INT. GINA'S MEDITATION ROOM - NIGHT

Gina is about to enter her meditation room. Travis is with her. She is smiling and very pleased.
 
 

GINA

Wait, right here.

GINA

OK, come in now.

TRAVIS

I can't come in, there's no floor.

GINA

Yes you can, the floor is a mirror.

TRAVIS

This is unreal. What do you do

in here?
 
 

GINA

I meditate. It sets the mood and

focuses my attention. Then I often

go into a trance.
 
 

TRAVIS

Don't.... don't scare me with that.
 
 

GINA

I have this dream that I can't 

figure out. It's driving me crazy.
 
 

TRAVIS

Did you look in a book of dream

symbols?
 
 

GINA

Universal symbols are bogus. It all

has to do with what it means to you.

But I'm having a difficult time with

this mystical stuff. My spiritual

growth has been kind of stunted. 
 
 

TRAVIS

You jest.
 

 

TRAVIS (Cont.)

Why?
 
 

GINA

For some reason I'm not in tune

with myself. I can't figure out

why. It's as if I don't want to 

know, so I'm tortured.
 
 

TRAVIS

I've never met anyone as together as 

you are. You could start another

religion - Gina mania.
 
 

GINA

And I could go on TV and build a

golden stairway to heaven. 

How many stairways does the 

world need? 

I already have a 

stairway, I just need to figure out

what all this mystical stuff means.

Now, I'm going to read from this 

book. I'll bounce ideas off of you.

OK?
 
 

TRAVIS

I can bounce, but that's about all.
 
 

GINA

This is a book written by a

thirteenth century mystic. This is

what being a mystic is supposed to

be about.

"Nothing matters to me. Neither 

shame nor honor, not poverty or 

wealth, nor even discomfort. Even 

love and hate don't affect me. Not 

even Heaven and Hell influence me."
 
 

TRAVIS

Sounds very ignorant to me. What

does this person care about? Not

drawn to Heaven, not afraid of Hell?
 
 

GINA

Yeah, this is weird. This is a

thirteenth century mystic. I think

she was burned at the stake. Maybe

she was depressed. Here, you read.
 
 

TRAVIS

"This is a gift from God, who has 

given me abundant knowledge but no

understanding. All that knowledge 

has made me nothing. I possess

everything, but nothing, I desire 

everything, but really nothing, I 

know everything but I know Nothing."

This lady is nothing but confused.
 
 

GINA

I can understand that. I know 

something - that's my dream that I 

can't interpret - but I don't

understand it. Read some more.
 
 

TRAVIS

"I don't live in love. My love 

would make me do things. But love

lives in me. Because I have no 

desires of my own, and am empty, the

will of God, which is the Love of 

God, works through me to do good."
 
 

GINA

Yuk! These are the ramblings of a

dispirited woman no doubt trapped in 

a role she doesn't want and having

finally given up hope of fulfilling

her own desires she's turned into

a zombie. Close it up.
 
 

TRAVIS

There's only one more.
 
 

GINA

OK.
 
 

TRAVIS

"I do nothing for God. God has no

use for anything I do, and the only

thing I have use for is what God

does."
 
 

GINA

(Sighs)

So, this mystic cleaned house of

herself, turned it all over to God,

and said, "OK, here I am God, your

depressed little robot, use me to

heal the sick, sweep the floor, 

whatever - I just really don't care."
 
 

TRAVIS

Or she really does care, and she's 

happy so long as God is driving.
 
 

GINA

That's a good insight. Maybe you're

right, but is that what it's all

about? Becoming a person with no

desires? People who martyr 

themselves usually have 

psychological problems.
 
 

TRAVIS

Isn't that what you're trying to do

about sex? Just give it up?
 
 

 

GINA

Who let you in here anyway? I'm 

master here, it's your job to 

figure out what I want you to say.
 
 

 

GINA

I hear this mystic's voice and

something in me cries NO! I don't

want to be dead. Possessed! That 

isn't Gina.
 
 

 

GINA (Cont.)

So much for that.

What does it all mean, Travis?

Gina and Travis are seated together on the couch.
 
