The Tale of the Three Cans

Written by

Cavin Balakrishnan
EXT. PARK - DAY
A park. Lots of greenery. No one really around. On screen...
TITLE: "THE TALE OF THE THREE CANS"
Someone jogs across the screen, eliminating the title. We
don't know who it is.
Reveal full frame: a boy jogs backwards and stops. This is
CAVIN, in a hoodie and joggers. He goes to one particular
spot and searches around for something. He panics a little,
pulling out his phone and calling someone.

INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

Another boy is having a bowl of soup. This is BRADLEY. Before
he is about to drink a spoonful of soup.
BRADLEY
This soup is soup-er.
He laughs, way more than he actually should at his unfunny
joke. He goes to slap his hand on the counter as he's
laughing, but misses and hits his spoon. Soup splutters all
over him. He stops laughing. His phone rings.
BRADLEY (CONT'D)
Hello?
INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. PARK - DAY

CAVIN
It's gone.
BRADLEY
What is?
CAVIN
Our Coke cans, they're gone.
BRADLEY
(a bit shocked)
Are you sure? Have you checked
properly?
CAVIN
Everywhere.
 2.

BRADLEY
Now, are you sure about this? You
mean, it's not there?
Beat.
CAVIN
I'm afraid it's not... we have to
find it...
BRADLEY
Oh shit. I'll be there in a few
minutes. Wait there, and let Tommy
know.
CAVIN
Sure.
Cavin phones Tommy.
INTERCUT WITH:

INT. ANOTHER HOUSE - DAY

A boy is making a really big sandwich, with lots of bread and
Nutella in the middle, this is TOMMY. He is about to take a
bite, but his phone rings.
TOMMY
Yo what's up?

CAVIN
The cans, Tommy. They're gone.
TOMMY
(with a mouthful already)
Oh...
CAVIN
Oh??
TOMMY
I mean, yeah, it sucks. But you
know... they're cans.
CAVIN
Tommy, this Coke can has been
through EVERYTHING with us. We
bonded when the can was present. We
placed it there, as a symbol of our
friendship, and to make memories.
And you're saying that this doesn't
mean anything to you?
 3.

TOMMY
What do you want me to do?
CAVIN
Meet me and Bradley here in a few
minutes.
TOMMY
Really? It's dinner time.
CAVIN
Tommy, please, this is important.
TOMMY
Alright, whatever...
Tommy stops eating his large sandwich and leaves.

EXT. PARK - DAY

POV SHOT: the three boys are looking down at the camera.
Then, normal wide shot.
TOMMY
(sarcastically)
We need to report this to the
authorities, immediately.
Beat.
CAVIN
I can't believe it's gone man. Just
like that.
(beat)
I never expected this day to come.
It's like a part of me just died. I
was safe knowing those cans were
there.
BRADLEY
It can't have disappeared, it has
to be somewhere.
TOMMY
Yeah, it decided to go to the lake
for a swim.
CAVIN
It could be at the lake. Let's
check, come on.
 4.

TOMMY
(stopping Cavin and
Bradley)
Look, we had a good run. The cans,
yeah, it was fun to put them there,
it represents our friendship and
all that, but, we have to move on.
Cavin and Bradley look at each other.
SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. PARK - LAKE - DAY

The boys are searching. Cavin checks around. He looks at the
lake. We know what he's thinking... Just as he's about to
dive...
SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. PARK - DAY

The boys are walking along a path.
CAVIN
And then, I thought about jumping
into the lake, as if it would
actually be there.
Cavin laughs. But his facial expression immediately changes
to serious...
CAVIN
Okay, but seriously though, we still need to continue
searching.

EXT. PARK - PLAYGROUND - DAY

The boys continue searching in the playground. Cavin enters
the frame, scouting the ground as he glides along one of the
playground equipment, whilst the others are just normally
looking around, in the bins etc.

EXT. PARK - DAY

The boys are sitting in a field, staring into the abyss.
CAVIN
Nowhere. It's actually gone. We put
it in a very closed area as well.
 5.

CAVIN (CONT'D)
Let's check outside the park, just
in case it got rolled the other
way, the wind's weird you know...

Tommy stops him as he gets up.

TOMMY
Why? Just stop! You've lost it!
Yes, the cans are gone. It is what
it is. I'm struggling to understand
why you care so much about this.
CAVIN
We practically grew up in this park
dude. I thought, you know, before
we all go off to different places
when we're older, we can place
these cans for something the park
can remember us by.
BRADLEY
All the memories we had man. The
laughs. The fights. You can't
exactly replace them.
Beat. Tommy starts to sympathise a bit.
TOMMY
You're right... Remember the time
where you fell off the big swing
and broke your neck.
CAVIN
Fucking hell... yeah...
BRADLEY
And also when some mum shouted at
Tommy cause he shouted 'bollocks'?
They laugh, and stop for a minute. Beat.
TOMMY
You're right, we have to find those
cans.
As Tommy gets up, Cavin stops him...
CAVIN
Tommy, they're not here. It's fine,
you know. Sometimes, you just have
to let things go.
Beat.
 6.

BRADLEY
I have an idea...
SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. PARK - DAY

POV shot: the boys are looking down at the camera.
Reveal: three new Coca Cola cans.
TOMMY
Here's to a new life, and a new
beginning.
BRADLEY
I'd say I will drink to that but
the cans are already, you know...
TOMMY
Well, yeah, but, you know what I
meant.
Beat.
CAVIN
A new life... Shall we start
leaving?
'Paradise' by Coldplay starts playing.
TOMMY BRADLEY
Yeah, sure, let's go. Yeah, we better get going.
The boys leave. The song gets louder, and then we cut to...
THE END. CREDITS ROLL.