i forgot, script
TRANSCRIPT
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 1/11
Characters
Alex Vitello
Alex is a sixty-six-year-old man who enjoys
flying planes as a hobby. He is married and
has three kids. During the day, he works as abusiness executive. He’s proud of his
education, and feels that his Yale degree
certifies that he is intelligent and in perfect
mental condition. In the past, he has been
emotionally stable, although he has recently
had problems controlling his temper, and he
has felt a bit “low.” He has had trouble
recently with his memory, but he is in
denial, insisting that his mind is completely
sound.
Adjectives: Classy, class-conscious, well-
educated
Jay Radi
Jay is a sixty-four-year-old man who was in
Alex’s graduating class from Yale. They
have been best friends. Whereas Alex is
proud and confident, Jay is more tempered
and more logical. Jay has a paranoia issue,
and is always afraid of the worst. During the
day, he works as a doctor.Adjectives: Pessimistic, loyal, persistent
Dr. Hu
Dr. Hu is a fifty-year-old psychotherapist
who studied medicine in China before
immigrating to the US. He has a strong
accent. He is extremely sarcastic, to the
point of bitterness. He likes to eat food, and
is constantly reminded of his “motherland.”
Adjectives: Asian, cranky, and impersonal
Dr. Khwaja
Dr. Khwaja is a sixty-five-year-old
neuropsychologist who studied medicine in
India before immigrating to the US. He has
a strong accent. He is passionate and deeply
involved in his work, and often gets
emotional. He has recently become less
organized, and is flustered whenever others
point this out.
Adjectives: Asian, passionate, and self-
conscious
PRE-TITLE
Alex boards the plane and flies it. Alex and
Jay converse over the radio.
Jay: Hey Alex, you know the Yale reunion
is in a few weeks, right?
Alex: Yeah. I don’t think I can go, though.
Jay: Why not?
Alex: I need some time with my family, and
you know how the business world works… I
don’t know when the next time will be when
I’ll have a day off.
Jay: I see. How is Ellen?
Alex: Ellen?
Jay: You know, your daughter?
Alex: obviously flustered Oh, right. That
Ellen. She is… doing all right.
Jay: …Alex, are you okay? You haven’t
seemed normal these past few days.
Alex: Yes, Jay. I am okay.
Jay: You’ve been having some memoryproblems lately. And face it: you’re getting
old. We’re not in our mind’s primes
anymore.
Alex: aggravated Jay, I’m fine.
Page 1/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 2/11
Jay: You even forgot your daughter’s name.
Alex: angry Jay! I’m fine, okay? We both
know that I’m intelligent, and that my brain
is in pretty good shape. I went to Yale, for
crying out loud. Stop exaggerating myproblems! You keep making up symptoms
to diseases that you want to believe I have!
Silence
Alex: I’m sorry, Jay. I didn’t mean that.
Jay: That’s okay, Alex. I understand.
You’ve been really stressed out lately.
Alex: Uh, Jay, have you ever flown a plane
before?
Jay: No. Why?
Alex: I just realized that what goes up, must
come down. And I don’t think I ever learned
how to land this thing.
Jay: Alex, you’ve flown plenty of planes by
yourself before. I’ve seen you land.
Alex: Well, this isn’t good. I remember
pressing a button… a button that like, puts
down the uh, the things, the rolling things on
a plane…
Jay: Wheels?
Alex: Yeah, wheels. Jay? Jay?
Jay: Alex, don’t panic. I’ll call for help.
Alex: panicking Jay, I don’t know what I’m
doing!
Jay: Alex, hang in there. Don’t touch any of
the controls. Alex?
The plane dips downward and is about to
crash.
Alex: I forgot, Jay. I forgot.
The plane crashes.
TITLE
SCENE 1
Dr. Khwaja and Jay are talking outside of
the hospital.
Jay: emotional I’m so worried. Will he be
okay? What’s going on right now?
Khwaja: He will be okay. He just needs a
few casts and a few stitches, and then some
physical therapy and rehabilitation. It is
amazing that he has survived, at his age.
Jay: Thank you. I’m sorry, what’s your
name?
Khwaja: My name is Dr. Sadiq Khwaja. Iam a licensed neuropsychologist, and I will
be one of the doctors treating your friend.
Jay: Pleasure to meet you. Wait, you’re a
neuropsychologist?
Khwaja: Yes. It was very strange that your
friend forgot how to properly fly a plane,
and I will be running tests on him to see if
he has any problems with his brain.
