Joe Versus the Volcano Page #4

Synopsis: Joe versus the Volcano is a fable which opens with somewhat surrealistic scenes of the dehumanization of Joe Bank's job and work environment (at a company whose product rather literally screws people) with imagery that seems to have been inspired by the classic film Metropolis. Joe is diagnosed with an incurable disease, quits his dehumanizing job, and accepts an offer to briefly "live like a king, die like a man" - but to fulfill his agreement he must willingly jump into a live volcano on the island of Waponi Woo in order to appease the volcano god. En route to the island, Joe meets a series of interesting characters in NYC and LA, then boards a yacht, captained by Patricia Graynamore. During the voyage Joe and Patricia survive disaster, fall in love, and finally arrive at the island where they face their destiny.
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Production: Warner Home Video
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
5.7
Metacritic:
45
Rotten Tomatoes:
62%
PG
Year:
1990
102 min
1,656 Views


He hangs up the phone. Dede has quietly come in. She's

looking at Joe. She speaks to him in a low voice.

DEDE:

Why do you let Waturi talk to

you like that?

JOE:

Like what?

(CONTINUED)

8.

4 CONTINUED:
(5) 4

DEDE:

What's wrong with you?

JOE:

I don't... feel very good.

She looks at him. She's frustrated with this guy. This

is somebody who she could go for, but he's just lying

there like a dog waiting to be kicked. He looks at her.

If he had the strength, if he were feeling a little

better, he'd make a play for this woman. But he's

helpless. He just doesn't feel very good. Absently, he

feels the glands in his throat.

DEDE:

What's the matter with you?

JOE:

I don't know.

She stares at him. She's angry, frustrated. She turns

and walks out. Joe's eyes are shining with tears that

will not fall. He is powerless to help himself. He

mutters to himself, fierce and impotent.

JOE:

I don't know.

He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes.

5 INT. DOCTOR'S WAITING ROOM - DAY 5

We discover Joe with the heels of his hands pressed into

his eyes. This room is fluorescently lit, too, and

perhaps at first we don't realize we have gone somewhere

else. A nurse's voice is heard.

NURSE (O.S.)

Mr. Banks? Mr. Banks?

Joe, startled, takes his hands from his eyes. The CAMERA

PULLS BACK and we see we're in a doctor's waiting room.

And now we see the NURSE. She is a very conservative,

W.A.S.P. Nurse .

JOE:

Yeah?

NURSE:

Doctor Ellison will see you

now.

JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO - Rev. 5/16/89 9.

6 INT. DR. ELLISON'S OFFICE - DAY 6

The lighting in the doctor's office is the first warm,

relaxing light we've seen. It comes from lamps and a

little frosted window. The office itself is full of old

wood and books. DR. ELLISON sits in a comfortable chair,

at an old desk. He is the last word in doctors. He's a

large, respectable, distinguished, greyed-haired M.D.

He's a specialist. You get the feeling he may be a

genius.

ELLISON:

How are you feeling, Mr.

Banks?

JOE:

Pretty much the same. I feel

puffy, blotchy. I never seem

to have very much energy. I

get these little sore throats.

I just don't feel good.

ELLISON:

And how long have you felt

this way?

JOE:

Well. Pretty much since I

left the Fire Department. On

and off. But since then.

'Bout eight years.

ELLISON:

What did you do in the Fire

Department?

JOE:

Well, ah, you know, I put out

fires.

ELLISON:

Was it dangerous?

JOE:

Yeah. Ahm, pretty rough

stuff. But I came out of it

okay. The hard part was not

feeling good all the time. I

started not feeling good all

the time. So I hadda quit.

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John Patrick Shanley

John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and theatre and film director. His play Doubt: A Parable won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the 2005 Tony Award for Best Play. more…

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