screenplay (as of now nameless)

TITLE

EXT./INT. VARIOUS DAYS

CREDITS

Clips of JOSEPH CONLY, a young redheaded boy, about seven years old acting in commercials and talking to talk show hosts. There's a light in his emerald green eyes.

EVELYNE CONLY

When the adorable redheaded Joseph Conly came onto the scene at the age of seven everyone thought he was nothing short of remarkable, perfect in every way.

Clips of an older JOSEPH, not much older only about five years. His hair is longer. It grows down to the tops of his ears and curls a bit. His eyes appear more serious now there's less of a light. These clips are of him on various sets, red carpets, and talk shows.

EVELYNE CONLY

He was adorable, rich, famous; and he accomplished all this by the age of ten at least. About at that age every ten year old girl in the world fell in love with him.

Now the clips are featuring a pissed off JOSEPH talking to reporters, talk show hosts.

EVELYNE CONLY

Because of his "appeal" people no longer wanted to know about his acting. They began to take interest in his "love life". The love life of a ten year old can't've been very interesting but everyone apparently thought that it was.

Now JOSEPH is shown walking away from reporters and hiding from them, the glint in his eyes is completely gone.

EVELYNE CONLY

By the time his third film was released, Out of Place, he absolutely refused to talk to any of them. They tainted his view of acting, by making him paranoid of all journalists. But no matter how hostile he became, the public still loved him.

Footage of JOSEPH walking down the street and being mobbed by a pack of young girls. Then various red carpet scenes and others similar to it.

EVELYNE CONLY

He didn't mind that the public liked him, in fact he thought it was good, if he was well liked, then his films would sell. But it wasn't his acting that they were in love with, it was him in general and that bothered him; he didn't know these people that he got sacks of mail from.

Footage of JOSEPH in a press junket eating a pop-tart and just staring at the reporter. His clothes are dreadfully informal (jeans and t-shirt) and all he has on his feet is a pair of white socks.

EVELYNE CONLY

This, he decided, was entirely the fault of the journalists and their constant need to exploit him.

INT. IN A CAR HEADING TO A RED CARPET PREMIERE IN NEW YORK -- EVENING

EVELYNE CONLY

As a result of these feelings Joseph build three foot thick, steel, bullet proof walls all around him and they were meant to never come down. During the filming of "Out of Place" his barrier was very useful, that is until it got people pissed. "Out of Place" was a very controversial film, in America anyway. It was about a gay couple that adopt a child, in the end after years of tormenting the child decides he's happy where he is. Joseph refused to comment on any of this.

Joseph, his Dad, Mum, twin sister, and older brother get out of the car and step onto a red carpet full of protesters instead of fans and "the enemy." At first Joseph appears surprised, but after only a moment of hesitation he leads the rich and famous dressed ornately, calmly toward the cinema through the wild crowd.

EVELYNE CONLY

This of course caused some frustration.

ANGLE ON A BRICK FLYING FROM THE CROWD TO JOSEPH IN SLOW MOTION.

The brick hits him in the chest with a crack and he falls to the floor. All hell breaks loose. The protesters scatter in all directions as the celebrities draw in closer to JOSEPH. His father, DAVID, calls an ambulance from a cell phone, ELIZABETH, mum, backs away not knowing what to do, His brother and sister, ROBERT AND EMMA, kneel down next to him. Soon an ambulance drives up and he's taken to the hospital.

EVELYNE CONLY

The premiere never happened.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE OF A HOSPITAL -- MORNING

ELIZABETH, an average sized woman with red hair pulled into a bun on the upper part of the back of her head, wearing a casual dark blue suit, is talking to a CROWD of people holding microphones, cameras, and tablets. She's being asked questions by a WOMAN with a nest of curly blonde hair.

WOMAN

So how is your son?

ELIZABETH pulls off a very sad sort of face as she answers the question.

ELIZABETH

Oh he's just dreadful.

WOMAN

Thank-you, the readers of "Hello" magazine will be very sorry to hear of it.

She smiles and the WOMAN and prepares to take more questions.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- LATE MORNING

JOSEPH laying in his bed in an overly sterile hospital room watching his MOTHER destroy his privacy. His expression is resentful, irritated, and seething all at once.

Since he's been confined to his bed for a week he's looking very thin and diluted.

The door opens and his Father, DAVID, walks in. JOSEPH doesn't remove his eyes from his MOTHER on the television.

DAVID

Hey mate.

DAVID has a Scottish accent. He's tall, thin and wearing a white button-up shirt with all the buttons buttoned except to top three with a pair of dark jeans. The bottoms almost cover his black shoes. Overall he's quite stylish, but perhaps that's needed when you're the father of a movie star. The light blond hair on his head isn't turning grey quite yet but it's beginning to thin.

JOSEPH

Hey.

He still doesn't remove his eyes from the television. DAVID takes a look before he seats himself in a chair next to JOSEPH's bed and sighs.

JOSEPH

Why is she doing this?

He still doesn't look away. It's as if he's mesmerized by his MOTHER's treachery.

