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INT. STUDIO A DANCE - EARLIER1

Well worn, dirty ballet shoes and scarred knees hold infirst position. The feet attempt to turn out more. A grunt.They go back to the original spot.

The legs bend into a demi-plie, and another, and then dipinto a grand plie as knees crack.

A front port de bra, as her torso folds over. A deep pliereveals ALICE PARK, 20s, spunky, naive, cute. A reddenedface hanging upside down between her legs.

She plies, hanging there breathing deeply, stretching.

She comes back up, revealing Alice warming up in an emptystudio.

ALICE V.O.Ugh, ballet's so hard.

Alice extends her arms to start the combination again astext message buzzes interrupts.

She scampers over to her bag and checks the text and smiles.

ALICE V.O. (cont'd)I kind of love it.

The smile shifts into worry.

TITLE CARD: ALICE

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY2

(Dialogue in italics is spoken in Korean)

Alice's dad, DR. LAURENCE PARK, 50s, Americanized,charismatic, proud, sits at the head of the table guffawingwith laughter.

LAURENCE

Quatro Sink-o! Get it? (wipes tearsfrom his eyes)

Alice sighs.

ALICEDad , I think that's racist.

Laurence waves it off.

(CONTINUED)

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Alice's mom, EUN HA PARK 40s a beautiful, anxiety-ridden,jumps in.

EUN HAJackie said that Yoon Ji's mom

overheard Eddie's mom saying that herson, who graduated from HarvardMedical school, just came home.

ALICEGood for him.

EUN HAI talk to Eddie's mom at church, hewant to meet you.

ALICE"Wants", he "wants" to meet me.

EUN HAMy English is problems?

Laurence gives Alice a look.

Alice turns her head away from him.

EUN HA (cont'd)Making fun of your mother? Someday you're going to have a child exactly like you.

ALICEI don't need to be setup by my mom, Ican totally do it by myself.

EUN HAYou lucky to meet him! You becomecold rice soon. (decisively) I sayyou love to meet him.

SMASH CUT TO:

BEGIN DREAM SEQUENCE3

INT. DINING ROOM [FANTASY SEQUENCE A]

Alice perks up enthusiastically.

ALICEI love to meet him!!

CONTINUED:22.

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SMASH CUT TO:

INT. DINING ROOM - [BACK TO REALITY] CONTINUOUS4

ALICEI don't want to.

LAURENCE(sharp) Alice!

EUN HAToo bad, Eddie and his mom are coming later.

ALICELike later when? I'm busy.

EUN HAWhat you doing? (doesn't miss a beat)Never mind, don't tell me, ifsomething bad.

ALICEIt's not bad! I just have rehearsalin hour!

EUN HAWhy you wasting your time with this

dancing instead of finding husbandlike Helen?

ALICEI...

LAURENCEWhere is Helen?

EUN HAShe's at her dress fitting.(pointedly) She's going to make sucha beautiful bride...

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM DOORWAY [FANTASY SEQUENCE B]5

Alice opens the house door revealing:

SLOW MOTION SHOT:

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN PARK stands posed in her wedding dress eyes loweredmodestly at her bouquet of flowers about to walk down theaisle. She lifts her face head up and smiles.

Eun Ha and Laurence stand on either side of the doorway

dressed in their Sunday finest. Eun Ha clasps her hands withadoration for her beautiful child and Laurence smiles andnods his head approvingly.

ALICE V.O.Did I mentioned Helen's my twinsister? She's perfect.

Helen starts her walk down the aisle through the doorway.

END SLOW MOTION

Alice slams the door.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. DINING ROOM [BACK TO REALITY] - CONTINUOUS6

Alice's hand slamming onto the dinner table.

ALICENo.

Eun Ha interrupts.

EUN HAYou can't do this one thing for your mother, you ungrateful bitch!

Alice stays silent.

Laurence rests his hand on Eun Ha's.

LAURENCEAlice, your mother has arrangedeverything with Eddie's familyalready. (pointedly) You will not be

going to rehearsal.

Alice pushes her plate away and stands up.

ALICEI'm done.

LAURENCE(decidedly) Finish your food.

(CONTINUED)

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Alice starts stuffing her face frantically.

LAURENCE (cont'd)You don't know what it's like to beso hungry the sky turns yellow. Once

I killed a sparrow with my slingshotbecause I couldn't find anything toeat.

Laurence eats a spoonful of rice, looking over to Alice.

Eun Ha's cute, quirky neighbor friend, JACKIE LEE raps atthe window and waves enthusiastically.

JACKIEYoo hoo!

Jackie brings up her arms in victory.

JACKIE (cont'd)(muffled) Cancer free!

Eun Ha gestures to her to meet her at the front door.

EUN HA(loudly) Meet me... front. (louder)COME TO THE FRONT.

INT. DOORWAY - CONTINUOUS7

Jackie and Eun Ha talking excitedly.

JACKIEAlice's mom! My doctor just told meI'm cancer free!

EUN HAWhat good news! I'm so glad!

Jackie looks over to Alice eating, beckoning Alice to comeover.

JACKIEHi Alice!

Laurence nods and smiles, Alice looks helplessly at Jackie.

JACKIE (cont'd)Is Alice okay?

(CONTINUED)

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EUN HAShe's being dramatic. (lowers hervoice to a hush) You won't believewhat she just said to her ownmother...

Close up on Alice's overfull mouth, chewing away. She gags.

ALICE V.O.My life's not going exactly how Iplanned.

EXT. STUDIO A DANCE [FANTASY SEQUENCE C]8

Alice's dressed in sexy burlesque clothes slowly walks inand strikes a pose, her silhouette aqin a spotlight.

She swings her hips left and right. Her hand reaches out.

A handsome, unseen man in a suit takes her hand and holdsher close. He comes in front of her and they kisspassionately.

ALICE. V.O.Even though I can never actually seehis face, I suspect he's not Korean.Or a doctor. Don't tell my mom.

He pulls Alice's leotard straps off her shoulders and kisses

down her neck as she leans back and breathes deeply.

CUT TO:

INT. ALICE'S BEDROOM [BACK TO REALITY]9

Alice masturbates frenetically, panting heavily on her bed.

At the most inopportune moment, the door opens suddenly as apenitent Eun Ha stands in the doorway.

Alice freezes, pretending she's not doing anything.

Eun Ha halts in shock, recovers quickly and starts to foldAlice's dance clothes into a neat pile.

EUN HAMaybe if you like Eddie you can bringhim to Helen's wedding.

Alice turns her back to Eun Ha.

(CONTINUED)

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ALICEOkay.

Eun Ha stops folding, looking lost. She tries to find otherwords, decides against it and shuts the door.

Alice flips over and looks up at the ceiling. She stifles ascream.

Doorbell sound.

EUN HA O.S.They're here!

She takes a moment and gets up.

INTERCUT BETWEEN BEDROOM AND STUDIO:10

Bedroom - Alice takes off her shirt with a flourish.

Studio- Alice brings herself up from a port de bra and pullsboth her hands up in a high fifth.

Bedroom- Alice grabs her keys, phone and water bottle, andthrows them into her dance bag.

Studio- Alice moves down her body and then sweeps to theleft, then right. Her movements starts to build.

Bedroom- She climbs out of the window and passes Jackieworking in the yard. Jackie brings her arms in the "cancerfree" victory.

Street- Alice picks up her pace, slowly at first.

Studio- The movements build momentum and leads to a momentof stillness before the grand finale with deep, steadybreaths. She gathers herself and starts to go.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET11

Alice runs, dance bag in tow.

END.

CONTINUED:97.