TOMMY You’re already inside. She takes a seat on the side of his bed, and rubs the back of her neck. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Tonight wasn’t your fault, you know.
96 You have nothing to be embarrassed about. TOMMY Mum, can we not talk about it? DOROTHY (Cantonese) It’s true. Next year will be high school. Everyone will forget. Tommy shakes his head, as though Dorothy has no idea. DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) You don’t need to be so worried at your age. I was so happy at your age! I don’t understand your generation, always so depressed and sad about everything. When I was your age - TOMMY I know the story, Mum. Dorothy spots Tommy’s yearbook on his bedside table. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Is that your yearbook? She picks it up, and starts flipping through. She lands on his class photo. Tommy is one of the shortest kids, and holds the class sign. DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) Point out your friends for me. TOMMY I don’t have any. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Don’t say that. Of course you have friends. Everyone has friends. TOMMY Really? Then who are yours? Tommy turns over in bed, pointing his back to Dorothy. Dorothy is shocked, and rendered mute. Unable to think of anything else, she blurts out in English:
97 DOROTHY (out of nowhere) I found ice-cream! Outside, fireworks continue to explode. Tommy, still with his back to Dorothy, suddenly looks guilty. He gives in and turns back to Dorothy. TOMMY (defeated) Okay. Let’s go. 42 EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT 42 Fireworks explode right overhead. From up here, we can see the whole stretch of the suburban street. Littered around the rooftop are ancient pots of dead herbs, old decayed boxes, abandoned toys and a tricycle. From behind, we see DOROTHY and TOMMY sitting on outdoors plastic chairs, each with an ice-cream in their hands. A burst of red, yellow and blue erupts above her head. Tommy smiles, glad that he decided to come up. He bites into his heart-shaped ice-cream, smiles to himself, and then turns to Dorothy to say something - But Dorothy is fast asleep. Her ice-cream is still in her hand, but melting. Tommy smiles weakly at her, and watches her sleep with concern. TOMMY Mum? You’re missing it. 43 EXT. CREEK - NIGHT 43 The delivery van pulls up in the bush, and its headlights illuminate a pristine creek. The TEENAGERS - wild with alcohol - jump out of the van, and almost immediately start stripping off. KEVIN is there. They squeal, and jump into the water naked. SIMON and JANE smile at each other. Their underwear drop to their ankles. They run into the creek. Wild screaming and splashing.
98 Naked TEENAGERS have decided to climb a tree that grows out of an island in the middle of the creek. Periodically, a teenager jumps out of the tree and into the creek with an almighty splash. Everyone laughs and hoots when this happens. In a quiet, secluded corner of the creek, SIMON and JANE are kissing. 44 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 44 TOMMY brings a semi-conscious DOROTHY into his room. She almost falls into the lower bunk of his bed. As she’s sleeping, Tommy brings the blanket up to Dorothy’s chin, makes sure she’s comfortable. Tommy pats Dorothy’s head, like a concerned parent. 45 EXT. WENDY’S APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING 45 No dialogue is heard, but WENDY and PETER argue violently next to a taxi. Peter forces several packed suitcases in the boot. Wendy is crying. 46 INT. PLANE - NIGHT 46 WENDY sleeps in her economy plane seat. The plane is darkened for the passengers. She has stopped crying, but her eyes are red. She looks ahead, blinking silently. She hands over her garbage to the smiling AIR HOST. A TODDLER in the seat in front of her stares at her, accusingly. Wendy pulls the sleeping mask over her face, to hide herself from the world. 47 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING 47 The sun is rising now, and DOROTHY is fast asleep on Tommy’s bunk bed. TOMMY is still wide awake, looking outside his window. He watches as SIMON comes back into the house discreetly, smiling like an idiot, his hair at odd angles.
99 Tommy notices a bird perching on the outer end of the building’s rooftop, and smiles at it. It’s a little loner of a bird. Then suddenly, the bird flies off. Bird shit splatters all over the glass. It drips down the glass slowly. The bird joins the other birds on the powerline. 48 INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING 48 JOHN, TOMMY and SIMON sit in front of the television, eating heart-shaped ice-creams. Simon looks particularly worse for wear - a little pale, and sporting extraordinary bedhead. He can’t stop coughing - a wet, horrible cough, implying a reservoir of phlegm in his lungs. DOROTHY shuffles in, looking sleepy. DOROTHY What are you eating? Tommy turns around, ice-cream in mouth. TOMMY (mumbling) Breakfast. John finishes off his ice-cream, and shows Dorothy the finished-off paddle pop stick. JOHN You want one? Dorothy gives him a sharp look. DOROTHY (Cantonese) No thank you. Simon coughs badly. Dorothy touches his forehead. DOROTHY (cont'd) (Cantonese) Are you sick? (beat) What were you doing last night? SIMON We went swimming.
100 DOROTHY Swimming? SIMON In the creek. He starts coughing again. Tommy laughs. TOMMY You mean Davies Creek? That’s really polluted - I did a report on it. You’re probably all sick, then. Simon scowls at Tommy, and continues his wet, hacking cough. He reaches over for a tissue. Suddenly, there is a knock on the back door. Everyone looks at each other, puzzled. 49 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - MORNING 49 WENDY stands by the door with her suitcases in tow. Facing the door, Wendy studies her reflection in the glass and immediately regrets knocking - she looks shocking. Her hair is unbrushed, her clothes look crumpled, her eyes puffy. (In fact, she resembles Dorothy from the first scene in the bathroom.) She carries her suitcase in one hand, and drops it to fix her hair. But it’s not worth the time or the effort, and she decides it’s going to have to remain looking awful. TOMMY (O/S) Who is it? WENDY It’s a surprise. The door opens. TOMMY squints, adjusting to the bright sunlight outside. Wendy puts on her best “everything is okay” smile. WENDY (cont'd) (sheepish) Hey Tommy. An awkward beat.
101 WENDY (cont'd) Sorry I’m late. CUT TO BLACK.
102 THE NEW LOWS
EPISODE 2 (OF 6): CHRISTMAS
by BENJAMIN LAW
Written as the creative component in a doctorate project undertaken at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane.
FIRST DRAFT (APRIL 2008) © BENJAMIN LAW 2008 Unit 8G/172 Oxlade Drive New Farm, QLD 4005 Phone: 07 3358 2895 Mobile: 0409 762 027 E-mail: [email protected]
103 1 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 1 To establish. Relentlessly perky Cantonese pop music streams out into the streets. Interspersed with the Cantonese verses is the English chorus: MUSIC (V/O) L-O-V-E / I love you / Yes I do / 1- 2-3-4 / Love you so / Don’t you go Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant is open for night trading. Old tinsel is strung haphazardly around the glass panels, along with ancient Christmas decorations made of plastic and cardboard. In the window, a plastic, electronic Santa Claus waves, dances and greets people dementedly in a Stephen Hawking- like mechanical voice: SANTA “Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho.” 2 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT [KITCHEN] - NIGHT 2 Inside, the Canto-pop music is louder. The restaurant is busy. Some CUSTOMERS dine at the tables, while others line up at the counter to place their takeaway orders. All the family members work hard: TOMMY takes orders; DOROTHY does dishes; SIMON and JOHN work over the woks. All of them smile happily for the customers and work in-synch, like a well-oiled machine. Simon rings the bell and places two meals on the counter. SIMON Table 12! WENDY comes out, dressed in full Sunny Days uniform. She picks up the dishes off the counter, as well as a full pot of Chinese tea. WENDY Got it. 3 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 3 WENDY weaves her way through all the tables, and ventures over to Table 12, where a young man (GUS) sits by himself.
104 WENDY Scallops with ginger and shallots, and a chicken and mushroom hotpot. She sets down the meals, and starts pouring tea for him. From this angle, we can see she wears a wedding ring. Although we can’t yet see his face, the customer speaks: GUS (O/S) Wendy? Wendy looks up and is greeted with GUS: mid-20s, slightly receding hairline, but still handsome. WENDY Gus. Stunned, Wendy continues pouring tea until some spills out of the cup and onto the table. Some spills right over the edge and onto Gus’s lap. In one moment: he flinches, jumps out of his chair, and smashes his head into Wendy’s forehead. She winces, puts the teapot down, and her hand to her head. They groan in pain, and then start rubbing their heads, laughing. Gus starts wiping the scalding hot water off his lap. WENDY Sorry! Wendy starts wiping the tea off the table with masses of napkins. GUS You grew your hair out. WENDY And you don’t wear glasses anymore. And you’re - Gus runs his fingers through his hair and smiles, a little embarrassed. GUS Thinning. I know. WENDY (kindly) That’s not what I was going to say. I was going to say - She taps his wedding ring with her finger. Their wedding rings overlap. WENDY - you’re married.
105 GUS And so are you. Having dried off the table, Wendy starts wiping the tea off Gus’s lap, patting it dry. It is awkward and unavoidably sexual. Both Wendy and Gus turn red. A heavily-pregnant, well-dressed woman (mid 20s) comes back from the toilets, holding her belly. ZOE is bemused and a little wary by the sight of a stranger patting her husband’s leg dry. Gus and Wendy smile at her, embarrassed, as she sits down. ZOE What happened here? GUS This is Wendy! We went to highschool together. Zoe smiles at Wendy, who continues wiping down the table. WENDY Sorry about the mess. My fault. GUS Wendy’s a really successful actor. You know that commercial with the girl and the talking fish? That’s Wendy! WENDY I’m the fish, anyway. Wendy smiles at both of them, standing there like an idiot. A beat, and then Wendy snaps out of it: WENDY Well! I’ll get your rice. (pause) You look good, Gus. GUS So do you, Wendy. As Wendy walks off, she smiles to herself. The Canto-pop music reaches its English chorus again: MUSIC (V/O) L-O-V-E / I love you / Yes I do. 4 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 4 The sound of Simon’s laughter.
106 Chairs have been stacked on top of the tables, and the floors have been freshly mopped. DOROTHY, JOHN, SIMON (laughing), TOMMY and WENDY are gathered around a table eating their late supper: stir-fried chicken, omelette, tomato, rice, greens, mixed fungus and roots. As she eats, Dorothy looks over hand-drawn diagrams of seating arrangements, concentrating. Simon laughs maniacally, hardly able to contain himself. SIMON Did you see the way he ate? It was all like: Simon impersonates: he slouches over the dining table and chews with his mouth open slowly, like a mule. Tommy laughs. Lost in his impersonation, half-masticated food and drool drops out of Simon’s mouth and onto his plate. Simon quickly wipes it away, laughing. Tommy laughs harder. DOROTHY Simon! Wendy smiles, but not at Simon’s joke. She’s entirely in her own world. DOROTHY (Cantonese, to Simon) That’s so mean! He probably had sensitive teeth. Simon sees Wendy smiling to herself. SIMON So Gar-Jer, you saw him, right? Wendy turns to him, dazed. WENDY Sorry? What? Simon gives her a funny look. SIMON Nothing. What’s up? Wendy’s coughs slightly, embarrassed, and continues eating her meal. WENDY No one. I mean: nothing.
107 On the other side of the table, Dorothy crosses out names on her chart then rewrites them somewhere else, arranging them around an illustration of a table. DOROTHY (muttering to herself) Ruth is going to sit here, and your Uncle Geoff is going to sit next to her of course ... and there’s Wendy, and that’s Peter next to her ... Wendy looks up. WENDY Don’t put Pete down yet. We aren’t sure whether he’s coming this year yet. Everyone turns to her, surprised. DOROTHY (Cantonese) What? Why not? WENDY Work said they might need him. DOROTHY (Cantonese) They’d make him work over Christmas? Wendy wipes sweat off her brow with a napkin, and drinks a glass of water, flustered. WENDY Just don’t lock him in. I don’t know what’s happening with us. I mean, him. Him. Simon gives Wendy a disbelieving look. SIMON Even we close the restaurant for Christmas, but. WENDY (terse) Simon, I’m not his boss. (pause) We just need to figure out what’s going on, that’s all. 5 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATER 5 In the kitchen, SIMON, TOMMY and WENDY help each other remove a metal grille from the stovetop to clean.
108 JOHN clears everyone’s empty dishes, and puts them into the kitchen sink. He claps his hands together. JOHN (Cantonese) Well! I’m going for a drive. DOROTHY, still going over seating plans at the table, winces, massaging the back of her neck: this is an old routine. DOROTHY (Cantonese) John, it’s late. Let’s just go to bed? JOHN (Cantonese) I won’t be long. John starts to whistle. DOROTHY (Cantonese) That’s what you say every time. And then you come home hours later. He washes his hands, takes his car keys, and leaves out the back door. It bangs behind him loudly. DOROTHY (calling out) If you come back and I find out you’ve been smoking, I’m going to kill you. JOHN (Cantonese, calling out) I said I won’t be long. Don’t wait up. Outside, the sound of the van’s spluttering engine starts up. Dorothy slouches upon hearing it. 6 EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT 6 At one end of the rooftop, TOMMY waters herbs, humming the tune of the Cantonese pop music to himself innocently. On the other end, SIMON hoses and scrubs down the metal grilles, which are covered in charred grease. The rooftop next door belongs to the adjacent Indian restaurant. Here, SANJEEV (17) - an Indian-Australian boy the same age as Simon - cleans their own restaurant’s grilles with his sister GHITA (15).
109 SANJEEV (to Simon, tentatively) Saw your Dad drive off before. Ghita glares at Sanjeev, as though he’s said something inappropriate. GHITA (whispering) Jeeves. Simon shrugs. SIMON Yeah? Sanjeev and Ghita give one another a loaded look, a silent fight on whether they should mention something. SIMON (bemused) What? Sanjeev hesitates. SANJEEV Nothing. SIMON (joking) What? Do you guys know something I don’t? SANJEEV No, no. It’s nothing. GHITA (hisses) Sanjeev, you don’t even know for sure. Pointedly, she puts herself between Sanjeev and him, so Simon can’t see either of them. Sanjeev and Ghita start arguing animatedly in Hindi, Ghita getting fired up and conspiratorial. In the middle of it all, Tommy walks on over with the watering can. Sanjeev and Ghita continue arguing hotly. TOMMY Gor-Gor, I’m finished. What now? As Sanjeev and Ghita register Tommy’s presence, they clamp up. There is a conspicuous and loaded silence. Ghita crosses her arms, and looks to her feet.
110 GHITA Hi, Tommy. SIMON Tommy, maybe you should go back inside. TOMMY Why? Acknowledging Tommy’s presence Sanjeev tries to speak as loadedly as possible to Simon, without spelling it out. SANJEEV All I’m saying is: do you know where your Dad’s going this late at night? Simon thinks, concerned. 7 INT. ENSUITE - NIGHT 7 In the mirror, an extreme close-up: a single eye bulging horribly. DOROTHY stands in front of the ENSUITE mirror, her fingers prying her eyelids apart, making it look as though her eyeball is about to pop out of her head. It is an unattractive face. She brings her fingers close to her eyeball, pinches - and removes a contact lens. Behind her, WENDY stands there brushing her teeth, her hair wrapped in a towel, deep in thought. DOROTHY (Cantonese) See, your brothers are easy. They always want new gadgets. And your Aunty Ruth always likes jewellery, and I just get your cousin Samantha a gift voucher. She places the contact lens in its holder, and covers it in solution. DOROTHY (Cantonese) It’s funny: I’ve known your father longer than any of you, and he’s still the most difficult person to figure out. I have no idea what he wants. WENDY Uh-huh.
111 Wendy keeps brushing her teeth, lost in her own thoughts. Dorothy applies a gel into the palm of her hand, lathers it up, and starts applying it to her face. DOROTHY (Cantonese) To be honest, I don’t really know what’s going on in his head anymore. (pause) You’re lucky with Peter. You understand each other. At this, Wendy spontaneously bursts out in violent coughing fits. Foam comes out of her mouth and onto the floor. It’s almost as though she’s convulsing. She comes over in a rush, spits in the sink, and continues to cough. DOROTHY (alarmed) Are you okay? What’s wrong? Dorothy starts smacking her back: too hard. Wendy’s coughing slows down, but Dorothy continues to smack her back ever harder: SLAM, SLAM, SLAM. WENDY (muffled) Mum! I’m fine, I’m fine. It just went down the wrong hole. Dorothy puts her hand to her heart. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Oh, I thought there was something wrong! Wendy looks at herself in the mirror, weighing herself up. WENDY No, no. Everything’s fine. (to herself) Everything’s fine. 8 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 8 The lights are turned off. On the mantle, there are several framed family photos of key family moments: Dorothy nursing an infant Wendy; Tommy and Simon losing their teeth; a dated studio portrait of the family; a newspaper clipping of the restaurant’s opening.
112 There is also a photo of Wendy and Peter on their wedding day. On the living room floor, a couple of suitcases look as though they have burst open. It’s an explosion of female clothes, toiletries, recharge cables, plane tickets and magazines - an absolute mess. On the sofa WENDY has her mobile phone to her ear, looking quietly distressed: crying and wiping snot with her sleeve. To avoid waking up her family, she speaks as quietly as possible. PETER (V/O) Jesus, stop crying. I thought we could talk like adults. Wendy is crammed into an old, ill-fitting “My Little Pony” sleeping bag, made to accommodate a 12-year-old girl. WENDY I can’t help it. PETER (V/O) You screw some stranger, and I’m supposed to feel sorry for you? WENDY So what? You’re giving up on me? On us? PETER (V/O) I think you already made that move. (beat) I’ve sent the papers through to your parent’s place. By courier. They should arrive first thing tomorrow morning. Wendy stops crying immediately, stunned. WENDY Papers? Peter, hold on. Okay, you’re feeling angry, but let’s - PETER I don’t feel angry Wendy. I feel stupid. He hangs up. 9 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - LATE NIGHT 9 Huddled over on one side of the bed, DOROTHY lies on her side, with her eyes completely open. The ensuite door opens.
113 Wearing a singlet and underwear, JOHN comes into bed. After a moment’s silence between them: DOROTHY (Cantonese, casually) I was thinking: maybe next time you go out, I could come with you. Escape the kids and everything. John yawns. JOHN (Cantonese) I like being on my own. That’s the point. She goes over to touch him on the arm, and then his face, but John shuffles away. JOHN (Cantonese) What are you doing? John jams his eyes shut tightly, looking annoyed. JOHN (Cantonese) Can we just go to sleep? A beat. Then Dorothy rolls back onto her back and stares blankly. There is a constellation of mildew on the ceiling. 10 INT. LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING 10 WENDY stands by the window in her pyjamas. It looks as though she hasn’t slept. A COURIER (40s, female) drive into the restaurant’s back driveway in her van. She gets out with a small envelope, and heads towards the back door. Almost leaping, Wendy takes off to intercept her downstairs. The doorbell rings. DOROTHY (O/S) calls out down the hallway. DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) I’ll get it! Wendy swivels her head, alarmed, and keeps racing down the stairs.
114 WENDY (panicked, calling out) No, no! That’s okay! Leave it to me! I’ll get it! I can do it! (insane) I can do it! She races down the stairs at full pelt, almost tripping over. 11 EXT./INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - MORNING 11 At the back door of the restaurant, WENDY stands in her pyjamas, hastily signing the COURIER’s clipboard, nervously, afraid of being caught out. She finishes her signature pointedly, and then rips the parcel out of the courier’s hands. WENDY Is that it? COURIER (perky) That’s it! WENDY (breathless) Okay-thanks-bye. COURIER Have a good - In a swift motion, Wendy closes the door right in the courier’s face. Then she quickly starts to heads upstairs, a little bit breathless. DOROTHY (O/S) calls out: DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) What was it, Wendy? Wendy holds the parcel close to her chest. WENDY (manic and sing-song) Nothing, nothing! It was nobody! DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) Was it something for me? WENDY (O/S) (Cantonese) No, just something for ... Dad! Nothing special! It was nothing!
115 12 INT. BATHROOM - MORNING 12 WENDY sits on the toilet, reading over the divorce papers, peeing. The hastily-torn envelope sits by her feet. As she reads, Wendy looks pale and sweaty, and breathes irregularly. She pulls off some toilet paper and wipes sweat off her forehead. 13 EXT. ROOFTOP - MIDDAY 13 Midday: the adjacent restaurant rooftops are bathed in beating hot white sunshine, and a tinny AM radio is tuned into classic hits of the 1970s. DOROTHY stands with a basket of laundry, and hangs out row upon row of tea-towels. She wears massive, cheap sunglasses, too big for her face, and a giant, floppy sunhat. On the adjacent rooftop, PRIYA (40s), an Indian woman, hangs up the teatowels of her restaurant too. PRIYA (to Dorothy) But all husbands are like that. They never say anything about what they’re thinking, where they’re going, what they’re doing. With Darshan, I’ve given up. But now, to be honest, I’d rather not know what goes on in his head! (laughing) Don’t ask, don’t tell! Isn’t that what they say? Dorothy and Priya laugh. PRIYA And please: don’t even ask me about the sex! It’s non-existent. DOROTHY Same here. Dorothy and Priya laugh even harder, conspiratorially. WENDY arrives at the rooftop, still looking sick, pale and bent over, with a roll of documents scrunched in her hands. WENDY (weak, barely audible) Mum, can I talk to you? Still laughing, Dorothy doesn’t hear Wendy, but then brightens up upon noticing her presence.
116 PRIYA Wendy! Tell us: do you and Peter have a “loving and fulfilling sex life”? Wendy blinks stunned, like a fish. WENDY What? Dorothy laughs. DOROTHY Priya! No! PRIYA We’re both so old now, remind us what it’s like to be young! I’m lucky if it’s once a year! My Darshan may as well be a eunuch. Priya raises her eyebrows, and makes a “snip-snip” action with her fingers. Dorothy is almost bent over laughing. DOROTHY Well at least he’s not having an affair. The mood shifts, and Priya lowers her tone. PRIYA Last week, my waitress found her husband having an affair: with her son’s school teacher. DOROTHY Oh my god. PRIYA It’s true! She tsks. PRIYA If I ever found Darshan having an affair, I don’t know what I would do. It is the ultimate betrayal. Dorothy nods solemnly; Wendy turns pale. DOROTHY I agree. Then Dorothy remembers Wendy’s presence, and turns to face her:
117 DOROTHY (Cantonese) Wendy? What did you want to talk about? - but Wendy is already heading for the doorway to go back inside. 14 INT. BATHROOM - DAY 14 WENDY dry-wretches into the toilet bowl, like she’s having an anxiety attack. Nothing comes out of her mouth, but tears come out of her eyes. Wendy groans: WENDY Urgh ... She rips off some toilet paper and blows her nose into it. Someone knocks on the bathroom door. WENDY Who is it? SIMON (O/S) Me. Are you going to be long? Wendy continues wiping herself up with the toilet paper. WENDY Just a minute! Wendy flushes the toilet, spitting into it, then starts washing her face in the basin. WENDY Come in! Simon opens the door, and wrinkles his nose, sniffing cautiously. SIMON You didn’t take a dump, did you? WENDY (offended) Simon. Unceremoniously, Simon unzips and starts peeing into the toilet loudly. WENDY Simon, Jesus.
118 SIMON Hey, have you noticed anything different about Dad since you’ve come back? WENDY His hair’s whiter. SIMON Apart from that. (beat) It’s just: Dad’s been leaving the house a lot lately. At night. He says it’s to get air, but ... sometimes he’s gone for ages. Simon shakes, flushes the toilet, then zips up. WENDY What are you saying? SIMON (conspiratorially) I’d never thought about it. But I was talking to Jeeves the other night, and the signs are there, you know? WENDY Signs of what? SIMON (loaded) What do you think? Simon washes his hands alongside Wendy, and they talk to one another in the mirror. SIMON I mean: have you ever thought? That you could lead the entirely secret life. And no one would know. No one except you. They stare at one another in the mirror. Wendy is the first one to break eye contact. 15 INT. SHOPPING CENTRE - NIGHT 15 The carnage of late-night Christmas shopping. Jolly and happy Christmas carols pump through the shopping centre speakers. There are screaming CHILDREN; queues of PARENTS waiting for gift-wrapping; FAMILIES lining up for photo opportunities with SANTA and his ELVES.
119 WENDY and TOMMY sit on a bench, with Wendy going over a meticulously-written Christmas shopping list. Tommy’s eyes dart everywhere, and he peers into other people’s shopping trolleys. TOMMY (pointing) Look, Gar-Jer! Look! That’s the Nintendo I was telling you about! And that’s the Playstation that’s portable, and you can watch movies on it and everything. Whoa. That family must be rich. In contrast to Tommy and the upbeat Christmas music, Wendy looks exhausted and joyless. WENDY (in her own world) This list goes on forever. It’s like Mum’s preparing for the apocalypse or something. (to herself) Fuck, we have missed something. Another shopping trolley goes past, stacked with expensive toys. TOMMY (excited, to Wendy) Gar-Jer! Look! That’s that robotic dog I was talking about! Look! Can you see? You can teach it tricks - WENDY (annoyed) Uh-huh. TOMMY - and it’s smart enough to learn, so as it gets older, you can ... You’re not looking! Wendy looks like her head’s about to burst, and she puts down the list forcefully on her lap. WENDY Tommy, come on. I can’t concentrate. Tommy shuts up immediately, and looks deflated. Seeing this, Wendy softens. WENDY Tommy. Look: how about you go off on your own, look at the toys? We’ll meet back here at 9.30 sharp, okay?
