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Almost Home
by Dustin Martin (rcdustydoo@msn.com)

Rated: G   Genre: Drama   User Review:
NOT YET
RATED

This is a story about a man whose finding his way home in the middle of no-where. A lonley drifter who's poor, broke, and no shelter has to find his way home. He only has a backpack, black guitar case, and the only picture of his mother and father. He's in for some surprises that no one would ever expect.


This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.



ALMOST HOME

FADE IN:

EXT. NEVADA DESERT-DAWN - DAY
                                                            
We fade up to the Nevada desert blooming into the sunrise of
another evenings day. The music is soft and low key with a
guitar solo.
                                                            
CREDITS ROLL OVER:
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
SHOT 1: EXT: MOUNTIANS-DAWN
                                                            
The red in the sky gives it a dramatic feel to the story.
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
SHOT 2: EXT: JOSHUA TREE-DAWN
                                                            
The title appears in front of a Joshua tree with the sun in
the background shinning through to give it a shadowy look.

“ALMOST HOME”
                                                            
TITLE FADES AWAY:
                                                            
CREDITS END:
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
SHOT 3: EXT: SUMMERLIN MOUNTAIN-DAY
                                                            
Now its daytime in the desert where you wouldn’t think that
no body survives.

Heat waves stride across the screen as to show that in this
area that it’s so hot. Very dry and not humid either.
                                                            
SMASH CUT TO:
                                                            
EXT: STATE HIGHWAY-DAY
                                                            
This is a handheld shot as we look down the state highway.
One car is in sight and is driving by very fast. We pan with
the automobile. The Car passes by, and reveals the central
character. He has his thumb sticking out looking like he’s

2.

trying to hitch a ride. He is known to us as “The Drifter”.
Tall with long black hair, sporting a pony tail. He’s
wearing a white tank top with jeans that has holes in where
the knees are. The Drifter is holding a black guitar case
filled with stickers of bands. His head has a green baseball
cap backwards. He picks up his backpack and walks to the
direction where the highway leads to all things possible.
                                                            
SHOT 1: EXT: STATE HIGHWAY-DAY
                                                            
He walks in not much of a fast pace, but with the guitar
music in the background, it will give it a nice little feel.
                                                            
SHOT 2: EXT: PHOTO
                                                            
The Drifter stops after from all that walking. He reaches
into his pocket and pulls out a Polaroid picture and looks
at it. There’s a women in her mid-thirties and a man looking
in is mid-thirties as well.

He looks at the photo for a few seconds. It seems like that
there on vacation in the Caribbean of some kind. They seem
happy together.
                                                            
SHOT 3: EXT: STATE HIGHWAY-DAY-SAME
                                                            
The Drifter takes his photo and put it into his pocket. He
looks around at the desert landscape.
                                                            
EXT: STATE HIGHWAY-DAY-FEW MINUTES LATER
                                                            
The Drifter walks with all of his stuff on the side of the
highway. The camera pans with him across the street. Then we
see this sign that stretches across the side of the road.
Bonnie Springs Motel, Petting Zoo, Old Nevada Mining Town.
He looks up at the sign and starts to walk down to where the
motel is.
                                                            
CAMERA: SLOW ZOOM
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-DAY-MINUTE LATER
                                                            
The long motel road looks to stretch for miles and miles. No
car is in sight. He walks down the road in kinda of a fast
pace but no to fast. This continues as we………
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-DAY-SAME
                                                            
……Overlap fade on the same image. The Drifter is further
down the road. This gives it a unique style of motion to
capture the image. We………
                                                            

3.

OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-DAY-SAME
                                                            
………do another overlap fade. Now The Drifter is down at the
end of the road. So far that he looks like a small ant at
the end.
                                                            
EXT: BONNIE SPRINGS RANCH MOTEL-DAY
                                                            
SHOT 1: RAILROAD SIGN-DAY
                                                            
SHOT 2: EXT: RAILROAD TRACKS-DAY
                                                            
SHOT 3: EXT: BONNIE SPRINGS-DAY
                                                            
The little 16 or 14 gauge railroad is coming through the
shot. We pan with it till it gets to the railroad crossing.

The Drifter stands in the middle of the road and waits for
the train to pass by. There are onlookers waving to him. He
doesn’t wave back.
                                                            
EXT: BONNIE SPRINGS RANCH MOTEL-DAY
                                                            
SHOT 1: MOTEL SIGN-DAY
                                                            
SHOT 2: MOTEL-DAY
                                                            
The Drifter walks down to where the motel registration is,
so he could check into a room for the night.
                                                            
INT: MOTEL LOBBY-DAY-SAME
                                                            
Were looking through a window and we see The Drifter walking
towards the room. We stay on this shot as he continues to
enter in the lobby.

He enters and sets down his guitar case and with out a word
sticks up one finger. He is asking for a room for the time
being. The counter desk with out a word nods his head no.
But not with anger, just a simple no.

The Drifter sighs……

He picks up his guitar case and walks out of the motel
lobby. With out a word.
                                                            
EXT: FRONT OF MOTEL-DAY
                                                            
As The Drifter walks out carrying his stuff along with him,
he gets back on the road where the exit is to get back on
the highway.
                                                            

4.

