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Long ServiceFanscriptBy Jonathan Empson
INT. HOMER'S CONSOLE - DAY HOMER frowns at a dusty console button, under a Perspex cover, marked 'IN CASE OF COMMUNIST INVASION'. HOMER Say: I never saw this button before. KARL and LENNY lean on the console, munching doughnuts. KARL What's it do? HOMER Only one way to find out... Homer flips open the cover. LENNY Gee, Homer: maybe you should look in the manual or somethin'. HOMER There's a manual for this thing? Where? Homer looks around the console, which has a drawer handle on the front. Homer pulls it: it opens. HOMER Oh boy! A secret drawer! I thought that was just a miniature towel rail! Inside the drawer is a dusty manual. Homer pulls it out, BLOWS OFF the dust to reveal the title: 'CONTROL CONSOLE, 1954 MODEL. Now with transistor technology!' HOMER Wow! I gotta look at this: maybe somebody used a dollar as a bookmark. Karl leans over his shoulder. KARL Hey, Homer, what's that? Inside the drawer is a dusty contract. Homer pulls it out and BLOWS OFF the dust. The cover reads: 'HOMER SIMPSON: WORK CONTRACT' LENNY Wow! You gotta written contract?! Now that's gotta be worth something! INT. SIMPSON LOUNGE ROOM - DAY MARGE changes MAGGIE's nappy on the floor in front of the sofa as HOMER rushes in from work. HOMER Quick...quick...it's on! Homer rushes back and forth between lounge and kitchen, picking up peanuts and beer, as Marge sits patiently with Maggie, waiting. Homer sits down, then frantically looks around. HOMER Aargh! The remote! Where remote?! Marge! MARGE You could just walk over and turn it on... Homer stops and stares at Marge. HOMER Marge? Have you been drinking? Homer stays sitting, but frantically hunts around the sofa cushions with his hands. Eventually he stops, wilts and buries his head in his hands. HOMER (WAILING) Oh God, oh God! It's all over, Marge. The remote is gone! Homer suddenly looks up and throws his fists heavenward, angrily. HOMER Why couldn't you have taken me instead?! MARGE (LONG SUFFERING) Homer, will you just stand up? HOMER Oh, what's the point. MARGE Stand up, Homer. Homer drags himself to his feet and stands there, pathetically. Marge reaches to the general area of Homer's bottom and, with SUCKING NOISE accompaniment, retrieves the remote. She presses the 'ON' button. TV SCREEN SOAPY music and titles fade up. SUPER: 'Davidhoff - starring Chuck Hunkster' DAVIDHOFF himself - tanned, unfeasibly large biceps, with a dinky little pink life-saver's float tucked under his arm - strikes a heroic pose in the golden afternoon sun, staring out to sea from Malibu beach. HOMER WATCHING HOMER (DREAMILY) Davidhoff...so manly... TV SCREEN Davidhoff is still striking the manly pose. KID (OFF) Er, Mr Davidhoff? Davidhoff gives no reponse. KID (OFF) Mr Davidhoff! Davidhoff snaps out of it, and looks down to see a KID tugging at his shorts. DAVIDHOFF Huh? The kid points out to sea. KID I think that woman's drowning. All of 20ft out to sea, a SUPERMODEL splashes around in damsel-in-distress style, giving little CRIES. Buxom blonde lifesaver PANDY bounces over, with unfeasibly large breasts in slow motion. PANDY Davidhoff! It's Cindy out there! She's broken a finger nail and she's just swimming round in circles! Davidhoff leaps into action, running into the waves in slow motion, urged on by the kid, who's running at normal 24fps down to the water's edge. KID Come on! Davidhoff dives in and immediately gets into trouble himself. PANDY Oh my gosh! It's his muscles - he can't move his arms to swim! Pandy dives in and swims up to the SPLASHING Davidhoff. She reaches him and bobs around, strangely high in the water - her breasts are very buoyant. DAVIDHOFF (GASPING) Quick, give me your float - my dense muscle tissue is dragging me under. PANDY What float? HOMER AND MARGE WATCHING HOMER Davidhoff... Thank God for the surf patrol - where would Springfield be without them? MARGE Honey, Springfield doesn't have a surf patrol - it doesn't even have a