Tag Archives: tropics
Tank’s – a screenplay (cont’d)
Our continuing saga (see part one here) of impetuous young Tony and his pursuit of individuality at the possible expense of his life.
When last we left Tony, he had led a nasty caiman on a merry chase, faking it out at the last second.
Tony takes off, leaving the caiman to spit out stones.
The guys catch up to Tony, applauding. Tony bows.
JUAN
That was totally awesome!
CARLOS
I thought you were a goner.
RICKY
That was–
OLD FIN (O.S.)
Foolhardy.
Tony turns to see OLD FIN.
TONY
Grandfather.
OLD FIN
And dangerous. You must think you’re pretty hot stuff.
TONY
Escaped the jaws of death.
OLD FIN
You escaped an eating machine, son; an unthinking garbage disposal. And you risked everyone’s lives in the process.
TONY
It was just me and the caiman.
OLD FIN
You need to learn about taking responsibility for your actions; caring for the fish around you. Your father—
TONY
What about my father?
RICKY
Tony!
TONY
My father took responsibility for his community, and he got snatched by the Net. Maybe if he’d spent more time with his son and less on everyone else’s problems…
CARLOS
Easy, Tony.
Old Fin waves the boys off.
TONY
He was all about sacrifice, when it meant taking care of others, but when I needed him… You can keep your responsibility.
Old Fin reaches for Tony’s shoulder.
OLD FIN
I miss him, too. He had to be the fish he was destined to be. Just as you have to be the fish you will become.
TONY
That’s… C’mon guys.
The boys swim off.
OLD FIN
Destiny won’t wait, son. It happens whether you’re ready or not.
EXT. FURTHER ALONG THE RIVER – DUSK
Amongst the plants and rocks, four long pink legs extend to the surface. The boys take a wide berth, Tony lagging behind, kicking pebbles.
JUAN
Watch out. Danger from above.
Tony darts around the legs, but then he turns with a grin.
RICKEY
What’re you doing?
TONY
Nothing. Just stretching my fins.
Yawning, he tickles one of the feet.
EXT. ABOVE THE SURFACE – SAME TIME
The legs are attached to two cranes. SIDNEY screams and jumps into SEYMOUR’s wings.
SIDNEY
Something touched my leg!
Seymour angrily drops Sidney into the water.
SEYMOUR
You idiot. Those are just fish.
SIDNEY
Well, they’re cold and wet. It’s nasty.
SEYMOUR
Nasty? Sid, what are we?
Sidney thinks long and hard.
SIDNEY
Cousins?
SEYMOUR
Cranes, Sid.
SIDNEY
We’re not cousins?
SEYMOUR
Focus! What do cranes eat?
Sidney screws up his face, like his head’s about to explode.
SIDNEY
Hamburgers!
SEYMOUR
Fish! We eat fish!
Sidney whips out chopsticks.
SIDNEY
Sushi!
Seymour slaps the chopsticks away and then pushes Sid’s head into the water. Sid steps back, spluttering.
SEYMOUR
And this time, Sid, hold your breath.
Seymour plunges his head into the water, pulling up a fish, which he quickly swallows. The two start looking for dinner.
EXT. BELOW THE SURFACE – SAME TIME
Fish scatter in pandemonium. Clouds of silt explode from the riverbed as enormous bills dart from the surface and stab into the ground, slicing side to side to catch fish.
Plants are uprooted, stones flung in all directions, fish cower in crevices and under large rocks as the river fills with a cacophany of SCREAMS and thrashing EXPLOSIONS of air and water.
Tony and his friends flee, pursued by Seymour.
JUAN
You had to do it, didn’t you?
TONY
They’re gaining on us.
They careen around rocks and weeds as the cranes inch closer.
JUAN
Over there!
INT. OLD BUCKET – CONTINUOUS
Juan, Tony and Ricky dart to the back, breathing heavily.
RICKY
They got Carlos!
Juan dashes for the opening and is bowled over by Carlos.
CARLOS
Aaaaaaaah!
TONY (laughing)
Carlos, the bullet.
The THRASHING outside subsides. The guys float quietly.
CARLOS
Whaddya think?
A beam of light penetrates the darkening water outside of the bucket, which shakes and the floor tilts.
CARLOS (CONT’D)
Earthquake!
They swim for the mouth, which rises, the spotlight getting brighter. Seeing Carlos struggle, Juan and Ricky swim back to help him. Tony waits anxiously.
