CHRISTMAS AT EXIT 24 written by Jerry Robbins [email protected] FADE IN: EXT. ON THE WOODBINE PIKE - DAY A two-lane, tree-lined highway. A box truck approaches. On the truck, is printed: HO! HO! HO! DECORATIONS FOR EVERY HOLIDAY. Behind the wheel is CHRIS (70), a jolly, happy man with a white beard, and white hair under a red and white stocking cap. Slightly overweight, he is easily identified as Santa by any child who sees him. Chris notices a road sign ahead: EXIT 24. A small illustration indicates Food and Gasoline. The right blinker on the Box Truck blinks, and it takes the off-ramp of Exit 24. EXT. LOUIE'S TRUCK STOP - DAY A large, square built silver and red diner with a tower and sign that reads: LOUIE'S There are three semi-rig trucks parked in the big lot. Cheap-looking Christmas decorations are being taped onto the diner windows... a Christmas tree, a bulb ornament... INT. LOUIE'S DINER - CONTINUOUS Taping these flimsy pieces of holiday art to the windows is ERNESTINE ROSEMONT (45), the head waitress. Down-to- earth and a tower of wisdom in the eyes of her co- workers, she radiates authority and kindness. The diner has a classic lunch counter with stools, a row of booths, and tables in the center. Spacious, clean, welcoming. There is a long, open window to the kitchen where the waitstaff can pick up the orders, and the kitchen staff can see out. Ernestine plasters a paper Santa to the window. ERNESTINE There you go, Saint Nick! Same window as last year. 2. JULIE REID (30), enters with one last paper decoration. Gentle and calm, she’s funky with blue and red hair and a nose ring. JULIE And here’s the guy with the shiny nose. ERNESTINE Rudy! I’ve been waiting for him! Julie hands the cutout to Ernestine, who furrows her brow as she studies it. JULIE What? Ernestine points. ERNESTINE He’s torn up here... see? A big white blotch where his ear should be. JULIE Must have come off with last year’s tape. Ernestine plasters the cutout to the window with a healthy amount of tape. ERNESTINE Rudy, you lost your glow. Julie makes her way behind the counter where TRUCKER 1 (40s), burly, baseball cap, jacket, tough, reads a menu. TRUCKER 2 (50s), slicked back hair, dressed casual, sunglasses, eats a sandwich. Julie, order pad in hand, waits with her pencil ready to write. TRUCKER 1 Do you still have those meatballs that looked like Jack-o'-lanterns? JULIE That was just for Halloween. TRUCKER 1 The meatballs with the edible Pilgrim hats? 3. JULIE Thanksgiving. TRUCKER 1 What ya got for Christmas? JULIE Just a torn reindeer cutout in the window. TRUCKER 1 I meant to eat. JULIE For Christmas? Our annual “Louie's Christmas Eve All-Day Turkey Diner Dinner.” TRUCKER 1 What about for now? Julie writes up the order. JULIE Hamburger? TRUCKER 1 Sold. Well done, please. She tears the paper from her book, places it on the kitchen window counter, and yells into the kitchen. JULIE A hockey puck with lettuce! LOUIE (65), appears in the kitchen window. African- American with greying hair, a care-worn face lined with stress, and weary eyes. There’s an aura of sadness about him that he does his best to conceal. LOUIE Window decorations up? JULIE Last one just now. LOUIE Good. I want Mia to see them. Kids love that stuff. TRUCKER 3 (20s), fit and handsome, puts his menu down and turns to Julie. 4. TRUCKER 3 Can I get the Rigatoni con la Pajata? Julie turns on a subtle charm. JULIE Of course. Excellent choice. She writes it up. TRUCKER 3 How’s the Italian here? JULIE Best Italian food on the Woodbine Pike. TRUCKER 3 Yeah? Cook must be from the old country. Julie shoots him a pleasant smile. JULIE Oh... his country’s pretty old, no question about it. INT. THE KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Louie takes the slip, gives it a glance. LOUIE Rigatoni con la Pajata to go, Wu! WU ZHOU (50), is the top chef in the kitchen, and like most top chefs, his white uniform doesn’t have a stain on it. Professional and immaculate, he belongs in a five star hotel, not a diner. WU Rigatoni con la Pajata. Grazie, ci sto lavorando. THE DINER Julie joins Ernestine at the far end of the restaurant where she decorates a fake tree that has seen better days. 5. JULIE Oh, this tree. You know, Louie had this tree in here when I was in second grade? ERNESTINE I got news for