"Wisenheimer" Part Nine
Pilot/Episode 1: "The Phone Call" Part Nine
To celebrate Spring and the Easter holiday, I’m posting the last two parts of my award winning pilot script, WISENHEIMER, FREE to all subscribers and followers! Of course…if you want to catch up with the story to date (and you may want to!) you can subscribe for just $5 a month!
DISCLAIMER: “WISENHEIMER” is for adults over 18. If produced, it would bear an MA rating. It’s for grown-ups. There is sexual content and the story deals with strong adult themes, as well as socio-political satire and comedy. “WISENHEIMER” is an original work of fiction, written entirely by me, all rights reserved.
You can view the video pitch deck for “WISENHEIMER” here. And for a brief primer on basic screenplay stuff for easier reading, this is helpful.
INT. RO’S CAR - DAY
Ro drives toward the city. Ezra’s next to her, quiet.
After a few moments:
EZRA
You were right. I have to do this. She’s--well, I found out today that Mom is still...in there.
RO
You’re doing the right thing. (pause) You were pretty rough on your sister back there.
EZRA
She gave as good as she got.
Ro drives in silence for a moment.
RO
Naomi says you gave up a brilliant career.
EZRA
The Wunderkind. Heir apparent to the Schoenberg music dynasty. The great Maestro’s namesake. When the big moment came...?
He makes the sound and gesture of his head exploding.
RO
Miriam must have been heartbroken.
EZRA
The Miriam I knew back then had no heart to break.
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE EZRA’S APARTMENT - DAY
A funky, shabby street in the East Village. Ezra and Ro approach his tenement apartment building.
Jack is sitting on the stoop with his backpack, a couple bags of groceries, and some flowers.
EZRA
Hey man! (to Ro:) Well...surprise, surprise!
Jack and Ro lock eyes. He gets up, slowly, taking her in.
JACK
I. I’m. I’m fucking speechless.
RO
Hi, Jack.
He comes down to her. They hug.
JACK
I can’t believe you’re here.
INT. EZRA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Candles, flowers. JAZZ MUSIC playing. Dessert. A warm, happy vibe. Ezra is gorging on cannoli.
RO
You always had a sweet tooth.
EZRA
(with his mouth full) It’s a Jewish thing. End of dinner sweets. Mom had accounts at Junior’s Cheesecake and Zabar’s.
JACK
That chocolate babka they have...? Oh man!
RO
There was one at Naomi’s today! She told me Miriam passed her sweet tooth on to both her kids.
EZRA
With the sweet came the sour.
RO
Was she really so difficult?
EZRA
Oh no, she wasn’t difficult at all. Just remote, hypercritical, impossible to please...
JACK
Hey, I have another surprise. I brought something home from the studios. (to Ro:) Freelancing for PBS. Video archiving.
RO
Cool.
JACK
Ez--I found a couple clips that blew my fucking mind, man.
He pulls out an external hard drive.
INT. NEIL AND NAOMI’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Naomi and Neil are in bed, eating out of individual pints of ice cream. A Doris Day/Rock Hudson film is on TV.
Neil’s lost in thought. Naomi cracks up at something on screen.
NAOMI
Um...Chubby Hubby, please.
She reaches to swap pints with Neil.
NAOMI
Neil? Hello...?
NEIL
Oh, yeah, here you go.
He trades pints, but doesn’t eat.
NEIL
Nay. I haven’t said anything, but... I don’t think it’s fair to dump Miriam on your brother. He’s not ready--
NAOMI
(mouth full of ice cream) He owes me! You don’t know what he did. How he ghosted, and left me there to live with her. I’ve put in my time.
NEIL
He must have had a really good reason to run off like that.
NAOMI
He was a spoiled, pampered brat and a druggie.
She grabs his pint and gives him back the Chubby Hubby. She eats. He broods.
INT. EZRA'S APARTMENT - SAME
Ro and Jack sit on the sofa in front of the TV, with Ezra seated on the floor. Jack has the remote control.
JACK
So. Local PBS pledge drive. Ten year memorial of 9/11.
EZRA
Oh, that should be a toe tapper.
JACK
Just wait, man.
RO
Okay, so this is five years ago.
Jack presses play.
