Dear John (5 page)

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Two weeks for me to fall for you.

59       
INT. SAVANNAH’S CAR
-- DAY

Tears fall down her face as she watches John disappear in the rearview mirror.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Now we have one year apart. But that’s all it’ll take.

60       
EXT. BUS STATION
- DAY

John’s in uniform (green beret and all). He shakes his father’s hand, then boards the bus.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

And what’s one year apart, after two weeks like that together?

61       
INT. BUS
-- DAY

John watches Mr. Tyree make his way back to his car, head down, avoiding everybody possible.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

You made me a promise. A promise I know you’ll keep.

John pulls out Savannah’s letter, taking great care not to crease the pages (it’s obvious he’s read it plenty already).

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

So I only want one more promise from you, during this year we spend apart.

62       
INT. C-17 PLANE
-- NIGHT

John’s in a nest against the wall.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Tell me everything.

It’s dark inside, and everybody except John is sleeping.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Write it all down, John. Scribble it in a notebook. Type it out.

Email it to me. I don’t care. But I want to know everything.

John, however, is unable to sleep. He carefully pulls out Savannah’s letter, unfolds it, reads it again.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

That way, we’ll be with each other all the time -- even if we’re not with each other at all.

63       
OMIT

64       
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE
-- TARMAC -- DAY

John exits the plane, shields his eyes from the glare.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

And so that way, before we know it...

Then he walks down the staircase onto the GERMAN SOIL beneath a massive Army Base in Stuttgart, Germany.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

...I’ll see you soon then?

65       
INT. SPECIAL FORCES TEAM ROOM
-- GERMANY -- DAY

John walks in to find Staff Sargeant Tony Gallo (nicknamed Noodles) already back and unpacking.

JOHN

Noodles! How was Atlantic City?

NOODLES

Ugh. You don’t wanna know. How was South Carolina?

John tosses his bag down, but before he can answer --

VOICE FROM BEHIND

Don’t even bother unpacking, guys.

John turns to find CAPTAIN JASON STONE walking past the open door. Stone winks at them as he passes. Noodles SIGHS.

NOODLES

So where to this time, ya think?

He looks to the wall, where John’s taped up a map of the world with PINS sticking out of every place he’s been. Europe and the Middle East have a lot, more so than the US even, which is pretty sparse. So’s the rest of the world. John shrugs.

JOHN

Just hope it’s somewhere new.

66       
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE TARMAC
-- ASS CRACK OF DAWN

John, Noodles, Stone, and the other NINE BERETS that make up their team load their gear onto a plane.

JOHN’S VOICE

Dear Savannah. I promise.

Even at this early hour, the guys joke around, have an easy camaraderie. They’re obviously a very close unit.

JOHN’S VOICE

I promise I’ll see you soon then.

67       
INT. PLANE
-- DAY

John concentrates on writing this letter to Savannah.

JOHN’S VOICE

I promise I’ll write all the time.

And I promise I’ll tell you everything. But be patient with me, because it may take a while for these letters to get back to you.

68       
INT. BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER
-- DAY

The men look out over the barren African landscape.

JOHN’S VOICE

We’ve already been deployed out on a mission.

69       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- DAY

A shirtless AFRICAN BOY watches the helicopter touch down.

JOHN’S VOICE

Problem is, we can’t exactly use the local postal system here.

70       
EXT. AFRICAN “NEIGHBORHOOD”
-- DAY

John stares at a mail box in front of a “house”, which is toppled over in the dirt.

71       
INT. DESERTED HOUSE
-- DAY

John walks in. No light switch. No electricity at all.

JOHN’S VOICE

And there’s no such thing as an internet connection, so I’ll have to send everything from here out by airmail.

72       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- DAY

Another copter (already on the ground) is dropping off FOOD and SUPPLIES for the troops. John pulls the letter out of his pocket, hands it to the AIRMAN, shouts instructions over the WHIR OF THE CHOPPER.

JOHN’S VOICE

But unfortunately, I’m not allowed to say exactly where ‘here’ is.

73       
INT. MILITARY POST OFFICE
- DAY

JOHN’S LETTER is thrown into a batch of other letters.

74       
OMIT

75       
INT. CARGO PLANE
-- DAY

Mailbags are loaded onto a palate which is loaded onto a plane.

JOHN’S VOICE

So all I can tell you is that the place we’ve been sent makes me miss America very much.

76       
INT. US POST OFFICE
-- DAY

John’s letter is sorted and stacked.

JOHN’S VOICE

The lack of anything resembling a tree makes me miss South Carolina.

77       
EXT. US POST OFFICE
-- DAY

A MAILMAN takes a sip of his morning coffee, unlocks his truck. It’s packed with mail, already preloaded. He SIGHS, turns on the engine, starts another day.

JOHN’S VOICE

The lack of anything resembling an ocean makes me miss Charleston.

77A      
EXT. BEACH ROAD
-- DAY

A mail truck drives down the isolated road.

77B      
EXT. COLLEGE POST BOXES
-- DAY

The Mailman drops John’s letter into a college post box.

78       
EXT. COLLEGE POST OFFICE
-- DAY

Savannah walks down a wall of post boxes, casually opens up her mailbox, pulls out a bill, a catalog, a magazine...

JOHN’S VOICE

And everything around me makes me miss you.

...then finally, John’s letter. Savannah’s face lights up and she rips it open. The MONTAGE ENDS.

79       
EXT. CAMPUS GREEN
-- DAY

Savannah walks outside a lecture hall, reading John’s letter until she’s interrupted by:

RANDY

Wow. You’re in this class? I’m in this class.