DAVID

Joseph, I've been married to her longer than I can calculate and I still don't know what goes through her mind.

He was trying to make JOSEPH laugh and since he didn't, DAVID resumed with a sigh.

DAVID

Your Mother's not trying to --

JOSEPH cuts in, yelling at his FATHER.

JOSEPH

Yes she is! She knows that I don't want them all over me!

He calms down a bit.

JOSEPH

I have no idea what she thinks she's doing.

DAVID

Well, you can discuss it with her she'll be coming to see you any minute.

JOSEPH turns to look at his father for the first time since he'd been there.

JOSEPH

Oh really, finally decided to come by. She hasn't come once.

DAVID

Well you know your Mother, thinks she has to do everything.

Venom appears in JOSEPH's eyes.

JOSEPH

You've come to see me every day.

Everyone turns to look as ELIZABETH walks into the room.

ELIZABETH

Well Dear how are you?

She asked with her hands folded in front of her and in a cheerful voice that JOSEPH detested.

JOSEPH

Well Mum, how do you think?

She appears confused.

ELIZABETH

What do you mean Dear?

He crosses his arms. DAVID looks almost frightened of what they could do to each other.

JOSEPH

You seem to be telling everyone else how I am.

ELIZABETH puts her hands on her hips.

ELIZABETH

I don't have to take this, Joseph.

JOSEPH sits up straighter.

JOSEPH

Alright, Mum, but please tell me what all this is.

He points to the TV.

ELIZABETH

I'm afraid I just don't know what you're asking me.

JOSEPH begins yelling at her and madly gesturing to the TV.

JOSEPH

Do ~I have to spell it out for you? You told "Hello Magazine" that I was "absolutely dreadful".

He used air quotes around "absolutely dreadful" and a mocking voice.

ELIZABETH

I'm not going to listen to --

JOSEPH

GET OUT! I'm not going to listen to you!

She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before she storms out of the room muttering like a mad woman.

JOSEPH slumps back down on his bed and buries his face in his hands.

DAVID

That wasn't good, Joseph.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY -- AFTERNOON

DAVID, JOSEPH, and ELIZABETH are waiting for a car. ELIZABETH is in near hysterics.

ELIZABETH

I can't believe you think you have to do this!!

DAVID makes a move to calm her down and she turns on him.

ELIZABETH

And you! Signed him out of there without my consent and then allowed him to arrange a Press Conference! What's the matter with you?!

JOSEPH turns to face her with a smug look on his face.

JOSEPH

Well, Mother, you enjoy talking to them so much that I thought I'd join in on the fun.

Shock takes her over before anger. She points a finger at him.

ELIZABETH

I only try to help you Joseph.

JOSEPH

Oh right, Mum if they all know where I am I'll get swamped. The only reason they're not all out there

He gestures toward the doors that lead outside.

JOSEPH

Is because of hospital security chasing them away.

She relaxes but is still very angry.

ELIZABETH

You can't do this.

JOSEPH

Why not?

She looks as if she's going to explode.

ELIZABETH

Just because you can't!!

She turns and goes out the door without them.

JOSEPH

I guess she's not coming.

DAVID is staring at the door in which is wife exited.

DAVID

I guess not.

CUT TO:

INT. PRESS CONFERENCE -- LATER

JOSEPH is sitting at a table with WILL his agent in front of a room full of journalists.

He appears very nervous. It begins when WILL calls on one of them to ask a question. The first one had quite a large nose

ANGLE ON THE LADY'S LARGE NOSE

She's talking but it's inaudible because all JOSEPH can see is her nose.

JOSEPH shakes himself awake. The BIG NOSE LADY is patiently waiting for an answer.

WILL

Miss, could you please repeat your question?

BIG NOSE LADY

Yes of course. We've heard that you called us here today because of some things that you're Mother said. Is this true?

JOSEPH

Errrr.....

He looks like he's trying to remember where he was and what he's doing. A moment passes.

JOSEPH

Yes to a point. I just think that what she said was a bit too much.

WILL calls on another one. This one is a MAN WITH A UNIBROW

ANGLE ON THE UNIBROW

MAN WITH UNIBROW

What exactly did she say that you felt was "too much"?

JOSEPH appears to think for a moment.

JOSEPH

Ahhhhh . . . I'm not going to specifically answer that and I'm not going to confirm or deny anything.

He pauses to think again then hastilly blurts,

JOSEPH

Because it's none of your business.

WILL gives him a look of annoyance then calls on someone else. This ones a PRETTY WOMAN, JOSEPH looks at her like he's quite attracted.

PRETTY WOMAN

What about public's right to know?

JOSEPH seems outraged.

JOSEPH

What?! I'm an actor not he bloody King of England! No one needs to know anything about me and I can't believe that anyone would actually want to. I can't believe you--

WILL

This conference is over. I hope you all have a good day.

JOSEPH looks out at the crowd to see everyone madly writing, before he's escorted out the back

When out of the building he's put into the back of a car by his father and driven away with at least twenty people running behind them.