FADE TO:
                                                            
EXT: MOUNTAIN-EVENING
                                                            
SHOT 1: MOUNTAIN-EVENING
                                                            
The sun is lowering and its becoming into darkness quickly.
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-EVENING
                                                            
The Drifter is walking back to the highway. He feels like
he’s not wanted anywhere. There are no cars in sight once
again. The camera stays in position as we……
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-EVENING-SAME
                                                            
………overlap fade on the same image. The Drifter is now closer
in the middle of the road. This is the same process in the
way he came in. Then we……
                                                            
OVERLAP FADE TO:
                                                            
EXT: ROAD TO MOTEL-EVENING-SAME
                                                            
……overlap again on the same image. The Drifter is now up
close, and walks out of frame.
                                                            
EXT: ROAD MEETS THE HIGHWAY-EVENING-SAME
                                                            
The Camera pans down from the sign to the road as The
Drifter keeps on walking. He stops at the corner, looks both
ways, and then just walks down the other way of the highway.
                                                            
FADE TO:
                                                            
SHOT 1: EXT: MOUNTAINS-EVENING
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND-NIGHT
                                                            
The Drifter walks towards an abandon camping ground. No one
is in sight. There’s a little residential area from the
distance. He walks by the camera as we……
                                                            
SMASH CUT TO:
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND-NIGHT-SAME
                                                            
The Drifter stands there and pulls out a lighter. He snips
it on and then we……
                                                            
SMASH CUT TO:
                                                            

5.

SHOT 1: CAMPFIRE-NIGHT
                                                            
The glowing sensation of a fire is burning with twigs and
leafs. The camera tilts upward to reveal The Drifter cold
and burning a little fire to get warm. The fire is not big,
but small. The wind is blowing towards the fire and putting
it out rather quickly. There are no wind sounds to hear but
silence.
                                                            
MUSIC STOPS:
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND-NIGHT-SAME
                                                            
The Drifter is getting ready to go to sleep. He lies down on
a bench near the burned out campfire. He’s fast asleep. His
hat covering his face. His guitar case and backpack on the
table.
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND-NIGHT-SAME
                                                            
SLOW MOTION: GREEN LIGHTING:
                                                            
The trees are blowing from the impact of the wind. Something
or someone is lurking from those trees. The slow motion and
green lighting gives this a feel of pain and torture. A man
appears from the trees and slowly comes forth The Drifter.
This is “The Thief”. He’s from the near by residential area.

He creeps over and slowly takes The Drifters belongings. His
guitar is stolen, and his backpack. The Thief runs away with
the belongings. He’s left with nothing. All alone with no
supplies or clothes.
                                                            
FADE OUT TO BLACK:
                                                            
FADE IN FROM BLACK:
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND-DAY
                                                            
We open on the burned out campfire. Still steaming from the
smoke. Not to much. The camera pans right to reveal The
Drifter still asleep.

He wakes up, stretches and yawns, and reaches to pick up his
guitar case and backpack. Nothing! He looks, to his surprise
there gone. Looking under the bench, table, everywhere. He’s
left with nothing.
                                                            
EXT: CAMPING GROUND EXIT-DAY
                                                            
The Drifter walking out of the campground kicking rocks as
far as he can. He’s angry and mad. But doesn’t take it out

6.

in madness.

Walking where the highway begins feels like that its for
miles and miles.
                                                            
EXT: ROAD-DAY
                                                            
We see him doing at what he does best. Walking. A white
pickup truck is driving by. As he gets nearer to The Drifter
he slows down. Pulling over to the shoulder of the road.

He walks over to the truck.
                                                            
CUT TO:
                                                            
INT: WHITE TRUCK-DAY-SAME
                                                            
He looks through the window. We don’t see the driver what so
ever.
                                                            
                       THE DRIFTER
Hey, Hey.
                                                            
He opens the door and gets in.
                                                            
                       THE DRIFTER
Thanks for the ride man. It’s
really getting hot out there.
                                                            
He realizes that there’s something wrong here. He takes a
closer look.
                                                            
                       THE DRIFTER
Wait a sec……
                                                            
He pulls out the Polaroid picture and looks at it.
                                                            
                       THE DRIFTER
……dad?
                                                            
CUT TO:
                                                            
INT: WHITE TRUCK, DRIVER SIDE-DAY-SAME
                                                            
The man that is in his photo is the one whose driving the
truck. He’s older now, with a little grey hair on his head.
                                                            
                       DAD
Yeah, it’s me.
                                                            
Both father and son hug. Both are hugging each other that
either one of them won’t let go.
                                                            

7.

                       DAD
I forgive you.
                                                            
                       THE DRIFTER
But I didn’t even apologize.
                                                            
Both have a little laughter. Then they break up the hug.
                                                            
                       DAD
Come John……
                                                            
He starts up the truck.
                                                            
                       DAD
………I’m taking you home.
                                                            
CUT TO:
                                                            
EXT: ROAD-DAY-SAME
                                                            
The white truck is started and starts to pull off the
shoulder and off on the road. The truck drives on the
winding road as the camera slightly zooms out.

When fully zoomed out, the camera pans rightward to reveal
the beautiful landscape with bird chirping in the
background. When panning it tilts upwards to the sky and
then……
                                                            
FADE TO BLACK:
                                                            


THE END


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