The Truman Show Page #2

Truman stops at a newspaper stand and plucks an issue of

Cosmopolitan from the rack, quickly flicking through the glossy

pages. Glancing in the direction of the NEWSPAPER VENDOR and

finding him busy with another customer, Truman deftly tears a

portion of the open page and pockets the cutting.

He guiltily replaces the magazine, startled to find the

Newspaper Vendor standing close behind him.

TRUMAN:

(quickly recovering)

Gimme a copy of "The Sydney Morning Herald".

VENDOR:

We ran out.

TRUMAN:

(hastily departing)

Thanks anyway.

As Truman hurries away, the Vendor picks up the copy of Cosmo

and instantly turns to the torn page. It is a Lancome

advertisement with ISABELLA ROSSELLINI's nose missing.

Truman is still in view but the Vendor makes no effort to

confront him, almost as if he were expecting it.

Passing one of the tall, black mirrored buildings that grow

out of the pavement, Truman glimpses himself in the reflective

glass. He doesn't like what he sees and attempts to suck in his

gut, but quickly concedes defeat. The image triggers another

childhood memory.

INT. SCHOOLROOM. DAY, TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS EARLIER.

Once again, the flashback appears to be playing on a television

screen.

The sandy-haired SEVEN-YEAR-OLD TRUMAN sits in the middle row of

a Catholic Elementary School classroom surrounded by thirty-or-

so other well-scrubbed, uniformed YOUNGSTERS. DOUGLAS, the boy

next to Truman is on his feet under the scrutiny of a sixty-

year-old NUN with a face as wrinkled as her habit is starched.

DOUGLAS:

I wanna be a chiropractor like my dad.

SISTER:

(impressed)

Tell the class what a chiropractor does,

Douglas.

DOUGLAS:

He helps people by fixing their backs,

Sister Olivia.

SISTER:

That's right, Douglas.

(holding her back, hamming it up)

Perhaps I'll be your first patient.

The CLASS titters. Douglas sits down, pleased with himself,

throwing a smirk to Truman.

SISTER:

What about you, Truman?

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