beach. HOMER Yeah, well... If we'd had a surf patrol, maybe somebody wouldn't have stolen the beach! EXT. ENTRANCE TO SPRINGFIELD BANK - DAY BART skates along the pavement, dodging PEDESTRIANS until brought to a dead halt by CHIEF WIGGUM'S STOMACH. BART Yie! Bart bounces off Wiggum's paunch and falls off his board, which stops in front of the bank's glass doors. WIGGUM What?! Wiggum, engrossed in a large donut, finally feels the impact and looks round. He scowls at Bart. WIGGUM OK, young fella, that's it: three strikes and you're out! You're going away for a very long time. Through the glass doors, we see TWO ARMED ROBBERS in masks running around in a silent movie effect, brandishing weapons and stuffing money bags. Wiggum doesn't notice, and pulls out his citation pad as Bart picks himself off the ground. BART Can't I just say I'm sorry? WIGGUM I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. We have a thing called a justice system in this country, boy, and you're going to jail to be brutalised. That's all there is to it - oh my God! Wiggum's RADAR HEARING detects a nearby parking meter CLICKING over to 'EXPIRED'. WIGGUM Wait there. Wiggum goes over to write a ticket for the car. Behind him, the two robbers rush out of the bank, trip over Bart's skateboard and lie in a struggling heap behind Wiggum - who still hasn't noticed. The bank ALARM sounds, and Wiggum turns round, irritated. WIGGUM Will you shut that thing off - I'm trying to write here - (NOTICING ROBBERS) Hey, you guys! Move along now. BART But chief - they just robbed the bank! WIGGUM They did?! ROBBER 1 Damn it! You plan everything to the last detail, and then this! ROBBER 2 Why do we always have to lie here in a struggling heap? You'd think we would've learned something after that Scooby Doo fiasco. EXT. OUTSIDE THE BANK - LATER Wiggum snaps the handcuffs on the felons and turns to an excited Bart. BART Do I get a reward do I get a reward? Think I should go for a lump sum, or a simple percentage of the 'take'? WIGGUM Er, well, son. Under the circumstances, we'll overlook your, er, transgression with the skateboard...Oh, er, one other thing... We see that he has in fact handcuffed himself to the robbers by both hands, so they form a circle. WIGGUM Could you get my key for me - it's in my back pocket... INT. SIMPSON KITCHEN - DAY MARGE reads Homer's work contract, as HOMER leans over her shoulder. HOMER So? Is it valuable? Huh? MARGE When did you sign this, honey? HOMER Gee, I don't know. When I first started at the plant. It was some union guy who gave it to me - you know, the one who died. MARGE What union guy?! HOMER Oh, you know: the guy who stood in a bath of cement and threw himself into the Springfield River. MARGE (READING) Hey! Homer: how long have you been at the plant? HOMER Uh, let's see... about ten years - not including the three times I was accidentally fired and those fourteen other jobs... MARGE Wow! Then it says here you get a week's long service leave! Paid vacation! BART rushes in, breathless. BART Mom! Homer! Guess what guess what! I foiled a bank hold-up! I really did! I'm gonna get a reward! I finally did something to make you proud of me... On Homer, daydreaming. HOMER'S BRAIN (VOICEOVER) Paid vacation... DISSOLVE TO: HOMER'S DAYDREAM INT. SIMPSON LOUNGE - DAY HOMER, unshaven, sweat-stained and fatter than ever, sits on the sofa watching TV. Pyramids of beer cans and snack wrappers are piled either side. A shirt button, strained to the limit, PINGS off his shirt at stomach level. SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER YELPS off-screen. HOMER Sorry, boy. END DAYDREAM INT. MONTY BURNS OFFICE - DAY BURNS, fuming, reads Homer's contract as HOMER stands nervously before his desk. SMITHERS looks on. BURNS Where did you obtain this obscene counterfeit?! A week's extra vacation indeed! Where do you think you're living? Haiti?! I'll see you get twenty years for this fraud - oh, what is it, Smithers?! Smithers leans in to speak in a low voice. SMITHERS