New World Monkeys
God
is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
-
Voltaire
FADE
IN
Int. Club Wicked, A trendy fetish club in Shibuya. Night
OTTO
I like it.
JD
Pretty freaky, huh?
OTTO
The candle light, the chandelier…it’s so Baroque.
JD
Did you see the piano across the hall there? Or maybe it’s a harpsichord.
OTTO
Where’s Liberace when you need him?
JD
He’s
dead, of course. But I could see his ghost
taking refuge in a place like this.
Otto:
You come here often?
JD
Been a long time. Not since my first night
in Tokyo.
Now you’re the new kid and I’m the veteran.
Otto
Passin’ the torch.
They clink beer bottles together
OTTO
How
do they say cheers?
JD
Kampai.
OTTO
Kampai!
JD
You jet-lagged?
OTTO
I feel just fine. Maybe it’ll just catch up with me.
JD
Maybe
you’ll elude it.
OTTO
Doubtful. That was a long damn flight.
Middle-aged person of unknown gender in black dress and high heels dances next to
adjacent booth
OTTO
I think it’s
a man.
JD
I think it’s
a ladyman.
Otto
Is it
common here?
JD
Not where
you’ll be. The other end of the spectrum, the big city.
OTTO
Which do you
prefer?
JD
I need
‘em both. Yin and yang.
OTTO
I hear you
on that.
JD
We’re
birds of a feather
OTTO
Too bad you’re
leavin as I’m coming.
JD
I’ll be
back, don’t worry.
They toast
EXT Train station Higashi-Nozumi DAY
MICKEY
What’s
up?
OTTO
Off to the
big city.
Mickey
Little
early for that?
Otto
Got to
pick up my credit card. Left it in a restaurant.
Mickey
Cross your
fingers they have it.
Otto
I looked
into it. They have it.
Mickey
You
heard what happened to Bobby?
OTTO
They told me he got knocked flat. Riding his
cycle.
MICKEY
Not just
that. They gotta fuckin rebuild his whole leg.
OTTO
The poker
star is gonna need a wheelchair.
MICKEY
He could come in with crutches and an eyepatch.
OTTO
It would
just add to his mystique. Is the game on Wednesday still on?
MICKEY
Should be.
With Bobby gone people won’t be so afraid to play.
OTTO
Well, Bradley is back in Saipan chasing after that blonde.
MICKEY
What a
nut. Every time I hear about him he’s chasing after someone.
Otto
Here
comes your buddy.
MICKEY
We’re
heading off to Kyoto.
OTTO
I’m
jealous. I’m just gonna hang out here this weekend.
I’m broke.
MICKEY
They
still haven’t paid you?
OTTO
I got it in writing now that payment’s coming.
MICKEY
Fuckin’
bureaucracy. “You’re check is in the
mail.”
OTTO
Tell me
about it. I’ve been really scrapin’ lately.
MICKEY
Good thing
you got friends.
OTTO
Yeah
they keep me going. Then there’s
mom. Always good for a hundred bucks.
MICKEY
Who ever
thought mom would still be payin’ the bills?
OTTO
Sad. They better pay me soon.
By the way,
what was up with Jerry last Friday—he seemed a little pissy.
MICKEY
Oh, it’s
nothing. He’s a pretty good guy. He was
just hearing some bad news back in the States. His uncle or something. Car wreck.
OTTO
Oh, that’s too bad.
MICKEY
Hey, I got
a friend, Morris, coming in from
Michigan. Isn’t that where you’re from, originally?
OTTO
Yeah, maybe we’ll meet up again Friday.
But I may have to go up to Shimoda.
MICKEY
Shimoda’s beautiful. What the hell brings you up there?
OTTO
Oh, there’s this conference. Actually more like a retreat.
MICKEY
That’s nice up there. Bring your camera. Oh well, gotta run. Gonna miss Brooks. He didn’t
even see me.
OTTO
See you.
MICKEY
Itte rasshai!
INT-OUTBACK RESTAURANT- NIGHT
Bradley:
Usually I just go out to the noodle shop.
OTTO
I always seem to end up here.
BRADLEY
We’ve got different styles.
OTTO
You’re more frugal.
BRADLEY
That’s
for sure.
OTTO
There’s one thing about those noodle shops. The
way the natives slurp those noodles. Drives
me crazy.
BRADLEY
I’ve
been out here longer than you. Ya get used to it.
FU
How bout another martini?
OTTO
One
more, kudasai!
FU
Too strong?
OTTO
That was
just right.
FU
Okay, I make the same.
BRADLEY
This seafood’s pretty good. I gotta start coming out here.
OTTO
That lady looks like Yoko.
BRADLEY
Right across from us?
OTTO
Yes,
a slightly younger version of her.
BRADLEY
Did you
sleep with her too?
OTTO
Nah, I don’t
know anyone who did.
BRADLEY
She
used to hang on to JD a bit.
OTTO
They
had a weird thing goin’ on. She wouldn’t
actually get together with
him in public, but at closing time they would
head off together.
BRADLEY
Head off
where?
OTTO
Into the
night. Probably JD’s place.
