the time machine
by
john logan
february 22, 2000
int. columbia university - lecture hall - day
darkness. then a sound...
click-clack, click-clack, click-clack...
the familiar sound of chalk writing on a blackboard.
fade up to see...
a hand zooming across a blackboard at incredible speed,
forming an endless algebraic equation.
amazingly, when the writer reaches the end of the blackboard
he does not lift the chalk and return to the left side to
begin a new line -- instead he simply loops around and
continues writing, right to left, upside down.
the college students in his class -- all male and dressed in
late victorian clothes -- smile at this familiar peculiarity
and tilt their heads to try and read the endless equation,
copying furiously into notebooks.
the hand continues to zoom along the blackboard... and then
slows... and then stops... the students wait... the hand taps
the chalk on the blackboard for a moment and we finally
see...
alexander hartdegen, a handsome young man not much older than
his students, standing at the blackboard. he is gazing out a
window, looking at a bird on a tree branch. he smiles.
the students glance to one another.
alexander remembers himself and turns back to the blackboard,
his hand again flying as:
alexander
so -- length, width, breadth --
formulate the area and of course we
arrive at solid mass. but imagine
if we continue the equation as i've
done -- can't we begin to recognize
another dimension beyond the first
three? i theorize we begin to find
duration -- the object's place in
time. let's note that as 'd'
here...
alexander reaches the left side of the blackboard and loops
around again in an unbroken line to continue the equation
from left to right again.
the students are hopelessly lost. they finally stop copying
and just watch alexander work, admiring his brilliant
innovation.
meanwhile, a man watches from the back of the lecture hall.
he is david philby, alexander's closest friend, a bit older.
alexander
... if we accept the theoretical
possibility of duration as a fourth
dimension we find that our equation
might -- no, that's not right --
he erases some numbers quickly with his hand, sending up a
cloud of chalk dust, he coughs.
alexander
-- there, that looks more like
it...
he continues to scribble at lightning speed. then...
he begins humming to himself.
the students watch, amused. philby smiles.
alexander finally stops humming and writing. steps back and
looks at the equation. then he turns to his students.
alexander
does this make any sense to you?
the students are confused. one offers:
student
sir, if i may, wouldn't it be
easier if you applied a fibonacci
sequence to the differential
coefficient?
alexander
(smiles)
it's not supposed to be easy, it's
supposed to be beautiful... all of
you think about that tonight and
we'll press on tomorrow. good
afternoon.
the students begin to rise, class over. they leave the
classroom talking eagerly about alexander's theories,
inspired.
a sudden new angle: from above we see alexander going to
philby, leaving the classroom talking with him. we are in
the upper balcony of the classroom. a solitary figure looks
down, watching them.
this new figure is a thin man with pale skin, dry like
parchment. somehow ominous.
int. columbia - hallway - day
alexander walks with philby:
alexander
... the point is i know it will
work once the, um, numbers and such
are in order.
philby
do you know you were humming?
alexander
i was not.
philby
somewhere around 'd+2xy something
something.'
alexander
damned if i can keep her out of my
equations.
philby
tonight's the night?
alexander
(checking pocket watch)
god, and i'm running late --
a prim woman appears before them:
prim woman
dr. hartdegen, dr. philby... dean
fulton would like to see you.
alexander and philby exchange a look. gulp. they follow the
prim woman.
int. columbia - dean fulton's office - day
they follow the prim woman, dean fulton's secretary, into his
dark, paneled office.
prim woman
he's outside.
alexander and philby move through the office and out to a
garden courtyard...
ext. columbia - garden courtyard - day
oddly, chickens are clucking about the courtyard.
the thin man we saw before, dean fulton, is casually tossing
down feed for the chickens. with his other hand he carries
an umbrella to protect himself from the sun. he does not
look up.
dean fulton
gentlemen, watch your step.
alexander and philby stop. dean fulton looks up and smiles,
benevolent.
dean fulton
my fowl have polluted the yard.
philby
dean fulton...
dean fulton continues to lazily scatter feed for his
chickens.
dean fulton
dr. philby, dr. hartdegen. i
received the most extraordinary
letter last week. from a parent.
we are always pleased to receive
letters from parents. they are our
employers, after all. this
gentleman's son is in your class,
dr. hartdegen.
alexander
(knows what's coming)
i see.
dean fulton
as i recall the syllabus the name
of your tutorial is 'applied
mathematics and engineering', am i
correct?
alexander
exactly correct, sir.
dean fulton stops scattering feed and gazes at alexander with
a smile. this is an old game between them and they both
rather enjoy it. to a point.
dean fulton
well, just as i thought. surely
it's all been a terrible mistake.
this parent actually suggested that
your freshman course in applied
mathematics has somehow become a
seminar on theoretical physics!
alexander
imagine that.
dean fulton
but i know that none of my faculty
would ever deviate from the
assigned curriculum.
alexander
well... perhaps i have 'deviated'
the tiniest bit.
dean fulton
might i ask why?
alexander
because the assigned curriculum is
boring.
philby groans very quietly.
alexander
sir, that curriculum is forty years
out of date. the students today
are looking toward the new century
-- they want to be challenged and
inspired, not spoon-fed dusty old
equations that have been proved a
thousand times. they want to
explore.
