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This is the scene by scene for my novel turned screen play for my class. It is only the scene up to which chapters I have already posted. You will note minor to major diffences in the story line.
Scene by Scene
Golden Circle of Time
1.Inside a privet hospital room, Casey (41) lays in the hospital bed hooked up to IVs and heart monitors and oxygen tanks. His husband, John (42) sits in a chair beside him, holding his hand. It is morning and Casey just woke up. They are talking about their children, and how boring the hospital is. A nurse comes in to bring Casey his breakfast, and to pass the time John decides to retell the story of how they began dating.
2.Outside in the city of Chicago, Casey (24) is in front of a camera reporting on a breaking story that is happening behind him. John (25) is on the side lines, running in every now and then to fix his tie or hair. After the segment is shot, they get into the station van and drive back to their hotel. Inside the van, Casey and John's friendship is apparent. Laughing and joking with each other.
3.Back at the hotel, John is in Casey's room looking over the wardrobe for the next day's segments and figuring out what would look best. Casey is sitting on the hotel bed. John comes over, sits beside him, starts to play around with Casey's hair that's been blown around with the wind and John can't let it be, he has to fix it. Casey's looking at John and John's interested in his work. Finally, not being able to capture John's attention, Casey leans over and kisses him. John's caught off guard and pulls away not saying anything. Casey stands up feeling totally embarrassed, just wants to leave and crawl into a hole. John looks at him, reaches out his hand, and pulls Casey back down to sit with him. Not saying anything, John kisses Casey again and their relationship begins.
4.Montage of them with each other on the set of the news show, out filming segments on the street, in the hotel room, in the dressing room, where ever they can find time to be alone and away from the cameras. Small clips of dialog give to insight into their past relationships, Casey's job, aspirations, feelings for each other.
5.Back in the hospital room. John tells Casey he'll be back but he has to go pick up the kids from the hospital. You see him driving in the car in New York City. He drives an hour to get to their home in Connecticut. He goes to the elementary school first and picks up their youngest daughter Eloise (5) from kindergarden. She hops in the front seat and talks to him about what she learned in school that day as they drive to the Junior High. At the Junior High the bell rings and a sea of kids rush out. One boy, Dian (12) stands out with a bulging back pack on his back, walking slumped over and his head down. He mumbles hello to John and gets in the car. John drives to their house.
6.The car pulls up in front of an expensive looking suburban two story house. The kids hop out of the car, Eloise rushing in first and John staying behind to walk with Dian. Once inside you meet Kalia (14) the oldest daughter, yacking on the telephone with her friend. John interrupts her and she gives him an evil eye, telling her friend she has to go now. John tells her they are having frozen pizza and proceeds to the kitchen to find one. Eloise marches in with him and sits at the kitchen table, bugging him as he searches through the over stuffed freezer. Finally, all the ice cream and frozen meals fall out on to the floor, and he tries to control his anger. John grabs the food shoving it back into the freezer, lands the frozen pizza on to the stove, preheats the oven and walks out and upstairs to his bedroom with out saying a word to the kids.
7.John's taking a shower, trying to calm down, letting the steam of the hot water relax his muscles. You see the gold wedding band around his hand as he washes his shoulder, his right hand comes down around to roll the band around his finger. He sighs and nods, turning off the water.
8.John comes out of the bedroom freshly dressed. He sees Dian hold up in his room and he knocks on the door. Dian invites him in and John says that dinner's going to be ready. Dian asks John if they can talk about something. John says sure and sits down on Dian's bed. With hesitancy Dian tells John that he's in health class, and he's not sure about the things that they are talking about. John smiles and says that he can ask him any questions that he has about the birds and the bees, but first it's dinner time.
9.The family is around the dinner table eating. One empty chair and place setting is beside John, left for Casey who is still in the hospital. The children talk to each other and fight like siblings. Dian is quiet, his eyes glassed over, John doesn't speak unless to yell at the girls for fighting, he keeps to himself hurrying through dinner. When he's finished he clears his plate and tells the kids that he's going back to the hospital and they can stay up until he comes home. Then he leaves.
