Leaving the Atocha Station--Script Adaptation

UNTITLED SCREENPLAY by My Name Here

123/456-7890 no.such@thing.com

LEAVING THE ATOCHA STATION - BY BEN LERNER, SCREENPLAY BY MEGHAN SAUER INT. APARTMENT - DAY Adam is leafing through his Tolstoy novel at his kitchen table. It is covered in books, miscellaneous papers and dirty dishes.

ADAM Come in Isabel enters. She eyes the clumps of weed and ashes all over his coffee table, and picks up a shirt off the floor.

ISABEL (slightly disgusted) Hello Adam...

Adam remains buried in his book.

ISABEL So I'm heading to Barcelona at some point in the next few days, I'll be staying with Oscar there.

ADAM Oh, Oscar.

ISABEL Yeah, until we both come back...

ADAM (quick and dismissive) Right well ya know I will miss you and I wish we'd be able to see eachother more but I wish you two both the best. Who knows, maybe we could all get drinks together at some point--Although, I know that might be hard for him. (a beat) But before you leave, I'd at least like to take you out one last time.

ISABEL Ok, sure.

Adam finally looks up at her and acts as if totally indifferent.

ADAM It'll be our goodbye celebration.

Isabel pities him, gives him a peck on the cheek.

ISABEL You are very sweet, Adam.

The door SHUTS as Isabel leaves. Adam stares straight ahead, sighs angrily, shakes it off, and gets back into his book.

2.

INT. APARTMENT - DAY Adam wakes up on his couch. He checks his phone--it's 3 in the afternoon.

He gets a yellow pill out of a plastic baggie in his sweatshirt pocket, swallows it and starts the shower.

EXT. STREETS OF MADRID - DAY Adam walks down the street hurriedly. He is showered but wearing the same clothes, plus his hoodie.

INT. FANCY MALL Adam walks through the mall hurriedly, looking everywhere.

He stops abruptly outside the window of a jewelery store.

He goes in, and approaches the featured display case.

He lifts up a little price tag on a necklace: 150 Euros.

Adam digs into his wallet at the checkout. He finally pulls out a MISSOURI BANK card with DEBORAH GORDON printed on it.

ADAM (V.O.) Emergencies only. This is an emergency.

MONTAGE Swipe.

The cashier pushes the little box with a bow on it across the counter with a smile.

Back in the mall, Adam stops next outside of a high-end suit/tux shop. He walks in.

We see him in the dressing room, he looks at himself proudly in the 3-angle mirror, wearing an all black suit and dress shirt.

Swipe.

Jump to: a shoes.

shoe store. Adam eyes racks of Spanish dress

Swipe.

EXT. STREETS OF MADRID - NIGHT He walks down the street intently with his shopping bags. He talks into his phone ADAM Siri- what are some of the best restaurants in Madrid?

3.

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Adam lights up a spliff, tosses his hoodie in the corner, and jumps in the shower.

He buttons up in his suit in his mirror, looking great, trash and dirty clothes strewn in the background.

A knock on the door.

He opens it to greet Isabel--she's dressed significantly more casually. She immediately looks uncomfortable and feels ridiculous when she sees Adam.

ADAM (condescending) No, no. You look beautiful. It's ok.

INT. FANCY RESTAURANT Isabel trails Adam into the restaurant. The hostess hesitates to ask Adam his name as she gives Isabel a once-over.

Isabel is uncomfortable, also a little annoyed.

At the table: ADAM (to a waiter, in spanish) Please bring us whatever it is the chef recommends. (the waiter almost walks away) Oh, and a bottle of your best Spanish white, please, sir.

Isabel is overwhelmed.

An awkward silence.

Two aperitifs arrive at their table--Isabel won't drink them. Adam downs both.

ADAM (acting as though everything's normal) So, did you have to quit the language school job?

ISABEL No, luckily. How is your writing coming along?

ADAM It's good, great, actually. I've never written so much in my life as I have here.

4.

He sparks her interest slightly.

ADAM (feigning inddiference) Yeah, just wonderful. Maybe I'll send you a copy of the book when it comes out?

Isabel is again confused.

Wine is brought to their table and Adam tastes it, making a mildly disappointed face.

ADAM (to the server) It's fine. Thank you.

Adam slinks into his chair, as if to tone it down a bit. He begins to look around nervously.

He begins drinking his wine at an alarming rate.

ADAM How's Rufina doing lately?

A wierd plate of foofy food is brought to them. Adam serves her an intimidatingly large portion of it.

Isabel is yet again wierded out. She doesn't answer him.

ADAM What does Oscar do for a living?

Isabel answers in Spanish that Adam can't understand, but he doesn't listen anyways. The room begins to spin a bit.

ADAM Right. And what does he look like?

Isabel puts her hand on his.