dean fulton
do they?
dean fulton smiles and then begins to scatter feed again.
dean fulton
what are these animals, gentlemen?
alexander and philby exchange a look.
philby
um, your chickens, sir.
alexander helpfully offers:
alexander
and roosters.
dean fulton
no, dr. hartdegen, they are not
just chickens and roosters. they
are science. perhaps they aren't
'inspiring' to you. perhaps they
don't 'challenge' you --
alexander
no, sir --
dean fulton
animal husbandry is science, dr.
hartdegen. i have been breeding
these fowl for fourteen years. i
have filled a library with
information on their feeding
patterns, social behavior and
breeding. empirical, exacting,
quantifiable records.
alexander
sir --
dean fulton looks up at him, his eyes cold:
dean fulton
'duration' is not a dimension.
scientists do not imagine the world
around them. they do not wool-
gather or cloud-spin. they prove.
they demonstrate. columbia
university does not teach fantasy.
philby shoots alexander a warning look, but alexander can't
help himself:
alexander
with respect, sir, would we have
the telegraph without fantasy?
would we have radium and x-rays
without someone first dreaming we
could?
dean fulton
the advances you speak of were the
result of countless years of study
and empirical experimentation, a
careful evolutionary process, not
chalkboard parlor-tricks.
alexander
my equations are not parlor-tricks!
dean fulton
abstract mathematics, relativity of
dimensions, geometrical 'durations'
-- even allowing for the uses of
speculation, what is the point?
alexander
because it's a new way of seeing
the world! of seeing our place in
it!
philby
sir, if i may --
dean fulton
(with finality, to
alexander)
young man, we have a way of doing
things here. radical theorizing is
not acceptable. have i made myself
understood?
alexander
yes, sir.
dean fulton
very good. now if you will excuse
us for a moment.
alexander goes back into the office.
philby
if i might explain, sir --
dean fulton
you supported his application, dr.
philby. you are his senior,
advisor. i depend upon you to
restrain his... excesses. any
repetition of the behavior i
witnessed in his classroom today
and there will be consequences for
you both.
philby
yes, sir.
dean fulton
now you are upsetting my fowl.
please go.
philby extricates himself from a chicken pecking at his shoe
and goes.
alexander (v.o.)
he's a dinosaur. he's already
extinct, he just doesn't know it...
ext. streetcar - day
alexander and philby are in an open horse-drawn streetcar,
heading downtown. everywhere around them, the massive city
bustles.
new york city at the end of the 19th century. it is vibrant
to the point of frenzy; reaching for the future in a furious
upheaval of construction.
title: new york city - may 12, 1895 - 5:17 p.m.
alexander
... one day he'll be discovered by
some future archeologists and they
won't know what to make of him.
the thick brow, so lacking in
imagination. the dim little eyes,
devoid of curiosity.
philby
you know generally teachers are
supposed to teach real equations
that add up to real numbers.
alexander
where's the challenge in that?
philby
alex, this is your first year as an
associate professor. you might
want to play things a little more
conservatively.
alexander
you sound like my father...
alexander points to the masses of grey businessmen, all in
identical bowler hats, marching along the sidewalk:
alexander
look at them, philby, all alike,
everyone in an identical bowler
hat. do you want your students to
turn out like them?
philby
i want my students to emerge with
theoretical and practical
knowledge.
alexander
i don't. i want them to run along
this street and knock off every
bowler they see.
philby
you may not like it, but this is
the world we live in, alex. little
grey men with little grey hats.
alexander
but shouldn't it be better?
shouldn't we be teaching our
students to imagine a world beyond
all this?
alexander points to a new building going up, a complex
spider's web of steel girders.
alexander
look at that, philby. a steel
frame building. ten years ago it
was unheard of. no little grey man
thought of that. the new century
belongs to men who are willing to
imagine the impossible...
their streetcar passes a few huddled beggars on the curb.
the businessmen ignore them. alexander watches them, his
eyes sad.
alexander
(quietly)
in the future, we'll be better.
philby
what?
alexander
nothing.
ext. alexander's house - evening
alexander's sprawling victorian house sits on a quiet street.
there is a quaint shop right across the street. the shop
features a window showing a female mannequin dressed in
period clothes. the sign above the shop: branson's apparel
and haberdashery.
alexander and philby hurry into his house...
int. alexander's house - evening
alexander's house is a lovely world of victorian elegance
constantly at war with his erratic and creative enterprises.
everywhere alexander's scientific passions are evident:
animal skulls rest alongside leather-bound tomes; mechanical
inventions in various states of completion rest atop heavy
mahogany tables; test tubes and microscopes are spread out on
an unused piano.
the one facet that most immediately reflects alexander is
aural: the ticking of scores of clocks; a steady metronomic
cadence.
alexander bounds in, philby following.
alexander
mrs. watchit! mrs. watchit!
mrs. watchit, alexander's housekeeper, troops down the
stairs. she is a wry and commanding british woman in her
60's.
mrs. watchit
oh huzzah, the master's home.
alexander
do you have it?!
mrs. watchit
hello, mr. philby.
philby
hello, mrs. watchit. you're
looking in the pink.
mrs. watchit
must be all the exercise i get
scampering up and down these stairs
like a wee lamb.
alexander
don't torture me -- do you have it?
mrs. watchit
i have it, but don't you think for
one moment i'll be letting you go
out in that filthy coat -- now go
upstairs and change. i've laid out
your green coat.
alexander
what's the matter with -- ?