120 I’ve got to get a few more things for Mum. Tommy brightens a little at the suggestion. TOMMY (tentatively) Really? But Mum never lets me go off on my own. WENDY How old are you now? 13? TOMMY Twelve. WENDY Whatever. You’ll be fine. Go. Tommy gives a massive smile, and runs off. WENDY (calling out) 9.30 sharp, okay? Right here. But already, Tommy’s out of sight. 16 INT. SUPERMARKET - NIGHT 16 WENDY pushes her trolley through all the various aisles. She might be imagining it, but it seems like all the aisles are occupied exclusively by almost comically happy couples. ELDERLY COUPLES wearing cardigans hold hands as they pull items off the shelf. YOUNG TEENAGE COUPLES carry shopping baskets together, with matching food stuffs, entangled in each other’s arms. A COUPLE (30s) walk down the aisles, whispering things into each other’s ears. Wendy continues walking between all the various couples, examining her shopping list, but also examining everyone else. She looks glum and depressed. A COUPLE (20s) throw items to one another, as though shopping is a fun ball sport. The young man passes a can of soup to his female partner, and she catches it for the trolley. Both laugh, having fun. As Wendy walks between them, looking sullen, a can of soup hits the side of her head with a blunt thud. WENDY OW.
121 The couple put their hands over their mouths, muffling laughter. YOUNG MAN Sorry! 17 INT. SUPERMARKET - NIGHT 17 At the supermarket, WENDY stands in a massive, sprawling QUEUE that never seems to end. All the checkouts are open, and similarly packed with FAMILIES. She rubs the side of her head, where the can of soup connected. MOTHERS are harassed by screaming and crying CHILDREN that put everyone on edge. The happy Christmas jingles try to cut through the screaming children, to no avail. Wendy starts loading the groceries onto the conveyor belt, when she is interrupted by a male voice: GUS (O/S) Oi. Wendy looks behind her, and is faced with GUS again. He stands in adjacent queue, also loading his groceries onto the conveyor belt. His trolley is stacked with groceries and gifts: stocked remarkably similarly to Wendy’s. He smiles broadly at Wendy, and waves. GUS Hello stranger. 18 INT. SHOPPING CENTRE PUB - NIGHT 18 An Irish pub in the middle of the shopping complex. Decorated predictably, it is a little soulless. WENDY and GUS are the only two people sitting inside, and sit at a bench where they watch late-night SHOPPERS rush past with their stacked trolleys and screaming CHILDREN. Wendy and Gus’s own trolleys are parked next to them. WENDY Do you remember when we used to sneak in here during highschool? We used to think this place was so cutting edge. And now look at it. It was hideous all this time, and we never realised. Silently, Gus smiles into his drink, as though he’s keeping a secret.
122 WENDY What? GUS I met Zoe here. Wendy immediately puts her hands to her face, embarrassed. WENDY Oh god. I’m so sorry. GUS (laughing) Ha. Don’t apologise. I’m sorry too. Wendy taps her finger on Gus’s wedding ring playfully. WENDY Zoe seems nice. What does she do? GUS She’s a lawyer. WENDY Get out. We both married lawyers. GUS Ha. What’s yours like? WENDY He takes his job seriously. He works a lot. He’s good at his job. I suppose one of us has to be. (beat) So how long before - She puts her hands near her crotch, and makes a hand gesture and sound that implies an explosion. GUS One month to go now. WENDY Scary. Gus laughs. GUS Ha. You’ve been the only person who’s said that so far. Everyone else says, “Congratulations.” (beat) It’s funny: getting married wasn’t so scary. But now, it’s a reality check. It’s confirmation: “This is your life.”
123 WENDY “This is your life.” I know what you mean. GUS What are you talking about? You’re the one with the exciting acting career. WENDY I haven’t scored a proper role in five months. Peter thinks my career’s a joke. The terrible thing is: he’s right. It’d be better if he just lied. They sips their beers quietly. GUS It’s funny: marriage. You always think: I’m still young. Am I missing out on adventure? But then Zoe said to me: if you’re single for the rest of your life, you’ll always be wondering what it’s like to be monogamous. (pause) So it’s like an adventure as well, in a way. Monogamy. WENDY You buy that? GUS I don’t know. Wendy raises her glass. WENDY To monogamy. They look at each other, weakly smile, and connect their glasses. Gus laughs a little to himself. GUS I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. Having run out of things to say, they look into their beers. In unison, they take a sip, and stare ahead, having said too much, too soon. SMASH CUT TO:
124 19 INT. DISABLED PUB TOILETS - NIGHT 19 In the disabled bathroom of the pub, WENDY and GUS kiss passionately, their faces smashed against each other. She is propped on the basin, and he pins himself against her, flattening her against the mirror. It is frenzied, rushed, breathless. They run their hands in one another’s hair, still wearing their respective wedding rings. GUS Wait, wait. They don’t stop whatsoever. WENDY This is really messed up. Their kissing is even more frenzied, more intense. GUS Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Wendy unzips his fly, undoes his belt. WENDY We shouldn’t be doing this. This is so wrong. He searches her skirt for her underwear, and pulls them quickly down to her feet. GUS I’m married. You’re married. This is crazy. His trousers drop down to his ankles. WENDY We really should stop. Wendy takes care of his underwear, and they drop down to his knees. He leans into her, then goes in for her neck. Wendy’s hair goes everywhere. 20 INT. SHOPPING CENTRE PUB - NIGHT 20 From outside, we see the disabled toilet is engaged. Outside, an ELDERLY WOMAN (70s) with a severe hunch and cane waits, scowling at the door, knowingly. Christmas jingles play through the pub speakers politely. Eventually, the ‘ENGAGED’ sign turns to ‘VACANT’.
125 GUS and WENDY open the door, looking conspicuously messy. Their hair stands at odd angles, their clothes are twisted, and they’re in the middle of tidying themselves up. They’re stopped in their tracks by the scowling elderly woman, who stares them both down. They look at her silently, like kids who have been caught out. WENDY (meek) Hello. The elderly woman glances discreetly at Gus’s crotch, trying to communicate something with her eyes. Gus realises his fly is undone, and zips it back up sheepishly, slowly, loudly: “z-i-p.” The elderly woman glares at them with disgust. In silence, she pushes past them both pointedly, and closes the door behind her. The BARMAN raises a single eyebrow in their direction. They stare at the floor, embarrassed. Suddenly, Wendy flinches and looks at her watch. She puts her hand to her mouth. WENDY Tommy. 21 INT. SHOPPING CENTRE - NIGHT 21 WENDY pushes her stacked trolley hastily to the designated meeting spot in the shopping centre. Pushing such a large trolley so fast renders her slightly ridiculous, and a little dangerous. Other SHOPPERS scowl and tsk at her. Trailing her, and pushing his stacked trolley as well, is GUS. His shirt is still untucked, and they both look a mess. Wendy looks around frantically, spotting YOUNG BOYS of similar height and hair colour. None of them are Tommy. Tommy is nowhere to be seen. WENDY (to herself, breathless) Tommy? Over the loudspeaker.
126 VOICEOVER (V/O) Dear customers. The time is now 10.15pm. Please be aware that Centro Plaza closes its doors at 10.30pm sharp. We are open tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, from 8.30am to 5.00pm. Wendy looks around, panicked, searching. GUS Don’t panic. How long’s it been? When did you say he was going to meet you? WENDY Nine-thirty. She looks at her watch again. VOICEOVER (V/O) We trust you have enjoyed shopping at Centro Plaza. On behalf of all the management and staff, we wish you a very merry Christmas, and a safe and happy new year. GUS Does he have a mobile phone? WENDY No. He’s not allowed. Dad says they cause brain tumours. (beat) I’m an idiot, I’m an idiot. Shoppers start streaming out of the shopping centre slowly. Wendy starts to fidget nervously, her fingers tapping the trolley. 22 INT. SHOPPING CENTRE - LATER 22 WENDY stands in the same spot, minding both her trolley and Gus’s, waiting. The final remnants of the crowd dissipates through the shopping centre doors. Over the loudspeaker: VOICEOVER (V/O) Good evening shoppers. The time is now 10.30pm, and Centro Plaza is now officially closed for Christmas night trading. GUS comes back, jogging.
127 GUS He’s not at the toy shop. I checked inside, and asked them using your description: they haven’t seen him. VOICEOVER (V/O) We would appreciate if you could kindly make your way to the doors. We are open tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, from 8.30am to 5.00pm. WENDY Oh Jesus. Around them, STORE MANAGERS pull down their roller doors, and lock up for the evening. Gus looks at his watch. GUS Are you sure he hasn’t walked home or something? Wendy shakes her head, biting her lip. WENDY It’s too far. Or maybe. (panicking) I don’t know, I don’t know. GUS Do you want me to call anyone? The police? WENDY No, no - the police. Oh god, no. Wendy does a 360, her eyes darting around, as though Tommy might appear any second. She is in her own world. SECURITY GUARDS come up to the doors with massive rings of keys, ready to lock up for the evening. VOICEOVER (V/O) We trust you have enjoyed shopping at Centro Plaza. On behalf of all the management and staff, we wish you a very merry Christmas, and a safe and happy new year. Wendy looks utterly lost. 23 EXT. CARPARK - NIGHT 23 TOMMY stands by the van, waiting with his hands by his sides, holding an X-Men comic book, looking around, waiting.
128 WENDY comes walking towards the carpark, crying quietly, pushing the trolley. GUS walks alongside her with his trolley, consoling her. GUS We’ll go to your place together. We’ll tell your parents, then we’ll call the police. Wendy breaks out into a heaving sob. WENDY Oh Jesus. Suddenly, looking towards the van, Wendy eyes widen and she stops in her tracks. WENDY Tommy? As soon as Tommy spots Wendy, he waves unceremoniously. WENDY (calling out, loud) TOMMY! Again, Tommy waves: this time a little confused. Wendy runs full pelt towards him with her trolley, her face streaked with tears. TOMMY What’s wrong? WENDY What’s wrong? What’s WRONG? (shrill, losing it) Tommy! Where the hell were you? I was looking for you at the meeting spot forever, and you weren’t there. I even got Gus here - Gus waves. GUS Hi. WENDY - to look for you in the toyshop, and ask if they’d seen anyone matching your goddamned DESCRIPTION. I thought you’d been kidnapped and sold to PAEDOPHILES I told you, I TOLD you to wait there. Never ever do that again, Tommy! That was so irresponsible. So -
129 TOMMY But I did! I did wait! And you never came! And I sat and read my comics for half an hour! WENDY (flustered) Tommy, that’s not the point! I was running late. But what did I tell you? I told you - TOMMY (interrupting) Then it was 10 o’clock and you still weren’t there! And I thought maybe you’d be at the van, and I’ve been here the whole time! Dead silence. Wendy stops: she knows she’s taken it too far. Tommy takes ventolin, and blinks back tears. He stands there with his arms crossed, looking away. Wendy looks at Gus, then bites her lip, regretful. 24 INT. VAN - NIGHT 24 WENDY drives the van in silence, with TOMMY in the passenger seat. Tommy still has his arms crossed, and glares out the window, refusing to look at Wendy. After a long silence, Wendy looks over at Tommy with an apologetic face. WENDY Tommy? Before she can get a word in: TOMMY (terse) YOU were the one who was late. Don’t blame me. (beat) It was YOUR fault. Don’t blame other people. It’s usually YOUR fault. You never want to admit it, but. He continues looking out the window. Wendy’s shoulders slump. The van zooms down the road.
130 25 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 25 The restaurant is closed, and DOROTHY counts back the register’s float. SIMON rests on his haunches on the stovetop, wiping the metal walls down with detergent and water. WENDY and TOMMY enter with bags upon bags of groceries and gifts. Tommy continues to scowl. DOROTHY (Cantonese) How did you go? WENDY (friendly) I think we got everything. I can’t be sure. What do you reckon, Tommy? Tommy doesn’t respond, and drops the bags on the benchtop. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Tommy, did you have a good time? Simon watches Tommy with dry curiousity. Dorothy watches him leave, concerned. DOROTHY (Cantonese) What’s wrong with Tommy? WENDY It’s nothing. He’s just ... he’s just having a tantrum. We sort of lost each other in the shopping centre - TOMMY (O/S) (calling out) She was LATE! She set up a meeting spot, and she was LATE. It wasn’t ME. Don’t blame ME! Upstairs, a door bangs shut. Simon raises an eyebrow at Wendy. SIMON (dry) Really? Late? That’s not like you. WENDY Shut up, Simon. (beat) Where’s Dad?
131 DOROTHY (Cantonese) Out. Again. He said he needed to get air again. Dorothy shrugs. WENDY So where is he? Simon glances from Dorothy to Wendy, looking shrewd. SIMON (stupid voice) It’s a mystery, baby. 26 INT. AU-LUM’S PLACE - NIGHT 26 A smoke-filled living room, filled with men’s dirty laughter. JOHN (O/S) (Cantonese) That’s the thing: no one eats Chinese food anymore. Everyone’s eating Thai, or Indian or Vietnamese. They even go for fucking Japanese. People will pay you money not to cook something. I don’t understand. At the centre of the room is a square formica table covered in mah-jong tiles. Around the table, five dollar notes are scattered in small piles. There are peanuts, almond cookies, candied melons, salted plums, red ginger, tea and Guinness. Four sets of hands wash the mah-jong tiles, which makes noise like rain against the table. The four sets of hands belong to JOHN, his brother AU-LUM (50s, yellow teeth), CHUCK (20s, Elvis hairdo) and DESMOND (40s, head like a bowling ball). AU-LUM (Cantonese) You’re right, you’re right! Look at Tony. He’s got that sushi place in Melbourne and he’s basically a millionaire. That’s what we all have to do. John tsks.
132 JOHN (Cantonese) What? Serve uncooked fish to people? (beat) Wendy loves the stuff. I don’t touch it. CHUCK (Cantonese) Wendy’s back in town? DESMOND (Cantonese) Chuck, give it a rest. You don’t have a chance with Wendy. We know what diseases you have. AU-LUM (Cantonese) Plus, she’s married! CHUCK (Cantonese) To a white man. JOHN (Cantonese) To a lawyer, Chuck. That’s different. (pointing to Chuck) I’d rather her marry a white lawyer than a Chinese shop assistant. Everyone but Chuck starts bellowing with laughter. Chuck scowls. They pick up their tiles and setting up their rows. DESMOND (Cantonese) My Irene, I told her when she was little: “No white man!” So what does she do? She becomes a lesbian with a Chinese woman! Desmond buries his face in his hands, while everyone else bellows laughter around him. DESMOND (Cantonese) It’s not funny! You bastards! Au-Lum laughs, and passes around a packet of Chinese cigarettes. Everyone takes one and lights up, blowing smoke up into the room. John puts up his palm: “No thanks.”
133 JOHN (Cantonese) After last year? Dorothy would kill me. AU-LUM (Cantonese) In the end, something’s going to kill you, right? Would you prefer it to be your wife or one of these? John hesitates. Then he looks at Au-Lum, and raises a defiant eyebrow. He takes a cigarette, and puts it to his mouth. Au-Kum lights it up, and John inhales. John’s eyes rolls into the back of his head. It looks like he’s just orgasmed. JOHN (Cantonese) Oh, that’s it. Everyone else laughs and applauds. John takes a puff, and makes himself more comfortable by unbuttoning his shirt a little. It’s just enough to see his open heart surgery scar. JOHN (Cantonese) Okay, let’s play. 27 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 27 The rest of the house is dark, but a lampshade is on in the living room, illuminating the photos of Wendy and Peter on their wedding day on the mantle. Outside, there is a rumble as the van (O/S) pulls up into the driveway. WENDY lies down on the sofa, illuminated by the flickering television screen which shows a nature documentary about the reproductive cycle of insects. NARRATOR (V/O) (English accent) Somewhat incredibly, the female will mate with hundreds of males in her lifetime, demonstrating an almost unheard of level of promiscuity within the animal kingdom. The men line up, and she is not fussy ... Wendy makes a guilty face. The sound of a door opening, and footsteps up the stairs.
134 JOHN appears at the top of the stairs, surprised to see Wendy there. JOHN (Cantonese) What are you still doing up? I thought everyone would have been asleep by now. WENDY Everyone else is. (sniffs) Where have you been? You smell like cigarettes. John pauses to think of what to say. Behind him, on the television, insects mate in an incredibly graphic fashion. JOHN (Cantonese) Nowhere. It’s everyone else smoking around me. Wendy raises an eyebrow at him. JOHN (Cantonese) Okay: it was just one. It won’t kill me, right? WENDY You keep smoking, Mum will kill you herself. JOHN (Cantonese) It’s just mah-jong with the boys. It’s harmless. I’d be passive smoking anyway. He sits on the side of the sofa. WENDY (Cantonese) So why don’t you tell Mum where you go? JOHN (Cantonese) Are you kidding? Would you tell her I’m hanging out with those guys? She hates them. (beat) Sometimes, I just need a break from all this. Work. Marriage. Does that make sense to you?
135 Wendy nods sympathetically. She sniffs him again, and grimaces. WENDY Look, even if you have a shower, you’re still going to stink like smoke. Here. She searches through her luggage and produces a spray-can of deodorant. She throws; he catches. John smiles, then ruffles her hair. He gets up with the can of deodorant. 28 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATER 28 In the dark, WENDY sits outside on the living room parapet, looking out into the sky. It begins to rain. She has the phone to her ear, waiting for the other end to pick up. Finally, Peter’s message: PETER (V/O) Hi, this is Peter Templeton from Ian Burlington and Associates. I’m sorry I can’t take your call at the moment, but please leave a message. After a while, she stops herself, a small stone nearly hits Wendy in the forehead. WENDY Ow! She flinches, then looks at it, baffled. GUS (O/S) (whispering) Psst. Wendy! Below her, on the ground floor, hiding behind a tree, is GUS. Wendy’s eyes bulge open, and she faces her palms up, giving him a look: “Are you insane?” GUS (whispering) I needed to see you again. He gestures at her with his hands to come down and meet him.
136 Panicked, Wendy looks left to right, then behind her, then makes her way down. 29 INT. VAN - NIGHT 29 Outside, the rain continues to beat down harder. WENDY and GUS sit in the backseat of the van, hands in their laps, looking uncomfortable. GUS I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m here. I think tonight’s messed with my head. I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have happened. We’re both married. WENDY Does Zoe know you’re here? GUS I told her I needed to get air. Hearing this, Wendy smiles to herself. GUS You know what’s stupid? Last night, when we came to the restaurant. If I’m honest with myself, I have to say: part of me was hoping you’d be there. It’s sort of amazing you were, when you think about it. WENDY Gus. This isn’t the best timing. I’ve got my own shit to deal with. I’m not exactly right in the head, if I’m completely honest. GUS I’m a mess too. At exactly the same time, they immediately lean in and start kissing fervently and breathlessly. GUS This is insane. They start removing one another’s clothes. WENDY It’s so wrong. Clothes go everywhere.
137 30 EXT. SIMON’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS 30 As the rain pours down harder, SIMON can be seen standing by his bedroom window, squinting, trying to make out what’s happening in the van. 31 INT. SIMON’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS 31 SIMON peers out through the rain, but all he can see inside the van are two dark shapes moving. SIMON (under his breath) Dad. Down the hallway, a toilet flushes. Footsteps approach Simon’s room, and TOMMY enters, bleary-eyed and sleepy. Simon turns around. TOMMY What’s happening? 32 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATE NIGHT 32 With the lights off, SIMON and TOMMY creep through the back area of Sunny Days in their pyjamas. They peer out through the window, watching the van. The rain continues to pour down hard. Simon squints. TOMMY (whispering) Are you sure you saw someone out there? Was it just a possum maybe? SIMON (whispering) Pretty big fucking possum. (pause) There were definitely two people in the van. I couldn’t see who they were, but who else could they be? Simon sees something move in the van. It’s hard to make out. He squints further. SIMON (whispering) Just wait. I think I saw something too. TOMMY (whispering) I’m scared.
138 SIMON (whispering) You serious? Simon scans Tommy’s face. SIMON Stay here. I’m going out. TOMMY But it’s raining. 33 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATE NIGHT 33 In the rain, SIMON covertly tip-toes out into the back driveway, where the van is parked. TOMMY watches him from inside the restaurant, anxious, holding his fist to his mouth, and a blanket in the other hand. Simon is immediately drenched. Squinting through the rain, Simon sees Tommy, and shoos him away with him hand. Tommy goes back inside. Simon sprints over quietly, his bare feet splashing in the dirty puddles, then quietly puts his back against the van. Slowly, slowly, he inches his face closer to the window. Finally, he has his face to the glass and peers inside. His eyes squint to make out the dark shapes inside. There are quiet, muffled moaning sounds. Simon continues squinting. There is definitely movement from inside the van. Then, as he starts to focus, his eyes widen in shock at what he sees - Just as quickly, his face ducks down. From inside the van: GUS (O/S) (whispering) Wait. Did you hear something? WENDY’s messy face pokes out of the van’s window, warily, looking out for someone. She breathes heavily, panicked. GUS (O/S) (whispering) What is it?
139 Wendy stares. Although she sees something (or someone?) moving back into the restaurant, it is hard to discern what (or who?) it is through the rain. 34 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATE NIGHT 34 SIMON comes back into the restaurant a little breathless, and closes the door quietly behind him. He is soaking wet, and leaves a trail of water all over the floor. His teeth are chattering, and he hugs himself to keep warm. He puts his back against the wall, looking a little freaked out. TOMMY waits, white-knuckled, biting his fingernails. TOMMY Did you see anything? Was it Dad? Gor-Gor? Was it? Simon turns to Tommy, as if noticing he’s there for the first time. SIMON No one. It was no one. TOMMY What do you mean? SIMON It must have been a possum or something. Or a trick of the light. (beat) You should go back to bed, Tommy. TOMMY If it was nothing, where’s Dad then? 35 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 35 In the bedroom, DOROTHY lies down on her back, fully awake, watching the rain hit the windows, making the streets outside a streaky blur. JOHN opens the ensuite door, and crawls straight into bed. Dorothy sniffs the air, confused. DOROTHY (Cantonese) You smell different.
140 JOHN (Cantonese) Different soap. Dorothy doesn’t look convinced. DOROTHY (Cantonese) It smells ... feminine. (beat) Wendy says you received a parcel today. Who was it from? JOHN (Cantonese) I didn’t receive any parcel. At this, Dorothy looks to the side, eyeing off John with suspicion. 36 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 36 The rain continues. Utterly soaking wet, WENDY comes back inside the Sunny Days kitchen looking a mess. She slides the door closed behind her as quietly and discreetly as possible, but the old fitting creak and groan as she pulls it closed. She creeps through the kitchen, and into the base of the stairs. She is about to head upstairs, when - SIMON waits for her, sitting quietly at the top of the stairs, like an imposing statue. He stares at her accusingly. Almost imperceptibly, he shakes his head at her. No words are exchanged. But silently, it is acknowledged: Simon knows. Wendy opens her mouth, and goes to say something. Then decides against it. She looks to the floor. DOROTHY (V/O) (Cantonese) Where were you tonight? 37 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 37 In bed, DOROTHY talks to John looking at the ceiling. DOROTHY (Cantonese) You keep disappearing. (beat)
141 Is there something you want to tell me? JOHN (sleeping) Mm. Silence. DOROTHY John? But Dorothy turns over to find John fast asleep. However, his mouth is wide open. He begins and makes his trademark loud, rasping through-the-mouth snoring noise: JOHN (asleep) “Karrrrrrhhhhhhhhh ... ” Dorothy tsks. No movement. She puts her hands over her ears, and turns away from him. 38 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 38 Outside, the rain has stopped. In the distance, JOHN (O/S) and his strange way of snoring can be heard: JOHN (O/S) “Karrrrrrrhhhhhhh ... “ In the stairwell separating the Sunny Days restaurant kitchen from the family living area upstairs, WENDY and SIMON sit, both still soaking wet. SIMON You mean Gus? Gus from high school? Jesus. (beat) Does Pete know? WENDY Not about this. But he knows enough. He wants a divorce. SIMON Do you? Wendy runs her fingers through her hair, and groans through her teeth. WENDY I don’t know. Everything’s sort of a mess right now. (beat)
142 It’s funny. Everyone else I know who’s my age, they’ve got everything figured out. Their jobs, their partners, their futures. And if they don’t, they’re better actors than I am. (beat) Which isn’t saying much, I guess. Silence between them. SIMON This is big. WENDY Please don’t tell anyone. Not yet, anyway. SIMON I know. It’s Christmas. It’s supposed to be merry and shit. 39 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 39 The streets are empty and slick wet from the rain. Everything looks peaceful. However, John’s snoring cuts through the silence. JOHN (O/S) “Karrrrrrrhhhhhhh ... “ 40 EXT. DRIVEWAY - AFTERNOON 40 DOROTHY is dressed prettily - make-up, a patterned dress - but looks frazzled. She marches towards the van looking panicked. From inside the house, SIMON pops his head outside. He is dressed nicely too - collared shirt, tie, hair combed to the side - but also wears rubber gloves and holds a bottle of surface cleaner in one hand; a cleaning cloth in the other. SIMON (Cantonese) Mum? Where are you going? Everyone’s coming in, like, a second. DOROTHY (Cantonese) I knew I forgot to write something on that list. I’ll be back in five minutes! SIMON Is this about the ice-cream? Don’t worry about it!
