gott liebt
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Whoever does not want to die of thirst among men must learn
to drink out of all cups.
-Nietzsche
FADE IN:
1 EXT. - STREET 1
A young man gets out of a car, closes the door and proceeds
down the sidewalk.
REPORTER 2
(off screen) There he is.
The camera moves in, obviously hand held.
REPORTER 1
(off screen) Could we talk for just a
minute...
YOUNG MAN
No comment. (he picks up his pace)
REPORTER 2
(off screen) It'll just take a few
minutes...
YOUNG MAN
I don't want to talk about it.
REPORTER 2
(off screen) The public has a right to
know...
YOUNG MAN
(stops and turns) Why don't you people
just go away. Leave me in peace!
REPORTER 1
(off screen) Did you ever stop to think
that if you talked the whole thing would
die down- people would move on to
something else- the fascination would
wear off?
YOUNG MAN
(pauses for a second) O.K. I'll talk. But
not here. Someplace more quiet.
REPORTER 1
(off screen) Sure. Let's go.
2 INT. - INTERROGATION ROOM 2
The young man sits in a dark room. There is no furniture
except the plain chair in which he sits. A bright light
glares down at him. His questioners remain out of our view-
behind the camera.
YOUNG MAN
Why the interrogation tactics?
REPORTER 1
We find it... helpful.
REPORTER 2
Besides we're here to ask the questions.
You're here to provide the answers.
3 INT. -PARENT'S HOUSE 3
His parents sit together on a couch distraught. They hold
hands. His mother is on the verge of crying. She holds wadded
up Kleenex in one hand.
MOTHER
He really is a good boy.
FATHER
We didn't raise him like this.
MOTHER
We did everything we could. Didn't we do
all we could?
FATHER
Don't blame yourself. You know what the
doctor said.
MOTHER
It's not genetics but environment that
shapes character?
REPORTER 2
Doesn't that still point back to the
family? I mean genetics... environment...
FATHER
We didn't raise him like this. Not to
believe those things. We gave him none of
that. Nothing. Nothing of the kind.
MOTHER
We're Unitarians.
FATHER
We couldn't watch over him all the time.
He went to American schools. He was
raised in an American community. He
picked it up somewhere- but he didn't
pick it up here.
MOTHER
I always thought he watched too much TV.
FATHER
Yes. Society. Society is to blame.
4 INT. - INTERROGATION ROOM 4
The two reporters cast a slight shadow across the back wall.
YOUNG MAN
I want to leave.
REPORTER 2
You'd just end up back here eventually.
YOUNG MAN
I don't think so.
REPORTER 1
Here or somewhere just like here.
REPORTER 2
Always having to explain...
REPORTER 1
Best to just get it over with now, don't
you agree?
5 EXT. - PARK BENCH 5
Another young man sits with a contemplative look on his face.
BOB
The harsh truth exposed to the hard light
of day. We all have our little secrets.
Things we keep to ourselves. Things that
are nobodies business but our own.
I think we got together because we were
both different. I was the only Jewish kid
in town and John was, you know... Nothing
wrong with that. There's room in the
world for all manner of things. People
need to be more tolerant.
All is quiet as some kids walk by. Bob looks away.
BOB (cont'd)
I don't think there's a problem.
6 INT. - INTERROGATION ROOM 6
YOUNG MAN
It was a nice day when everyone found
out. A really nice day. I left the house
in the afternoon. I'd just had lunch.
Just something I threw together. Some
bread, some fish. It went really well
together. I made the bread myself. Got
one of those machines.
I drove around a while. And then I saw
it. The sun was bright and there was a
reflection through the trees. I felt
drawn toward the light. I got out of the
car and went toward it, toward the light.
He is seen walking toward camera, away from the city.
YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
I felt at peace. I felt everything would
be alright. And it would have been.
He is seen standing with a look of concentration, bordering
on bliss, looking ahead and slightly up.
We see a shot of a statue of Jesus, arms outstretched. Medium
shot.
We see his face, in rapture. Close-up.
We see Jesus. Close-up.
Freeze-frame. Getting close to the statue, view to the side.
Freeze-frame. Climbing on the statue, view other side.
Freeze-frame. View from behind statue. Embracing.
Freeze-frame. Being pulled away from scene by two cops, signs
of struggle to get back, pants halfway down, shirt ripped.