(he notes he is covered
in chalk dust)
-- what would i do without you,
mrs. watchit?
he bounds up the stairs. phiby follows.
mrs. watchit
and change your tie!
she bustles off, grumbling happily.
int. alexander's bedroom - evening
charles darwin stares at us. imposing. inspiring.
challenging.
a bust of darwin looms over alexander's bedroom.
alexander, in a new coat, is trying to work a complicated
knot in his tie. his eyes study the problem in a mirror.
alexander
emma actually likes chalk dust --
says it smells like me.
philby
how romantic...
philby goes to alexander, helps him with his tie.
philby
the most able inventor i know and
you can't tie a simple four-in-
hand.
alexander
that's how i knew we were destined
to be together. when i met her
parents for the first time i came
right from class and i was covered
in chalk. they sniffed and
snorted, but she just smiled. at
that moment -- i just knew. how
did you know with molly?
philby
she made the best shepherd's pie i
ever tasted.
alexander
do you have a romantic bone in your
body?
philby
(completing the tie)
no, i'm all bowler hat, remember?
alexander quickly goes to his old coat and transfers his
pocket watch, journal and many loose scraps of paper covered
in equations to the new coat as:
philby
alex, really... good luck tonight.
she's a fine girl, and she's done
wonderful things for you.
alexander
oh?
philby
(smiles)
she's gotten into your equations.
alexander stops, looks at him. smiles.
alexander
i guess she has.
he glances at his pocket watch.
alexander
i've got to hurry...
he hurries out, philby following...
int. alexander's house - stairs - evening
alexander races down the stairs, tucking the watch into his
vest.
they pass a series of clocks of every size and shape that run
down the wall along the stairway.
philby
all these clocks -- how can you
constantly be running late?!
alexander
perseverance.
int. alexander's house - entry hall - evening
mrs. watchit waits. alexander and philby appear down the
stairs.
mrs. watchit
now that's more like it. you look
a proper gentlemen for once.
alexander
then if emma turns me down will you
marry me?
mrs. watchit
(dry)
oh, i'm already swooning.
alexander
ouch -- all right, wish me luck.
he begins to sprint out the door -- mrs. watchit stops him
with:
mrs. watchit
you might be wanting this?
she holds up a velvet ring box. he takes the box.
alexander
oh -- thanks. well...
(a wink to philby)
... time's a wastin'!
with that he is out the door.
mrs. watchit and philby stand for a moment, catching their
breath after alexander's tornado of enthusiasm.
philby
i wonder if that poor girl has any
idea what she's in for?
mrs. watchit
for our sake, i hope not.
ext. fifth avenue - night
the many luxurious horse-drawn carriages glide along fifth
avenue with stately dignity. rich pedestrians stroll along
the sidewalk.
alexander leaps out of a carriage and begins to stride toward
an entrance to central park.
he passes a flower seller.
flower seller
have some flowers, sir?
alexander
not tonight, thanks.
he continues on toward the entrance to the park -- stops.
alexander
no -- i promised her flowers.
he turns around and hurries back toward the flower seller.
but...
a sudden mechanical clanking sound makes him stop dead in his
tracks. the siren's song...
he turns...
pulled over to the curb is a magnificent stanley steamer
automobile. it is a glorious collection of bronze and copper
and steel and wooden dashboard and leather upholstery and
groaning steam tank and clanking engine. alexander stares,
transfixed.
alexander glances at his watch -- running late -- but he just
can't resist this new marvel. flowers forgotten, alexander
steps to the motorist, currently tinkering with the car's
engine.
alexander
it's spectacular...
motorist
thanks. old nell's my girl all
right. al least when she decides
to move, stubborn beast.
alexander
(walking around the car,
admiring)
i've only read about them -- and
the new internals.
motorist
now that's what i call plain crazy
-- internal combustion is just too
dangerous, all those little
explosions, never catch on.
alexander
how do you keep the water
temperature stable?
motorist
there's a cantilevered gasket on
the --
suddenly -- the car lurches forward dangerously -- alexander
instantly grabs the brake lever and hauls it back -- the car
screeches to a stop.
motorist
god -- could have killed me -- bad
girl, nell! how did you know to do
that?
alexander
i just love mechanical things.
motorist
well, much obliged -- i'm always
forgetting the confounded brake --
say, if you wait until i get her up
and running i'll give you a
perambulation. tell you all about
her.
alexander
(pained)
ahhh... i'm afraid i've got a prior
commitment.
motorist
next time then. we perambulate
here most every night.
alexander
you have my word...