ISABEL Are you alright?

Adam laughs in response, but way too loudly.

ADAM What do you mean? I'm fine!

He begins to dig into his coat pocket, nervously. He only pulls out a coin--he left his pills in his hoodie!

ADAM I'll be right back.

INT. FANCY RESTAURANT BATHROOM Adam bursts into the bathroom, shaking and pacing, splashes water on his face and looks at himself in the mirror.

5.

ADAM Calm down! Get it together! God! He hears a shuffle. An attendant is in the bathroom. He feels even crazier now.

He goes into a stall and vomits.

He rushes out of the bathroom again, mumbling some nonsense about his family to the attendant to excuse himself.

INT. FANCY RESTAURANT Adam sits back down at the table, completely composed.

ADAM So what would you like to do after dinner?

ISABEL Uh, I don't know...

ADAM We can do anything you want.

ISABEL (thinking, then) Well, I never stayed in a really fancy hotel...

ADAM Perfect. The Ritz Carlton it is.

The two do a cheers and the mood seems to lighten. Both are getting much drunker.

ADAM (in Spanish) Ok, so, I have to admit, I've been upset since we talked about Oscar.

When you told me about him, I realized how much I cared about you, and...

A beat.

ISABEL What does it mean that you only realized how much you cared when you heard about Oscar?

Adam looks like he's been caught.

ADAM I didn't mean that exactly... I mean, it's just difficult to express myself very well in Spanish.

6.

ISABEL (disappointed) You are fluent in Spanish, Adam.

Caught again. Again pretends to ignore her and cover it up.

ADAM I was angry and jealous. But now I just want to say how much I've loved spending time with you, and I wish you the best.

He motions to raise his glass to a toast, but then decides not to. Fidgety and awkward.

Isabel opens her mouth, but hesitates.

ISABEL (again pitying) You are very sweet. I will always love you.

Adam is let down and feels foolish again.

The bill comes and Adam puts in his mother's credit card.

INT. THE RITZ CARLTON - NIGHT At the front desk, Adam and Isabel are visibly drunk and excited.

ADAM (flamboyantly) I'm just in from New York and need a room for the night.

Isabel giggles but looks up at him admiringly.

Upstairs they carouse. The room spins. Madrid twinkles out the window until they pass out.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY Morning light fills a trashed hotel room as Adam wakes up groggily. Isabel is still asleep.

He hears sirens outside. He sees firetrucks flying by.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY Ding !

Adam exits the elevator, People are huddled around tvs.

ADAM (to a bellboy) What happened?

The man doesn't answer, distracted by other guests.

7.

EXT. STREETS OF MADRID - DAY Adam ventures outside to see a scene of chaos.

People are everywhere, many weeping or screaming. Trucks full police pass by. Medical workers are rushing one way.

Adam follows them.

People are streaming out of the station, some of them wounded. Emergency workers are rushing in.

A paramedic is helping someone with blood all over his face.

Someone asks Adam what happened in spanish. He doesnt know what to say.

He decides to get out of the area.

But he sees many people in bars and restaurants watching tvs. He hears many people saying "ETA." INT. APARTMENT - DAY Adam bursts into his apartment, and immediately opens his laptop to the New York Times website.

A giant headline reads: TERROR ATTACK IN MADRID He makes some coffee, takes one white pill, and gets on the phone.

INT. MR. AND MRS. GORDON'S BEDROOM IN KANSAS - NIGHT The phone rings and Adam's mother sits up, confused.

ADAM'S MOTHER Adam--are you ok? What's happening?

INT. APARTMENT - DAY ADAM Yes, I'm fine but there's been a terrorist attack. Someone bombed a train.

Adam's dad is now awake and they've put him on speaker.

ADAM'S FATHER How far is your apartment from the station?

ADAM I don't I was staying at the Ritz.

Adam realizes after he says this how wierd it sounds.

His parents are confused.

8.

ADAM'S MOTHER What?... Are you alright?

Adam hesitates to answer.

ADAM (voice cracking) I--I did a terrible thing.

ADAM'S MOTHER What?

ADAM I've told some people, that my mom is dead, or has cancer, and that my dad is a fascist.

Some silence.

ADAM'S FATHER Why? ADAM I don't know. To get sympathy? I don't know.

A beat.

ADAM'S MOTHER Adam honey, I'd like to hear more about this later... But what's going on there? How many people have been killed?... Who did it?

ADAM I don't know.

ADAM'S MOTHER Well what are you going to do now?

ADAM I don't know.

ADAM'S FATHER Ok, ok. Wer'e just glad you're ok.

ADAM'S MOTHER Thank God you're ok honey.Please call us later, ok?

ADAM Ok, I will.

ADAM'S MOTHER We love you.

ADAM Love you too.