TONY
Harder!
CARLOS
I’m trying!
Tony swims to help, just as they push Carlos out. Before Tony can escape, however, the bucket breaks the water’s surface.
TONY
Nuts.
Tony races for the bottom and turns to make a break for the surface. As he makes his run, a net appears.
EXT. FLAT-BOTTOMED METAL BOAT – SAME TIME
A hand reaches into the bucket and fishes for Tony, who scurries around trying not to get caught.
TONY
Hey! Watch the scales. Let go!
The hand throws Tony into a clear bag of water.
TONY (CONT’D)
Okay. Now you’ve made me mad!
The hand tosses the bag into a cardboard box.
INSERT: BOX LABEL THAT READS “ECUADOR PET SUPPLIES”.
The lid of the box closes. Everything GOES DARK.
OPENING CREDITS
(to be continued)
Tank’s – a screenplay
The following is the opening for my first screenplay. Tank’s is the story of Tony, an impetuous young fish who gets snatched from his tropical homeland and transported to Tank’s, a pet shop in Rochester, NY. There, he quickly falls for Maya, a royal daughter of the salt water community, and runs afoul of the iron-finned rule of an eel named Kang.
(Image is property of owner and is used here without permission but my sincerest Tank’s.)
FADE IN
EXT. AERIAL VIEW OF A RAINFOREST – AFTERNOON
A canopy of trees extends forever to a distant range of mountains, birds swooping in and out. A break in the forest exposes a broad meandering river that empties into the sea.
One bird descends to skirt along the water. Crocodiles slide from the shore, disrupting the peaceful wading of cranes who take to the air.
A thicket of tree roots plunge into the river, large insects crawling along or flying amongst the gnarled roots. A squirt of water shoots up at a dragonfly, which splashes into the water, to be eaten by a large fish.
EXT. BELOW THE SURFACE – SAME TIME
Schools of fish swim among the roots. Larger fish swim alone, oblivious to the schools that scatter and reform.
A cloud of bleary water blooms across the bottom of the river, causing most of the fish to scatter to the clearer upper layers. A few fish swim between the layers, trailing bleary streams.
The serenity is shattered as four sleek black mollies fly by, weaving chaotically through the weeds. TONY, JUAN, RICKY and CARLOS, hyper adolescents, flip a pebble back and forth, while trying to evade tackle.
TONY
Carlos fades back for a long throw…
Chubby Carlos swerves the wrong way, sliding into the mud and being tackled by the others.
Laughing, they slowly climb out of the tangle. Carlos remains on the bottom, dazed.
TONY (CONT’D)
Hey, look! A flat fish.
Tony pumps his tail to reinflate him. Juan looks to the surface, catching the waning sunlight.
JUAN
It’s late. Gotta go help Mom with the brood.
TONY
A hundred and thirty-nine brothers and sisters and you have to help?
RICKY
Me, too. Summer school.
TONY
C’mon. You’re ruining things for Carlos. He can barely speak.
Tony slaps his fin over Carlos’s mouth.
TONY (CONT’D)
Hush, pal. Save your strength.
Tony slowly backs away. The guys follow.
JUAN
Duty calls, Tony.
TONY
Duties come later. Today is for adventure.
Tony grabs Carlos by the gills.
TONY (CONT’D)
Look at this guy. Ready to grab life by the gills and kiss it on the mouth.
Carlos recoils in disgust.
TONY (CONT’D)
We’re young.
Tony swims into a shadow. The guys stare, mouths agape.
TONY (CONT’D)
We have no fear!
JUAN/RICKY/CARLOS (scattering)
Aaaaaaaaaah!
TONY
Hunh?
Tony looks up and comes face to face with a grinning caiman.
TONY (CONT’D)
Oh.
Tony sticks a fin in the caiman’s nostrils, making it sneeze.
Tony flees, pursued by the caiman. As Tony leads the merry chase, other fish scramble to safety.
The caiman gets close but never quite reaches Tony.
TONY (CONT’D)
C’mon, armor-butt.
Tony suddenly favours his left fin.
TONY (CONT’D)
Cramp! Ow, ow!
The caiman pounces. Tony flits aside and the caiman gets a mouthful of gravel.
TONY (CONT’D)
Psych!
Tony takes off, leaving the caiman to spit out stones.
(To be continued.)
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