BSA 204 W12 : Superdad (or Eye of the Beholder) Treatment

No idea what to call this shit but I think this is just the way I think of it, my beat sheet was quite specific when I wrote it, hinting at a treatment already (it was probably more a step outline anyway) and the development towards treatment was not too far from what I have to do for assignment. I have decided to write and hand this in instead as I feel its much better than how the I Saw Hell one has been going:

A wooden post and a dirt road are disrupted in their tranquility by a foot full of twitchy toes. In the distance dust kicks up into the air, the sound of a small engine steadily grows.

The boy to whom the feet belong and the rickety post box fastened at the top of the wooden pole stand parallel, the perpetrator of the dust clouds takes form - a man trudging away at a postal service bike. 

The boy yells at the man to hurry up, the post man rudely retorts that he's coming. The boy suggests maybe he should do so in a more timely manner. Still some meters away the post man, in a raised voice, tells the boy to cool his engines, he's been driving since 5 in the morning. 

He finally comes to a break in front of the post box and accompanying boy, without so much as a 'good morning' or 'how are you?' the boy innocently grabs at the man inquiring where his letter is.

He pushes the boy away, telling him to chill, he has to find the bloody thing first, entering his satchel he informs the lad that this isn't the only house to have mail. Under his breath, passive aggressively, he mentions the boy almost pushed him over. 

The boy asks him to please hurry, because it's a letter of much importance. The post-man finally locates what he's looking for, a grouping of three letters addressed to a Mrs. Walker.

He removes them from the bag, a motion which instantly sends the boy's hands racing for the letter, he reacts in kind and holds these out of the boys' grasp, saying they aren't for him, they're for a Mrs. Walker. The boy sure doesn't look like a Mrs. Walker to him. 

The boy retorts that the Mrs. Walker written on the letters is referring to his mother. The post-man informs the boy that it's illegal to open someone else's mail. The boy starts arguing this, but the post-man assure him, this rule applies even if it's your mum.

The boy commands the post-man give it to him, he'll take it to his mother then, but the post-man keeps his hand in the air. He tells the boy he won't give it him unless he displays some manners, the boy is deaf to this request and continues trying to grab the letter, making a loud racket as he does so. Suddenly and without warning a goat comes charging out of nowhere, the post-man's eyes widen in fear and the goat rams into the bike, pushing him over. 

The boy acts quickly, thanks the goat (calling it Phillip) and pries the letters from the man's fingers. He sifts through the letters and one catches his eye, it has the stamp of a "Waiama Prison". He gives it a genuine smile, pats the goat on the back twice and runs off towards the country house behind him. All the while the post-man groans, as the boy runs away he gets up in a panic, he makes haste and rides off quickly, looking only back to see where the goat is. 

The boy bursts through the front door of the Walker household, shouting for his mother. He rounds a corner where a toddler is drawing on the walls with crayon, and careens into the kitchen. Upon entering his mother is busy sowing up a bag for an older daughter. Also at the table is a younger boy poking at his toast. His mum's head shoots up as he enters, immediately asking him where he's been, addressing him as James.

James blurts out that the post came and that she has to open the letter. She asks him if he's packed his bag for school, he ignores this and approaches her begging she open the letter - he exclaims that its from dad! His mother tells him that she will do that as soon as he's finished packing his stuff for school, he shoves the letter in her hand and races off out of the kitchen. She tells the younger boy to eat up his breakfast quickly, the bus is almost there - he moans that he's not hungry for toast. 

James runs past the toddler creating his masterpiece on the hallway wall, from the kitchen his mother's voice shouts that he shouldn't draw on the wall. He jolts surprised and looks around guiltily but she's no where to be seen. He looks at the crayons and instead tastes it.

The entire household rush across the front yard, everyone talking at once, the mother is still fiddling with the daughters bag telling her to try it now, the goat gallops past and joins in the excitement, the toddler desperately clawing at his mum's garment gives a small yelp and hugs her more tightly. 

She asks why Phillip is out of his cage, the daughter says he just does that and the mother commands James to lock him up again, his only reply is that she should open the letter, but she has already moved on to wiping marks off the younger boys cheek. She interrogates the boy about whether or not he brushed his teeth, a question he does his best of not answering directly. 

A much greater cloud of dust kicks up from the dirt road now, headed by a faded school bus. The lock closes on Phillip's cage as the bus drives up. Seeing this James sprints over, letter fastened in his fist, making straight for his mother; his sister already boarding. 

