overdue books
5:01
Short film made for the MELSA Quiet on the Set short film contest
Tags: overdue books MELSA Quiet on the Set
Added: 3 years ago
From: trmoor
Views: 549
Detective Jack Avery
in
The Case of the Overdue Books
[cut to a man walking down the street, when he sees a young man hanging a sign on a nearby fence]
DETECTIVE: [in voice over] I was on my way home, when I spotted the kid hanging up signs.
[he stops and questions him]
DETECTIVE: You lose something, kid?
KID: My library card ...
DETECTIVE: All this trouble over a library card? Can't you just get a new one?
KID: It's not that simple. I actually don't think I lost it. I think she stole it.
[the detective shakes his head]
DETECTIVE: A crazy dame ... You shoulda known better, kid.
KID: I have all these overdue books, and they banned me from the library until I can return them ... That card was my ticket to freedom! When I go into a library, I can do anything! Be anything!
DETECTIVE: Come on, kid ...
[they start walking down the street together]
DETECTIVE: [in voice over] The kid needed my help. You'd've thought he'd lost his best friend ... I guess in a way, he had.
[cut to the outside of the library, as a young woman (wearing a trenchcoat and fedora) enters while the detective and kid watch from afar]
DETECTIVE: [in voice over] It took me a few days, but I tracked her down. Turns out, the kid wasn't the only one who fell for her charms. There are a lotta libraries in this city, and she had made her way through most of them.
KID: She's even prettier than I remember ...
DETECTIVE: Yeah, the looks of an angel and the soul of a devil, that one ... Don't worry kid, there's a gal out there for you that's as sweet as she is pretty.
[the two of them enter the library, as the detective takes off his hat and tosses it onto the checkout desk in front of the female librarian]
DETECTIVE: Hang onto this, sweetheart, I'll be back for it later.
[he turns to the kid]
DETECTIVE: Kid, you better stay outta sight. She might see you and run.
[cut to the detective pretending to browse the stacks near the woman, when she turns and smiles (obviously settling on her next "mark")]
[cut to the detective taking a book off the shelf and adding it to a pile on the nearby table, then going off to look for more books ... as he leaves, the woman takes one of the books and begins leafing through it, then acts all innocent when the detective returns]
WOMAN: Oh, I'm sorry. I was just walking by and ... this one looked quite interesting. Is it any good?
DETECTIVE: I don't know, I haven't read it yet. You like history?
WOMAN: I do, but then I like most books ... Um, here. Why don't you let me help you with these?
[he takes his library card out and sets it on top of one of the books, while the woman grabs the pile and carries it for him as they walk off camera]
[cut to the two of them walking towards the checkout desk (as the kid peeks at them from behind one of the bookshelves), when the woman pretends to trip and drops the books on the floor]
WOMAN: Geez, I'm so clumsy sometimes!
[the detective puts his book down and bends down to help her pick up the books]
DETECTIVE: Yeah, I know, I'm that way sometimes.
[as he reaches for one of the books, the woman palms his library card and hides it in her sleeve, then they continue towards the checkout desk]
WOMAN: Okay! Well, it was very nice to meet you.
[she turns to leave, but he grabs her by the arm]
DETECTIVE: Not so fast, sweetheart! Can't check these out without my library card ...
WOMAN: I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about! And y'know, I have an appointment I have to get to, so if you could let go of my arm--
[he reaches into her sleeve and takes out the library card]
DETECTIVE: Have a friend that's been waitin' to see you a long time, and I think you have something of his too.
[they walk off, then cut to the kid in a room reading a book, when they enter]
DETECTIVE: Have a seat.
[she sits down across from the kid]
WOMAN: I should've known you would have found me ... You really loved your books.
KID: Why did you do it?
WOMAN: I like books.
DETECTIVE: Yeah, you like to sell books! I know your game ... Who would'a thought the book business was such a racket?
WOMAN: You know what they say ... knowledge is power.
KID: You sold the books? Now I'll never get my library card back!
DETECTIVE: Come on, sweetheart. We got an appoitment with an officer downtown.
[as the kid hangs his head, the detective takes the woman by the arm and leads her out of the room, but she turns and looks at the kid]
WOMAN: You're a sweet kid. I almost felt bad when I took your library card ...
[they leave, as the kid gets up and follows them out to the checkout desk, where the detective takes his hat back from the librarian]
DETECTIVE: Thanks, doll!
[he puts his hat back on, then reaches into his pocket]
DETECTIVE: Hey kid ...
[he hands the kid a new library card]
DETECTIVE: I got some friends that owe me favors.
KID: Thanks, Jack!
[he turns towards the librarian]
DETECTIVE: You take good care of him, I'm sure you're gonna be seein' a lot of him.
[the kid kisses his new card, as the detective leads the woman out of the library]
DETECTIVE: [in voice over] Another case closed. The kid got his library card back, and I'll see to it that the dame won't be checkin' out any books for a long time ...
This film was produced for the Quiet on the Set short film competition presented by MELSA and in partnership with Comcast, Channel Z & IFP Minnesota
Cast
Jack ... Steve Olson
Kid ... Jacob Goettlicher
Woman ... Jennifer Prettyman
Librarian ... Diana Salas
Written, Directed & Edited by
Tracy Moore
Director of Photography
Jan Baker
Special Thanks to
the Staff and Patrons of the Hosmer Library
This has been a
Wooden Nickel Production
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