Scene by scene breakdown |
Scene 1
Location: Swarthmore College, Characters: Elliot and Yaz, Aman Synopsis: Discuss “Mom” (Elliot)/ “Ginny” (Yaz) going through chemotherapy, Mom was Puerto Rican immigrant to United States. Yaz is finalizing divorce, feels like another failure. Elliot gets Arab phrase translated “Can I please have my passport back?” Scene 2 Location: Online Characters: Haikumom, Orangutan, Chutes&Ladders Synopsis: Orangutan celebrates 91 days of sobriety from smoking crack addiction. Group addresses non-discrimination of addiction: race, age, class, upbringing. Chutes&Ladders’ story of almost drowning, saved by lifeguard, as his recognizing moment he needed to recover from his addiction, he needed to change. Scene 3 (split scene) Locations: Subway on Philadelphia’s Main Line, Swarthmore College seminar room Characters: Elliot, Yaz, Ghost Synopsis: Elliot takes down order while Yaz is in the middle of teaching, while Elliot is trying to take down order Ghost keeps saying (in Arab) “Can I please have my passport back?” Elliot tries to ignore Ghost, receives text, can’t do order. Yaz and Elliot talk via phone, Ginny is passing away Scene 4 Location: Online Characters: Fountainhead, Haikumom, Chutes&Ladders, and Orangutan Synopsis: Fountainhead’s story introduced, executive with wife and a child, wealthy, stands at one day sober. Haikumom suggests coming to online room when he feels like using, because “It’s worked for me.” Chutes&Ladders and Orangutan question Fountainhead’s credibility and they both corner him, causing him to become unresponsive. Haikumom tries to protect Fountainhead the best she can, eventually closes conversation thread. Scene 5 Location: Flower shop in Philadelphia Characters: Yaz, Elliot Synopsis: Ordering funeral flowers for services, the flowers are more expensive than they expected. Elliot asks Yaz to do sermon. Complicated extended family history described, Yaz and Elliot could be considered most successful (pg. 25). Yaz’s educational history – scholarship to “all-white prep school.” Ginny became matriarch of the family when grandmother passed. Scene 6 Location: Online Characters: Orangutan, Chutes&Ladders, Haikumom, Fountainhead Synopsis: Orangutan is in a bar/internet cafe in Japan, wanting to smoke crack. She insists Chutes&Ladders make a trip to help save her from her addiction. They describe the life of recovery compared to sobriety. Haikumom has been reading feed; confronts Chutes&Ladders about Orangutan wanting to be his friend and how he is not allowing this. Fountainhead enters chat room, describes recently using, and assumes others in the room do not care, nor will support and help him. He is finally pushed to admitting he is an addict, after some provocation from Chutes&Ladders, after which he calls him “friend.” With Haikumom’s “The only way out it is through it.” and the introduction of slogans we observe Elliot at the gym, boxing, Yaz preparing the sermon as the slogans are intersperse with the Ghost, ending with Ghost blowing on Elliot, knocking him to the floor. |
Scene 7
Location: Diner Characters: Odessa (Haikumom), John (Fountainhead), Elliot, Yaz Synopsis: John and Odessa meet, having casual conversation, Odessa exposes her un-Zen-like behavior, which John mentions, after she takes a call (from Elliot). Discuss various rehab centers and how John will be able to beat his addiction. He gets unnerved and wants to leave; she is being too upfront with him. However, John called her to meet. Odessa describes how hard addiction is, “seven years worth of day ones.” Elliot and Yaz enter and sit with them, (first mentioning of Odessa’s daughter, and Elliot being Odessa’s son). They want money to help pay for flowers. Odessa has no money, first clash of worlds (John’s and Odessa’s). They don’t accept John’s money, Yaz offers to pay for flowers, and Elliot is not pleased with either of these proposals. Elliot describes how his sister died. Yaz describes Odessa’s erratic behavior when it came to family, sharing, and doing