Jay: I see.
Khwaja’s phone rings. He picks up.
Khwaja: Hello? Ah yes. The friend? Yes, I
am actually talking to him right now. The
Page 2/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 3/11
psychotherapy department? Yes, I will send
him. Yes. Thank you.
Khwaja: I’ve been asked to take you to the
psychotherapy department, where you are to
meet one of your friend’s other doctors. Hewill ask you a few questions.
They walk .
Khwaja: Here we are. I will see you soon!
SCENE 2
Jay enters a room, where he sees Dr. Hu
lounging on a chair .
Hu: Please. Take a seat.
Jay: Thanks.
Hu: So. My name is Dr. Hu. I am a trained
psychotherapist. Your little buddy, Alex? I
will be his therapist. First, I have a few
questions to ask you.
Jay: Sure.
Hu: First of all, how come you didn’t catch
him when the plane crashed?
Jay: What?
Hu: Oh, sorry. Too soon. Bad joke. Laughs
to himself . Anyway. Monotone drone. What
is your relation to the subject?
Jay: Friend, and classmate.
Hu: How long have you known the subject?
Jay: About thirty, forty years.
Hu: Okay, actually, this form is so stupid. I
remember, back in mother China, we never
had to use stupid forms like this. We would
just ask useful questions, and get answers
quickly. Stupid American bureaucracy. So
let me ask you. Has Alex had problems withmemory lately?
Jay: Yes, actually. He didn’t recognize the
name of a family member, and obviously, he
didn’t remember how to land a plane.
Hu: Very interesting…
Jay: Really? What’s interesting, doctor?
Hu: Nothing. I was just kidding. Have you
noticed any emotional problems?
Jay: Yeah. He’s been a pretty angry person
lately. And also, he’s a business executive,
and he used to be on top of his game. He
would be the first to work and the last to
leave. He would be innovative, and –
Hu: Come on, you’re not giving him a
eulogy yet. What other emotional problems?
Jay: He doesn’t seem to have the same drive
anymore. And he doesn’t sleep well.
Hu: I see. Well, I think this paints a pretty
clear picture. Have you ever seen those
pictures of the rice paddies that Chinese
artists drew? The masterpieces?
Jay: No…?
Hu: Oh… well, never mind. Anyway, I
believe your friend Alex may have the
Alzheimer’s Disease.
Jay: That’s what I was afraid of…
Page 3/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 4/11
Hu: Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
include memory loss, confusion, loss of
initiative, increased anxiety and aggression,
outbursts of anger, problems recognizing
friends and family members, and
restlessness.
Jay: You sound like you have that
memorized.
Hu: My mother made me memorize the list
when I was twelve.
Jay: Oh. Well, these all sound like
symptoms that Alex has. I’ll do some
research when I get back home. Thanks, Dr.
Hu.
Hu: You don’t need to thank me with words.
That’s what money is for.
Jay exits.
SCENE 3
Khwaja enters.
Hu: Hey, Dr. Khwaja. So, I think he has
Alzheimer’s.
Khwaja: Who?
Hu: Alex.
Khwaja: I thought Alex was in the Planned
Parenthood department…
Hu: No, that’s Dominic. Alex is the guy whocrashed his plane.
Khwaja: Oh, right right right. Yeah, that
makes sense.
Hu: Well, work with him and tell me what
you think later.
Khwaja: Got it. I’ll see you later, Dr. Hu.
SCENE 4
Alex is in a hospital bed. Jay is at his side.
Jay: Alex, I have something serious I have
to talk to you about.
Alex: What is it? Is everything okay?
Jay: Yes, but… very deeply emotional well,
the past few months, whenever I’ve been
around you, I’ve gotten this feeling.
Alex: Do you want to talk about it?
Jay: Whenever I talk to you, or email you, or
call you, I… I start to feel… I feel…
Alex: …Yes?
Jay: …Worried, I guess. Worried that you’re
not okay.
Alex: Jay, are you trying to tell me
something?
Jay: No… I mean, yes. Yes, I am.
Alex: Come on, Jay. We’ve been friends for
ages.
Jay: I know, but… I just don’t want to say
this. It might make things awkward betweenus.
Alex: Spit it out, Jay.
Jay: Okay. Alex, I… I feel… silence. I feel
like you have Alzheimer’s Disease.
Page 4/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 5/11
Alex: shocked What? No! calmer Well,
thankfully, you’re not a doctor.
Jay: Actually, Alex, I am.
