2. 1
EXT. RIVER – DAY
Autumn colors hang over swift-moving waters. Rocks add a
babbling backdrop.
GRANDPA, early 60s, and SINCLAIR, 7, tomboy, arrive with a
cool distance between them, and set fishing gear.
SINCLAIR
I like this spot.
They both unpack their poles and tackle.
GRANDPA
Good enough. Don’t be sad if you
don’t catch nothin’.
SINCLAIR
I won’t.
Sinclair settles in to baiting her hook and preparing her
basket and knife. Grandpa watches.
GRANDPA
Really took to fishin’, didn’t ya?
SINCLAIR
I suppose so.
Sinclair steps to the water and casts. Satisfied, she sets
her pole among a few rocks and sits. Silence.
GRANDPA
Don’t say much do you?
Sinclair motions Grandpa to be quiet.
SINCLAIR
The fish can hear you. Got ears big as
elephants.
Grandpa buttons his lips and then casts, sets his pole, and
sits next to Sinclair. The babbling water and rustling
leaves set a harmony of sounds.
GRANDPA
(whispers)
Can we whisper?
3. 2
SINCLAIR
(whispers)
Whisper about what?
She points to the water.
SINCLAIR
(whispers)
The water will take whatever you say
all the way to the big ocean.
GRANDPA
I didn’t know that.
Sinclair gets a bite, calmly stands and reels it in.
She pulls the fish from the hook, guts and cleans it, and
tosses it in her basket. She re-baits her hook and settles
in. Seamless. Grandpa is impressed.
GRANDPA
Real fine catch.
SINCLAIR
How long you been fishin’, Grandpa?
GRANDPA
Oh, I guess maybe fifty years now.
Started out when I was about your
age. Can I tell you about it?
SINCLAIR
Will you finish before you die?
GRANDPA
Not much tell. I’d say yes.
SINCLAIR
Sometimes my mom reads to me, but
doesn’t finish the story, and then
she forgets all about it.
Sinclair gathers up a handful of fallen leaves and arranges
them in order of that with the most-green, and that which
is brown and dry. In the middle are reds and yellows and
oranges.
She points to the green leaf.
4. 3
SINCLAIR
That’s me.
She points to the brown leaf.
SINCLAIR
That’s you.
GRANDPA
Sounds about right.
SINCLAIR
So, what happens after that?
Grandpa arranges the leaves in a circle, ends touching.
Sinclair studies it a moment.
SINCLAIR
Hmm.
She gathers up more leaves, and with a careful hand makes a
spiral that repeats green to brown, green to brown.
GRANDPA
What are you thinking there?
SINCLAIR
Mom and dad fight a lot.
GRANDPA
What about?
SINCLAIR
Dad says life stinks because it just
goes around and around and around.
Sinclair gets another bite and reels it in. She cleans it
and tosses it in Grandpa’s basket, then rejoins him.
SINCLAIR
You can have that one.
GRANDPA
Appreciate it. So, you were saying?
5. 4
SINCLAIR
Well, mom says it only appears that
way to idiots with their eyes half
opened. I figure maybe it’s more
like this. Some things start over,
only in a different place than
before.
GRANDPA
Awful lot of pondering there.
SINCLAIR
Wait.
She gathers up a few rocks, a few sticks, and adds them in
the mix here and there. Grandpa watches.
Finished, Sinclair sits back and studies the spiral.
SINCLAIR
Like that. New things come along
that aren’t like the rest of the
things, like computers. Mom told me
you didn’t have them when you were a
kid. Is that true?
GRANDPA
Yes, that’s true.
SINCLAIR
How did you guys talk?
GRANDPA
With the voices God gave us.
Grandpa gets a bite, reels it in and cleans it. He holds
up the fish.
GRANDPA
Heads or tails?
Sinclair points to her own cheeks.
SINCLAIR
Heads.
Grandpa cuts the fish in half and tosses the head into
Sinclair’s basket, the tail into his. He rejoins Sinclair.
6. 5
GRANDPA
It will be getting dark in a few
hours.
Sinclair holds up a small broken rock, hands it to Grandpa.
GRANDPA
What’s this for?
SINCLAIR
I like the color. It isn’t perfect,
but seems like things aren’t
supposed to be. At least that’s what
I think.
GRANDPA
Your thinkin’ is correct.
They move back to the water.
MONTAGE
Sinclair and Grandpa cast and catch, clean and cast again.
Sinclair tosses leaves in the water and watches them float
away, waves goodbye.
END MONTAGE
The sun sinks low. Both stand in silence and watch the
golden sun reflect off the water. After some moments …
GRANDPA
Ready?
They gather up their gear, hold hands as they head out and
into the trees.
SINCLAIR
I was right, you know.
GRANDPA
About what?
7. 6
SINCLAIR
The spiral. Tomorrow everything will
look exactly the same, only there
will be different water and
different fish. And the fish we
didn’t catch probably won’t care
where they are, cuz they get to be
with their friends.
GRANDPA
Maybe you’ve discovered the secret
to happiness.
SINCLAIR
Really? Should I email God?
They vanish into the woods.
FADE OUT