BRADLEY
What an
unlikely couple.
OTTO
Not
exactly Ken and Barbie. An aging
drunkard and Goth boy.
BRADLEY
Opposites attract.
OTTO
You’re telling me.
INT
-CLUB WICKED FETISH BAR-NIGHT
Otto
Have you
been back home?
JD
Not
for a couple years. I’m in
for a little culture shock.
OTTO
So am I . Coming in the other direction.
JD
At least I learned a little Japanese. It would have been embarrassing to come
home without some.
A sinewy silhouette dances in the aisle
next to them.
OTTO
I think
it’s a different guy.
JD
Nah, that’s a
femme. Look at the hips. Look at the small hands.
OTTO
You’ve got a
better eye than I do.
JD
I’ve
been to Thailand recently. You need a good eye there. Lot’s of females who
aren’t so female.
OTTO
That’s what I hear.
JD
Though I
do recommend it, going down there. Cheap as hell.
OTTO
Is it?
JD
Live like
a king.
OTTO
Bangkok?
JD
No way. I couldn’t get outta there fast enough.
They have these islands to the south that are
just gorgeous.
OTTO
Look over at the couch. Those two are
really going to town.
JD
Two transvestite salarymen going at
it. If their wives only knew.
OTTO
They told their wives they had to
work late tonight.
JD
I always
wonder.
OTTO
So where am I
going to get a drink in the little town of Nomuzi.
JD
Nozumi. Those
drinks getting to ya?
OTTO
Sorry.
JD
You can get
a beer anywhere. There’s this
little type of place, the izakaya,
where
you get booze with your dinner and listen to music…jazz, whatever.
OTTO
Is it
a bar?
JD
Somewhere between a restaurant and a tavern.
OTTO
You
went there a lot?
JD
Sometimes.
There’s an American tavern
near the train station.
The Roadhouse. You’ll be going there.
Owner’s from Chicago. So you get
the English teachers, the Toyota guys,
the researchers from the Institute, all coming there to meet Fridays,
Saturdays. It’s a good time.
OTTO
Here comes the
waitress.
JD
I’m gonna
get another martini
OTTO
Make that two.
INT –Mark’s apartment. North Nozumi Night
Otto knocks on door, waits. Door creaks open.
Bruce
There you
are, mate.
OTTO
Sorry I
got here late. Never been
to this part of town.
BRUCE
You can
take the shoes off, or not. I don’t care.
Otto
When in Rome…
Otto takes off shoes, walks inside.
Bruce
Can I get you
a beer?
Otto
How about
just a soda?
Bruce
Coming
right up.
Otto
Where’s
Kumiko?
Bruce
At work
still. Said she be late tonight.
Otto
She
teaches English, right?
Bruce
She
teaches Japanese…to gai-jin. Like
you . Like me.
Otto walks toward television.
OTTO
Is this
the Australian team.
BRUCE
Sure is. Against Japan. Should be interesting
if Kumiko comes home soon.
We’ll be
rooting for different teams.
OTTO
It’s still scoreless. Should be a close one.
[Hears a thud in the bathroom.]
Who’s that?
BRUCE
Gilberto. He’s in there playing poker online.
Here he comes.
Gilberto enters room
BRUCE
(Cont’d)
You two know each other?
OTTO
Yeah, the face is familiar.
GILBERTO
Out in
Nagoya one night. That was me with Rogerio and Mickey.
OTTO
Wow. What a night! That was a while ago. We went out to that dance hall.
GILBERTO
Yeah. You know I have to get going. I have to pick up my girlfriend.
BRUCE
You can tell her how much you made playing poker.
GILBERTO
How much I
lost.
Gilberto opens door.
BRUCE
Thanks for
stopping by.
GILBERTO
See you later. Give me a call. Tell
me how it was.
Door closes
BRUCE
It’s
a good thing. My wife isn’t too crazy about him.
OTTO
Why’s
that?
BRUCE
Hell, I don’t
know. She’s racist. Not too crazy about
Brazilians.
OTTO
Australia
scored another goal.
Bruce leaves room then re-enters.
BRUCE
Wow, I
didn’t think we had a chance.
Maybe we’ll win the World Cup.
Here’s
what I got. All the way from Morocco.
Bruce holds out chunk of hashish
in his hand.
OTTO
That’s look
pretty good.
BRUCE
That’s ni ma
Yen. Twenty thousand.
Otto opens wallet, pulls out two crisp bills.
Otto
Here
ya go.
Bruce
Sample?
OTTO
Nah, I gotta
get going.
BRUCE
Careful, man. Don’t get caught with
that in this county. You’ll be eatin fish-head soup.
OTTO
I’ll keep
it safely stashed.
BRUCE
See you
this weekend.
OTTO
See you
at Jerry’s place.
INT –OUTBACK RESTAURANT-NIGHT
Bradley
That stuff catching up with you?
OTTO
It’s only my third.
Bradley
That would be starting to hit me. It’s eleven.
Wanna start heading over to Motown?
OTTO
Thinking it
over.