143 We’ve got restaurant ice-cream in the freezer. Stacks of it. Dorothy gets in the van, slams the door shut, and winds down the window so she can call out to Simon. DOROTHY (Cantonese) I’m not serving that crap for Christmas. Do you know how watered- down that stuff is? It’s like frozen milk. It’s just the petrol station. Won’t be long. 41 INTERCUT - INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS 41 DOROTHY starts the engine, and shifts the gear into reverse. She swivels towards the rear window so she can start backing out ... but then she notices something in the backseat. Her eyes widen. SIMON watches as the van’s engine stalls, and then comes to a sudden, shuddering halt. The van stands there, totally stationary. SIMON Mum? He approaches the van. Inside, Dorothy continues staring at something in the backseat. Simon slides open the back door, and looks at Dorothy curiously. SIMON What? What is it? Dorothy simply points to something in the back. DOROTHY Is that what I think it is? Simon sees it; we see a flash of floppy plastic. He puts his hands to his face, as though watching a horror movie. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Is this ... yours? Simon stands there shocked, unable to respond. But it’s clear from the expression on his face that the answer is “No.” He shakes his head. DOROTHY Are you sure? The colour drains from Dorothy’s face.
144 DOROTHY (Cantonese, under her breath) I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid. Every night, when he’s been going out ... Simon, stunned by the level of misunderstanding, almost interjects when - WENDY pops her head out through the back door, dressed prettily too. WENDY Mum, Simon: they’re here! Yee-Ma and Geoffrey Yee-Jeung - and Samantha! Are you guys ready? Dorothy looks over at Wendy blankly, like she’s seen a ghost. Wendy looks confused, but then sees Simon scowling at her, and beckoning her over with urgency. Wendy starts jogging over until she reaches the van. WENDY What’s going on? SIMON (terse and loaded) Look what Mum found. She think it’s Dad’s. Wendy sees it, then recoils. DOROTHY (in a daze) I’ve been so stupid. All this time, he keeps telling me he needs air ... Wendy covers her mouth, and exchanges a guilty look with Simon. He has his arms crossed, looking unimpressed. JOHN comes out with TOMMY on his shoulders, followed by the extended family: RUTH, GEOFFREY and SAMANTHA, all bearing gifts and smiling brightly. TOMMY (O/S) (happily) They’re here! They’re here! Can we start now? GEOFFREY/RUTH/SAMANTHA (in unison, sing-song) Merry Christmas!
145 In contrast to their festive mood, Dorothy, Wendy and Simon look stricken and funereal. WENDY Oh Jesus. 42 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 42 The Lo family and their extended family are gathered around the tables, which have been pushed together to form one long banquet setting. Dinner plates are empty, and there are bowls filled with empty prawn, oyster and mussel shells. JOHN scoops generic no-brand ice cream for everyone, smiling to himself. Next to him are Dorothy’s sister RUTH (early 50s), her Caucasian husband GEOFFREY (early 50s), AU-LUM, and John’s mother MA-MA (70s). Everyone laughs at something Geoffrey has said. GEOFFREY I know, I know! It’s terrible! But you have to admit, it’s funny. Everyone - except DOROTHY - is laughing. Instead, she picks at her teeth with a toothpick. MA-MA (Cantonese, smiling) What did he say? What did he say? TOMMY whispers into her ear, translating. Ma-Ma starts laughing too. Ruth wipes away a tear, still laughing, then kisses Geoffrey on the cheek. RUTH (English) That’s terrible, Geoffrey. Dorothy, what about you? Are you the same? Dorothy looks at her, blank. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Sorry? What? Ruth gives her a puzzled look and leans in discreetly. RUTH (Cantonese, discrete) Dorothy? What’s wrong? It’s like you’re in your own world;
146 you’ve hardly touched any of the food, either. Dorothy looks down onto her plate: it’s almost untouched. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Oh, nothing. She glances over at John, who is jovial and jokey, and looks ill. On the other end of the table, SIMON and WENDY stare at Dorothy, slightly horrified. Opposite them is Ruth and Geoffrey’s daughter SAMANTHA (20s, dressed conservatively, prissy). She talks, but is oblivious that Simon and Wendy’s attention is elsewhere. SAMANTHA (business-like) It’s a shame Pete couldn’t make it. I wanted to pick his brains about this one legal firm in the city, because I was thinking of approaching them after I graduate in June. WENDY Right. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. RUTH Are we expecting someone else? Dorothy raises her eyebrows at John: “Are we?” John looks confused, and gives her a look: “What?” WENDY I’ll get it. 43 INT. DOORWAY - NIGHT 43 WENDY opens the door. Standing in front of her, unexpectedly, is PETER, dressed in a suit. In silence, they simply stare at one another. WENDY I’ve already told everyone you couldn’t make it. He holds flowers in his hands. PETER Nice to see you too. These are for your Mum. For gate-crashing.
147 A beat. Then Wendy smiles weakly. Peter looks to the ground. WENDY I haven’t signed them yet, you know. PETER Neither have I. 44 EXT. DRIVEWAY - NIGHT 44 WENDY and PETER sit in a tree, which overlooks the driveway and the family van. They swing their legs in the air like children. Peter runs his hands through his hair. PETER And have you felt like this for a while? WENDY Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a marriage. It’s Peter the lawyer, and - She puts her hands to her chest. WENDY - “etcetera”. The add-on. She laughs. WENDY God I’m pathetic. PETER Do you think it’s even worth trying? Us, I mean. That night: it was just a one-off thing, right? Wendy looks away. She stares at family van with guilt. WENDY Yes. Peter, supportive, puts his hand over Wendy’s, tightly. Sadly, he looks into her eyes. She smiles, but can’t maintain eye contact. 45 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 45 Everyone is gathered in the living room, sprawled over sofas and eating their ice cream: JOHN, RUTH, GEOFFREY, AU-LUM, MA- MA, SAMANTHA, SIMON and TOMMY.
148 The television is on, and they watch a video of Wendy in a television drama, in which she plays a prostitute about to be murdered. TOMMY It’s stupid. We already know what happens anyway. RUTH (Cantonese) Shh, shh! Don’t tell me! I haven’t seen this one yet! WENDY and PETER enter, and everyone turns their heads to them, smiling. In particular, Samantha looks very happy to see Peter. SAMANTHA (flirty) Merry Christmas, Peter. Simon is the only one not smiling - instead, he looks at the couple, concerned and tense. Wendy sees what’s on the television. WENDY Oh god, do we have to? SAMANTHA Wendy: why do Asian girls always have to be the prostitutes? Can’t they have an Asian lawyer, or a CEO, or something? It’s not like we’re all sluts. Wendy shuffles uncomfortably. WENDY I guess not. MA-MA (Cantonese) What’s happening? Is he going to kill her, or what? This is taking forever! Ruth and Wendy translate for their Caucasian partners, and everyone laughs. Wendy and Peter smile at one another. Peter grabs Wendy’s hand supportively, and their wedding rings overlap. MEANWHILE: on the other side of the room, DOROTHY sits in a corner, not laughing one bit. She continues to stare at JOHN darkly. She hasn’t touched her dessert, and her ice-cream is melting.
149 Simon observes this, then sees Wendy and Peter. There seems to be thick, suffocating tension in the room, but he is the only one noticing it. Finally, he gets up. SIMON I’m going to get some air. Dorothy turns to John. DOROTHY (pointedly) What’s with the men in this family and needing air? Isn’t there enough air in the room, or something? Everyone looks at her strangely, but Wendy and Simon look to the floor, knowingly. SIMON Okay, I’ll stay. Peter gets up too. PETER Don’t worry, I’ll come with you, Simes! I’ve seen this a hundred times, too. SIMON No, no, Pete, don’t worry about it. Peter winks at Simon, and then makes a discreet smoking gesture, subtly holding two fingers to his lips. PETER But I’ve got your Christmas present, dude. Peter comes over and guides Simon out jokingly by pushing his back towards the hallway. Wendy stands up too, almost ready to follow them, but seems stuck to the floor. Simon looks back at Wendy helplessly. Finally, Simon and Peter disappear. In the background, a kettle begins to shrilly cry out, whistling, as though it’s about to explode. Wendy - looking faint - hears the jug boiling and nothing else. RUTH (O/S) Tea’s ready!
150 46 EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT 46 SIMON and PETER lean over the edge of the rooftop, surveying the quiet streets below. Street lamps are decorated with local council Christmas decorations. They share a joint, and talk in low whispers. PETER My brother grows it in his cupboard. Thought you’d be the one in the family who’d get the most out of it. SIMON Actually, Mum could probably use some the most right now, she just doesn’t know it. (beat) Wendy said you mightn’t be able to make Christmas because of work. Peter laughs. PETER Work? Oh, I see what she did. No, it wasn’t work. It was ... issues. SIMON Is that what you were talking about before? PETER I guess she’s told you all about it, then? Simon nods. SIMON She seems pretty sorry. PETER I think she is, too. We’re going to work through it, I think. SIMON So you’re okay with it all? With Gus and everything? A beat. Then Peter turns to face Simon with a black look on his face. PETER Who’s Gus? Simon, mortified, starts coughing violently. At that very moment, WENDY appears at the doorway.
151 WENDY Hey! What are you guys gossiping about up here, hey? Peter swivels around and glares at Wendy. Behind him, Simon makes a face at Wendy, indicating something bad has happened. PETER Who’s Gus? Thick, deadly silence as Peter stares Wendy down. SUDDENLY: the sound of something falling over downstairs, off-screen. DOROTHY (O/S) shrieks, and PEOPLE (O/S) start gasping panicked. SAMANTHA (O/S) Oh my god! GEOFFREY (O/S) Call Triple Zero! Simon, Peter and Wendy’s turn their heads around, alarmed. 47 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 47 AMBULANCE OFFICERS cart JOHN into the back of the ambulance, an oxygen mask strapped to his face. RUTH, GEOFFREY, AU-LUM, MA-MA, SAMANTHA, WENDY, PETER, SIMON and TOMMY are gathered around in disarray, some crying. DOROTHY, distressed, climbs into the ambulance with John. She sits down and grabs John’s hand. DOROTHY (Cantonese) John! Can you hear me? Wendy, Wendy: come with me! Wendy looks to Peter pleadingly. He gives her a look of utter disdain. PETER Go! What are you waiting for? Startled, she climbs inside the ambulance too. GEOFFREY We’ll see you guys at the hospital. You guys go! I’ll get everyone else to follow!
152 An ambulance officer slams the door shut, while another climbs into the back with Dorothy and Wendy. As the ambulance pulls away, Wendy watches as Peter becomes a blur. Overwhelmed, she starts crying a little. Dorothy grabs John’s hand, and puts it to her face, crying. Wendy sees her parents’ wedding rings overlap. The ambulance officer moves Dorothy’s hand out of the way, so she can watch over John. Dorothy grabs onto Wendy’s hand, instead. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Your stupid father. Your stupid, stupid father. Wendy looks into her lap guilty. 48 INT. HOSPITAL WARD - DAY 48 In the corner of a hospital ward, SIMON and TOMMY have fallen asleep in a corner with an new iPod in their laps, a headphone in each ear. Christmas wrapping is on the floor. DOROTHY is sitting next to JOHN, who is propped up in a hospital bed looking weak not fully conscious. She holds his hand tight. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Never scare me like that again. And your mother nearly had a heart attack herself. Wendy told me about your stupid mah-jong nights. (affectionately) If I catch you smoking again, I’ll kill you. Actually, I’ll kill your brother first. Then I’ll kill you. She leans in and hugs him tight. JOHN (Cantonese) My mother will be upset. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Your mother will congratulate me. WENDY enters the ward, with a cup of hospital coffee in her hand, smiling when she sees Dorothy and John. Simon and Tommy groggily wake up together.
153 SIMON Ew. Dad. We can totally see your balls! John pulls a sheet over himself. JOHN (Cantonese) Shut up! TOMMY Where’s Pete? WENDY Pete had to leave. Simon and Dorothy exchange a knowing look. TOMMY Did he give you a present? WENDY Yes. So only she can see, Wendy opens her palm slightly. She holds a single wedding ring: Pete’s. 49 INT. TOMMY’S ROOM - NIGHT 49 The room is illuminated with a bumble-bee night-lamp. In the top bunk, TOMMY sleeps in pyjamas and bedsheets, made out of the same pattern. WENDY unpacks her suitcases, and starts hanging clothes in Tommy’s closet: the signs of settling in permanently. Her ‘My Little Pony’ sleeping bag is laid out on the bottom bunk, ready for the night. She sits down on the bunk, going over her divorce papers again. A knock at the door. DOROTHY stands there, her arms crossed. Eventually, she comes inside and sits on the bunk next to Wendy. After a moment: DOROTHY (Cantonese) Just spoke to your father. He should be sleeping now. (pause) I thought you two were so happy. I don’t understand. Why did you hide this from everyone? From Pete? All this hiding. Wendy doesn’t know what to say.
154 DOROTHY (Cantonese) Do you need anything? Any help? Wendy thinks. Then she brings out her divorce papers. WENDY I need a witness. 50 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 50 All the lights are turned off, and WENDY lies in the bottom bunk, wide awake, crammed into the old, ill-fitting “My Little Pony” sleeping bag. From the other room, she hears John: JOHN (O/S) “Kaaaaarrrrh.” FADE OUT. END.
155 THE NEW LOWS
EPISODE 4 (of 6): VALENTINE’S DAY
by BENJAMIN LAW
Written as the creative component in a doctorate project undertaken at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane.
FIRST DRAFT (APRIL 2008) © BENJAMIN LAW 2008 Unit 8G/172 Oxlade Drive New Farm, QLD 4005 Phone: 07 3358 2895 Mobile: 0409 762 027 E-mail: [email protected]
156 1 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - LATE NIGHT 1 It’s another hot, sticky, muggy night. All the windows are open, and the ceiling fan spins lazily. On the top bunk, TOMMY is fast asleep. All the sheets are kicked off and the windows are wide open. In his sleep, Tommy breathes through his open mouth, and drools a little. Quietly, his digital watch begins to beep. Progressively, it grows in volume and becomes more insistent. In the bottom bunk, WENDY (O/S) groans a little at the noise, still sleeping. WENDY (O/S) (unconscious) Tommy ... turn it off ... Barely conscious himself, Tommy fidgets with the watch, and switches off the alarm. Then, as though remembering something, he sits bolt upright in bed. Panicking, he starts feeling around the mattress in a panic around his waist. He brings his fingers up to his face and rubs them together, feeling for moisture. But there are no wet patches, and Tommy breathes a sigh of relief: it’s a dry night. Sleepily, he reaches for his glasses, and gets out of bed. 2 INT. TOILET - VERY EARLY MORNING 2 TOMMY stands next to the toilet, and unceremoniously pees a loud stream into the bowl. This goes on for quite some time. Finally, he pulls up his Snoopy pyjama pants, flushes the toilet, and walks out of the bathroom, looking satisfied with himself. 3 EXT. SCHOOL ENTRANCE - DAY 3 To establish: the exterior of a high school grounds: pleasant, clippered and sensible. MALE TEACHER (V/O) Thank you everyone for coming.
157 4 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - DAY 4 The school assembly hall is filled with Year 8 STUDENTS and their PARENTS. A MALE TEACHER and a FEMALE TEACHER (20s) stand side-by-side on the stage, addressing everyone with a PowerPoint presentation, featuring slides and photos of a school camp in the bush. MALE TEACHER For the last 20 years, it’s been tradition that every Year 8 student goes on this camp at the start of the year, before semester begins properly. TOMMY and DOROTHY sit close to the aisle. Alongside them sits VANESSA (12), the awkward Chinese girl with braces. She slouches and has a severe overbite. It makes her look like a horse. Next to Vanessa is her father PING (40s, Chinese). Vanessa glances over at Tommy, shy and blushing. Tommy pretends to ignore her, embarrassed. MALE TEACHER (O/S) It’s sort of a way for students to say goodbye to primary school, and hello to the first year of highschool. A few rows in front of Tommy, a few MEAN GIRLS (12) sit together. They whisper things to one another, then turn around and eye Tommy off menacingly. It’s obvious they’re talking about him. One of the mean girls is blonde, beach-tanned and smug- looking. She is MELISSA. FEMALE TEACHER (O/S) And, of course, hello to each other! Tommy shuffles in his seat, uncomfortable with the attention. Seeing Tommy’s discomfort, the girls giggle to each other. Vanessa glares at them with her big, spectacled bug-eyes. FEMALE TEACHER At this stage of schooling life, it’s important to regroup with your old buddies, but also to make new friends. The doors open, and a father and son arrive late: HARRY (12) and his father NEIL (40s, Anglo). Heads turn, and female heads remain stuck on the pair.
158 Both father and son are handsome: all the mothers stare at Neil smiling, while all the 12-year-old girls stare at his son Harry. Neil looks bashful, and waves quickly to the teachers. NEIL (mouthing) Sorry! Out of the entire crowd, Harry manages to spot Tommy. In recognition, he immediately waves and smiles broadly. Upon seeing this, Melissa and the mean girls throw Tommy a confused and nasty look. They whisper to one another. Taking this in, Tommy smiles to himself, looking pleased. On stage, the presentation continues with slides of high-ropes courses, rockclimbing, and horse-riding. FEMALE TEACHER At this camp, we aim to teach you leadership, as well as wilderness survival, social skills and responsibilities you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. A brassy-looking MOTHER (40s, large) in the crowd puts her hand up, and hollers out: MOTHER Like washing their clothes and cleaning up after themselves, you mean? General laughter from all sides. Dorothy looks around at the other parents blankly. She doesn’t get the joke, or didn’t hear it. She looks around, then starts laughing tentatively because everyone else is. Tommy watches her do this, embarrassed for her, and himself. Then he watches Harry and Neil laugh easily, getting the joke. He smiles to himself, smitten. 5 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - DAY 5 Although the sunlight is strong and blinding through the windows, SIMON is still asleep, shirtless, the sheets halfway down. His hair sticks up at odd angles. Curled up next to him is JANE, who sleeps peacefully too.
159 Simon wakes up a little, blinking, then sees Jane next to him. They are covered in hickies, all over their necks. Like Tommy, Simon smiles to himself too. 6 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 6 On the television is a home video, featuring Wendy on her wedding day. Peter and Wendy beam for the camera, laughing, shooing the camera away. The footage rewinds, and starts again. In contrast to all the sunshine and love on the video tape, WENDY sits in the living room with the curtains down and the television flickering. She looks a mess: mismatched pyjamas, hair everywhere, used snotty tissues balled up all over the floor. Wendy blows her nose. SIMON puts his head around the corner. SIMON (whispering) Hey Gar-Jer. Where’s Dad? Wendy rewinds the footage, then plays it again. WENDY Garage, I think. Fixing something, I think. Simon gestures JANE to come through with him, and they creep past Wendy together, covertly, towards the back stairs. JANE (whispering, smiling at Wendy) Hi. Wendy doesn’t respond, and just continues to watch the television blankly. Jane shoots Simon a concerned look: “Is she okay?” Simon shoos her forward, and through the back door. 7 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - DAY 7 On the back stairs of Sunny Days, SIMON and JANE share a kiss, giggling and a little giddy.
160 JANE Is your sister okay? Simon shrugs. SIMON Divorce. It sucks. JANE Call me, okay? And tell me what your Dad says about dinner. Jane nuzzles his neck, pretending to be an animal, and makes growling noises. Finally, she bites him on the neck, then descends the back stairs. She shoots off down the road, running and smiling. In the middle of the road, she turns back, and waves back to Simon like an idiot. He grins, waving back. 8 INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING 8 SIMON comes back inside, grinning. WENDY is still sitting there with the curtains drawn, watching the television with the remote in her hand. On the television, she is now cutting the cake with Peter. After they cut all the way through, everyone applauds and laughs. Wendy rewinds the footage, blows her nose, and replays it. Simon stares there with eyes wide open, as though he’s entered the realm of a dangerous, unpredictable and sensitive animal. SIMON Gar-Jer? Slowly, he starts opening the curtains one by one to let the sunlight in. SIMON Listen: are you working Valentine’s Day? Because Jane and I were thinking of going out to dinner. It’ll be the last time we see each other before she moves for university. Wendy doesn’t move, and just sits there, continuing to weep.
161 As though dealing with a mentally impaired and dangerous person, Simon gently pries Wendy’s fingers off the remote, one by one. Finally, he turns the television off. SIMON Okay. There we go. Wendy continues staring at the television mournfully, even through it’s been turned off. WENDY (morose) Pete and I married on Valentine’s Day. An awkward silence. SIMON Right. 9 INT. ASSEMBLY HALL - LATER 9 At the entrance of the assembly hall, the FEMALE TEACHER and MALE TEACHER hand out various forms to the PARENTS and STUDENTS as they leave. TOMMY and DOROTHY, VANESSA and PING, HARRY and NEIL are gathered in a small group, looking over the masses of forms. PING Wow. You have to bring so many things to go camping, isn’t it? DOROTHY What is “poncho”? A type of food, isn’t it? Tommy winces, embarrassed. TOMMY Mum. You know what a poncho is. NEIL It’s like a big raincoat. We’ve got a spare one if Tommy needs. From the other side of the room, MELISSA and the MEAN GIRLS are gathered with their mothers, all chatting and casting glances over at Neil and Harry, gossiping.
162 FEMALE TEACHER (calling out) Everyone should also collect one of these forms I’ve left on the chair - the cabin preference form. MALE TEACHER If you have preferences about who you want to bunk with, make sure you hand in this form. Neil grins at Harry and Tommy. NEIL (to Tommy and Harry) I suppose you boys are going to bunk up together, huh? Get up to all kinds of mischief, right? HARRY Yeah, Tommy and I are going to blow up this camp, aren’t we? Harry punches Tommy lightly on the arm. Tommy blushes; Vanessa looks to the floor, looking totally shut out of the conversation. DOROTHY Oh, you should hear Tommy - he never stops talking about Harry! All the time now: “Harry this!”, “Harry that!” Tommy always talking about his “new best friend”, isn’t it! Tommy is aghast, his mouth wide open. TOMMY Mum, I didn’t say - Dorothy interrupts, and puts her hand to her mouth, speaking sideways to Ping and Neil: DOROTHY (whispers, although everyone can here) You know, because Tommy doesn’t make friends very often. Now rendered mute with embarrassment, Tommy can’t make eye contact with anyone. Neil laughs good-naturedly, and notices Tommy’s discomfort.
163 NEIL (changing the subject) Do your families go camping much, then? Harry here’s been a boy scout for years. He’s almost a troop leader, aren’t you, matey? Neil ruffles his son’s hair affectionately. HARRY (trying to act modest) Dad. VANESSA (barely audible) I’m in the girl scouts, and - DOROTHY (interrupting loudly) You know, Tommy wanted to join “boy scout” once, but he is very fragile! Yes! Even at the theme park, he can’t go on the rollercoasters, otherwise he gets a nosebleed. Harry tries not to laugh. Tommy pulls out his inhaler and takes a puff of ventolin. NEIL You know, Tommy: you’re more than welcome to have a sleepover at our place whenever you like. I’m sure Harry could teach you some camping skills. Tommy beams. 10 INT. GARAGE - DAY 10 The sound of a portable AM radio, tuned into the hits of the 1970s. Dressed in a singlet and too-short running shorts, JOHN leans over an open industrial freezer, and works on it with various wrenches. He is covered in black grease. He mutters to himself: JOHN (Cantonese) Stupid piece of shit.
164 SIMON comes up, still in his boxer shorts, smiling gooofily, and knocks on the side of the wall. SIMON Knock knock. You need some help? JOHN (Cantonese) I need you to be extremely rich and buy me a new freezer. That would help. John sighs, exhausted. SIMON Right. Okay. (beat) Hey Dad, can I have Valentine’s night off? Me and Jane want to go out to dinner that night. It’ll be the last time we see each other before she leaves. There’s a thick silence. Simon still can’t see John’s face, since it’s lost in the freezer. JOHN (Cantonese) We’re pretty busy that night, you know. Simon looks a little deflated, but not resentful. SIMON Yeah, I know. Just thought I’d ask anyway. He goes to leave, when John interrupts: JOHN (Cantonese) Tell you what. Let’s make a deal. You take Valentine’s Day off. In return, you do me a favour and vacuum upstairs. (beat) You know how I feel about vacuuming. And you know how your brother is with dust. Simon grins, makes a fist, and pulls his elbow back in victory: “Yes!”
