THE INHERITANCE

Written by
Scott Turner
36 Fox Run, Waterdown, ON, Canada
905-580-3445
FADE IN:
INT. MANUFACTURING FACILITY - DAY
A large, octagonal piece of polished metal. Contorted
mechanical arms protrude from each side and come together in
the middle, like a robotic spider, ready to strike.
Two of the arms begin spinning rapidly. A long, metallic
coil is produced from the middle, as if out of thin air.
The arms stop on a dime. The spider is motionless for a
moment, until a third arm whips down and grasps the coil with
pincer-like claws.
A fourth arm glides effortlessly forward and slashes at the
coil. With one clean swipe, it flies away from the machine.
The whole process repeats itself, producing coil after coil.
An army of springs move down a wide, rubber conveyor belt, as
if marching off to war.
A waterfall of springs. One by one they fall off the side of
the conveyor belt.
Each of the springs is grasped by a metallic claw and forced
against a small plastic nub. Suddenly, its clear what were
looking at - a normal, everyday spring door stop.
EXT. MANUFACTURING FACILITY - DAY
Truck after truck leaves the large compound in a single file
line. On the side of each truck is a logo that reads
Gennaro Manufacturing.
EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY
The trucks fly down the highway, three abreast and five deep.
They switch lanes and merge with each other like Olympic
synchronized swimmers.
EXT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY
One of the trucks backs up to the loading bay of a large
hardware store. A man motions for the truck to keep moving.
It comes to a stop only millimeters away from the edge of the
building. The man winks and gives the driver a thumbs up.
INT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY
A hardware store employee takes a box-cutter to a cardboard
box filled with door stops. He eagerly tosses them onto
pegs. Before long, an entire wall is filled with them. He
stands back to admire his work.
A man approaches with a shopping cart. He grabs a box, looks
it over, and tosses it in the cart.
INT. CUSTOMERS HOUSE - DAY
The man kneels down and screws the spring door stop into the
side of the wall.
The man walks OUT OF FRAME. A door swings INTO FRAME and
bounces against the stopper.
A moment later, a Labrador Retriever trots INTO FRAME. He
cautiously approaches the door stopper and paws at it. He
then proceeds to rip it off the wall, munching away happily
on his new favorite toy.
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
A nondescript two-story office building. Dozens of cars are
parked in front of it, and many more buzz by on the nearby
freeway.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER
A brightly-lit office building, littered with cubicles that
stretch out as far as the eye can see. The fluorescent
lighting gives everything a sickly blue hue.
TED (30s), a tall, very tanned and ruggedly handsome man, is
seated behind a desk with a phone cradled in his neck and a
book of carpet samples in hand.
TED
So you were looking at... Mystic
Pine?
(beat)
And how large is your office?
(beat)
Five thousand square feet. Thats
fantastic. I did my entire house
in mystic pine last year.
(MORE)
2.
Sometimes I just lay there on the
floor naked and make snow angels on
it. Its beautiful, youll love
it.
Another male employee stands at the photo-copier. He looks
so bored that he might as well have had a lobotomy.
A female employee is seated at a desk with two piles of
papers in front of her so high that they cover her face. She
takes one paper off of each stack, staples them together, and
then repeats the process, over and over.
BILL GENNARO (40s), a particularly dour-looking individual is
seated at his desk. Hes a little too short and a little too
fat, but he seem OK with it. Hes wearing a white collared
shirt with three differently colored pens sticking out of the
front breast pocket. He stares forward at his computer
screen with baggy, unenthusiastic eyes.
CLOSE ON COMPUTER SCREEN
Bill is surfing Priceline.com. Hawaiian destinations are
littered across the screen, accompanied by photos of overly
enthusiastic white people frolicking on beaches around the
world.
BACK TO SCENE
Ted wanders over to Bills cubicle.
TED (CONTD)
How you doin, Bill?
Bill quickly closes the website and brings up a spreadsheet
full of carpet sales figures.
BILL
Oh, hey, Ted.
