Fun Fridays

            In grade school, I remember having “fun Fridays” at the end of each long, gruesome week of times tables and story time. While I remember looking forward to them every Thursday night, I can’t recall what this “fun” might have entailed. Like the ghost of King Hamlet Sr. in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “fun Fridays” has become a presence that looms over me at the end of each week, begging me to make things right again. And so, as to avoid death and utter tragedy, I have decided to avenge “fun Fridays” by bringing them back. That’s right, for all of you reading this, today is FUN FRIDAY. Even saying the words gives me chills.

            However, since the age of six, I believe that my idea of “fun” has changed a tiny bit. So for these next three weeks, “fun Fridays” consist of me watching as many movies as possible in the fourteen hours that I have (the other ten are set aside for sleeping). I started off this fun Friday by watching the movie, My Week with Marilyn. This story, about a boy who befriends Marilyn Monroe while working on his first movie set, was so unique that it had my complete attention from beginning to end. And because its fun Friday, I feel no obligation to explain why that is in great detail.

            Instead, I decided to rewrite one of the pivotal scenes in the movie. In this scene, Colin Clark, the third assistant to the Director, overhears Marilyn crying in the hallway after reading something her husband, Arthur Miller, wrote inside a notebook. There is little dialogue in the original scene, and mostly consists of long shots of Marilyn’s tear-streaked face. Since fun Friday has become my new YOLO, a phrase that precedes dangerous decision-making, I thought I would attempt to make the scene better.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN REVISED SCENE: SCRIPT

INT. PARKSIDE HOUSE. BEDROOM -- NIGHT

COLIN sits on a couch next to ROGER, who is asleep and snoring. However, COLIN doesn’t seem to notice as he waves a glass of brandy in the air.

               COLIN

          (slurring)

My dad says...my, my dad says no Colin, there’s no reason Colin...you must try and find a good use of your time. And here I am, sitting in the room next to Marilyn Monroe.

COLIN raises his glass as if toasting, and chuckles to himself. He looks at his hand for a second too long, then hears a THUMP coming from the other side of the wall. He sets his drink on a coffee table and gets up. ROGER continues snoring.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. PARKSIDE HOUSE. HALLWAY -- NIGHT

COLIN’S P.O.V.: The hallway is empty except for an open notebook a few inches from the wall. MARYILYN enters the hallway and picks up the notebook, flipping through the pages as if looking for something. She is wearing a sleek, cream robe and no shoes. From the bags under her eyes, COLIN can tell she’s been crying.

               MILLER (Off screen)

Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just what I do, I write for a living, in case you’d forgotten.

It isn’t clear whether MARILYN hears him or not, and continues flipping through the pages until she’s found the right one.

               MARILYN

Right here, this is where you say, and the man knew he could not love her anymore. It’s about me, isn’t it.

          MILLER

It’s just a story, Marilyn, I thought you’d like it.

          MARILYN

     (mystified)

Like it? Like it?

MARILYN holds the notebook up to her face and sobs, getting the pages wet. She then sees COLIN in the doorway across from her, and they hold eye contact until COLIN breaks it. MARILYN clears her throat.

               MARILYN

          (reading)

Oh Jacob, please don’t leave me here! She wailed as her knees caved in and she fell to the floor. But all he left her with was the sound of the door slamming and the buzz of the refrigerator.

MARILYN’s arms swung out wide, in mock despair, but real tears still streamed down her face. Somehow, COLIN knew that MARILYN was putting on a show for him. He didn’t want to encourage her, but couldn’t stop watching.

               MILLER (Off Screen)

     That’s enough.

               MARILYN

          (still reading)

Out in the driveway, Jacob clutched the steering wheel tight, apprehensive that his wife might run from the house and convince him to stay with one flick of her curly, blonde hair...

MILLER steps into the hallway in blue flannel pajamas and a set of matching slippers. He grabs for the notebook, but MARILYN pulls it just out of his reach. COLIN leans back so that MILLER can’t see him, but doesn’t leave.

               MILLER

     I said that’s enough.

MILLER holds his hand out, palm up, anger seething from his eyes. MARILYN ignores his hand and shoves the notebook into his chest. MILLER stumbles backwards, but remains upright.

               MARILYN

     And by the way, apprehensive has two P’s.

MARILYN doesn’t look him in the eye when she said it, and storms back into the bedroom. MILLER reluctantly follows her after rubbing at the damp notebook. COLIN backs out of the doorway slowly and Parkside House is silent once again.

FADE TO BLACK.

            MOVIES WATCHED: 2

            SCREENPLAY PAGES WRITTEN: 12

            NOVEL PAGES WRITTEN: 48

            PAGES LEFT IN HOW TO WRITE A SELLING

            SCREENPLAY: 235

            PAGES LEFT IN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR

            PECULIAR CHILDREN: 281