EXTRACT FROM CONTROL.COM 
by Peter Devonald (from a story by R.T)
COPYRIGHT 2004-2009: Contact pdevonald@hotmail.com for more details

               FADE IN:



               EXT. SCARBOROUGH SEA FRONT - BAR – NIGHT

               Waves crash against the shoreline. Thunder cracks overhead.

               RONNIE looks up at the sky, sighs. He's 29, not
               unattractive, but awkward, too tall for his own good, messy
               hair, slumped shoulders.

               Burst of music O.S.

               Ronnie looks down, around, into the bar through the open
               door.

               Inside, happy laughing people, bathed in warm light.

               As the door to the bar closes, rain lashes down. Ronnie
               stands there, forlorn, miserable, soaked.



               INT. RONNIE'S HOUSE – KITCHEN – NIGHT

               Congealed waffles and beans are kept warm on the cooker.

               Above the cooker, a kitchen plaque: 'Home is where the
               Hearth is'.

               DORIS sits, knits. Doris, 70, is silver haired, a sweet old
               lady.

               DOOR SLAMS SHUT O.S.

                                   DORIS
                         Ronnie? Is that you, Ronnie?

               Footsteps hammer up the stairs.

               Doris sighs, shakes her head, focuses on the knitting.



               BEDROOM

               Ronnie locks the door, goes to the computer, switches on
               the lamp, turns on the monitor, clicks the mouse. Modem
               connecting sound blares out as Ronnie sits down.



               SCREEN

               On the tool bar, bottom right of the screen, the Internet
               connection symbol appears.

               WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD WIDE WEBLOG OF ALISTAIR
               FEARNLEY.

               CLICK. Grainy images of Alistair's house, tracking around
               the affluent room.

                                   ALISTAIR (O.S)
                             (through computer)
                         Today was another splendid day!
                         Met the most gorgeous woman at a
                         polo match – absolute magic.
                         Super body, emerald eyes, lush
                         long blonde hair -

               KNOCK AT THE DOOR O.S.



               BEDROOM

               Ronnie stares at the screen, flushed with excitement. His
               body sinks, almost teenager-like.

                                   ALISTAIR (O.S)
                         And just you wait till you hear
                         what she said to me!

               KNOCK AT THE DOOR.

                                   DORIS (O.S)
                         Ronnie! Ronnie!



               CORRIDOR

               Doris stands, anxious, stares at his door, shakes her head.
               SOUNDS OF TYPING O.S.

                                   DORIS
                         Ronnie, whatcha doing?

               SOUNDS OF TYPING CONTINUE O.S.

                                   DORIS
                         I've made you Waffle and Beans,
                         just the way you like it.

               Silence. Click – the door is unlocked, slowly opens, Ronnie
               looks out at her.

               Doris smiles encouragingly.



               KITCHEN

               Ronnie sits at the table. Doris shuffles around, lovingly
               puts the waffle and beans on the table beside him, then the
               bottle of ketchup.

                                   DORIS
                         Tomorrow will be a better day.
                         You'll get a job, Ronnie. Just
                         you see.

               Ronnie looks miserable.

               Doris pats his shoulder. He places his hand on hers, looks
               at her, shares the moment.

                                   DORIS
                         You mean the world to me, Ronnie.
                         I'd be lost without you.

               Ronnie smiles, turns back, eats, happy. Doris clips his
               head.

                                   DORIS
                         First we say grace.

               Doris sits down, puts her hands together.

                                   DORIS
                         We are thankful oh Lord for what
                         we are -

               Ronnie looks at her, then the waffles, sneaks a mouthful

                                   DORIS
                         And what we can become.



               INT. DORIS'S HOUSE - RONNIE BEDROOM – NIGHT

               In the darkness, the computer hard drive churns.

               Ronnie lies in bed, asleep. He tosses, turns.



               INT. ALISTAIR'S APARTMENT – NIGHT (DREAM)

               Ronnie stands in an affluent room, wears expensive designer
               clothes, swills his cocktail glass around. ADORING WOMEN
               hang on his every word.

                                   RONNIE
                         And I just looked at him, and
                         said – I am me and you are you: I
                         am a somebody and you are a
                         nobody: now get back to your
                         petty little sty and get out of
                         my way, you odious little man.

               Laugh. The Adoring Women swoon, loving him.

                                   ADORING WOMEN
                         Tell us more Ronnie, tell us
                         more.