BRADLEY
Never been
here before. Is there anything I
should know?
OTTO
Actually, there might be some drama tonight.
BRADLEY
What are you saying? You’re gonna get in a
fight tonight?
OTTO
No, no. Not that kind of drama.
BRADLEY
It’s eleven. Should we be starting to head over there?
OTTO
Sure, let me
finish this off and ask for
the bill.
BRADLEY
Okanjo, kudasai.
FU
Sure,
I’ll get the check. How was everything tonight?
OTTO
Just fine. Oishi!.
FU
Thank
you gentlemen. See you soon.
Otto and Bradley head up the street for a cab.
10 minutes later. Inside Motown bar.
BRADLEY
There’s
no band.
OTTO
They’ll be
out soon. There’s the schedule.
BRADLEY
Where?
OTTO
Up on the wall.
BRADLEY
So where’s your dreamboat?
OTTO
Like I said, they’ll be out soon.
BRADLEY
You didin’t
tell me she was in the band.
OTTO
Really?
I thought I told you.
BRADLEY
You
just told me you gave someone a poem.
OTTO
I sort
of stuck it in her purse.
BRADLEY
She
knows it was you?
OTTO
Not yet.
BRADLEY
Here comes the
waiter.
OTTO
Don’t like to admit it, but I’ve got butterflies in my stomach.
BRADLEY
Two Long
Island Ice teas.
Waiter
No problem.
Otto
Lights are goin’ off.
Bradley
There’s
the band.
OTTO
I just
love Saturday night.
BRADLEY
Sure beats
workin’. Hey, she’s a beauty!
Band chats up audience, then breaks into
“Celebrate”
OTTO
Good
Mix here. Races. Not too gai-jin. Not
too Japanese.
BRADLEY
Lots of
ladies, too. That’s hard
to come by.
OTTO
Unlike
the Pink Elephant.
BRADLEY
That place
used to have a lot of ladies, before you came out here.
No idea
what happened.
INT –UCLA
Laboratory-DAY
Otto is on the computer browsing jobs
Alex
Here’s
one for you. “Explore undersea treasure.” Dive shipwrecks in the
Mediterranean.
OTTO
Sounds
great. Just not my field.
ALEX
How
about this one. “Study the migration patterns of whales of Monterrey bay.”
OTTO
Interesting. Not really my field either.
ALEX
Opportunities
in cardiac physiology. Investigate
the role of
ion channels
in cardiac myopathy.
OTTO
Too medical.
ALEX
Would you
go overseas?
OTTO
Maybe. It
depends on the project.
ALEX
Wanted: Young investigators in the filed of circular dichroism.
Otto
Lovely. Too bad I don’t know anything
about circular dichroism.
ALEX
There’s
gotta be something for you
here. Graduate opportunities in the evolution
of primates.
Otto Raises eyebrows.
OTTO
Where’s
that one?
ALEX
Dr. Akiro
Takahashi. Nozumi Japan . Aichi prefecture.
OTTO
I’ve
heard of him. He’s supposed
to be good.
ALEX
See, I
told you this site was good.
OTTO
What
city did you say that was?
ALEX
Nozumi
OTTO
Hey,
I’ve got a friend out there. I think
that’s where he is. There’s
a
big English teaching school there.
ALEX
Here’ s
another . Post doctoral studies in paleo-geology. Cairo , Egypt.
OTTO
Now if
I only had a PhD.
ALEX
Graduate
students interested in the role
of protein kinases in the development of
cardiac myopathy.
OTTO
Too
dreary. I Like the other one
INT-ROADHOUSE BAR-NIGHT
TEDDY
We never quite made it there.
Mickey
You went to Heart of Darkness?
TEDDY
Christ , that place was a little scary.
Security guys with AK47’s outside guarding it.
Brooks
What about inside?
TEDDY
Not
too shabby. All those women are available. Not like a bar in the States where it’s
a big tease.
Jerry
So what
you’re saying is you picked up hookers.
TEDDY
Well, I’ll
let you use your imagination.
Jerry
Just
admit it.
TEDDY
I’ll take the
Fifth.
Mickey
You’re
in Japan. There is no “Fifth.”
Jerry walks back behind the bar and
mixes a cocktail.
Otto
Can I get
another pint of this.
Jerry
The Belgian?
Otto
Yup.
Jerry
Sure
thing. What are you writing?
OTTO
Verses.
Jerry snatches paper from in front of Otto.
Read text, shakes in head in disgust.
Jerry
No poetry in the Roadhouse. This place is for
men.
OTTO
I think I’m falling for this lady, this singer, out in Nagoya.
JERRY
Japanese
chick?
OTTO
From Singapore, actually.
JERRY
At the Motown Bar?
TEDDY
I know who you’re talkin’ about. She’s with the Jazz Kats.
OTTO
That’s
her.
TEDDY
We were just there Friday.
OTTO
That’s when they play.
TEDDY
So what’s
the poem for? You know where to
send it?
OTTO
I know where she
keeps her purse. That’s all I need.
JERRY
Who says
chivalry is dead?
Otto
Exactly.
