Driving Test Written by Graham Kohn
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EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
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Few cars are scattered throughout the parking lot. A WHITE HONDA is parked right in the center of a parking spot. The car is scratched in some places. Some dried bird poop is on the side of the car. It is unclear whether anyone occupies the WHITE HONDA. Behind the car, there are groupings of ORANGE CONES. JEREMY, (53, Male), walks into frame. Under his right arm he holds PAPERS clipped to a BLACK CLIPBOARD. He carries a perfectly sharpened PENCIL. Jeremy is plump. He wears a collared short sleeve shirt and khaki pants. Jeremy looks unsurely at the car, eyeing the scratches. He gruffly opens the passenger door of the car and ungracefully steps inside. 2
INT/EXT. WHITE HONDA - DAY Jeremy slams the car door shut. ALISTAIR (16, Male), already sitting up straight, and buckled in, somehow straightens up more. Alistair has glasses and is skinny. He begins to CHOPPILY TAP HIS POINTER FINGER on the steering wheel. Alistair quickly glances towards Jeremy and then back. Silence. Jeremy shuffles his PAPERS and glances behind him. The back of the car is littered with RIPPED PAPERS, crushed cans of NATTY LIGHT BEER, and CIGARETTE BUTTS. JEREMY (Amused) Why the bear cans? ALISTAIR (embarrassed) They're not mine. They're JEN'S. I mean my mom's. It's her car so you know. I was going to clean the rest out but I didn't have the time. Alistair attempts to make eye-contact and unnoticeably winces when Jeremy doesn't look at him. Beat. JEREMY Alright bud, you can start the car.
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For the first time, Jeremy makes eye-contact with Alistair. Alistair exhales loudly. He awkwardly smiles. Alistair smoothly inserts the car key and puts the car in drive. The car slowly moves forward. PRE-LAP: faint typing on a keyboard. 3
EXT- BUILDING-DAY
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The outside of a 20+ story building. Most windows are open. In a lot of the rooms men and women sit at desks with computers. PRE-LAP: The typing clicks on a keyboard grow in volume. 4
INT. OFFICE - DAY BENNETT,(51,Male) sits at a wooden desk on a worn black chair. A single LAW SCHOOL DIPLOMA is hanging on the wall opposite to where Bennett sits. On his desk there is a BROKEN LAMP and a GLASS PAPER WIEGHT. Bennett vigorously types on his LAPTOP. He lifts his fingers off from the keys and places them on his desk. Bennett CHOPPILY TAPS HIS POINTER FINGER on his desk. He turns his left wrist towards him and glances down at his watch. It reads 5:00PM. His breathing quickens and he puts his hands on his heart. His breathing calms slightly. Bennett slips his LAPTOP into a computer case and puts it in a LEATHER BAG behind his desk. He slings the bag over his shoulder. Bennett's shaky hand reaches into his pocket and takes out a SMALL WALLET. He fumbles through cereal, detergent, and toothpaste coupons until he finds a wadded up piece of paper at the back. Bennett takes the paper out and slips his WALLET back into his pocket. He unravels the paper. It is a PHOTO. The PHOTO is a family photo of him, his wife and a 1 or so year old boy. The bag on Bennett's shoulder drops to the ground. He doesn't notice. Bennett's eyes water. A single tear traces his left cheek. Bennett gingerly turns the PHOTO around. His tear splotches the ink of the name Alistair on the back. In the top corner on the backside of the image an address under the word home is scribbled.
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Bennett suddenly shoves the photo back into his pocket. He wipes his eyes dry and sniffles. Slinging the bag back on his shoulder, he purposely exits his office. 5
INT/EXT. WHITE HONDA - DAY (DRIVING) Alistair continues driving. Jeremy squints ahead. He scribbles something on his clipboard. Alistair's hands are pale. He is CLUTCHING the steering wheel tightly. They pass a bike shop. Reflected through the SIDE VIEW MIRROR a sign declares the shop's been open for twenty years. Alistair watches the sign go by. ALISTAIR How long have you been doing this? Jeremy ignores him. JEREMY Accelerate to the stop sign. Alistair presses down on the pedal, accelerates, and smoothly stops. Jeremy raises his eyebrows in approval and scribbles something on his CLIPBOARD. JEREMY Who taught ya to drive? Alistair looks over at Jeremy. He is pleased and surprised Jeremy is talking to him. Beat. ALISTAIR Oh! I-I uh. Alistair shakes his head, still sputtering. Jeremy's eyes soften a bit. JEREMY Keep your eyes on the road. Stay to the right a bit more too.