165 11 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - MORNING 11 SIMON, still in his boxer shorts, vacuums Tommy’s room with massive headphones covering most of his head. A giddy pop song about love pumps into his ears. Simon sings along: SIMON (singing) Open your heart / Tear it apart! Practically dancing, Simon vacuums the corners of the room, then under the bunk-bed. But something gets stuck to the end of the vacuum pipe. Simon, furrowing his brow, drags the offending item out from under Tommy’s bed, attached to the vacuum pipe. It’s a sketchbook. Simon takes off his headphones, switches off the vacuum, and takes the sketchbook into his hands. He flips through all of Tommy’s sketches. Most of them are anime cartoon fantasies - manga superhero versions of Tommy in action poses, with various made-up weapons, stabbing and attacking bullies. Bullies have distorted mutant heads, pig- snouts and horns growing out of strange places, and Tommy slays them. Simon smiles to himself. Then, he starts flipping towards the back of the book, and the drawings here make Simon change his expression. Although we don’t see the contents, Simon raises his eyebrows in response to these illustrations, a little shocked, a little bemused. He puts his hand over his mouth. SIMON (quiet) Oh. My. God. He stares at the images, flicking them through. His eyes widen a little more with every flick of the page. JOHN (O/S) (Cantonese) I don’t hear you vacuuming! Caught off guard, Simon accidentally drops the sketchbook into the floor. He hastily picks it back up.
166 SIMON (hollering) Yeah, I’m just taking a break! JOHN (O/S) No break! SIMON Alright, alright! Simon replaces the sketchbook under the bed, carefully, making sure it’s in the exact spot where he found it. He pauses for a moment, thinking about the ramifications of what he’s found. Then Simon puts his headphones back on. Smiling and shaking his head, he simply says to himself: SIMON (amused) Tommy, Tommy, Tommy ... 12 INT. VAN - DAY 12 DOROTHY drives with TOMMY sitting shotgun. Tommy has his arms crossed over his chest, and glares out the window, angry. DOROTHY What do you mean, “embarrass” you? (beat, then Cantonese) You’re just angry because you want to go on a sleepover. Tommy doesn’t respond. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Soon you’ll be at camp, and then you and Harry will be basically sleeping together in the same tent, the same bed! Then you can have your sleepover, and how will you like that, huh? Tommy turns bright red. TOMMY Mum.
167 DOROTHY I already said: we don’t do sleepover. Growing up, Wendy’s not allowed, Simon not allowed, so now you’re not allowed. Chinese children don’t do sleepover. It’s just rules. TOMMY The rules are dumb. 13 INT. SUNNY DAYS - AFTERNOON 13 In the kitchen, DOROTHY goes over Tommy’s various camping forms, while SIMON hacks into a massive, bloodied hunk of meat with a cleaver. He whistles to himself happily. In the corner, WENDY uses brightly coloured chalk to write Valentine's Day specials on the A-frame. Despite her colourful and jolly design covered in heart- shapes, Wendy looks depressed and on the verge of crying. Her bottom lip trembles as she writes the words “Love Is In The Air - FOR VALENTINE’S DAY!!!” DOROTHY (Cantonese, to Simon) So I told him he couldn’t sleep over at the white boy’s place, because of the house rules. SIMON Mum, they’re stupid rules. What are you afraid of happening? Tommy coming back pregnant? Dorothy ignores Simon. DOROTHY (Cantonese) But then he got so upset and wouldn’t talk to me. SIMON Very odd. DOROTHY (Cantonese) So I said his friend could come stay here overnight, instead. Simon laughs a little. Dorothy throws him a look: “What?”
168 SIMON Where’s he going to sleep? DOROTHY He can sleep in the same bed as Tommy. SIMON I’m sure Gar-Jer can sleep on the sofa for one night. She’s used to it anyway. Right, Gar-Jer? Wendy looks up, and stares blankly. WENDY What? SIMON (to Dorothy) See? She’ll be fine. TOMMY comes racing into the room with the cordless phone, and caps it back on the base. TOMMY He’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming! He said he’d be here in time for dinner! Dorothy smiles. DOROTHY (Cantonese) What sort of food does he like? Simon continues hacking into the meat with the cleaver. Blood flicks onto his apron. SIMON We could do the beef and mushroom thing. TOMMY We can’t! We’re vegetarian. SIMON Pft. Yeah, right. You’re vegetarian? Since when? 14 INT. SUNNY DAYS - NIGHT 14 At the dining table, HARRY sits next to TOMMY, wearing a t- shirt that says: “MEAT IS MURDER.”
169 JOHN and DOROTHY sit at one end of the dining table, still in their dirty work clothes, smiling stiffly as they eat with chopsticks. On another end are SIMON - who surveys the scene, dryly amused - and WENDY. Wendy stares ahead, looking lobotomised and numb. In the middle of the table is an entire steamed fish, covered in sliced ginger, its head still ghoulishly attached, mouth slightly open. Tommy looks at his family members nervously: “Say something.” DOROTHY (to Harry) You use chopsticks very well! JOHN (showing off) You know, all this: “vegetarian”! Simon grabs a massive chunk of fish head from the plate to eat. Harry winces. SIMON You eat fish? HARRY I don’t eat anything with a face. SIMON (joking) Well! A fish isn’t an animal, though, right! HARRY (serious) Well it’s not a vegetable. Simon raises his eyebrows, bathing in the awkward silence of a failed joke. He shrugs. Harry pokes at some black hair-like substance on his plate with his chopsticks. He wrinkles his nose, as though it’s a specimen of something. HARRY Is this vegetarian? TOMMY We call it hair in Chinese ... but it’s not really hair! It just looks like it.
170 (to Dorothy) What would you call it in English? Before Dorothy can respond: SIMON (bluntly) It’s seaweed, actually. And this, Harry - He picks up some woodear fungus with his chopsticks. SIMON - is fungus. JOHN (as though learning the new word) All “vegetarian”! Harry looks down at his bowl of rice congee, as though it more of a museum exhibit than actual food. HARRY And what’s this? TOMMY It’s like ... rice boiled down, until it’s kind of a soup. No, not soup. More like porridge. But salty. (beat) I guess it tastes better than it sounds. We usually have it for breakfast. Harry makes a face, and Simon notices this. SIMON (patience wearing thin) And what do you have for breakfast, Harry? HARRY Fruit loops. All of a sudden, Wendy - who has been mostly silent the entire time - unexpectedly bursts into tears. Everyone’s quite taken aback. DOROTHY Wendy ... ? She knows she’s alarming everyone, but cannot stop the flow. Between snotty, gasping sobs, Wendy manages to force out:
171 WENDY I’m sorry ... I’m sorry ... She gets up to leave, unable to stop crying, looking like a mess, nearly vomiting with weeping. When they hear a door upstairs finally close, the family stare down at their rice bowls, looking awkward, not knowing what to say. Harry looks startled, and Tommy glances over at him, worried about the perception. After a brief silence, Simon points his chopsticks to the remaining fish, totally unphased. SIMON So. Is anyone going to eat that? 15 INT. BATHROOM - AFTERNOON 15 Red-eyed and numbly staring ahead, WENDY sits in the dry bathtub, fully clothed. There is a knock on the door - WENDY Come in. - and TOMMY comes inside. He carries a plastic tray stacked with food and Chinese tea. Wendy looks at it all warily. WENDY Tommy ... TOMMY Mum says you have to eat. Tommy places the tray next to the bathtub. Then not knowing what to do, he climbs into the bathtub to sit facing Wendy, their knees bent in the middle. After a while, Wendy smiles weakly. WENDY Sorry about that. Your friend must think I’m weird. (beat) You want some advice, Tommy? He shrugs.
172 TOMMY I don’t know. WENDY Don’t fall in love. It always seems really nice to start off with, but then it’s like someone’s beaten you over the head with a stick. You know. One of those sticks with a nail in the end of it - She’s not making sense, but runs with the analogy, crying like an idiot. WENDY (crying) - and it’s like the nail is rusted. And then it gives you tetanus. And then you die! After an awkward pause, an outburst: WENDY “Love!” Wendy laughs. Then she starts crying again. Tommy shuffles on the spot, awkwardly. 16 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 16 The only light on inside is the bedroom lampshade. HARRY and TOMMY are in their pyjamas, reading Astonishing X- Men hardback special edition comics together in the dim light, when they should be asleep. They whisper to one another excitedly. HARRY But I thought you couldn’t get these in Australia! TOMMY My brother imported them in when they came out in America. HARRY That’s so cool. This is the series where they find a cure for mutation, Oh, and they find that girl whose mutation is that her nightmares come to life! She’s totally messed up!
173 (beat, then remembering) Hey: was your sister okay tonight? They are interrupted by Tommy’s digital bed-wetting prevention wrist-watch. It starts beeping insistently. Tommy panics, trying to turn it off. HARRY What’s that? With some difficulty, Tommy manages to turn it off. TOMMY Nothing. I just gotta do something. Looking sheepish, he leaves the bedroom to go to the bathroom. Harry looks puzzled watching Tommy leave. But then, yawning and by himself, he lies down on the floor and stretches. 17 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 17 WENDY is sitting on the old sofa bed, and enveloped in her old My Little Pony sleeping bag, which is sized to fit a 12-year- old. She looks down at a yearbook, flicking through the pages, looking forlorn. Somewhere else in the house, a toilet flushes. TOMMY comes out into the hallway, and sees Wendy is still awake. He comes in. TOMMY Sorry you have to sleep out here. WENDY It’s okay. I can’t sleep anyway. (beat) You know Peter and I actually met at this camp you’re going to. Year 8 camp, I mean. In the yearbook, there is a photo of 12-year-old Wendy and Peter - both dressed in flannelette and bearing machetes - baring their teeth stupidly, like grinning animals. Tommy looks at the photo over Wendy’s shoulder. Wendy sighs.
174 18 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 18 Still lying down on the floor, HARRY turns to his side, then spots something underneath the bunk-bed. Curious, he extends his arm under the bed to grab it, and pull it out. It’s a sketchpad. He opens it up, and flicks through it casually. There are impressive pictures of monsters (the fantasy kind) and other monsters (of the grotesque schoolyard bully kind). Harry smiles when he turns to a a picture of Tommy and Harry as samurais. It’s a very good resemblance. But that sketch is only the first in a whole series. There’s other more photo-realistic ones. Harry, riding a bike. Harry, swimming underwater. Harry, reading a book. Harry, laughing. Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry’s eyes widen. He hears footsteps, and quickly shoves the sketchbook back under the bed. He scurries into the bottom bunk bed, closes his eyes, and feigns sleep. TOMMY enters, and closes the door behind him quietly. He’s surprised to see Harry’s already asleep. TOMMY Have you brushed your teeth? HARRY (pretending to be asleep) What? TOMMY (laughing) You haven’t! Harry, get up!
175 Harry doesn’t move. TOMMY Harry? There is no response. Harry is dead asleep, apparently dozing peacefully. Tommy smiles to himself. TOMMY (quietly, tenderly) Good night. Watching Harry sleep, Tommy smiles to himself. Innocently: Tommy kisses Harry on the cheek quickly. Tommy turns off the light, climbs into the top bunk, and lies down, a smile on his face. Down in his bunk, Harry opens his eyes. He is wide, wide awake. And utterly, utterly frightened. 19 INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING 19 TOMMY sits at the breakfast bar, eating a bowl of Fruit Loops in a frantic hurry. Totally out of character, he wears stubbie shorts and an ill-fitting flannelette shirt SIMON races out, puts on his shoes in a rush, and then glances over at Tommy. He does a double-take, then laughs. SIMON Are you serious? TOMMY What? SIMON You’re going to fry in that get-up. DOROTHY races in, with JOHN and WENDY close by. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Come on! We’re running late! Tommy tips back the bowl of coloured milk, and almost chokes on it. 20 EXT. BUS-STOP - MORNING 20 Year 8 STUDENTS are dressed in casual clothes, exchanging Valentine’s Day cards and gossiping.
176 Their PARENTS hang around, and chat amongst themselves, while the uniformed BUS DRIVER loads the kid’s backpacks and suitcases into the coach. The two TEACHERS go through check-lists with one another, examining clipboards, and yelling instructions. FEMALE TEACHER Alright! As you get on the bus, have all three forms ready to hand in: your medical form, your consent form, and your cabin preference form! Start hopping on! One by one, the students begin to board the bus. 21 INT. VAN - MORNING 21 JOHN drives the van with TOMMY sitting shotgun, and pulls into the school carpark. In the back, DOROTHY sits between an unimpressed SIMON and a sullen WENDY. As he peers out the van, Tommy’s face falls a little. All the students are dressed in trendy street or surf gear - he’s the only one decked out in country camping clothes. His face falls a little. 22 EXT. BUS-STOP - MORNING 22 TOMMY gets out of the parked van, feeling awkward in his incongruous camping clothes. JOHN hauls his suitcase out. Upon seeing this, the STUDENTS waiting to get into the bus snicker: everyone else has backpacks. Amongst them is MELISSA, who wears a T-shirt with the words “YOU WISH” scrawled over her chest in glitter. Laughing with the other MEAN GIRLS, she calls out: MELISSA (O/S) Look guys, Tommy’s come in theme! Some laughter. Protectively, WENDY and SIMON scowl at the students. Dorothy pulls Tommy towards her, and plants him with kisses all over his face.
177 DOROTHY (Cantonese) Be careful! Watch out for snakes! (kiss) Mummy loves you very much! (kiss) Stay in company! Tommy tries to squirm out of her kisses, and all of the other students laugh at him. 23 INT. BUS - MORNING 23 TOMMY is the last one to get on the bus. Looking around, he sees most of the seats have already been filled. Rowdy STUDENTS pack the bus, joking around, laughing and making new friends. The FEMALE TEACHER stands at the front of the aisle, pointing at all the students and doing a silent head-count to herself. Without looking up, she says: FEMALE TEACHER You got your forms there for me, Tommy? Tommy hands over a few crumpled forms. On the medical form, there is a conspicuous ring of liquid paper around the “NO” option next to “bed-wetting”. Now, there is a circle around the “YES” option. Tommy looks embarrassed as he hands it in. The teacher quickly flicks through the forms, nodding silently. FEMALE TEACHER And what about your cabin preferences? Tommy hands her a form that only contains one name: “Harry Coombes.” Tommy scans the seats, then spots HARRY in the back corner of the coach reading a magazine. Tommy is about to call out and wave to Harry, when - VANESSA (O/S) Hey Tommy. I’ve saved you a seat if you want. VANESSA, with her coke-bottle glasses and braced-up teeth, looks up at Tommy with her bug eyes. She has a thick fantasy novel in her lap, and her face is a little flushed.
178 TOMMY Oh, hey Vanessa. I think I’m sitting with Harry, actually. Thanks, but. But as soon as he’s said it, he notices the seat next to Harry is already filled. Young, blonde MELISSA sits next to him, chewing gum, playing with her hair absent-mindedly. Meanwhile, Vanessa’s face betrays a look of slight hurt. VANESSA Oh, okay. Tommy swallows, staring at Harry, who doesn’t return eye contact. TOMMY Actually. Vanessa? Can I - uh ... sit with you after all? Tentatively, as though not wanting to invest too much of herself, Vanessa smiles back and nods. Tommy takes a seat, but then looks backwards, trying to get Harry’s attention. He tries waving - TOMMY (whispering) Harry. - but Harry either doesn’t see him, or ignores him. Either way, he doesn’t return his gaze. Staring out the window, Harry sighs heavily - almost as though he senses Tommy’s presence, and is trying to get the message across that he’s not interested. Tommy turns back into his seat, looking hurt. The bus’s engine starts. The students cheer with delight. Tommy doesn’t. 24 EXT. CAMPGROUNDS - MIDDAY 24 The students pull up to the dusty campgrounds: a series of old cabins, sheds and farmhouses framed by dense Australian bush. There are horses, sheep, pigs and some cows, mulling around on land that looks dry and arid. The cabins look a little neglected. All the STUDENTS press their faces against the bus’s window, squashing their noses against the glass to make piggy faces.
179 They (ad-lib) chatter, pointing out all the animals, and laugh as a cow takes a massive crap. VANESSA laughs. VANESSA Tommy, did you see that? Unlike the others, TOMMY sits still in his chair, his arms crossed against his stomach, his face scrunched up, as though he has a tummy ache. TOMMY Yeah. Tommy discreetly shuffles in his seat to peer down the aisle behind him. He watches HARRY, who stares out at the window. MELISSA, the blonde girl sitting next to him, has fallen asleep, and uses Harry’s shoulder as a pillow. Suddenly, Melissa opens her eyes, and stares straight at Tommy. She is not asleep at all. She glares at Tommy, and mouths the words: “Fuck. Off.” Harry shuffles, and Melissa immediately close her eyes, pretending to sleep again. Tommy turns back into his seat, looking glum. VANESSA (O/S) This isn’t really what we expected, is it? 25 EXT. CAMPGROUNDS - AFTERNOON 25 The Year 8 STUDENTS and the TEACHERS sit on a series of polished logs that have been positioned like church benches. Surrounding this central meeting point are a series of identical wooden cabins, all facing the middle. Everyone has a standard issue Good News Bible on their lap. Addressing the group is a young pastor, PASTOR GREG (late 30s), who sports an anachronistic handle-bar moustache. He wears an akubra hat, and his shorts are disconcertingly high- cut. PASTOR GREG So first of all, welcome to Camp Blackbutt.
180 Spontaneous, derisive laughter from everyone, including TOMMY and VANESSA. Even the young teachers both crack a little smile. PASTOR GREG Quiet! Immediately, everyone shuts up. Next to Pastor Greg is an androgynous-looking woman of indiscernible age, KIM. (Depending on the angle, she could be 12, she could be 40.) She sports an asexual bowl-cut hairstyle, and doesn’t stop smiling at the students. PASTOR GREG Shall we start again? (pause) As I was saying, welcome to Camp Blackbutt. For years, all Year 8 students have been sent here to learn life skills. This will be a year of massive changes for all of you here. In the middle rows, TOMMY discreetly sketches something in his Bible. PASTOR GREG (O/S) Year 8 is your first year of high school, and with it comes more responsibilities, more pressure, and more work. Quietly, one student says to another: STUDENT (whispering) Haven’t we heard this already? Tommy’s sketch is of the school camp, violently covered in flames. Pastor Greg and Kim are in the foreground, fleeing for their lives. Vanessa peers over at Tommy’s sketch, and grins to herself. PASTOR GREG This year, all of you will become teenagers, if you haven’t already. It’s the period in your life where all of you start moving away from childhood, to become young adults.
181 Tommy turns to see HARRY in the back row. Once again, MELISSA sits next to him. They giggle a little, having shared a private joke. PASTOR GREG (O/S) It’s a period where friendships will change, and relationships will grow. Tommy watches them sadly, before turning back to the front, towards Pastor Greg. PASTOR GREG The Bible talks about this period in our lives - those years where we put away childish things, and open our eyes and hearts to what makes us women - Pastor Greg lifts his leg, and rests it on the closet bench to emphasise his point. His shorts are very tight and bulge suggestively. PASTOR GREG - and what makes us MEN. Everyone’s eyes open a little wider in horror. PASTOR GREG Turn to First Corinthians, Chapter 13. Kim, will you read for us? Everyone opens their Bible. Kim clears her throat. In an utterly genderless voice, Kim reads: KIM “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” In the distance, a storm begins to rumble. PASTOR GREG Let’s pray. Everyone bows their heads and puts their hands together. Tommy is the last one to do so.
182 26 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - AFTERNOON 26 DOROTHY peers outside at the gathering stormclouds, while JOHN does food prep behind her in the kitchen. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Do you think Tommy will be okay in this weather? It looks like it’s going to storm out there. JOHN (Cantonese) Maybe. I think this whole thing will be good for him, you know. DOROTHY (Cantonese) At least he has Harry. It’s important he has such a good friend. I’d be worried otherwise. 27 EXT. BUSH LANDSCAPE - LATE AFTERNOON 27 The sun sets over the overcast bush landscape, and thunder quietly threatens. 28 EXT. CAMPGROUNDS - LATE AFTERNOON 28 It’s starting to storm. Spasms of lightning light up the sky. PASTOR GREG and KIM both look upwards with their palms facing up, as it starts to rain softly. PASTOR GREG Sorry, kids. Horse-riding’s just not going to happen in this weather. First thing tomorrow, though. All the STUDENTS, stand by their bags, groan a little softly, disappointed. PASTOR GREG The horses aren’t going anywhere. First thing’s first: let’s split you up into cabins. The FEMALE TEACHER walks with a clipboard to her face.
183 FEMALE TEACHER Okay, so these are the groups that have been allocated according to everyone’s cabin-mate preference forms. MALE TEACHER Remember, if you didn’t hand in a form, you’re going to be partnered up randomly. FEMALE TEACHER Boys in one group, girls in another! The group of students shuffle around until they’re divided by gender lines. For the first time, TOMMY stands alongside HARRY. TOMMY Hey, Harry. He doesn’t turn around. HARRY (non-committal) Hey, Tommy. Tommy’s winces in quiet frustration. He looks at his boots, unsure of what to say. TOMMY I wrote you down in my cabin preference form, you know.
The rain starts coming down properly now, heavier and louder. FEMALE TEACHER (reading off clipboard) Cabin A: Jessica, Rachel, Megan and Melissa! Four girls group off, including MELISSA. They are giggling variations of one another. They squeal and hug each other. Vanessa quietly rolls her eyes to herself. She does a quiet impersonating of them to herself - their stupid hand movements, their squealing faces. MALE TEACHER Cabin B: Andrew, Scott, Ben and Daniel!
184 Four boys group off. KIM Cabin C: Candy, Michelle, Tammy and Felicity! MALE TEACHER Cabin D: Bob, Rod, Todd and Solly! The three bullies - BOB, ROD, TODD - team up with a new member, SOLLY. They high-five each other nastily. FEMALE TEACHER Cabin E: Lisa, Anna, Scout and Vanessa. Vanessa slings her backpack over her shoulder, and starts wheeling a brightly-coloured plastic suitcase (of all things) towards her group of girls, all of whom look like nerds, misfits and outcasts in their own way. MALE TEACHER Cabin F: Richard, Aaron, Jake and Harry! Tommy is stung. Harry turns to Tommy, looking at him properly for the first time today, and says, a little awkwardly: HARRY Uh ... See you. Tommy uses all his willpower to smile, but looks as though he’s been winded. TOMMY See you. He watches as Harry grabs his bags to join a his new cabin- mates, who are similarly sporty and handsome-looking. They shake hands. Two of them launch into a complicated, secretive handshake. It starts to rain even harder. FEMALE TEACHER Cabin G: Jill, Miranda, Abby and Cate! MALE TEACHER And finally, Cabin H: Neville, Gavin, Foster and Thomas!
185 Tommy takes a puff of ventolin. He picks up his carry bag and heads over to his designated cabin. When he turns around, he’s faced with NEVILLE (a nerd - scrawny, pimply), GAVIN (a geek - checkered shirt, pale), and FOSTER (a freak - massive, already has a beard). Foster talks with a baritone James Earl Jones voice, and raises a hand in salute. FOSTER Hey. PASTOR GREG (happily) As for your teachers, they’ll be sleeping with us! The female teacher raises her eyebrow to the male teacher ironically. FEMALE TEACHER Oh. Goody. 29 INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT 29 There is the tumble of thunder outside. In a slick beachside restaurant, COUPLES dine by candle-light, and are surrounded by heart-shaped decorations and roses. Almost every woman there has a bunch of flowers of her table. Male patrons give their female partners presents, and the women squeal in delight. Everyone kisses their partners. SIMON and JANE are the youngest couple and pick at the last remaining bits of their meal. Both have made an effort to dress up: Simon wearing a collared shirt and tie, and Jane wearing a dress and make-up. Simon finishes telling a story. SIMON But it’s weird, you know. Maybe he’s just into him as a friend and just likes drawing him. But there’s hundreds of drawings. And of the same dude: this Harry guy! And why would Tommy hide them? It’s sort of blowing my mind at the moment, thinking about whether Tommy could be -
186 He trails off, and notices Jane looks distracted, staring in another direction entirely. SIMON Jane. You okay? Jane turns around, faces Simon, and blinks slowly, as though coming out of a daze. JANE Huh? What? Simon laughs. SIMON (whispering) Dude. You look like you’ve smoked a few. You alright? (beat) Oh, hey. He reaches down, and brings something back up. It’s a small, wrapped gift: jewellery sized. SIMON I got something for you. Because it’s Valentine’s and everything. Retarded, I know. Smiling, he hands it over, and Jane takes it with a pained and protesting look on her face. JANE Simon ... SIMON Just open it. JANE Simon, I can’t take this, really - SIMON (happy) Don’t be stupid. Open it. Looking a little helpless, Jane opens the present. It’s an unusual but beautiful small silver necklace: one half of a moose’s head. Jane holds it up to the light, examining it. JANE It’s beautiful. (beat) But Simon, listen to me. I -
187 SIMON Oh, look! He unbuttons his shirt just a little: he wears the other half of the necklace. SIMON Cool, huh? Because since you’re going, and I’m staying here, we’ll still be connected. Connected through the moose! The magical moose. Ha. It’s sort of like those broken hearts, but less shit. I found it in this place where - JANE (blurting) Simon, this isn’t going to work. I don’t think we can ... you and I ... you know. Us. She looks to her lap, ashamed. Simon looks stunned. He slowly does his buttons back up. SIMON What are you saying? Outside, lightning flashes ominously. A few second later, an almighty thunderclap echoes through the restaurant. Suddenly, with a dull hum, the lights go out in the restaurant. All the restaurant patrons gasp as everything is bathed in darkness. In the darkness, Simon stares Jane down, searching. But Jane continues to stare at her lap. 30 INT. CABIN - NIGHT 30 Outside the cabin, it continues to storm violently. Thunder and lightning. Rain pours down like it’s the apocalypse. Skinny NEVILLE leans back in his lower-bunk bed, and scratches at pimples blooming on his face. He examines what it leaves behind in his fingernails. NEVILLE Wow. Great camp. Five stars. Plump GAVIN plays solitaire in the lower bunk opposite him.