10.John arrives in the hospital as Casey is finishing up his dinner. He sits beside him and they talk for awhile about how home was, before they decide to tell the story of the first time they went away together in Ireland.
11.John is in Casey's dressing room, putting away his hair styling products. Casey runs in with good news. That they are going to Ireland to film a segment and John gets to go with him. And that he also has a few free days there to do whatever they want. And since no one in Ireland knows who he is, they are free to be open and go out together.
12.In the car driving to their hotel in Ireland. Nick (24) Casey's Personal Assistant sits across from Casey and John. Beside him is Roger (35) Casey's agent and manager. They watch on awkwardly as Casey and John make out during the car ride until they slam their heads into the door. The car drives up to a beatiful old castle and they are all awe struck that they will be staying there.
13.Inside the castle room, Casey and John are unpacking their things. Casey goes to the window and says that he really wants to go out. John says that they aren't alloud to go out with out the rest of the group, but Casey doesn't care, he wants to go out with just John to visit The Burren.
14.They pull up in the car into the parking lot of The Burren. Out in front of them stretches a desolate limestone landscape. They walk across the earth slowly, looking at the map and wondering if they are in the right place. Finally, they come upon the stone structure The Poulnaborne Dolmen which was used in ancient times by a religious group where they did their prayers. John and Casey approach it, while silent whisperers of spirits and wind whip around them. They hold on to each other, slightly scared, and Casey sings an old Irish folk song as a peace offering. John says he didn't know that Casey could sing, and Casey winks saying there's a lot you don't know yet.
15.Back in the hotel room, it is sunrise. John rustles from bed, searching for Casey, but can not find him in the sheets. John sits up and sees Casey's outline by the window. Slowly John gets up and walks over to Casey, asking him what's wrong. Casey is looking out at the beautiful green country side that is glowing in the new dawn. He wonders aloud if Ireland's beauty will ever be destroyed. John whisperers Robert Frosts “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Casey turns to face John and tells him that it almost feels too perfect in Ireland. Like when they get back to the states their love will fade away. John promises him that it won't, no matter where they are or what happens, they will always love each other.
16.Back at the hospital, Casey and John talk about the memory of Ireland and how much that one experience meant to them. Then the doctor comes in and takes out a tube in Casey's side that's been draining the blood and mucus out of his lungs. The doctor says that Casey will be able to go home the next day, even though of course he is not cured. The doctor leaves and Casey lays back still in pain, and John decides to tell him a happy story to get his mind off of it.
17.Arriving at the airport after Ireland. John thinks he's going with Casey back to LA, but instead Casey is going to NY and John has to go back to LA alone. So he's left in the airport by himself.
18.Telephone conversations begin between them as they are apart for awhile. Casey working on the Today show as a fill-in reporter, and John back in LA at CNN. On the last phone call Casey says that he wants John to come home with him to meet his family for Christmas.
19.Casey and John arrive at Casey's mother's house. John is incredibly nervous and thinks that Faye (57) won't like him. They go up to the door, knock, and Faye answers, being loving and pleasant and welcomes him into her home. They sit down in the living room, decorated ornately with obvious symbols of Christianity and Jesus on the walls and tables. A very southern comfort style home. After some small chit chat, Faye tells Casey to show John around the house.
20.Casey takes John up to his old bedroom. A very small room with minimule furniture. Pictures of his past on the dresser and desk. Casey says that John has to stay in the guest room though, because he doubts his mom would be comfortable with them sharing a room. Then they go to dinner where John is overwhelmed by Casey's mother and gets a headache, so goes upstairs to sleep.
21.Casey wakes John up Christmas morning. They go downstairs where Caseys mom and brother are eating breakfast. Around the breakfast table Faye is sharing stories of her children's past Christmases. She askes John is he has a fond memory. He recalls a Christmas morning when he was ten years old and his father gave him an old baseball mit that used to be his. They went out into the warm California morning to play catch. John says it was his favorite memory. Faye asks why he is not at his parents house this year for Christmas. John says that they have strayed apart. She tells him he should call them.
