INT. LIVING ROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Ursula on the TV—her purpleness tints the living room. Adam gives Ursula a look as he passes through.
ADAM (V.O.)
Ursula, the sea witch, isn’t important, but she’s like the bra—these are the details you remember when the worst things happen.
INT. BEDROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Adam is tucking Matthew into his rollaway.
MATTHEW
(whispers, pointing to the living room)
Is Ursula still on, in there?
ADAM
(whispers)
Would you like me to shut her off?
MATTHEW
(whispers)
Shut her off.
ADAM
(whispers)
Okay.
INT. LIVING ROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
In the purplish light, Adam regards Ursula; she stares balefully at him.
ADAM (V.O.)
Looking back, so many small and unimportant things look like signs.
Adam aims the remote at Ursula, turning the TV off.
FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN.
INT. HALL, HOTEL JEROME. NEXT MORNING.
Grace’s bra has spent the night on the doorknob of Adam’s suite. Passing the bra are a familiar threesome. Billy goes by first, followed by Paul Goode—Paul is the only one dressed to ski—with Otto coming last. They see the bra.
ADAM (V.O.)
Grace wouldn’t wait for Matthew and me, to go down to breakfast. We were too slow getting our ski stuff on, and Grace was ready to go.
Grace, dressed to ski, comes out the door, sees her bra on the doorknob, clutches her breasts, grabs the bra.
INT. BEDROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Adam is helping Matthew put his ski pants on when Grace comes into the bedroom, holding out her bra.
GRACE
(to Adam)
Why is my bra on the outside doorknob of our suite?
ADAM
I have no idea.
Grace drops her bra on the bed; as she leaves, Adam is helping Matthew put his ski sweater on.
MATTHEW
Do seashell bras feel funny?
ADAM
I have no idea.
ANOTHER ANGLE: on top of a chest of drawers is the copy of his novel Adam bought to give his father; Adam’s author photo is looking up at him as he finishes getting his ski stuff on.
ADAM (V.O.)
I knew Grace and Paul Goode were going skiing. It was not a good morning to give one of my books to my father. I’d not inscribed my novel “To my father”—I’d just signed it. Maybe I would add “For Paul Goode.” Maybe just signing it was enough.
INT. LIVING ROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Matthew, dressed to ski, points the remote at the TV, turning it on. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON is on TV; he’s talking, but the TV volume is off. Adam looks at the TV.
MATTHEW
Ursula is gone.
ADAM
We like Bill Clinton.
EXT. ENTRANCE, HOTEL JEROME, E. MAIN. CONTINUOUS.
A cowboy doorman is loading up the Jerome van with the Chen family’s ski equipment and luggage. The tall hippie ghost, forever unnoticed, is showing her breasts to Mr. Chen.
ADAM (V.O.)
The Chen family was leaving. Matthew and I would ski at Aspen Mountain, while Grace and my father were skiing at Loge Peak.
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
As Adam and his family are being seated, Paul Goode—alone, at a table for two—gives them a wave. Grace waves back. Adam and his father exchange nods. Otto and Billy are sitting at their own table. Otto stands, waving to Matthew.
MATTHEW
(to his mom and dad)
Can I go see the animals with Otto?
GRACE
Yes, Matthew. Thank you, Otto.
MATTHEW
(as Otto takes his hand)
Thank you, Otto.
ADAM
(calls, to Matthew)
We’ll order your pancakes.
Adam gets an icy look from Grace.
PULL BACK: we see Adam and Grace from Paul Goode’s table, as Paul would see them. Grace is doing all the talking.
GRACE
I’ll tell you how the rest of this trip is going to go.
ANOTHER ANGLE: of Grace talking to Adam, from Billy’s POV. Billy is curious about Grace, but Billy has a wandering attention span.
GRACE
I’ll finish my business with Paul—after skiing, or later tonight, after Matthew has gone to bed.
INT. ANTLER BAR, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Otto is imitating the expressions on the faces of the mounted animal heads, entertaining Matthew.
ADAM (V.O.)
“Your business,” I said. “Don’t interrupt me—Paul’s memoir is the main thing,” Grace said. “And don’t tell me you have no idea about my bra,” she said. I didn’t explain. Grace wouldn’t have believed what I could tell her about her bra among the ghosts.
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM, HOTEL JEROME. CONTINUOUS.
Paul Goode sees the one-sided conversation Grace has with Adam. The dissolution of their marriage is apparent to him.
ADAM (V.O.)
Grace told me she and Matthew were leaving Aspen the next day. She wanted to be alone with Matthew, to explain to him what was going to happen when she and I separated. “I won’t blame you—for Matthew’s sake,” Grace assured me.
ANOTHER ANGLE: Billy is pondering the mysteries of a magazine, paying no attention to Grace’s ongoing lecture to Adam.
ADAM (V.O.)
Grace explained that I would stay in Aspen by myself, for another day and night. When I got back to Vermont, I would have my turn to be alone with Matthew, Grace said.
A WIDER ANGLE: Otto brings Matthew back to the table, where Grace stops talking to Adam.
ADAM (V.O.)
Making Matthew the priority, as Grace and I agreed he should be, made me accept Grace’s plans.
Adam’s POV of his father alone at his table. Paul Goode is smiling at Adam’s family, but Paul’s thoughts are unreadable.
ADAM (V.O.)
I didn’t care if Grace slept with my father—I just wanted her to know who he was, if she was going to sleep with him.
INT. SILVER QUEEN GONDOLA, ASPEN MOUNTAIN. THAT MORNING.
In the six-person gondola, with FOUR OTHER SKIERS, Adam and Matthew sit back-to-back. They turn their heads to talk.
MATTHEW
It’s like being in an egg.
ADAM
What is?
MATTHEW
This is!
ADAM
Being in a gondola?
MATTHEW
It’s like being in an egg!
The four other skiers are troubled by this thought.
EXT. SILVER QUEEN GONDOLA, ASPEN MOUNTAIN. CONTINUOUS.
From a blue run, Silver Dip, we see what would be a skier’s POV of the gondola eggs, passing overhead.
ADAM (O.C.)
You know what an egg becomes?
EXT. EXHIBITION LIFT, ASPEN HIGHLANDS. SAME MORNING.
Paul and Grace ride the four-seater chairlift from the base of Aspen Highlands with TWO OTHER SKIERS, a married couple.
GRACE
(ignoring the couple)
You’ve had an interesting life, growing up here, becoming an actor, and a screenwriter. You’re a war veteran, you’ve suffered a personal tragedy, but people are interested in your first experiences—the formative ones.
The married couple, riding with Paul and Grace, are interested—they’re eager to hear more.
PAUL GOODE
I don’t think I want to write about those first experiences—the formative ones.
GRACE
But most movie stars can’t write. You’re a writer.
PAUL GOODE
My first sexual experience was with your husband’s mother. I suppose it was formative.
Like the eager couple in the chairlift, Grace wasn’t expecting this—the two other skiers are riveted now. Notwithstanding his offhand manner, Paul knows exactly what he’s doing. As Grace says, he’s a writer. Whether you like his writing or not, Paul Goode knows how to tell a story.
EXT. COPPER BOWL, ASPEN MOUNTAIN. SAME MORNING.
Copper Bowl is a blue run. Adam and Matthew are passing under the Silver Queen Gondola—skiing cautiously, talking happily. We hear only Adam’s voice-over.