A grey, smoke smudged sky over which we hear a distant radio sound.

The camera continues downward

past an unsightly row of bricks.
Int: home- day
On a computer/TV screen watching movies.
Scene 1: inside the living room ...Bill expressing wish to be writer
Preeti
I heard, you havent being doing well in part time classes.
Bill
Ive been trying to do well at school.
Preeti
What are u doing? What are doing with your life?
You can join uncle at the gas station/motel business. instead of doing nothing
Why dont you start working at gas station?
Bill
- I don't want to do that.
Preeti
What? Where eIse you going to get 10 bucks an hour and medical insurance
Bill
After iam done with my classes, I'm going to be a writer and maybe even write for movies. I will go to
college for writing.
Preeti
Do what? Writing?
Bill
Yes
Preeti (sarcastically)
And i wilI buy a mansion in Miami.
Preeti
Grow up, be a better man.

Bill
Its dream of mine to be writer.
Preeti
Dreams never come true.
////////////////////////////
Walks in thru doorsees roommate watching TV
Scene 2: with roommate ...discussing about writers and favorite ones
Bill (brings in pizza)

What are we watching?

Roommate
ChanneI 5.
Roommate
Do you want something to drink?
Bill
Im fine
Bill and roommate eating
Bill
Can we watch the writer's interview on TV?
///////////////////// ...power of words monologue
Bill
Lights camera action speeding.
/////////////////////
Scene 3: shooting an improv scene in a studio and also at an exterior location. Working on short films.
Ext: in front of nice location..we see him writing and cut to improve scene in small theatre

Bill
You know these Last four years at the theatre have gone by too fast.

Colleague
Yes. We had fun rehearsing and doing plays.
Bill
Let us rehearse a scene, one last time.

Bill and colleague rehearse a scene

Bill
I can't believe it's over.
Colleague
Well, everyone has left to get real jobs .the theatre is closing down.
/////
Near a gas station
Scene: at work ....boss angry with Bill
Int- gas station - day
Bill makes his way down a gnarled catwalk through a maze to work.
Boss
You are Iate again today?
Bill
I was writing.
Boss
What? Get serious.
Boss
No special days here.
//////////////////////////////////
Near Tribeca
Scene: with the Kabir on his birthday receiving a gift t shirt and book and DVDs
Ext: work place
Its a hot day. Bill and Kabir are eating lunch outside under the shade.in the background of series of lights.

Ext- day
Another hot day. Billowing steam clouds rising from the giant chimneys mix with heavy air. Bill, sweat
through his grimy t shirt, does pushups next to machinery. Kabir with a grin on his face comes running up
to Bill, carrying a brown paper sack.
Kabir
What is today?
Bill
August 23 rd.
Kabir
And that is...?
Bill
My birthday.
Kabir
Twenty-two big ones!
Bill,
Its starting to go by too fast.
Kabir
WeII, I didn't have Time to wrap it, but....
Kabir gives bill a gift
Kabir
-Go ahead, open it.
Bill pulls out a bright green jacket with a gold cloverleaf on the front and on the back with lettering writer.
Bill is knocked out of happiness.
Bill
-You shouldnt have. This is fantastic.
Where did you find this?
Kabir
I saw it online and I said, ''That's gotta be yours.''
Bill

This is awesome. I don't know how to say thank you.

Bill
How does it Iook?
Kabir
It looks great.
Bill (sits down)
I can't wait to get to be writer and one day maybe write for movies. Be a scriptwriter.
Bill
Guess how much money I have saved up? 1000$
Kabir
That's a good start!
Bill
You're the onIy one who ever took me serious.
Kabir
WeII, you know what my grandfather aIways said. Having dreams is what makes Iife toIerabIe.''
///////////////////////////////////////////////
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Scene: Kabir gets shot
Kabir
Bill, I need more water!
Bill
I'm not getting any!
Kabir
Try another vaIve!
Bill
I'm not getting any!
A shooter comes in and shoots kabir
Passerby (drives in)

You idiots, you take our jobs.

Passerby drives off.
Kabir
We need to get out of here!
Kabir is shot on shoulder.
Cut to hospital bedBill is sad, his face devoid of color and his eyes squeezed shut, looks like he might faint. Sonia grips his
hand.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Kabir is on hospital bed.
Kabir tells Bill to pursue his dreams and not to waste Time,
//////////////////////
Grand central
Scene: discussing with Preeti about father's business

Preeti
I know, youre friend has been in the hospital.
Bill

I need to do this, I need to go school and be a writer.

Preeti
Your father was a hardworking man and he saved aII of his Iife......to bring the family to this country.
Preeti
He got a good job. He had a nice IittIe house...
Preeti
Somebody soId him on the idea he ought to move to California... ...and do real estate business so he
buys some Iand, you know, and starts a real estate business. Within five months, real estate went down.
It was the Depression. His business went down. There was no work from him.
. So one day......he moved back to India.

He left you with us to take care. we've been taking care for you.
Bill
Well, I will pay back.
Preeti
Listen, you are good hard working boy.
You got a good job at the gas station.

Preeti
Chasing a stupid dream...causes nothing but you and everyone around you heartache.
Preeti
Films, writing is for rich kids...
It's not for us. It is for those who come from film/ theatre families and backgrounds. Be a nice kid and
work at the gas station.

Bill
I don't wanna to be the guy that works at a gas station. I want to do my own thing.
Preeti (after a long pause)The character arc comes full circle goes from negative to positive.
Ok iam willing to help you.I was just checking earlier if you have it in you.

Bill
I want to enroll in NYu.
Preeti
Preeti
I can get you to Kaplan ...you write the entrance exam .You get a good score, you improve your grades.
Maybe with a good GPA......you might have a chance of getting into writing school at nyu.
////////////
Also finds a job at movie editing /script proof reading facility.
///////////
He jumps out of cab, pulling his duffel bag after him.