Alex: What? Okay, okay, maybe I am losing
it. Maybe. But I’m not convinced.
Jay: sighs I’m quite convinced, actually.
Alex: Anyway, Jay, I’m bored. Tell me a
story. I want to get my mind off of things.
Jay: Okay, let me think. Pause So there was
once a German doctor. It was the year 1906,
and he had discovered a bunch of weird
clumps and tangled bundles of fibers in a
woman’s brain.
Alex: Gross…
Jay: And his name was Dr. Alois Alzheimer.
Alex: Okay, Jay, not funny. You really want
to talk about this, don’t you?
Jay: I’m concerned, Alex.
Alex: Fine. Tell me how I’m at risk for
Alzheimer’s Disease. Convince me.
Jay: Well, doctors aren’t entirely sure what
makes certain people at greater risk than
others…
Alex: So what gives you the authority to tell
me?
Jay: Well, here are a few findings from
recent studies. Let’s see… thinking People
in urban areas are at greater risk. Men and
women are at equal risk. Caucasians are at
greater risk than Asians. But you might be
right about one thing – studies suggest that
people with a higher level of education are
at a lower risk.
Alex: Ha! There you have it. I can’t have
Alzheimer’s.
Jay: Lower risk, Alex. Five percent of
people between the ages of 65 and 74 have
Alzheimer’s, and the proportions increase
dramatically with age. Almost half of people
over the age of 85 may have the disease.
Alex, five million people in America have it.
Why do you think you’re immune?
Alex: I don’t know, Jay! Leave me alone! I
want to rest.
Jay: sighs I’ll see you later tonight.
SCENE 5
Khwaja is looking for his office and
stumbles into Hu’s office on accident. Hu is
doing Tai Chi, accompanied by old Chinese
music.
Hu: in Chinese (And then, we release the
chi…)
Hu sees Khwaja and is startled .
Hu: Khwaja, you have interrupted me. This
makes me unhappy.
Khwaja: I’m sorry, Dr. Hu. I was –
Hu: Dr. Khwaja! I challenge you to a battle.
Khwaja: incredulously A battle?
Hu: Not a martial arts battle. That would be
too simple. No, we must fight like real men.
I will destroy you with my Pikachu –
Page 5/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 6/11
Khwaja: Dr. Hu, I’m really sorry, I was just
trying to get to my office and I… I forgot
where I was going.
Hu: Khwaja, your office and my office areso far apart. I made sure of that when they
designed the hospital.
Khwaja: Honestly, Dr. Hu. I just got lost.
Hu: Shame.
SCENE 6
Khwaja finds his office. Jay is waiting
inside.
Khwaja: Oh, Jay. Please, have a seat.
Jay: Thanks.
Khwaja: So, you’re a doctor. Let’s talk
details. What do you know about
Alzheimer’s?
Jay: Not much, to be honest. I don’t dealmuch with the brain or the mind. I’m a heart
surgeon.
Khwaja: Okay. Well, some of what I tell you
should be a review from medical school.
Jay: Shoot.
Khwaja: Alzheimer’s patients have two
types of abnormal structures in their brains
that consist of misfolded proteins.
Jay: So, like prions.
Khwaja: Oh, you know about prions?
Jay: Yeah. I read about diseases caused by
misfolded proteins, like Mad Cow Disease
and CJD, in a book called Deadly Feasts.
Khwaja: I see. Well, anyway, the two
abnormal structures are amyloid plaques andneurofibrillary tangles.
Jay: Whoa, that sounds complicated.
Khwaja: I won’t go into complicated detail.
These two structures disable brain cells,
especially in regions of the brain that are
used in memory.
Jay: I see. Wait, I read somewhere that
Alzheimer’s patients have clumps and
tangled bundles of fibers. Are these what
you’re talking about?
Khwaja: Pretty much. The clumps are made
of amyloid, a protein that’s also involved in
Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Diseases.
Neurofibrillary tangles, on the other hand,
are really only known as the primary marker
of Alzheimer’s.
Jay: Marker? What does that mean?
Khwaja: Basically, if you find
neurofibrillary tangles in a patient’s brain,
you are probably dealing with Alzheimer’s.
The tangles “mark” the patient.
Jay: Okay, that makes sense. So you said
that these structures are especially present in
regions of the brain used in memory?
Khwaja: That is correct. Actually, a recent
study showed that high numbers of
neurofibrillary tangles in the nucleus basalis
of Meynert are associated with low
neuropsychological test scores and long
disease duration.
