Becoming a Father
pages 1 - 15

SETTING:
Columbia River Gorge (daytime)

A glorious spring day.

Two men in their 30s, Ben Sutton and Jeremy Lansing, are hiking up Hamilton Mountain, a 2,500-foot bluff in the Cascade Range.

As they gain elevation, the views of the Columbia River become more breathtaking.

Halfway up, they stop on a rocky cliff to sit and rest.

JEREMY: “When does Elizabeth get back into town?”

BEN: “Her flight gets in late tonight.”

JEREMY: “Where was she again? New York?”

BEN: “Yeah, she gave a talk at a conference out there.”

JEREMY: “About what?”

BEN: “Uh… I’m not sure exactly. Something to do with medicine.”

JEREMY: “You’re supposed to know these things.”

BEN: “I know. I gotta work on that.”

Jeremy reaches into his backpack and takes out two packets of trail mix. He offers one to Ben.

BEN (taking the packet): “Thanks.”

They eat their trail mix in silence, taking in the view and enjoying the warm sunshine.

Nearby on the trail, a man and a woman hike past. In a carrier on the man’s back is a small child. Ben notices them then looks at Jeremy.

BEN: “Word on the street is you and Dana are trying to have a baby.”

Jeremy takes a drink from his water bottle. A wry smile sneaks across his face.

JEREMY: “I’m routinely amazed at how reliable the street is.”

A pause.

JEREMY: “What about you guys?”

BEN: “We’ve been trying for about six months. I guess that depends on how you define trying, though.”

Jeremy looks confused.

BEN: “We pulled the goalie six months ago, but it took five months for Elizabeth to start ovulating, so—”

JEREMY: “Whoa! Dude! I don’t need to know all that. That’s some serious oversharing. Waaaaay too much information.”

BEN: “Women talk about this stuff all the time.”

JEREMY: “I want you to listen to what you just said.”

Ben opens his mouth to reply, then hesitates and closes his mouth.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s House (night)

The house is a total mess.

Ben is feverishly cleaning: picking clothes up off the bedroom floor and throwing them into the hamper, taking empty pizza boxes and a handful of beer cans out to the recycling bin, wiping toothpaste splatter off the bathroom mirror, rinsing tiny facial hairs down the bathroom sink.

He is hurriedly leaving the bathroom when he stops in his tracks to return and put the toilet seat down.

More feverish cleaning: loading up the dishwasher and staring it, wiping down the countertops, sweeping and swiffering the floor.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s House (one hour later)

Sultry jazz, coming from the record player in the living room, softly fills the house—which is now in tip-top shape.

A relaxed Ben is putting the finishing touches on the living room—draping a blanket over a chair and fluffing the couch cushions—when a car pulls into the driveway. He looks out the front window and sees a blue sedan. He quickly walks over to the fireplace mantel, lights two candles, and dims the overhead light.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s Driveway (same time)

Elizabeth Sutton, in her 30s, gets out of the passenger seat and walks back to the trunk to grab her carry-on.

She closes the trunk then pokes her head back into the car.

ELIZABETH: “Thanks, Shari. See you tomorrow.”

SHARI ADAMS: “Good night.”

Elizabeth shuts the car door.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s House (same time)

Ben is still in the living room, setting out some cheese and crackers and pouring two glasses of chardonnay.

He hears the side door open, then Elizabeth’s voice, laced with a lilt of anticipation:

ELIZABETH (off screen): “Hello…”

BEN: “Hi, Sweetie! I’m in the living room!”

Elizabeth sets down her luggage, slips off her shoes, and walks into the kitchen. She notices the corkscrew and the foil wrapper from a wine bottle on the countertop.

ELIZABETH: “Is there a special occasion I should know about?”

She walks into the living room, where Ben stands ready to greet her with a wine glass in each hand. He smiles…

BEN: “Welcome home.”

…and offers her one of the glasses.