188 GAVIN The weird thing is, I thought I’d be having broadband withdrawals by now. But it’s actually okay. Hairy FOSTER, on the top bunk, grunts in his low register. NEVILLE I can’t believe this place. They may as well have sent us to - I don’t know - a cave! TOMMY rolls his eyes. He’s sitting on the bunk-bed above Gavin, sketching as usual. Tommy’s drawings are a series of Robert Crumb-like illustrations of his cabin-mates in all their grotesque glory, rendering Neville as pale and diseased, Gavin as someone made of dough, and Foster as a barely human animal. The bearded Foster scratches himself lazily, and unceremoniously farts. The others laugh. Tommy’s shoulders slump and he sighs. Then: NEVILLE (urgent whisper) Dude, check it out. The girls next door are stripping! Gavin and Foster immediately rush on over. 31 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 31 Love songs by The Carpenters plays on the tinny stereo. The restaurant is lit by candle-light for Valentine’s Day, but the candles are incongruously Christmas themed. The Valentine’s decorations on the walls are home-made: heartshapes and arrows constructed out of cardboard, and cheap plastic cherubs bought from two-dollar stores. WENDY serves COUPLES their meals, sets down bottles of water, and collects empty plates. WENDY There you go. But no one pays her the slightest amount of attention. Everyone is lost in each other’s ga-ga eyes. Wendy looks at them all enviously.
189 In particular, she stares at a YOUNG COUPLE with almost pathological attention, until they look up and give her a weird, offended look. Caught out, Wendy looks away, and takes plates off another table. She comes back into the kitchen, looking stiff and sick. DOROTHY and JOHN work at breakneck pace in the kitchen. Wendy dumps the plates into the basin. WENDY Guys. I might head upstairs for a little while. I’m not feeling so great. DOROTHY (Cantonese) What? But we need you right now. Wendy takes off her apron, clutches her stomach and walks away. WENDY (morose) Sorry. DOROTHY Wendy - But she’s already gone. At that exact moment, SIMON walks in: slouching, face-down and arms crossed. He begins to head upstairs as well. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Oh, Simon! Good. Your sister’s gone upstairs feeling sick. Would you be able to - But he’s already gone too. Dorothy and John exchange a look: “What the hell?” John then puts his index finger to his temple, crosses his eyes and twirls the finger around, implying: “Our children are crazy.” Dorothy giggles, and flicks a teatowel at John flirtaciously.
190 32 INT. CAMPGROUND CABIN - NIGHT 32 NEVILLE, GAVIN and FOSTER squirm side-by-side on the Neville’s bed, fighting for space so they can peek through a makeshift peephole in a crack in the wall. Neville’s head gets jammed in the Foster’s armpit. Everyone whispers, so the girls on the other side of the wall can’t hear. NEVILLE (to Foster) Man, you stink like crap! You really do. Foster grunts: “Whatever.” GAVIN Tommy, Tommy! You have to see this. TOMMY continues sketching on his top bunk, and rolls his eyes. TOMMY Do I have to? NEVILLE Come on man, this isn’t going to happen again. What are you, a homo? At this, Tommy puts his sketchpad to the side, and reluctantly starts climbing off the bunk. NEVILLE Holy shit! GAVIN Stop hogging it! I can’t see! NEVILLE Tommy, check it out. Your girlfriend is changing into her pyjamas! TOMMY My girlfriend? GAVIN Vanessa, right? TOMMY She’s not my girlfriend. Foster grunts again.
191 NEVILLE Come on, where are their boobs? TOMMY Guys, if there’s no space for me, it’s not like I can really look inside, can I? They collectively ignore him, captivated by the peepshow. GAVIN Wow, I didn’t know Anna had tits already. NEVILLE I wouldn’t call those things tits. Tommy sits on the bottom bunk for a while, having given up. Then he gets up and climbs back onto his top bunk bed, while the others laugh to themselves stupidly. He opens his sketchbook again, and flips past countless sketches of Harry - perhaps too many? - and comes to a blank page. Suddenly, there’s loud knocking on the door. Gavin shrieks like a woman, and Neville covers his mouth forcefully. NEVILLE Yes? PASTOR GREG (O/S) Lights out in ten, boys! Horse-riding first thing tomorrow! The others nod, and go back to perving on the girls in the other room. 33 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 33 The night is absolutely still and quiet. SIMON lies in bed, fully awake. He still wears half of the moose’s head on his neck, and he plays with it absent- mindedly. He scowls at the ceiling, thinking. Then, almost imperceptibly at first, he hears groaning through the walls. He strains to hear what it is, trying to make it out.
192 It soons become more clear and apparent: JOHN (O/S) and DOROTHY (O/S) are having sex. Simon’s eyes widens, and he folds the pillow over his head. SIMON Gross. 34 INT. TOMMY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 34 Like Simon, WENDY lies in bed staring and thinking. She is playing absent-mindedly with her wedding ring. She also listens to the animalistic groaning of JOHN (O/S) and DOROTHY (O/S) having sex, and rolls her eyes. 35 INT. CAMPGROUND CABIN - NIGHT 35 In the dark, TOMMY listens to the sound of feral possums mating. Restless, he rolls over in bed, pulling his thin boxing- kangaroo sleeping bag over himself. As he turns over, he notices there is a peephole in his side of the wall as well. He rests on his elbows so he can see NEVILLE, FOSTER and GAVIN, who are all fast asleep. Biting his lip, he peers through the peephole. On the other side, lying in the dark, is HARRY. In the dark, Harry is fast asleep. Tommy watches his chest rise and fall, then sighs. NEVILLE (O/S) He doesn’t like you because you’re too intense, you know. TOMMY (caught-out) What? Neville, Foster and Gavin are suddenly right next to Harry’s bedside, and look slightly sinister. Bathed in moonlight, there is something slightly sinister and dream-like about their presence. NEVILLE (to Tommy) Well, let’s face it. It was a friendship based on pity. What else would it have been?
193 GAVIN He’s right, Tommy. NEVILLE What did you think, Tommy? That he actually liked you? Foster grunts with low, sadistic chuckling. Then he farts. Their laughing increases to maniacal levels - SMASH CUT TO: 36 INT. CABIN - NIGHT 36 The lights are off, and TOMMY wakes up in his bunk bed. His digital watch is beeping. Tommy slowly opens his eyes, and looks from side to side, disorientated. NEVILLE (half-sleep) What is that? Sleepily, Tommy turns it off ... Then sitting bolt upright and panicking, he feels his mattress and his pyjamas - He grimaces. 37 INT. CAMP BATHROOMS - NIGHT 37 In the dim moonlight, TOMMY - with a towel wrapped around his waist, washes his pyjama bottoms clumsily in the sink. His shoulders slump, defeated. 38 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - MORNING 38 SIMON takes off all the Valentine’s Day decorations paraphernalia off the wall in an aggressive and blasé fashion. WENDY unceremoniously wipes off the Valentine’s Day specials off the A-frame. Both look terribly underslept, and sport almost comically exaggerated bags under their eyes. It isn’t belong before Simon has accrued a massive pile of cardboard heartshapes and cherubs in his arms.
194 39 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - MORNING 39 Upstairs, JOHN and DOROTHY are fast asleep. But for once, they sleep in one another’s arms, smiling to themselves. Outside their window, we see: 40 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 40 In the industrial bins next to the back driveway, WENDY holds open the bin, while SIMON forcefully jams the Valentine’s Day decorations inside. When the decorations don’t fit, Wendy picks up a metal pole, and starts jamming them inside with brute force. 41 EXT. HORSERIDING TRAIL - MORNING 41 On horseback, KIM leads a single file of the TEACHERS and STUDENTS riding their horses in a trot, along a path cleared out from the scrub. At the back of the line is TOMMY on his horse - which, humiliatingly, looks more like a shetland pony. KIM That’s good everyone! Really good. Everyone is beaming at the excitement of the adventure, except Tommy. KIM I wouldn’t usually suggest this, but perhaps we can try going a bit faster now. Guys, we’re going to try a canter today. She swings her horse around and turns around to face the others. KIM This is a bit dangerous - and scary the first time you do it. But I’m sure you can handle it. She smiles in her creepy way. KIM First of all, exaggerate the forward release on the reins like this - She demonstrates.
195 KIM - reaching towards the horse’s ears. And then - Her horse immediately picks up the pace, and she rides away. KIM (calling out) You’ve got a canter! Now you guys try. One by one, the horses following Kim break out into a canter too. Some of the students squeal in horror and delight. KIM (hollering back) Sit right back in the saddle! Sit in a position as though you’re pushing a swing! Canter a few strides, get used to it, then go back to a trot. Tommy is the last one to take off. He tries doing the forward release on his horse, but it doesn’t budge. Slowly but surely, the rest of the group is getting away from him. TOMMY Come on, horse. Come on ... His horse suddenly stops, and releases a massive pile of faeces, refusing to move. The male teacher rides ahead of Tommy, overtaking him. MALE TEACHER (O/S) (calling out) Come on Tommy! Pick up the pace! The horse continues to stand inert, shitting. TOMMY I’m trying! MALE TEACHER (O/S) Everyone else can do it, mate! Tommy rolls his eyes and mutter something (ad-lib) to his horse under his breath. Frustrated, he swiftly kicks into the horse in the sides sharply. The horse screams.
196 It takes off at full pelt - more a gallop than a canter. Tommy screams and the horse continues galloping - and continues to gallop until it overtakes the other horses. Tommy starts slipping off the saddle. MALE TEACHER Whoah! Tommy! KIM Tommy! Pull the reigns to the side - you need to pull it to the side, so the horse can’t - TOMMY (screaming) What? The horse turns a corner, and now Tommy slips right off. His foot is momentarily caught on the stirrups, and then he knocks his head on the ground with a dull thud. His foot releases. The tiny horse screams, traumatised, and canters off into the distance towards freedom. KIM and the FEMALE TEACHER come cantering up to Tommy. FEMALE TEACHER Tommy! Are you okay? Jesus Christ! Kim scowls at the female teacher’s non-Christian language. 42 EXT. HORSERIDING TRAIL - LATER 42 TOMMY lies on the ground, looking barely conscious. KIM looks over him. KIM Tommy? The other kids come walking towards him, some still on horse- back, others leading their horses by their reigns. Some of the kids laugh amongst themselves. MELISSA can’t stop laughing. FEMALE TEACHER Melissa, that’s enough, thank you.
197 Tommy gets to his feet, and touches his lip. It’s bleeding. He is groggy, but manages to say: TOMMY (to Melissa, under his breath) Fuck you ... MELISSA Hey! Kim’s mouth hangs open: she’s never heard such language. FEMALE TEACHER Tommy! Melissa is about to step up to Tommy, when Harry intervenes. He holds Melissa back. HARRY Hey, Tommy. Man. Maybe you should apologise to - TOMMY What? HARRY Just calm down. Regaining consciousness now. Tommy looks drunk. TOMMY You haven’t even spoken to me the entire camp, and the first thing you’re saying to me is calm down? Harry shakes his head at Tommy, pityingly. MELISSA (to the others) Oh my god. I think Tommy thinks Harry’s his boyfriend! Some laughter and snickering. Tommy breathes through his nose angrily. HARRY (to Tommy, quietly, so the others can’t hear) Tommy. Why do you have to be such a freak?
198 Harry shakes his head a little. At first, Tommy slouches, as though the wind has been taken out of him. Suddenly: Tommy swings and PUNCHES Harry straight in the face, knocking him to the ground. Stunned, Harry gets up, pushes Tommy onto the ground, and starts hitting him, too. KIM/TEACHERS Boys, boys! Break it up, break it up! Tommy bites him in the arm, and Harry screams out. Despite the size difference, Tommy is surprisingly aggressive and vicious. The students squeal with delight. STUDENTS Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! The teachers and Kim try prying the boys off one another. Tommy’s digital watch flies off his wrist, and in the scuffle, Harry steps on it. MALE TEACHER Break it up! KIM Stop it! Stop it! Nerdy-looking VANESSA, baring her teeth, tries helping them pull Harry off Tommy. MALE TEACHER Vanessa, you better get out of the way! Then Tommy is on top of Harry, and Vanessa tries pulling Tommy off. VANESSA Guys! TOMMY Piss off! He pushes Vanessa off him, straight into the line of a horse. The horse screams, kicks, and walks backwards - right into Vanessa. Vanessa screams, and Tommy and Harry look back, alarmed.
199 43 EXT. CAMPGROUND BUSH - AFTERNOON 43 It’s afternoon in the remote bush, near a gurgling creek. The rain is coming down in a miserable, thin drizzle again. HARRY and TOMMY - both dirty, exhausted, and covered in prickles - sport their injuries. Tommy displays a blossoming black eye, and Harry has cuts on his face, and bite marks on his arm. Silently, they work their way through a narrow path overgrown with weeds, and clear the lantana with rusted machetes. The machetes are ineffective and blunt. Harry starts hacking at the lantana more violently in frustration, and then throws it on the ground, groaning. HARRY These are useless! He sits on the ground, refusing to do any more. TOMMY They said we had to pile it up until it reached our heads. There is a dead, uncomfortable silence between them. Tommy continues hacking into the lantana, slowly, not making much progress. Harry just stares at Tommy, looking bored. Without turning to him, Tommy asks: TOMMY What? HARRY Why do you have to be so ... so ... He sighs. TOMMY What? HARRY I don’t know. TOMMY No, say. HARRY Nothing.
200 Silence descends. Tommy only halfheartedly hacks the lantana, wanting to hear what Harry’s going to say. HARRY It’s just. Why’d you do all those drawings of me? It’s kind of ... weird. Tommy is rendered mute. He’s shocked Harry’s even knows about them. He doesn’t turn around to face him, though. TOMMY You ... you went through ... [my stuff] HARRY Whatever. This sucks. I’m heading home. Harry picks up his machete again, and pegs it into the bushes. He slings his hiking backpack over his shoulder, and starts walking away on a dirt road. TOMMY Where are you going? Harry continues walking, as though he hasn’t heard. TOMMY (crying out) Where are you going? But Harry keeps walking, slouched over, and not caring. Tommy watches as Harry disappears over the horizon. 44 EXT. CAMPGROUND BUSH - DUSK 44 The sun has begun to set quickly, turning everything in a sinister blue-grey. TOMMY is out of breath, and behind him is a pile of hacked-off lantana branches. He goes to take a drink from the metal flask on his hip, but there’s hardly any water left. He gets back to violently cutting his way through the lantana bush with the machete, grunting in frustration at the task. He adds the cut-up lantana to the growing pile. As he’s cutting, Tommy takes a step forward and nearly slips in something. TOMMY Shit.
201 Recovering his bearings, he examines the bottom of his hiking boots, and discovers some soft, brown crud in the grips. He gives it a sniff and wrinkles his nose. It is actual, literal shit, after all. He takes the boot off, and with only a sock on his foot, Tommy walks towards the creek, his shit-encrusted hiking boot in his hand. He steps in a small muddy puddle - TOMMY Urgh - - and soaks his sock wet with brown, fetid water. At the foot of the creek, Tommy scrapes the shit out of his boot with a twig, and flicks it into the creek. The mosquitos start come thick and fast. Tommy makes soft whimpering noises as they feast on him. Miserable and anxious, Tommy looks around like a bird, scraping his shoe faster, waiting for someone to pick him up. TOMMY (through gritted teeth) Come on, come on, come on. He puts his hiking boot back on, adjusts his glasses. 45 EXT. CAMPGROUND BUSH - LATER 45 Bored and angry, Tommy begins to use the machete to carve out words in the dirt: FUCK. SHIT. COCK. Then he jams the machete into the ground. Sitting down, Tommy examines the face of his digital alarm watch, which is broken. Sad-faced, Tommy flicks at it to make it work, but it’s definitely dead. Tommy looks around again, but there’s no sign that anyone’s coming to get him. 46 EXT. CAMPGROUND BUSH - LATER 46 TOMMY starts to cry, silently. In the distance, something howls. Frightened, Tommy raises his machete to attention.
202 Suddenly, a blast of light breaks through the darkness, and a utility comes rollicking onto the dirt road. PASTOR GREG slows down, and brakes the ute. PASTOR GREG Sorry I took so long. Housekeeping matters! Tommy scowls. Pastor Greg looks around, and looks at the lantana pile. He whistles. PASTOR GREG Nice work, Tommy. Where’s Harry? Tommy looks down to his feet. 47 INT. DINING HALL - NIGHT 47 In a corner table of the camp’s dining hall, TOMMY sits all by himself, poking at his disgusting meal of corned beef and over- boiled vegetables. In the corner of the room, PASTOR GREG, KIM, and the two TEACHERS are gathered, talking frantically, trying to figure out the best way to track down Harry, who’s gone missing. At one point, the female teacher looks over at where Tommy’s sitting, giving him an inquisitive stare. Tommy looks down at his plate, as she walks over to his table. FEMALE TEACHER He didn’t say where he was going? TOMMY No, nothing. Except that he’d had enough and that - TOMMY/FEMALE TEACHER (in unison) - he was going home. FEMALE TEACHER (terse) Tommy. Why didn’t you look after one another? She sighs, and rejoins the other adults. Tommy puts his cutlery down, glum. TOMMY (to no one in particular) I wasn’t the one who left two boys alone with machetes.
203 Tommy turns to look in the other direction. He spots VANESSA glaring at him - with her one good eye. She sits with her cabin-mates, with an eye-patch bandaged over her face. She wears her glasses over the whole messy first-aid arrangement. It looks terrible. Vanessa gives Tommy an angry hurt look, before continuing to eat grumpily. Tommy’s cabin-mates - NEVILLE, GAVIN and FOSTER - come over to Tommy’s table with their dinner plates, obviously excited. Gavin examines Tommy’s puffy eye admiringly. GAVIN That is so cool, Tommy! Does it hurt? Tommy shrugs. TOMMY I guess. NEVILLE I can’t believe we were doing that ‘country craft’ shit while this was going on! Suddenly: commotion at the entrance of the dining hall. HARRY has arrived, looking a little bit dirty, but otherwise quite healthy. Pastor Greg, the teachers and Kim rush up to him. Everyone else gets up spontaneously to greet him like a returned war hero, and even Tommy stands up, as though ready to greet and embrace him - But he decides to sit back down, watching everyone swarm towards Harry with good will and relief. MELISSA hugs Harry, crying melodramatically. At this, Tommy gets up, sickened. 48 INT. CABIN - NIGHT 48 TOMMY lies on his top bunk, by himself, with the lights off. He clutches onto his stomach and rocks himself back and forth. Outside (O/S), PASTOR GREG and KIM lead the STUDENTS and TEACHERS in a sing-along of hymns.
204 The chorus builds up: EVERYONE (O/S) (singing) If God is on our side / God is on our side / Who can be against us? Tommy miserably blows some snot into a hankie and shoves it back into his pocket. He gets his sketchbook out of his bag, and examines the drawings of Harry. They are very good. Artfully drawn and detailed ... lovingly. EVERYONE (O/S) (singing, again) If God is on our side / God is on our side / Who can be against us? 49 INT. VAN - DAY 49 SIMON drives the van with WENDY shotgun, both of them looking particularly downtrodden. In the backseat, TOMMY sits staring straight ahead. His eye has started to turn seriously black and swollen. SIMON Are you serious? A horse did that to you? TOMMY Well, not just a horse. I got into a fight as well. SIMON What? With who? TOMMY Harry. Simon looks over at his bruised and battered brother, genuinely sorry. SIMON Oh. But then, he can’t help grinning to himself stupidly. SIMON Mum’s going to freak. Seeing his brother’s reaction, Tommy smiles to himself too.
205 TOMMY How was Valentine’s Day? WENDY/SIMON (in unison) Shit. 50 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT 50 The bathtub fills with water. On the bathroom floor, TOMMY sorts things out out of his suitcase, separating clothes and piling dirty ones into the hamper. Finally, he pulls out his sketchpad, and his digital watch. He flicks through the sketchbook, and scans through all the sketches of Harry. Looking through them, Tommy’s face falls flat. He buries the book back deep into his suitcase, and sits down on it for a while. Finally, he gets up, and stands with his back to the wall. Standing against the line markings on the wall, it appears he has significantly grown from his last measurement. He examines his black eye in the bathroom mirror, sucking air between his teeth, wincing. For a while, he appears to feel sorry for himself. But then something shifts. All of a sudden, Tommy pouts and furrows his brow into the mirror, trying to look tough. He messes his hair. Then he flexes his muscles. He grins. It seems he doesn’t mind his new look, after all. END.
206 THE NEW LOWS
Episode 6 (of 6): BIRTHDAY
by BENJAMIN LAW
Written as the creative component in a doctorate project undertaken at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane.
FIRST DRAFT (APRIL 2008) © BENJAMIN LAW 2008 Unit 8G/172 Oxlade Drive New Farm, QLD 4005 Phone: 07 3358 2895 Mobile: 0409 762 027 E-mail: [email protected]
207 1 EXT. KEVIN’S PLACE - DAY 1 To establish. A manicured, pristine suburban house with a lawn and pleasant fence. Despite quiet appearances, the abrasive and raucous sounds of DIY punk rock music - a guitar and a drumkit - streams out of the house, causing dogs to bark throughout the street. From inside the house, SIMON (O/S) plays guitar and sings crazily, maniacally, as though he’s on fire. KEVIN (O/S) hammers the drums. It’s wild, wild music. 2 INT. KEVIN’S KITCHEN - DAY 2 Inside, the music SIMON and KEVIN (both O/S) plays is even louder. In contrast to the house’s benign, clippered suburban exterior, the kitchen is a mess. Saucepans are piled babel-high in one sink: some lined with melted chocolate, others lined with porridge that has solidified into concrete, some with unidentifiable substances altogether. In the other kitchen sink, nasty brown water stagnates, and a make-shift Coke bottle bong lies next to it. The benches are lined with empty beer bottles, chip packets, and plastic takeaway containers. A CAT licks up something off the floor. Simon strums a wrong chord on the guitar and laughs. The music comes to a grinding halt. KEVIN (O/S) Should we start again? SIMON (O/S) No. Just leave it for a while. Let’s take a break. Kevin does a drum roll, and the music stops.
208 3 INT. KEVIN’S GARAGE - CONTINUOUS 3 The CAT then walks into the adjacent garage, which is set-up like a make-shift music rehearsal studio. Inside, KEVIN and SIMON take a break from music practice, trying to catch their breath. Simon sits on the floor with an electric guitar on his lap, smoking a joint, sweating profusely. He passes the joint to Kevin, and picks the cat up onto his lap, where it purrs. Kevin sits at a drum kit, with his shirt off and sweating, flicking through their high school yearbook and sucking on the joint. In the year book, Kevin comes to a picture of a boy with blue- ribbon good looks and straight teeth. KEVIN This is going to blow their minds. What about Craig: did you invite him? Simon looks at the year book and makes a face. SIMON Craig? No way. KEVIN He’s alright, isn’t he? SIMON Craig’s disappeared up his own arse. He’s just like everyone else who’s moved away: all of a sudden, they think they’re top shit. Simon swigs some beer. He puts some of the beer on his fingertip, and lets the cat lick it off his fingers. SIMON It’s like: “Craig, I don’t care if you’re studying medicine at uni. To me, you’re still that guy who shat himself at the blue-light disco and ended up crying in the toilets.” You know what I mean? Kevin laughs. Simon shakes his head with distaste and mumbles to himself.
209 SIMON (muttering) Plus he doesn’t reply to my emails. KEVIN Everyone else said they’d come, but? SIMON (overly confident) Totally. It’s my birthday, man. (stupid voice) And our world premiere. He strums his guitar stupidly, in a cock-rock gesture. KEVIN And what about Jane? There’s a loaded pause as Kevin passes the joint back to Simon. Simon looks as though he’s tasted something unpleasant. SIMON I invited her, but I don’t care if she comes or not. Whatever, it’s up to her. At that, Simon’s mobile phone rings. He takes the cat off his lap and picks up the phone. SIMON Hello? Simon’s listens to the line to the other person. Then he dusts his hands, a little flustered. SIMON (awkward) Hi! Yeah, good! Good! 4 INT. JANE’S BEDROOM - DAY 4 The room of a student leading up to exams. There’s a half- eaten box of noodles, and a massive pile of textbooks open in front of her, dog-tagged and flagged. In the middle of it all is JANE, who sits at her desk with a laptop in front of her face, and the phone to her ear. Jane hunches over the desk, and rests her forehead in her palms, a little stressed.
