Gaga for the Saga

Bobby and the Monster

I.                 Set Up

a.      Recess at an elementary school

                                                    i.     Kids outside playing in groups (7-8-year olds)

                                                  ii.     Show activities of various groups

                                                iii.     Smaller group including a young boy named Bobby

1.     See that Bobby (aged 7) is a somewhat quiet kid at school

2.     Gets picked on and bullied by one larger kid (aged 8) in the group

3.     Another kid tries to defend Bobby

b.     Kids go home

c.      Bobby arrives at home

d.     Introduced to his parents

                                                    i.     They are awful people, yelling all the time

                                                  ii.     Mother beats the father (aged 29)

                                                iii.     Father is a complete pussy (aged 31)

e.      Bobby’s typical at-home life

                                                    i.     Spends most of his time in his bedroom

                                                  ii.     Comes out once for dinner, practically silent the whole time

                                                iii.     Returns to his bedroom

II.               Inciting Incident

a.      Bobby is trying to go to sleep

                                                    i.     Starts to hear a voice in his head

                                                  ii.     Cannot make out what the voice is saying

                                                iii.     Voice leaves quickly, so he ignores it

b.     Return to school the following day

                                                    i.     One kid mentions that he is afraid that there is a monster in his closet

                                                  ii.     Bobby wonders why this child is so fearful

c.      Bobby returns home

                                                    i.     Another night spent in fear of his mother

d.     Bobby goes to bed again

                                                    i.     Voice is more prevalent this time and stays around longer

                                                  ii.     Bobby pays attention, but still can’t make out the words

                                                iii.     Voice starts to irritate him

III.             Desis (Part 1)

a.      Return to school, on the playground

                                                    i.     Bobby finds the kid who talked about monsters under his bed

                                                  ii.     Bobby asks this kid if he has ever seen or heard the monster

1.     Kid responds “no”

2.     Bobby thinks this is odd, and it frightens him a bit

                                                iii.     The bully comes by, beats up Bobby, and calls Bobby names

b.     Bobby returns home again

                                                    i.     Bobby tries to speak with his mother about the voice in his head

1.     His mother ignores him at first

2.     He continues to try talking to his mother

3.     Mother yells at Bobby and he runs off

                                                  ii.     Bobby tries to speak with his father about the voice

1.     Father assures him that there is nothing in his head to be afraid of

2.     Father says that there are more real things to fear, and looks at the mother

c.      Bobby goes to bed, yet again

                                                    i.     The voice returns and is now completely clear

                                                  ii.     The voice tells him to strike back

1.     “The large one must be silenced”

2.     “Set him in stone”

                                                iii.     Bobby is unable to respond to the voice, he can only hear it

d.     Bobby wakes up

                                                    i.     Exits his home           

                                                  ii.     Finds a large rock behind his house

1.     Still small enough to be portable

2.     Puts this rock in his backpack

                                                iii.     Bobby goes to the bus, and rides onto school with an evil look on his face

e.      Return to the playground

                                                    i.     Bobby minds his own business and talk to the “defender” kid

                                                  ii.     The large bully comes by

1.     He attempts to mess with Bobby’s head

2.     “Defender” tries to make the bully shut up

3.     Bully ignores defender, and knocks Bobby to the ground

a.      Bully walks away

4.     Bobby hears the voice again say “Set him in stone”

5.     Bobby stands back up

                                                iii.     Bobby reaches into his backpack

1.     Pulls out the rock

2.     Walk up to behind the bully

3.     Bobby shouts at the bully

4.     Bobby whacks the bully across the mouth with the rock

a.      Bully is bleeding profusely

b.     Teeth are scattered across the bloody ground

                                                iv.     A teacher finally notices the commotion

1.     She yells at Bobby

2.     Detains Bobby

IV.            Peripeteia

a.      Inside the principal’s office

                                                    i.     Bobby is sitting across from the principal

                                                  ii.     Bobby’s parents arrive

                                                iii.     Principal tells the parents what Bobby has done

                                                iv.     Mother yells at Bobby, father remains quiet

                                                  v.     Principal says that Bobby will be suspended for 10 days

                                                vi.     Mother blows up about this being outrageous

1.     Says that Bobby is “just a kid”

2.     Principal insists that the incident is a serious matter and that this is a necessary punishment

3.     Mother tells Bobby that he will not be leaving his room for a long time

V.              Desis (Part 2)

a.      Bobby is in his bedroom

                                                    i.     Sits on his bed, doing not much of anything

                                                  ii.     The voice returns again

1.     Says “Success” repetitively

                                                iii.     Billy tries to talk to the voice

1.     Billy asks who the voice is

2.     It responds “I am you, Billy”

3.     Billy attempts to deny this

a.      Calls the voice “nothing but a monster”

b.     It responds “I am not the monster, you will see who the real monster is”

