Captain Fantastic Page #2

ZAJA:

Shouldn't we aim here? A knife in

the lungs creates pneumothorax. Ornext to the sternum, to penetratethe heart? That would be instant

death.

Ben looks over at his 8-year old, standing next to Nai.

BEN:

If it makes you happy, Zaj. Sure.

Aim for the heart.

Vespyr eyes her sister, but is still hesitating.

BEN (CONT’D)

The stick will break before it hurts

her.

Vespyr attacks again, but this time she overcompensates,

Kielyr's parry is ineffectual, and Vespyr's stick hits hersister in the stomach. The stick breaks and Kielyr YELPS inpain.

BEN (CONT’D)

Good.

(CONTINUED)

GREEN (9.2.2014) 5.

5 CONTINUED:
5

KIELYR:

What?! How is that good? She stabbed

me! She f***ing stabbed me!

BEN:

Then you better learn to defend

yourself.

Ben hands Vespyr another stick.

6 EXT. TIPI. NIGHT. 6

Flames illuminate the faces of the family, as they eat roast

venison, sitting on the ground in a circle around the fire.

By the light of candles and kerosene lamps, the kids are allreading books way beyond their years: Nai is reading theEncyclopedia Brittanica, he's on letter "J"; Kielyr is

reading "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of HumanSocieties" by Jared Diamond; Rellian reads Dostoyevsky's "The

Brothers Karamazov;" Bo is reading a college Calculus

textbook.

BEN:

Zaj. Page.

Zaja holds "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. She glances at the

page number.

ZAJA:

398.

Ben records this in a notebook.

BEN:

You still liking it?

Zaja nods.

BEN (CONT’D)

I thought you would. To stay on

schedule for the test you need to be

finished in 8 days. Vesp?

Vespyr holds "The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the

Texture of Reality" by Brian Greene.

VESPYR:

Just finished Chapter 12, "The World

on a String."

Ben looks up at her.

(CONTINUED)

GREEN (9.2.2014) 6.

6 CONTINUED:
6

VESPYR (CONT’D)

What.

BEN:

Are you having trouble with quantumentanglement?

VESPYR:

No.

BEN:

Planck length vs. Planck time?

VESPYR:

I'm fine.

BEN:

Good, then tomorrow you can give alittle presentation on M-Theory,

argue counter-points with Bo andRell vis-a-vis Witten and Dirac.

Vespyr makes a face at Kielyr. Neither sees that Ben catchesthe look.

Ben puts down his notebook. He watches the children readingfor a moment.

Then he picks up his guitar. Improvises a rhythmic strum.

Punctuates it with little, abrupt vocalizations. So funky onecan't help but be drawn in.

The kids ignore him, but gradually, one at a time, each ofthem pick up a different musical instrument - a flute, drums,

a trombone, a violin - and joins him.

Soon, everyone is up on their feet. Dancing and singing andplaying their instruments - illuminated by the light of thefire - grooving to their improvised song and having a blast.

7 EXT. FOREST. MORNING.

Leaping over stumps, ducking under branches, Ben and the kidsrace through the forest.

7

8 EXT. SHED. DAY.

From out of his workshop shed, Ben carries some handmadewooden birdhouses, helped by Bo and Vespyr.

8

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote