“The Longest Day”
Film Treatment by RSF
Thanks to Mxy!
JAKE, a completely normal early to mid twenties business/computer worker, stands by a window in his apartment, portable phone in hand. His apartment is a small studio, nice but boring. He stands by a window but no emotion in his face, his body completely still. Light shines through the half open blinds creating a pattern of shadows from left to right along his waist to the top of his head. A loud beeping noise fills the room, it belongs to whom ever is on the other side of his phone. After a few more long moments, a machine picks up. The message is very business woman-like and professional. Jake leaves a message asking if they can talk their problems out instead of just letting things end. He asks her to meet him at the park if she gets the message. He exits. On his desk lays a short and direct note. Sarah, the voice from the machine, has broken up with Jake. Behind the half-crumbled note is a calendar with the date September 20th, 2002 circled.
Jake waits at the park. First stands but than sitting as the sunsets. Sarah has not shown up.
Returning home, Jake is tired and now shows a 5’o clock shadow, from not shaving through the night. He doesn’t notice at first, but his room has changed. Objects have been slightly moved, pizza boxes have been discarded on the floor, and dirty clothes have been thrown about. Sitting down at his desk he holds his head, which is throbbing with pain. The corner of his eye catches his calendar, which now reads October 11th, 2003. Jake is shocked and thinks, “A whole year?”
Flipping back the pages on his calendar, all of the dates have been marked with a slash. Each slash is exactly a like as if a machine printed them. Through all weekdays are the word “work” and time 9am to 9pm. Weekends are blank throughout. Jake presses his finger down on a random weekday.
Jake has a flashback. He wakes up, with out the need of an alarm (since he has woken up at the same time for years and has an alarm in his head). It is 7am exactly, not a minute sooner or a minute past. He pauses for a minute, his expression zombie-like and free of emotions. He gets up out of bed. The clock changes to 7:30 am, once again exact, the time planned out to the second. Jake is wearing a very plain off white dress shirt and tan jacket. His tie is perfectly tied and jacket buttons all buttoned. He picks up his briefcase and exits.
As the flashback ends, Jake’s expression changes a little bit. He does not look zombie-like in his current state and is curious, now beginning to realize that he has indeed lived this last year. He is almost a little worried what he might find out. From his pocket, Jake takes out a monthly train ticket.
Another flashback begins. Jake, once again zombie-like, waits for the train. Getting off the train, he begins to walk to work. It takes him forever before he crosses down the street.
Jake now fully realizes what has happened over the year. He places his hand on his keyboard.
Jake is at work. He sits in his small cubical. He presses the same button over and over. The sound fills his small area as he keeps on pressing it. Over and over.
Getting up from his keyboard, Jake begins walking across his apartment. He stumbles over a pizza box.
Another flashback, this one more subtle. The doorbell rings and Jake answers the door. It is a pizza delivery boy. He hands Jake the pizza and he pays the man in return. He shuts the door and walks away. After a moment, the bell rings again and Jake answers. Another pizza delivery (Jake and the pizza delivery boy are in different cloths). This action replays once more. The door slams.
Jake is clearly disappointed in himself. With much hesitation, he walks to a picture of him and Sarah. He picks it up.
Another flashback begins. Jake is walking down the street, briefcase in hand and pauses abruptly. His expression remains static. In front of him is Sarah with another man, she kisses him (never noticing Jake is even near-by). Jake walks down a different street.
In the present Jake is ok with this. He walks over to a drawer and throws this picture inside. He smiles.
Walking over to his answering machine, a light blinks. After pressing the button, a message plays from his boss, “Look Jake, buddy, we really don’t want to loose you. I can give you a small raise and promotion now, and possibly something better real soon. Just reconsider leaving. Let me know.” Jake pauses, thinking for a moment, than cracks a smile. He presses a button; “Message deleted.”
THE END