Jesus' POV.
7 EXT. - PARK BENCH 7
BOB
He was always strange. Kind of etherial.
I never took it as anything to be
concerned about. He would sometimes look
spaced out. He wasn't always listening.
He would have the strangest
conversations. But he was fun to be
around. There was a sense of adventure.
It wasn't a threatening thing. People get
the wrong idea, it's all framed wrong-
it's out of whack. Nobody understands.
Still, after the arrest, things got more
intense.
Many people have had an imaginary friend
at one time or another. Most people grow
out of it. John grew into it.
He started talking to Him. At inopportune
moments. On the street. In restaurants.
"Do you want anything," he'd say. "I
already ordered," I'd tell him, and he
would say, "Not you."
He did it in the bathroom once. I don't
know what he said but a trucker knocked
him out cold. And then they called the
cops. Again.
I never went with him, but he started
going to church two-three times a week.
He was so loud that they took out a
restraining order to keep him away. Said
he was disturbing the other worshipers.
People felt threatened.
The weirdest thing was that it was
supposed to have been all small talk.
"How's the weather there" "It's 72
degrees here." Sports trivia. That sort
of thing.
8 INT. - INTERROGATION ROOM 8
YOUNG MAN
So they sent me to a psychiatrist,
because that's what they do with people
who don't fit in. All the square pegs fit
neatly in the round holes after you shave
off all the sharp edges. After I told
them that, or something like that, they
put me on Ritalin and increased my
treatment schedule to "indefinite."
Psychiatrists are very dull and humorless
people. They have no love of life.
9 INT. - OFFICE 9
PSYCHIATRIST
I would say that his progress has been
satisfactory. If I had to put a word to
his progress... I would definitely chose
"satisfactory." While it's true that
there have been no breakthroughs, there
has been some progress. With the drugs
and the conditioning we'll lick this
problem. It may take a while, but we're
here for him. The staff, myself, the
court system, the insurance company.
We're ready to stand by him until the
problem is solved- no matter how long
that takes.
10 INT. - BEDROOM 10
GIRLFRIEND
I hate him. I really do.
(pause) I think it's the dishonesty. He
was really great when I met him, you
know. He was special- there wasn't anyone
else like him. How was I supposed to know
he was leading a double life? He seemed
normal.
It burns me up when I just think about
it.
I met him at a big revival meeting. We
hit it off right away. He came up to me
and said that he had a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. But
that's what everyone was saying. That was
the line. How was I supposed to know he
really meant it?
11 INT. - SCHOOLROOM 11
TEACHER
He was always a good natured boy. I never
had any problems with him. I don't
understand any of this. I saw things on
the news and I thought it must be someone
else, this can't be the boy I knew.
I've seen a lot of first-graders come in
and out of the system and I remember them
all. I keep mementos.
She reached for a small manila file on the table.
TEACHER (cont'd)
John was quite the little artist. I
always thought he would be important some
day. He had an attention span and a drive
toward his projects that a teacher rarely
sees. Look at this one.
She holds up a finger painting. It is a Child's work but is
very good. It somewhat resembles stained glass.
TEACHER (cont'd)
The technique is very mature. Stylized.
(she exchanges it for another) This one
is special because it's a portrait of me.
She holds up a finger painting that strongly suggests a
Madonna with child.
TEACHER (cont'd)
I think he had a little crush on me (she
blushes). This one is the last one I
have.
She holds up a painting of children playing on a playground.
Behind them is Jesus hanging on the cross.
TEACHER (cont'd)
See, children at play. A very typical
theme for his age group.
He was a very normal six-year-old; though
a bit exceptional. I can only assume that
something traumatic must have happened to
him in the following years.
12 EXT. - IN PARK 12
YOUNG MAN
I've dealt with a lot of issues in the
last few months and I think I've come to
terms with a lot of things. I'm still in
treatment but they say that I'm much
better now. I've learned that there are
more philosophies in this world, more
ideas, and I need to reach out and
embrace them in order to get a firmer
grasp on reality.
I've grown. I'm a better person for it. I
think it's time to move on.
I'm sure of it. I really feel at ease
with the world right now.
He is seen standing, looking up into the distance with a
satisfied, wistful look on his face. Close-up.
From behind him we see he stands before a large statue of
Buddha.
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