He comes to a sudden halt in front of his mother as his younger sibling boards, the toddler is gnawing on his mothers dress and stares up at James curiously. He gives his mother the letter and says she has to open it, she relents and finally does as he asks.

A moment as she reads it, her face previously lined with exhaustion and stress turn to a solemn sadness. James asks her what it is, did something happen to his dad. The bus driver calls for him to get in, they're already running late. James doesn't budge, he just asks his mother again. She says that nothing's wrong - his dad's coming home. 

James' eyes widen and the genuine smile takes root again. 

The bus drives off, the yellow flash swipes by and transitions into a blue locker, James and a boy in glasses stand in a school hallway. The boy is busying himself with taking a workbook out of the locker, James is in his ear - telling him about how he's dad coming home on the weekend. He was in prison for a massive heist--

The pink lockers opposite swipe by and transition into a shop window, James is saying how his dad robbed a casino in Auckland, his dad runs out of the small electronics store, a clunky TV fumbling in his arms. A letter scrolls by as James says that his dad was betrayed by one of his partners in crime and the police caught him but not before he put up a fight. A police officer blows his whistle and runs after his dad, another officer rounds the corner and the TV smashes on the ground, hitting the second officer's boot, who jumps in pain. James says it took a whole squad to get his dad in cuffs, and he took out most of them - his dad planted on the front of a police vehicle, hands behind back, in the background a police officer lies in a gurney, his foot bandaged.

The police car drives off and a James is sitting in a classroom furiously whispering to his friend about how his father was treated in prison - like a king. Free food, and an old friend as the cook meant that his dad ate KFC and McDonalds every day - his father (dressed in prison overalls) gets served a plate of slop on a metal tray in a cafeteria, giving the cook a half smile, the cook only grimaces and yells 'next!'. 

His dad quickly grabs the tray and a school sports team plays rugby below. James is now shouting to his friend who is having a hard time hearing him over all the noise of the game, he's describing how his father played games all day and worked out, getting super ripped at prison - another open letter scrolls past, his dad plays cards with a group of  big guys and wins, he smiles and attempts to take the loose change in the middle of the table but the big guy opposite him gives him a warning gaze and stamps a shiv into the metal tabletop. His dad gulps.

The table moves up and out and James and his friend wait at the bus stop - he's telling his friend how his dad is coming out on the weekend and will come and live with them. The bus drives off and is disrupted by a ringing sound as a gate rolls open. His dad steps out onto the dirt parking lot, the prison lying behind him. In his hand he has a small duffel bag and he's wearing the same clothes as the day he got arrested. The newly freed man looks left and right, each road stretches out to the horizon, nothing but sand and dust. 

The clatter of keys and boots crunching, James' dad looks around and spots a prison guard making for his car. He shouts out to the man asking if he can have a ride. The guard contemplates this for a moment and asks him which way he's going. His dad asks him which way Taniwha Bay is, the police officer points to the right. He asks the guard if he's going in that direction, the guard seems to think for a moment. The dad makes a questioning expression with his eyebrows. The guard blinks slowly and then shakes his head and points in the left, saying he's going that way. James' Dad gives a half nod, accepting this. Dust fills the air as the guard drives off, the dad starts walking down the long road home. A car approaches and he sticks out his thumb. 

The boy waits in the small plot of land, he's set himself up a box to sit on, his hands holding up his head, elbows on knees. His little brother starts pestering him to come play, he's holding up some toy cars. He shakes his head, the brother proposes maybe they can play tag, impatiently he tells the younger boy to piss off - he's waiting for his dad. His sister comes up behind him and says that just because his dad got out today, doesn't mean he'll arrive today, the prison is far away. She tells the little brother that she'll play with him and they walk off, as she does she says if he comes it'll be tomorrow.

Smash cut to:

The boy is in the exact same position, it's "tomorrow". His mother comes up behind him and asks where his siblings are, he says he doesn't know - they're looking for Phillip. She's surprised he's escaped again, he continues sternly staring at the road. She puts a hand on his shoulder and tells him there is a chance that his dad might not come. He ignores this, she sighs and leaves calling out for the brother and sister. James continues looking at the road, his determination fading into disappointment.

James is helping his sisters look for the goat, he's calling out 'Phillip'. His sister says his name, and he asks what but doesn't turn. She says it again, and says there's a car. He looks around, dust dissipates. A car is stopped and a man gets out, talking to the driver. The two boys and girl watch this intently, James' eyes are wide and excited. 

