Olivia Rodger (oliviarodger@hotmail.com)

Carrie Zanger (eurozang@hotmail.com)

"Christine, Edward, and the Cube"

TREATMENT

This is a story about Christine, a 20-year-old woman, and Edward, a 30-year-old man, and how their relationship develops and matures through many different transitions. The plot is propelled by the changing of seasons, as well as the millennium, occurring in four different sections, with four distinct representations of changes appearing in their relationship. In scene one, while attending a funeral, Christine and Edward have their first encounter with the agent of change, a talking casket. This first scene is absurd, tense, ambiguous and creepy, which establishes the style of the entire film. In the following scenes, the agent of change is represented as a baby, a Christmas tree, and finally the last and final development of Christine and Edward’s relationship, a singing tube of lubricant.

CAST LIST

1. Christine — A well-spoken woman in her early 20s. For the most part, she is highly self-conscious, except for when dealing with the reality of her relationship with Edward. She symbolizes the ‘new’, the ‘underground’, a fresh idea, as in a new ‘movement’. She is young and pulsating, looking to find meaning her life. She’s thin, lanky, and has pale skin.

2. Edward — A sensitive and thoughtful man, in his early 30s. He is obsessed with Christine’s beauty, and always wants to make sure she knows she’s is worthy of his love. He embodies what is nominally referred to as the traditional. He signifies the ‘old’, the now mainstream and conventional. He is easily burdened with the world’s problems. His physical characteristics are similar to those of Christine: thin, lanky, and has pale skin.

3. Casket Voice — Signifies death, fatality, the end of time, the conclusion of a story, the finalizing of a change or a move. Acting as a character in the opening sequence, the importance of the casket sets the mood for the entire script.

4. Baby Voice — Signifies birth, the beginning of a new change, the launch of a new movement. Acting as the second sequence, the baby voice is a highly contrasted with the casket. (Meaning death and birth.)

5. Christmas Tree Voice — Signifies religion and spirituality, as well as the need to find meaning in one’s course. This character can act as a constant in patterns of beliefs and rituals.

6. Lube Voice — Signifies the ecstasy and bliss of humankind. The notion of lube is very adaptable and transforming. Acting as a character is the last sequence of events; the lube has the flexibility to make a final impact, whether it is emotional, spiritual, psychological or physical.

 

SCREENPLAY

Scene 1: The first scene is set outside in a city-like cemetery during a sunny summer day. There is a casket that is above ground covered in beautiful flowers. It is a large funeral and the people in attendance are gathered around the casket. The sermon is finishing, just before the casket is lowered into the ground. Edward and Christine are standing toward the back signifying that they don’t know the deceased very well. Their relationship with the deceased is a non-intimate, acquaintance type. As the casket is being lowered, it speaks.

CASKET

Hello there!

The funeral guests are shocked, puzzled and confused, but are too sad and disgruntled to know really where the voice is coming from and they’re not sure if it even exists. They look around all at once. Edward and Christine exchange pensive glances — they are disturbed more than the others as they have not been as "caught up" in the funeral. The funeral ends and people throw out dirt over the casket, which is now lowered, into the ground and they begin dispersing. Edward and Christine are walking hand in hand; there are no other guests around them. Quietly and contemplatively Christine says,

CHRISTINE

I’m confused. Where used to be a building, now there’s an isolated, shining door.

 

Scene 2: Outside in a park on a fall morning in 1999. Christine and Edward are walking and pushing a baby stroller. The stroller has a large cover bonnet so you cannot see the baby. Christine, while walking confusedly and abruptly states for the second time,

CHRISTINE

I’m confused. Where used to be a building, now there’s an isolated, shining door.

At this point, the baby in the stroller pops up and says quickly and equally as abruptly as Christine was,

BABY

You two!

The baby returns to its unseen position in the stroller. Immediately Edward and Christine stop walking. Edward has just received a wave of energy and speaks in an invigorated tone (as if a lightbulb went off in his head.)

EDWARD

Yes. And where there were flowers look, steel spikes. But your hand is still soft in mine as it was before.

Christine is touched and reassured of Edward’s love and thus returns the affirmation by squeezing his cheeks and then suddenly becomes self conscious of the wart on the back of her left hand and says,

CHRISTINE

But I have kind of wart on it. Do you really like my hands?

Scene 3: It is winter and Christine and Edward are walking with the stroller outside on a busy street downtown, and it is snowing lightly. The x-mas tree lights decorate the city. Everything has a "holiday season" feel to it. As Christine and Edward are walking downtown, they approach the Bon Marche entrance. As Christine opens the door for Edward and the baby, she says for the third time to Edward,

CHRISTINE

I’m confused. Where used to be a building, now there’s an isolated, shining door.