ya. Louie had this tree before he built the diner! LOUIE (O.S.) I heard that! Ernestine calls out to him. ERNESTINE You were meant to! I said it with love! Louie laughs. JULIE At least Chris will bring in some nice ones so customer’s won’t look at these. The phone RINGS behind the counter. Ernestine heads towards it. RING! RING! ERNESTINE Yeah, yeah... She picks up the phone and puts her polite voice on. ERNESTINE (CONT’D) Louie's Diner on Exit 24, best Italian food on the pike, this is Ernestine, can I help you... Yes, Ma’am, we have a fantastic Italian chef... Anything you like... we’ll be expecting you. Good-bye! Ernestine hangs up and turns to Louie in the kitchen window. ERNESTINE (CONT’D) Family of five, twenty miles. LOUIE Hear that, Wu? WU I got it. 6. Louie gestures to Ernestine. LOUIE Ernestine... She goes to the kitchen door. Louie joins her and speaks quietly. LOUIE (CONT’D) How is Holly doing? Any better? ERNESTINE She seems to be getting her act together. Slow but sure. Takes more than a couple of months. LOUIE Christmas. It’s gonna be a tough time for her. ERNESTINE I know. She’s tough, though. She gently caresses his arm. ERNESTINE (CONT’D) Gonna be a tough time for you, too, Louie. He manages a smile. LOUIE Hey. I’m tough, too. ERNESTINE I know you are. And you have all of us to keep you company. The front door opens as Holly and Mia enter. They shiver from the cold. HOLLY DOUGLAS (33), very attractive, she’s intelligent, disciplined, a workaholic, and no longer very social. She’s done that. Her long hair is in a pony tail that makes her look younger than her years. Her daughter, MIA DOUGLAS (10), is rather on the sarcastic side as she’s been through a tough year. She’s pretty, plainly dressed, wears a barrette in her long black hair, and is never without colored pencils and a sketchbook. 7. HOLLY It’s freezing out there! I wouldn’t be surprised if we get snow! Holly takes Mia’s coat and heads for the kitchen. HOLLY (CONT’D) Sorry I’m a little late, Ernestine. ERNESTINE Quite all right, Holly. Holly exits. Mia sits on a stool at the counter. MIA I hope we get snow for Christmas. ERNESTINE Oh, that would be nice. MIA You like snow, too? ERNESTINE No. But if we got a storm, my brother, his annoying wife, and five bratty kids will have to stay home instead of invading my humble abode. Apple pie? MIA Yes, please! Holly joins them as Ernestine gets Mia a slice of pie and a glass of milk. ERNESTINE I think seat three is ready to cash out. Can you take care of that for me, Holly? HOLLY Of course! Holly goes to the register and rings up the check. EXT. LOUIE'S TRUCK STOP - DAY Chris’ Box Truck pulls into the lot, and into a space. 8. EXT. LOUIE'S FRONT DOOR - DAY Chris is just about to open the door when it opens for him, and Trucker 1 exits as Chris steps aside. CHRIS Oh! Thank you. Merry Christmas! TRUCKER 1 Hey, same to you, buddy! Chris smiles and enters. INT. LOUIE'S DINER - CONTINUOUS Chris lights up the room as he throws his arms out wide! CHRIS Merry Christmas, everyone! Mia spins on the stool to face him. MIA Chris! I was hoping you would be here today! He goes to her. CHRIS I must say this place is looking mighty Christmassy. MIA It is? ERNESTINE Sure, honey. Don’t you see the pictures in the window? Mia turns to the windows. All she sees are the plain cardboard backs of the decorations. MIA Those? ERNESTINE Well... um, yes. The pictures face the outside! MIA I was too cold to notice, I guess. Louie looks through the kitchen window. 9. CHRIS Maybe I brought you something better! This gets Louie's attention at the window. LOUIE Hey... Chris? Chris looks up at Louie, who motions for him to come around the side. Chris goes to the door in a small hallway that leads to another kitchen entrance, and another door that leads to the basement. Louie waits for him. CHRIS What is it, Louie? LOUIE About those decorations. I can’t take them. I’m sorry, ‘cause I know you loaded them and hauled them out here... but... well... I just can’t afford it this year. Chris stares at him with sympathetic eyes. LOUIE (CONT’D) I’m in a hole that just gets deeper and deeper. My wife’s medical bills before she died... CHRIS I understand. Louie tries to smile, but can’t. LOUIE I’m mortgaged to the hilt. My house, the diner... I can’t get another loan.