His dad turns around, duffel bag on his shoulder and James shouts 'its Dad!', the girl stays and continues watching, the younger boy runs after echoing what James said.

James runs right up to his dad and stops, just looking. His dad nods, he asks him if he's his dad. His dad says yes, but that he shouldn't call him that, he should call him Tony. He says hi to Tony and says his name is James. Tony says he knows and says hi Tony, and asks if the younger boy (who is shyly staying behind James) is Karl. James says yes and he says hi to Karl, who mumbles a reply. 

Tony notes that Karl's a shy one, James denies this and says he usually talks too much, he asks him who the people in the car was. His dad tells him it was one of his old posse, come to pick him up from  prison. They tried getting him to get back into the game, but he's done with that life. James looks up at him in admiration. Tony says enough about him, what are they doing? James says they're trying to find Phillip - their goat - who always manages to escape. He's the smartest goat that ever lived, and is essentially an escape artist, if he was in prison with Tony they would have definitely gotten out. His dad tells him that he totally could have escaped that place if he wanted, in fact he did just that, but decided to go back because he decided he was done with a life of crime. James glows in respect for his father. 

His mother appears on the porch of the house, arms folded. Tony says that he should probably go and talk to the old lady. They start walking and James asks him if he's staying, Tony says he wants to but he should discuss it with the boss of the house first. James asks him if he can help them look for the goat, after that they can play with racing cars. His dad scoffs and says he doesn't play with toys, but if they are cool he might take them out to race with real cars. His mother disappears into the house again as they near. James says they have a real car, but its been broken for two years and points to a shed next to Phillip's cage. His dad says he thinks he's already found their goat and points up. Phillip is casually standing on the roof of the house, eating away at some grass growing out of the chimney. James is confused as to how he got there.

Through a window Tony and James' mother enter a bedroom, she closes the door as he enters and says they should talk. Tony asks her if he can't wash up first, she says it can't wait they have to have this conversation now. He says he just needs to stay there until he finds a new place to bunk. She tells him he can stay there for three days, but that's it, she doesn't want him living there. He accepts this reluctantly and asks for a week instead, she says no, three days is enough. All the kids are sitting under the window, listening in. He says its an important opportunity for him to spend some quality time with the kids, he hasn't seen them in two years. She makes it clear that if he stays there will be some new rules, no smoking, drinking or any of his friends over. He says he's done with all that crime stuff anyway, so can he have a week or what? She says maybe, she'll think about it, depends on how he behaves, outside the window James gives an excited squeal ad quickly covers his mouth. Without even looking and like she's known the whole time she scolds the kids for eavesdropping, swiftly they all scuttle off.

James sits by his dad's two legs jutting out from underneath the old car, in his hand he's fiddling with a piece of flax. He tells Tony that his mom can see everything that's happening all the time, she essentially has eyes in the back of her head. She's like some kind of prophet from the bible - his dad agrees to this, saying she's always been like that. Suddenly the car coughs to a start and James jumps in joy, his dad gets out from under and gives him a slap on the shoulder, telling him that they're gonna take it out and he'll show James a quality time.

The car sputter up outside of a tavern, it sounds sickly as the engine cuts out. Tony and his son get out and he tells him that this is something he's been craving for two years. James looks on as Tony sculls an entire beer. He sits awkwardly on the bar stool, and looks around at the other intoxicated adults. He sees a pokie machine in the corner and asks his dad if he can play. Tony eyes it and turns back to James, saying if he finishes a whole beer he'll give him some coin to play the game. James protests that he doesn't like the taste, Tony tells him he just had one taste, it grows on you - like cigarettes. James says he's never smoked a cigarette, Tony says that's something else they'll have to fix. James is unsure, but Tony informs him that he's almost a man now, he'll be 13 next year, Tony had his first beer when he was 6. James accepts the challenge and says yes, Tony asks the barman for two more. 

James slowly and painfully glugs the beer as Tony cheers on, he finishes it with a lot of sputtering but after his final swallow he shoots out his arms in victory. James is playing the pokies intensely, enjoying it as his dad watches on behind, drinking consistently and enthusiastically commentating on his sons gambling. The two sit at the bar, James is shooting off at the mouth telling his dad all about school and his English teacher, Tony is listening drowsily as he sips at a new glass. 

Just then a voice from across the room addresses Tony. A big man in tattoos, with two thugs behind him, asks Tony what he's doing here. Tony replies in a drunken slur that he's just having some quality time with his son, they should leave him alone. The man asks Tony whether he's forgotten that he's no longer allowed in this town, Tony doesn't reply but asks the barman to pour him another drink. The barman moves back, not wanting any part of this situation. 