TED
Im shoving off for the weekend,
just wanted to let you know that I
closed the Western Electric deal.
Five thousand square feet.
(Ted whistles)
Shit load of rug, my man. I know
you made first contact, split the
commish?
BILL
(nodding)
Sure, thats fine.
TED (CONT'D)
3.
Bill appears unenthusiastic, almost lifeless.
TED
You get your bonus yet?
Bill makes eye contact with Ted and gives him a fake smile.
BILL
You have to make your numbers to
get a bonus.
TED
Jesus. Sorry, man. We all have
tough months.
BILL
I was planning on taking the family
for a vacation this year. I guess
that wont be happening.
TED
Sorry to hear that, pal.
BILL
Yeah. Sorry for being such a
Debbie Downer. What are you up to
this weekend?
TED
Taking the family to Jamaica for a
week!
Bill rolls his eyes.
BILL
(sotto)
Of course you are...
TED
A little fun in the sun, the kids
get to go wild, and I get to lay on
the beach and take in the sights.
Lets just say the ol spank bank
will be overrunning with funds by
the time I get back, you know what
Im sayin? Those Jamaican chicks
are wild. I hear they dont shave.
Anywhere.
Bill initially appears disgusted by the comment, but nods all
the same, attempting to appear enthusiastic.
4.
TED (CONTD)
Take care, buddy! See you in a
week.
Ted gives Bill a firm pat on the chest before walking away.
Bill coughs uncomfortably from the impact of the overly
friendly gesture. Bill glances at a wall clock.
CLOSE ON WALL CLOCK
The time reads 4:59. After a moment, it switches over to
5:00.
BACK TO SCENE
Quick as a flash, Bill stands up, turns his monitor off,
grabs his jacket and speed walks down the hallway.
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER
Bill approaches his minivan and throws himself inside.
INT. BILLS MINIVAN - CONTINUOUS
He sits there for a moment, a defeated look about him. If he
looked any sadder, a funeral might break out.
His CELL PHONE RINGS. He answers it.
BILL
Hey, hon.
(beat)
Yeah, just left. Should be home
soon. I just need to make one stop
first. Love you too.
Bill hangs up the phone and reverses out of the parking spot
quickly, TIRES SQUEALING.
INT. BANK - LATER
Bill enters the bank in a hurry. He stops, looks around, and
scampers over to an ATM machine.
5.
CLOSE ON ATM MIRROR
Bill adjusts his hair and straightens his tie. He notices an
ink blotch on his shirt. His pen must have popped when Ted
slapped him on the chest.
BACK TO SCENE
BILL
Jesus. Fuck you, Ted.
He tries to rub it but it just smears.
ARTHUR (O.S.)
Mr. Gennaro?
Bill turns to find ARTHUR THOMPSON (40s), the burly,
mustached, perpetually glum bank manager, glaring back at
him.
BILL
Yes. Hi.
ARTHUR
Right this way, sir.
Bill walks toward him. They shake hands and Arthur leads him
away.
INT. BANK - ARTHURS OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
Arthur is seated behind a large oak desk in a small corner
office. Hes skimming through a stack of papers and signing
every other one with a lightning fast signature.
Bill is seated across from him. He nervously rubs his hands
on his legs and peers around the office.
CLOSE ON FRAMED PHOTO
Arthur, his wife and two boys are standing on a beach.
Everyone in the photo is smiling, except Arthur, who has the
same sourpuss in the photo that he has right now.
BACK TO SCENE
BILL
Beautiful family. Ive got two of
my own at home. Boy and a girl.
(MORE)
6.
Family is everything, thats what I
always say.
Arthur glances up from his paperwork.
ARTHUR
Thats an old photo. Im divorced.
She got the kids. Hand me that?
Bill leans over and grabs the photo frame. He hands it to
Arthur. Arthur takes it and very forcefully throws it in the
trash can. Papers from the trash go flying into the air.
Arthur studies the papers in front of him as debris from the
trash can begins to settle down around him.