for one another. Odessa ends argument by suggesting, rather allowing, them to pawn her computer. Scene 8 (split scene) Location: Odessa’s living room, Online Characters: Orangutan, Chutes&Ladders, Yaz, Elliot Synopsis: Orangutan is assisting/pushing Chutes&Ladders to call his son. Elliot and Yaz are collecting the computer, Elliot logs onto the chat room, Yaz exposes that it is really Elliot to others in the chat room. Others in the chat room expose Elliot’s own substance abuse issues, as Odessa has expressed concern about his addiction with the chat room. This is all new to Yaz, although Elliot deflects by talking about how there is a ghost that visits him. Scene 9 Location: Online Characters: Chutes&Ladders, Orangutan Synopsis: Orangutan is waiting for a train to go to the town where she was born. Chutes&Ladders warns her of the damage this may cause via a story about visiting his son, spurring a relapse he had. Scene 10 (split scene) Locations: Church, Train station in Sapporo, Odessa’s house Characters: Yaz, Elliot, Odessa, Orangutan Synopsis: Eulogy is given by Yaz and Elliot, while we see Odessa pouring water by the spoonful onto the floor until the cup is empty and she turns it upside down, also while Orangutan’s train approaches, but when it comes time to board she is frozen. Scene 11 Location: Chutes&Ladders’ desk Characters: Chutes&Ladders Synopsis: Chutes&Ladders is on the phone in the process of selling his car to this interested party. Scene 12 (split scene) Location: Sapporo train station, Odessa’s house Characters: Elliot, Yaz, Odessa, Policeman, Orangutan Synopsis: Odessa has overdosed, Elliot and Yaz break into her apartment, Odessa’s body separates from as they move “Odessa” to the couch she, physically, seperates. There is a bright light from above, Yaz sees the light and Odessa. Yaz expresses to Elliot that he must forgive Odessa. Meanwhile, Orangutan has been sleeping on the train platform, is asked to move by the Policeman, she does. Scene 13 Location: Online Characters: Chutes&Ladders, Orangutan, Fountainhead Synopsis: Chutes&Ladders tell Orangutan about coming to Japan. Fountainhead updates the group about Haikumom (Odessa)’s relapse, and confirms he will take care of her. Scene 14 Location: Puerto Rican hotel room Characters: Yaz, Elliot, Ghost Synopsis: Yaz creates online name of Freedom&Noise and joins Odessa’s chat room hoping to fill-in for her until she is well. Elliot is skeptical, however Yaz stands behind her conviction and describes how everyone has done something, except her, but she is determined to make a change, she leaves the room. Ghost appears, saying in Arab “Can I please have my passport back?” reaching hand out to Elliot, they have a physical altercation, each time Ghost can he looks through Elliot’s pockets, wallet, etc., presumably his passport. Eventually this ends by Ghost grabbing Elliot’s face, after which he leaves. Elliot, now alone, retrieves a bottle of pills from his pocket. Scene 15 (split scene) Locations: Odessa’s bathroom, Narita Airport in Tokyo, Puerto Rico at El Yunque waterfall Characters: John, Chutes&Ladders, Orangutan, Elliot, Yaz Synopsis: John is bathing Odessa prior to checking her in, he has told his wife of the chat room, subsequently his addiction as well. Chutes&Ladders and Orangutan meet at the airport for the first time. Now, physically meeting one another, they have become friends. Yaz and Elliot in Puerto Rico at the El Yunque waterfall getting ready to toss Ginny’s ashes. It is revealed that Yaz has purchased Ginny’s old house, and Elliot is going to Los Angeles after finishing this visit to Puerto Rico. He describes a dream where instead of the first man he shot in Iraq meeting him, this man has been replaced with a smiling Mami Ginny. Elliot confesses how he wanted Odessa to relapse, and knows he has to get away from Philadelphia, Yaz confirms this decision and says “don’t you ever, ever look back.” As they finish their conversation we see John finishing bathing Odessa, she is radiant. |