22.The presents are all opened and Casey and his brother Brett (19) are sitting on the floor tinkering with a few of the gifts. Faye is in the kitchen making Christmas dinner. John sneaks outside with his cell phone to call his parents. His dad answers and John wishes him a merry Christmas. His dad sounds none-too-pleased. John tells him he is visiting his boyfriend's parents and his dad scowls and says he has to go. John sits on the porch obviously upset by his father's rejection. Faye comes out and sits beside him, trying to comfort him.
23.Christmas night. John is in the bathroom finishing brushing his teeth. Casey comes in and tells John that his mom really likes him and that he must have impressed her. He pulls John into his room and says it's fine now if they sleep in the same bed. They both crawl into Casey's small childhood bed and fall asleep.
24.John arrives in the hospital with a wheelchair, ready to take Casey back home. Casey is excited to be going back to his home, but afraid of being away from the hospital in case he gets sick again.
25.John and Casey arrive home where the children are there to greet them. They take Casey up to his bedroom, and you see the difference in interaction between the kids and Casey and the kids and John. They are happy again. The focus is on Casey and John is pushed literally to the background. Then John pushes the kids out of the room so that Casey can get some rest.
26.The next morning, early before the kids go to school. Kalia is sitting at the breakfast table reading The Great Gatsby. John comes down in his pajamas to start dinner. Kalia is fretting over a test due on the book today that she hasn't read. John sits down beside her and tells her about the book, because it's one of his favorites. The rest of the children and Casey come down and join them for breakfast. Then Nick comes over to take the kids to school. John and Casey are left alone, and curl up on the couch, John telling Casey another story of them at work.
27.John has his arms full of newly ironed shirts. He's walking down the backstage area of the CNN studios. He stops out front of Casey's dressing room door when he hears Casey and Roger inside arguing. He finds out that Roger is worried about Casey's veiwership. It seems that they are getting uneasy with all the free time that is being reported Casey is spending with John, who is openly gay. Casey's viewers, mostly middle aged Southern Christians, want Casey to get rid of John and hire a nice young woman stylist. Casey protests, but Roger warns with Casey's new day-time news show, he better watch what his public persona is projecting. Casey walks out, bumping into John, and tells him that they can't be seen together as much and they have to keep an even lower profile than they already have. John hides his feelings, nodding, and going about with their work.
28.Inside an empty bar, near closing time. John is sitting at the bar hitting on the bartender who is trying to clean up. Casey walks in after looking everywhere for John. John is plastered and is trying to avoid Casey. Finally, Casey gets John to go with him, while John makes lude comments about being picked up like a hooker.
29.Back in the present day. The family is eating dinner around the table. Kalia tells Casey that she's the lead in this years school musical, “Grease” and she hopes that he'll be able to see her performance in a few weeks. Casey says he wouldn't miss it for the world.
30.After dinner John shoos the kids away to do homework and decides to take Casey out for a walk under the clear star filled sky of the brisk May night. Outside, John proceeds to tell Casey about his astrological sign and how much it suits him. Casey wonders if he'll have a place in the sky when he dies, and John assures him that he will. They turn back around and sit on the porch, once again recalling a story from their past.
31.They are in the New York CNN affiliate station. Casey is sick with the flu and John is trying to take care of him. But because of the passers by and other workers who do not know them, he has to keep a low profile and let others like Nick and Roger take care of Casey. Casey is sick and cranky and ignores John. Then a van comes which is going to drive them to the airport so they can fly out to St. Paul Minnesota for an on-location news story. Roger tells John that a different car is coming for him which will take him to the airport where he has a flight back to LA.
32.A montage of phon calls between them proceeds as Casey travels around the country doing different new stories. Finally, the last call is when Casey says he's returning to LA the next day.
33.Casey and John are getting ready to go see Kalia's play. They are in the bathroom goofing around. John styles Casey's hair once more like the good old days.