                                                iv.     Mother calls for dinner

b.     At the dinner table

                                                    i.     Bobby asks his parents if monsters are real

                                                  ii.     Parents insist that monsters are not real

                                                iii.     Bobby says he thinks there is a monster in his head

1.     Talks about the voice

                                                iv.     Mother becomes fed up with the nonsense

1.     Scream at Bobby

2.     Sends Bobby to his bedroom

                                                  v.     Bobby goes to his bedroom

                                                vi.     Father says to mother that he wants to talk to Bobby on his own

1.     Mother says “don’t you dare!”

2.     Father stands up and steps toward Bobby’s room.

3.     Mother rushes over to the father and punches him in the eye

4.     Father pauses in pain for a second, then proceeds into Bobby’s room

a.      Bobby heard everything

5.     A rather large knife is shown on the dining room table as Bobby’s mother proceeds to the kitchen

c.      Inside Bobby’s bedroom

                                                    i.     Bobby sits on his bed, pouting

                                                  ii.     Father sits down with Bobby

                                                iii.     Father asks why he hit the bully with the rock

1.     Asks if the monster told him to

2.     Bobby says yes

a.      The monster said to “set him in stone”

b.     So he took a rock, and whacked the bully with it

3.     Father tell Bobby that he should not do things like that

a.      Bobby assure it will not happen again

4.     Father and Bobby share a little smile together

                                                iv.     Father leaves room

d.     Parents’ bedroom

                                                    i.     Father and Mother lying in bed

                                                  ii.     Father says to mother he is concerned about Bobby

                                                iii.     Mother asks why

                                                iv.     Father explains how Bobby said the “monster” told him to hit the bully

                                                  v.     Mother claims that Father’s concern is ridiculous

1.     “There is nothing wrong with our son!”

2.     Quietly “yells” obscenities at the Father, calling him worthless and such

                                                vi.     Father says no more

                                              vii.     The two go to sleep

e.      Back inside Bobby’s bedroom

                                                    i.     The voice has returns

1.     Says it will not be leaving any time soon

                                                  ii.     Bobby asks the monster why it is telling him to do horrible things

                                                iii.     Voice claims it is only for Bobby’s benefit

                                                iv.     Says that there is only one more move to make

1.     Says Bobby must “strike back” again

a.      Bobby asks who

b.     Voice says “The Caregiver”

c.      Bobby says “Daddy?”

d.     Voice says no, your mother

e.      Bobby makes sense of the this

                                                                                                                i.     Flashes back on moments of his mother abusing himself and his father

                                                  v.     Bobby agrees to this final move

                                                vi.     Bobby exits his bedroom

f.      Various parts of the house

                                                    i.     Bobby steps outside of his bedroom

                                                  ii.     He sneaks into the dining room

1.     Obtains the knife that was left on the table during the earlier fight

2.     Bobby swings the knife through the air a bit

                                                iii.     Bobby proceeds to his parents’ bedroom

1.     Mother is not there

2.     Bobby hears a toilet flush

                                                iv.     Bobby sneaks over to the bathroom door

VI.            Climax

a.      Bobby stands outside of the bathroom door while waiting for his mother to exit

                                                    i.     Various cuts between inside and outside of the bathroom are made

1.     The monster tells him what to do

a.      “The life of the wife is ended by the knife” (shout out to Family Guy)

b.     Take your blade and silence the strife

c.      A blade in the gut will bring her to her knees

d.     Do not give in to any of her pleas

e.      Finish her off with a jab in the heart

f.      Then you and your father may have a new start

2.     The knife is behind his back

                                                  ii.     Door finally cracks open

                                                iii.     Bobby says “Mommy,”

                                                iv.     Mother replies “Bobby! Why are you awake? And why aren’t you in your room?”

                                                  v.     Bobby pauses slightly

1.     Replies “I’m just helping Daddy.”

                                                vi.     Mother is puzzled

1.     Says “How?”

                                              vii.     Bobby pauses again

1.     “With this!”

