"MATERIALISTS" (2025)

It’s the stone age.

CLOSE on ancient wild flowers moving in the wind.

CLOSE on a rough and hairy set of a MAN’S HANDS, selecting a piece of obsidian from a pile of stones.

The hands begin chipping away at the piece, “knapping” through the process of “lithic reduction”, until the stone tool is sharp enough to cut through skin.

Back to CLOSE on ancient wild flowers moving in the wind. The hands cut the flowers with the stone tool and gather them up into a bouquet.

He puts it on top of a pile of stone tools over thin leather. He wraps up the stones into a leather satchel and sticks the bouquet of flowers in it.

The owner of the hands - a YOUNG CAVEMAN - begins walking through the field from his camp site that he shares with his two brothers.

He has t he leather satchel on his back - inside are the finished stone tools and the wild flowers sticking out.

A1 EXT. ANCIENT FIELDS - ROUGH TERRAIN - 20,000 B.C. A1

We see him cross rough terrain.

B1 EXT. ANCIENT FIELDS - A STREAM OF WATER - 20,000 B.C. B1

We see him walk past a stream of water. He looks into his reflection.

The sun begins setting as he reaches his destination -

- which is a cave that a cavefamily of eight lives in - mother, father, and six children.

The mother of the family is pregnant and feeding her youngest toddler through the mouth - a gesture believed to be the origin of a kiss. The father is nowhere to be seen, probably out hunting with the eldest male child. The two young middle children of the cavefamily are painting their handprints on the wal l of their cave-home.

The eldest daughter of the family - YOUNG CAVEWOMAN - looks outside and sees very far away on the field that the young caveman is coming towards their cave.

She goes to the cooking area of the cave, grabs some of the dried meats and berries from their piles (a little too much), and wraps them in a big piece of leaf. We can see in her eagerness that she has a crush on the young caveman on his way to her family’s cave.

A2 EXT. ANCIENT CAVE A2

OTS of the young caveman, steadying his breath as he approaches the cave.

He arrives and sees the young cavewoman who is beaming at him, glad to see him. Her smile stops him in his tracks, and he can’t help but smile a little too. She extends the package of food she made for him. He takes it gratefully.

He can’t seem to make prolonged eye contact with her, which makes her feel playful. In his shyness, you can see that he has a crush on her too.

They both crouch down on the ground. He takes his satchel down from his back and unwraps it to show her the tools he made. She eagerly takes a look at them. She chooses two, but he grabs a couple extra and gives her those too.

He then takes the bouquet of wild flowers he brought from near his campsite and hands it to her. We realize that the flowers look and feel like her. She turns red as she takes them and hides behind them, which makes him laugh.

He pulls a flower from the bouquet, and makes a little ring out of it.

He takes her hand and puts it on her finger.

WIDE of the two of them, gazing at each other - tenderly, carefully - in love.

TITLE:

M A T E R I A L I S T S

MORNING

Through a small mirror, we watch a woman put on make up. We start with eyes, then nose, then lips.

It’s hard to see who it is at first - because we are seeing individual features only - but this is our protagonist, LUCY, getting ready to go.

Her apartment is totally livable and average, worth about $3200 (2022 fall market).

Lucy is walking down the street.

She is looking at someone walking towards her with a penetrating gaze.

A good-looking MAN in his 40s with a smart suit is eyeing her, flirting with her as he approaches her. You can tell that the guy is moneyed. He looks like the dream man of every girl who moved to NYC after having grown up in the 2000s thinking it would be like Sex and the City.

They pass each other. Lucy takes a few extra steps, but then stops abruptly.

She turns around and starts walking quickly back to catch up to the man she just made eye contact with.

In another movie, this would be an adorable meet-cute that spurs a love story. In this movie, however, this is just a part of Lucy’s business.

She catches up to the man and taps him lightly on the shoulder, having him turn around.

The man looks a little startled, but smiles back, thinking that she’s going to ask him for his number or give him hers.

Lucy hands him a business card, but it’s not what he thinks.

She shakes his hand.

She turns around and walks away.

The man is stunned. CLOSE on Lucy’s business card in the man’s hands.

Lucy enters the frame and approaches a french bistro on the corner - she’s here to meet her client Sophie, who is sitting inside already.

Lucy’s phone rings. She stops and answers outside the bistro before entering.

Beat.

Beat. We can see in Lucy’s face (even in the wide) that she is annoyed as hell.

Beat.

Lucy has a million things to say to him, but holds her tongue like a good matchmaker.

James hangs up. Lucy puts the phone away and keeps walking.

We follow her to the restaurant where she is meeting her client Sophie.

We meet SOPHIE (39, resting frown face, definitely not “fat”, quite beautiful for a lawyer i.e. doesn’t look like an instagram model or an actress) who is sitting across from Lucy. They are both drinking a glass of rose.

Sophie tries to contain it, but she is beaming.

Lucy stops her before she goes on any further.

Sophie looks shocked.

Sophie looks furious. Indignant.

Lucy’s face hardens.

Sophie looks so unhappy.

They both look annoyed.

Lucy and Sophie look like tragic figures at this lovely French bistro. They are bound together by their respective failures.

Lucy’s gaze is steady. To our eyes, she looks like she really means it.

A6 EXT. ADORE OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING A6

Lucy is headed to the matchmaking company office. Angle up on Lucy approaching the building from street level, entering on the lower floor.

Lucy enters her matchmaking company office -

It is filled with a dozen beautiful women, who all get up to hug her. These women are all matchmakers at Adore. This is like a scene from Mad Men and the Wolf of Wall Street, except it’s just fifteen hot women.

VIOLET, not much older than Lucy, is the head matchmaker at Adore. She is, besides the rarely-present founders (two tech startup women living in San Francisco), the big boss.

She sounds/feels like a seasoned madame at a brothel who’s seen it all, but looks like an instagram model.

She hugs Lucy so tight, then immediately and smoothly transitions into a speech. She is impossibly well-spoken and professional AF.

The matchmakers all vocalize loudly in celebration.

With that, someone pops a champagne.