 

GINA

Did that book on Casanovas help?
 
 

TRAVIS

I probably have some kind of 

problem with self esteem.
 
 

GINA

So what are you going to do about 

it?
 
 

TRAVIS

Try to build up my self esteem, I

guess.
 
 

GINA

Hmmm, sounds interesting. How do 

you propose to do that?
 
 

TRAVIS

I don't know. Maybe I'll go see a

therapist. Or maybe I'll just try 

and do good things so I'll feel 

good about myself.
 
 

 

GINA

Let me see if I understand this. 

How much is a good screwing worth?
 
 

TRAVIS

I have no idea.
 
 

GINA

So you need to build your esteem,

but you don't know what you're 

worth?
 
 

 

GINA

Well, lets say it's worth ten cents,

since I have a lot of dimes. Now

how long does this last?
 
 

TRAVIS

I guess I do this probably three

times a week.
 
 

GINA

OK, so you're worth about a nickel

a day?
 
 

 

TRAVIS

Let's say each dime is worth a 

hundred.
 
 

GINA

Now, what is something else you 

might do to feel good about 

yourself?
 
 

TRAVIS

Invent a cure for cancer.
 
 

GINA

Wow, that ought to be worth at

least fifty cents. You could go 

for two weeks on that. Then what?
 
 

TRAVIS

I guess I would have to cure AIDS.
 
 

GINA

And in two more weeks you would have

to cure something else. 
 
 

TRAVIS

Sounds like the same old addiction 

in a new package. Instead of 

screwing women, I cure people.

What is wrong with me? Where did I

go wrong?
 
 

GINA

When did you start feeling like you

weren't worth much?
 
 

TRAVIS

I don't know, it's all kind of 

covered up, you know, I've been

making myself feel good for so long

doing this with women, even when I

was a teen and the neighbor girl

used me for sex experiments - 
 
 

GINA

The girl next door used you for

sex experiments?
 
 

TRAVIS

She was three years older, and she

used to make me do all kinds of 

things she heard about to satisfy

her. I was.... kind of a sex slave

for her and her friend.
 
 

GINA

God, Travis. No wonder you're 

screwed up. What.... How did you

feel about yourself when you were

a child?
 
 

TRAVIS

Well, when I was a little child....

I guess I felt OK.
 
 

GINA

When did you start feeling -
 
 

TRAVIS

My father. Before I went into high

school. I know, when I was 

graduating middle school, boy I

really thought I knew something.

And I would talk to my father - he 

was based home all summer that year -

his ship was in dry dock - he just

put me in dry dock, too. I think....

that's when I began....
 
 

GINA

How does your father make you feel?
 
 

TRAVIS

Oh, he's a special case. I can't

talk to him, he still always has to 

be right, no matter what.
 
 

GINA

So your opinion didn't count much?
 
 

TRAVIS

Didn't, doesn't. Totally worthless. 

(Beat)

Do you suppose that's the reason 

for my problem?
 
 

GINA

I don't know, what do you think? 
 

 

GINA

What do you think you should do?
 
 

TRAVIS

Give this some thought.

INT. ARABELLA'S BEAU MONDE CLUB - DAY

Gina leaves Arabella's office and sees Tracy in an exercise roomgiving instruction on an exercise to an instructor. Gina goes tothe room and stands in the doorway.
 
 

TRACY

This is a large neck muscle and

we're not giving it a good workout.

It lets the neck get saggy. The

secret is, hold your head on one

side, then flex the muscle. See,

like this. Don't jerk it, flex it.

(Sees Gina)

Excuse me.
 

 

GINA

Hi, Tracy. Teaching more beautiful

body exercises?
 
 

 

TRACY

Another new one we added last week.

People just don't realize what

these exercises will do for firming

you up.
 
 

GINA

I just want to talk to you about

something personal. You can stop

me at any time.
 
 

TRACY

OK.
 
 

GINA

It's about Travis.
 

 

TRACY

Stop right there. I don't want to 

hear it.
 
 

 

TRACY

I suppose it was more bad news?
 

 

TRACY

Good news?
 

 

TRACY

(Beat)

Well? Tell me!
 