The big man tells Tony to leave now, if he returns he will not see the same mercy. James watches on in fear as Tony angrily approaches the man and tells him to leave him and his family alone, the man says that Tony is the one who should leave his own family alone. The big man says he's not going to do this in front of Tony's boy. He says if he ever comes back, he'll be worse for wear. 

Tony slams shut the door of the car door, James buckles up as the car starts. He asks his dad who those people were, he tells James they were just some bullies from his past, but he could've taken all of them and has in the past, he asks James if he has any bullies in school, James starts telling him about one specifically as they drive off.

The car swivels from side to side, they drive up to a sign and Tony asks James which way it was again, James says right and they turn the corner. Tony is blinking heavily, outside it's very dark and the vehicles headlights aren't that great anymore. He complains about the cold and turns up the heating.

 James asks his dad where he was before he went to prison, his dad drunkenly expresses that he was in Auckland, where he ran a gang of thieves. The car's speed increases, the dial rising ever so slowly. James asks him what Auckland is like, Tony tells him it's the biggest city in the world, the building are all skyscrapers that--

Suddenly a goat appears in the road and Tony swerves violently. They run off road and crash into a tree, James is caught by his seat belt but Tony flies through the front window, past the tree and off into the bush.

It's quiet and Phillip gallops past, James is breathing deeply, his breath turning to mist in the sudden excess of cold air. The window is completely shattered, the front of the car wrapped around the tree. 

James unbuckles himself with some difficulty and feels his head, there is a gash and some blood but he seems fine. He struggles with the door, it doesn't budge so he exits through the front carefully trying to avoid the glass with his bear feet. 

He carefully lowers himself to the ground and starts calling for his dad. A groan from some meters away. He moves in that direction, walking out in front of the headlights where he can somehow make out the bush. He yells again and his dad replies that he's 'over here'. He moves quickly and finds his dad unscathed and slowly rising. Tony untangles himself from a tree which he pummeled in to, the tree has a great hole where he landed and as he gets up it topples behind him. James looks on in complete shock. 

Tony is confused and asks what happened, James says they crashed. Tony stumbles out towards him and says that he should be dead. Why is he alive. James looks on in shock and says that he must be invincible, like when he got stabbed 47 times in prison and survived, or just like that time that he fell off the Auckland sky tower. His dad looks through squinted eyes trying to recall these events. James says that he told him all about those in his letters, everyone else said he was always lying but James knew it was the truth. Tony slowly nods in agreement, and checks himself all over - his clothes are in ruins but he's fine. 

Tony says he's invincible, he can't be killed. This turns into excitement, they both laugh. James says that he must be like a superhero, like superman or the incredible hulk. They both laugh and Tony goes to the car, he punches the tree and a hole is ripped right through it. They both smile and laugh as he proclaims that he's a superhero.

Next day: Tony points to a scar on his torso, exclaiming he got that one in high school when he jumped a fence, he points to one on the back of his neck saying its a cigarette burn, a cut on his pinkie finger from a thumbtack, scars on his forearms from...from a knife fight and bullet wound in his left butt cheek from a BB gun, the pellet is still in there.

James says they have to see everything that he can do, they know he has super punching ability - he punches a hole in the bedroom wall, from the other side the entire family watches and the mother starts screaming demanding to know what's wrong with him. James says they need to see how far his super strength goes so they sit down and do some weights on a makeshift bar, they keep adding on things to this to increase the weight and Tony easily lifts each one. Tony exclaims that's the reason why he never got ripped at the prison gym. Up until all three the kids are sitting on it and laughing as the mother looks on concerned. The weight is too much for the bench and it breaks down underneath them.

James and Tony are standing next to a cliff overlooking the ocean. James says they have to find out if he can fly, Tony looks over the cliff and sees the rocks below, he's not sure. James says it doesn't matter anyway right, because he'll survive either way. Tony jumps and unceremoniously hits the rocks at the bottom.

The father and son sit next to a dairy licking ice cream, Tony asks him so what's he supposed to do with his powers. James says probably save people and stuff, like stop crime. Tony says that's not really his style, James points out that he said he was done with that life though, so maybe he should go the other direction. Tony nods and agrees, they go around town asking people if they have any crime for them to stop. People ignore them, say no and one individual point out the tax collectors should probably be sorted out. They find an old man who is upset with the lady next to him who's tree is growing into his yard.

