“Passing the Torch”

Written By

Scott Seagren
INT. – SHABBY APARTMENT – DAY

It’s early morning in a small suburban city. There are various family
photos all around the room featuring a young boy with two sisters who
stand with their parents at various ages. As the photos are seen the
children in the pictures grow older. There is a picture with only the
mother and the children. Another photo of the father sits on a counter
top alone. The picture frame shattered. These pictures are all scattered
about the room.

The room is cluttered with empty beer and liquor bottles as well as
empty packs of cigarettes, clothing, empty food boxes, and papers.

A young man sits in a beaten up armchair asleep. He’s wearing a

wrinkled dress shirt half tucked in to a pair of old slacks, with a
loosened tie. A half empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and a half
gone lit cigarette in the other. He’s haggard in appearance, dark circles
under his eyes from hours of insomnia and unrest.

The cigarette in his hand burns down to his finger tips and burns him.
He wakes up quickly and tosses the cigarette angrily. He looks around
the room and over to a clock on the wall to check the time. He stands
wearily with a bit of urgency and walks to his kitchen. John takes a
small swig of the whiskey coughing with the burn. He stretches and
cracks his neck walking into the bathroom. He re emerges after a hasty
face wash and hair slicking adjusting his clothing. He hits play on the
answering machine as he fixes his tie in a small mirror.

The machine clicks over and a woman’s voice is heard.

ALICE:
John, it’s me. I don’t know why you won’t return my calls. I need to talk
to you. Sarah’s been trying to get a hold of you. You should call her.
We’re all worried about you John. Bye.

He mulls over the message a moment and then grabs his coat and
keys and exits.
INT- HOTEL LOBBY – DAY

John comes into the lobby 20 minutes late, hurried but with a jaded
look of disdain. In his pocket his cell phone vibrates. He checks it and
sees it’s his sister. He ignores the call. He clocks in as a tall man
finishes checking in two guests with a smile. The tall man gives John
and angry look. John looks at him barely interested and shrugs feigning
sorrow. The man points John to a back office. John rolls his eyes and
nods heading into the office. The man follows.

INT – BACK OFFICE – DAY

John enters and sits down in front of the desk. The other man follows
sitting behind the desk. The other Man is not much older than John.
He’s a lean black man with a kind face. This is Jake; John’s boss. Jake
sips his coffee and straightens himself in the chair. Jake studies John a
moment.

JOHN
What?

JAKE
You trying to get fired? Come on John. You’ve been here a year
already, you can’t keep doing this. Boss only has so much patience.

JOHN
(Mockingly)
I thought you were the boss Jake.

JAKE
Don’t pull that. You know I have to answer to a guy with a bigger desk.
I’m running out of excuses for you man. You show up to work almost
half an hour late on a constant basis, you’ve been rude to guests, and
your last few night audits have been sloppy at best. I can’t keep
covering your ass. What the hell is going on with you?

John is annoyed and returns Jake’s hard gaze but after a moment he
softens and looks away with a sigh.

JOHN
It’s just— Been a rough few months is all.

JAKE
I can see that. You look like hell. You need to get your act together.
I’ve been your friend a long time; I hate seeing you like this man.
 JOHN
I know.

JAKE
Take the rest of the day off. Clean yourself up, clear your head, do
whatever you need to do. Please just get it together all right?

JOHN
Yeah.

They sit in silence a moment. Jake studies him apprehensively as if

figuring out how to get through.

JAKE
Sarah called. Have you been to see him?

John gets agitated.

JOHN
We done now?

Jake sighs and stares him down a moment.

JAKE
Yeah. We’re done.

John gets up quickly and heads for the door. He’s almost out the door
when he stops. He turns for a second and looks to Jake.
JOHN
Thanks.

Jake nods and raises his coffee glass a bit. John nods and heads out.

INT- SHABBY APARTMENT – DAY

John sits in an old armchair with a lit cigarette in one hand and glass of
whiskey in the other. A tall open bottle of Jack Daniels rests on the end
table next to the chair. He has an old family photo album in his lap. He
studies a few pictures with a few small happy children and a beautiful
young mother. He flips the page and looks over a few more. An older
man sits with a drink in hand in a picture. John takes a drag and closes
the photo album tossing it on the floor. He stands up and finishes the
cigarette with a long drag and snuffs it out in an ashtray next to the
open bottle. He walks over toward his front door and looks at himself in
a small mirror on the wall. He finishes his drink and sets it down. He
fiddles with his hair a little and grabs his keys and a coat and leaves.
EXT- HOSPITAL – DAY

Local community hospital. Cars enter and exit the drive. John pulls in.