Christine, Edward and the baby enter the Bon Marche and go directly to the bedding department. They shop around and point items out to each other. When Edward sees a display of satin sheets, he says again quite enthusiastically,

EDWARD

Yes. And where there were flowers look, steel spikes.

They gather up the satin material and Christine says in a cautious, hesitant tone,

CHRISTINE

But Edward…are we ready to purchase these sheets…together? We’re not even married yet.

Their hands are still on the sheets and Edward retorts in an affirming consoling tone,

EDWARD

But your hand is still soft in mine as it was before.

Just then, a piano player inside the Bon Marche, starts to play and sing; "It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Christine and Edward’s attention is diverted to the live and cheesy holiday music. Edward starts walking excitedly toward the piano player. There is a tree all decked out in holly next to the piano player. Christine and Edward are delighted to be in this wonderful extravaganza. There are other shoppers stopping to enjoy the holiday music.

EDWARD

Look, Christine. That explains it. It’s the avant-garde.

Just then, the tree delivers an "award winning" motivational speech,

X-MAS TREE

In downtown Mexico City’s commanding uproar I have a temple of art,

but it may vanish in a second, depending on the government and on taste.

Edward turns to Christine, who has a startled look on her face and says,

EDWARD

She’s right. And it may depend on our government, too. God knows what it’s about to do in this part of the world!…Though I am melting to you. And with you.

CHRISTINE (sappy like)

I to you, too.

Scene 4: The last scene is set at a New Year’s Eve 1999 party that Christine and Edward are hosting. There is a lot of party noises, laughter, voices saying goodnight etc. The room is very messy and the hosts, Edward and Christine are inebriated. They start cleaning up and Christine says distractedly,

CHRISTINE

Maybe we can find a cross-way between the political and our life and maybe we cannot.

Edward pins, in the best sense of the word, Christine against the wall as they enter their bedroom. Edward and Christine are crammed together as they are trying to undress each other. Edward gets frustrated for he is in the "heat of the moment" and converses with Christine,

EDWARD

I can’t figure this belt buckle out!

CHRISTINE

OH, Edward!….who gives a fuck….the main problem now is seems to be how old you are and young I am.

 

As Christine delivers her next and final line, she is overcome with wicked emotion, for Edward and Christine have knocked something over on the nightstand.

CHRISTINE

My step-parents are going to flip.

All of the sudden, an animated tube of lube appears from the nightstand and says,

LUBE

I am the avant-garde. Follow me, and you’ll end up on a still tip of a frozen wing in the acrid penumbra of magnesiated space. Come on!

CONTINUITY SCRIPT

Scene 1: Outside at a funeral

  1. MS: People’s shoes at the funeral nestled in the grass, in a line, panning across to left distant headstones in the graveyard.
  2. LS: In the left corner of the frame, the camera is blurred on a headstone while focused in on the attendees of the funeral.
  3. LS: Looking at the priest, attendees and casket, at a little higher than waist level across the attendees until we find Christine and Edward, then the camera pans up to their faces.
  4. MS: Camera circles Edward and Christine’s heads counterclockwise until it reaches the backs of their heads and it slowly follows their frames tot he floor until we see their feet. The camera then squirms throughout the attendees and at the same time the frame of the casket starts to rattle.
  5. MS: Camera stops abruptly and looks back at audience’s reaction to the rattling casket.
  6. CU: Casket speaking. CASKET: Hello, there?
  7. MS: Panning across from priest to attendees to capture the feel of the environment.
  8. CU: Christine and Edward are both in the frame and they exchange pensive glances.
  9. LS: Casket being lowered and people throwing flowers and dirt into the ground. People dispersing about and leaving the funeral.
  10. CU: Christine and Edward hand in hand.
  11. MS: Christine and Edward are walking out of the funeral, confused. CHRISTINE: I’m confused. Where used to be a building now there’s an isolated, shining door.
  12. Fade out to black screen with white text "FALL 1999".

Scene 2: Outside in a park

  1. MS: Ground view of leaves spread out upon grass and pan up to people walking and/or jogging.
  2. LS: Camera is behind Christine and Edward walking along the parkway with baby stroller. (Film so you cannot see inside the baby stroller that Christine and Edward are pushing.)
  3. CU: Camera peaks behind and in between the shoulders of Christine and Edward to reveal the baby in the stroller.
  4. CU: Right profile of Christine’s face as she looks at Edward. CHRISTINE: I’m confused. Where used to be a building now there’s an isolated, shining door.
  5. CU: Camera peaks behind as in shot number 3. BABY: You two —
  6. MS: Christine and Edward open up to the camera so you can see more of their profiles, as they stop and converse with each other. EDWARD: Yes. And where there were flowers look, steel spikes.
  7. CU: Edward brings Christine’s hands up from waist level to his face and places one hand on each cheek. EDWARD: But you hand is still soft in mine as it was before.

