Trained aka The Commuter
Last modified: October 29, 2004, 12:57 pm
The screen is all black. The repetitive sound of a trail
travelling rises.
THE COMMUTER
Where am I?
Where am I going?
How long have I been here?
FADE TO:
INT. TRAIN - DAY
THE COMMUTER is sitting facing the screen, but unaware of
the audience. He emerges from the darkness during the fade
from black, like emerging from a tunnel.
THE COMMUTER, unshaven and miserable, is dress in a black
suit, white shirt and loosely wearing a tie that has been
recently tugged at. He returns from his long day at work.
THE COMMUTER
I don't even know what day it is.
I've been doing this for a
lifetime.
Cut to mirrored image but with a young boy dressed the
same, cut back to THE COMMUTER.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
I'm just going round and round
and round.
THE COMMUTER turns and looks out of the window, we pan
round to also watch out the window, and the motion slows to
a full stop.
The motion starts to reverse as dialogue continues.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
I can barely tell if I'm coming
or going.
It seems like my life is bound to
these trains, and in return
they're rotting my soul.
Every day I do the same sorry
routine.
Still in reverse, THE COMMUTER turns and looks to the left,
the camera follows his line of sight and whip cuts to
montage of daily grind.
- Alarm clock flashes.
- Bed cover thrown back.
- Neck tie tightened.
- Suit jacket thrown over shoulders.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
I get ready for work, I wait for
the train - which is always late.
How can a train at 7am be
consistently fucking late?
Shot of a train whizzing by.
Cut to shot of THE COMMUTER on busy train surrounded by
people.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
I get on the train. I pretend to
be cattle whilst I stand for 30
minutes, though it should be 20,
staring aimlessly in to some poor
guy's armpit.
Office montage.
- Overhead shot of office workers.
- Close up of typing.
- Over shoulder at screen.
- Close up of sandwich being 'scoffed'.
- Feet kicking away from desk.
- Fingers pushing away from keyboard.
- Monitor button being flicked off.
- Monitor switching off.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
I'll get to work. Tap on a
keyboard for the best part of 10
hours, only to break for a
lightning visit to the deli, then
I have the grand old pleasure of
repeating my journey.
Cut to overhead view of train crowd. Cut to split screens
of delayed train times.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
Only this time the delays are
severe, SEVERE! How did they get
so bad?! And then there's the
random peppering of comedy and
chaos.
Cut to static image of FAT MAN eating a burger, slow zoom
inward.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
The fat bloke guzzling on a
burger while the rest of us have
to put up with his stench.
Cut to static image of BAG LADY collapsing with bags next
to THE COMMUTER.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
There's the bag lady, not the
kind that raids the bins, thank
God, but the type with 20 or so
shopping bags - all designed to
get on nerves and in my way.
Cuts to THE COMMUTER sweating and agitated.
THE COMMUTER (CONT'D)
Then t top this all off, then
driver's got the heat on full
whack in the middle of the summer
which only makes you want to pass
out or throw someone out of the
window just to get a breath of
fresh air.
Why do I do this to myself?
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Where the fuck am I going?
COMMUTER POV: looking at photo of woman with a young child.
Photo dissolves in to action - woman in kitchen with child
making butterfly cakes.
Home.
That's where I'm going.
I'm going home.
THE COMMUTER walks through the door and child throws her
arms around him.
FADE TO BLACK.
A Sharp Focus Film Selection