210 JANE (hesitating) That’s sort of why I’m calling. I don’t think that’s it’s such good idea. It’s coming to exams, too. Plus ... you know. (loaded) Us. 5 INT. KEVIN’S KITCHEN - DAY 5 SIMON paces back and forth in the kitchen of Kevin’s house, speaking in urgent whispers. SIMON (hiding desperation) But you wanted to stay friends, right? That’s what you said, isn’t it? Isn’t this a friendly thing? Come on Jane. It’s my birthday. (beat) You should come. Everyone will be here. It’ll just be like old times, before everyone moved away, you know? In the garage, behind Simon, KEVIN starts hitting the drums raucously and starts singing, completely out of tune. A little overweight, his drumming means his arms and gut wobble violently when he plays. Reacting to Kevin’s drumming, DOGS (O/S) down the street start barking again. SIMON (calling out to Kevin) Kev, can you hold on a sec! The drumming stops, and Kevin scowls. KEVIN (calling out) Who is it, anyway? SIMON No one! Jane raises an eyebrow. JANE You’re still hanging out with Kevin?
211 SIMON We’re practising for the party. That’s another reason why you have to come - it’s the world debut of Cheech and Chong! JANE Simon. Come on. What are you doing with yourself? SIMON (defensive) What do you mean? Simon surveys the scene in the kitchen. All of a sudden, it’s as though he sees his surroundings with clarity: how messy and hideous the kitchen actually is, the saucepans, the cat, the cake batter everywhere. The cat meows at him again, accusingly. JANE (V/O) Do I have to spell it out? In the background, sitting at the drum kit, Kevin stares at the opposite wall blankly. Out of nowhere, he spontaneously releases an extraordinary belch; it sounds like thunder. Outside, the dogs stop barking in response. He turns to look at Simon, grinning like an idiot, utterly proud of himself. On the phone: JANE (V/O) Charming. 6 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - DAY 6 In the Sunny Days restaurant kitchen. SIMON holds a semi-transparent bucket above his head. Above Simon’s head runs a metal gutter, where oil from the wok fryers collects. JOHN stands on a step ladder next to Simon, and uses a plastic ladle to push through black, vile, oily sludge through the metal gutter and into the bucket. It splatters everywhere.
212 John talks to Simon animatedly, but Simon - distracted, a little stoned, and in his own world - doesn’t hear a thing John says. Instead, he replays Jane’s phone call in his mind: JANE (V/O) Is this what you want your life to be? Working in the restaurant during the week, and getting stoned with Kevin every weekend? In the present: SIMON (muttering to himself) It’s not every weekend. John continues to talk without Simon hearing a word, and scoops a particularly sloppy splatter of congealed oil into the bucket above Simon’s head. It sounds like a bowel movement. Simon hears Jane’s voice in his head: JANE (V/O) I think you’re better than that. You’re smart. Don’t you want to do something with your life? I’m pretty sure Kevin doesn’t. (beat) You’ve always said: you don’t want to become your Dad, right. Stuck in that restaurant? Simon catches a glimpse of his distorted reflection in the store’s glass panels. From this angle, with his clothes, his posture, and the bags under his eyes, Simon’s resemblance to John is uncanny. JANE (V/O) Simon? Simon, are you there? Simon, are you listening to me? Simon ... Jane and John’s voices overlap in Simon’s head, in different languages. JOHN (Cantonese) ... Simon, are you listening to me?
213 Simon comes out of a daze. SIMON What? John’s shoulders slump. JOHN (Cantonese) I was talking about your mother. SIMON Right. Mum. What? John continues scooping the greasy sludge into Simon’s bucket. A little bit of grease lands on the floor, next to Simon’s foot. JOHN (Cantonese) She says I never listen to her. But how can I not listen to her? She’s talking constantly. (beat) She’s impossible. Simon continues watching himself and John in the reflection. Then his perspective changes: past the reflection, a bunch of TEENAGERS in high school uniform stand outside the shop, watching John as he scoops oil into the bucket on Simon’s head. They laugh and point at John, Simon, and the foul-looking scene inside the restaurant. John continues to scoop the sludge into the bucket. TEENAGER #1 Gross! TEENAGER #2 Dude, rank! Simon glares at them - SIMON (angry) Hey - He takes a step forward, but misjudges and slips into the puddle of grease on the floor. The bucket falls out of his hands, and goes flying into the air.
214 The dirty oil makes an arc in slow motion, and everyone’s eyes - John’s, Simon’s, the teenagers’ - follow its agonising and inevitable trajectory in the air. It lands splattering all over the floor. Outside, the teenagers look on with wide eyes, shocked. A beat. Suddenly, the teenagers break out into laughter, and slap each other on the back, before running off down the street. TEENAGER (O/S) Sucks to be you! Simon takes a breath. He looks over at John, both of them surveying the mess around them. In unison, their postures suddenly slump. 7 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATER 7 SIMON crouches on the floor with an old, slime-encrusted dustpan. He sweeps the thick grease into the pan, and then tips it back into the bucket. Behind him, JOHN does the same with his own dustpan. Bent over like this, half of John’s pale arse-crack is exposed. Simon watches him, a little pityingly. TOMMY and WENDY survey the mess, wide-eyed. TOMMY What happened? SIMON I slipped. Wendy grimances WENDY Is that that from the vents? Jesus. These floors are going to be oily forever. She sniffs, makes a face, then pinches her nose. WENDY Oh, it really stinks.
215 SIMON Thank you for your input. I’ll make a note of it. (beat) I’ve heard things get cleaned faster when you just stare at it intensely. WENDY Tommy’s not going to get that school uniform dirty. And I’ve got the night off remember? I’m visiting Mum. At mention of this, John’s shoulders visibly slump. WENDY You guys going to be right on your own? You want me to pass anything on to Mum? “I love you”? “Come back”? SIMON (so only Wendy can hear) “I’m need you desperately at the restaurant before I have another heart attack”? Wendy and Simon grin at each other, but Tommy looks at them disapprovingly. At the same time, all three siblings look over to John. He looks deflated, in his own world. He drops the dustpan, and looks on the brink of tears. Surprised, Simon, Wendy and Tommy look at him, look at each other, then look to the ground awkwardly with guilt and shame. Not knowing what to say: WENDY (quickly) Right, I better get changed! TOMMY (quickly) I’m going to do my homework! SIMON (quickly) I’ll clean the bucket! They leave the kitchen quickly in different directions hastily.
216 All of a sudden, John is completely by himself. 8 EXT. ROOFTOP - SUNSET 8 On the rooftop, SIMON puts some industrial-strength detergent in the bucket, aims a hose into it and turns it on full-bore. The pressure forces the oil and detergent to splash right into his face, and soaks his shirt right through. Simon flinches and screams. SIMON Argh - He hurriedly turns the hose off, muttering to himself. A female voice: GHITA (O/S) Wet t-shirt competition. Hot. Soaking wet, Simon turns to see GHITA (16), Indian and pretty, on the adjacent rooftop. She has a basket in one hand, and kitchen scissors in the other, cutting off various herbs that grow in pots around the rooftop. Ghita grins at him mischievously. Simon smiles, and raises an eyebrow. GHITA Crap day? SIMON You have no idea. Official verdict: today sucks balls. GHITA Bet you I can beat it. Simon puts the bucket to one side, walks over to the roof’s edge, and sits down with his legs dangling. Ghita comes over and does the same. Simon lights up a cigarette. SIMON Okay. Get this. I just spilled a bucket of venting grease onto the floor. The entire restaurant stinks.
217 Ghita laughs. GHITA Right. That’s pretty gross. But we win. We were broken into the other night. Simon’s mouth forms a silent “O”. Ghita smiles again. GHITA Told you we’d win. SIMON What’d they take? GHITA Cash. Not that we have much. They smashed up a lot of shit looking for it, but. Mum, Dad and me: we heard it all going on downstairs, but couldn’t do anything about it. No one realises people actually live up upstairs. (beat) We’re doing daily banking now. You guys might want to, too. (beat) Thank god we’re not stuck here forever, right? I’d kill myself. Silence passes between them as Simon smokes, thinking. GHITA Jeeves said he might come back for your party. It’s tomorrow, right? SIMON 18 years old, baby. Ghita whistles. GHITA What’s the plan? Simon shrugs. But as they both watch the sun set, Simon thinks to himself, reassessing, reevaluating. Beneath their feet, the light-globes surrounding the Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant light flickers on.
218 JOHN (O/S) (Cantonese, hollering) Simon! We’re opening! Simon butts out the cigarette. SIMON That’s my cue. 9 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 9 The restaurant is incredibly noisy tonight. The irritatingly perky Cantonese pop music is turned right up. Smiling, JOHN takes orders at the counter from an angry- looking SUBURBAN MOTHER with a bad fake tan line. Her two young CHILDREN pull on her leggings, crying, red in the face. They scream and scream shrilly. CUSTOMERS line up behind her, laughing obnoxiously. Outside, DOGS (O/S) bark relentlessly. On the streets, a CAR (O/S) does a blow-out. At that, SIMON flinches. He works in the kitchen with the woks, looking particularly sensitive and irritable. Soon, Simon can hear nothing but a cavalcade of noise: customers, children, dogs, cars, music. His breathing joins into the layers of noise. It becomes heavier and heavier, more strained. He surveys everything: the sad state of the restaurant, John, and his own distorted reflection in the mirror. His breathing continues to become heavier and heavier, like an astronaut’s, layered with the other noise, until it seems as though the whole world is suffocating. All of a sudden, Simon looks exhausted. 10 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATE NIGHT 10 Abruptly, everything is now quiet. There is the sound of crickets. Outside, the lights for Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant are turned off. SIMON flips the restaurant sign to “CLOSED”, and is about to close the glass panels.
219 He takes a moment to himself. As if he’s been holding it in this entire time, he exhales for a long time, putting his hand to his chest. It resembles something John would do. But before he totally closes the glass panels shut, Simon looks across the street at the restaurant across the road: the sleek, fusion restaurant with polished interiors. In contrast, with its broken lightbulbs, ancient A-frame and fading paint job, Sunny Days looks anachronistic, dirty and tacky. Across the road, the restaurant MANAGER (20s) also closes the doors for the night. He is slick and modern-looking, dressed in a smart uniform with a tie. Simon wears the Sunny Days t-shirt, which is covered in stains. He examines his uniform sheepishly, then looks at the manager again. The manager sees Simon watching him. He smiles, and gives him a small salute. Embarrassed, Simon smiles back a little, and awkwardly salutes him back. They both lock their doors at the same time. Simon watches as the manager puts on a moped helmet, and zooms off down the road on his scooter. 11 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - LATE NIGHT 11 The master bedroom has disintegrated into a mess in Dorothy’s absence. John’s clothes hang everywhere drying on clothes hangers, and there’s underwear on the floor. The clock has run out of batteries. Dust collects on the floor. A spider has made its home in the ceiling corner. Watching the late-night news on an old black and white television set, JOHN runs on a treadmill in too-short shorts, and sweats profusely. The treadmill is the old-school manual style with cylindrical metal tubing underneath the tread. It is half-broken with one of its legs missing, and propped up with an old phone directory.
220 It’s so small in comparison to John, that it renders him slightly ridiculous as he charges forward, gripping the hand- rail with all his might. As he runs, the small treadmill sways violently, threatening to give in to the pressure. It could topple over at any second. SIMON stands at the doorway, watching John silently, hypnotised and slightly alarmed. SIMON Dad? John notices Simon’s presence. He waves, happily. SIMON Where’d you get that from? JOHN (Cantonese) Your uncle and I went on an excursion! Look what we found! The things people throw out, hey? SIMON You know what Mum thinks about dumpster diving. JOHN (Cantonese) Your mother is not here. John continues running maniacally on the small treadmill. Simon walks into the room, surveying the mess. He wrinkles his nose, gives the place a good sniff, as though trying to pinpoint something. He goes to the damp clothes and puts his nose to it. SIMON Is that ... Dettol? JOHN (Cantonese, huffing) Your Mum’s stuff doesn’t get rid of germs properly! I hand-wash my stuff now! It’s better! SIMON Right. (tip-toeing)
221 Dad, do you ever wish you had a different job? Like, if you weren’t working here? At this, John gets off the treadmill. He hunches over, breathing heavily. JOHN (Cantonese) Not really. Like what? SIMON Something totally different. You like music - maybe a sound engineer, or a musician? Or becoming a professional chef, maybe. I don’t know. John makes a face, slightly offended, then takes a drink of water. JOHN (Cantonese) I’m not professional already? What are you talking about? You and me: (English) “professional!” (Cantonese) Without you, I couldn’t run the restaurant, you know? You’re already a professional. Simon bites his lip. SIMON So you don’t ... you never get tired of this place? John gives me a funny look. JOHN (Cantonese) What’s wrong with this place? Simon and John stare each other down, failing to understand. 12 INT. BATHROOM - LATE NIGHT 12 SIMON stands under the shower with a headful of shampoo lather. The water hits Simon’s body and immediately turns brown from all the oil and residue of the day. Suddenly, the water runs dry.
222 Simon stands there with suds going into his eyes. He hits the shower pipes. SIMON Come on. Suddenly, the water pressure starts again, but the water is scalding hot. Simon flinches and cries out, forced against the glass shower panel to avoid being burned. He screams, then calls out: SIMON (Cantonese) WHO’S USING THE WATER? Meanwhile, at his feet, by the drain, the water starts gathering, refusing to go down. The pipes are blocked too. Suddenly, a brown bubble pops out of the drain and gurgles. Simon pulls his foot away from the drain - SIMON Urgh. - and makes a face. Defeated, and shoved right against the glass, it looks as though he could cry. 13 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 13 SIMON sits in his bed with an acoustic guitar in his lap, his hair still wet from the shower, looking like a damp, sullen cat. He wears his highschool jersey, which is covered in signatures, well-wishing messages and crude drawings of naked women and various genitals. Simon strums the guitar half-heartedly, not even concentrating. He starts humming a rough melody. Soon, the chords start to form something familiar. Then he starts to sing, slowly and understated, realising what the chords are forming: SIMON (singing absent-mindedly) We gotta to get out of this place / If it’s the last thing we ever do / we gotta get out of this place / Girl, there’s a better life for me and you.
223 The way Simon sings it, softly and without any hint of rock, makes the song sound depressing and mournful, like a hymn: SIMON (singing) Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin' / Watched his hair been turnin' grey, yeah / He's been workin' and slavin' his life away / I know he's been workin' so hard ... Out of nowhere, JOHN suddenly appears at the doorway. Simon stops playing abruptly and turns to him. JOHN (Cantonese) Are you okay? (beat) I thought I heard you screaming before in the shower. SIMON No, no. Everything’s fine. I just like screaming in the shower sometimes. It’s invigorating. John looks confused, and raises an eyebrow. JOHN (Cantonese) You’re weird. Simon shrugs. John comes into the room, and sits down on the bed beside Simon, a little unsure and tentative. JOHN (Cantonese) About tomorrow. Your mother and I usually go shopping together for your present. But this time ... (pause) I’m not sure what to get you. Do you want anything in particular? Generally: what do you want? Simon stares blankly at him. SIMON That’s a good question.
224 14 INT. RUTH’S PLACE - NIGHT 14 In Ruth’s house, DOROTHY, RUTH, WENDY and SAMANTHA sit around a square formica table, play mah-jong and eating Chinese cakes. Everyone squeals as Samantha reveals her tiles, and forces each player to pay up a five-dollar note each, which she adds to the growing pile. RUTH (Cantonese) That isn’t fair! SAMANTHA Come on. This isn’t the fucking Joy Luck Club. Pay up or shut up. WENDY Jesus. You’re such a law student. Wendy hands her five dollars into Samantha’s pile. They start to wash the mah-jong tiles on the table to start a new round. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Poor Simon. That would have taken forever to clean. You know, it wasn’t until I moved out there that I realised everything around me - my clothes, my walls - smelled like grease. She winces with distaste, and makes a shuddering gesture. RUTH (Cantonese) That restaurant always did have a “fragrance” about it. Dorothy, Ruth and Samantha laugh. Wendy makes a face, and looks a little defensive and sensitive. Everyone collects and lines up their tiles in silence. WENDY Mum, about tomorrow night? Before Simon goes off to his party, I thought we could have a small family thing. You know how Simon is. Low-key. Just some cake, or something?
225 Dorothy’s face brightens with an idea. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Oh, we should do it here at Ruth’s place. (to Ruth) You can make that carrot and macadamia cake you do! Wendy interrupts: WENDY Or maybe we should just do it at the restaurant. So Dad can be there? Dorothy grabs her tiles, and starts slamming them down in order, pointedly. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Oh, your Dad doesn’t care about birthdays and celebrations! He returns all the gifts you give him, and gives you back the money. (beat) Remember when he returned that expensive umbrella you bought him, because he said it was a symbol of death? You cried all day! It was a horrible thing to say to a 12-year-old girl. She slams another tile. Ruth and Samantha send one another silently uncomfortable sideways glances. DOROTHY (Cantonese) God, I hate that restaurant. 15 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 15 SIMON lies awake in bed, wearing his half of the antler necklace he gave to Jane. He looks at the ceiling, and examines how the paint peels off at the corners of the walls. WENDY (V/O) We all hate the place, Mum. But it’s a one-night-only thing for Simon. It’s his birthday.
226 Simon rolls over in bed to face the digital alarm clock. It turns to 12 o’clock, midnight. Unable to sleep, Simon gets up out of bed. 16 INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT 16 Lining his back up against the wall, SIMON marks off his height with a ballpoint pen. There is a history of all the children’s heights there: Tommy, Wendy and Simon, with Chinese markings indicating the years and days of the birthdays. Right now, according to the marking, Simon is the tallest out of all the children. 17 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - MORNING 17 To establish. 18 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - MORNING 18 SIMON lies sleeping his underwear. The ceiling fan above him rotates lazily. The alarm clock radio springs the life. Eyes still closed, Simon turns over, groaning a little. The deer antler necklace has made an imprint on his chest, which he rubs while grimacing. RADIO ANNOUNCER (V/O) And you were saying that you’d like to dedicate this song to someone in particular? YOUNG WOMAN (V/O) Yeah, to my beautiful boyfriend! Simon makes a face. With his eyes still closed, he reaches over to turn the radio off, but is unable to find the right button. RADIO ANNOUNCER (V/O) That’s nice. How old is he? YOUNG WOMAN (V/O) It’s his 18th birthday today. Happy birthday, Jack! I love you! At this, Simon puts his tongue into his bottom lip and makes a face of disgust.
227 RADIO ANNOUNCER (V/O) Hope you heard that, Jack. An oldie but a goodie. Simon manages to find the button, and slams the radio off before the song can even play. Outside, JOHN (O/S) calls from outside the door. JOHN (O/S) (Cantonese) Simon? Are you awake? I need to finish cleaning the floor today. Are you able to get the deliveries yourself? Simon kicks the sheets off lazily. SIMON (calling) Yep! Okay! He listens as John’s footsteps walk away downstairs. Then he says to himself: SIMON (muttering) Yep. “Happy birthday, Simon.” 19 INT. VAN - MORNING 19 SIMON sticks the key in the van’s ignition. But the thing just chokes and splutters. It finally makes a grinding noise, and Simon turns it off. He turns the ignition again but, like before, the engine refuses to start. Simon gives up. SIMON Excellent. 20 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - MORNING 20 JOHN sits in the front of the van, while SIMON is propped behind it, lunging, about the push it down the road. JOHN (Cantonese) You ready? I’m going to let go of the hand-brake now, and I need you to push. Okay? Go!
228 Simon starts pushing, but the van hardly budges. The engine continues to gasp. JOHN (O/S) Are you pushing? SIMON Yeah, I’m trying! Out of nowhere, GHITA pops up and sides up next to Simon, and starts pushing too. She smiles massively at him. SIMON Hey. GHITA Happy birthday. SIMON Thanks. Slowly, with Ghita’s additional force, the van starts to move. Inertia takes over, and the van starts to roll forward. Then, still pushing, Simon and Ghita start sniffing and wrinkling their noses, smelling something bad. SIMON Oh god. What is that? Suddenly they realise: they are about to push the van past a massive row of green wheelie bins, all packed with rotting masses of garbage. Laughing, they push the van faster and faster, but the line of green bins never seems to end. Some of them have been tipped over, and flies hang around the garbage, buzzing. GHITA Gross! I’m going to hurl! Trapped, and unable to stop pushing the van, Simon and Ghita laugh and scream at the hideousness of it all. John starts the engine, and the van comes to life. That prompts Simon and Ghita to start hooting and hollering like hyenas. 21 EXT. TAFE - DAY 21 SIMON drives along in the van with the music blaring, tapping his hand alongside the side of the van.
229 As he drives, something catches his eye. He swings the van across, and slowly pulls up to the kerb. Simon looks over at the building in front of him: a modern- looking place, with banners advertising people smiling in different professions: accountants, photographers, sound engineers, florists and chefs. 22 INT. COOKING STUDIO - DAY 22 SIMON is guided through the training kitchens of the TAFE cooking school by MIRIAM (50s), a severe-looking and matronly woman with a German accent. All around Simon, STUDENT CHEFS beat together batters, prepare icing and slice fruit. MIRIAM It’s tough work. A lot of students start thinking it’s going to be easy. But some of them haven’t even lit a gas stove before, it’s extraordinary. So I’m wary. What makes you interested in taking up the course? SIMON Well, I’m sort of a chef already, actually. 23 INTERCUT - INT. MUSIC STUDIOS - DAY 23 SIMON is guided through the TAFE music studios by JOSH (40s), a hippie gone corporate. He leads Simon through various studios, in which student SOUND ENGINEERS and MUSICIANS work in studios together. JOSH And how long’s your band been playing for? SIMON About a year? Maybe more? We’ve got a show tonight actually. So it’d be good to learn more about this stuff: you know, the technical bits. JUMP CUTS between the music and cooking studios: MIRIAM That’s impressive. At your age? What sort of a chef are you?
230 SIMON I’m not really a chef, to be honest. It’s just the family business. It basically involves various frying techniques: deep-frying, stir-frying, shallow frying. JOSH What sort of music do you play? SIMON Garage rock, I guess. Drums, guitar. Sort of sounds like - MIRIAM What sort of restaurant is it? SIMON Sunny Days. It’s a Chinese takeaway BYO. Not very impressive, right? JOSH Not at all. MIRIAM It’s all very hard work. At this, Simon looks at his feet, a little sheepish. Miriam picks up on this, smiles, and then hands Simon a hefty stack of forms and brochures. MIRIAM Take these forms. We’re processing mid- year applicants soon. Josh smiles at Simon. JOSH I expect to see you amongst them. We’d be happy to have you on board. 24 INT. VAN - AFTERNOON 24 Back in the van, both of the windows are wound all the way down, and the music is turned all the way up. SIMON drives and is almost comically upbeat, singing happily along at the top of his voice. On the dashboard in front of Simon is a stack of glossy brochures and forms. TOMMY sits shotgun, still in his school uniform, but slouches in his seat.
231 As the van plods along, making ghastly, dying noises with the engine, a ute shoulders up next to it, its engine roaring intimidatingly. In the ute’s driver’s seat is a flannelette-clad, nasty- looking JOCK, who is the same age as Simon (17). In the passenger seat is the fat, nasty-looking BOB, who is the same age as Tommy (12). Both vehicles approach a red light together. Upon seeing them, Tommy slouches down into his seat further, so no one can see him. Simon picks up on this. SIMON What’s wrong? Tommy looks like he has trouble breathing, and inhales some ventolin. TOMMY That’s the guy I told you about. Bob. Simon’s van and Jock’s ute pull up to the red light, next to each other. With both vehicles now stationary, Jock winds down his window, and calls out to Simon: JOCK (obnoxious) LO! Motherfucker! He starts revving his engines. SIMON I’m not going to race you, Jock. (under his breath) Loser. JOCK Where’d you get that shitbox from? The dump? Haha. Laughing, Jock and Bob high-five one another. Simon rolls his eyes. SIMON Yes, Jock. We got it from the dump. So you and your family would have more space to live there. Jock gives Simon the finger and glares at him. Bob whispers something in Jock’s ear. Jock grins.
232 JOCK Hey, Lo. Bob tells me you’ve got a fag for your brother. Tommy sinks even lower into his seat. Seeing this, Simon eyes the ute evilly. He casually reaches over into the back of the van, then turns back to the ute. SIMON (to Bob) Oi, piggy. Yeah you: the one who looks like a pig. If I hear you’ve been picking on my brother again - He holds a massive kitchen cleaver to the window. Shocked, Bob visibly flinches away from it. SIMON - you’ll be squealing like a pig too, okay? Bob looks a little pale. The light turns green, and the ute speeds off roaring. JOCK (calling out) Fags! The ute disappears. In the van, Simon takes the handbrake off gently, and drives off, satisfied with himself. Mixed emotions play out on Tommy’s face. He tries to look angry at Simon, but can’t disguise his smile. TOMMY What’d you do that for? SIMON I don’t like people dissing our wheels, that’s all. The van drives off down the road, spluttering and coughing. 25 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - LATER 25 With the stereo turned up, SIMON whistles to himself, dancing as he tries looks through clothes in his closet, half-dressed.
233 He sprays cologne all over himself, and tries on different combinations of clothes that don’t work. He dumps the rejects onto a pile of clothes on his bed. His mobile phone beeps. He puts it onto speaker-phone, listens to the messages as he changes. SPEAKER (V/O) You have nine new messages. Simon raises an eyebrow, smiling, in anticipation of birthday messages. SPEAKER (V/O) Message one: SANJEEV (V/O) Simon, it’s Jeeves. Happy birthday man! 18 - you’re becoming an adult. Have you got hair on your dick yet? Nocturnal emissions? This is what we learn about in med school, you know. Simon laughs. He messes his hair in front of the mirror, and pulls it over his face. SANJEEV (V/O) Look, I’ve got some bad news, Simes. I’m snowed under with homework. This medicine degree’s killing me already - the assignments are ridiculous. Simon turns the music down to make sure he’s heard properly. SANJEEV (V/O) I suck, I know. Sorry, Simes. You’re lucky, not being at university. You wouldn’t understand ... Simon tsks, disappointed. SIMON Jeeves. Simon reaches over and presses a button. SPEAKER (V/O) Message deleted. Message two: SHONA (V/O) Hey Simes, happy birthday man! It’s Shona here. (beat)
234 Look, it’s going to be too hard to make the trip from the city tonight. Sorry. Maybe if you’d scheduled the party for the uni holidays, I might’ve been able to make it, but the way things are going - Again, Simon makes a face, then deletes the message. JANE (V/O) Simon, it’s Jane - Simon deletes the message immediately. SPEAKER (V/O) Message deleted. Message three. PAUL (V/O) Simmo! Maaaate! It’s Paulie. Listen, about tonight man, I’m really caught up with uni. Plus, I work now, it’s long hours, so it’s really hard to - Simon keeps pressing the button repeatedly. Soon the messages start to overlap in his head, in an audio avalanche of apologies, happy birthdays, and excuses. The messages continue to come thick and fast. Soon, Simon starts to look deflated. Finally, he hears: JANE (V/O) Simon, it’s me again - Simon presses the button one final time. SPEAKER (V/O) All messages deleted. End of messages. Simon sits on the bed, shoulders slumped. 26 INT. KEVIN’S BATHROOM - AFTERNOON 26 Loud raucous rock music pumps through the house. In the bathroom of Kevin’s place, there are boxes of beer and multiple bags of ice stacked on top of one another, lying all over the floor. KEVIN picks the ice bags up one by one and drops them onto the floor to break them up.
235 He opens the bags and tips the ice into the bathtub, which has foot scum and mildew at the bottom. He picks another ice bag up, drops it on the floor - This time, the bag explodes. Ice goes everywhere: on the floor, under the bathtub, around the toilet, into the hallway. Kevin gets on his knees - KEVIN Shit. - and starts picking it all up with his hands, scooping it into the bathtub. His phone rings in his pocket. He picks it up. KEVIN (stupid voice) Mooshi-mooshi, Simon-san. 27 INTERCUT - INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON 27 SIMON sits on the edge of his bed with the phone to his ear, pulling his bottom eyelid down so he looks like a corpse. SIMON Kevin. You’re not listening properly. It’s not going to happen. Kevin continues shoveling the ice into the bathtub with his hands. KEVIN Oh screw them, man. Come over anyway. We don’t need those people for a party. It’s your 18th birthday - we need to celebrate properly dude! (beat) We’ll call strippers! SIMON Are you even listening, Kevin? No one’s coming. No one’s going to be there. That’s not a party. Kevin’s brother BEVAN (20s) comes in: overweight, bear-like, Nirvana t-shirt. He walks over to the toilet, scratching his belly. KEVIN Yeah, it is! Man, we’ll make it a party.
236 We’ve got everything we need right here. Bevan’s here too. It’s going to be great. At that, Bevan undoes his fly unceremoniously, and starts urinating into the toilet loudly. Simon starts rubbing his temples, stressed, listening to Bevan pee over the phone line. KEVIN (V/O) Screw those guys who’ve gone off to uni! SIMON Kevin, just listen to me - KEVIN I mean, what else are you going to do? Hang out with your family the entire night? Screw that. It doesn’t matter about the other guys - Simon blows up. SIMON KEVIN. That’s not a party. That’s just another weekend drink, smoke and jam session over at your place, hanging around like the deadshits we are. That’s not a party ... (struggling) It’s ... shit. It’s a ... massive, rusted can of shit. KEVIN Simon. Hold on, man. (beat) I’m only trying to help. SIMON You’re not helping, Kevin. You’re floundering. What are you doing with your life, man? Why don’t you get a job and stop fucking around? You really want your life to be like this forever? Work during the week, stoned on the weekend with our stupid band no one’s ever going to hear? A pause as Simon catches his breath.
237 KEVIN (V/O) (hurt) Simon. Guilty, Simon hangs up. Then he grimaces immediately, regretting what he said, and puts his head in his hands. He stays in that position, breathing into his lap. Angry with himself, Simon gets up, looks at himself in the mirror, and takes off his shirt, replacing it with the Sunny Days uniform. He parts his hair to the side and tidies it up aggressively, readying himself for work. 28 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 28 As if nothing’s happened, SIMON puts on a work apron and starts prep work, looking overly and forcefully chirpy. As he gets to the bottom of the stairs, he hears his parents arguing softly in the kitchen: JOHN (O/S) (Cantonese) No one said you have to stay here and help. If you really hate the place so much, just have the cake with Simon, then drive off. DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) I said I’d help, and judging by the state of things, you obviously need all the help you can get. Simon looks confused, takes a breath, and enters the kitchen, ready for work. JOHN, DOROTHY, WENDY and TOMMY all turn their heads towards him in unison, surprised to see him. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Simon! Happy birthday darling! SIMON What are you doing here, Mum? DOROTHY (Cantonese) Don’t be silly! It’s your birthday!
238 Are we having cake now? When are you leaving for the party? SIMON It’s been called off. Not enough people can make it. Everyone’s got lives. WENDY Oh, Simon. SIMON It’s no big deal. I’m not really into birthdays anyway, you know. I’m just going to work. Mum, you don’t have to stay. DOROTHY (Cantonese) It’s your birthday. You’re not supposed to be working. (stern) If you work, I work too. SIMON (annoyed) Mum ... The phone rings. Simon reaches over to get it. WENDY Simon, I’ll get it. Simon picks it up before she does. SIMON Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant, Simon speaking. How can I help you? 29 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - LATER 29 The restaurant isn’t busy, except for a table occupied by young DRUNKEN MEN and DRUNKEN WOMEN in their 20s who laugh and holler at one another obnoxiously. There is a demolished birthday cake in the centre of the table, and half-melted birthday candles surround it. Empty wine and beer bottles litter the table. The partiers wear cardboard party hats, and blow party favours at one another loudly.
239 SIMON and DOROTHY come to clean up the plates and bottles. Dorothy has her best hospitality smile on, while Simon looks morose. DRUNKEN WOMAN #1 (slurring, to Simon and Dorothy) Hey guys. Did you know it’s my birthday today? SIMON We guessed. DOROTHY Happy birthday! How old did you turn today? DRUNKEN WOMAN #1 I’m 21! Everyone guffaws. DRUNKEN MAN #1 More like 29! Everyone laughs, and Dorothy laughs along with them good naturedly. However, Simon can’t even manage to force a smile as he collects the plastic wine glasses. DOROTHY You know, today is my son’s birthday too! Dorothy smiles broadly at Simon, but Simon winces. SIMON Mum. DRUNKEN WOMAN #1 Happy birthday! Everyone else drunkenly chimes in with ab-libbed, drunken happy birthdays. DRUNKEN MAN #1 Oh, I know, I know! Let’s toast him. Everyone, let’s raise a toast! Laughing, all of the people on the table raises their plastic wine tumblers towards Simon.
240 DRUNKEN MAN #1 To our little Chinese friend here: Happy birthday! EVERYONE (in unison) Happy birthday! Then spontaneously, everyone starts to laugh, as though it’s a joke. Dorothy nudges Simon’s shoulder with her elbow, trying to cheer him up. DOROTHY (joining in) Happy birthday! An awkward moment’s worth of silence. Simon forces a smile that looks more like a grimace. He swallows, and stands there holding dirty plates. SIMON (awkward) Thanks. (beat, then terse) We close in 15 minutes. 30 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 30 To establish. The neon lights are switched off, and the CLOSED sign is put up. 31 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT [BACKROOM] - NIGHT 31 In the back-room, DOROTHY and JOHN argue as they finish wrapping up Simon’s birthday present. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Why would you let him work like that? You know it’s his birthday. JOHN (Cantonese) He said it himself: the party was called off. If he wants to work, let him work! Dorothy curls the ribbons violently.
241 DOROTHY (Cantonese) That’s bullshit. His whole life has been work. When you had a heart attack: work. When he had to finish high school: work. When was the last time he even had a holiday? JOHN (Cantonese) Yeah, same old story: you know everything! Dorothy slams her scissors down on the bench. 32 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 32 JOHN (O/S) and DOROTHY (O/S) continue arguing off-screen (ad- lib). Their voices can be heard, but what they’re saying is indecipherable. In the restaurant, the tune of “Happy Birthday” plays tunelessly, like a broken, melting doorbell. WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY sit at a table, heads slumped in their hands, ironically dressed in party hats. A blow-out party favour dangles from Simon’s lips loosely. Simon, looking unimpressed, blows into it joylessly. In front of them all is an elaborately decorated fruit cake, adorned with two lit, melted candles, in the shape of the numerals “1” and “8”. The candles are electronic, and are responsible for playing “Happy Birthday”. The tune sounds as though it’s melting. As John and Dorothy continue to argue in the background, Wendy and Tommy exchange looks, and awkwardly try to make pleasant conversation. WENDY Where do you even buy candles like that? TOMMY Two dollar shop. Off screen, John and Dorothy continue to argue. Bored, Simon picks up a spoon, and digs into the fruit cake with a spoon, and starts shovelling it into her mouth joylessly.
242 Giving up, Wendy and Tommy take his lead, pick up spoons, and start digging into the cake, too. WENDY Are they going to be offended that we’ve started eating? Simon rolls his eyes, then calls out with his mouth full: SIMON Mum. Dad. Do you mind if we start eating? JOHN and DOROTHY emerge from the backroom, flustered. Dorothy holding a shiny wrapped present. Dorothy has a massive, artificial smile plastered onto her face. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Of course, of course! That’s what it’s there for: to be eaten! All good! Then suddenly, she bursts out crying. SIMON Mum? Just as suddenly, she stops herself. John looks up to the ceiling impatiently, as through praying. DOROTHY (Cantonese) I’m fine! I’m fine! SIMON We don’t have to do this right now, you know. Tommy looks around at everyone, looking distressed. The candles continue playing the distorted tune, adding to the tension. WENDY (through the side of her mouth, discreetly) Simon. Just blow out the fucking candles already. He blows out the candles abruptly.
243 DOROTHY (Cantonese) But we didn’t sing the song! It’s not right. The tune stops. But almost immediately, it starts up again, playing its distorted and ghostly version of ‘Happy Birthday’. Simon stares into the singing candles blankly, and the smoke drifting into the air, the terrible music continues to play. 33 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 33 Inside John and Dorothy’s bedroom, the ceiling fans are on full bore. JOHN and DOROTHY lie in bed, on their sides, facing opposite ends of the room. Each of them pretends to be asleep, but then Dorothy opens her eyes. She rolls onto her back, and speaks to the ceiling. DOROTHY (Cantonese) I can’t believe we didn’t sing the song. He’ll only turn 18 once, and we didn’t do it properly. Silence. DOROTHY (Cantonese) John. I know you’re awake. As if conceding defeat, John rolls onto his back as well. JOHN (Cantonese) I don’t want to argue. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Okay. We won’t argue. We’ll talk. Like adults. (beat) Agreed? JOHN (Cantonese) Agreed.
244 34 INT. TOMMY’S ROOM - NIGHT 34 We hear JOHN and DOROTHY (both O/S) arguing insanely. Though they make a lot of noise, it can’t be discerned what they’r esaying. WENDY lies on the bottom bunk in her badly fitting My Little Pony sleeping bag, sweating profusely, listening to them argue. Then she folds her pillow around her ears. From the pitch of their voices, it sounds like the end of the world. Finally, Wendy kicks off the sleeping bag and gets up. TOMMY peers over the top bunk. TOMMY Where are you going? WENDY I need to get some air. This place is suffocating. And Simon’s room is further away from that. She points her thumb towards the master bedroom, the source of the arguing. TOMMY I’m coming too. 35 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 35 JOHN and DOROTHY’s (O/S) arguing continues, but sounds further away in the house. SIMON goes through a metal box. It’s full of nostalgia - stamps, letters, birthday cards, a photo booth snapshot of Simon and Jane, knick-knacks and childhood toys. There is also a toy gun inside, which makes him smile - he pulls it out. There is a photo underneath the gun: Simon is at his birthday party, dressed as a cowboy. In the photo: Simon holds the gun to his head, cross-eyed, pretending to commit suicide. Dozens of friends surround him in the photo, laughing.
245 Simon then looks at himself in the mirror, and points the toy gun to his head. He repeatedly shoots, making a limp clicking noise. SIMON (deadpan) Bang-bang. He continues listening to John and Dorothy argue. He pulls out a rolled joint from the box. He is about to light it up, when there’s a knock on the door. 36 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - LATER 36 Simon’s windows are wide open. WENDY and TOMMY lie on Simon’s mattress, sweating, while SIMON sits on the parapet, surveying the streets below. JOHN and DOROTHY (O/S) continue arguing from the master bedroom, but the siblings look remarkably peaceful, and talk as though it’s not even happening. WENDY You didn’t unwrap your presents. SIMON I’ll unwrap them another time. Simon dangles his legs over the edge of the parapet, thinking. TOMMY Be careful, Gor-Gor. You might fall off. SIMON Yeah. That’d be a shame. Suddenly, Wendy and Tommy both sniff the room. TOMMY It still smells weird in here. Wendy gives Simon a knowing look, and raises an eyebrow. Tommy continues sniffing. TOMMY What is that?
246 WENDY (knowingly) Yes, Simon. What is that? 37 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - LATER 37 Now WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY all sit on the parapets outside. Wendy and Simon share a joint, while Tommy devours another slice of cake. They all have a can of soft-drink, too, stolen from the supplies downstairs. JOHN and DOROTHY (O/S) continue their marathon argument session from the other room loudly. TOMMY I didn’t know you guys smoked cigarettes. My teacher said they’ll kill you, eventually. Wendy coughs, waving the smoke away from her face. WENDY Your teacher’s right, Tommy. Stay away from cigarettes. Look what happened to Dad. TOMMY (protesting) But - SIMON These are special cigarettes. As though it’s the funniest thing in the world, Simon and Wendy start cracking up, stoned. Suddenly, the arguing from the master bedroom stops. Wendy puts her palm out in front of her, as if to make the others listen. WENDY Hey guys. Do you hear that? Silence. SIMON It’s only half-time. They’ll start again, I reckon. As if on cue, John and Dorothy (O/S) continue to argue.
247 Simon laughs to himself, darkly. SIMON God this place blows. Tommy takes some ventolin. TOMMY (sad) Are they going to divorce, you think? Because if they do, what’s going to happen to us? And then everything will be all changed and new, but in a bad way. SIMON We’ll be the new Los. Everyone stops to think. Then they start chuckling like idiots. Wendy picks up her soft drink. WENDY That’s funny. (beat) To the new lows. Everyone picks up their cans of soft-drink, hitting them together. They toast. They drink. 38 INT. SIMON’S BEDROOM - LATER 38 The arguing has stopped. Empty soft-drink cans litter the room, along with the butts of joints and dirty cake plates. WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY sleep together on the mattress with the windows wide open. 39 EXT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT 39 The streets are ghostly outside, and deathly silent. 40 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 40 JOHN and DOROTHY again lie on opposite sides of the bed again, with their backs facing one another. This time, they are so far apart, they are close to rolling off the bed.
248 It’s clear both of them have been crying. Their faces are all puffy, and they have bags under their eyes. DOROTHY (Cantonese) This was a bad idea. I’m going to get a taxi back to Ruth’s. JOHN (Cantonese) Don’t be stupid. The children will suspect something. DOROTHY (Cantonese, patronising) Something tells me they might suspect something already. In the silence, Dorothy watches as a cockroach climb down the wall, without fear, in under the bed. She grimaces. DOROTHY (Cantonese) God I hate this place sometimes. John makes a sound: “Pfft.” JOHN (Cantonese) You think you’re the only one? Jesus. Suddenly, the sound of broken glass comes echoing from downstairs. The sound of feet shuffling, and strangers mumbling. Dorothy gets up with a start. DOROTHY (Cantonese, whispering) There’s someone downstairs. John gets up too. JOHN (Cantonese) Stay here. I’ll go by myself and - DOROTHY (Cantonese) No, John. She holds him back, putting her hand in the exact place of his open-heart surgery scar - as though she’s protecting him.
249 DOROTHY (Cantonese) We go together. John understands. He nods. 41 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 41 To JOHN and DOROTHY’s surprise, WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY have already gathered in the hallway outside Simon’s room. Everyone is gripping onto make-shift weapons: an old vacuum cleaner pipe (Wendy); an old acoustic guitar with all the strings missing (Simon); a cricket bat (Tommy). Everyone speaks in whispers, and very, very quickly. JOHN (Cantonese, to Wendy) Did you lock downstairs? WENDY Yes. JOHN (Cantonese) Both doors? Upstairs, too? The deadbolt and the grille? Wendy nods. SIMON I did the banking, too. Ghita told me to after they were broken into. John smiles, obviously surprised. JOHN (Cantonese) Good work. DOROTHY (Cantonese, whispering) You are not going downstairs! No one is! Downstairs, there are noises of someone kicking over a garbage can. SIMON Mum, you’re not taking on those guys yourselves. We’re in this together.
250 The siblings nod. DOROTHY (Cantonese) I didn’t say we’re going downstairs without you! I said no one is going downstairs, period! JOHN (Cantonese) Someone should call the police. WENDY I already have. They’re on their way. DOROTHY (Cantonese) Then we should stay up here! Wait for the police! Downstairs, we hear the low-rumble chatting of the INTRUDERS (O/S) downstairs. Something made of glass smashes, and one intruder laughs. Everyone turns their heads at once. 42 INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER 42 JOHN, DOROTHY, WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY gather in the living room at the head of the stairs, still holding onto their weapons. They listen to the sounds of things being smashed and knocked over downstairs. SIMON They’re wrecking the place! Bastards. They don’t know people live upstairs. DOROTHY (Cantonese) We wait for the police, then! We’re safer up here. WENDY No we’re not! What, we’re going to wait for them to come upstairs and attack us, too? SIMON Yeah, screw that. I say we get to them first. Get a head start. There’s five of us.
251 DOROTHY (Cantonese) If they don’t know people live up here, then that means we’re safe. We stay put! More noises downstairs. Someone is smashing something (it sounds like eggs), while someone else tips over a shelf of something else. What sounds like cans of food roll onto the floor. Something snaps with Simon, and he holds his electric guitar behind him like a baseball bat. He turns towards the other urgently. SIMON This is messed up. I’m going down. Silently, John looks around the room, scanning. He grabs an old, rusted wok sitting nearby, and holds it like a weapon, to demonstrate that he agrees with Simon. DOROTHY (Cantonese) John! Your heart. JOHN (Cantonese) The doctor said I needed more exercise. Simon stares at the wok and grins. John grins back, and begins to lead Simon and Wendy downstairs. Dorothy, panicked, doesn’t know what to do. She looks around helplessly for something, anything - - then spots the iron, still resting on the ironing board, the bane of her existence. She picks it up, and tries a few bashing moves with it. She joins the back of the line, and Tommy sides up next to her with his cricket bat. DOROTHY (Cantonese) You’re staying up here. I’ve seen you with a cricket bat.
252 TOMMY But Mum, I - SIMON I agree, Tommy. You stay up here and keep watch, in case something happens. Tommy crosses his arms. TOMMY Fine. Everyone takes their weapons, and heads downstairs. Tommy is left upstairs. Worried, he takes a puff of ventolin. 43 INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER 43 TOMMY listens at the top of the stairs to the sounds of chaos and carnage going on in the restaurant below him. SIMON (O/S) Get him! Get him! A sickening thud, as something connects with a human head. An INTRUDER (O/S) groans. DOROTHY (O/S) (Cantonese) I got him! I got him! Now what? WENDY (O/S) Tie him up! Use ... use the iron cord! DOROTHY (O/S) Ah! Just at that moment, the security light outside the living room’s back door switches on. WENDY (O/S) Wait, where’s the other one?
SIMON (O/S) Wendy, don’t worry about him, just - WENDY (O/S) But he’s heading upstairs!
253 More crashes downstairs. Tommy takes a puff of ventolin. There are footsteps coming up into the landing. Frightened, Tommy holds his cricket bat aloft. The shadow of an intruder comes racing up the stairs - Tommy swings his bat with all his might and it connects to the intruder’s head with a sickening, hollow thud. TOMMY Argh! Tommy swings again - TOMMY Argh! - and this time the intruder screams and falls to his knees. Without any reservation, Tommy smashes the cricket bat on his head again - TOMMY Argh! The intruder screams. - and again - TOMMY Argh! - and again. WENDY/SIMON (O/S) (calling out) Tommy, are you okay? Now unconscious, the intruder starts rolling down the stairs. 44 INT. SUNNY DAYS CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS 44 JOHN, DOROTHY, WENDY and SIMON look down at their feet, where the INTRUDER lands, slumped and knocked out. Behind them is the other intruder, tied up and gagged with Dorothy’s iron, sitting, barely conscious. Simon is bent over, catching his breath. SIMON Hey Tommy. Look who it is.
254 Simon points a flashlight at the intruder. It is JOCK, from the ute earlier in the day. TOMMY stands at the top of the stairs, breathless. Everyone breathes heavily, not saying anything, as if they’ve just endured long exercise. Tommy, stunned, takes ventolin. TOMMY Are they dead? At this, Simon starts to laugh. Everyone, still out of breath, starts to laugh as well. 45 EXT. SUNNY DAYS - PRE-DAWN 45 Late night outside Sunny Days, and the ruined storefront is illuminated by the flashing lights of ambulances and police cars. There is glass all over the pavement. AMBULANCE OFFICERS wheel out the two intruders: they are JOCK and a slightly older BOGAN. They book look pretty badly beaten up, and are only semi- conscious. DOROTHY and JOHN - who sports a bandaged head - talk to the POLICE, and start and finish each other’s sentences. JOHN We didn’t know what was going on - DOROTHY - so we called the police - JOHN - but you all took so long - DOROTHY - yes, so long! JOHN - and if we hadn’t defended ourselves, we would have been really hurt, you know! As the police officer writes down notes in her notepad, John - still looking ahead - takes Dorothy’s hand gently. It takes her a little by surprise.
255 She squeezes back. Meanwhile, Simon, Tommy and Wendy nod to the ambulance officers as they walk off. The siblings are gathered at the glass shop-front, which has been smashed to smithereens. They are still in their pyjamas, and wielding their make-shift weapons. Simon has a gash on his face; Wendy has a cut lip, but all have been treated and bandaged up. Next to the broken glass store-front, someone has spray- painted a cartoon Chinaman: slanty eyes, Chinaman hat, eating a bowl of rice with a speech bubble containing gobbledy-gook. Wendy, Simon and Tommy examine it ironically, weighing it up like a piece of fine art. SIMON I’d have to say, guys - the resemblance is pretty striking. WENDY Yeah. They got the eyes right. Then they see their reflections in the glass: their split lips, bruised eyes and cut eyebrows. WENDY God, we look really messed up. Simon grins at their collective reflection. SIMON No way. We look awesome. 46 INT. SUNNY DAYS - DAWN 46 Outside, the sun has only just begun rising. The police cars and ambulances are now gone, but the broken glass remains. Sitting around a restaurant table, DOROTHY, WENDY, SIMON and TOMMY are still in their pyjamas, drinking tea. JOHN’s head is tilted back totally. He is dead asleep, snoring loudly with his throat. JOHN “Kaaarrrrrrh ... “ The family wave happily to the startled MORNING JOGGERS as they come by the strange tableau of destruction.
256 Dorothy smiles to herself, then disappears into the kitchen. She re-emerges with the fruit and cream cake, which is now half-eaten. Dorothy pops in two numeric candles spelling out the number ‘18’, and lights it with a gas lighter. Simon groans. SIMON Mum. Again, the candles sing out the tune to Happy Birthday electronically as soon as they’re lit. John wakes up to the sound. DOROTHY (Cantonese) We didn’t do it properly the first time. Aren’t you supposed to make a wish. SIMON You guys can help. In unison, they all blow the candles out. CUT TO BLACK. END.
257 258 4.0 THE NEW LOWS
Broadly speaking, every character in The New Lows—like any person—could be construed as a stereotype when reduced to surface signifiers of race, class, gender, tastes, personality traits and inclinations. In reviewing the characters of The New Lows alongside MANAAʼs website, one could argue that Dorothy represents an emotionally-volatile and unstable Asian woman (“Asian women as dragon ladies”); Wendy represents a hyper-sexualised young Asian female (“Asian women as China dolls”); and Tommy is the embodiment of an Asian nerd (“[Asians] as model minorities”). Moreover, the whole series is set in a Chinese takeaway restaurant, of all things— arguably the most clichéd possible setting for Chinese characters. In the series, the restaurant is also presented as some kitsch relic from the 1970s and 1980s, some sort of cultural and temporal anachronism. In acknowledging this, it had to be asked: as an Asian-Australian practitioner myself, was I writing material that simply reinforced the same tired images of Asians- Australians, the ones so often complained and criticised in the discourse?
To illustrate the point, one simply needs to exercise a simple logic game in examining their own constructs of identity. Like Tommy, I am Chinese-Australian and excelled in academia; like Dorothy, my mother is a Hong Kong migrant who can be emotionally volatile; like the Lo family, I grew up in and amongst takeaway Chinese restaurants. However, that does not mean my personal narrative trajectory, or anyone elseʼs, should be dismissed and considered illegitimate simply because it is a common and shared one. The proposition is absurd. When writing characters for The New Lows, the crucial difference I held in my mind was this: is the character wholly defined by these traits, or are they defined by a complex narrative trajectory, and an actual story? Do they exist to serve as a narrative prop—a lesson about racial tolerance for others, for instance—or do they exercise agency and hold central priority in their own stories? Is it their story being told, or someone elseʼs? As I continued writing The New Lows, what I endeavoured to demonstrate was two things: that these lives and characters have the potential to be far more complex than first assumptions (to retaliate against outcries of being one- dimesional); and that these were characters that would be familiar on first glance, and able to break new ground. The criteria of whether The New Lows was a “positive” or “negative” representation was simply out of my hands.
Horton says that film—and by extension, television—is a “value-constructed medium and thus anything you can do to destroy clichés/stereotypes counts” (Horton, 1994: 125). It seems there are three broad ways of actively addressing stereotype as a writer, all of which are entirely
259 legitimate, complementary and necessary, given the context. One: ignore them, and endeavour to create entirely new and unfamiliar characters. Two: create the direct and exact opposite of what the established stereotype is, as MANAA often suggests. (Instead of a heavily-accented Chinese restaurant worker, write a white-collar Chinese lawyer with an American accent.) Three: wholeheartedly embrace the stereotype, and interrogate its surface values. In the end, this is the strategy with which I most closely aligned myself in writing The New Lows. It aimed to question preconceived expectations of such characters, and centre them as protagonists, to invite audiences not to see the Asian characters as outsiders, but as people who would personally resonate.
One thing I find always extends an audienceʼs sympathies to a character, no matter how flawed or monstrous they might be, is acute, hideous embarrassment. Embarrassment, as film-maker Ang Lee says, can be “a profound and enlightening experience” (in Schamus, 1997: 3), and is always a handy reservoir from which to source dramatic tension. In the past few years, some of my favourite black comedy television programs have used this type of cringe humour as their hallmark, including Larry Davidʼs anti-hero surrogate on Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), or Ricky Gervaisʼs painful studies of humiliation in The Office and Extras (BBC). After all, it was my intention to call the series The New Lows for two obvious reasons: as a reference to the common Chinese family name Lo, and as a quick shorthand, referencing the banal and existential horrors I intended to mine in writing the series. In The New Lows, which revolves around a Chinese-Australian family, I wanted to use that idea of embarrassment in a family culture where the Chinese concept of saving face—maintaining dignity and pride in the face of adversity or shame—would be fundamental, and thus heighten the stakes. How would a family like the Chinese-Australian Los navigate their public and private shames? What would happen when those private shames and fears were exposed to other family members or in a public arena? Because of those tensions between public and private, it seemed apt that Sunny Days was not only a restaurant, but the familyʼs dwelling, a dual space in which public and private lives were conducted at once. Throughout the series, each character has overarching secrets to hide and overcome: Tommyʼs sexuality; Simonʼs desire to leave home; Wendyʼs marriage combustion; Dorothyʼs mental health; Johnʼs physical deterioration.
As I continued drafting the series, I realised that the title The New Lows not simply a show about families and embarrassment; the title itself also gave away a central theme of the series: change. The volatility of growth is a dominant theme throughout the series, the ways in which people—especially families as a unit—cope with change, survive their way through it, and adapt to it. In some ways, The New Lows sought to unearth painful truths about the idea of “growing
260 up” and “coming of age”; that growing up is also coupled with growing pains; that change is not always wanted or easy; that adolescence can be horrific and, of course, embarrassing. Thus, every episode is also set during a positive coming-of-age milestone, event or celebration: graduations, Christmas, Valentineʼs Day, and birthdays. In the writing, I wanted to interrogate and question the idea that change and progress are necessarily positive elements in life. In The New Lows, these milestones commemorate disaster: marriage breakdowns, heart attacks and, ultimately (in the finale), the destruction of the restaurant itself.
There are obvious visual motifs to represent this idea of volatile change, most obviously, the line markings on the wall to represent the childrenʼs ages. Change is built within and affects the familyʼs physical environment, with the downstairs restaurant itself and the surrounding neighbourhood undergoing dramatic gentrification. Throughout the series, there are constant references to renovation, moving onto a different kind of restaurant, or Sunny Days transforming to adopt an entirely different ethnic cuisine altogether—an idea that baffles both Dorothy and John, and is brought up in a conversation between John and his friends in Episode 2. This is a concept I have sourced from personal experience. My own father Danny no longer manages Chinese restaurants like he used to in the 1970s through to the 1990s; instead, he now runs a successful Thai restaurant on Queenslandʼs Sunshine Coast, which is far more lucrative than the standard-fare suburban Chinese restaurants of his peers. Similarly, my Chinese uncle in Canada runs a Japanese restaurant. Chinese cuisine—at least, the Westernised version of it—has gone out of fashion, which is an idea I wanted to also subtly explore with The New Lows; that these people had somehow been left behind. Dorothy and John are stuck in a rudderless marriage; Wendy hasnʼt progressed in her career or marriage; Simon is literally left behind by his friends; and Tommy is emotionally stunted in comparison to his peers.
Tommy is a character moulded upon perhaps one of the most reviled stereotypes amongst Asian media advocates: the Asian nerd. Physically un-coordinated, academically gifted, and socially retarded, Tommy is a walking, talking cliché. We also discover he is prodigiously gifted at playing the piano and, academically, is at the top of his class. His dress-sense is completely clueless, and almost anachronistic: side-parted combed hair and thick-rimmed glasses. However, Tommy also introduces a familiar archetype and aesthetic to the audience. Nerds are also good characters to write, since I do not think socially capable people make for particularly compelling drama. But as the episode and series progressed, my aim to was introduce more complicated layers and ideas to his narrative, including issues of adolescent sexuality, mental health and politics of the family and schoolyard. If Tommy is an Asian nerd, then that has to be understood and presented as legitimate. What was warranted was further examination. What do
261 we find out about his interior life, and how do those revelations broaden our presumptions of such characters? It could also be argued that such a strategy might be a win-win situation for a writer seeking a broader audience, since viewers are greeted with the familiar iconography of stereotype, while the representation widens the idea of what characters are capable of, on screen. The challenge in writing Tommy was to write stories for him beyond visual shorthand, which demonstrated he was more than aesthetic cues of “nerd”. Throughout the series, it was my intention to investigate Tommyʼs complicated interior life, as well as his ongoing negotiation with his identity.
Throughout the series, one aspect of The New Lows I have found particularly interesting to write has been issues of sexuality. Images of Asians, and the way those images have been interpreted with regards to sexuality, have been widely discussed in Asian-Australian studies; for instance, the exoticisation and sexualisation of Asian women, and the castration and emasculation of Asian men. However, examining sexual identity in adolescent Asian youth becomes an entirely different proposition altogether, and something rarely touched upon in Asian-Australian studies, arguably because of broader taboos concerning youth sexuality. In Episode 4, set on Valentineʼs Day, Tommy—unbeknownst even to himself—becomes infatuated by his new friend Harry. He has even become vegetarian, emulating Harry, which causes a minor controversy at the dinner table amongst the Lo family. However, after Harry secretly discovers Tommyʼs sketches of him during a sleepover, their tenuous friendship spontaneously combusts at the Year 8 school camp. It is clear that Tommy has harboured a deep affection for Harry, but canʼt put a name to his crush. Tommyʼs tragedy is that before he can recognise his affection towards Harry for what it is—something beyond friendship—everyone else already has already identified it, including Harry. While this attraction has obvious homosexual overtones, it is the audience who is filling in the gaps, providing a name to the relationship, even if Tommy has yet to come to his own conclusions.
Exploring the awkwardness of adolescent sexuality in Asian ethnic youth is admittedly not new terrain. US film-maker Michael Kangʼs debut feature film The Motel (2005) bears an almost uncanny resemblance to The New Lows, since both share familiar motifs: migrant parents; the claustrophobic family business, the overbearing Chinese mother, the horrors—and physical violence—of puberty in the schoolyard and, of course, the bumbling discoveries of sexuality. In The Motel, the protagonist is Ernest, a slightly overweight, nerdy kid in spectacles, who lives with his single mother, his maternal grandfather and kid sister, helping the family run a seedy, off- road, hour-rate motel located in a suburban by-way. Ernest is awkward, but is smitten by his best friend Katie, a Chinese-American schoolmate who works in her familyʼs Chinese restaurant. The
262 ways in which Ernest plays out his sexuality are both endearing and cringe-worthy; at one point, Ernest masturbates using the side of a table, and later tries experimenting with his sisterʼs soft plush bunny for the texture. Some might argue that these portraits of Asian adolescent sexuality reinforces old images about Asian masculinities: weak, non-assertive and embarrassing. However, these are portrayals of children we are discussing here, and it is perhaps fair to say that any portrayal of adolescent sexuality—whether male or female, Asian or non-Asian—will be embarrassing and fumbling.
In any case, while both The New Lows and The Motel foreground images of awkward Asian adolescent sexuality, there are complementary (though not “complimentary”) images of Asian men in both. In The Motelʼs case, it comes in the form of the sexually confident but reckless Korean-American Sam Kim, who starts living in one of the motelʼs rooms, and becomes a surrogate father figure in Ernestʼs life, much to the disapproval of Ernestʼs mother. In their time alone, Sam Kim teaches Ernest how to drive, how to sexually please a woman, and sneaks into his room after hours for covert late-night dinners of fried chicken. Similarly, The New Lows has Simon, Tommyʼs 17-year-old brother, and Tommyʼs opposite in many respects: academically underachieving, lazily good-looking and sexually confident.
However, in The New Lows, it is perhaps eldest sister Wendy whose character is most tied into discussions of representing sex and sexuality. One of the commonly leveled criticisms towards representations of Asian females on Western screens has always been that they are subject to “unmotivated white-Asian romance1 (MANAA, 2007), and while endlessly exoticised and sexualised, they rarely exercise personal agency with their sexuality. In early drafts, Wendy was a typically beautiful, young Chinese-Australian actor, struggling to find work in an industry hostile and insensitive to casting Asian roles. She was also written as the victim of her husbandʼs shameless infidelities the impetus for her flying back home during Christmas. There needed to be some monumental and shameful reason for her arrival back into the Lo household, and being the victim of infidelity seemed as good a reason as any. But as far as writing went, it was lazy, and rendered Wendy as victimised, two-dimensional, passive and boring. Wendy was a pretty face, attached to a Caucasian male, beaten, downtrodden, and didnʼt exercise much say in her narrative besides fleeing the situation. In her original incarnation, Wendy was a stereotype, not because she was an “inaccurate” portrayal of race, but because she was a lazy portrayal of a human being.
1 An Asian woman falling in love with a white man, simply by default of his race.
263 In more recent drafts of the pilot episode, I altered Wendy in several respects. Wendy was almost aggressively sexual, but also full of self-doubt and insecurities. In this way, Wendy was written as more sexual (in asserting her own sexuality), but less sexual-ised, because of the horrific ways in which she expresses and asserts her sexuality. In the pilot episode, I inverted the source of moral digression, and made it Wendy who was the unfaithful one in her marriage. She became less a victim of other peopleʼs whims and actions, and more as someone exercising her own control—no matter how appalling—who had to suffer the consequences of her own actions. Moreover, it was a scenario that manufactured embarrassment, shame, and extended the idea of having to maintain face in difficult circumstances, the very themes I was endeavouring to build upon throughout the series. Wendy was now morally grey, and a far more interesting prospect than her first draft: an attractive woman who had been betrayed by her cheating husband. More than anything else, it was important to present each of the Los—including Wendy—as the prime architects of their own conundrums. Wendy sets the precedent for future episodes.
Finally, while The New Lows is a story foregrounding Chinese-Australians, one thing I wanted to avoid in writing the series was making it explicitly “about” Chinese-Australians, or the experience of “being” Chinese-Australian. This was generally due to two reasons. Firstly, I find the idea of a screenplay adequately representing a supposed shared “experience” of a specific ethnic population bizarre. Secondly, on a creative and aesthetic level, I wanted to avoid making these stories overly earnest and po-faced. To demonstrate this, one major edit I made was in Episode 5, in which Sunny Days Chinese Restaurant is the target of a break-in. The final scenes of that episode were based on a 2007 news story about an Asian-American family—consisting of a restaurant cook, his wife, his parents and other family members—who had banded together to beat and detain a household intruder (Associated Press, 2007). For me, I wanted that episode to culminate in something similar—the Los banding together to defend the family and restaurant to which they have all expressed such resentment during the course of the episode. In the original drafts, there were explicit overtones to Hansonism and racial tension in that episode—the break- in was basically a hate-crime. However, I soon decided that racial tension did not have to be made so obvious; I did not want the Lo family to be some sort of victimised group simply on the basis of race, or have this episode presented as “The Episode Where Race Becomes An Issue For The Family”. As Tony Ayres has stated, in television, “[ethnic] identity is either the issue of the episode or it is invisible as acceptable middle class” (Ayres, in May, 2003). In writing The New Lows, I wanted to avoid both options.
264 5.0 CONCLUSION
Upon completion of this doctorate program, I intend to submit select sample episodes and the concept document of The New Lows to several producers and screenwriters for perusal, including Debbie Lee, the senior commissioning editor for drama and entertainment at SBS Independent (SBSi). The goal here is not to necessarily seek production, but to initiate discussion and contact with a broadcasting network explicitly committed to unearthing “original, distinctive and challenging [works, which] seek to reflect the culturally diverse realities of contemporary Australia” (SBSi, 2007). Moreover, their charter and website outlines their current pursuit of new drama concepts, written as six one-hour episodes, a format to which The New Lows specifically adheres. After having written The New Lows for the past three years within an academic context, it would be interesting to see how a commissioning editor would respond to the work from a commercial and creative standpoint. Of course, those discussions about marketing, audience appeal, production values, viability, dramaturgy and commerciality might warrant an entirely different exegesis altogether. It should be noted that like The Home Song Stories or Floating Life, The New Lows remains firmly located in a realm that many viewers would not consider “entertainment”. Despite aiming for laughs, the humour is black and isnʼt going to necessarily appeal to a broad commercial audience. Much like the British comedy series Shameless—which also deals with dysfunctional families—The New Lows, if it were to made, would most likely screen to niche audiences.
As it stands, I cannot help but feel that the screenplays for The New Lows have their shortcomings. Having written these episodes as a relatively novice screenwriter, I can see some episodes need to be funnier, others less flippant. Some scenes—and entire episodes—fall into a creative trap I wanted to avoid, of being overly earnest and po-faced. Some warrant minor editing, while others need major reconstructive surgery. Some characters are overly one- dimensional for my liking, and some scaffolding in the narrative is still too exposed. Still, I take comfort in the idea that screenplay is, by definition, only an outline for a project that has yet to be made. In many ways, the project has not yet even begun. However, in the context of this doctorate submission, this combined screenplay and exegesis must be taken as a self-contained work. To that end, its intent is to contribute to Asian-Australian studies, by shifting ground on three issues facing screenwriters: the idea of racial authenticity and its relationship to stereotype; the onus on Asian representations towards being ambassadorial in nature; and the idea of “positive” Asian representations.
265 Firstly: if the paradigm of hybridity is now a core foundation on which Asian-Australian studies is built, then the validity and place of discussions surrounding authenticity must be questioned, especially in a paradigm where identity is widely regarded as malleable, unstable and negotiable. If stereotype and cliché are the result of unfairly over-generalising and over-simplifying a character (Hamamoto, in Adachi, 2006), then it must stand to reason that the opposite of those qualities would not be “authenticity”, but individuality, complexity and sophistication. While this is what I have aimed towards in my own screenplays, this cannot be applied as a blanket rule: some television genres simply do not allow for sophisticated characters, regardless of race or ethnicity. It should be stated here that I seemingly have an upper hand in writing Asian- Australian stories. When it comes to authenticity, the fact I am Asian-Australian myself means there will be the perception that I have an automatic and legitimate mandate to write these stories. There is some merit in this argument, and I certainly feel more comfortable writing Asian- Australian characters than, say, Native American ones.
It has also been suggested to me that because of my cultural background, I will somehow write more “true” Asian-Australian stories and characters than anyone else. Admittedly, I am still wary of those ideas of “truth” and “authenticity” when it comes to representations of race. Moreover, I have reservations about the idea that a writer must be of a certain age, race, culture, gender or sexual orientation in order to write characters with similar traits and backgrounds. It implicitly promotes the idea that it is okay to neglect writing characters of diverse backgrounds on the basis that they will be automatically inaccurate, because a writer does not share the same background. However, there is a fundamental difficulty in writing characters outside of personal experience. For instance, in writing the character of Wendy, I encountered enormous difficulty in articulating her motivations and desires. That difficulty was only lessened with the involvement of my script supervisor Carol Williams, who is female. However, Williams was not there to provide an “accurate” account of all women—and especially not Asian-Australian women—but her insights helped give Wendy more agency, believability and complexity. There is a need for consultation, but outside the paradigm of using Asian-Australians as some advisory oracle who will discern cultural accuracy. Instead, there needs to be an embedded—and desired—diversity of involvement within the industry. Diversity is often spoken about within a cosmetic on-screen context; however, it must also be built on all levels, from casting to production, direction and screenwriting, to ensure characters are specific and unique.
Secondly: as McKee argues, we must attend to the specificity of representations (2000). This is one point on which to particularly press: The New Lows only lays claims to be being representative of one single Chinese-Australian experience, not “the” Chinese-Australian
266 experience—there is clearly no such thing. As Taylor expresses in the conclusion of her own screenwriting exegesis: “I have tried to write characters whose specificity and autonomy make them capable of confounding our expectations of them” (Taylor, 2005: lxxvi). In the context of this project, what I also wanted to avoid with The New Lows was making claims for these characters as ambassadors of any kind: for migrants, for Chinese-Australians, or for second-generation children. Tommy may be a 12-year-old Asian-Australian kid, but I would loathe for him to be construed as a figure who is somehow emblematic of Asian-Australian youth. Similarly, I doubt the Chinese-Australian population would be happy with the idea that the dysfunctional Lo family somehow reflects all Chinese-Australian families who work in small business. By contrast, the US Margaret Cho comedy series All American Girl was actively billed by its network, marketers and producers as the first “Asian-American family” on television. This strategy might have had its merits from a marketing perspective, but it also made the burden of expectation weigh down heavily on its creative players. Creative shortcomings aside—and there were many—It was almost inevitable that a show like All American Girl was going to fail. By emphasising the “first Asian American family” appeal of the show, the producers set up an unfair context on which the program was going to be judged. There was not enough foresight to understand that no program should have to be submitted as pioneering delegates of Asian representation, and subject to scrutiny based on those problematic ideas of authentic representation. It was simply asking for trouble. A single fictional nuclear family such as the Los cannot make claims towards representing a body of people as vast as Chinese-Australians—or worse still, Asian- Australians— simply because the media landscape happens to be so deprived of those representations. As stated previously, I also consciously wanted to avoid making The New Lows about “the struggles of being Asian-Australian” or explicitly “about” Asian identity. Like the character of Ben in Adrian Tomineʼs graphic novel Shortcomings (2007), I am wary of this perceived onus on Asian narratives having to make “big statement” about racial identity. When examining and editing the screenplays, this reasoning is exactly why I edited out the racial hate- crime to which the Los are subject in Episode 5, instead making it simply a crime against the family and the business in general. Yet, at the same, I did not want to present these characters as being “emptied” of their race (May, 2003), or only incidentally Asian, whatsoever. In discussing Asian Australian representations on screen, Tony Ayres stated that in his experience, “identity is either the issue of the episode or it is invisible as acceptable middle class” (Ayres, in May, 2003); that is, it is either a problem, or it is rendered as décor. Those two options are restricting. The fact the Los are Chinese-Australian does have significant impact on the characters. Wendyʼs ethnicity plays a key role in her career; Tommyʼs ethnicity plays a key role in how he navigates schoolyard politics; Simonʼs ethnicity provides a tension between traditional family obligations, and the impulses of anyone else his age. If all the characters were rendered
267 Anglo Australian, for instance, I am not convinced the series would necessarily translate easily. Race is present and inextricably permeates the characters, but the difference is that it is not presented as some existential problem characters must overcome.
Finally: from the start, I was never interested in writing a “positive” portrayal of Asian Australia, as though minority characters must somehow serve as role models in order to be accepted by the broader community. Nor did I want it to be imbued with a sense of “worthiness”, which is often coupled with the idea that writing Asian Australian characters for the screen is inherently an important and noble exercise, in and of itself. For me, the onus is not to write towards some festive and thumbs-up portrayal of race, nor paragons of virtue representing the Asian-Australian population. As a viewer, those sorts of portrayals bore me. Instead, the intent was to write characters capable of morally reprehensible things, but who were centred closely enough that audiences could identify with them enough to defend them. If it were ever to be produced, it is safe to say The New Lows would not necessarily be considered pleasant, or even popular, viewing. Its comedy is black, its characters can be detestable and irritating. However, these are the kind of elements I seek out in television dramas and comedies. Considering television is a medium designed to entertain, challenge, move and humour us, writing stock-standard, morally virtuous heroes would be the real insult.
With all this said, it is worth observing that in approaching this screenplay, much of its strategy, admittedly, seems to have been informed by a process of systematic negation. The dominant questions shaping its editing process seems to be defined by what The New Lows isnʼt, rather than what it is. What do these screenplays try to avoid? What do these screenplays actively try to resist? What are these screenplays not? To a degree, the creative practice as research methodology is responsible for this. Since the contextual review demanded an in-depth investigation and mapping of the current dialogues within Asian Australian studies and the politics of representation, it was inevitable that in writing the screenplays, I endeavoured to avoid a variety of screenwriting pitfalls identified by other scholars in preceding Asian-Australian screen works. As a first-time screenwriter, it immediately made me wary and exhaustively self- conscious about what constituted “right” and “wrong” narrative strategies and character traits. In the end, many of the edits made throughout developing The New Lows arguably came from pre- emptively striking against anticipated academic attacks. In the projectʼs early stages, this defensiveness was problematic, having to constantly question what a hypothetical and imaginary audience would think. I still cannot decide whether having the contextual review inform the creative work is one of the methodologyʼs key strengths, or a debilitating weakness. Perhaps, this is more telling of my own neuroses as a screenwriter, more than anything else.
268
It is strange to think this it has been over three years since I first encountered that suburban Chinese restaurant in Wooloongabba, and started developing the initial idea for The New Lows. It is also strange to see how those initial, childish and curious questions raised that night (“What kind of family ran the restaurant?”; “How did they afford the rent?”) have been replaced by far more complicated preoccupations and questions. When May writes in his doctorateʼs conclusion about the importance of expanding “the potential of Asian portrayals through interesting, multidimensional characters” (May, 2003), it sounds like a task that is essentially creative. However, what I have learned is that it is also an exercise inextricably encumbered with politics relating to politics relating to identity, race and representation.
Stories of people, when spun into narrative fictions and presented to an audience, are the product of a process of mediation, an essentially political act. Despite the creative difficulties faced when informing the edits of creative work with academic theory, it is important for screenwriters to understand what kind of politics they are essentially bringing into the work. For me, I felt the onus was not on whether I could avoid stereotype in creating Asian Australian protagonists, but whether I could successfully transform and expand them. The exercise was not to debunk a repertoire of images as false, but retain them so as to stretch them beyond their current parameters. A suite of characters may tread familiar ground at first, but what makes for exciting viewing is when those same characters defy expectations, by being complex, complicated and brave, or by simply being pushed to centre stage. In Asian-Australian representations, there are ways to overtake already-established heights, and explore exciting new lows.
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