INT- HOSPITAL LOBBY – DAY

John walks in and nods hello to the receptionist who smiles greeting
him. John walks to an elevator and enters.

INT – HOSPITAL WING B HALLWAY – DAY

John exits his elevator and continues on down a hallway looking for a
hospital stay room. He stops when he sees two young women talking
with a doctor up ahead. One is blonde and mousy. She seems
concerned. The other a brunette with wavy hair closely resembling the
blonde. Sisters. John’s Sisters. The doctor gestures for them to come
into his office.

John then continues up the hall and looks into the stay room his sisters
had been in front of. He peers in through the glass. Inside a much older
man lays silently, breathing slow in the hospital bed sleeping. Various
cords and tubes are attached to him. He’s an aged haggard older man.
Worn out from a rough life and illness. John just studies him a moment.
He swallows hard and steadies himself before he enters.

INT – STAY ROOM – DAY

John comes in quietly trying not to stir the old man. He stands by the
old man’s bedside. John watches him breathe for a few quick seconds
before moving to the window. He looks out at the view to remove his
own focus from his dying father. He’s visibly uncomfortable and
agitated. Behind him the old man speaks up. His voice is deep and a
bit raspy.

OLD MAN
Didn’t think I’d see you here.

John remains silent and doesn’t remove his eyes from the view.
OLD MAN (CONT)
Been a long time son.

JOHN
Maybe not long enough.

OLD MAN
 Maybe I deserve that. (Beat) I’m glad you’re here.

John scoffs his back still turned.

OLD MAN (CONT)

Please John. I know-- I know it’s been rough, between us, but that just
doesn’t seem to matter now. You know? I thought, well I thought we
might be able to talk a bit.

John turns finally toward his father with anger in his eyes.

JOHN
And what? Fix this here? You want to swap stories and bond now like
everything’s okay? Like we’re a real family? You’re so pathetic.

OLD MAN
John, Please. Please just listen.

JOHN
You’re unbelievable. Nothing you can do will make up for all the things
you’ve done to this family.

OLD MAN
I’m sorry son. I am, for everything. I can’t change the past. All I can do
is ask that you forgive me. You can hate me if you like, that’s your
right. I just wanted you to know, I--I am sorry. I spent my whole life
doing things I’m not proud of. I know I don’t deserve the honor but…
You kids are the only good thing I’ve ever done.

The Old man has tears in his eyes. He looks away from john and closes
his eyes trying to calm himself. John is distraught and unsure of what
to do or say.

JOHN
Stop it. All right? Just—It doesn’t matter. Who the hell do you think you
are?

OLD MAN
I’m your father. I love you son.

JOHN
Since when! You can’t just—What gives you the right? This?

John gestures to his Father in the hospital bed.

JOHN (CONT)
 You think this grants you an acquittal? This makes it ok? You can just
apologize now and everything is forgotten? How dare you?

OLD MAN
John I –

JOHN
No. I don’t know what I was thinking coming here. This was a mistake.

John heads for the door. His father sits up a bit in bed trying to stop
him. He weakly grabs John’s arm and pleads for him to stay.
OLD MAN
Johnny, please. Please wait. Don’t leave. I need you to understand.

John rips his arm away and glares at his father.

JOHN
You understand; I hate you. You deserve this.

His father looks destroyed in that moment. He falls slowly back against
his bed and tears roll down his cheeks. He nods to John with a weak
forced smile. John looks at his weak father and he feels the weight of
his own words and searches for something to say, to somehow
apologize but can’t. He goes from angry to regretful and finally exits.
As he walks out the door his two sisters enter and are surprised to see
him. He bolts past them. The blonde sister, the older of the two goes
after him. The other goes to her father’s side.