A matchmaker ROSE (20s, really fun) brings out an elegant cake that says: HAPPY 9TH WEDDING, LUCY

Lucy loves it and yelps with excitement when she sees it. The matchmakers coo and shout - super impressed and even a little jealous.

They continue chanting until Lucy gives a speech.

Lucy makes a gestures with her hands to suggest that the hairline is so-so (kinda high), which cracks all the matchmakers up.

The matchmakers cheer triumphantly. There is something almost bro-y ab out it. The whole thing feels like a sporting event.

The matchmakers are drunk, smoking on the fire escape at the Adore office. They are all talking shop, gossiping about their clients and trading anecdotes.

Lucy is smoking with DAISY (mid-30s, icy, coolest, sexiest, toughest, basically looks and feels like a bond girl, but undeniably a trust-fu nd baby, raised in the Upper East Side who does this job mostly as a hobby) from the recruitment department. They are talking shop as well:

Direct opposite of what she said to Sophie.

Beat.

Lucy nods.

Lucy nods.

Beat, as Daisy puts out her cigarette.

Lucy laughs.

Beat.

Lucy laughs.

This is Lucy’s client Charlotte B.’s wedding to Peter C.

It’s the kind of absurd fairy tale dream wedding that you get when one’s ultra-wealthy father says “don’t worry about the money, honey”. It’s spectacular enough to end up in the New York Times, and so there are wedding journalists around as well. The venue is filled with beautifully-dressed guests.

HARRY, the best man at the wedding and Peter’s brother, enters the crowd gathered for the cocktail hour and makes his way towards the bar. Harry is tall, handsome, rich, has good taste - has everything, needs nothing.

After kissing his aunts and uncles on the cheeks, he breaks away from them to get a drink.

We follow him OTS through the beautifully-dressed crowd.

He is stopped frequently by his older family members who grab him for a warm hello and a kiss on the cheek. We see that some of the eligible bachelorettes at the party are checking him out. We see some guys - some family, some friends - greet him with enthusiasm and a little bit of envy. It’s clear: he is the perfect golden boy.

Just as he reaches the bar, we see that his gaze turns towards something, landing on -

Lucy.

Lucy is surrounded by the female attendees at the wedding, the center of their eager attention.

Harry starts eavesdropping on their conversation, after asking the bartender for a drink (nice bourbon, neat).

They do not believe her.

They wait for the “but” -

Along with Patricia, all the women at the wedding take their cards out to give to Lucy. Some men hand Lucy a card as well.

CLOSE on Harry as he watches all this go down. It clearly amuses him.

Lucy turns to look at the maid of honor.

Lucy, maid of honor, and the bridesmaids descend down the hallway towards the bridal suite.

It’s an emergency. It looks like the president being escorted into the situation room. Deathly serious.

Lucy, maid of honor, and the bridesmaids burst into the bridal suite, where all work to get CHARLOTTE (late-30s, attractive, moneyed, “works in fashion”) ready for the wedding ceremony has ceased.

Charlotte is drinking, and it’s clear that she’s been crying.

Beat, as they clear out.

Lucy is left alone with Charlotte.

Beat.

Charlotte thinks.

Beat.

Charlotte thinks deeply. Lucy is patient.

Finally, she has the answer, but she hesitates to share.

Charlotte gathers up the courage to share. Lucy waits.

Beat. Lucy doesn’t react.

Beat.

After thinking about it, Charlotte nods... she is smiling now.

Charlotte hugs Lucy. Lucy holds her for a moment.

When they break apart, Lucy and Charlotte look at each other and smile.

A celebratory burst of energy.

Charlotte and Peter just got married, and they kiss each other. There is no trace of Charlotte having cried, and the two of them look so happy.

Crisis averted, thanks to Lucy. Everyone is cheering.

Harry approaches the singles table, and sees Lucy sitting in her assigned seat. There is no one sitting next to her at the moment.

He switches his own card with the card of the person who is sitting next to Lucy before anyone notices.

Lucy looks at his name card. She shakes Harry’s hand.

Beat. The two of them smile at each other.

It’s really disarming, the way Harry understands her job immediately. It’s a flirtation.

Beat.

Beat. Lucy examines Harry for a brief moment, then decides to tell Harry the truth.

Harry looks surprised.

This makes Harry laugh.

Beat.

Lucy and Harry look at each other.

Harry laughs, a little uncomfortable but deeply enjoying himself. He feels so seen by her.

They both smirk.

Beat.

A CATER WAITER enters the frame as she says “coke and beer” and puts a coke and beer in front of her like magic.

Lucy looks at Harry like how did you do that?

Harry looks bewildered too. He certainly didn’t guess her weird order.

Lucy turns to look at the server - and sees that the cater waiter who knows her order is her ex-boyfriend from college, JOHN (a theatre actor, naturally good-looking, looks clean- cut at the moment since he’s working but usually looks like a bum).

Lucy is so surprised to see him.

She gets up and hugs John.

The sight is strange for everyone watching, including Harry - a guest hugging the help.

John smiles and nods to Harry as well, never dropping his professionalism. He walks away, back to work.

Lucy stands there for a brief moment. Lucy has a complicated expression on her face.

HARRY’S FATHER is giving a speech to a hushed reception hall. He is an amateurish public speaker, reading from the notes app on his phone. He’s clearly been practicing. HARRY’S MOTHER stands next to him, holding his hand.

Behind him, the wedding cake has already been cut into by the bride and groom, and now the servers are cutting it into smaller slices and putting them on plates for the guests.

He speaks frankly and earnestly in a way that only a non- performer can. It’s awkward and not-at-all polished (should be in stark contrast to the incredible speeches by the matchmakers we’ve seen earlier in the film) but it’s deeply beautiful:

HARRY’S FATHER ... Love is the last religion, the last country, the last surviving ideology - so what else really is there to believe in? When you get lost, and I know you’ll be lost at times, it’s life - when you’re lost, the answer’s simple, just go where love is. Just go where love is.

Lucy is in the audience, sitting next to Harry.

The wedding dance party is in full swing. Everyone is dancing and singing along to Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. They are having so much fun.