Tony asks the lady kindly to trim her tree, but she is very stubborn and refuses. She says it's not disrupting anyone. Tony says the old man can't sunbathe with its shadow casting on his lawn, she says no one wants to see that disgusting old rag sunbathe, anyway she's too old to get up there and trim it. James says his dad can do it for her. Instead of trimming it with ladder and tools, Tony pushes the tree over completely, it lands on the old man trying to sunbathe in his lawn. 

Tony is halfway up an electricity pole trying to get a cat to come down, below James, a mother and his daughter watch on. Tony is trying to tempt it down, but it refuses and starts making its way across the wire. Tony attempts to grab it but instead pulls down the wire, the cat falls and lands on its feet, but Tony swing down with the cables pulling the entire pole with him. 

The mother, Tony, James and the rest of the kids sit in a candle lit kitchen. James is blurting out as much about him and his dad's exploits as he can while everyone tries to eat their cold meals. James says his dad should tell them about the flying part but he doesn't want to, a moment of silence and the mum asks him what happened the night they crashed. He says nothing happened, they took the car out for a drive, Phillip got in the way and they crashed. That's it, it's lucky he survived. She says that's not what she heard from George, apparently he had taken James to a bar. Tony says George hates him and its his typical type of two-faced mingling. The mother doesn't buy this and asks him if they went out to a bar that night or not. He still denies it. She switches her attention to James and asks him, he gulps and looks down. She asks him again, Tony interrupts and says not to ask the boy, he can hardly remember the night due to the concussion.

She cracks and shouts at him that they had a set of rules and he broke them first night back, worse he put James in life threatening danger as well. He retorts that George had no business tattling on him like a little bitch and that he can do whatever the hell he wants because not only is he an adult, he's now also apparently a god. She says he's irresponsible and shouldn't be allowed to make his own choices, he belonged in prison. He says he hopes they try to put him back in there because with these new powers they won't stand a chance, she tells him to get out, not just this house, but this town, he's no longer welcome. He says he'll leave when he wants, but before he does he'll go over to George and show him what happens to snitches. The mother asks him to leave him out of this, it's not George's fault but his own. He says that they'll see how much help George's two thug buddies are when he punches a hole in his stomach. 

James is scared and the older sister has removed the other kids from the table, he is the only one sitting, both adults scream at each other from across the table. Tony says he'll go over now, why the hell not, and put that whole thing in the past. His mother tries to stop him, but Tony smacks her to the ground, where her elbow crunches violently.

James goes to her to see if she's okay, he looks after his dad as he leaves, the door breaks off his hinges upon being closed. The other kids join and all huddle on the kitchen floor, the daughter is asking how her mother's arm is, she says she thinks it might be broken. The daughter asks James if he could see the younger kids to bed while she helps their mom.

A bedroom with two bunk beds sees the three boys enter. He tucks in the toddler and tells the younger brother to brush his teeth. The younger brother doesn't want to and James shouts at him. The toddler looks up at him in fear and he calms down. He says they should all go brush their teeth. All three boys stand by the mirror brushing their teeth, the toddler starts dripping white at the mouth which the other two find humorous. All three playfully pretend they're dogs with rabies and James start chasing the other two. 

Later: James walks back into the living room and sees his mother sleeping, his sister sits by her and pats her head. James asks her is she'll be okay, she says probably, they just can't call anyone because of the power outage. She says she'll walk into town and go get someone herself. James says he'll go, but she says no, he should stay with their mum. He tells his sister she is really cool and takes good care of them, the sister smiles and heads off. He sits with his mother and hugs her, he says he didn't need a dad, he already had her. 

Next Day: Tony limps down the street, black and bruised. He falls down next to the post box and rests there. Phillip joins him and he pets the goat. James walks out and asked him what happened. Tony says he doesn't know, he just lost his powers, and got beaten to a pulp for it. James shrugs and asks him what he'll do now. Tony says he'll go back to Auckland and get the gang together, but he stops mid sentence. 

He says the truth is he doesn't have a clue, he doesn't even have a place to live, and he never even had a gang, most of the stuff he wrote James was made up - to not seem like a big disappointment. He wanted to be a cool dad, he just isn't. James says he's still a cool dad and asks him if he wants to play a board game with them, they need 4 players but mum's too busy, the toddler is too young and Phillip always wins. Tony laughs and says sure. They get up and walk towards the house, he says he should probably apologize to the mum first. James says he probably should.