Page 6/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 7/11
Jay: Nucleus basalis of Meynert?
Khwaja: It’s a group of nerve cells in the
basal forebrain. The basal forebrain is
important in the production of acetylcholine.
Jay: What’s acetylcholine?
Khwaja: It is good you ask that question.
That brings me to another point.
Alzheimer’s Disease is also characterized by
reduced production of neurotransmitters,
which are chemicals used for
communication between nerves.
Acetylcholine is one neurotransmitter. Two
others linked to Alzheimer’s are serotonin
and norepinephrine.
Jay: I’m guessing neurotransmitters travel
between one nerve cell’s axon terminal and
another cell’s dendrite?
Khwaja: You are correct, my friend. Well,
where was I?
Jay: You were talking about the causes of Alzheimer’s.
Khwaja: Ah, yes. Sorry, I’ve been a bit
scatterbrained lately. When all the things I
was just talking about happen, the brain cells
lose connection, so the cells slowly lose
their function and die.
Jay: That’s kind of scary. So Alex’s brain
cells might be dying?
Khwaja: That is what we believe.
Jay: sighs I don’t know what to do… He
won’t believe me. He’s in denial.
Khwaja: When you have a mental disorder,
you often don’t want to believe it.
SCENE 7
Khwaja is sitting in Hu’s office. Silence for a few seconds.
Hu: Well? Why are you not talking?
Silence.
Hu: Confucius said, “Be not ashamed of
mistakes and thus make them crimes.”
Silence.
Hu: Well, if you are not going to talk, I am
going to watch Korean soap opera. New
episode: so good!
Khwaja: Okay, I’ll talk.
Hu: Oh thank you. I thought I was really
going to have to watch the Korean drama.
Khwaja: I’m not myself lately.
Hu: Having girlfriend problems? That’s why
arranged marriage is such a good idea.
Khwaja: No. I just… I’ve been really
disorganized lately, and I keep missing
appointments and getting lost, and it’s
getting to me. I’m just getting old, I guess.
But it’s frustrating. I keep waking up at
night, and I’m anxious. I don’t even know
why.
Hu: Hmm, I know what will help.
Khwaja: excitedly What? You do?
Anything!
Page 7/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 8/11
Hu: Acupuncture.
Khwaja: Really?
Hu: No, you fool! You are a doctor, not an
old Chinese grandmother. Think like adoctor.
Khwaja: I think it’s just a normal part of
aging.
Hu: How would you know? You’ve never
aged before.
Beeping. Khwaja looks at his cell phone.
Khwaja: Oh, I have to see my patient.
Hu: Take care of yourself. Drink tea, it helps
with memory.
Khwaja: Really?
Hu: No, you fool!
SCENE 8
Jay and Khwaja are next to Alex’s bed.
Jay: Alex, do you remember the list of
Alzheimer’s symptoms I gave you
yesterday?
Alex: Yeah. To test my memory, I tried to
remember as many as I could.
Jay: What are the early symptoms?
Alex: Well, the easy one is memory loss.
Other ones include disorientation, difficulty
performing familiar tasks, problems with
planning, trouble with language, personality
changes, changes in sleeping habits, and
poor judgment.
Khwaja looks concerned.
Jay: Well done. Are you convinced yet?
Alex: Maybe…
Jay: What are the middle symptoms?
Alex: Uh, let me see. Anger, wandering,
problems recognizing family members,
inability to learn or cope with new
situations, lack of self-control…
Jay: Alex, you’re matching with a lot of
these…
Khwaja looks very concerned .
Alex: Well, I know I don’t have any severe
symptoms, like weight loss, seizures, or
inability to swallow or communicate.
Jay: Are you convinced, though?
Alex: Fine. I have to admit that I’ve been
worried about it since… it’s just that I’verefused to acknowledge it.
Khwaja looks very, very concerned .
Jay: Dr. Khwaja, you look… concerned.
Khwaja: Yes… to be honest, I’ve been
having many of the same issues lately. And
I’m getting old. Alzheimer’s isn’t a normal
part of aging.
Jay: Do you think you might have it?
Khwaja: Perhaps…
Hu walks in.
Page 8/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 9/11
Hu: Aha! So there we have it. Perfect.
You’ve both gotten past denial.
Khwaja: Dr. Hu? You knew?
Hu: The whole time.
Jay: So what’s next?