 

GINA

It's you he loves.
 
 

TRACY

Yeah, sure, like the guy can fuck

everything with a skirt and really

love me. Why are you telling me

this?
 
 

GINA

Because he realizes how wrong he

was and how he had hurt all those

other women, just like losing you

had hurt him.
 
 

TRACY

He deserved it.
 
 

GINA

I agreet.
 
 

TRACY

Then what do you want?
 
 

GINA

He's trying to change. He needs

you. It would be very helpful if

you were back together.
 
 

TRACY

For what? Sex? Let him find a

prostitute.
 
 

GINA

That's OK, Tracy. I just wondered

if you felt the same.
 
 

TRACY

I feel hurt. Used! You can't trust

any man, period. That's what I

feel. Don't expect any tears from

me over that....

INT. GINA'S CAR - NIGHT

Gina and Travis are traveling together. Travis is driving.
 
 

TRAVIS

Whew! That was a long meeting. 

Are you always this tired after

these negotiations?
 
 

GINA

Takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?

You get used to it. Pull over, let

me drive.
 
 

TRAVIS

Nah, I'm OK.
 
 

GINA

You have this macho thing about

driving. Men are always afraid to

let women be in control. They have

to be in control. It comes from 

deep feelings of insecurity.
 
 

TRAVIS

You've overdosed on self help 

psychology books. Let's stop here

for dinner, then you can drive.

INT. TRUCK STOP - NIGHT

Travis and Gina are seated at a booth.
 
 

TRAVIS

Speaking of male psychology, I've 

thought about when I started 

feeling.... not esteemed. It was

that summer my father spent based

at home.

So what do I do about it? Go beat

up my father?
 
 

GINA

What good would that do? You have

the rest of your life ahead of you

to be and do what you want.
 
 

TRAVIS

Yeah, so? If that S.O.B. made me

this way, I should punch his damned

lights out.
 
 

GINA

Is that going to make you well?
 
 

TRAVIS

No.
 
 

GINA

Will it change your father?
 
 

TRAVIS

That old hard shell barnacle? You

couldn't steam open his brain.
 
 

GINA

You can blame your father for the

way you are for the rest of your

life, spend your time getting back

at him, trying to make him pay, 

trying to make him sorry, trying 

to make him see your point of view,

trying to make him see reason - 

could take a lot of your time just

trying to make your father into a

different person. Think that would

work?
 
 

TRAVIS

I don't have the time and energy 

for all of that.
 
 

GINA

What do you want to do? 
 
 

TRAVIS

Emotionally? I just want to pound

on him until he is the way I want 

him.
 
 

GINA

That sounds normal. What do you

think you should do? What would be

....responsible?
 
 

TRAVIS

You like that word, too, don't you.

Responsible. 
 
 

GINA

It just keeps popping out. It 

probably comes from Kenrick telling

me I'm responsible for everything 

that happens whether I can change 

it or not.
 
 

TRAVIS

I guess I'm responsible for the 

rest of my life. Not my father. I 

just want to get on with it. Climb 

this mountain and go on.
 
 

GINA

Do people listen to you now?
 
 

TRAVIS

Of course.
 
 

GINA

So you don't really have any need

to act this way?
 
 

TRAVIS

(Beat)

No, I guess not.
 
 

GINA

Then why do it?
 
 

TRAVIS

Habit? We know I'm addicted.
 
 

GINA

Do you know the most effective way

to stop an addiction?

 

GINA

Lay your cigarettes down and don't

pick them up again. That's how 

most people get it done.
 
 

TRAVIS

You think I should just stop going

after women?
 
 

GINA

I don't know, I'm not the one 

responsible for fixing you. You 

have to take responsibility for

yourself, so what do you think you

should do?
 
 

TRAVIS

I think I should just stop.
 
 

GINA

I think Tracy would agree.
 

 

TRAVIS

Are you toying with me? C'mon, 

Gina, don't hurt me this way.
 
 

GINA

I think she would like a call,

but expect to get a hard time.

Tracy has never found a man she

can trust and you really let her

down.

Main Page
Page URL:  http://www.visualwriter.com/Priest/Hope.htm