ELIZABETH: Hug you first?

BEN: Of course!

Elizabeth sets her purse and two small gift bags down on the coffee table. Ben sets down the glasses of wine.

They give each other a long, tender hug.

BEN: I missed you.

ELIZABETH: I missed you too.

They end their hug with an affectionate kiss.

ELIZABETH: I have something for you.

Elizabeth picks up the larger of the two gift bags. She is excited for Ben to see what’s inside.

ELIZABETH: We had a long layover in St. Louis, so I did a little shopping.

She hands the bag to Ben. He peeks inside…

BEN: Sweet!

…and pulls out an infant-sized St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.

Ben has a big smile on his face. He punches his fist into the cap to open it, then he uses both hands to form the bill, giving it a nice curve.

BEN: This is awesome. Thank you.

Elizabeth is beaming.

ELIZABETH: I thought you might like it.

BEN: Fingers crossed that we’ll get the chance to use this someday.

Elizabeth does not respond to Ben’s comment but picks up and hands him the other bag.

ELIZABETH: This one is from New York.

Ben feels how light the bag is. He gently shakes it.

BEN: Hmm… A miniature Statue of Liberty?

ELIZABETH: Nope.

BEN: A pen from Times Square that shows the ball drop when you hold it upright? I’ve always wanted one of those.

ELIZABETH: You should just open it.

Ben peeks inside the bag and is completely taken aback. His jaw drops and his eyes widen. He looks at Elizabeth.

BEN: So this is, like, from a day or two ago?

Elizabeth is delighting in seeing his surprise.

ELIZABETH (nodding): Yesterday.

Ben reaches in and pulls out a pregnancy test stick. He stares at the indicator lines.

BEN: So that means…

Elizabeth grabs the infant Cardinals hat from off the coffee table and holds it against her belly.

ELIZABETH (mimicking a child’s voice): Hi, Dada.

BEN: …you’re pregnant.

Elizabeth has gone from beaming to glowing.

ELIZABETH: We’re gonna have a baby.

BEN: That’s super exciting!

ELIZABETH: I know.

Ben takes a moment to let it sink in a little.

BEN: We’re gonna have a baby. Wow…

Another moment passes. More sinking in.

BEN: So no wine for you.

ELIZABETH: I guess we’ll just have to find some other way to celebrate.

She raises an eyebrow seductively.

BEN: I’m flexible.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s House (later)

Moonlight pours in the windows of Ben and Elizabeth’s bedroom.

Elizabeth is sleeping peacefully, but Ben is wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He looks troubled.

BEN (VOICE OVER): I don’t know how most guys react to the news that they’re about to become a father, but it scared the shit out of me.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben & Elizabeth’s House (the next day)

Ben is dressed in a nice suit—though he himself looks terrible as a result of spending the entire night worrying. His eyes are bloodshot, with dark bags underneath.

He is brushing his teeth in front of the bathroom mirror.

BEN (VOICE OVER): It was like someone flipped a switch and shone a giant, unforgiving spotlight on thirty-five years’ worth of fears, regrets, and insecurities.

He stops brushing and takes a long, searching look at himself in the mirror.

BEN: What have I done.

Just then Elizabeth appears in the bathroom doorway. She is putting her heels on, getting ready to leave for work.

ELIZABETH: I hope you have a great day!

Ben musters a half-hearted reply:

BEN: You too.

Elizabeth’s face softens. She looks at him tenderly.

ELIZABETH: You doin’ alright?

BEN: Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all.

She doesn’t entirely believe him, but she chooses not to press him.

ELIZABETH: Okay.

Elizabeth leans in for a kiss. They give each other a quick peck on the lips.

ELIZABETH: We don’t have any food in the house, so think about what you’d like to do for dinner tonight.

BEN: I’ll call you later.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Interstate 84

Ben is driving to work on the Interstate.

It’s the morning rush hour, so traffic is thick.