(he takes a last, longing
look at the car)
... she's just a beauty.
he sprints off into central park.
ext. pavilion - central park - night
a full moon shines in the night sky.
gentle period music from a band, glowing lanterns hanging
down and the swaying shapes of dancers.
we are at a beautiful pavilion in central park. a magical
antique setting of ease and grace. white linen suits and
straw boaters. parasols and high-button shoes.
a beautiful woman stands with her back to us watching the
dancers... she slowly turns...
emma smiles.
alexander stands, just watching her, bewitched.
then they come together and kiss lightly, as befits 1895
decency.
emma
you're late.
alexander
got here as soon as i could.
emma
dance with me...
alexander
you know i can't.
emma
trust me...
she takes his hand and they dance. she is a natural dancer,
smooth and gentle. he does his best, following her minute
cues with great sensitivity.
as they dance:
emma
you promised me flowers.
alexander
what?
emma
you promised me flowers tonight,
don't you even remember?
alexander
sorry... i was distracted.
emma
(lightly)
well there's something new.
alexander
i need to... um... talk to you.
emma
talk away, professor.
alexander
not here... alone. may we?
please?
she leads him from the dance floor.
emma
let's walk through the park...
ext. central park - path - night
alexander and emma walk through the park, arm in arm,
enjoying the exquisite night.
flickering gaslights provide a dim illumination on the path
they follow as it winds through the dark foliage.
emma
(looking at
constellations)
... orion's belt, pointing to the
earth. you see it over the rocks
there? sailors consider that an
omen of good fortune; the hunter
watching over them on their
travels... are you listening to me,
alex?
alexander
(glancing up)
what? yes -- orion -- good fortune
-- sailors.
emma
all right, what is it now?
alexander
(nervously)
emma, you know i have great...
admiration for you.
emma
admiration? my my.
alexander
i mean... well... affection.
emma
you're getting warmer.
he stops.
alexander
oh dammit, i love you! i can't
eat, i can't sleep, i can't think,
all i do is moon over you and --
hum, apparently.
emma
(mock seriously)
and what do you propose, professor?
shall we hold a seminar to study
the problem?
a beat. he takes a huge gulp of air and then commits himself
-- he dramatically drops to one knee -- and then in a great
rush of words:
alexander
marry me. i'll do everything i can
to make you happy and build a life
and have babies and make you proud
and be worthy of you and... ah...
make you happy, did i say that?
she looks down at him, tears of joy coming to her eyes.
emma
oh, professor...
he leaps up and embraces her. a long, joyous embrace.
he stops --
alexander
wait, i have something for you.
he searches through his many pockets -- coat, vest, pants --
begins plucking out the loose scraps of paper covered with
equations -- but can't seem to find the jewelry box.
she watches him for a moment, amused, loving him all the more
for his befuddlement.
emma
you know, the moment is rather
dying here.
alexander
hold on... i know i have it...
he finally finds the velvet jewelry box. snaps it open.
inside is a lovely moonstone ring. the gem is a pale,
translucent blue mirroring the full moon above.
alexander
i know it's not a diamond but --
emma
a moonstone.
alexander
your birth stone. i thought --
she holds a finger to his lips.
emma
you thought right.
he slips the ring on her finger. she holds it up to the
moonlight, deeply moved.
emma
look, it matches the moon...
then...
a low voice from the thick trees next to them.
voice
i just might cry.
alexander and emma turn to see a tall thin man stepping from
the trees. his hands are buried deep in his overcoat
pockets.
thin man
couldn't help but overhearing. two
fine young people starting out on
the road of life. i wish you the
very best.
alexander
thank you...
thin man
i hope it's a happy journey for you
both -- and much as i hate to do
this, moved as i am by your
protestations of love, i'll be
needing your money now.
alexander
(smiles)
sir...?
thin man
and your jewelry too. i guess we
could consider this your first
little bump on the road to married
bliss.
alexander
i don't understand.
the thin man removes a hand from his pocket. he holds a
small revolver.
thin man
now don't make a scene... there's
no cause for that. just hand over
your wallet, will you?
he holds the gun up, lethal, a sudden glint as the barrel
shines in the moonlight.
thin man
did you hear me, lad?
alexander
all right, all right -- here --
everything --
alexander swiftly gives the man his billfold.
thin man
and the watch.
alexander hands over his pocket watch as the thin man eyes
emma's ring.
thin man
and the ring.
emma
no --
thin man
i'm afraid so, darling. maybe
he'll buy you a diamond now.
alexander
please, not that -- look --
the thin man pulls back the hammer of the revolver. click.
thin man
give me the ring.
emma
no...
the thin man suddenly lurches forward and grabs emma's arm --
trying to wrench the ring violently from her finger --
alexander instantly springs to her defense -- a struggle --
the gun fires -- the flash of cruel, phosphorous light
momentarily illuminating them all starkly --
emma recoils to alexander -- alexander looks at the thin man,
disbelieving --
the thin man glares at him --
thin man
why did you do that?! it's only a
ring!
the thin man races away into the darkness.
alexander holds emma, she clings to him, blood flowing over
his fingers. he snatches her up and carries her -- running
urgently through some trees to a carriage path beyond --
carriages filled with young lovers float past.
alexander
help me! please!
an empty carriage finally stops -- alexander lurches into the
carriage with emma --
int./ ext. carriage - central park - night
-- alexander holds emma in the back of a carriage. he
urgently screams to the driver:
alexander
get to columbus hospital! now!
the driver whips his horses and the carriage takes off.
alexander
please hurry! we've no time!
carriage driver
i'm trying sir -- !