Hu: First, we’ll have to test you to see if you
really have Alzheimer’s. I’ll give you a few
neuropsychological exams to assess your
intellectual function, including memory tests
and naming tests. I’ll also see if your
symptoms are so severe that they prevent
you from everyday activities. If these two
steps pass, I will make sure that it’s
Alzheimer’s and not something else that’s
causing you problems; you’ll need blood
tests, x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans.
Alex: Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s?
Hu: Unfortunately, no. But there are
treatments that will slow down brain
degradation and suppress some of the
symptoms.
Khwaja: Ah, yes.
Hu: Donepezil, rivastigmine, and
galantamine are three drugs that will treat
mild or moderate symptoms. They slow
down and inhibit the action of
acetylcholinesterase.
Jay: Acetylcholinesterase? That word seems
to contain “acetylcholine.”
Hu: Well done, Captain Obvious.
Acetylcholinesterase breaks down
acetylcholine, which is a necessary
neurotransmitter. So by inhibiting
acetylcholinesterase, the drugs maintain a
healthy level of acetylcholine, increasing
brain function.
Jay: It makes sense!
Hu: Of course. Memantine is a new drugthat regulates levels of glutamate, which is
another neurotransmitter involved in
memory.
Alex: So if I take all of these drugs at the
same time, will it be like a super drug? I
know that AIDS victims take drug cocktails.
Hu: I would not recommend taking multiple
acetylcholinesterases at the same time. With
drugs, it’s not like one plus one equals two.
It could equal three, or fifty, or negative one
million. Confucius said that “To go beyond
is as wrong as to fall short.” I say we start
both of you on donepezil, one of the
acetylcholinesterases, and memantine. A
reputable study has shown the combination
of donepezil and memantine significantly
improves brain function in Alzheimer’s
patients with moderate to severe symptoms.
Khwaja: How about Ginkgo biloba? I’ve
heard it helps.
Hu: It may, but scientists haven’t found
anything significant. Drinking green tea may
help though.
Khwaja: Really?
Hu: No, you fool! Well, Dr. Khwaja, I think
you should order the drugs.
Khwaja: I’ll do that right away.
Hu: Well, I think we are finished here. Let’s
not get too sentimental with goodbyes.
Page 9/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 10/11
Alex and Jay: Thanks Dr. Hu!
Hu: Yeah, yeah. Feel better soon.
Hu exits, and quickly returns.
Hu: And also, my Pokemon challenge still
holds.
Alex: Pokemon?
Khwaja: Long story.
Jay: Tell us!
Khwaja: Oh, I forgot.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE FROM BLACK TO AERIAL
FOOTAGE; CALM AND HAPPY MUSIC
IN THE BACKGROUND. PLAY
CREDITS ON THE FOOTAGE.
Pre-Title: Dominic, with Sadiq filming.
(Tamer voice-over).
Scene 1: Tamer and Sadiq
Scene 2: Tamer and Kevin
Scene 3: Kevin and Sadiq
Scene 4: Tamer and Dominic
Scene 5: Kevin and Sadiq
Scene 6: Tamer and Sadiq
Scene 7: Kevin and Sadiq
Scene 8: All
Filming
Day 1: (Dominic and Sadiq, Pre-Title and
Credits) Dominic and Sadiq will arrive at
the airfield. Sadiq will film Dominic
entering the plane. Dominic will take off and
Page 10/11
8/8/2019 I Forgot, script.
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/i-forgot-script 11/11
start flying. He will read his lines in the Pre-
Title section and pause, to accommodate
Tamer’s “radio” conversation. Dominic will
pretend to crash the plane. Sadiq will stop
filming here. Next, Dominic will continue
flying for a bit, and Sadiq will hold thecamera against/out of a window to get aerial
footage for the Credits.
After Day 1, Sadiq should lend his camera
to Dominic for Day 2.
Day 2: (Tamer and Dominic, Pre-Title
voiceover and Scene 4)
After Day 2, the Pre-Title should be
complete. Try to have the files so far
uploaded to Dominic’s computer so that
Dominic can work on editing. Dominic
should hand off the camera to Sadiq in class
for Day 3.
Day 3: (Kevin, Tamer, and Sadiq, Scenes 1,
2, 3, 5, 6, 7) When one person is not acting,
he can be filming. After Day 3, Sadiq should
hand off the video to Dominic in class.
After Day 3, Dominic should upload the
files to his computer and edit.
Day 4: (All, Scene 8) After we are done
filming, we should stay and help Dominic
edit.
Page 11/11