She looks evenly up at him.

SAVANNAH

I can’t remember ever seeing you.

RANDY

(with an easy grin)

Well that’s because I can’t remember ever actually coming.

80       
INT. CLASSROOM
-- DAY

Savannah sits next to Randy, listening to the PROFESSOR drone on about marketing.

81       
EXT. AFRICAN “NEIGHBORHOOD”
-- DAY

Back in Africa, John swats at an ENORMOUS FLY, sweating uncontrollably, as he steps up beside Stone.

JOHN

Hey Captain? What should I--

CAPTAIN STONE

You’re on ammo duty today. And Tyree? No ranks in the field, okay?

John nods, then heads off into the sweltering heat.

82       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- THE NEXT WEEK -- DAY

The helicopter is grounded. John hands the CREW CHIEF a new letter for Savannah.

JOHN

Got any mail from the States?

CREW CHIEF

Sorry. Probably’ll be in the next one.

83       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- THE NEXT WEEK -- DAY

THUNK. The crew chief tosses supply boxes out of the grounded copter. Noodles and John unpack the booty. Noodles finds the correspondence folder first...

NOODLES

Let’s see, nothing for me, nothing for me, what a surprise...

(then he gets to the end)

Sorry, man. Nothing for you, either.

John reacts. His disappointment is obvious.

84       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- A WEEK LATER -- DAY (GROUNDED COPTER)

Noodles sorts through the letters again, then looks up at John apologetically. John’s confused.

JOHN

But it’s been two weeks.

Noodles shrugs. It’s not much consolation.

85       
EXT. DIRT FIELD
-- A WEEK LATER -- DAY (GROUNDED COPTER)

Noodles sorts through the letters once again. John looks on anxiously. Noodles glances up from the folder, downbeat...

...but then he grins and holds up SEVEN LETTERS, all from Savannah. John can’t help it -- he grabs Noodles, hugs him.

86       
EXT. STABLE
-- DAY

Savannah’s feeding the horses at her parents house.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Dear John. I’m back at my parents’ farm for the weekend, and they have some other houseguests you may know.

She looks out, sees a truck pull up

87       
EXT. SAVANNAH’S FAMILY HOME
-- DAY

Savannah comes out of the stable just as her MOTHER comes out the front door to greet Tim and Alan. Alan sprints over to Savannah, and she lifts him into a hug.

88       
EXT. SAVANNAH’S FAMILY HOME
-- DAY

Savannah and Alan ride horses at a slow trot.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

I took Alan out riding with me today.

It was his first time on a horse.

Alan WHISPERS to his horse, and the horse starts to canter. Savannah’s worried at first, but Alan’s in complete control.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

You’ve heard of horse sense -- how horses are somehow able to sense danger, to sense out evil? Well I think autistic kids have that, too.

As they start to gallop, Savannah watches the horse WHINNY once to Alan. Alan smiles, and WHISPERS something back.

89       
EXT. SAVANNAH’S FAMILY HOME
-- DAY

Tim watches Alan playing and LAUGHING. He leans over to Savannah, nods at his son.

TIM

I’ve never seen him like this.

I’ve never seen him this relaxed.

A smile grows on Savannah’s face.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

So I have this idea. This dream. I want to open up a camp, a summer camp, for autistic kids. A place where they can ride horses as much as they want. And for at least once in their life, a place where they won’t have to worry about a thing.

She watches Alan, her eyes moistening.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Whaddaya think? Pipe dream, huh?

90       
EXT. AFRICAN “NEIGHBORHOOD”
-- DAY

John rests against a fence, Savannah’s seven letters spread around him. He finishes the letter we just heard.

Nearby, a few of the other soldiers (BERRY, DANIELS, and ROOSTER) listen to American music with some of the Africans, who do not seem too impressed. John pulls out his pen.

JOHN’S VOICE

Dear Savannah. I got seven of your letters all at once this morning.

So it’s been a very good day.

91       
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS
-- DAY

Savannah reads this letter under a poplar tree.

JOHN’S VOICE

But we both might want to number our letters from here on out, just in case.

A FRIEND sits next to her. Savannah doesn’t even look up.

JOHN’S VOICE

And no. It’s not a pipe dream.

It’s a perfect dream.

92       
QUICK MONTAGE
-- AS MONTHS PASS --

Of Savannah, reading, writing, mailing...

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Letter number ten. Dear John...

Letter number fifteen... Letter number twenty-one...

93        ...and John doing the same, keeping each of her letters in a careful stack that is already a few inches high...

JOHN’S VOICE (OVERLAP)

Letter number thirty-three... Dear Savannah. The good news is we’ve been sent somewhere new -- although I can’t tell you where that is, either.

94       
EXT. DESERTED ROAD
-- NIGHT

John and his team are packed into the back of a truck, headed God knows where.

JOHN’S VOICE

The bad news is, this new place actually makes me miss the old place.

ON THE MOON -- as John looks up as it flickers through the trees.

JOHN’S VOICE

But it’s a full moon here tonight, which makes me think of you.

He sticks his finger out, covering the moon with his thumb--

JOHN’S VOICE

Because I know that no matter what I’m doing, no matter where I am, this moon will always be the same size as yours, half a world away.

95       
EXT. SAVANNAH’S BEACH HOUSE
-- BENCH -- NIGHT

Savannah is doing the exact same thing with her moon.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE

Dear John. Most nights I fall asleep worrying about you.

Wondering where you might be out there. But not tonight.

She’s on the bench again, where they first talked.

SAVANNAH’S VOICE