               Ronnie looks at them with a glint in his eye.

                                   RONNIE
                         Maybe we can continue this
                         upstairs?

               TRIUMPHANT MUSIC.



               INT. DORIS'S HOUSE - RONNIE BEDROOM – NIGHT

               Ronnie wakes with a start, looks around. The triumphant
               music continues.

               Ronnie gets up, notices the computer is left on. He goes up
               to it, flicks the monitor on.



               SCREEN

               Music blares out with fast images of happy people, great
               lives, boats, cars, girls, everything Alistair has.

               On the tool bar, bottom right of the screen, the symbol
               shows connection to the internet.



               BEDROOM

               Ronnie looks more and more deflated as the images on screen
               flash, reflecting in his ill-lit room.

                                   COMPUTER
                             (through speaker)
                         Weblog enthusiast? Fancy a
                         change? Let Control.com help you.
                         Click here for a once a lifetime
                         chance.

               Ronnie looks at it cynically.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Just ask yourself, what have you
                         got to lose?

               Ronnie sighs, leans back, stares at the screen.
               Lethargically he clicks to enter the site.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Hunzicker Labs Inc offer you the
                         unique opportunity to experience
                         life as someone else.
                         If they keep a current weblog,
                         you can, for a small fee, get a
                         taste of their life. Literally.

               Ronnie hesitates, moves the mouse, clicks.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Let's get a little more personal,
                         Ronnie.

               Ronnie reacts, slides the mouse off the desk. It dangles in
               the mid air by its 'tail', swings like pendulum.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Life is more than waffles and
                         beans on a Friday, lashed to an
                         existence you hate by her apron
                         strings.

               Ronnie glances at the back of the machine, looks around,
               insecure. He grimaces, goes to turn the computer off -

                                   COMPUTER
                         Control.com is designed just for
                         you, Ronnie. Ever wondered what
                         would've happened if you'd had
                         opportunities, just one single
                         moment of luck? Now you can find
                         out.

               Ronnie sits back, slowly wipes his mouth, drags his bottom
               lip down.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Simply type in the blog address
                         of the person's life you want to
                         lead, then take possession,
                         exclusively with Control.com.

               Ronnie types, fast.

                                   COMPUTER
                         Selection verified and validated.
                         Whilst in Control.com an
                         algorithm of your existence will
                         replicate the 98.4% of your
                         waking time split between
                         watching daytime TV, surfing the
                         internet, eating and
                         masturbating. Are you ready to
                         take Control.com?

               Ronnie drags his hand through his hair.



               LIVING ROOM

               TV blares out. Doris sits on the chair, asleep.

               Ronnie sneaks in, checks Doris is asleep, goes to the
               handbag on the table, takes the purse out, steals the
               credit card.

                                   COMPUTER (V.O.)
                         Please enter your credit card
                         details.

               Ronnie stops, goes up to Doris, tenderly pulls the blanket
               over her body. He goes to the TV, slowly reduces the
               volume, turns it off.

                                   COMPUTER (V.O.)
                         Payment for trial period
                         received. Thank you.

               Ronnie looks at Doris, tilts his head, smiles.

                                   COMPUTER (V.O.)
                         Please click once to accept our
                         terms and conditions before
                         taking Control.



               BEDROOM

               Ronnie skims down the 'Terms and conditions' on the page,
               CLICKS ACCEPT. The screen goes blank.

                                   RONNIE
                         Aw, come on!



               INDEX FINGER

               Taps on the desk –

                                                        MATCH CUT TO:



               INT. WORKPLACE - NIGHT

               POV – Index finger taps the drafting table, with a plan for
               some grandiose public space. In the b.g., a tabletop model
               of the same building. He looks up the arm, further,
               further, it's a different arm, more masculine, toned. Palms
               of the hands move over the eyes. He rocks back in the
               chair, splays his fingers, peers through them.

               Architectural practice around him, attractive, sparse. A
               massive window shows a breathtaking view of London.

               Ronnie's arms fall to his sides. He whips his head down and
               around. He gets up, pads around, stops, sees the reflection
               in a glass partition.

               He leans in, closer. He is still Ronnie, but now he is in
               Alistair's body, tall, broad, without bulk.

               His slumped shoulders lean back, he likes his new self.
               Confidence oozes from his designer clothes, haircut, new
               stance. Ronnie twists and turns before the glass in
               admiration.