emma clings to alexander, her hand clasped tight to his vest,
blood flowing out of her, pooling. her dying eyes just
watching him.
alexander
god hurry please -- just get out of
the park --
and then the carriage slows -- stops -- alexander stabs his
head out the window and sees --
a long line of carriage ahead of them. a traffic jam. pairs
of lovers enjoying the beautiful night, gazing up at the
stars.
alexander
oh god...
a distant bell begins to toll. time inexorably, cruelly
moving on.
alexander
please -- hurry!
the driver whips the horse -- tries to maneuver the carriage
through the traffic jam -- a jumble of horses -- their horse
shies -- can't get through.
emma's hand clutches alexander's vest, fingers moving
slightly. the bell continues to toll. time running out.
her lips move noiselessly, her eyes stare up at him, praying
for one parting glance.
he continues to shout to the driver, fighting time, not
looking at her:
alexander
(desperate)
for god sake do something!! --
just -- get off the path!
carriage driver
i'm trying, sir! -- i can't get
through!
alexander glances down to emma. she is dead. her eyes open.
he stares at her. not wanting to believe. the bell
continues to toll.
fade to black...
and then a strange sound in the darkness...
the roar of a tiger -- distorted, echoing...
then another sound...
click-clack, click-clack, click-clack...
chalk racing across a blackboard.
title: four years later.
fade up to...
int. alexander's house - lab - day
an endless equation -- alexander's hand speeds across a
blackboard -- manic, ferocious. we pull back to reveal...
an enormous blackboard, floor to ceiling, two stories high,
filling one wall -- and two other blackboards, filling two
other walls, also covered with equations. a shocking flash
of alexander's fevered mind.
he stands with his back to us, perched high on a rolling
library ladder, his hand violently scrawling numbers in a
frenzied rush. he pulls the ladder along as he works,
totally absorbed.
the drapes around the room are drawn tight against any hint
of the day outside. windows sealed.
in the flickering gaslight we see a cacophony of scientific
equipment and experiments filling every inch of the chamber
below him, two stories filled with beakers and test tubes;
microscopes and coils; engineering blueprints and gyroscopes;
and the huge chalkboards crowded with layers upon layers of
intense calculus and geometry and equations.
there is another large part of the lab, jutting off from the
house. a closed curtain conceals this part of the lab.
and all the clocks have stopped. the steady metronomic
cadence that was the aural life of alexander's house is no
more. we see a number of clocks around the lab. all have
been allowed to run down.
a knock at the door -- alexander ignores it -- another knock.
he finally turns from the blackboard.
alexander
what?!
and we see him -- alexander is very different now: cadaverous
and intense, a face that looks as if it has not seen the sun
in years. and eyes marked by tragedy.
mrs. watchit enters. the years of dealing with his
heartbreak have taken a toll on her as well.
mrs. watchit
sir, mr. philby is here.
alexander
here?
mrs. watchit
yes, sir, he --
alexander
tell him to go away --
philby pushes past mrs. watchit. he wears an overcoat and a
bowler hat.
philby
i won't go away, alex.
alexander stares down at philby. philby is shocked at the
change in his friend.
alexander
all right, mrs. watchit. you can
go.
mrs. watchit
may i get you some --
alexander
that'll be all.
she leaves the lab.
philby
my god, alex, what's happened to
you?
alexander climbs down the ladder as:
alexander
i've been working.
philby
i came by the house every day after
the funeral. and then every week.
then every other month. then i
stopped coming. did you even
notice?
alexander
i'm sorry, david.
philby
it hurt me, alex. very much.
alexander
then why are you here?
alexander proceeds to obsessively tidy the lab, almost hiding
things from philby. philby is increasingly disturbed by this
behavior, as:
philby
it's my jamie's birthday today.
your godson. he's nine years old.
at his party he asked me if uncle
alex was coming. i told him no.
then he asked me if you didn't like
him anymore.
alexander
for god's sake, david --
philby
there are some things i need to say
to you. you may not like hearing
them, but i don't know if i'll ever
get another chance --
alexander
you care for me. and you're
concerned. and i have to start
living my life again. i hear it
from mrs. watchit every day.
philby
but you won't listen. you won't
see me, you won't see anyone. what
would you like me to tell jamie?
that uncle alex is busy? that
uncle alex is hiding up there in
his laboratory --
alexander
hiding?
philby
you know that's what it is. mrs.
watchit tells me you're here at all
hours -- day and night --
alexander
(sharply)
that's because i'm working. you
remember that? you used to care
about your work.
philby
i care more about my life. and
yours.
a difficult beat.
philby
alex... alex, please stand still
and look at me.
alexander stops. looks at philby.
philby
(gently)
what happened to emma will never go
away. it's part of you now and it
always will be. but you have to
learn to live with it...
alexander
i live with it every minute of
every day.
philby
i know that --
alexander
you don't know that. you couldn't
possibly. if i'd only done this,
or that, if i'd arrived ten minutes
earlier, or later. if we'd taken a
different path or i hadn't fought
the man for the ring. you have no
idea what it is to relive every
moment of that night -- consider
every action you made -- and every
one of them wrong.
philby
it wasn't your fault, alex.