INT - HOSPITAL WING B HALLWAY – DAY

John hurries off down the hall, his sister close behind him calling him to
stop. She grabs his arm and stops him. He stops and turns to her. She
immediately wraps her arms around him and hugs him tight.

SARAH
You finally came down.

JOHN
Yeah. I did.

SARAH
He’s not doing so well. The doctor’s say he doesn’t have much longer.

JOHN
Yeah. Well. (Shrugs)
John Shrugs to say he doesn’t care. Sarah is understanding but upset
with his very apparent cold behavior.

SARAH
Johnny.

JOHN
I can’t do this. Him.

SARAH
Not easy. I Know. Do you think we can go grab a cup of coffee, catch
up a bit? Or do you have to be somewhere?

JOHN
(Beat) Yeah. Sure.

She smiles and they head down the hall.

EXT – SMALL PARK – DAY

They have a seat on a bench with some coffee outside. It’s a nice day
partially cloudy. A small fall chill in the air. John lights a cigarette.

SARAH
So, how are you?

JOHN
Surviving. You?

SARAH
I’m good. Got promoted.

JOHN
Good news.

SARAH
How’s the hotel? Jake still playing big brother?

JOHN
Yeah he is actually. Work’s ok. Just rolling with the punches I suppose.

SARAH
You still paint at all?

JOHN
No, uh, I don’t.
 SARAH
That’s a shame… How’s Alice?

John looks her in the eye annoyed and looks away. He takes a drag
from his cigarette and returns her stare.

JOHN
What are we playing 20 questions here?

SARAH
Well, we never see you, you know?

JOHN
Yeah. Life goes on.

SARAH
I’m glad you came by. He really wanted to see you.

JOHN
Right.

SARAH
It was a long time ago John. Things aren’t so bad anymore. He’s not so
bad.

JOHN
Why? Because he wants to set things right before his number’s up?

SARAH
Yes. All he wants is to take responsibility and apologize for the past. To
share what time he’s got left with his kids. Is that so damn terrible
John?

JOHN
(Scoffs) You’re right. Are you kidding me! Have you forgotten?

SARAH
No I haven’t. I remember how bad things got. I also remember that
there were good things. The times when even you smiled happy in his
arms. Do you remember that?

JOHN
You want to know what I remember? Here’s what I remember Sarah.

John pulls up his sleeve revealing circular burn scars in his forearm. He
pulls up his shirt revealing several more.

JOHN (CONT)
Yeah. That’s love all right.

SARAH
He wasn’t a good father, not even passable. At least he can see where
he’s done wrong. At least he’s making an effort to change things.

JOHN
It’s not enough.

SARAH
Listen to me. No matter what happened or how you feel, for better or
worse he is still your father. Like it or not he’s a part of you and right
now he needs us. He needs you.

JOHN
He never needed me before. Why should now be different?

SARAH
(Scoffs exasperated)
You know, it’s funny. You hate him so much, and yet, you’re on the fast
track to becoming him.

She gets up and leaves. She stops for a moment to add.

SARAH (CONT)
I hope for your own sake you can learn to let it go. It’s not worth it
Johnny.

John sits alone solemnly finishing his cigarette. He leans back and
closes his eyes trying to relax.

INT- SHABBY APARTMENT – NIGHT

John comes through the front door as a message is finished being left
on his machine. He sets his keys down on the counter by the door and
hangs up his coat. He walks over to the machine and hits the play
button. As the message proceeds to play he pours himself a drink and
sits in his chair.
ANSWERING MACHINE
Two messages. First message:

ALICE
John. It’s important. Please call me. Please. I have to talk to you.
 ANSWERING MACHINE
Second Message:

SARAH
John, it’s Sarah. (Beat) Dad’s passed away. He’s gone. Call me when
you can.

John sits shell-shocked. Tears start welling in his eyes and he’s
confused. He looks up and sees himself in the mirror and for the first
time sees how awful he looks. He looks up at the shattered picture of
his father. His father sits in an old armchair. He has a glass of whiskey
in one hand and cigarette in the other. He sees his own face reflected
in the one piece of glass remaining in the frame. He breaks. Tears flow
freely and he can’t control himself. He throws his glass into the mirror
on the wall and shatters it. He curses his father and drops to the
ground sobbing.