34.Dian, Eloise, John, Casey all in the audience watching Kalia play Sandy in “Grease”. After the play they meet her backstage and everyone tells her what a great job she did, everyone but John who stands back looking awkward. Then one of the boy actors invites Kalia to an after party, and Casey says she should go.
35.Back at home Casey tucks Eloise into bed. She asks him if he's going to die and a frank discussion happens between them. After he tucks her in, Casey is visible upset and shaken by his innocent daughter's words. John comforts him and tucks him into bed.
36.John and Nick are backstage while Casey does his TV show. They are talking about it being Valentines day. Nick tells John not to expect too much from Casey, he's not the romantic type and John's his first serious relationship. John shrugs him off, believing that Casey has something special planned for that night.
37.They go back to Casey's house, where everything is normal. Nothing special is planned. John takes it upon himself to say a toast, and Casey does not reciprocate. The night looks like it's all going to Hell, until Casey pulls out a small jewelry box as a present for Casey. Inside are diamond earrings. John's happy until Casey says that Nick picked them out for him, then their specialty wears off. Basically the night is a total bummer and John feels completely unspecial.
38.The kids are in the kitchen making Casey a birthday breakfast. They go upstairs and wake him up with pancakes and home made cards.
39.The family goes to a ball room where all of Casey's friends and family are waiting to surprise him for his 42cd birthday. When he blows out his birthday candles Dian asks him if he made a wish. Casey says that he wished to have more time with the children. Dian becomes horrified, stating that if you tell your wish it won't come true, and he runs off. Casey sighs and runs after him.
40.Later on in the evening Casey has a coughing fit and they realise it's time to go. So they get the kids and leave the party.
41.Later that night while they're going to bed, Casey asks if he can have one more birthday present. John says sure until he realizes the present Casey wants is sex. John's scared to do anything physical with Casey because he's sick, but Casey says that he's fine and he doesn't want to be treated like a baby. John relents, until the bed starts making noises that he's sure the kids can hear. Casey tells him he'd rather the kids hear their squeaking bed than angry fighting.
42.In Casey's LA home they spend a quiet day off of work. They talk about their ideas for the future and what their lives hold. Casey has also just been named a UNICEF good will ambassador.
43.In the wee hours of the morning, John wakes up to Casey, hunched over and coughing up blood. He yells for Kalia to call the ambulance and runs around trying to help Casey as much as he can. Finally the paramedics come and take Casey away. John follows, ignoring the children and jumps into the ambulance with Casey as they ride away.
44.In the hospital Casey is in a coma. Tubes, wires, machines, masks, all over him. John is once again sitting by his side holding Casey's hand. Visibly upset, completely scared that this is it. He's terrified of a future alone with out the one person who ever loved him. He's worried the children will abandon him just like he abandoned them. He realizes now is the time to let out everything he's feeling and ever felt, because Casey can't hear him, but maybe in some way he'll know.
45.It's sunrise over the California mountains as John goes to the mail box to get the mail. Inside is the newest issue of TIME magazine that Casey has the front cover. John excitedly goes inside to read it. He reads some of the interview segment out loud, becoming more and more displeased as Casey answers questions about finding someone to love with a negative. That he doesn't feel strongly for any one right now, and maybe some day he might be able to. As John is reading, Casey wakes up and comes downstairs. An aggravated John confronts him about the interview. Casey says that John knows he can't talk about him in public. John voices his anger at the situation and that he's sick of hiding and being pushed away all the time. That something has to give. They fight wildly, John tearing up the magazine, cutting up his hands. Finally, after the culmination of their fight, Casey agrees that something has to be done.
46.Backstage CNN before Casey's live TV broadcast. He's nervous about his show because he will be addressing his viewers and pubicaly announcing that he's gay. He's worried of his fans reactions.
47.Casey's TV segment in which he tells his viewers how thankful he is that he gets to be a news anchor and how much it means to him. Then with a deep breath, he delivers his news.
