Scenes 36 to 41--Flowcharting
At the low point of Michael and Mimi's honeymoon, Mimi takes a drive in
the countryside and returns to the cottage with a mysterious urgent purpose.
35 EXT. COTTAGE - DAY 35
Mimi's car pulls into the cottage driveway and parks. Mimi
gets out and enters the house, moving quickly.
36 INT. COTTAGE LIVING ROOM - DAY 36
Mimi enters the house and starts looking around the living
room for something. She seems single-minded, distracted.
Michael comes down the stairs to greet her.
MICHAEL
Hi.
MIMI
(without greeting)
Is there a blackboard in the house?
MICHAEL
(surprised)
A blackboard?
MIMI
I need a blackboard and chalk.
MICHAEL
Uh - there's no blackboard here.
Frowning, Mimi continues to look around, poking into
whatever storage areas she can find.
MIMI
Is there anything like a
blackboard?
MICHAEL
You mean, something to write on?
MIMI
Something big to write on.
Michael, shaking his head in amazement, goes up the stairs.
37 INT. COTTAGE STORAGE AREA - DAY 37
In a closet, Michael digs around and finds an old SKETCH
BOOK, partly used, with big pages.
38 INT. COTTAGE LIVING ROOM - DAY 38
Michael returns to the living room with the SKETCH BOOK.
Mimi, still distracted, takes it.
MIMI
Okay. I'll be right back.
Still in a hurry, she turns around and heads out the door
toward the lake, leaving a baffled Michael behind.
39 EXT. LAKE - DAY 39
Sitting on the rocks by the side of the lake, Mimi, a PEN in
her hand, pages through the SKETCH BOOK until she finds a
blank page, then starts writing hurriedly. Before long she
abandons that page, turns to the next, and starts writing
again.
She has divided this page into two columns with the headings
"You" and "Him," and is scribbling little notes in each
column. In the "You" column she writes phrases like, "Plan
A: Do not feel blamed," "Plan B: Accept feeling blamed,"
"Method: Go into problem-solving mode," "Technique doesn't
matter," "Use a lubricant." On the "Him" side, there are
phrases like "'Needs to talk about it," "Will try to please
you even when frustrated."
Mimi tears this sheet out carefully, places it by her side,
and starts on another sheet, referring back to the original
sheet. This sheet has smaller columns with headings like
"Dealing with Blame" and "Recovering from Screw-ups." In
the first column she writes phrases like "Always assume
you're overreacting" and "Imagine him as a child."
40 INT. COTTAGE LIVING ROOM - DAY 40
Michael walks to the window and looks out at the lake. He
sees Mimi, still scribbling furiously on the SKETCH BOOK, a
few PIECES OF PAPER around her.
41 EXT. LAKE - DAY 41
Mimi is now drawing a flow chart on the SKETCH BOOK, using
ovals, diamonds, and rectangles in proper computer notation.
One diamond is labeled "Success" with arrows coming out of
it labeled "True" and "False." In the rectangle after
"True" she writes, "Don't make a fuss - ask questions -
focus on answers (mnem.)." The "False" arrow goes to another
diamond labeled "He is Upset." This diamond has multiple
arrows coming out of it, leading to rectangles labeled "Nice
but Withdrawn," "Nice and Wants to Talk," "Hostile and
Withdrawn." Mimi draws an arrow out of "Hostile and
Withdrawn" to a big rectangle, and writes at the top of the
rectangle, "No phys. contact - analytical/detached - allow
yourself to grovel."
Click here to go back to the June 16, 1996 diary
entry, here to go to the May 10, 1998 entry,
and here to go back to the main menu.