Jerry
How’s
this for a change of pace?
TEDDY
Who is
this? You were playing it the other night.
JERRY
Madelaine Peyroux.
Otto
Sounds
very…ummm….retro.
JD
That’s
what I like about it.
JERRY
How about
some Jack Johnson next?
TEDDY
So back
to Viet Nam…
BROOKS
What did you
pay to get out there?
TEDDY
Maybe
400 dollars . That was all
arranged.
MICKEY
How the
hell did you pull a deal like that?
TEDDY
Brian took care of all that.
BROOKS
I’m gonna
cancel on Australia if Viet Nam’s that cheap.
TEDDY
Unbelievable .
Thirty dollars a day to hang out at the beach and sip
beer all evening.
Mickey
Try Cambodia.
It’s even cheaper.
BROOKS
My friend went out there for Christmas. Said he was getting
by on ten dollars a day?
Mickey
The
dollar’s like fuckin’ gold out there.
Craig
walks behind the bar. Talks
to Yoko in Japanese.
Yoko
Hai.
Hai.
[laughs]
JERRY
snatches poem from
Otto. Reads aloud:
Cool summer rain
Catch
a cab on First and Main
Warm summer breeze
Puts
everyone at ease…
OTTO
Gimme that!
That’s personal!
Yoko laughs out loud
BROOKS
Otto, you
writing love letters again?
Ext-ASUMI LINE
TRAIN- Day
Brooks and Mickey on the train headed for Akabane beach
MICKEY
Shit, man. This train stops every half mile. They used to have an express out
to Long Beach.
BROOKS
Hell, I don’t
mind. We’ll be there in 20
minutes.
MICKEY
I gotta
get another aspirin. I can’t believe we
stayed out to two thirty.
BROOKS
Fuck it. It’s
a Holiday.
MICKEY
Did you ever call Jerry?
BROOKS
He was having some sort of argument with
the missus.
MICKEY
He’s
got that Irish complexion. Don’t
see him comin’ out this way
too
often.
BROOKS
What’s this
stop. I can’t read kanji.
MICKEY
Matazuki.
BROOKS
I gotta
learn the language. Is that one character per syllable.
MICKEY
That’s
just Hiragana. Ma-ta-zu-ki. You
can learn that in 2 weeks, man.
It’s
the Kanji that’s really tough.
BROOKS
Did you
memorize it?
MICKEY
Nah. A
little. That shit takes years,
man.
BROOKS
I thought
it’d be easier.
MICKEY
Kamo helped
me out quite a bit. Jerry’s
bartender. He’s a good teacher.
2 hours later, on the beach
BROOKS
Got some good waves man
MICKEY
There’s
a huge rip current right
over here.
BROOKS
I noticed. I saw some
guy thrashing around out
there.
MICKEY
I wondered
what was going on there.
BROOKS
You know who I
saw walk by?
MICKEY
Who?
BROOKS
Chie.
MICKEY
She’s here?
I never figured her for a beach bunny. Did she see you?
BROOKS
Nah, I
kinda turned my head.
MICKEY
Funny, we both have slept with her. Now we turn
our heads away.
BROOKS
Yeah, I agree.
MICKEY
I hate doin that, but , you know, I’m goin’ out with her friend now.
BROOKS
Oh shit, I
think that’s her.
MICKEY
Headed this
way?
BROOKS
Yeah, wait
a sec. She’s with Yoko.
MICKEY
Nah, that’s
not them.
Surf picks up, sun breaks through the
haze.
Mickey and Brooks lie back and catch some rays.
BROOKS
These
guys are good, man.
MICKEY
No shit. When I got here I thought they’d be copyin’ California surfers.
But these
guys aren’t copying anybody. They’re doin they’re own thing.
Brooks
You know who comes out here a lot?
MICKEY
Who? Abby?
BROOKS
The
British woman? Nah, someone else.
MICKEY
No idea.
BROOKS
You know the Canadian guy, Alex?
MICKEY
Yeah, stops by the Roadhouse late
sometimes. Don’t know him too well
BROOKS
I came out with him here one time. Actually I saw him the other night.
I thought he’d
be stopping by for a drink.
MICKEY
Roadhouse?
BROOKS
Nah, you
know that place down the street?
MICKEY
Oasis?
BROOKS
Yeah, I
saw him walk in there.
MICKEY
What is that place—some kind of blowjob bar?
BROOKS
No, it’s
some kind of dating service. The blowjob bar is down the street.
MICKEY
Across
from the Yakitori restaurant.
BROOKS
That’s the one. Hey, here comes Chie.
MICKEY
I’m
goin’ out for a swim…
INT MOTOWN BAR-NIGHT
BRADLEY
what's she gonan do when she finds out your the
poet
Mister X.
OTTO
I prefer Longfellow.
BRADLEY
Yeah, you wish. hey,
I think she's coming this way.
OTTO
Is she beautiful
or what?
BRADLEY
It's that little
white top.
Yep , here she comes. Act "natural."
MELISSA
[to bartender] Just a Becks.
Kudasai.
BRADLEY
You have good taste.