ON SCREEN
On a studio set at PBS, Naomi is sitting in front of a backdrop of images from the 9/11 disaster.
Neil, pale and nervous, is sitting next to her.
ON EZRA
EZRA
My sister was on PBS?
ON SCREEN
NAOMI
Hi, I’m Naomi Wise, chair of the Memorial Fundraising Committee, and I’m honored to introduce one of the many unsung heroes of 9/11: Mr. Neil Cantwell.
ON RO
RO
Hold on. Are we seeing them meet?
JACK
Wait.
ON SCREEN
NEIL
Thanks for asking me. And thank you for doing this show.
NAOMI
Neil, your wife’s loss left you to raise two kids by yourself?
NEIL
Yeah. It was hard. They were toddlers when we lost their Mom.
ON EZRA
EZRA
I didn’t know any of this.
ON SCREEN
NAOMI
What are their names?
NEIL
Hartleigh’s sixteen, and MacKenzie fourteen.
NAOMI
MacKenzie. Unusual name.
NEIL
My wife’s maiden name. Bridget Ann MacKenzie.
NAOMI
That’s beautiful.
Ro and Ezra point at each other.
EZRA/RO
(unison) MacKenzie!
ON SCREEN
NAOMI
Everyone here and at home is remembering their mother today. We’re proud of them. And of you... Mister Mom!
NEIL
Right. Mister Mom.
He chokes up a little. Naomi puts her hand over his.
Jack pauses the tape.
JACK
And the rest is...
RO
Wow. Neil’s a slow burn.
EZRA
Look at Naomi’s eyes. She’s already picking out the wedding invitations.
RO
Poor girls. Growing up without their Mom?
Jack has cued up the next clip.
JACK
Okay, so this next one was a crazy find. “Tonight at the Philharmonic.” This is the second season of the show ever. 1969.
ON SCREEN
The wings of a symphony hall in the late sixties. SOUNDS of the AUDIENCE and ORCHESTRA TUNING.
Younger Miriam, in evening gown, holding her violin and bow, with a PBS HOST in a tux, holding a mic.
HOST
How does your father feel about your retiring at such a young age, and at your peak success?
YOUNGER MIRIAM
The Maestro’s looking forward to being a grandfather. In due course.
HOST
Yes, I understand you’re getting married this summer?
YOUNGER MIRIAM
I’m marrying Dr. Eugene Wise in June. He’s right over there--
She points to the area behind the CAMERA CREW.
The camera swings around to catch a smiling, corpulent DR. WISE (50s), who waves from a small gaggle of ONLOOKERS.
ON JACK
JACK
Your Dad looks like a happy guy.
EZRA
Yep, happy and fat. I never knew him. Massive coronary when I was three.
ON SCREEN
Off to the side, shrinking out of camera range, is AARON SCHOENBERG(20s), in black tie.
YOUNGER MIRIAM
And there’s my brother, Aaron. Trying to sneak away.
HOST
Let’s bring wonderful pianist Aaron Schoenberg over. Come on over here, Aaron.
The gaggle applauds a little. Aaron sheepishly edges over, camera following him, to Miriam.
ON RO
RO
He was beautiful.
EZRA
Like Sal Mineo in “Rebel Without a Cause.”
JACK
Exactly! But man...so fucking shy.
EZRA
Troubled soul.
ON SCREEN
HOST
Aaron, feeling any pressure picking up the Schoenberg mantle?
AARON
Thank god I’ve had good teachers... Miriam was the one who really taught me to play.
MIRIAM
And some day, my talented brother will teach my son or daughter, too.
They smile at each other, and Miriam sweeps Aaron’s floppy hair away from his eyes. They laugh. VIDEO CUTS OUT.
Silence.
JACK
Man, she really loved him, didn’t she? You could see it.
Ezra rises, clears up dessert plates from the coffee table, takes them to the kitchen sink, runs the water.
Ro and Jack exchange a look.
RO
So, did he? Teach you piano?
EZRA
Mom was my teacher, but yeah. He lived with us for a year when I was twelve.
Ro gets up, helps clear dishes.
RO
Oh, wow. With you, your Mom and Naomi?
EZRA
Until she ran away.
RO
That was the same year?
EZRA
Same year.