BEN (VOICE OVER): Suddenly, the world seemed to be one giant minefield.

Ben sees that woman in the car to his left is texting while driving. The following words fade in then fade out:

Texting while driving: 5,976 deaths per year

To his right, Ben sees a police motorcyle and an old pickup truck parked on the shoulder of the road. A police officer is giving a man a field sobriety test. The following words fade in then fade out:

Drunk driving: 33,737 deaths per year

The Interstate winds by a large construction site. Ben sees a construction worker climbing a ladder. The following words fade in then fade out:

Ladder falls: 473 deaths per year

An ambulance with its lights flashing and its siren blaring speeds by on the overpass just as Ben is about to drive underneath it. The following words fade in then fade out:

Medical errors: 194,592 deaths per year

Ben looks up and sees a billboard with a picture of a big, juicy cheeseburger on it and the words “Exit Now.” The following words fade in then fade out:

Heart disease: 652, 724 deaths per year

BEN (VOICE OVER): Here my son or daughter wasn’t even a week old in the womb, and all I could think about was dying and leaving them to grow up without a father. I mean, it happens. Why couldn’t it happen to me?

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Downtown Portland

An establishing shot of downtown Portland, with a focus on the U.S. Bancorp Tower, the second tallest and arguably the most iconic skyscraper in Portland.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
The Lobby of the U.S. Bancorp Tower

The lobby is bustling with well-dressed business professionals.

Ben is first in line at the lobby coffee shop.

BARISTA: Hi! What can I get started for you?

BEN: I’ll have a regular coffee, please.

BARISTA: Anything else?

BEN: No thanks.

BARISTA: Okay, one regular coffee. That will be $2.75.

BEN: Ya know what? Let’s make that a large.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
U.S. Bancorp Elevator (moments later)

Ben and three other people are standing in one of the building’s elevators as the doors begin to close.

Just then, a hand grabs hold of the door and causes it to slide back open. Bill Mitchell, early 60s, gets in. He is wearing a suit and carrying a nice leather briefcase.

Bill sees Ben and he is taken aback.

BILL: Holy shit, man! You look awful! Please tell me you’re not in court today.

Ben squirms a little, being conscious of what Bill appears to be oblivious to: that there are three other people on the elevator.

BEN: No, I’m just meeting with a few clients and doing some case prep.

BILL: Not clients who expect their attorney to not be hung over I hope.

BEN: Good morning to you too, Bill.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben’s Office (moments later)

Ben is in his office overlooking the city, staring blankly out the window.

After a moment, he walks over to a credenza on the opposite side of the room. On top of the credenza are several framed photographs. He picks up a photo of a man in his 40s with his arm around a young boy.

As Ben stares at the photo, his eyes will up with tears.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
City Parking Lot (that afternoon)

It’s lunchtime.

The otherwise empty parking lot is filled with food trucks and people: business professionals, blue-collar workers, hipsters, tourists, parents with young children, etc., all standing around, either waiting to order or waiting for their food.

Ben and Bill are seated at a nearby park bench, about to dig in to their meals.

Bill looks at Ben’s meal in total disbelief.

BILL: What is that!?

BEN: It’s a veggie bowl.

Something’s not adding up for Bill. We can see the gears turning in his head…

BEN: What are you looking at me like that for?

…then it comes to him:

BILL: You guys are expecting, aren’t you?

Ben tries to laugh it off.

BEN: I order a veggie bowl and you jump to the outrageous conclusion that we’re expecting a baby? That’s a stretch.

BILL: No, I arrive at the conclusion that you’re expecting because you show up for work looking like a hostage, you cancel all your appointments for the day, and—in the five years I’ve known you—this is the first time I’ve ever seen you order anything other than a cheeseburger and fries.

Ben says nothing, shovels a forkful of healthy food into his mouth.

BILL: When Sandra told me she was pregnant with Katie, I sold my motorcycle, stopped smoking, and joined a gym—all that same day. Finding out you’re gonna be a dad is a trip, man.