2.     Bobby takes out the knife

                                            viii.     Before his mother can even say anything, Bobby stabs his mother in the stomach

1.     She lets out screams of agony and comes to the floor

2.     Father awakens

3.     Bobby stabs his mother in the heart

4.     She lets out even more screams

b.     Father enters

                                                    i.     Screams “Bobby! What have you done?!”

                                                  ii.     Bobby replies “I have freed you, Daddy.”

                                                iii.     The voice continues in Bobby’s head,

1.     Keeps saying “success”

2.     Does not seem to be going away

                                                iv.     Father asks if the monster told him to do this

                                                  v.     Bobby replies “yes”

1.     The voice still is not stopping

2.     Bobby admits that the voices will not stop

                                                vi.     Father screams desperately “Don’t listen Bobby! Don’t listen to the monster!”

                                              vii.     Bobby says “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

                                            viii.     Father does not know what to do

                                                ix.     Bobby screams in horror

                                                  x.     Bobby picks up the knife

                                                xi.     Father screams “Bobby! No!”

                                              xii.     Bobby takes his own life with the knife.

VII.          Lucis/Denouement

a.      Bobby’s father stands alone

                                                    i.     He is astonished by what has happened

                                                  ii.     He stands in silence for a while

b.     Father kneels down next to his wife

                                                    i.     Peers into her lifeless eyes

                                                  ii.     Says “Good riddance, you bitch.”

c.      Father moves over to Bobby

                                                    i.     Hugs Bobby’s corpse

                                                  ii.     Says “The monster is gone Bobby. You can rest now”

d.     Camera dollies upward on the scene

e.      [end]

And now, a scene from the screenplay.

Bobby and the Monster (Principal’s Office Scene) (Scene IV.a)

PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE – EARLY AFTERNOON

BOBBY sits in a child-sized chair, looks at the floor, and pouts. He buries his cheeks with his fists. PRINCIPAL sits behind his desk across from Bobby. The principal is silently glaring at him. Bobby is shown sitting when the door opens behind him. MR. BRINDLEY and MRS. BRINDLEY enter the room.

PRINCIPAL

Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Brindley. Please have a seat.

Both parents sit down in chairs either side of Bobby.

MRS. BRINDLEY

What is the meaning of all of this?

PRINCIPAL

Bobby acted up in a rather… violent fashion today.

MRS. BRINDLEY

(Slightly angrily)       

And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Principal sighs exasperatedly

PRINCIPAL

Bobby… used a large rock to strike one of his classmates

Mr. and Mrs. Brindley look extremely shocked.

MRS. BRINDLEY

(yelling)         

He did what?!

PRINCIPAL

Bobby, with the help of a large rock, struck one of his classmates in the mouth. Bobby has somewhat seriously injured this child. He is missing most of his teeth now. We had to send him to the hospital.

MRS. BRINDLEY

(yelling)         

Bobby! What in God’s name were you thinking?!

Bobby remains silent and buries his face deeper into his hands.

MRS. BRINDLEY (CONT’D)

Why would you ever do such a horrible thing?!

PRINCIPAL

Mr. and Mrs. Brindley, I am sure you are already aware of the severity of the situation. We are going to have to suspend Bobby for at least ten days.

MRS. BRINDLEY

You can’t be serious. He’s only young. He’s just a kid. He doesn’t know any better.

PRINCIPAL

I’m sorry, Mrs. Brindley, but I have to do this. The situation is much more serious than you appear to think. There is no other way.

MRS. BRINDLEY

(angrily)         

Don’t play games with me, smart guy. I know what he did. So I suppose he must pay for what he has done.

Mrs. Brindley looks at Bobby.

MRS. BRINDLEY (CONT’D)

And don’t think that you will just be able to do whatever you want to at home. You will be punished there as well. Besides for dinner, you will not be seeing the outside of your bedroom for a long time.

PRINCIPAL

I am glad that you understand the situation, Mrs. Brindley. Please take Bobby home and we will notify you if we decide to shorten his suspension.

Both parents and Bobby stand up.

MRS. BRINDLEY

Alright, thank you, Principal Wallace.

MR. BRINDLEY

Thank you, Principal Wallace.

Mrs. Brindley looks at Mr. Brindley

MRS. BRINDLEY

(quietly)         

Shut up.

Mr. Brindley opens the door. Bobby, Mr. Brindley, and Mrs. Brindley leave the Principal’s office.