alexander
wasn't it?... i have a dream almost
every night now. the lady and the
tiger, you remember that story? in
the dream i'm alone in a huge
chamber with a thousand doors.
behind every door, save one, is a
tiger. i have to make the
decision. which door conceals
emma? and i just stand there...
looking at the doors...
philby
do you find her?
alexander doesn't answer. a beat.
philby
alex, nothing will ever change what
happened, but --
alexander
that's where you're wrong. i will
change it.
a beat. philby looks at him. alexander offers nothing more,
continues to scurry around the lab.
alexander
david... i appreciate your concern,
i do. but i ask you to have faith
in me. just for a little while
longer. i'm working on something
now. something... extraordinary.
philby
what is it?
alexander
you wouldn't believe me.
philby
i would.
alexander
i'll tell you what... come by for
dinner in a week and i'll show you.
philby
why don't you come to our house
instead?
alexander
i can't do that --
philby
when's the last time you were
outside this house --
(notes a disheveled cot in
the corner)
-- or this room?
alexander
(tense)
i can't leave when i'm so close.
philby
there are trains leaving grand
central every then minutes. a
dozen liners leaving the harbor.
get on one of them. go to
singapore, scotland, manchuria,
anywhere, just away from here --
alexander
that's absurd --
philby
you're dying here. don't you see
that?!
a tense beat.
alexander
you won't say that in a week.
philby
i pray to god that in a week you're
not here.
a beat.
philby
all right. i'll come for dinner.
and in the meantime... you'll think
about what we discussed?
alexander
in a week... we will never have had
this conversation.
philby looks at him, mystified and concerned.
alexander
good night, david.
philby
good night, alex.
philby turns to go.
alexander
still wearing that bowler hat.
philby stops. turns back.
philby
it's raining outside. open the
drapes and you might know that.
he goes.
alexander stands for a moment.
int. alexander's house - lab - night
alexander sits, drinking a glass of brandy. he is staring at
the curtain concealing the other part of the lab.
we notice that all the chalkboards have been wiped clean.
he drains the glass of brandy. bon voyage.
then he rises and moves to the curtain. he pulls the curtain
back and reveals...
the magnificent creation itself: the time machine.
we take in this beautiful creation of curving brass and thick
velvet, elegant lines and a hopeful feeling of victorian
futurism, as alexander moves to the windows by the machine.
he slowly pulls back all the drapes on the windows. the time
machine sits in an area of the lab that juts off, like a
greenhouse with windows offering a generous view of the world
around him: his quiet garden and the small dress shop across
the street.
alexander moves to the time machine. he sits, nervously
settling in.
the brass control panel ahead of him has a simple display
showing the year and date -- august 7, 1899 -- and a control
lever that moves forward and back.
a beat. he takes a deep breath and then... reaches for the
control lever --
cut to:
ext. pavilion - central park - night
all is as it was. gentle period music from a band, glowing
lanterns hanging down and the swaying shapes of dancers.
a beautiful woman stands with her back to us watching the
dancers... she slowly turns.
emma smiles.
alexander stands, just watching her, his eyes wide,
incredibly moved. we note that alexander wears the clothes
he was wearing when he got into the time machine. it is the
older alex, pale and thin.
she goes to him and kisses him.
emma
you're late.
alexander
(with difficulty)
got here as soon as i could.
emma
dance with me...
alexander
you know i can't.
emma
trust me...
she takes his hand and they dance. she is, again, a natural
dancer, smooth and gentle. he tries to follow her minute
cues but the experience of holding her in his arms again is
almost too much for him. he is overcome with emotion.
emma
alex, what is it?
alexander
holding you... again.
emma
darling.
alexander
i need... to talk to you.
emma
all right...
alexander
not here... alone. please.
she leads him from the dance floor.
emma
let's walk through the park...
alexander
no... let's walk through the city.
emma
(a little mystified)
all right...
he takes her hand and leads her away from the pavilion --
then he stops, sees he must lead her through one of a number
of tree-lined paths out of the park. the gaping darkness of
the park is strangely ominous. behind each door a tiger.
emma
alex, what is it?
alexander
nothing -- let's just get out of
the park.
he takes her arm and makes his decision -- he pulls her
quickly down one of the paths.
ext. central park - path - night
alexander pulls emma toward an exit to the city, going as
quickly as he can. his eyes dart nervously into the dark
trees around them.
emma
alex...?!
alexander
shhh. let's just hurry on here.
we don't have to talk, all right?
she stops, pulling him.
emma
why do we have to race for heaven's
sake?!
alexander
(looking around, alert)
i want to get into the light,
that's all. please...
he pulls her along.
emma
this running along is all well for
you -- you're not wearing a corset.
then a sound stops him -- an unholy echo through the night,
tormenting him from his nightmares -- the roar of a tiger.
alexander
my god...
emma
alex, it's just the zoo.
he grabs her and pulls more quickly, a little desperate.
alexander
please, emma, it's just a little
further.
he hurries her along. they finally reach the exit and emerge
from central park to fifth avenue...
ext. fifth avenue - park exit - night
he stops, looks around, sees lots of pedestrians and
carriages and gaslight. safety. victory.
he breathes deeply and smiles. he offers her his arm.
emma
oh, now you're all gallant.
she shakes her head and then takes his arm. they stroll.
ext. fifth avenue - night
a bit later. alexander and emma make their way down this
most magnificent of boulevards. he holds her arm tightly, as
if in fear of losing her again.
emma
you're so pale... i hope you're not
coming down with something.
alexander
no, i'm fine. i'm...