We see that Lucy is not there, and Harry is chatting with a friend.

Lucy walks out of the glittering hotel entrance and heads over to the loading dock - and runs straight into John, who is carrying boxes of used glass cups, loading the truck.

A17 EXT. WEDDING VENUE - LOADING DOCK - MOMENTA LATER - NIGHTA17

Lucy and John are now smoking a cigarette together.

John is still in his uniform, but he looks more disheveled than he did earlier. It’s clear that the dinner service is over and he’s done with his gig for the night.

Lucy feels different with John. No longer a matchmaker, but just a girl.

They smile at each other.

Beat.

Beat.

John smirks and puts out his cigarette.

Beat, as John stares at Lucy.

Lucy looks at John’s face, pointing at it, pretending to memorize it like a geographical map.

John smiles and points at her face, pretending to memorize it like a constellation.

Beat.

Lucy puts out her cigarette.

He leans in and kisses her.

It deepens quickly. They start getting carried away, but then John pulls back.

Lucy looks down at his penis that is fully hard. He covers his face in shame.

Beat.

Harry is slow dancing with a child family member. Harry limps a bit with the little girl’s feet on his feet. They are dancing to So Young by The Ronettes.

Lucy walks over to Harry who is still dancing on the dance floor and extends her arm to hand him a business card.

The little girl who was dancing with him runs off.

Lucy puts it in Harry’s breast pocket where there is a pretty boutonniere.

Lucy thinks about it.

Lucy takes Harry’s hand and the two of them start slow dancing.

We notice John, who has just entered the wedding hall. John is out of uniform, ready to leave with her. He sees that she’s dancing with Harry, so he waits.

Lucy thinks this should’ve sufficiently scared him off but -

Harry smirks.

This finally makes Lucy laugh. The two of them laugh together.

John is trying not to stare, but he can’t help it - he watches the two of them.

Lucy shakes her head.

The two of them ride in John’s piece of shit car. It shouldn’t escape anyone that a limo would’ve been better.

They drive in silence for a moment.

It’s kinda awkward, but then John puts on some music - You Can’t Put Your Arms Round a Memory by Johnny Thunders.

John lightly sings along to the song, which makes Lucy laugh. She might even join in.

They drive on for a beat, listening to the song.

John nods.

John looks at her.

Beat.

We think that they’ll laugh about something or talk about something they remember from the relationship, but they don’t. It’s just chilly silence between them.

FLASHBACK BEGINS:

The same car, seven years ago, when they were still together. They are sitting in the same seats, but the mood is entirely different.

Lucy and John turn to look at what Lucy is pointing at, and it’s a parking garage that advertises it’s price: $25/hr

Two bikes zip right past the car.

We pass the point of no return for that particular $25/hr garage. Pedestrians jaywalk in front of them.

More bikes, then a car starts honking next to them.

A car alarm goes off.

Lucy points to another parking garage, and John looks - its price is: $20 for 40 minutes

There’s an empty street parking spot that opens up right in front of them. The two of them yelp with genuine excitement... that quickly turns to unhappy groans as the car right in front of them starts taking the spot.

Before you know it, the empty spot is being backed into, and Lucy and John have to watch their dream of free parking and being on time for their dinner reservation disappear before their eyes.

Lucy shakes her head.

Lucy exits the car in the middle of the street, while the car in front of them is doing the most insane New York-style parallel parking.

Lucy slams the door.

John throws his hands up and exits the car too.

Lucy stops in her tracks.

The cars behind them start honking.

John looks so hurt by this.

Beat.

John doesn’t say anything.

Beat. The cars are still honking.

Lucy turns and walks away.

John wants to call out to her and run after her, but his car is there, so he just stands there like a stone statue in the middle of the city’s cacophony. He looks unbearably lonely.

We notice that there is a halal cart nearby.

FLASHBACK ends.

Same seats, five years later. The song that was playing earlier has ended and it’s silent.

It is strikingly quiet in comparison to the flashback.

Lucy and John are not looking at each other. They look straight on.

John’s car pulls up in front of Lucy’s apartment.

They both get out of the car.

The two of them look at each other.

They look at each other.

John gets in the car and drives away.

Lucy goes to her apartment alone.

Client meeting with MASON (late-30s, a CEO at a tech startup, nerdy, awkward, really into the original Game of Thrones, goes to burning man, efficiency-obsessed):

Mason doesn’t think it’s very funny.

All meetings with clients are happening at this coffee shop.

Client meeting with ROBERT (47, a creative director at some design firm, warm, charming, full head of hair, good height, good gym-going body, nice face, well-dressed). He is the guy Lucy picked up in the opening scene in the streets.

Robert stops Lucy, suddenly looking annoyed and cold. All charm drains out of him.

Beat.

Beat.

Client meeting with TREVOR (30s-40s, a hidden criminal record, a complete narcissist):

Beat.

This is not a client meeting but a date with Harry at an expensive Michelin-starred romantic restaurant.

Harry is dressed impeccably and expensively. He is smiling as he elegantly points to his choice of red wine on the menu.

The sommelier uncorks the bottle of wine and pours Harry a little bit for a taste.

Harry has a sip.

Harry gently approves.

The sommelier pours Harry a glass.

The sommelier pours Lucy a glass as well.

Lucy has a sip of the red wine. It is phenomenal.

Harry and Lucy are eating beautiful appetizers.

Lucy looks. Harry meets her eyes so that she can see. They really aren’t bad.

Beat.

Harry has bought out the restaurant and the incredible sushi chef is serving them Michelin star level sushi.

Harry thinks.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy is on the phone with her client Sophie outside the restaurant.

Harry arrives, holding a bouquet of flowers. It is clearly one that’s worth hundreds of dollars, and it should contrast the bouquet that the young caveman brought his sweetheart in the opening scene.

Lucy hangs up.

Harry hands Lucy the bouquet of flowers, which lights her up.

They kiss. Harry notices that Lucy is tense.

Lucy rolls her eyes.

Harry laughs.

The meal is over, and Harry picks up the bill in one beautiful gesture.

Lucy does an impression of Harry picking up the bill. It’s smooth, and elegant, and effortless.

This cracks him up.

Lucy looks around.

He’s right. It is unbelievably romantic.

Harry smiles.

Lucy looks at him.

They bring the bill back for Harry to sign the receipt, and Harry signs effortlessly, without hesitation.

Harry smiles. Lucy doesn’t.

Harry does, but doesn’t say.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy looks completely insecure and vulnerable.

Beat. Lucy and Harry look at each other, letting the question hang in the air. Harry looks a little frustrated.

Beat.

Beat. He sees she’s still skeptical. He sighs.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy smiles and nods. Harry reaches for Lucy’s hand and kisses it.

Lucy and Harry kiss as they enter his gorgeous, tasteful, rich guy apartment. Lucy drops the bouquet of flowers that Harry bought her earlier. The two of them move towards the bedroom.

In between the kisses, Lucy looks around the apartment to check it out. It looks like it’s worth about $12 million dollars.

They land on Harry’s gorgeous platform bed. They start taking each others’ clothes off.

Lucy’s purse is on the floor, spilling its contents. We see that Lucy’s phone is ringing on vibrate.

John has been drinking after his rehearsal. He is smoking a cigarette with his cast mates and his director.

He has stepped back from the group and calls Lucy.

Beep!

They have finished having sex. The sex was clearly quite lovely.

After having sex, Lucy and Harry are laying there, looking at each other.

Beat.

Lucy thinks.

Just the thought of it makes Lucy happy. Lucy kisses Harry.

Beat.

Lucy is impressed.

Lucy laughs and nods. Of course she fucking does.

MORNING

John wakes up next morning, alone in his $850/month bedroom. It’s a cubby. It’s a hole. Barely room to stretch and yawn.

He rubs his eyes. Rubs his hair. He checks his phone and rises -

He walks out of his bedroom, straight into the kitchen/living room (it’s that kind of a three bedroom) and immediately, we hear the squelch of thin, wet latex.

There is a used condom on the floor, just laying there in the middle of the kitchen/living room... and John’s stepped on it.

He grabs a lot of paper towels from the kitchen and wipes it, cursing loudly. It is so gross.

Furious, he marches straight into Logan’s bedroom.

Their new roommate RON (30s, also a fuckup) walks out of his apartment.

John walks into the bathroom and slams the door.

He looks at himself in the dirty mirror.

He looks down and the sink is full of men’s beard shavings.

He sticks his foot into the sink and starts running water over it, but realizes that there is no hand soap, so he has to grab the body wash from the shower/bathtub to keep washing.

Lucy wakes up to the sound of Harry making a call. He is now fully dressed and ready to go to work. He is laughing.

He has cooked a really health-conscious delicious breakfast and left a plate for Lucy on the kitchen island. He also made her a cup of coffee, and asks if she wants milk and sugar with his hand gestures. When she gestures that she likes it black, he just pushes the mug towards her.

Harry kisses Lucy and leaves for work after handing her a pair of keys. The way he hands her the keys makes her stomach drop.

The apartment is silent, once Harry leaves. It suddenly feels like her own space.

Lucy looks around Harry’s open concept apartment. It is such a stark contrast from either Lucy’s or John’s apartment. If she marries Harry, would she be able to live in places like this?

Lucy looks at the perfect plate of breakfast foods, and takes a bite. She really could get used to this.

Having finished eating her breakfast, she is calling Sophie to recap about last night’s date.

The phone rings and rings, but no one picks up.

She doesn’t think too much of it, then calls MARK, the man who went on a date with Sophie. After a few rings, he answers.

Lucy fist pumps.

Lucy hangs up. She celebrates by herself.

Lucy puts her empty breakfast plate in the dishwasher and plays John’s voicemail.

Lucy walks into the office. She marches over to her desk, trying Sophie again, but she doesn’t pick up, again.

Daisy (out of her party clothes, now in full professional outfit) walks into her office, and Lucy hangs up the phone and starts unloading her things at her desk.

Daisy rolls her eyes.

Violet comes into the office.

There is something in Violet’s voice that makes us wonder if something is wrong.

As Lucy sits down, Violet closes the door.

Violet sits down in her chair, on the other side of the desk.

All the air gets sucked out of the room.

Beat.

Violet nods.

A horrible, horrible beat as a million thoughts go through Lucy’s head.

Beat.

Stunned beat.

Lucy walks back into the bullpen, but now everything is different.

She does an admirable job appearing to be totally fine - if you don’t know her and love her, you could never tell that her whole world’s crumbling around her. Thankfully, no one is paying attention to her.

She marches straight to her desk.

She grabs her notebook from her desk, tries to steady herself, turns around, and walks straight out.

She enters, locks the door, sits down on the floor in the corner, and takes her shoes off.

We finally see a more complete picture of the toll this revelation takes on Lucy. A part of her collapses, now that she is alone.

She looks frantically through her notebook.

She find the page from the day she did the interview with Mark P. and starts reading it:

- 5’10”-ish

- doctor private practice $200K internal medicine

- upper west side, owns own apartment, will travel to diff boroughs

Lucy tries to figure out if there are any clues to suggest that this man could assault a woman - if she did a bad job, if she overlooked any signs, if she was a bad matchmaker.

- nice but boring, no outstanding quality

- wants to date younger nice smart caring professional good communication skills

- never been married no kids, wants to get married and have kids ASAP very motivated to meet

- not very attractive charmless boring but okay looking

Nothing. There’s nothing particular here to suggest that he is someone who is capable of hurting someone. Lucy buries her face in her hands.

She is inconsolable.

Harry is waiting for Lucy. In front of him, a luxury private car is waiting as well. He is holding a nice $50 bouquet of flowers.

Lucy arrives and Harry greets her with a kiss.

Harry can’t tell that Lucy is not okay. She is doing an admirable job hiding it.

They head to the uber.

Harry looks at her like really? Lucy looks back at him warmly like it’s okay. They get in the uber and leave.

A very cool, run down, beautifully/shabbily decorated performance space in South Williamsburg. Velvet red curtains hang on the walls. Lucy and Harry look especially like yuppies amongst almost exclusively other YOUNG, HIP-LOOKING PEOPLE (and a few OLDER, HIPPER-LOOKING PEOPLE).

Harry really is overdressed.

John and his cast mate BETH (late-20s, creative, crusty, wild eyes, attractive in a different way than any of the women we’ve seen in the movie so far) are performing the play.

In the play, the characters John and Beth are playing are on a date, sitting across from each other at a table. It feels uncanny after hours of the characters in this movie sitting in a similar way across from each other on dates/meetings.

John sneaks a look at where Lucy is sitting. They lock eyes.

The audience laughs.

Harry and Lucy awkwardly stand there while John is talking to some distinguished-looking older men, waiting to speak to him.

John notices them, and breaks away from the people he’s been talking to. John approaches them.

John does an admirable job hiding what that means to him.

Lucy awkwardly hands John a bouquet.

John smells it and plays with it.

Beat.

Harry, Lucy, John, and his cast mate Beth are sitting at a booth. The director, the producer, the theater’s artistic director, the stage manager, the designers, etc. are all having a wonderful time.

Harry is talking to Beth, who is kind of openly hitting on him (and he is enjoying himself, not because he’s interested in Beth, but because she is from a completely different world and he is feeling curious). John and Lucy are tucked away on the other side.

John seems pleased.

Beat.

John has trouble hiding how happy this makes him.

John is very bad at accepting the compliment and rolls his eyes.

John glances at Harry.

John stares at Harry across the table, examining his face.

John smiles, heartbreakingly.

Harry notices that John and Lucy have intense chemistry on the other side of the table.

Beat.

John notices something in Lucy that Harry missed.

Lucy shakes her head.

Lucy nods slightly.

This turns Lucy icy. Cold as frost.

John regrets what he said immediately.

Lucy turns away from John and looks at Harry. Harry gets the signal that she wants to leave.

Lucy heads out of the bar.

Harry flags down a server, who brings him the bill for the whole table. Everyone tries to throw their cards/cash in, but Harry just puts his AMEX on and sends it back with the server.

The table full of broke theatre artists coo in appreciation.

John and Harry look at each other for a moment. Neither is trying to be confrontational, but it’s tense.

Lucy is smoking a cigarette, alone. She looks troubled. We see how she really feels about it in her expression, away from both Harry and John.

Lucy and Harry are in bed, post-sex.

Lucy isn’t able to sleep. Harry seems asleep, though we’re only seeing his back.

Lucy notices for the first time, tangled in the sheets, Harry’s legs.

There are large scars along the sides of his legs. They strangely look too neat and too even to be a result of an accident.

Lucy examines them carefully. We examine the scars with her.

Then suddenly, Harry flinches, hiding his legs over the blankets.

John is smoking, looking like he really, really hates himself. He is drunk, and gently sways back and forth.

He pulls Beth in, who is smoking next to him, and kisses her.

Client meeting with AUDREY (49, a Trump-supporting housewife, mother of three, recently divorced from an extremely wealthy male banker). She looks like she’s never smiled in her entire life.

Unlike the way she was in the earlier scenes with her clients, Lucy is distracted. Even as Audrey speaks, she is scrolling through Sophie’s instagram under the table.

Beat.

Client meeting with ELEANOR (30s, mouse-y and harmless- looking, blinks her eyes a little too frequently, can’t make eye contact).

Lucy is writing a text to Sophie under the table, but then deletes it. She starts typing something else as Eleanor talks about the kind of man she wants to go out with.

Beat. Lucy doesn’t send the text she was composing. She looks up from her phone to meet Eleanor’s cold gaze.

Client meeting with Patricia, one of the women that was at Charlotte’s wedding.

CLOSE ON the terrifying two-page list of qualities (race, height, income, age, frequency of attending gym, food- preference, astrological sign, etc.) that Patricia is looking for in her next boyfriend and incoming husband.

The font is too small and the list of demands is endless. It looks more like a legal document than a description of a lover.

Lucy puts the list down and turns her penetrating gaze at Patricia.

The warmth that we’ve seen in Lucy before when dealing with her clients has slipped away, and she is cold and apathetic:

Patricia looks stunned.

LATER

Lucy and Violet are silent.

Lucy is practically growling, and Violet knows exactly what to say to her to cool her jets.

Bull’s eye.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Outside, a celebration centering on Rose is building up over the course of this conversation, and by the end of it - the celebration spills into Violet’s office.

Violet jumps up and hugs Rose. Everyone in the office is screaming with excitement. This is like a scene from Mad Men and the Wolf of Wall Street, except it’s just fifteen hot women.

Lucy can’t be there anymore, and she sneaks away from the festivities...

... and exits the office through the bullpen.

We can see through the glass into Violet’s office, now filled with matchmakers. Someone pops a champagne. Everyone starts celebrating.

HIGH ANGLE SHOT on Lucy as she exits the office and walks furiously and determinedly down the street.

Lucy sits on her couch, alone, totally disheveled, drinking a coke and beer, in the pitch darkness of her apartment.

Lucy is scrolling through Sophie’s Instagram.

She sees a post that shows Sophie smiling in a restaurant. The caption reads:

“best mimosas in the neighborhood.”

Upon closer examination with her eagle eyes, Lucy realizes — as we do — that it’s the same downtown French bistro where Lucy met Sophie in the beginning of the film.

She looks at it. She doesn’t pick it up. She drinks. Beat.

She looks at it again. She hesitates. She picks it up.

She goes to Sophie’s instagram.

This time it’s another post at the same bistro:

“They know my order now lol. #alwayswantedtobearegular”

Lucy stares at the post, thinking, considering.

Clearly not having slept well, Lucy has a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other.

She scrolls through her phone.

Finally, she gets up, and starts putting on her coat.

WIDE on Lucy, standing outside the restaurant, smoking a cigarette. It’s clear she’s been standing here for hours.

She is idle, but she’s keeping an eye out for someone. She doesn’t look like her usual composed self: she’s twitchy, fidgeting, and ill at ease.

We wait with her, silent.

We wait, and wait, and wait.

Then -

Sophie enters the frame. She is clearly headed to get a bite to eat at her neighborhood restaurant.

Sophie freezes in her steps. She can’t believe her eyes.

Lucy looks up and realizes that her insane plan worked. The one person she is both the most afraid of and the most wants to see is finally here.

Lucy stares. (She did not think this far ahead when she decided to hang around Sophie’s neighborhood bistro... like a fucking stalker.)

Sophie stares too. (She did not think that she’d ever see Lucy again.)

Instinctively, Lucy steps a bit forward towards Sophie, but she falters: she realizes how scary this could be for Sophie.

Sophie flinches and stumbles back.

Lucy tries to say something, but no words come out. All she can do is gesture vaguely to imply that the last thing she wants to do is to scare or hurt her.

Then Sophie’s expression hardens. She stands up straight, plants her feet on the ground. Her stare turns to a glare. A warning.

Lucy doesn’t know what kind of face to make.

Sophie turns around and bolts the other way.

She’s gone.

Lucy hesitates for a moment, not sure if she should follow her - but then she thinks fuck it and takes off.

Sophie rushes away without looking back. Lucy follows her.

Sophie keeps going. She turns a corner.

This is a bit of a car chase action sequence, except on foot. They make their way through the New York streets, overcoming obstacles like people, construction, bikes, street vendors, etc.

Lucy eventually catches up to Sophie. She dares not touch her, but just speaks next to her.

Beat.

Sophie stops. Lucy stops just behind her. Sophie turns around to face Lucy.

Lucy doesn’t know to say except -

Beat.

Beat.

Silence.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Sophie walks away, leaving Lucy there in the middle of the street, trembling.

She looks so ashamed.

Lucy returns to her studio with her mail, looking exhausted and at a loss from wandering around the street for hours. She takes off her bag, throws her outerwear onto the floor, and sits down on the floor against the wall.

She opens an envelope.

Inside is her brand new passport. The first passport of her life.

She stares at it. It’s impossible to read the truth of her expression.

She takes out her phone and hesitantly calls someone. Who is she calling? Sophie? Harry? Whoever it is that she’s calling, it’s clearly a bad idea to call them.

The phone rings in someone’s back pocket.

It’s John’s. Lucy’s decided to call John.

John is trying to pay for a pack of cigarettes, a six pack of beer, some toilet paper, a bottle of hand soap, a bottle of milk, and a bottle of Drano. He taps his credit card.

The BODEGA OWNER hands John a receipt.

John grabs everything and then looks at his phone.

It’s Lucy.

It stops John in his steps. He is confused, but he has to answer quickly before she stops dialing him.

He steps outside the bodega as he answers -

Lucy doesn’t say anything.

Something in John’s voice makes her feel so much relief, tears well up in her eyes.

Beat. He sounds so concerned, and it’s enough to make her relax.

John walks over to a wall and sits down next to it, his black NYC bag full of things he just bought.

Beat. We watch John think about what to say.

John sits down on the ground against the wall.

John waits while Lucy gathers up the courage.

Beat.

Beat. We can see a flash of complete fury in John’s eyes. He does his best to stay calm, for her.

Beat.

We can tell that John forgot about Harry for a second.

John does an admirable job hiding how he feels about that.

- NIGHT

Harry is showering, and Lucy is sitting on the bed, already having showered and moisturizing.

We see that Harry is in the middle of packing for a trip to Iceland with Lucy. CLOSE on plane tickets and their passports - the flight is for tomorrow morning.

Lucy’s bag is already packed and is neatly placed against the dresser. Harry’s suitcase is on the bed next to Lucy.

Lucy is looking at her notebook filled with details of the planned schedule for the trip.

She notices a ring box tucked in Harry’s suitcase.

She reaches over. She opens it.

Inside, we see an expensive engagement ring, intended for Lucy.

LATER

Lucy and Harry are in bed again, post-sex.

Lucy is staring at the large scars along the sides of Harry’s legs again. They look uncannily neat.

She keeps looking. And looking.

She reaches over and touches his scars - pets it, feels it.

Harry flinches and turns over. He hastily covers his scars up with the blanket.

Silence.

Harry gets up, puts his pants on, and walks out of the bedroom without another word.

Harry is really trying not to be upset. He gets a bottle of scotch from the cupboard and pours himself a glass.

Lucy walks out of the bedroom. She stands on the other side of the kitchen isle.

Silence.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy touches her nose, and then her breasts.

Harry softens, no longer as defensive.

Harry nods.

Beat.

Silence.

Lucy is deep in thought.

Beat.

Lucy shakes her head.

Silence, as Lucy asks herself the same question.

This makes Harry feel impatient.

He chuckles bitterly.

Lucy looks up and meets his eyes.

Beat.

Beat.

Harry is not ready to accept the terms.

No deal. The negotiation has failed.

Lucy is firm, but warm - she looks at him the way she is with her clients.

Harry suddenly looks afraid. Uncertain of everything.

Beat.

Harry nods.

Beat.

Long silence as they look at each other. They know that this is a goodbye.

Lucy gets up, and hands Harry her keys to his apartment.

Harry extends his arm for a handshake.

Lucy takes and shakes Harry’s hand.

After a beat, they let go.

Harry crouches down to his actual height, pre-surgery.

Lucy smiles back, warmly.

Harry smiles heartbreakingly.

Lucy gets in a yellow cab.

It’s hard to read Lucy’s expression.

CLOSE on a NYC-style old as shit buzzer. Someone buzzes.

Logan is making a smoothie in the kitchen, watching a TV show on his phone. (Notably, the phone is charging.)

From inside John’s bedroom:

John bursts out of the bedroom, completely fed up. He has just rolled out of bed. His phone is dead so he’s pissed.

The buzzer buzzes again.

Logan completely ignores it.

John answers the buzzer.

John’s stomach drops.

John steps away from the buzzer.

He runs over to Logan, grabs his phone charger, pulls it off the wall, and pulls Logan’s phone off of it and drops it in Logan’s smoothie.

John walks into the bathroom and slams the door.

He looks at himself in the dirty mirror.