Ben is stilled, comforted by what Bill has just said.

BILL: Seriously. How far along is she?

A pause.

BEN: Three days. I just found out last night.

Bill smiles a big smile and slaps Ben on the back.

BILL: Congratulations!

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Ben’s Office (same afternoon)

Ben is seated at his desk, holding his office phone to his ear. On his desk are two Portland Timbers scarves.

BEN: Wanna go on a date tonight? Bill just gave us his Timbers tickets.

***CUT TO:

SETTING:
Providence Park (that evening)

The home field of the Portland Timbers soccer team.

A game is underway.

Ben and Elizabeth are in the stands, each wearing a Timbers scarf. They are surrounded by passionate fans who are much more decked out in team gear than they are.

ELIZABETH: What!? You told Bill that we’re pregnant!?

BEN: Technically I told him that you’re pregnant. We haven’t really discussed if we’re gonna be one of those couples who does that whole we’re pregnant thing.

ELIZABETH: Ya know what else we haven’t discussed!? Telling people we’re pregnant! No one does that three days into their pregnancy! Most people don’t do that until three months into their pregnancy! What did you tell him!?

BEN: He asked me a direct question. What was I supposed to say?

Elizabeth looks at him with an expression that suggests it is obvious what he should have said.

ELIZABETH: You should have told him it was none of his business.

Elizabeth shakes her head in disbelief and disgust.

ELIZABETH: So he just…what?…walked into your office and asked if we were pregnant. That doesn’t even make any sense. Who does that!?

BEN: It wasn’t like that. He just figured it out.

A beat.

BEN: Between my bloodshot eyes, canceling my appointments, and ordering a veggie bowl at lunch, he just, ya know, put two and two—

Elizabeth’s face instantly softens.

ELIZABETH: You ordered a veggie bowl today?

BEN: Yes! I ordered a freaking veggie bowl! Why is that so shocking to everyone?

ELIZABETH: I’ve just…never seen you order anything…healthy before. No wonder Bill thought we were pregnant.

Elizabeth looks at Ben with deep admiration and love.

ELIZABETH: You ordered a veggie bowl because you love our baby.

Ben’s eyes well up with tears.

BEN: I just…I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad today. He was only forty-three when he died…which…I mean, I had nineteen years with him. But I just keep thinkin’…

A tear overflows and runs down Ben’s cheek.

BEN: …what if I only live to forty-three? Ya know?

Ben rubs Elizabeth’s belly.

BEN: This baby would only be seven years old. And if we have more kids, they’d be even younger.

Elizabeth reaches out and takes Ben’s hand.

BEN: I just wanna do whatever I can to be around for as long as I can. That’s all.

ELIZABETH: There’s a lot we can do to try and keep you around for as long as we can. And there’s a lot that’s out of our hands. But whether you’re around for two years, twelve years, or fifty years, our kids are going to be so fortunate to have you as their dad.

Ben nods, thankful for Elizabeth’s reassuring words.

ELIZABETH: You’re gonna be a great dad, Ben Sutton.

BEN: Thanks.

Ben looks like a huge weight has been lifted. More tears stream down his face. He wipes away at them with the back of his hand.

Just then, one of the Timbers players scores the go-ahead goal and the stadium erupts with cheers.

Behind Ben, a drunk fan accidentally spills his beer down Ben’s shirt sleeve.

This is no ordinary fan: He’s not wearing a shirt and his entire upper body is painted green. Across his chest, in big white letters, are painted the words: Rose City ’Til I Die.

DRUNK FAN: Aw, man! Did I get you? I’m so sorry!

Ben turns around and looks at him.

BEN: It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it.

The drunk fan notices Ben’s red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

DRUNK FAN: Are you crying?

BEN: Yes.

DRUNK FAN: Wow… You’re an even bigger fan than I am!