Marias Forty Green Hats By Sean Bibby

Adapted from "Forty Green Hats" by DeathToPennies

INSERT: A SHOT OF AN ANSWERING MACHINE SCHOOL NURSE (V.O.) Hello this is the Henry S. Foote High School nurse calling for the parents of Maria Baldini? Im sorry to inform you this way... on the answering machine, but... uh, weve had a bit of an emergency. Your daughter had a major nervous breakdown and has been transferred to John Baptist Memorial Hospital andThe call fades out. Music kicks in. INT. MARIAS ROOM A montage of a bunch of paintings plastered over MARIAs walls and MARIA herself, painting, moving around her room gleefully, and pinning the paintings up. The voice-over phone calls continue to fade in and out. KAREN BALDINI (V.O.) Yes, this is her mother. SCHOOL COUNSELOR (V.O.) Im calling to confirm that you plan to... you plan to withdraw your daughter Maria from school? Yes? KAREN BALDINI (V.O.) Yes thats correct. SCHOOL COUNSELOR (V.O.) Well... I mean, are you sure thats what you want to do? KAREN BALDINI (V.O.) Thats whats best Im sure of it. As the montage continues over the phone, we see that Maria has even more paintings pinned to her ceiling. Maria moves all of her furniture to one side of the room and we see a mini-montage of green hats in different arragngements on the empty side.

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2.

GRANDMA (V.O.) (thick Italian accent) Look, I just think that you are being COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE with Maria! You cant just let her drop out just beca- Yes! ONE NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

KAREN BALDINI (V.O.) I know what you must think but we had to... irresponsible? Maria had a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN! A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF SCHOOL. You know what... you know what, PAULIE can you talk to your mother for me (fades out) PAULIE BALDINI (V.O.) Mom? Mamma! You cant justlisten- you cant just talk to Karen that way! Shes my... I DO CARE ABOUT MY DAUGHTER. What the hell are you-

GRANDMA (V.O.) Paulie! What the hell are you letting happen to your daughter? She cant justoh Lord! Karen Karen Karen! Thats all that you care about. What about your DAUGHTER?!

The call fades out and the montage ends. Maria is standing in front of a painting in progress, facing the hats. MAX is sitting on a futon bed behind her. MARIA (to herself) Its just... its just not what I want yet MAX How many do you need? Maria doesnt respond. She is transfixed, swirling the paintbrush in green paint but not lifting it. MAX Maria! MARIA (snapping out of it) Huh? MAX (smiling) How many more do you need?

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3.

MARIA Just one... MAX And how many is that? MARIA Thirty nine MAX So you need forty. MARIA Yep MAX Forty green hats. MARIA Forty green hats. Maria smiles and returns to what she was doing. MAX I still dont really get whats going on. MARIA (still transfixed) I dont either but I know I need it. MAX Isnt that a bit selfish? Just changing your life like that in an instant because of a feeling? I mean... its your life and your life is important. MARIA No I think what I was doing before was selfish. And its not about my life anymore, thats the point. It used to be about my life. I mean, the whole plan. High school, then college. Its how you live a good stable life. But I cant do anything with that. I feel it. MAX But you can with hats.

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4.

MARIA (turning to Max) Just right now Max. I just need the hats now. (turning back) I used to care so much about where my life was headed because I only got one of them. THATs selfish. Were all just little stories that are part of a big story. So the least selfish thing to do would be to be what Im supposed to be, not just go along, doing everything so I can have the best life. You understand? MAX Yeah, actually. It makes sense. Maria turns around, paintbrush in hand. MARIA Really? MAX (smiling) In the way that only a neurotic can make sense. Maria smiles devilishly. She paints the tip of Maxs nose green and returns to the hats. MAX How many is that again? MARIA Thirty nine. MAX Forty green hats. Right. Max thinks, and then takes his wallet out of his pocket. MAX Here. Is this good? Maria looks at the picture Max is showing her. It is a family portrait from when he was little. On his mothers head is a green MARIA Oh my god... Oh my god...

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5.

MAX It would be tough. Maria snaps out of her shock. She sits next to Max and holds his arm. MARIA Please dont do it if you dont want to. This is genuinely risky for you. Dangerous. MAX (sighing) No. I can do it. I want to do it. MARIA I dont... I dont know what to say. MAX "Thank you" would be cool MARIA You already know how grateful I am. Maria holds his arm tighter. MARIA Thank you. Thank you so much Max. MAX (getting up) Yeah... Max cooly walks out of the room. INT. MARIAS LIVING ROOM He pauses halfway down the stairs and takes a nervous breath. He then briskly moves to the door. MAX (shouting) Bye, Marias mom! KAREN BALDINI (shouting back) Bye, Man, sweetie! The door slams. KAREN BALDINI looks perplexed at the rush. The music returns.

6. TITLE SCREEN: MARIAS FORTY GREEN HATS EXT. THE SUBURB STREET Max gets his bike from the tree in front of Marias house and starts pedaling. He looks up at the trees while he is travelling. He arrives at his house, leans the bike against the tree, and walks across his cappy lawn. He enters through the front door. INT. MAXS LIVING ROOM The living room is a mess. His FATHER is sleeping on the couch. After a careful pause, Max starts to walk toward the stairs. FATHER (O.S.) (drunkenly) Hey! Hold up and stay put boy. Maxs father gets up from the couch and shambles over to Max. FATHER What the hell is this? You come in here without saying anything to me? Max looks at his toes. FATHER Answer me! MAX I didnt want to wake you. FATHER Yeah... sure. He notices the green paint on Maxs nose and his face turns angry and repulsed. FATHER What? Youve been hanging around with that fucking crazy girl? After I told you NOT TO?! Max stares at his shoes still. His father smacks him across the face, then pins him violently to a wall.

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7.

FATHER EVERY FUCKING TIME. You disobediant little smart alec. First your bitch mom goes all psycho on us and now youre hangin around with a new crazy bitch! What is it? She your girlfriend or something you little shit? Dont you know shes fucking crazy, like everyone says? Why would you want to fuck her? The father starts to laugh. Max is still silent. Disliking the silence, his father slams him against the wall again and gets in close. FATHER (intensely staring) I hate your fucking eyes, you know that? Theyre like your mothers eyes, but your mothers eyes when she turned us into a bunch of fuck-ups. He releases Max, still staring intensely. Max falls on his knee, struggles up, and runs up the stairs as his father returns to the couch. The door slams. FATHER (yelling) What did I say about slamming your FUCKING DOOR?! INT. MAXS ROOM Max stands defensively against his door for a moment. After everything seems clear, he moves to the mirror. The music starts again. Max analyzes his forming bruise in the mirror. There is a deeper mark where his fathers ring made impact. He pours some water from a water bottle on to a tissue and dabs his eye, but winces in pain and stops. He sits on his bed. He takes the picture from his wallet and looks at it again. After time passes, the music stops and Maxs head snaps up to hear footsetps in the hallway. We then hear a door open and slam shut, and the father get into bed. After a tense pause, we hear snoring. Max puts the picture in his wallet and slowly open and sloses the door, keeping the knob turned before the door is closed to be extra quiet.

8.

INT. FATHERS ROOM Max enters his fathers room quietly. It is an absolute mess. His father is sleeping on a king size bed, with Maxs mothers old side covered with junk food and dirty laundary. The windowshade is broken and there are pictures of the family above the bed with the mother violently ripped out. Max sees the green cap on a high cluttered shelf. He approaches it, and tip toes but cannot reach it. He climbs onto a lower shelf, unsteady, and grabs the hat. He places it on his head. Suddenly, the shelf he is standing on gives way. His father wakes up with a start, looking at the closet where the commotion came from and yelling confusedly. FATHER WHAT THE FUCK?! But Max has already sprinted out the door. INT. MAXS ROOM Max runs into his room and, breathing with heavy panic, slowly pushes his dresser in the way of the door. In the process we hear his father yelling and stomping down the hall FATHER YOU FUCKED UP CRAZY IDIOT. WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?! IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU. ILL KILL YOU! Max blocks the door with the dresser just as his father tries to barge in. Max climbs out his window and sits on the edge. He takes a deep breath and look wide-eyed at the lawn. MAX Five. His father continues to yell. The dresser budges an inch out of the way every time his father slams against it. One of his arms squeezes through. Then his head. MAX Four.

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9.

FATHER IM COMING IN! RIGHT NOW! Dont you DARE run! MAX Three. The door opens up enough and his father bursts into the room MAX Shit! Max falls. EXT. THE SUBURB STREET Max, sweaty and in pain, collects himself from the ground. Muffled sounds of his father screaming down the staircase can be heard. Max tries to stand up all the way but his ankle is twisted. MAX Fuck! He looks down at the ground and sees the hat. He grabs it and puts it back on his head. Max hobble-hops to his bike as quickly as he can and swings his legs over. With a grimace, he begins to pedal. His father slams the front door open. FATHER I SAID DONT MOVE! But Max is already pedaling away. He bikes around the corner and heads down the street to Marias house. In the distance we can hear his fathers pick-ups tires screeching. Max makes it to the lawn but cannot stop the bike. He crashes into the front steps and collapses against the front door. He yells in pain. He stands up. The pick-up skids around the corner and comes closer. Max rings the door-bell over and over, quicker and quicker. MAX Cmon... COME ON.

10.

INT. MARIAS LIVING ROOM Karen Baldini hurriedly goes to the door and opens it. Max rushes inside and falls to the ground. KAREN BALDINI (panicked) Max, sweetie, what is goingMAX (fearfully) Shut the door! Karen shuts the door. We hear the pick up truck screech to a halt. KAREN BALDINI Oh my god your ankle! Max! PAULIE BALDINI hurries down the stairs in his underwear. We hear the pick-up door slam. PAULIE BALDINI Whats going on?! KAREN BALDINI Bob is raging again. PAULIE BALDINI Jesus. Paulie opens the door and shouts to Maxs father firmly. PAULIE BALDINI Bob! What the HELL are you doing? FATHER (O.S.) (much more defensively and innocently) Look Paulie, I just want my boy toThe door slams shut. Maria, covered in green, hurries down the stairs. MARIA Oh my god, MAX!! KAREN BALDINI This is bad. Your ankle is broken. Did you pedal here on this?! Max can only offer a grimace.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: KAREN BALDINI Maria, help me.

11.

The two of them help Max to the living room couch. Karen runs to the phone and Maria stays with Max. KAREN BALDINI (on the phone) Nancy? Nancy! Get Dr. Halstrand on the phone! Its an emergency. MARIA I never should have made you get that stupid hat. MAX You didnt make me. He didnt deserve it. Its alright. Maria chokes back tears and holds Max. Karen, waiting for the doctor, notices the green hat and puts her hand to her mouth. KAREN BALDINI (snapping out of it) Doctor? Please, you have to come right away. Its Max again. Paulies getting Bob off the lawn and then we need you here as soon as possible. Maxs ankle is hurt, and it looks awful Her voice trails off as she takes the phone call into the side room. MAX (smiling through the pain) Here, put it on. Max takes the hat from his head and places it on Marias messy hair. Maria pauses and tries not to cry. MARIA ... I dont Maria sobs and max cuts her off. MAX How many is this again Maria? MARIA (Still crying) Forty.

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12.

MAX Forty green hats. Max places his arms around Maria and she cries into his chest.