Ed Boudreau: The Screenplay

By Marshall Stearn

Ed is a good-looking, unemployed biker. He's upset that his catatonic aunt is in a convalescent home using up their joint inheritance for her upkeep. He decides to take custody of her against the hospital administrators wishes. On the way back to California, he realizes he made a mistake. There is no going back. He solicits the help of a woman whom he just uses for sex, to house his aunt.

He leaves them both under the pretense of looking for a place for all of them in Lake Tahoe. He womanizes, gets beat up and comes back with a big story.

In the meantime , the aunt is coming alive; she is taking care of her own personal needs and begins to communicate with the help of Janice, the girlfriend.

Ed fabricates yet another story to get rid of Janice and announces he cannot take her with him as the house he has rented need lots of work to her dismay.

Ed enrolls Aunt Esther in a senior center and tries to hit on the director. She sees right through him. He cannot accept this and obsesses over her.In the end Aunt Esther becomes an accomplished watercolor painter, while Ed sinks lower in his alcoholism.

On the day of Aunt Esther's showing Ed has an hangover and cannot take her. She lets him have it with information he never knew. In the end he has takes responsibility for past and present actions in front of an AA meeting sobbing all the way through his talk. The next day he saves the life of a person who wanted nothing to do with him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marshall Stearn
• Release date: Sep 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9780961048082

Marshall Stearn

My non-fiction books represent my interests in helping the population at large. I am a psychotherapist & Life Coach and have tried to approach my interests to help the human condition, as illustrated in: Drinking & Driving, Self Hypnosis, Portraits of Passion, 90 Important Things to Survive the Future. Being a SAG-AFTRA actor I wrote Screenwriting Made Easy, and subsequent screenplays as books: Miltee, Ed Boudreau, Press Bet, Brief Encounter, Love Is A Many Splendid Thing. These are all fictional and character driven letting my creative imagination take hold. In Portraits of Passion I interviewed 32 men and women about creativity & passion for work. Some of them were known participants: Charles M Schulz(snoopy), Robert Mondavi, Melvin Belli, Steve Allen, Norman Cousins,Jerry Jampolsky, Linus Pauling, John Wooden, Alice Faye, and many others. Their work was their life!

Book preview

Ed Boudreau

A Screenplay by

Marshall B. Stearn

Copyright © 2012 Marshall B. Stearn

A print edition of this book was published by

ISBN-978-0-9610480-82

Park West Publishing Co.

Sonoma, California

[e-mail]

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INTRODUCTION

Ed Boudreau is good looking—charming to some women, and abhorred by others. The problems comes from the fact he cannot tell which is which. He makes emotional decisions on the spot, which in many cases backfire. He is teachable, but only after a while. It is a well-meaning woman who helps him, and he will also surprise her in a way she could not fathom.

His aunt you will find is a very important person in this drama, more so than even Ed could imagine. Insightfulness can take a while so hold on, don’t give up. He can be a scoundrel, but deep down there he is a man with unresolved issues.

FADE IN:

EXT. SMALL-TOWN ROAD — DAY

The sky is clearing along the Northern California coastline

It’s late morning and a few cars are noticeable on this two-lane highway.

As we follow a vehicle going east, it approaches a three-way stoplight. A small shopping center is on the left and straight ahead is a surf shop, with the SEA RESTAURANT to the right.

There are about 15 motorcycles parked in front of the restaurant.

INT. RESTAURANT — DAY

The bikers are eating breakfast. The leader of the group is ED BOUDREAU, 38, a blond, well-muscled carpenter. The group of riders defers to Ed. Their motorcycle club is the BFDs, evidenced by the decal on their jackets.

They are laughing and joking loudly, to the dismay of the other patrons. The sexy waitress serving them enjoys their flirtatious behavior. Ed slips an arm around her but she rebuffs him in a lighthearted manner.

ED

(To the guys)

I'd like some of that.

The waitress overhears what Ed said, and gives him a distasteful look. The guys all laugh. Ed has a self-satisfied grin on his face.

ED

I'll be right back, guys; got to check my messages.

Ed walks to the back of the cafe, punches in his number on the cell phone and then his code.

MESSAGE ONE (O.S.)

Ed, it's JANICE. I'm home. Give me a call when you get in. Beep. Beep. Beep.

MESSAGE TWO (O.S.)

Hello Ed, it's LISA. We met the other night at the CLUB. You said you'd take me motorcycle riding. It sounds exciting; I've never been. So give me a call 555-3566. Talk to you soon. Bye. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ed smiles and writes the number down.

MESSAGE THREE (O.S.)

MR. BOUDREAU, this is JOHN AMBROSE. I'm the administrator at the MEADOWLARK CONVALESCENT HOME in St. Paul, Minnesota. We've not received payment the last two months. Call me immediately. Otherwise, we'll have to make other arrangements. My direct line is [phone]. (CLICK) Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ed's face is ashen. He stands there looking at the receiver.

ED

(Agitated beyond belief)

God-damn-it-to-hell!

Ed hangs. Opens the phone, punches in his numbers.

GALLAHER

(Filtered sound)

Ed? What a surprise.

ED

What the hell are you doing up there? My aunt's bill hasn't been paid the last two months. The hospital's on my ass.

GALLAHER

(Filtered sound)

Calm down. I was going to pay it. I just got behind. I was out of town and when I got back I had to fire my secretary for stealing from me. I'll take care of it right away.

ED

Don't tell me to calm down! I don't want any more calls from them. What the hell do you think we're paying you for?

GALLAHER

(Sound filtered)

Don't worry; I will. Sorry, things just happened. It won't happen again. How's —

Ed hangs up. He walks out. The BFDs are still raising hell. The patrons are giving them the evil eye. Ed sits down, sullen. His friends are chatting away, oblivious to Ed's mood.

Ed picks up a beer and downs it all the way. He puts on a happy face.

ED

(To the group)

Let’s haul ass.

The BFDs make lots of noise and walk out.

EXT. FRONT OF THE SEA RESTAURANT — DAY

Engines are revving up. The group takes off with Ed in the lead. They ride west toward Stinson Beach, two abreast. The road is curvy, but these experienced riders take the curves with reckless abandon.

After a few miles, a car in front of them stalls the pack. Ed's riding very fast and close to the car, pressuring the driver to move faster. The nervous driver pulls off to the side.

EXT. ROAD — DAY

A California Highway Patrol car parked on a side road goes unnoticed by the riders.

INT. POLICE CAR — DAY

The POLICE OFFICER views the band of motorcyclists. When the last rider passes, he reaches for the car mike, picks it off of the holder and holds it to his mouth.

POLICE OFFICER

TOM, the last one just passed. I'm following. Let me know when they get to the roadblock.

TOM (O.S.)

ROGER.

EXT. ROADWAY — DAY

The