THE HALE-BOPP EFFECT

SYNOPSIS:

Joe Brickman is treading water. At 32, he’s a boring middle-class guy of few interests stuck in a dead-end administrative job. His wife, Kathy, whose career in the travel business is beginning to take off, grows more distant by the day. We join this couple at a dinner party thrown by Kathy’s garrulous, self-made boss, Howard Thompson, the proprietor of the travel agency where she works. Howard is married to Marie, a mature, quiet and reflective woman. They are in their late 30’s and well-established. Marie does consulting, having recently left the agency Howard built with her help. While Kathy envies Howard and Marie’s perfect relationship, as represented by all the costly furnishings he has surrounded her with, Howard tries to turn Joe on to the finer things that money can buy. What catches Joe’s interest as they banter on the Thompson’s patio, however, is Comet Hale-Bopp, as seen through Howard’s expensive new binoculars. Excited beyond reason, Joe borrows the binoculars and launches himself into a new world of cosmic exploration. Kathy remains on her trajectory of acquisition and social climbing, which brings them into frequent and escalating conflict.

While perusing the Pleiades one night, Joe happens to train his optics on a neighboring apartment building where cosmic sights of a different sort divert his attention from star-gazing. He concentrates on a young woman, whom he dubs “Maia.” When not star-gazing from his own back yard, Joe joins Howard at a property on the edge of town that Howard owns. One night when Joe comes to pick up Howard for a star-gazing session at Howard’s pasture, Marie tells him that Howard has gone to see his daughter from a prior marriage perform in a school play. She gives Joe the keys to the pasture gate, but Joe doubles back and sets up his telescope in the Thompson’s back yard. He sees Marie in her bedroom, crying.

Joe and Kathy’s relationship deteriorates further, each taking progressively less interest in the other’s preoccupations. When Kathy leaves town on a business trip, Joe sets up his telescope in the Thompsons’ back yard. Instead of glimpsing Marie, he sees Howard entertaining a young woman in his bedroom. Marie happens upon Joe as he watches, and after announcing that she and Howard are separating, consoles Joe on his apparent discovery that the woman with Howard is Kathy. Marie reveals that Howard has indulged in a string of affairs. Joe goes home to await Kathy’s return. As they confront their own and each others’ infidelities, Joe and Kathy try to find a way back from the brink.

CHARACTERS:

JOE BRICKMAN - An accountant for the Santa-Fe railroad, early thirties. An easy-going, likeable guy of few interests. Searching for a way to get his personal life out of the doldrums.

KATHY BRICKMAN - Joe’s wife, about thirty. Easily impressed, socially ambitious. Concentrated on her career.

HOWARD THOMPSON - Owner of a thriving travel agency; late thirties. Fancies himself a connoisseur of cutting edge experiences and the finer things in life.

MARIE THOMPSON - Howard’s wife, mid thirties. Kind, reserved, uncomfortable with the glamorous lifestyle Howard has foisted on her.

A YOUNG WOMAN – about twenty.

SAMPLE DIALOGUE:

JOE
I had Intro to Astronomy freshman year, but I can’t remember a thing. Except the stuff everybody knows. The Big Dipper and the Milky Way. And the planets. How many are there? Seven or nine? Mercury, Venus---

KATHY
Joining Howard’s agency was a terrific career move. Fantastic opportunity for travel and advancement. I didn’t even know jobs like this existed. And they want us back for dinner next Sunday. They must really like us. Wasn’t it nice of Howard to lend you his binoculars?

JOE
They're a gateway to a whole new world. And I could have had it all along.

KATHY
Had what?

JOE
Space. Just imagine it’s been there since the beginning of time, and I never even took the trouble to look up.

KATHY (Incredulously.)
You...you care about space?

JOE
It all came crashing down on me tonight. The night sky. The comet. It's moving so fast, it'll be gone in a few months. And then no one, no one in our lifetime will ever see it again. Not even those guys who found it. Not even their children. (Sighs.) I wish I could discover my own comet. They’d name it after me: “Brickman’s Comet”! How does that sound?
(By now, both KATHY and JOE are in their pajamas. KATHY crawls into bed. JOE is still standing at the dresser, holding the binoculars.)

KATHY
(Confused by the unusual display of emotion on JOE’s part.)
So you did have a good time tonight.

JOE
Not a bad evening for playing suck-up to the boss. (Sits on the edge of the bed next to KATHY.) But there’s one thing that would put some icing on the cake. (Reaches for KATHY.) How about a nice old-fashioned snipe hunt?

KATHY
What?

JOE
Come on. You remember. When we used to camp out...

KATHY (Sits up.)
I don’t know...

JOE
Why?

KATHY
It’s late.

JOE
And you have a headache.

KATHY
I’ve got to read those brochures.

JOE
When?

KATHY
Early. Before I go to the office. I need to sleep---
(Puts on a sleeping mask and reaches to turn off the lights.)

JOE
(Pulls a flashlight from his nightstand. Blackout and a brief pause.)
Welcome to Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom!