Two young people on the beach

 

A Girl and her Boyfriend leave their blanket and run for the

water, playing tag, chasing each other, having a wonderful

time.

 

ANGLE ON BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE SAND - MARTIN AND ELLEN BRODY

 

He is sitting stiffly in a beach chair, scanning the beach

with careful, cautious looks, eyeballing everything that's

going on.

 

Around their particular blanket and umbrella are a number of

adults and their kids, the youngsters gathered to celebrate

Michael's birthday. Ellen is dishing out ice cream and cake

from a cooler chest to the raucous 10-year-olds. Michael's

hand is still bandaged.

 

MAX TAFT

(an adult)

Looks like another big season. Gets

worse every year.

 

MRS. TAFT

And none of them from the Island.

Just a lot of bother.

 

Brody (and we) hear a shrill scream from the water. He

stretches to look past the group, to see what's happening

out there.

 

BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW - THE WATER

 

The young lady is disappearing under the water, pulled under

the waves by some force. She is shrieking. She pops right up

again riding the shoulders of her boyfriend, who pulled her

under. She's laughing hysterically. Brody is unamused.

 

THE ADULTS

 

BRODY

(to Taft)

What?

 

TAFT

Present company excepted, but off-

islanders are a pain in the butt.

Pardon my French.

 

Ellen captures Sean, and holds him playfully, an example.

 

ELLEN

What about this kid? What if he were

born here. That make him an islander?

 

TAFT

Just 'cause a cat has kittens in an

oven, it don't make them muffins.

 

SEAN

I'm not a muffin! I'm a boy!

 

Brody rumples his hair and sets him off to play.

 

ANGLE ON ANOTHER SMALL BOY, PLAYING ALONE

 

It's Alex Kintner, and his mother, nearby, reading a novel.

 

Alex is towing a funny rubber raft, and headed for the water.

 

MRS. KINTNER

Alex! Alex Kintner! Where do you

think you're going?

 

ALEX

Water. Just once more, please?

 

MRS. KINTNER

Let me see your fingers --

 

He holds out his hands.

 

MRS. KINTNER

They're beginning to prune. 10 minutes

more.

 

Alex starts for the ocean. Behind him, Michael and his gang

are also heading for the inviting waves. Brody is watching

them go, his spine rigid with tension.

 

MAN AND HIS DOG

 

As Alex and the boys hit the water, we see the man throwing

his stick into the waves, his dog swimming strongly after

it.

 

BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW

 

Out beyond the kids and the dog, the Fat Lady is bobbing

around, out way too far, isolated from the other swimmers.

 

UNDERWATER VIEW - EXT. - DAY

 

A fish's-eye view of the bathers: lots of little kicking

legs, rafts with tasty arms dangling in the blue, slowing

circling, favoring one raft (little Alex's). The Kintner

boy's legs and arms are kicking and paddling, producing

bizarre underwater vibrations of more than passing interest.

Dog goes by, dog-paddling along.

 

ON THE BEACH

 

Brody is half-rising, looking out over the water. The Fat

Lady is not where he remembered her. He scans the water

anxiously.

 

ELLEN

Do you want the boys to come in?

Honey, if you're worried...

 

A Black Object swims across the water. It's the dog, breasting

against the surf.

 

ANGLE ON THE WATER - BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW

 

It's the Fat Lady, floating, relaxing. A black object swims

up to her. It's not the dog. It rears up out of the water.

 

It's a man in a black bathing cap. They exchange distant

pleasantries, he strokes away.

 

ANOTHER ANGLE - WATER

 

Alex Kintner, paddling around, making boat sounds, tooting,

going "vroom, vroom."

 

ANGLE ON THE BOY AND GIRL

 

They kiss, embrace, kiss again. Strong stuff. They sink

beneath the waves, knotted in an embrace.

 

ANGLE ON MICHAEL BRODY AND HIS FRIENDS

 

He's trying to salvage a soggy piece of birthday cake, holding

it above the water, paddling with his other hand. The bandage

has come part way loose, and his cut is trailing in the water.