The Purple of Life, scene 14

INT. BEDROOM - MORNING

Andy’s alarm wakes him. Per his routine, he gets up, turns on the coffee pot, the television news, and does his push-ups.

NEWS ANCHOR (V.O.)The winds have pushed the fires in new directions, seriously threatening the communities of Yorba Linda, Temescal Canyon and Corona....

Andy stops and goes to the TV set.
NEWS ANCHOR (CONT'D)
Evacuations are not yet mandated, but fire chiefs recommend that people start to pack up a “must have” box of valuables that can be quickly taken once the order to evacuate is given.

Andy turns off the TV and looks outside. Dark smoke plumes from the fires in the distance.

He gets a box.

ANDY
What should I take?

He gets his bible and puts it in the box. He looks around. he picks up his camera and places it in the box. He takes a few more books and a file full of documents.

ANDY (CONT'D)
That should do it for an emergency.

The Purple of Life, scene 13

EXT. DIANA’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Andy WAKES suddenly to an OLD WOMAN, with a dog, knocking on his car window. He rolls down the window.

OLD WOMAN
(nearly yelling)
Are you some kind of detective?

ANDY
(taken aback)
No.

OLD WOMAN
What?

ANDY
(in a louder voice)
No, ma’am.

OLD WOMAN
Then what are you doing out here? Are you a robber, casing the joint?

Andy nervously continues the conversation. He doesn’t like having to talk so loud for the old woman.

ANDY
No, ma’am. I was just taking a quick nap before I drove the rest of the way home.

OLD WOMAN
(disappointed)
Oh. Too bad. We don’t get much action around here.

ANDY
I’m sorry for disturbing you.

OLD WOMAN
Nonsense. It was very wise of you to rest before completing your drive. Not enough people realize the dangers of motor vehicles these days.

ANDY
Thank you, ma’am. I feel pretty rested now, I should be on my way.

Andy starts to roll up his window.

OLD WOMAN
Oh, okay. Feel free to stop and rest anytime you’re weary.

Andy nods his head as he finishes rolling up his window and starts the car. He drives off.

The Purple of Life, scene 12

EXT. DIANA’S HOUSE - EVENING

Andy still follows Diana at a distance. Her car drives down a neighborhood street and pulls into the driveway of her house. Andy parks across the street a couple houses down. He watches Diana get her groceries and go into the house.

ANDY
(annoyed, to himself)
What are you doing?

His cell phone RINGS. He answers.

ANDY (CONT'D)
Hello? Hi Rach...Nope, just working on next week’s sermon. I can’t tonight. I’m kind of busy. Thanks, anyway...Bye.

He hangs up and returns his attention to Diana’s house.

The Purple of Life, scenes 10 & 11

EXT. BANK - CONTINUOUS

Diana pulls into the parking lot of a bank. Andy still follows. Watching. She runs her errand, then returns to her car and takes off again. Andy follows.

EXT. COFFEE SHOP - CONTINUOUS

Diana stops at a coffee shop. She parks and goes in. A few minutes later she exits with some coffee and sits at a table in the outside patio. She pulls out a book and reads.

Andy lays his arms and head on the steering wheel and watches.

The Purple of Life, scene 9

EXT. GROCERY STORE - DAY

Andy sits in the parking lot of a big grocery store. He watches people enter and exiting the parking lot.

He spies Diana exiting and walking to her car. He ducks down so that she won’t see him. She places her groceries in her car, gets in and drives off. Andy starts his car and follows at a distance.

The Purple of Life, scene 8

INT. RESTAURANT - AFTERNOON

Andy and Rachael sit at a table with their food.

RACHAEL
Don’t tell me you’re still pining after Diana?

ANDY
It’s hard to get her out of my mind.

RACHAEL
It’s been a year, Andy. Don’t you think you should at least ask her out?

ANDY
I did.

RACHAEL
You did?! When?

ANDY
Everyday for the last week.

RACHAEL
Uh oh.

ANDY
Uh oh is right. She turned me down. Pretty definitively today. There’s no going back.

RACHAEL
Hmm. Her loss.

ANDY
Right.

RACHAEL
Seriously. She doesn’t know what she’s missing.

ANDY
It’s just that she feels so right. The moment I first saw her I knew we were meant to be together. She’s easy to talk to. She’s kind, caring, beautiful...I know we have a connection.

RACHAEL
What are you going to do?