Actually, sir, I believe it's genuine. The unions fought for long service leave just before you manfully crushed them out of existence, sir. BURNS No! It can't be! How could I let this one get through? (ASIDE) Was during it one of my ether episodes, Smithers? Burns stands up and turns to the window. BURNS Oh, the shame of it. I'll be the laughing stock of the Chamber of Commerce... You'll be telling me I have a health plan next. SMITHERS (LAUGHING NERVOUSLY) Oh no, sir, nothing like that. BURNS Hmm. Well, why haven't I found a way to rescind this ridiculous perk? SMITHERS Well the situation hasn't arisen before, sir, as we are blessed with a high staff turnover. In fact the only man who got close to ten years was Lumpy O'Reilly from Fuel Rod Processing. God rest his soul. INSERT EXT. SPRINGFIELD CEMETERY - DAY ON HEADSTONE marked: 'Here lies Dan O'Reilly, 1955-92' PULL OUT to smaller neighbouring headstone, marked: 'Here lies Dan O'Reilly's tumor, 1983-92' END INSERT BURNS Well, I'm rescinding it now, and let's have an end to this nonsense. SMITHERS Ah. Sir, I don't think you can do that. BURNS I can't, eh?! (TO HOMER) Tell me, man, is this the only copy? HOMER (NERVOUS) Er, yes. Sir. BURNS Ha! Burns rips up the contract into tiny pieces. BURNS Whoops. HOMER I mean, Marge wouldn't let me bring the original. Do you want me to get you another copy? Burns jumps to his feet, furious. BURNS Get out of here, you indolent lallygagger! Taking food from the mouths of hard-working Americans! Homer retreats to the door. BURNS Three weeks' vacation! It's positively unpatriotic! You may think you've won this round, but so help me, I'll take this all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to! Homer exits hurriedly. Burns slumps back in his chair, exhausted. BURNS Am I fighting alone, Smithers, in my crusade against sloth in the workplace? Even I sometimes find myself weary, like a mere mortal. SMITHERS There, there, sir. I'll always be at your side. For when you go limp. BURNS Sometimes I fear for this great country of ours, Smithers. SMITHERS Try to relax, sir. I'll fetch you your morning caviar and Chateau d'Yquem. INT. HOMER AND MARGE' BEDROOM - NIGHT HOMER and MARGE sit up in bed. Homer looks pleased with himself. HOMER So they're actually gonna pay me to sit around and do nothing! Homer is oblivious to Marge's 'what's new?' look. MARGE Well, it's just great we can finally have a family vacation together. HOMER (ALARMED) Family?! But that wasn't in the contract! I was hoping for some quiet time to catch up on my reading. MARGE Honey, the TV credits don't count. HOMER (SULKILY) Goddamn legal mumbo jumbo fineprint... MARGE And with Bart's reward money for foiling that robbery, we can afford to take the kids somewhere nice for a change. HOMER Nice?! But we had a great time on our last vacation! Lisa said she found that abattoir tour very educational. MARGE She educated all over the floor of the car. I hope your free pork chops were worth it. FLASHBACK INT. SIMPSON KITCHEN - DAY MARGE, a dubious expression on her face, stirs a frying pan on the stove. MARGE Are you sure these are safe to eat? ON PAN, where four purple-dyed reject chops are sizzling. HOMER (OFF) Sure. That purple dye will come right out... END FLASHBACK MARGE Well anyway, I've come up with a couple of holiday ideas. PULL WIDE to reveal Empire State stack of brochures by her bedside. Marge flicks through a selection. MARGE I mean, maybe we could try skiing... I was reading about this little resort called South Park - and it looks like there'd be kids there on, you know, the same plane as Bart and Lisa. HOMER I don't know, Marge. TV reception can be real bad in mountain areas. I hear some places, they only get fifty-six channels. MARGE OK... Then how about the beach? There's some good deals to Malibu at the moment because of that serial killer they have down there. HOMER Malibu?! Isn't that where they film 'Davidhoff'? MARGE Sure. ON HOMER, daydreaming. HOMER Davidhoff...so manly... MARGE'S