    8. Christine squeezes Edward’s (face) cheeks.

  8. CU: Christine studying her hands. CHRISTINE: But I have kind of a wart on it. Do you really like my hands?
  9. CU: Edward smiling.
  10. Fade out to black screen with white text "WINTER 1999"

Scene 3: The camera approach is less intimate as in the last two scenes. It is more voyeuristic. It is downtown on a winter afternoon, streets decorated with Christmas Tree lights and other holiday décor.

  1. LS: Christine and Edward walking toward the camera.
  2. CU: Christine’s hands on stroller until she opens up the door to the Bon Marche.
  3. CU: Edward taking control of the stroller.
  4. MS: Christine and Edward walking into the Bon Marche. CHRISTINE: I’m confused. Where used to be a building now there’s an isolated, shining door.
  5. LS: The camera pans across the Bon while Christine and Edward look around inside the store.
  6. LS: The camera sneakily follows (pans) behind them into the bedding department.
  7. CU: An abrupt movement of the camera captures an eager Edward holding satin sheets.
  8. CU: Christine acknowledging what Edward has picked out.
  9. CU: Edward’s hand holding the satin sheets. EDWARD: Yes. And where there were flowers, look steel spikes.
  10. MS: Christine looking at Edward. CHRISTINE: But Edward…are we ready to purchase these sheets…together?…We’re not even married YET!
  11. CU: Both of their hands on the sheets.
  12. Cut to MS: Edward addressing Christine. EDWARD: But your hand is still as soft in mine as it was before.
  13. Just then Christmas music, "It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas", begins to play loudly from the piano player. Camera abruptly cuts to LS of piano player.
  14. MS: Christine and Edward’s attention being diverted (heads turns).
  15. CU: Edward stands still for a moment and then abruptly moves out of the frame headed for the piano music and a Christmas tree which sits just to the left of the piano and is slightly out of focus.
  16. LS: As Edward walks briskly, still Christmas tree is present in the frame. Then Christine walks into the frame and continues to follow Edward.
  17. LS: Through the baby grand piano’s propped top we see the piano player who is slightly out of focus and we see other moving and dancing shoppers who are slowly joining around more in focus. Also what is of even more significance is the Christmas tree.
  18. CU: EDWARD: Look Christine! That explains it. It’s the avant-garde.
  19. MS: Foreground is sparsely filled with a shopper or two, and the tree is clearly presented and accessible. TREE: In downtown Mexico City’s commanding uproar, I have a temple of art, but it may vanish in a second, depending on the government and on taste.
  20. MS: Edward turning to Christine while tree is still delivering "it’s" lines. EDWARD: She’s right. And it may depend on our government, too. God knows what it is about to do in this part of the world!…Though I am melting to you. And with you.
  21. CU: of both Christine and Edwards faces as CHRISTINE: I to you, too.
  22. FADE to black screen with white text reading New Years Eve 1999 (going to be 2000)

Scene 4:

The end of a New Years Eve Party that takes place in Edward and Christine’s home. It is late at night-dark outside. Party noises, laughter, voices saying goodnight etc. The room is very messy and the hosts, Edward and Christine are inebriated.

  1. LS: Camera is positioned in the hallway, which is angled towards the door catching guests waving arms.
  2. CU: of guest hugging Christine and generally saying goodnight.
  3. LS: same positioning of camera as in #1. Camera follows Edward has he shuts door and pans with him as he picks up trash from the party. He is headed towards the bedroom, which is at the end of the hallway, and behind the camera.
  4. MS: Christine follows Edward towards the bedroom and past the camera causing a blurring, or causing her to go out of focus. CHRISTINE: Well, Maybe we can find a cross-way between the political and our life and maybe we cannot
  5. LS: Edward pins, in the best sense of the word, Christine against the wall as camera moves towards them down the hall.
  6. MS: Edward and Christine are crammed into the frame as they are trying to undress each other. Yes, crammed.
  7. MS: Camera positioned between the two of them from the ground looking up at Edward’s belt buckle. EDWARD: I can’t figure this belt buckle out.
  8. ECU: Shot hovers between Christine’s neck, chin, and mouth and whole face. CHRISTINE: OH, Edward!….who gives a fuck….the main problem now is seems to be how old you are and young I am.
  9. LS: Camera POV is on ground as Edward carries Christine into the bedroom and proceeds to smash into things not yet identified.
  10. MS: of night stand with Christine and Edward looking down at a clock, the statue from Mexico City that was broken in the previous shot, and a tube-o-lube. CHRSTIINE: My step-parents are going to flip.
  11. CU: camera’s POV is under Edward’s torso emulating Christine’s POV. Over voice LUBE: I am the avant-Garde.
  12. MS: of nightstand with "animated" tube of lube. LUBE: Follow me, and you’ll end up on a still tip of a frozen wing in the acrid penumbra of magnesited space. Come on!