Oh, sorry.
ALISTAIR
Alistair turns away from Jeremy and keeps his eyes on the road. He continues driving.
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ALISTAIR My Aunt mostly taught me to drive. Jen's sister. She does a lot for me actually. Jen's usually... Beat ALISTAIR She's usually drunk. Alistair's face grows red. Jeremy's stony composure loosens with pity. JEREMY What about your Dad? ALISTAIR My Dad left when I was really young. I don't remember him. Jeremy's eyebrows furrow in sympathy. JEREMY I'm sorry to hear that. Jeremy pauses. JEREMY Take your time. The speed limit's 30. ALISTAIR ok, thanks. JEREMY You're gonna turn left at the next stop sign, and then continue straight. Alistair nods. He is concentrating. They near the highway. Cars are going faster, a bit too fast. JEREMY Merge onto the highway please. You got it. 6
INT/EXT. BENNETT'S TOYOTA - DAY (DRIVING) A GREEN TREE AIR FRESHENER swings back in forth, hanging from the rearview mirror.
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Bennett's hands are pale. He is CLUTCHING the steering wheel tightly, exactly as Alistair has. Bennett exits the highway. The GPS reads home. Arrival time is 7 minutes. Bennett sees the arrival time, and swerves to a stop. He parks on the side of the road. Cars speed by. He SHAKILY takes out the PHOTO of his family and smooths it out. He stares at it wistfully. BENNETT (whispering to the photo) I'm so sorry. I just can't. I'm afraid. He closes the PHOTO in his hand and looks up, his eyes glassy. Bennett turns off his GPS. He puts his car in drive. Out the window, Alistair's car passes by, merging onto the highway. Bennett U-turns around, and merges back on the highway in the direction he was coming from. He is directly behind Alistair's car. 7
INT/EXT. WHITE HONDA - CONTINUOUS Alistair finishes merging and is now driving on the highway. Bennett's car is in the lane to the right of them. JEREMY Alright kid. We're almost done now, so everything you do right now is gonna decide if you get your license. Alistair SQUEEZES the steering wheel tighter. He concentrates on the road a head. Jeremy sees Alistair is nervous. JEREMY You got it Alistair. Just relax. Alistair is going a bit slower than most of the other cars. Bennett's car is still to the right of them. JEREMY Ok all I need you to do is switch lanes.
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Jeremy shuffles a PAPER around on his CLIPBOARD, and gets his PENCIL ready. Alistair turns his right turn signal on. He SPEEDS up. His focus is astounding. He begins to switch lanes. 8
INT/EXT. BENNETT’S TOYOTA - CONTINUOUS
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The WHITE HONDA continues to merge into Bennett's lane, in front of BENNETT'S TOYOTA. It almost seems as if it is merging in slow motion. 9
INT/EXT. WHITE HONDA - CONTINUOUS
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Alistair finishes merging. He looks over sheepishly at Jeremy, in a questioning way to ask if he passed. Jeremy turns to Alistair to speak. Suddenly, the car in front of Alistair SCREECHES to a stop. Alistair and Jeremy whip their heads forward. JEREMY (screaming) STOOOOP! Alistair SLAMS the break. The WHITE HONDA HOWLS. It stops an INCH away from the car ahead. 10
INT/EXT. BENNETT'S TOYOTA - CONTINUOUS
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Bennett's EYES WIDEN. He is still rushing forward, the stopped WHITE HONDA drawing closer. He HITS the break, but continues to SKID forward, now slower, and with high pitched METALLIC SCREECHING. They are about to crash. (O.S) CRASHING.
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