Savanna's Road Trip

FADE IN

EXT. MAY 2011- THE CITY OF WINDY HILL - MAINE - USA - SAVANNA'S HOUSE- DAY

The rain comes down in buckets. It's windy and puddles form. Savanna's modest family house sits on the corner of a quiet street. A giant tree stands in the yard. A pink bird house swings in the breeze.

A Circus Time Brand Bootsie the Clown garden gnome stands vigil next to the front porch. The doormat on the porch reads "The Woodard Family".

INT. SAVANNA'S HOUSE - SAVANNA'S BEDROOM - DAY

Savanna's bedroom is cluttered and decorated from floor to ceiling with Circus Time Brand memorabilia. She has Circus Time posters and wall paper. A Bootsie the Clown lamp stands on her dresser.

A Circus Time clock ticks the time away. A huge stuffed clown sits on her bed which is covered with a Circus Time bedspread.

The room itself is an absolute mess. Clothes lay in disarray on the floor. One shoe lays upside down on the floor while its mate rests partially hidden under a mountain of shirts, shorts, pants and socks.

A pile of school papers sits on the bed. SAVANNA (9) sits on her bed. She looks at a brochure that reads "The adventure of a lifetime awaits you at Circus Time Island!"

Savanna is a cute kid. She has long brown hair. She's skinny and has big brown doe-like eyes. She wears an oversized Circus Time T-shirt.
A parrot sits in a cage.

The cage sits on the corner of the room. A pair of socks hangs from the cage bars. The parrot WHISTLES a jingle.

She reads from the pamphlet. She concentrates on every word. She mouths the words to herself.

A SOUND from outside breaks her concentration. Savanna looks out the window. She sees an OLD MAN cutting the grass outside in the rain.

SAVANNA
Oh! Mr. Canterbury is gonna get all wet and get a cold!

Savanna leaps off the bed. She races to the door. She stops, turns around and walks back to the bed. She grabs her Circus Time Island brochure and races out of the room.

INT. SAVANNA'S HOUSE - HALLWAY CLOSET

Savanna grabs her Circus Time raincoat and puts it on. She squeezes into her black galoshes and grabs an umbrella. She adjusts the hood on her head and runs out the front door.

EXT. MR. CANTERBURY'S YARD - DAY

The rain pelts Savanna's raincoat. She races through the puddles and walks onto Mr. Canterbury's saturated front yard. MR. CANTERBURY (76) continues to mow the grass. He's totally oblivious to the thunder and rain.

Mr. Canterbury is a strange looking man. He wears a safari style hat, a baggy white t-shirt, cut off jeans shorts and knee high tube socks. His glasses are held together by masking tape. His springy white hair juts wildly from underneath his hat.
Savanna calls to him.

SAVANNA
Mr. Canterbury!

He doesn't seem to notice her. Savanna SIGHS. She cups her hands together.

SAVANNA
Mr. Canterbury!

Her neighbor turns around. He has a sour expression on his face. He continues to mow. Savanna makes a frantic "time out" gesture.

SAVANNA
Mr. Canterbury!

Mr. Canterbury GROANS aloud. He shuts off the mower.

MR. CANTERBURY
What is it Savanna? I'm trying to get this yard done.

Savanna tilts her head.

SAVANNA
Mr. Canterbury, why are you cutting the grass in the rain?

He frowns.

MR. CANTERBURY
What?

SAVANNA
Why are you cutting the grass in the rain?

He looks agitated and annoyed.

MR. CANTERBURY
Because its long!

SAVANNA
Oh.

He shakes his head. He's about to start up the mower again when she stops him.

SAVANNA
You're getting all wet! Do you want to borrow my umbrella? I brought one for you.

She offers him her small, plastic umbrella.

MR. CANTERBURY
No! Just let me get back to work.

He grabs the mower cord and is about to pull it when she stops him again.

SAVANNA
Mr. Canterbury?

MR. CANTERBURY
What!

SAVANNA
Aren't you afraid that you'll get a cold?

MR. CANTERBURY
A what now?

SAVANNA
A cold. My mom always says that if you walk around in the rain, you're gonna get a cold.

Her neighbor looks at her, exasperated.

MR. CANTERBURY
No I won't.

Savanna continues.

SAVANNA
And since you're old, you could get really sick. Then you'd go up to the sky.

Mr. Canterbury frowns.

MR. CANTERBURY
The what?

Her eyes widen. Savanna points one finger upward to the sky. THUNDER rumbles in the distance.

SAVANNA
(whispering)
The sky.

Her neighbor's forehead creases as he tries to figure her out.

SAVANNA
Then I'd be really sad.

The old man snatches the hat off his head. He rings the water from it.

MR. CANTERBURY
You say this kind of crazy stuff all the time kid.

Savanna smiles.

SAVANNA
That's where my pet parrot Poppins went to. When you go some day you can say hi to him! You can be friends!

Savanna hands him her umbrella.

SAVANNA
But I don't want you to go for a long, long time Mr. Canterbury.

He shakes his head. Mr. Canterbury reluctantly takes the umbrella. He grunts his thanks to her.

MR. CANTERBURY
You've got a real odd way of sayin' things Savanna. Well. I suppose the grass can wait 'till the weather clears.

Savanna smiles her approval.

SAVANNA
I have a new parrot now. Wanna know his name?

MR. CANTERBURY
What?

SAVANNA
Pupunu!
The old man slowly nods his head.

MR. CANTERBURY
I figured it'd be something like that.

SAVANNA
He's learning how to sing the Circus Time theme song! The song from the commercials.

She unfolds the brochure in her hand.

SAVANNA
And guess what?

MR. CANTERBURY
What?

She proudly displays the colorful brochure for him to see.

SAVANNA
I'm going to Circus Time Island!