(laughs)
... wonderful. just walking down
the street with you again.
emma
we took a walk three days ago.
alexander
not like this. never like this.
emma, i swear to you -- if i've
learned one thing, it's that
moments like this are rare. and i
will thank god for them every
moment of every day.
she is confused at his strange intensity, but respects his
seriousness.
emma
they are rare...
(she glances up at the
constellations above)
... orion's belt, pointing to the
earth --
alexander
(smiles)
the sailor's omen of good fortune.
the hunter watching over him on his
travels.
emma
so it's astronomy now, is it?
they are passing by the stanley steamer at the curb alexander
saw earlier. the motorist is still tinkering with the
engine.
emma
heavens, look at that now!
alexander
i've seen it.
he continues escorting her along.
emma
now i know you're ill -- passing up
the chance to explore some new
gadget.
alexander
it's only a machine.
she stops. genuinely concerned now.
emma
alexander... tell me what's going
on. is something wrong?
he looks at her deeply:
alexander
no, emma. everything is finally
right. tonight we're going to
start all over again. and this
time... i'm never going to let you
go.
he kisses her deeply. she is shocked at this public display
of affection, pulling back slightly.
emma
alex... people are staring.
alexander
let them.
he kisses her again.
emma
let them.
alexander
i have something for you...
he pats his pockets, feels the jewelry box, smiles. then he
notes the flower seller he saw before.
alexander
(smiles)
wait -- i want to do it right this
time -- stay here, don't move...
emma stands, mystified, as he goes to the flower seller.
flower seller
have some flowers, sir?
alexander
yes, as many as you have!
a sudden sound makes him spin back --
a frenzy of movement -- on the curb, the stanley steamer
suddenly lurches forward -- the brake not set -- the motorist
jumps out of the way -- the steamer slams forward to the
street full of horse-drawn carriages -- a horse rears and
bolts -- panic, screams -- the horse lurches to the curb --
toward emma -- the carriage topples over --
burying emma in a violent crash.
alexander races to emma -- too late. a crowd begins to form.
alexander folds himself over her in wordless torment.
int. alexander's house - lab - night
alexander sits in his lab, glaring at the time machine.
tormented. eyes haunted. drinking a glass of brandy. not
his first.
he glares at the time machine, his fury building -- then he
bolts up -- flings the brandy glass away from him -- it
shatters -- strides across the lab -- throws himself into the
machine.
alexander
time heals all wounds -- then let
it!
he slams the control lever forward violently -- in fury -- a
high-pitched whine -- building -- the world undulating around
alexander --
suddenly all the silent clocks in alexander's lab begin to
tick --
time travel
alexander's spine immediately arches back -- he screams in
pain --
the molecules of his body revolt as they are torn forward
through time -- as time tears through him -- his whole body
suffers as he bends and floats and rips through time -- when
he turns his head his whole face seems to elongate --
he's going too fast -- he eases back on the control lever --
the pain receding somewhat --
and the world around him changes --
the sun rises and then sets and then rises; in his garden
snails zoom past flowers that bloom and die in an instant;
apples grow ripe and then fall and decay in his garden; a
complicated spider's web grows in a corner of his laboratory
in seconds --
the sun and moon now shoot through the sky, a strobe-like
flashing of day and night, finally settling into a strange,
perpetual grey light.
he begins to control the lever a bit more -- it is sensitive
to his touch -- soon he can glance around a bit without
absolute agony -- and then with no pain at all --
in the window of the dress shop across the street he watches
a female mannequin as she is redressed, her clothes morphing
from style to style, a swirl of styles and outfits. and new
buildings spring up across the street as the seasons pass in
a blur, summer-fall-winter-spring-summer-fall-winter-spring.
his journey is accompanied by a strange symphony -- sound
bending around him; voices, music, period radio news reports,
industry. sounds that float and flit through his
consciousness, distorted, barely recognizable.
and bizarre shapes move through his world as well -- ghost
like apparitions -- strange and eerie as they bend and morph
through space -- people.
he can almost control the appearance of the people as he
gently modulates his speed with the control lever -- he sees
mrs. watchit bending through time -- philby, concerned --
then people he doesn't know, architects with blueprints,
pointing --
then the world directly around him is changing -- his lab
changing -- walls being torn down --
his lab is now a garage -- a series of swiftly morphing cars
denoting the passing time as years spin by on his control
in the distance he sees new york city expanding -- the
chrysler building (19
30) and the empire state building (19
3
1)
shoot up.
then the garage is torn down around him -- another
construction going up -- larger -- a restaurant.
he modulates the control lever -- controlling the ebb and
flow of time -- the patrons of the restaurant huddled around
a radio, a news report, fdr's voice... 'december 7... a day
that will live in infamy...'
he notes a store going up next to the dress shop: a newspaper
shop -- sees banner headlines as the years sweep past --
d-day! -- ve day! -- vj day! -- an enormous celebration in
the street.
the years spin by on his control panel: 1946... 1953...