48.A few weeks later, John is getting dressed up to take Casey out, now that they no longer have to keep their relationship a secret. But when Casey comes home, he has bad news. His shows ratings have declined quickly and CNN is going to drop him from their station. Casey is upset, and John feels that all of it is his fault. He decides that there is nothing left for them in LA and they should move to NY and start a new life.
49.John leaves the hospital room where Casey is still in a coma. He goes out to the waiting chairs where Eloise, Dian, Kalia and Nick are. He gives them an update on Casey's condition and says that it's best for them to go home and get some sleep before school. Once they leave, he's left alone in the vacant hospital lobby. He notices a mom and dad on the chairs across from him. The woman is crying, the father comforting him. Then a doctor comes up to them and leads them away. He wonders if their child had just died and what the doctor could possibly say to inform them of the news. Suddenly, a doctor comes over to wake him up, saying that they are going to take Casey off the respirator because he's awake now.
50.Back in Casey's room the doctors take him off his respirator. Casey can't talk very well because his vocal chords are irritated from the tube, so John decides to tell him about their move to New York.
51.They are in their new bed room of their new Connecticut house un packing moving boxes and situating furniture. John is getting angry with Casey's perfectionism on decoration and decides they should go out to New York City and go see the site of the hair salon he's opening up.
52.Out side on the streets of New York on a summer day, Casey and John are walking hand in hand, paparazzi crowding them snapping as many pictures as they can. John shows Casey the empty building that will soon be his very own salon. Casey is unimpressed so far, but knows that John will make it work.
53.More of Casey and John in the hospital. Banter. Talk about what they will bury Casey in when he dies. That John will keep his wedding band on “our golden circle of time”. Shows how much they still love each other. Casey falls asleep and John goes out to call Nick and check up on the kids. He hasn't been home for days and his hair and clothes symbol that. He looks tired. He's neglected himself. Then he goes back in to Casey's room, looking out the window, until Casey wakes up startled, needing John there to hold his hand before he can fall asleep.
54.John at the salon, getting all his workers prepared for tomorrow which is the big grand opening.
55.John arrives home after a long day of work. Casey is locked away in his office, having not made dinner. They are not very friendly to each other and keep their distance. John realizes he's been ignoring Casey and vows to make sure he always keeps Casey happy.
56.John comes home from the grand opening of the salon. Has flowers for Casey. Tells him he's sorry he's been so busy the past few weeks and that he promises Casey still comes first in his book.
57.John is at home with the kids. He's watching The Outsiders with Dian. Kalia comes in and is shocked he's actually spending some time at home. They get into a fight, Kalia saying that once Casey dies she's not going to stay with John. Bringing up issues from their past. Kalia keeps pushing his buttons until John explodes throwing a vase against the wall and letting it shatter. The children scream and everything freezes. Then, quickly John runs out, crunching the pieces of the vase under his feet.
58.Inside the car John scolds himself for what he just did. And what a terrible father he's always been.
59.John rushes into Casey's room where Casey is asleep. He falls down against Casey's chest and wraps his arms around him, needing saftey. Then Casey wakes up and asks John what's the matter. John lets out all his feelings of worthlessness. Of what his father had done to him when he was little and the way he views their family now. How he's a horrible father and how he never felt worth anything. Casey asks him if he's sure he never made him feel worth it. John answers, “once.”
60.A strange white limo is in front of John's salon. The workers are gossiping wondering if it's a celebrity. Finally the driver comes in looking for John and tells him he's had instructions to pick him up. John smiles, knowing it's Casey's doing and goes with the driver.
61.The car stops in front of a fancy New York restaurant. Casey is there dressed up and takes John in for a nice French meal.
62.After dinner there's a horse drawn carridge that takes them up to the Empire State Building. They go up the elevator and up the last few flights of stairs to the 86th floor where the observation deck is.
63.Outside, under the city filled sky, Casey asks John to marry him.
64.John continues in the hospital telling Casey how terrified he is of being alone and how no one is going to be there when he dies to take care of him.