Ext- highway - night

Bill walks through campus as if like paradise found' the picturesque campus reveals itself to him in its full
splendor.

Ext - campus - day

Bill, lighter than air, walks across campus, a grin on his face as he nods to students passing by as if he's
one of them.
Were on Bill's face as finally reaches the final mecca of his pilgrimage. His mouth drops open as he
sees ...all his heroes on the wall and camera equipment.
........
Int classroom - day
Bill, at a desk, is taking notes intently. Hes trying to write down every word
Toby (teaching)
So a man may have historical inaccuracies...
Toby
I think that's aII for today.
///////////////////////////////////////////////
Bill asks Toby for tutor help. Toby scoots him off.

Bill gathers his stuff and walks away.

Ext hall day
Bill makes his way down the crowded hall. He stops in front of student bulletin board he frowns as he
reads the monthly fees. A pretty girl moves next to him.
Scene: Bill talks with Anita ...Toby sees.
Anita (looking for pen)
Can I borrow your pen?
Bill
-Yeah, sure.
Anita
-Thanks.

Anita
So are you interested in a room to rent?
Bill
Yeah.
Anita
My brother has a house about five bIocks from campus.
So if you're interested, caII at this number.
Bill
Yes, I will. AII right, bye.
///////////////////

Notice board
Toby notices as girl smiles and hands him a telephone number. She gives a half wave, turns and leaves.
Toby makes his way toward Bill.
Scene: Toby willing to help out
Toby
That girl is very pretty
Bill
Yes
Toby
You don't have a goddamn cIue, do you?
Toby
About how to get an A in that cIass.
Look, besides being a graduate assistant...I'm aIso a tutor for hire.
Bill
I can't even afford a room to rent.
Toby
Wait, maybe we can make some other kind of deaI.

Bill
What kind of deaI?
Toby
GirIs.
Bill
-I don't know -Toby
I don't know any girIs here.
-Introduce me to few-Bill
-I don't know any girIs here.
Bill
Hey, wait a minute.
Bill
Maybe I do know some girIs.In fact, I know a Iot of girIs.
Bill
-I just gotta find them.
Toby
-That's the spirit.
Toby
As you can see, I'm pretty goddamn desperate.
-And I'm in Iove.
///////////////////////////////////////////////independent filmmaker two light boxes
Scene: meets an independent film maker
For a Part Time job, meets a local film maker
Bill
Anything I can do to heIp with the shooting..., you just Iet me know.
Bill

-I want to be your assistant.

Filmmaker
-I've got a fuII crew.
Bill
Couldnt you use an extra hand?
Bill
I'II work for free.
Filmmaker
What's in it for you?
Bill
I want to learn
Bill
I figured if I'm gonna write for movies.i need to learn as much as i can.
Writer
Im impressed, meet me here tomorrow at 9 a.m.
//////////

///////////////////////////at job
Scene: at editing workplace -- i took the practice exam yesterday night and i got A
Bill
I got an A on a practice test.
Preeti
-That's great, Bill.
Preeti
So you're in student housing?
Bill
Yes,AII my savings went for this entrance exam and bills.

///////////////////////////
Bill
I know my grades have gone down
Bill
...I have had Iot of extracurricular activities.
Preeti
You got good score
Preeti
You did a good job, Bill.
Preeti
Admissions peopIe, you never can teII.
They're a funny bunch of people.
Bill
Have I done aII I can?
Preeti
I dont know.
Outside the mailbox.
Ext campus - day
A cold winter day. Bill walks down a sidewalk a framed by a webwork of leafless frozen branches.
Bill, pulling a letter out of his mail slot, holding his breaths, opens the letter, as his face falls.

Bill
Your application for admission......to the NYU has been evaluated by....''
//////////////////////////
//////////////////////////
Bill grabs the letter from his box. Looks skyward as if in a prayer, takes a deep breath
and rips it open. Close on Bill's face as he absorbs the rejection. He collapses to his knees, his head
dropping to the ground.

///////////////////////
Bill
-I'II go to NYU next year.
Preeti
That score didn't make you smarter.
but I'm gIad you made good score.\
Bill
If I don't get in next semester, its over, Im done.
Preeti
WeII, you did a heII of a job, chasing down your dream.
Bill
I don't care. If it doesn't produce resuIts, it doesn't mean anything.
Preeti
I think you'II discover that it wiII.
Bill
Maybe I haven't prayed enough. I havent gone to temple/church in a while.
Preeti
I'm sure that's not the probIem.Praying is something we do in our Time.
The answers come in God's Time.
Bill
Have I done everything I possibly can?
Bill
Can you heIp me?
Preeti
You did.
///////////////////////////

Scene: at mailbox checking if accepted or not

Int - mail center - day

Bill
ls there anything in the box please?
Bill snatches the letter from the box. He stares at it, unable to breathe, unable to open it.
Ext twin lakes - day
Bill sits on a bench next to the picturesque oval shaped lake boaters share the crystal clean waters with
swans and ducks.
Bill takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and opens the letters.
Bill
Reading the letter ---You've been accepted for the faII semester....''
''Congratulations, you are....''
He opens his eyes and we see his reaction. He screams exultantly. He jumps up whoops and dives into
the water. Birds scatter.

going to film school.////////////

Kid
I have been accepted into NYU.
Preeti
AII right.
Preeti
I cant believe it? You did it finally.
So, Iisten, you wanna work tiII it's Time to go to school?
Bill
No, I gotta get back
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Bills script is selected and movie is madeand selected for screening at a festival
Bill (talking with Preeti)
I've never asked you for anything in my Life.

Bill
Promise me my parents will be on that plane tomorrow.
Bill
I want you to be there too.