MELISSA
You gotta love this place. Where else are you gonna
find Becks way out here.
OTTO
Yeah, or this Long Island
Iced Tea?
BRADLEY
So, did you receive
any unexpected gifts lately?
MELISSA
Gifts? Like what?
BRADLEY
All these fans...you must get items occasionally.
MELISSA:
What kind of…items?
OTTO
Like , maybe , some verses.
MELISSA
You guys...are you the culprits? Fess up!
OTTO
What if we say no.
MELISSA
You must be the guys. I never told
anyone.
[blushes]
OTTO
Guilty as charged.
MELISSA
So which one of you did
it?
BRADLEY
This guy.
MELISSA
Oh, they're calling me backstage.
BRADLEY
You better get up
there. The show must go on.
MELISSA
Was it really you?
OTTO
Guilty
Melissa
leans over, kisses Otto.
OTTO
Wow , I gotta do this more often
MELISSA
laughs.
I wouldn't mind one bit.
Stranger
What was that for?
INT –CLUB WICKED FETISH BAR- NIGHT
JD
I wish I had more time out
here.
OTTO
You're gonna miss
it?
JD
I don't know...the food,
the ladies, the culture. I don't wanna head back to Wonder-bread land.
OTTO
You're going to New York, not
Peoria.
Don't be so gloomy.
JD
New York's fine. It's just so different.
OTTO
I'll be the one in
a small town.
JD
Nozumi's a good time.
You're gonna enjoy
it.
You’ll probably be seeing a lot of my friend Jerry.
OTTO
He owns the tavern?
JD
Yup, he’s the owner. But it’s almost like a diplomatic position.
OTTO
Whaddya mean?
JD
Scientists come to
work at the Institute. Toyota guys come
to town-where’s the first
place in town they come to get a beer?
OTTO
His place.
JD
Right. He manages pretty
well. The mayor’s daughter met an
American and they got married. Guess where they
met?
OTTO
Jerry’s place.
JD
Right. You’re gonna meet Yoko and
Michiko and Brooks and Mickey.
OTTO
Sounds like fun. There will be a lot of Westerners to meet.
JD
We’re just a bunch of gai-jin.
OTTO
A bunch of New World Monkeys.
JD
Livin it up in the Old World.
OTTO
You said it!
[They toast]
INT –BUS FROM AKABANE TO TAHARA-Day
Otto boards bus, is confused about how to pay.
Sees American woman on bus.
Otto
Do you know how it works—how to pay for the ride?
Girl
You didn’t grab
a ticket?
OTTO
From where?
GIRL
From the back. As you get in.
Otto
walks back to ticket dispenser, looks for
stub in machine, walks back to seat.
OTTO
There’s nothing there.
GIRL
You’ve got to grab
it as you get on.
OTTO
I better be more
careful. Are you living out this way?
GIRL
There’s an English-teaching school out here. Pretty isolated,
I know.
OTTO
It took me an hour and a half to get out here?
GIRL
You went to Long Beach? Akabane?
OTTO
Yeah.
GIRL
That’s where everyone
goes in summer. I see them all passing through. Where are you living?
OTTO
Nozumi. Northwest of here.
GIRL
Oh, so you know about Yamasa.
OTTO
Yamasa?
GIRL
The English language school.
OTTO
Sure, a lot of my friends are from there.
GIRL
You know Brooks, the big tall guy from Kentucky?
OTTO
I just saw him last Friday.
GIRL
He’s from my hometown, Lexington. We went to the same high school.
OTTO
Wow, I think he mentioned
you.
Is your name Sarah?
SARAH
Yep,that’s me. You must
know Teddy and Mickey.
OTTO
Sure, they are always down
at the pub.
SARAH
I’ve been up there in Nozumi. I spent a night there.
The Green Hotel. Ho-te-ru Midori.
OTTO
That place is kind of spooky.
SARAH
I think that’s what people like about it. So off-beat.
I forgot to ask—are you
with Toyota?
OTTO
No, I came out here to do research.
SARAH
There’s a big institute out there. I could see it from the
train.
OTTO
I came out here to study monkeys.
SARAH
That sounds interesting. I saw so many of them out in the jungle
up near Nagano.
OTTO
Yes, they have a lot
up there.
SARAH
Do you know Keiko?
Her father is President of the Institute.
OTTO
Sure, I have met her. I knew her family was somehow
linked to the Institute. Just out of curiosity--
SARAH
Yeah?
OTTO
How do you know Keiko?
SARAH
Brooks was going
out with her. He brought her out here a
few months ago.
OTTO
To Tahara?
SARAH
Actually, Toyohashi, where
we all met up. The
English teachers.
I remember the night. We were looking for a little tavern…just to
have a drink and something to snack on.
OTTO
In Toyohashi?
SARAH
Snack Bars…that means something completely different here. Not so innocent.
OTTO
So I hear.
SARAH
We couldn’t even find a simple pub, maybe some music…just all these
hostess bars.
OTTO
It’s like that in the one district in Tokyo, girlie pubs everywhere…in Kabukicho….I imagine.