ANDY
What can I do? She’s made her wishes clear. I’ll probably just hang around, hoping she’ll change her mind sometime.

RACHAEL
You’ve got to be more proactive than that. If you’re really meant to be together, do something about it. You can’t just leave this up to the whimsy of fate.

ANDY
You mean God? That’s exactly what I should do.

RACHAEL
No, God gives us brains and free will for a reason. Use a bit of your free will and make Diana realize what she’s missing.

ANDY
Brilliant!

RACHAEL
I know.

ANDY
So, in all your brilliance, any ideas on how to accomplish this feat?

RACHAEL
Um...I’m sure you’ll think of something. If it’s meant to be, that is.

Rachael smiles and then digs into her food.

ANDY
Thanks for all the help.

RACHAEL
Just trying to be a good friend.

The Purple of Life, scene 7

INT. FOYER - LATER

Andy greets people as they file out of the church. A young BOY, 5 yrs old, runs up to Andy.

BOY
Pastor Andy!

Andy crouches down to the boy’s level.

ANDY
Hey, my man! Did you learn anything?

BOY
(shouting)
Love is the purple of life! Love is the purple of life!

Andy laughs and raises his hand to give the boy a high five.

ANDY
High five!

The boy slaps Andy’s hand, then runs back to his parents. Andy gets up as a couple in their 30s, MIKE and ISA, approach.

MIKE
Great sermon, Pastor Andy.

ANDY
Thank you, Mike.

ISA
We are so excited about next Sunday.

ANDY
Me, too. Don’t worry, it’s going to be great.

Mike and Isa continue out of church. Diana greets Andy.

DIANA
Your sermon was a nice reminder about how complex and simple something can be at the same time. Love is a concept that people take for granted, I think. I really enjoyed it.

ANDY
Thank you, Diana. That means a lot coming from you.

Diana starts to move on. Andy pulls her back.

DIANA
Andy, no. I’m not ready to start dating again. And, even if I were, I don’t think that we’d be an appropriate couple.

Andy lets go.

ANDY
I guess you can’t be any plainer than that.

DIANA
I’m sorry.

ANDY
No, no. Just keep doing the flowers for us. They’re beautiful.

Diana smiles.

DIANA
Deal.

She moves off. Other PARISHIONERS file by and speak with Andy. Andy, a bit distracted, watches Diana leave.

RACHAEL, 35, physically fit, strong, playfully punches Andy on the shoulder.

ANDY
Don’t you know that beating up on a holy man is bad karma?

RACHAEL
Let’s get lunch, your holiness.

ANDY
Sure. Just let me finish up here, first.

Rachael waits for Andy to say his goodbyes to the last of the parishioners.

The Purple of Life, scene 6

INT. CHURCH - DAY
Andy steps up to the pulpit. He’s the Pastor of the Church.

ANDY Question - what is love?

He looks at Diana in the pews.

ANDY (CONT'D) Is it the longing you feel for someone special? The tie that binds a family together? The bond forged by the deepest of friendships? Or an epic romance between two lovers? Is it all these things? More? When I ask what is love...the answer can only be: the purpose of life. God is love. And God formed man in his image. If you turn to 1 John 4: 7-8 we read, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

The Purple of Life, scene 5

INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS

They ENTER the foyer of the building and set the flowers down.

DIANA
I better get to work.

ANDY
Yeah, me, too.

Andy backs towards his office, a room off to the side of the foyer.

ANDY (CONT'D)
Let me know if you ever change your mind about coffee.

DIANA
Okay.

ANDY
Okay, you’ll go with me?

DIANA
No, I’m sorry. I can’t right now. But I’ll let you know if I ever change my mind.

ANDY
Sure. Good luck with the flowers.

Andy EXITS into his office. Diana starts to arrange the flowers.

The Purple of Life, scene 4

EXT. PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS

Andy hurries over to Diana.

ANDY
Can I help you with those, Diana?

Diana spots Andy and smiles at him.

DIANA
Thanks.

Andy takes an armful of flowers, Diana takes the rest.

DIANA (CONT'D)
I’m just doing a quick flower arrangement for this Sunday.

ANDY
Anything will be fine. The place is much more colorful since you’ve volunteered. I really appreciate it.

The Purple of Life, scene 3

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Andy sits behind a desk, writing. He’s having difficulty concentrating on his work. He sits back and looks out the window.

He watches a beautiful woman, DIANA, late 20s or early 30s, dark hair, dark eyes, unload flowers from her van. Andy gets up.