FANTASY EXT. MALIBU BEACH - DAY MARGE, dressed in regulation red surf rescue one-piece and carrying a dinky float, runs in slow-mo across the beach. She looks down with some concern at her breasts, which seem to have grown several cup sizes, and collides with Davidhoff himself. They tumble to the ground, Davidhoff on top. MARGE Oh my! ON THEIR HEADS as they exchange a sultry look. MARGE (FEEBLY) No, you mustn't kiss me! I have a husband! DAVIDHOFF I want to kiss you Marge... But unfortunately, this is as close as I can get. We see that Marge's breasts and Davidhoff's chest are keeping them apart. END FANTASY HOMER (VOICEOVER) Marge? Marge? Marge floats out of her daydream. MARGE What? HOMER Bart foiled a bank robbery? INT. SIMPSON BATHROOM - DAY MARGE emerges from the shower, thoroughly encased in towels. Homer stands in front of the mirror in his underpants, looking dispirited. HOMER Marge? MARGE What is it, dear? HOMER I'm not sure I want to go on the beach looking like this. ON HOMER'S UNDERPANTS as the elastic gives way with a LITTLE DESPAIRING CRY. Homer's pants drop round his ankles. He doesn't try to stop them. Strategically placed steam hides his naughty bits from view. MARGE You mean because you're carrying a few extra pounds? HOMER No! It's just that, on Davidhoff, they're all tan. They'll know I'm from outta town. Marge puts her hands on Homer's shoulders and looks at his reflection with him, smiling. MARGE Honey, you're a perfectly healthy yellow. (SEXILY) And after each day on the beach, we can compare the parts that haven't caught the sun...! HOMER (CHEERED) Marge! INT. SIMPSON LOUNGE - DAY The FAMILY is gathered. Bart is sulking. BART But it's not fair! I had plans for that dough! The one time I earn money by legal means and you want me to bankroll some lousy family vacation! MARGE Bart, we all have to contribute when we can. And your family really appreciates your support. HOMER - and will cut off your allowance until you're forty should you choose to withhold that support. Heh heh. ON BART, considering his options. BART'S BRAIN (VOICEOVER) Hmm. You'd think the lump sum would be the safe bet, but maybe I should go for regular instalments instead... I need some sound financial advice. Bart turns to a PREPPY in a suit, who's been standing out of view until now. BART What do you think I should do? The preppy whips out a calculator, punches some keys, and then wobbles his hand in an 'either way' gesture. BART Damn that compound interest! OK, take the reward money, but we'll have to negotiate a raise in my allowance. LISA Are we really going to the beach? HOMER Yep. Sleeping on the sand is both healthy and economical. MARGE (FIRMLY) We are not sleeping on the beach. Don't you want to sunbake, Lisa? LISA You know skin cancer is fast becoming the leading cause of death in California? HOMER That's all right, Lisa, we plan to leave California before we die. LISA So...can I have a bikini? INT. KWIK-E MART - DAY HOMER and LISA approach APU at the counter. APU My valued customer! How can I be of service? HOMER Could you direct us, my good man, to your swimsuit section? We're heading to California! APU You are moving to California?! And here am I, dreadfully overstocked! Apu, concerned, casts a look at past-use-by hotdogs, Twinkies, and chocolate bars. HOMER It's OK, Apu: it's just a vacation. INT. KWIK-E MART - LATER APU emerges from a storeroom and proffers LISA a dusty - quite possibly original - Victorian full-body bathing suit, button up, with red and white stripes, complete with frilly bathing cap. APU I noticed Cindy Crawford wearing one of these just the other day! Lisa is unimpressed. LISA Well, it's not really my colour... HOMER Tell me, do you have those new Speedy trunks like Davidhoff wears? APU Most certainly. They take up very little valuable display space. Apu gestures to a rack, where hangs a range of obscenely small G-string swimming trunks. LISA Before you buy, Homer, consider that I may be irreversibly traumatised by seeing you in