He tries to get his hair under control as quickly as possible, and even decides to brush his teeth super quickly.

Lucy is sitting on John’s stoop. She glances at John’s car that’s parked in front of the apartment.

Now looking like he didn’t just roll out of bed - clothes changed, hair tamed, breath fresh - he exits the apartment building and walks up to Lucy.

John looks at Lucy like she’s about to evaporate.

Beat.

John looks at Lucy like “and you want to stay with me?”

Beat.

Lucy turns around to go.

Embarrassing.

This makes Lucy laugh.

Beat.

She gives him a look. How can he afford to stay at a hotel with her?

A80 EXT. JOHN’S CAR - DRIVING OUT OF THE CITY - LATER A80

John is driving. Lucy in the passenger seat.

Lucy stares at John.

He smiles, feeling a bit embarrassed.

John doesn’t like the answer.

Lucy keeps looking at him, deep in thought, not sure what to say in response to that.

We look outside the window, and we are pretty far now from the city. It’s green everywhere.

We’re deep upstate.

We keep driving and driving, listening to the song.

As the song ends, they notice a wedding rental truck, followed by a wedding florist’s truck, followed by a wedding catering truck.

John laughs.

Beat.

Lucy smirks.

The two of them look at each other mischievously.

When the trucks make a turn, John follows them.

They are parked near the catering, florist, and rental trucks.

John exits the car. We watch with Lucy from inside the car.

John goes up to the group of cater waiters and other workers that are unloading the trucks. He clearly knows a couple of them (also actors), and they greet each other warmly.

John opens up his pack of cigarettes to share with the cater waiters. Lucy (and we) can’t hear anything, but John is charming them into letting them hang out by the wedding.

Lucy and John are sitting on the grass overlooking the venue, drinking champagne that John’s catering friends have brought them, watching the ceremony that is just beginning.

The wedding is not nearly as nice as the one between Peter and Charlotte, but lovely enough.

We watch from John and Lucy’s POV - in a WIDE. The GROOM enters to the sound of everyone clapping and cheering. The groom stops at the altar and waits. He looks eager and impatient, fidgeting. This is the happiest day of his life.

Lovely string music starts playing from some speakers, signaling that the bride will enter. The guests get up.

The BRIDE turns the corner with HER FATHER, and they start walking down the aisle.

We can see that the groom is overwhelmed, and he starts crying.

Beat, as they watch the bride’s father and the bride arrive at the altar.

The bride’s father kisses and hugs the bride. It’s moving.

The bride’s father kisses and hugs the groom. It’s so moving.

As bride’s father walks away, emotionally -

The bride and the groom gaze at each other, happily.

John and Lucy watch the wedding officiant give a speech. We can’t really hear them, and so Lucy dubs them:

This makes John laugh.

The bride and groom exchange rings.

They keep watching, now in silence.

The bride and groom kiss.

The ceremony is over. The guests clap and cheer.

The car windows are all open.

Outside the car -

John opens the car trunk and pulls his cater waiter suit out. He changes into it, leaned against the car. We sneak a peek at his old boxers with holes in them - he’s clearly had these boxers since the college years. His socks have holes in them too.

He makes a few adjustments to the catering uniform to make it look more like a wedding guest might wear it (forget the bowtie, fuck the vest, lose the apron). He finishes the look by putting on his dress shoes that he wipes with his apron.

Inside the car -

Lucy is changing into a beautiful dress that she’s pulled out of her suitcase in the back seat. We can see bunched up fabric, a bit of her underwear, and her skin. There’s not enough room, so she struggles a bit to change in a graceful way.

They are putting on disguises to get into the wedding. Like undercover agents. Soldiers putting on camouflage. Actors putting on costumes for a play.

As John finishes changing first, he glances at Lucy inside the car to see if she’s done.

Lucy is still getting dressed and is in a subtle state of undress.

Their eyes meet.

This makes John blush, and Lucy smile. It is hard to read Lucy’s expression, but John’s is clear as a billboard in Times Square - he finds Lucy entirely maddening.

John looks away. Lucy finishes changing.

Lucy leans her body out through the car window and pulls John towards herself. John isn’t sure what Lucy wants from him - does she want to pull him into the back seat and have sex with him? (He wishes.)

No - Lucy adjusts John’s clothes to make it look a bit more presentable with the familiarity of a wife in a decades-long marriage.

Lucy opens the door, and gets out of the car. She leans on John as she puts on her heels, who supports her with his arms.

They’re finally ready to go.

LATER

Sun has set. Lucy and John sneak into the party, blending in beautifully with the guests in their disguise.

They act completely naturally. Even here, how good of an actor John is shines. Lucy shines too.

They grab a drink at the bar. Lucy gets coke and beer, and John gets a little whiskey.

They spot the cake that’s been cut up and placed around a table. They each grab a slice.

A87 INT. DINING/DANCING AREA - WEDDING VENUE A87

They sit somewhere on the periphery of the tent, and eat the cake.

MONTAGE:

- They see the wedding singer is singing a cover of I’ll Be Your Mirror (Velvet Underground) with their band, with charming competence.

- They watch everyone dance. They watch different couples dance, new and old.

- They watch the children and the elderly dance.

- They watch the groom and the bride dance too.

The song ends, and the wedding singer begins singing a cover of Nat King Cole’s That’s All.

~~~I can only give you love that lasts forever, and a promise to be near each time you call, and the only heart I own for you and you alone, that’s all that’s all~~~

John gets up, and asks Lucy for a dance with his hand extended out. Lucy takes his hand and gets escorted onto the dance floor.

Lucy and John slow dance together. It is sweet, and familiar, and gentle. The foreheads touch and they breathe each other in.

~~~There are those, I am sure, that have told you they would give you the world for a toy. All I have are these arms to enfold you and a love time can never destroy. If you're wondering what I'm asking in return, dear, you'll be glad to know that my demands are small. Say it's me that you'll adore for now and ever more, that's all, that's all~~~

It’s all wickedly romantic. They are in a reverie.

After a beat, Lucy leans in for a kiss.