ARTHUR (CONTD)
So, you were looking for a loan, is
that correct, Mr. Gennaro?
BILL
Yes sir, absolutely.
ARTHUR
Ten thousand?
Arthur whistles to himself in surprise.
ARTHUR (CONTD)
What will you be needing the funds
for?
BILL
Well, actually, I was hoping to
take my family on a vacation this
year. We were thinking somewhere
warm. Maybe Hawaii or... Jamaica?
Have you ever been?
Arthur raises an eyebrow without looking away from the papers
in front of him.
ARTHUR
The sun makes me freckle. What do
you do for a living, sir?
BILL
Im a carpet salesman.
ARTHUR
OK, and which dealership are you
with?
BILL (CONT'D)
7.
BILL
No, not car. Carpet. Car-PET.
Arthur raises another eyebrow.
ARTHUR
All right...
Arthur jots down a few notes on the paper in front of him.
ARTHUR (CONTD)
I wasnt aware that carpet needed
salesmen. Car salesman would have
looked better on paper, Im not
going to lie. A lot better. But
then I guess you wouldnt need the
loan in the first place, would you?
Arthur allows himself a rare, but reserved smirk.
Bill frowns.
BILL
Its just that things have been
really tight lately, financially
speaking. Ive been promising the
kids a vacation for years, and they
deserve it. My job, you see, it
pays well enough, but its just not
always enough to --
ARTHUR
Let me stop you right there.
BILL
Whats wrong?
ARTHUR
This sounds like it could go on for
a while, plus I hear the same sob
story every day from every schmuck
that sets foot in here. No
offense.
(beat)
Ill be in touch in the next few
days.
Arthur extends his hand and Bill leans over and shakes it.
BILL
Thank you for your time, sir! I
look forward to hearing back from
you!
8.
ARTHUR
Gennaro.
(beat; Arthur looks lost
in thought)
Gennaro. Why does that name sound
so familiar?
BILL
Youre probably thinking of Gennaro
manufacturing. My fathers
company.
ARTHUR
Thats right! I pass by at least
one of their trucks every morning
on my way in to work. What do they
do, anyway?
BILL
They make just about everything.
Their claim to fame... well, my
fathers claim to fame was the
rubber door stopper.
ARTHUR
He invented that?
BILL
Yeah. Among other things. He has
about a million patents.
ARTHUR
(enthusiastically)
No shit. You invent something like
that, you must have some real fuck
you money.
Bill nods slowly, rolling his eyes.
BILL
Hes very... well off.
(beat)
Yes.
ARTHUR
(whistles)
Must be hard following in the
footsteps of someone like that.
BILL
I wouldnt know. I guess so.
Whatever.
(awkward beat)
Are we done here?
9.
Arthur, brow furrowed, stands up and extends a hand to Bill.
Bill stands up and accepts the gesture.
Arthur suddenly leans in close, as if to tell a secret.
ARTHUR
(sotto)
You look like you jacked off a
Smurf.
Bill looks down at his shirt.
BILL
Yes, I know. Thank you.
Arthur nods solemnly and winks.
EXT. BILLS HOUSE - NIGHT
A small bungalow in suburbia. Its seen better days, as is
apparent by the faded blue paint job, crooked garage door and
a roof thats begging for attention.
INT. BILLS HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
ALLISON GENNARO (40s), Bills wife, a tall, blonde-haired
woman who is clearly out of his league, is standing in the
kitchen, chopping carrots for the meal shes preparing.
ALLISON
Alex, can you please call your
sister in here to set the table?
ALEX GENNARO (8),a young boy with curly brown hair is seated
at the kitchen table, a cell phone in the crook of his neck
and a laptop in front of him.
ALEX
West of Main Street is my
territory, Tony, how many times do
I have to tell you?
(beat)
Well, I dont care if you think
its a dead zone, I see potential
in it. Theres a new construction
site in that area. You know what
that means? Thirsty construction
workers. Do I have to spell
everything out for you?
ALLISON
ALEX!
10.