those. Homer is, however, distracted by a bottle of 'INST-TAN!' instant tanning lotion, marked in big letters: 'INSTANT TANNING LOTION!' Homer slaps it on the counter. HOMER Hey, is this instant tanning lotion?! APU Oh! My word! I must return this to the manufacturer. Apparently it is only safe for use on white mice, rabbits and beagles. HOMER How much?! How much?! Apu blinks. APU Ninety-nine cents. HOMER Yippee! Homer slaps down a dollar and swipes the bottle. HOMER Let's go, Lisa! With this, I won't need to hide behind swimming trunks! LISA But - ! Homer grabs Lisa and hurries out of the shop. INT. SIMPSON BATHROOM - DAY HOMER gazes dreamily at the tanning lotion bottle in his hand. In the bathroom mirror, he imagines a new-look Homer reflected - suntanned and miraculously muscular. HOMER Be just like Davidhoff - saving beautiful breasts from drowning... ON TANNING LOTION label: 'WARNING: do not consume gravy within 24 hours of first use!' HOMER Mmm...gravy... INT. MARGE AND HOMER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT It's pitch black but for the white eyes of MARGE and HOMER, in intimate proximity. MARGE (BREATHLESS) Oh my! Homer! We've never done that before! HOMER Well, when Margie cooks Homie's favourite dinner, Homie likes to say 'thank you'. MARGE But when we had pork chops and gravy last week, you fell asleep on the couch. HOMER Which meant you got to choose the TV station. You see? MARGE Hmm... Say, Homie? Mo didn't give you another one of his magazines, did he? HOMER How can you say such a thing?! Marge turns the light on - and SCREAMS. Homer is black. INT. SIMPSON KITCHEN - DAY The FAMILY eats breakfast. Bart and Lisa observe a self-conscious Homer with a kind of awe. LISA Who would've thought? The Simpsons: a multicultural microcosm... BART This is cool, man... Say, Homer, does this mean you're going to run for Police Chief? And can we shoot some hoops together? HOMER Cut it out! I'm simply going to go back to Apu and buy some un-tanning stuff. MARGE Hmmm...I don't think it's gonna be that simple, Homer. Maggie slurps on her pacifier. Bart leans in to interpret. BART What's that, Maggie? Gumbo? No, you'll have to wait until you get onto solid food. INT. KWIK-E-MART - DAY A disgruntled HOMER faces APU across the counter. Apu pushes the bottle of tanning lotion back across the counter. APU I am most sorry, Mr Simpson, but for once I fully informed you of the nature of this product before purchase. Consumer protection laws do not apply. HOMER What?! That's not fair! I hardly used it! APU Nevertheless, I cannot offer a refund. For the roll-on deodorant, also. Apu gestures to the deodorant - half-empty, with an underarm hair still lodged in the roll-ball. HOMER Why, I...! Dammit! I...! It's...! Well, I want my change! APU I beg your pardon? HOMER I gave you a dollar yesterday, and it only cost ninety-nine cents! APU I am sorry again, Mr Simpson, but store policy - HOMER (FIERCELY, LEANING OVER COUNTER) Grr! Apu is cowed. He opens the register. APU Well, as a gesture of goodwill to a regular customer... But Homer has already snatched the cent from Apu's hand and stomped out of the store. Apu sighs. APU I have been in this community too long. I am becoming soft. Apu takes a tiny mirror from a counter-top rack labelled 'IMPULSE-BUY BUDGERIGAR ACCESSORIES' and examines his face. APU And, I think, a little pasty, too. EXT. SPRINGFIELD STREET - DAY HOMER walks down the street, self-conscious and wearing sunglasses. HELEN LOVEJOY approaches with her shopping bag. When she notices him, she starts getting very nervous. HOMER Good mor- Helen Lovejoy SCREAMS, turns on her heel and runs down the street. Homer whips of his sunglasses and calls after her. HOMER But it's only me! There's a SQUEAL of tyres nearby as CHIEF WIGGUM pulls up in his patrol car. Wiggum climbs out, brandishing his nightstick menacingly. WIGGUM OK, OK, assume the position, Mister. HOMER Chief! It's me! Homer Simpson! Wiggum stops short. WIGGUM It... My God! It really is