SARAH
[laughs] Yes, you imagine well. I
was out in Tokyo a while
before I came down here.
OTTO
Don’t like the big city?
SARAH
I do like Kyoto.
OTTO
Everybody loves Kyoto.
SARAH
Yeah, Tokyo seems like such a
labyrinth. MY stop is coming up
here. Please say hello to Brooks.
OTTO
Nice to meet you. See you
later. I’ll make sure to say hello.
INT
ROADHOUSE BAR-NIGHT
KAMO
You
want a lager?
OTTO
Sure.
JERRY
Writing something?
Otto
Yeah, still writing love letters.
TEDDY
[Sitting next to Chie now]
You
know Chie, right?
Otto
Yes, she speaks English very well.
TEDDY
She
said she saw you yesterday.
OTTO
Where?
Chie
By the high
school.
OTTO
That’s
where I live. About a kilometer from there.
Chie
You
were with somebody.
OTTO
Really?
I can’t remember.
Kamo approaches the table with
pistachios
KAMO
Hitokire
dôzo. Enjoy!
Chie
He looked
like you….your brother maybe.
OTTO
My brother
lives in California. You, know, I think I
have a twin.
The
waiter at Watami swears she saw me out
in Kobe.
TEDDY
Was it you?
OTTO
Never been to Kobe.
TEDDY
Oh boy, that’s a strange town. If you’re looking for a little fun it’s a good
place to visit.
OTTO
Barkeep, get me a martini.
JERRY
Kamo,
get him a martini.
KAMO
Sure!
OTTO
[to TEDDY)
You know, I met somebody who
knows you?
TEDDY
Who might that be?
OTTO
You know
a Sarah out in Tahara?
TEDDY
Oh yeah,
she came to some meeting out here. She’s a
friend of Brooks’ from high school.
BROOKS
[turns around] I heard my name .
TEDDY
We were
just talking about Sarah.
Otto ran into her out in Tahara.
Chie
She
came here one night. I remember.
BROOKS
Hey, that was
my first serious girlfriend.
OTTO
Everybody seems to stumble in
this joint, sooner or later.
JERRY
Center of the Universe.
OTTO
I feel like
a daiquiri.
JERRY
I thought
you wanted a sea breeze.
OTTO
I changed
my mind. It’s been a long hot day. How about a
banana daiquiri?
JERRY
You got it. You must have seen my bananas.
OTTO
They’re
sitting right there.
JERRY
Kamo, two banana daiquiris.
Kamo
Okay, boss.
TEDDY
[sits
by Otto] Who’s up for some darts. And dancing.
Yoko
[nodding, smiling] Da-tsu! Odorimashoo!
OTTO
Where do they have darts?
TEDDY
Club Kaos.
Down the street. Open til
dawn.
OTTO
I’m getting too old to party ‘til dawn.
TEDDY
Oh come on. How often do you find yourself in the Land of the Rising Sun with
wild-eyed party girls.
OTTO
Good point.
JERRY
One for you
and one for you.
OTTO
So
I want to get away for a few days.
JD
This place
getting to you?
OTTO
I don’t
know. Lately I’ve just been bored.
Lonely. They’re all speaking Japanese at
work. Sometimes I go three, four days without speaking.
TEDDY
Not
even to yourself.
OTTO
I’d be
embarrassed to admit how much of
that I do.
TEDDY
You want
a few days off?
OTTO
Yeah, somewhere where it’s warm and sunny. No salarymen.
TEDDY
Okinawa’s
pretty nice. Lots of surfers,
not so uptight.
JERRY
How’s that
daiquiri?
OTTO
Pretty frosty. I’m impressed.
TEDDY
Work just
got you down?
OTTO
I’ve been in that lab so much. Studying, reading, writing. Squirrel monkeys, capuchin, howlers.
TEDDY
That
sounds pretty interesting.
OTTO
Jeez, I have never seen grad students so
married to the lab.
TEDDY
They can be
real workaholics. I don’t’ know where they go to get away.
OTTO
I’m sure it
gets to them the pressure. I’m surprised there isn’t more violence.
TEDDY
Did
you read about the recent crime wave?
OTTO
They tried to whack the mayor of Nagasaki.
JERRY
Tried to?
TEDDY
Yakuza. Shot him dead.
OTTO
And
some shootout under a bridge in Nagoya.
JERRY
Lovely.
Chie
I read about that. A friend of mine saw it happen.
TEDDY
How about the
English teacher who was killed by the student. The guy is hiding out somewhere.
OTTO
Up in Tokyo.
Chie
Now England
probably hate my country.
TEDDY
No, they don’t hate you.
OTTO
It’s
just one bad apple.
Chie whispers in Japanese to Yoko.
{They get
up and start to leave]
YOKO
We return.
TEDDY
Sayonara.
OTTO
How
about a glass of water?
JERRY
Comin’
right up.
OTTO
So I hear you’re changing things around here.
TEDDY
How about a New York Theme? Broadway.
OTTO
Nah, too highbrow. Keep it simple. “Titties and beer!”
JERRY
This
is Japan. Where am I gonna find some proper titties?
