EXT. KINDNESS' HOME - DAY
Sunny and no clouds.
A single story, cinderblock home, rectangular and flat. Painted red with green trim.
Gravel driveway has a LITTER OF KITTENS wobbling around.
KITTEN #1 strays to side of the house and finds a laundry vent. KITTEN #2 is already warming at the vent. They lay together.
OUT OF VENT A WOMAN'S VOICE COMES ECHOEY with puffs of hot air in the cold.
KINDNESS (O.S.)
Dear Doctor... Dear Doctor...
♫ ONLY THE LONELY ♫
INT. KINDNESS' HOME - BATHROOM
The wooden door is closed on the cramped bathroom with only toilet, washer and dryer. No shower or sink.
KINDNESS, 47, mint green nurses scrubs and strong arms, is standing over a running washing machine hammering on a typewriter.
She speaks in rhythm with punches of keys.
KINDNESS
Dear Doctor.You've often commented negatively on mine and Simple's names. But...
KINDNESS stops typing to think.
THE MEWS OF THE NESTING KITTENS COMES THROUGH VENT AMPLIFIED BY DRYER BODY
KINDNESS continues to hammer words onto page in green ink.
SIMPLE's 7-year-old fingers wriggle into crack beneath the bathroom door. He is laying flat as possible on the other side.
SIMPLE's mouth under the door.
SIMPLE
You're late for work Mom. And we missed school.
Stops typing.
KINDNESS
I took you out of school, Simple. Go take the fishing boat for an hour.
SIMPLE
Forever?
KINDNESS
Don't you remember?
SIMPLE
You never told me that.
Typing.
CUT TO:
EXT. KINDNESS' HOME - DAY
The back of the house is dirt brown.
SIMPLE kicks open the screen door. He is short for his age about 3 1/2 feet tall. Muddied overalls over knit sweater and a cab hat with holes in it. Curly brown hair poking out of hat. Grey eyes. Snow boots.
SIMPLE flaps his arms and runs down the sloped cement pathway leading straight onto skinny metal dock jutting far into lake.
Races to end of the long dock and slides on his knees to untie small tin fishing boat.
EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY
SUBJECT'S POINT OF VIEW:
Four foot SUBJECT waddles on sidewalk parallel to store fronts.
SUBJECT looks into a store front window. There is a miniature locomotive scene. Engine choo-chooing. Cotton balls on fishing line for snow. Peanut shells that have faces painted on them to represent people.
A girl named TRUCY, 9, wearing raincoat disposable plastic bonnet and rain boots, exits a store and points at SUBJECT.
TRUCY
Mother. A walking bird. Look Mother.
MOTHER comes out of store.
MOTHER
Okay keep it movin Trucy we--
Subject stops in tracks.
SUBJECT looks around. PASSERSBY on the street are staring at them.
ELDERLY MAN riding a bicycle breaks. Nearly goes topside over handle bars. He uses hand visor to shelter eyes of sunlight.
ELDERLY MAN
What the crap.
Points at SUBJECT.
ELDERLY MAN
A delivery penguin from the southern pole!
SUBJECT makes a break for it.
ELDERLY MAN (O.S.)
Fantastic!
BACK TO SCENE [END P.O.V.]
All stores are decorated for Christmas. Archways of red ribbon and lights connect street lamps over road.
DELIVERY PENGUIN (SUBJECT) runs down Main Street sidewalk. They are wearing a blue button down short sleeve shirt EMBROIDERED POSTAL SERVICE LOGO OVER POCKET that goes to the ground. Leather work boots stick out from beneath the shirt.
DELIVERY PENGUIN stomps passed a STUNNED MAN and turns into alleyway.
EXT. BEHIND SHOPS - DAY
DELIVERY PENGUIN goes into woods behind the shops on Main Street.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
DELIVERY PENGUIN navigates woods carefully to not trip. Awkward with clunky boots and legs so limited.
♫ FRONT OF HOSPITAL ♫
INT. HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM
DOCTOR, 60, well composed hair, sits at operating table in a white lab coat and blue scrubs. He has a surgical tray on the padded table. It is full of partially smoked cigarettes.
DOCTOR glances at digital clock on wall with bright red display.
Opens fresh pack of cigarettes. THE BRAND IS FAME. It says so on the navy blue box. The cigarettes are silver with a dividing black stripe at filter. DOCTOR puts one in his mouth.
Clock turns to 4:15.
DOCTOR
Open the door, Kindness.
DOCTOR lights cigarette using matchbook and takes massive inhale of Fame. Ember becomes pointed. Exhales.
DOCTOR
Please open it.
There are layers of blurry scribbling done in permanent marker on DOCTOR's hand.
DOCTOR
The door will open...
Ashes cig into tray. Takes drag.
DOCTOR
Now.
A note typed in green ink slides under the door.
DOCTOR gets note and reads it to himself with cigarette clenched in jaw. Smoke drifting into eyes. Squinting.
INT. HOSPITAL - HALLWAY
Overhead lights are off. Light comes through windows.
KINDNESS walks away. Her hair has a yellow bow in it. She has a coat on over nurses scrubs.
DOCTOR enters hall chasing KINDNESS waving her letter.
DOCTOR
Whatever's bothering you is temporary I promise.
KINDNESS
You haven't read it.
DOCTOR
I did Ness it was a laundry list of lies.
KINDNESS
Read it again.
DOCTOR
So you want Simple to live in poverty for the rest of his life?
KINDNESS charges at DOCTOR and pushes him so he falls back on his rear.
KINDNESS
What's the matter with poverty?
KINDNESS rushes to nearest exit and leaves.
EXT. HOSPITAL - FRONT - DAY
The hospital is castle-like built in 1850s. Hospital received renovations and major architectural additions in the late 1980s.
The parking lot has 3 cars.
KINDNESS exits the grafted-on steel awning of the hospital. Makes her way to staff parking. Pulls car keys from coat pocket. Unlocks her vehicle remotely. A 1999 Volkswagen Golf honks and flashes. The Golf is full of belongings. Clothing and boxes press against windows.
KINDNESS opens driver's side. A Japanese magazine for firearm enthusiasts falls out. Monthly Gun Proffesionals. She sits and ignites engine.
DOCTOR erupts out of front doors of hospital and races to staff parking after KINDNESS.
KINDNESS backs out of spot.
DOCTOR
Stop her. She pushed me to the ground!
KINDNESS peels off in Volkswagen.
DOCTOR
You don't know my ducks, Kindness!
DOCTOR hunches hands on knees exasperated and winded.
DOCTOR
You say you do!
Experiences coughing fit.
DOCTOR
They judge me like hell. Those ducks.
EXT. LAKE - SKELETON DOCK - DAY
A wooden canoe is floating untethered against a broken post of the dock. There is a dark wool blanket in the canoe with a boy named MARLIN, 11, sleeping under it. Has blanket held close. He lets out long strained whimper that turns into words--
MARLIN
Century of rain. I blamed you for my pain. God made it too easy. To repopulate the entire planet. That is plain as day. Celebrate Restitution God. For corrupting the soil. It used to make us boil. Back at the colossal orphanage.
♫ SIMPLE THEME ♫