you! Sorry, Simpson: I thought you were here to take our jobs and steal away our women. HOMER No! I'm just going to see Dr Hibbert about this, er, rash. WIGGUM You are? Well, that's good. (SUSPICIOUSLY) Say, you guys ain't planning some kind of civil rights protest, are you? INT. DR HIBBERT'S EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY DR HIBBERT frowns at HOMER, who sits nervously on the examination table. HIBBERT So, Mr Simpson: what seems to be the problem? (Preferred alternative line: 'Mr Simpson: are you shittin' me?') Homer pulls out the tanning lotion. Hibbert takes the bottle and reads the label. HOMER It was this tanning potion. HIBBERT You mean tanning lotion - wait! You didn't drink it, did you? HOMER D'oh! INT. MO'S BAR - NIGHT HOMER, depressed, sits at the bar next to BARNEY, drinking a Duff. MO cleans glasses opposite. HOMER Dr Hibbert said it would fade in a month, but how am I gonna avoid rednecks for four weeks? MO Well not by hangin' round here, that's for sure. BARNEY Don't listen to him! Have another beer! You know, you're far more interesting than that Homer guy... But it may just be the drink talking. INT. HOMER'S WORKSTATION - DAY HOMER sneaks in through the door, holding a box of doughnuts and a flask of coffee. He closes the door behind him and leans on it, relieved. HOMER Phew! No-one saw me! He wedges a chair under the handle of the door, which bears a sign 'FIRE DOOR - DO NOT LOCK', and sits at his console, self-satisfied. He puts his feet up and munches into a doughnut. HOMER Nice work, Simpson. As long as my supplies hold out, no-one need ever know. INT. MONTY BURNS' OFFICE - DAY HOMER is observed on a security monitor by BURNS and SMITHERS. BURNS There, Smithers: proof that this plant is a very model for equal opportunities. I'm prepared to give a chap a go regardless of race or aptitude. SMITHERS Yes sir, we all depend on your broadmindedness. BURNS All I demand from my employees is a flexible attitude to those disagreeable laws on minimum wage. Is that too much to ask? SMITHERS Indeed not, sir. Burns peers at the monitor. BURNS Didn't we use to have a work-shy white man at that console? SMITHERS Yes, sir. Homer Simpson. You may recall he was up for long-service leave. BURNS Now we appear to have a work-shy black man in his place. Burns turns to Smithers. BURNS Oh well, better fire him anyway. SMITHERS Certainly, sir. ON THE MONITOR - Homer has suddenly disappeared. Burns and Smithers turn back to see an empty seat. BURNS Oh. Good work, Smithers. INT. UNDER HOMER'S CONSOLE - DAY Homer hides under his console, clutching his doughnuts. We hear a BANGING on Homer's barricaded door. KARL (OFF) Homer?! We know you got doughnuts in there! EXT. LAX AIRPORT - DAY The SIMPSON FAMILY, happy and dressed in Hawaiian shirts, walk down the steps from the plane. MARGE I can't believe it! We finally made it to California! We're on vacation, kids - we might even see Davidhoff being filmed! A spotty airline STEWARD, standing pointlessly at the bottom of the steps, overhears this. STEWARD Oh no, ma'am. Didn't you know Davidhoff is shot in Australia, and dubbed? A Simpson collective sharp INTAKE OF BREATH. LISA No - no! Trying to destroy my childlike trust in TV! I believe in TV, I believe in TV! BART (TO STEWARD) Sucker! They just say that to get around the union stuff. Come on! Where's the sniffer dogs? STEWARD Over in the terminal building, sir. He points. The terminal is a small dot on the horizon. The family turns on Homer, annoyed. Homer looks guilty. HOMER But you shouldda seen the deal I got on this flight! MARGE Homer? Are you sure we're still in California here? THE END
Story and dialogue © Jonathan Empson, 1998 All rights reserved. International copyright protected under the Universal Copyright, Berne and Buenos Aires Conventions. Based on characters created by Matt Groening which remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century Fox. Posted Jan 13, 1999. |
Last updated on July 22, 2003 by webmaster@snpp.com |