TEDDY
Good point.
TEDDY
[laughs]
Maybe you should stick with Roadhouse!
JERRY
I’m gonna be
closing up soon. You guys
gonna be playing darts?
OTTO
I’m
gonna call it a night.
TEDDY
Me too. It’s
been a long day. A very long
day.
INT-American Airlines Flight 57-NIGHT
Passenger
You
were asleep there for a while.
OTTO
It’s
rare I catch some genuine Z’s on a plane like this.
PASSENGER
I used
to be one of those people who could sleep anywhere.
OTTO
So are
we over the Pacific?
PASSENGER
Just over
Alaska. The Aleutian Islands.
OTTO
It’s too
dark to see.
PASSENGER
What
brings you out to the East?
OTTO
Research.
PASSENGER
Business. I’m with Toyota.
OTTO
That’s not too
far from where I’ll be living.
PASSENGER
Toyohashi?
OTTO
Nozumi.
PASSENGER
I Passed through once. Pretty little town.
OTTO
Little?
PASSENGER
Little by Japanese standards. It probably
has as many people as Orlando.
OTTO
Am I
in for a culture shock?
PASSENGER
You’ll get used to it. The first thing that might
surprise you is how
the
workers bow to you in the the hotels, on the trains.
OTTO
What do
you do for fun?
PASSENGER
Oh, head out to the big city, or just
hang out in the Izakaya and have
a beer and chat with friends. I’m James, by the
way.
OTTO
I’m Otto.
PASSENGER
Sometimes we
just hang out in Toyota City.
There’s a place called Freddy’s.
Tiny little
place, but where else ya gonna go to hear some blues or rock and roll?
OTTO
Sounds
good to me. I’ll be busy doing work out here but I’m looking forward to meeting some people. Westerners.
JAMES
Gai-jin.
OTTO
What’s that?
JAMES
Gain –jin means foreigners. Nihon-jin is what they call themselves, the Japanese.
OTTO
That will come in handy.
JAMES
You’ll have
a good time. One thing, though…don’t spend too much time trying to
figure them out.
OTTO
No?
JAMES
It’s the land of mystery and manners. Just enjoy.
OTTO
Sounds like good advice.
EXT- LONG BEACH-DAY
BROOKS
That water
feels damn good.
MICKEY
July’s the
time to get out here. Or June. Less humid
BROOKS
My friends
are probably at work right now
MICKEY
Saturday
afternoon?
BROOKS
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays. They don’t mind.
MICKEY
I can still see Chie . Way down
by the jetty.
BROOKS
You
know who’s in love with her?
MICKEY
Who?
BROOKS
I think
Teddy is. He was all drunk the other night, goin’ on
about her.
MICKEY
She’s
quite a bit older than he
is.
Big wave breaks, surfer catches
good long ride
BROOKS
Did you
just see that?
MICKEY
That
guy’s good. Last one out there.
You used to surf, right?
BROOKS
Difficult in Kentucky. All they got to
surf out there is the bourbon.
MICKEY
You’re
glad to be out here?
BROOKS
I’m
enjoying life. Things are good. Some day I’ll look back at this and wish I
could go back in time.
MICKEY
You’d never know where you were if you just woke here where we’re lying.
BROOKS
I’d
probably think I was in the South Pacific. Micronesia.
MICKEY
Yeah, especially with the lush forest up the
hill there. This isn’t like a beach
in the States.
BROOKS
Must
be getting late. The wind’s
picking up.
MICKEY
The
sun’s all the way over there now. What happened to my little sundial?
BROOKS
Must
have got blown away when we dozed
off.
MICKEY
Man, I’m getting hungry. Haven’t put
down anything except those chips.
BROOKS
Wanna
head up to that little café?
MICKEY
Not really.
BROOKS
Why not?
MICKEY
I
got into a little scuffle there.
BROOKS
Oh that’s
right. [laughs] Man, you get into
a lot of fights.
MICKEY
Let’s
grab some lunch up in Toyohashi.
BROOKS
You know
a good place.
MICKEY
Short
walk from the station.
Little sandwich shop.
BROOKS
I wonder
what happened to Chie.
MICKEY
Man, she
was looking tasty.
BROOKS
I was
thinking the same thing.
MICKEY
I
wonder if we’ll see her tonight.
BROOKS
I actually saw her hanging out with Otto recently.
MICKEY
That guy’s a
mystery to me.
BROOKS
Why’s that?
MICKEY
He’s supposed to be studying apes or whatever out here.
I don’t
know how to explain it…
sometimes I
think he’s studying us.
BROOKS
[laughs] He means no harm. No need to get spooked.
Large wave approaches and breaks. Surfer
rides it to perfection.
BROOKS
Look at that
guy go. Must be a pro.
MICKEY
I
saw that. Guy’s gotta be some kind
of pro surfer.
Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chie shows up tonight. You know who she hangs
out with a lot?
BROOKS
Remember
Keiko?
MICKEY
Yeah. She was
pretty cute. Little tease.
BROOKS
She
was at Joe’s going away party. The
outdoor barbecue. What’s that
guy’s name?