1957...
the strange aural symphony continues as he hears music and
news, the music evolving from swing to early rock...
the restaurant dissolves around him and a house grows up --
he is in a den -- a black-and-white tv on -- alexander gapes
-- slowly, slightly...
on the tv: jfk's funeral... in the den he sees the shape of a
family nestled together, watching the funeral, weeping...
he presses on. the years spin by on his control panel:
1963... 1966... 1969...
on the new color tv in the den: news reports of the apollo
11, neil armstrong stepping on the moon... 'one small step
for man...' alexander stares, amazed.
the aural and visual symphony continues... rock segueing to
disco, vietnam news...
he is shocked to see the mannequin in a miniskirt! he sees
the dress shop becoming a department store and the newspaper
store becoming a high tech electronics shop --
on a bank of tvs in the electronics shop window he sees nixon
leaving the white house for the last time, august 9, 1974,
walking to the helicopter, the ferocious victory 'v'...
then alexander is suddenly outside as the house is demolished
-- quickly eroding around him -- he is in a vacant lot...
he is stunned to see the towers of the world trade center
looming in the distance -- the rollerskaters with boom boxes
swirling past with the grace of ballet dancers -- and
something so fantastical that alexander can only gape...
an airplane soaring above.
the years zip by on his control panel: 1979... 1985...
1989...
more disjointed sounds and images, tv reports and radio news
and music: oil crisis, plop-plop-fizz-fizz-oh-what-a-relief
it-is, ronald reagan, punk rock, gulf war, clinton...
then order from the chaos -- the overgrown vacant lot is
landscaped -- becoming a beautiful park...
he slows a bit, almost stopping -- intrigued by a
transformation across the street: the banks of tv screens are
replaced by an informational kiosk of some kind.
the control panel display clicks more slowly... february
2005... april 2005... may 2005...
alexander continues to stare at the information kiosk as he
comes to a stop, briefly, at: may 24, 2005
ext. park (200
5) - day
alexander sits unnoticed in the time machine as he watches a
group of schoolchildren and their teacher gathering around
the informational kiosk. it is a public information booth
with a video screen showing the word vox. a glowing red blip
within the 'o'.
the vox kiosk is activated when the teacher steps in front of
a sensor eye.
vox kiosk (v.o.)
may i help you?
teacher
yes, please... tell us about the
terraforming.
the children watch, delighted, as images of the moon and
renderings and videos of some massive engineering project
appear on the vox screen.
vox kiosk (v.o.)
the joint united nations/microsoft
terraforming operation began nine
months ago with the moon base alpha
landings. after establishing
plymouth center the terraformers
began colony construction. can i
tell you more?
child
what are they doing now?
alexander watches, stunned. a machine that converses with
people.
vox kiosk (v.o.)
currently, the terraformers are
preparing the first excavation
demolitions for the subterranean
chambers. it is projected that the
first lunar colonists should be
landing within the decade. can i
tell you more?
alexander gapes at the vox kiosk. magnificent renderings of
a vast underground metropolis. people living on the moon.
he must see this grand adventure out. he presses on...
time travel
but almost immediately the time machine is lurching and
buffeting -- a strange darkness spreading over it as air raid
sirens scream --
alexander is alarmed -- he begins to pull back on the control
lever -- the date on the display clicks to: august 26, 2007.
and alexander and the time machine suddenly topple over as
the ground lurches below them --
ext. park (200
7) - day
alexander looks up from the grass...
right into the eyes of a small albino alligator.
the alligator blinks at him and then slithers off, a brood of
other alligators with it.
alexander glances to the street -- sees an enormous pack of
rats emerging from a sewer drain -- a thick, undulating
carpet of rats --
and alexander feels the vibrations. the earth, a steady
rumble. his eye is drawn to a small puddle of water near
him. the water swirls around strangely and then -- whoosh --
forms into a vortex and spirals away into the sky --
alexander follows the water with his eyes and finally sees
it...
the moon.
filling the sky as if it were falling toward the earth.
parts of the moon are beginning to sheer off -- violently
peeling away like the skin of an onion -- as it impacts the
gravitational roche limit, 7,300 miles above the earth. (the
moon is currently 230,000 miles above the earth.)
the people on the street race around, tense and desperate,
flowing along the streets and sidewalks. national guard
soldiers are trying to retain order, urgent voices into
megaphones --
alexander hauls himself up -- and races into the mob --
ext. street (200
7) - day
he grabs a man --
alexander
what's going on -- ?!
the man pulls away from him, terrified -- alexander is
bustled along the sidewalk in the mass of people -- he turns
to a woman:
alexander
please tell me -- what's
happening?!
she ignores him -- he is buffeted along in the mob of people
-- then, a voice, remarkably calm in the chaos, a familiar
voice:
calm voice
may i help you?... may i help
you?... may i help you?...
alexander pushes his way through the frenzy of people toward
the voice. finds himself at...
the front steps of the fifth avenue new york public library.
the twin stone lions looming over the chaos on the street.
the calm voice is coming from another vox kiosk, an upgrade
of the one he saw previously. alexander unintentionally
activates the unit by stepping in front of a red sensor eye.