FADE TO BLACK

In black we hear the funeral theme and funeral rights spoken softly.
We see a procession leaving a church, driving to the cemetery.

EXT – CEMETARY – DAY

John stands quietly alone in front of the grave. He’s cleaned up in a

black suit. The ceremony is long over. Sarah approaches him. She puts
her hand on his back tears in her eyes. He has a tear in his eye.

JOHN
He’s gone.

SARAH
Yeah.

JOHN
I just—I don’t know how to—

He can’t express what he feels. The tear rolls down his cheek. Sarah
hugs him.

SARAH
I have something for you. A letter; from him. He wanted me to give it
to you.

She hands an envelope to him. His name is written across it. He eyes
the envelope and takes it wiping a tear from his eye.
SARAH
I haven’t read it. He asked me not to.

JOHN
Thanks.

SARAH
We’re heading home to the reception. See you there in a bit?

JOHN
Yeah.

They hug again and she walks off. John stares at the envelope a
moment. He opens it and pulls out the letter. He begins reading it. We
hear his father’s voice reciting it.

OLD MAN (V.O)

Dear John,

I can never apologize enough for the way I have acted and treated
you growing up. I was nothing short of scum. You will never
understand the depth of sorrow in my heart. I took the one thing I had
in life that was worth a damn and did all I could to hurt, and destroy it.
I know there’s no place in your heart for an old fool. I don’t blame you
son.

All I want is your understanding when I tell you, I did love you. More
than I can ever fully explain or even prove to you. You’re my boy. The
first moment I held you I knew I’d never be the same. You were the
most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Your little feet and your little hands
and the way you fit so perfectly in my arms I didn’t ever want to let
you go. All I wanted was to raise you up right. Watch you grow into
your own and be a man.

Somewhere along the way I forgot all that. I let life make me bitter and
hateful. I let the small problems and my shortcomings as a man get in
the way of what mattered to me most. My family. I had so much rage
son. So much anger for the way my life had gone and I took it all out
on you. All of you, and I am ashamed.

I know you can’t forgive me, but please, PLEASE listen to me. I see in
you the same anger and rage that consumed me. Don’t let it Johnny.
You’re so smart and you have so much potential. Be a better man than
I ever could hope to be. Don’t let life run you down and make you a
horrible shell of who you could be. Don’t become me John. Don’t
become ME. I love you. I love you with all of my heart. Don’t lose sight
of what matters to you most.

Your Loving Father.

John’s eyes are full of tears and he is shaken. He sobs silently at his
father’s grave. Changed. He Drops to his knees and lets go. He lets go
of everything. He looks up at the headstone.
JOHN
I for—I forgive you dad. Thank you.

John Stands silent alone.

INT. – LIVING ROOM – DAY

People are gathered together for the funeral reception. They all talk
and catch up. John comes in and hugs Sarah. He has a bit of a smile on
his face for the first time in a long time. He greets other family
members and chats. Jake gives him a big hug. John smiles.

SARAH
Everything ok?

JOHN
Yeah. Everything’s ok. Sarah, I’m sorry. I’ve been an asshole.

She cocks an eyebrow with a cocky grin.

He smiles.
SARAH
All is forgiven. Smile looks good on you.

JOHN
Feels good.

John smiles and scans the room.

JOHN
You haven’t seen Alice have you?

SARAH
Yeah actually, she’s here somewhere.

JOHN
If you see her don’t let her leave. I have to talk to her.

SARAH
 Long overdue.

JOHN
Yes it is.

She hugs her brother again. He smiles briefly and looks around the
room for her. He can’t find her.

EXT – YARD – DAY

He walks outside exasperated. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and

removes one from the pack. He lightly packs it, tapping it on his palm.
He sighs and is about to place it in his mouth but he stops himself. He
thinks to himself a moment and then crumples the pack of cigarettes
up. He tosses the cigarettes away and looks to the sky. He looks back
to the house with a slight smile and notices just ahead in the garden a
woman is standing alone. She has dark hair and a warm but sad face.
He walks over to her slowly. It’s Alice. She turns and sees him. She
smiles a warm but sad smile. John smiles seeing her and starts walking
toward her. As he draws nearer to her we come out wide and pan
towards the sky to clear and beautiful afternoon sky.

ROLL CREDITS