MICKEY
Shoji. He’s
got the killer party pad.
BROOKS
I remember
that night. I had a good
time. Everybody had a good time.
What does
that guy do, anyway?
MICKEY
Nobody knows. Sells adult videos, owns some girly bar out near Hamamatsu.
You know…a
little of this, a little of that.
BROOKS
Seems
like a good guy. A little rough
around the edges, maybe.
MICKEY
You see him
with Chie sometimes. They go way
back. Michiko too.
BROOKS
I see
him with all those girls. He’s their papa-san.
BROOKS
That’s
what I thought.
MICKEY
May
we both be as lucky as him when
we get to be his age.
BROOKS
I’m with you
on that, bro.
INT-NIGHT
CLUB
WICKED
Asian couple is slow dancing near
JD and Otto.
Otto
So is there a
lot to do?
JD
In Nozumi?
Otto
Yeah. Nightlife, I mean.
JD
You
probably wanna head out to
the big city. Nagoya. They have a lot to
do.
There’s
just one main drag in Nozumi.
Near the train station. I Must say, though,
Nozumi’s
a hell of a lot more interesting than Ozuma. or Anjo.
I mean, there’s nothing there on a
Saturday night. I didn’t appreciate Nozumi until I went out to these other towns lookin for love.
OTTO
No
blowjob bar.
JD
Hell,
there probably is. They just won’t let in anyone
who’s not Japanese.
OTTO
Isn’t that
discrimination?
JD
You’ll see that all over Japan.
OTTO
This
couple’s getting awfully close.
JD
This place is a trip, isn’t it.
What a great introduction.
OTTO
I love it…I won’t even ask how you found this place.
JD
[frowns] One
thing I’m gonna miss, though.
OTTO
What’s that?
JD
In the smaller
towns…there’s a simplicity, you know…a park is just a park,
not
a hangout for pimps
or druggies.
OTTO
That’s the way it should be.
JD
And also the way things work. If you walk home
late and find a
pay phone, it will work.
OTTO
Wow , this place really is different.
JD
Or if you stop by the park late at night…the
bathroom will be open
and
it will be reasonably clean, and there will be paper towels
in the dispenser.
OTTO
Christ man, sure you wanna go back? [burps]
This stuff is strong, man.
What did you say it was called?
JD
Sho-chu. Hell yeah it’s strong. I had some of that stuff at Shoji’s.
OTTO
Who’s
that?
J D
You’ll definitely run into Shoji.
OTTO
What does
he do?
JD
I think
he sells yachts out in Toyohashi.
OTTO
Wow, yachts.
Maybe I’ll hang out with Jo-shi.
JD
Sho-ji. That stuff getting to you?
OTTO
Hey, there are
some Americans. Women.
JD
I bet this
place gets a lot of Americans.
OTTO
Only
for the curious.
JD
The brave.
OTTO
This
lady over here is kind
of cute.
JD
She looks
like a regular at the tavern in Nozumi. A lot like her. [squints]
Chika?
OTTO
A friend of yours?
JD
I wish we had
gotten to be friends. Quite the tease, she was. And the biggest tits in Nozumi.
OTTO
Sure it’s not
her.
JD
I honestly
don’t know.
INT – day
Computer lab, Institute of genetics
Otto
Look at these
results.
Sanjay
That’s
interesting. Chimps and bonobos are thought to be a
lot more similar than this tree
would predict.
OTTO
I know. That’s
why I am excited.
SANJAY
What are
you using? What genes?
OTTO
This
is non-coding sequence. I get a different result when I Use coding regions.
SANJAY
There’s a
group in France that got results similar to these.
OTTO
Recently ?
SANJAY
About six months ago.
OTTO
What kind of
phylogenetic trees are these? Parsimony?
SANJAY
Maximum likelihood. I can’t stand parsimony.
Hiro
That’s
my favorite, too.
SANJAY
Where is
your outgroup? Tamarind?
OTTO
Nope. Lemur. Right here. [points to image]
HIRO
That’s
a nice finding. You should talk
to sensei.
OTTO
Is he still here?
SANJAY
No, he
just left for home.
HIRO
If you print it out I’ll show him tomorrow.
OTTO
I won’t be here tomorrow.
HIRO
Somebody told me that. That’s why I
offered to show him.
SANJAY
Who wants to go out for some
coffee?
HIRO
I would like to , but I
have to finish my experiment.
OTTO
I’ll go for a cup of coffee.
Might wake me up.
SANJAY
They’ve got a Starbucks down by the train station
OTTO
I know. I used to go there quite
often.
HIRO
Next to the Donut Shop.
OTTO
Let me print out these results.
These are the most exciting result I’ve
gotten all year.
SANJAY
Go ahead. You can bring it down
to the coffee shop.
INT -Starbucks Coffee Shop -DAY
OTTO
You come here often?
SANJAY
Not this one. They had a few in Bangalore. That’s where I used to
work.
OTTO
Is that where you’re from?
SANJAY
It’s where I went to work after college.
OTTO
How do you like living out here?
SANJAY