The two of them kiss for a full beat, but then something breaks in John. He pulls back.

Something is wrong. John looks upset.

John untangles himself from Lucy, and abruptly walks off of the dance floor.

John is gone.

Lucy runs after him.

Outdoor area lit with candlelights and cocktail tables. Some guests are smoking a cigarette and taking a breather away from the party.

Lucy catches up to John who is walking away, clearly distressed. She calls out to him:

John stops.

He turns around with the most heartbreaking expression, and looks at Lucy.

Lucy doesn’t know how to answer that.

Beat.

John is nearly in tears.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy leaves.

We realize that while they were talking, the wedding party ended. The caterers are starting to wrap up.

Lucy keeps walking and walking. Once she’s far enough away from the dining/dancing area, she sobs for a full beat.

She stops. Once she’s gathered herself, Lucy takes out her phone and looks at it.

She sees that there is a missed phone call from... Sophie.

Lucy doesn’t understand why Sophie might be calling her, which makes her panic a little bit. She calls her back ASAP.

After a couple of rings, Sophie picks up the phone.

Beat.

Lucy stops breathing.

When Lucy looks up, she sees John standing there, having followed her out the field.

John reads the situation, turns Lucy around and starts guiding her towards the parking lot.

Through the phone, we can hear the buzz of Sophie’s doorbell.

LATER

John is driving as quickly as he can back to the city.

Lucy is sitting in the passenger seat, still on the phone with Sophie.

A91 OMITTED A91

Lucy and John run up the stairs to get to Sophie’s apartment. Lucy holding out her phone that is still connected to Sophie. She is terrified for her.

Lucy knocks on the door.

Lucy gestures to John to hold back and hide, so that Sophie does not feel afraid.

Lucy gestures to John to leave. John disappears down the stairs.

Sophie opens the door.

Sophie lets her in.

The apartment is almost totally dark. Sophie only has a little lamp on.

Beat. Sophie is trembling. Lucy is steady, holding strong for her client, even though she is shaking inside.

Beat.

Beat.

Sophie nods.

Lucy hugs her.

Sophie starts sobbing in relief in Lucy’s arms.

Long beat while Sophie cries. Lucy does her best to not cry.

Sophie and Lucy start laughing.

They laugh and laugh and laugh. When the laughter dies down, Lucy makes a promise:

This makes Sophie laugh harder.

Lucy wipes Sophie’s tears away.

Beat.

MORNING

The sun is starting to rise.

John sits on the stoop alone, waiting for Lucy. He is resting his eyes. He fully seems like someone without housing.

The front door opens and Lucy walks out. John gets up.

Lucy shakes her head.

Beat.

Lucy nods.

Beat.

Lucy has tears in her eyes.

This makes John incredibly emotional. These are the words he’s always wanted to hear.

Silence.

They just stare at each other.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy nods.

Lucy extends her arm. John takes her hand and shakes it.

Beat.

Beat.

Lucy kisses him.

John kisses back. After a moment, John pulls away.

This makes John laugh.

The two of them keep kissing.

Lucy sneaks back into Sophie’s apartment. She looks into the bedroom to see that Sophie is asleep.

She takes off her socks and outerwear, and lays down on the couch.

She closes her eyes.

She falls deep asleep, as we hear the sound of New York City in the morning.

We’re back in the stone age.

CLOSE on wild flowers moving in the wind. The trees move too.

We watch as the young caveman and the young cavewoman from the first scene of the movie are sitting in the field of wildflowers. The young cavewoman looks pregnant.

They are eating a meal - eating what was hunted and gathered.

Over this image, we hear Lucy’s voice, across time and space.

The two cavepeople look up at each other while eating, and without a word, they feel so moved to kiss each other.

There is something ancient in the way they kiss.

Beat.

CROSS DISSOLVE TO -

DAY

John waits for his turn at the halal cart. In his backpack is a bouquet of flowers from a bodega. He approaches the halal guy.

Halal guy nods.

John picks up a couple sodas too, from the fridge unit attached to the cart.

He pays the guy with cash from his pocket.

He walks on to meet Lucy.

Lucy is walking, on the phone.

Lucy starts laughing.

Lucy is still on the phone as she sits down on a bench.

Lucy laughs.

John enters the frame, holding the two styrofoam boxes from the halal cart, filled with food.

John joins her.

John sets up the food and hands Lucy her box.

John pulls a flower from the bouquet of flowers he brought, and makes a little ring out of it.

Lucy hangs up. She turns to John and beams, who looks at her with love, holding the flower ring.

He seems a bit nervous, and fidgets with the flower ring.

Lucy looks down at the flower ring in his hand.

She looks up at him. Is that...?

John smiles, uncertain, careful. Yes, this is exactly what it looks like.

He speaks tentatively, and humbly, with a sense of humor:

Lucy beams at him.

She looks so touched and excited and happy. She looks as if she’s just been proposed to with a 10-carat diamond ring, a thousand of roses, and a string quartet.

She nods, simply and enthusiastically. She doesn’t say a word, but it’s a yes.

This moves John to tears. Lucy reaches over and pets his face.

John takes her hand, and puts the ring on her finger, exactly the same way as the young caveman did in the opening scene of the film.

WIDE of the two of them, gazing at each other - tenderly, carefully - in love.

END OF FILM.

CREDITS ROLL over the mundane and static wide of the main hall. It’s a really unique place that feels at once like a sausage factory and a church.

We can see the amazing variety of couples walking in to get married.

Some are having a full mini-wedding right there in the hall, all dressed up, with all of their family present.

Some are in shorts and t-shirts, with backpacks on.

The audience may not notice, but we spy in the corner of the hall the young caveman and the young cavewoman, too.

Every single couple is different - different story, different kinds of love - but they’re all here to do the same ancient thing.

At one point, even though the audience might not notice, John and Lucy walk in. John is in a suit. Lucy is in a casual white dress holding a bouquet.

They go to the booth to get a marriage certificate, and when they realize they need a witness, they ask someone to come be their witness.

We watch them take a number, sit down on one of the benches, and wait for their number to get called like at a sandwich shop.

They look so happy.