The Blackout/Transcript

The Blackout

Introduction

The sun is setting over Elwood City. A radio mast is seen.

Dr. Jake (on radio): Good evening, Elwood City! Well, the sun may be setting but the temperature is rising! You think this is bad? Wait till tomorrow. You'll be able to fry eggs on your driveway! Arthur takes a box of ice cubes out of the freezer and puts them in lemonade glasses. So, crank up those air cons and stay tuned to Dr. Jake, the weather maestro, for the latest on the...heat wave!

D.W. wears shirt and shorts, and sets the air conditioner to “glacier” and stands right in front of it. Next to her Mrs. Read is working on the computer and talking on the phone while holding Kate.

Mrs. Read: Okay, just a few more questions and we'll be done. Now, Ed, I noticed you deducted your shoes on your schedule C? Arthur puts a glass beside her. Thanks, honey.

Arthur: (to D.W.:) Move over! This is the only really cool spot in the whole house.

D.W.: Are there any ice cubes left? Things have a way of disappearing in that freezer.

Arthur: There's plenty of ice, D.W.

Mr. Read’s voice is heard from outside.

Mr. Read: Arthur! Could you help me carry something?

Arthur hands D.W. his glass.

Arthur: There better be some of this lemonade left when I come back.

D.W.: Trust me, Arthur.

Outside, Mr. Read and Arthur carry a large ham out of the van.

Arthur: (groans) This is the biggest ham I've ever seen!

Mr. Read: (groans) It's for a graduation party I'm catering tomorrow.

They put the ham into the large freezer in the garage.

Mr. Read: Phew! It just fits. Thank goodness! It needs to stay cold until tomorrow.

He adjusts the temperature.

Inside, Mrs. Read is still working.

Mrs. Read: Ed, I just don't think dental floss can be counted as a business expense... The computer screen goes black. Ed? Ed? Hello?

The air conditioner goes off.

D.W.: Hey! Where'd the cold air go?

She presses buttons to no avail, then drinks Arthur’s lemonade. Meanwhile, lights go off all over the city.

Title Card: Family Photo

The Reads sit around the kitchen table listening to a small radio. Arthur pats Pal as he drinks from his water dish.

Dr. Jake (on radio): Yes siree, Elwood City is having a blackout! No word yet on when it will be over, but Dr. Jake, your weather maestro is sure it won't be long!

Mr. Read turns off the radio.

D.W.: Can we watch the blackout on TV?

Arthur: There's no TV. A blackout means there's no electricity. No electricity, no TV.

D.W.: No TV?? Will there be TV tomorrow?? There's a Mary Moo Cow special on the number two I have to watch!

Mrs. Read: It'll probably be over by then. You heard the weatherman.

Mr. Read: Dr. Jake's predictions weren't exactly accurate when we had that blizzard. I better go get some supplies.

He goes out.

***

That evening, the family sits around the table again. Mr. Read lights a candle.

Mr. Read: See, kids? Isn't this fun? A candlelit dinner!

D.W.: Cold leftover pasta, apple sauce and pretzels? That's it?!

Mr. Read: The store was closed so we have to make do with this, but we do have all that leftover strawberry ice-cream for dessert!

Mrs. Read brings in a can of liquid ice-cream.

Mrs. Read: Make that strawberry soup!

Kate: (giggles)

Mrs. Read: Anybody want it as a first course?

D.W.: I'm so hot! My ears are sweating! Can't we at least turn on a fan?

Arthur: Fans are electric.

Mr. Read opens the window.

Mr. Read: Here, we'll just open a window and get a nice breeze.

The candle goes out.

Arthur: There goes the candlelit part of dinner.

Mrs. Read: At least it's cooler.

Mr. Read feels his way back to the table and bumps his leg.

Mr. Read: Oof!

D.W.: Pretzels and tap water? It's like we're in jail!

***

That night, Arthur lies on his bed fanning himself with a comic book. His walkie-talkie beeps.

Buster: Hey, Arthur? Hello?

Arthur: Hey, Buster. Is your power out too?

Buster: Yeah, but I have a little bit of light. Something's glowing in my food cabinet.

A donut glows green.

Arthur: I hope this blackout ends soon. I can't sleep in this heat!

Buster: Me neither. I tried counting sheep but imagining all that wool just made me hotter. A light on Buster’s walkie-talkie blinks. I think my battery's dying. Don't worry, Arthur. I'll find some way to contact you tomorrow.

Arthur: I'm a few blocks away! You don't need electricity to walk!

Buster: You're fading! Hang in there, buddy! We'll get through this!

Arthur: (sighs)

He goes back to fanning himself.

***

The next morning the smell of food drifts through Arthur’s bedroom window. Arthur is lying on his bed wearing only underpants.

Arthur: (sniffs) Something's cooking!

***

Arthur runs into the kitchen where the others are having cereal.

Arthur: Hey, is the blackout over?

D.W. pours him one third of a glass of milk.

D.W.: No, and here's your share of the milk. It's less because you took too many ice cubes yesterday.

Arthur: Oh. I thought I smelled someone frying something.

Mr. Read: (sniffs) I think our minds are playing tricks on us.

There is a knock on the door.

Vicita: Hello? Anyone home?

Mr. Read opens the door. Alberto and Vicita are standing outside.

Alberto: Good morning, Mr. Read. My father wanted to know if you wanted to come for breakfast?

Vicita: We're having arepas.

Mr. Read looks delighted.

***

Mr. Molina is frying arepas on a gas grill while the other Molinas and Reads are sitting at a table outside.

Mr. Read: These arepas are delicious! Do I taste a hint of cilantro in the ají?

Mr. Molina: ¡Exactamente! It was my mother's recipe.

Arthur: How come this orange juice is cold?

Mr. Molina: Because it was in our natural refrigerator. Show him, Alberto.

Alberto shows Arthur a trashcan that is buried in the ground under a tree.

Alberto: When it starts to get hot, my Dad buries a metal pail in a shady spot. Since the temperature is lower underground, the drinks stay cooler.

Mrs. Molina: There are many blackouts in Ecuador. So you learn a few tricks!

Mr. Molina: Oh, they're not just tricks, mi amor. You have to be prepared. Would you like to see the basement?

***

Mr. Molina shows the Reads a shelf in the basement with flashlights, cans of food and toilet paper.

Mr. Molina: I have lots of extra batteries, but if I run out, this lantern is very handy.

He turns on a lantern.

D.W.: Cool!

Arthur: What's this?

Mr. Molina: A hand-crank radio. No batteries required. Just muscle.

He turns the crank.

Dr. Jake (on radio): Still no power, but they expect to resolve the problem very soon! Till then, keep it tuned to W-E-L-P and chill out with Dr. Jake.

Mr. Molina: Dr. Jake! Some doctor! All his predictions are wrong!

D.W.: Do you have a hand-crank TV too? I have to watch Mary Moo-Cow!

Mr. Molina: Sorry, D.W. But it's nice to take a break from TV, don't you think?

***

Later the Reads are in the living room.

Mr. Read: My catering job's been cancelled, Mom can't work, so let's all do something together.

Arthur: Okay, like what?

Mr. Read: I'm thinking...

D.W.: We're not prepared! This air conditioner doesn't even have a crank on it. And I'm probably missing Mary Moo-Cow right now!

Mrs. Read: D.W., there are other ways to have fun! Remember what a good time we had during the blizzard?

D.W.: That was different! There was snow, and snow is fun.

Arthur: She's right. Even rain would be more fun than this heat.

Mr. Read: Rain! That's it! We all need to get wet!

***

In the yard Arthur and D.W. fill an inflatable paddling pool with a sea horse head on the side.

Arthur: Are we both gonna fit in that?

Mrs. Read: Sure! It'll be cosy, but cool.

She turns off the spigot. Arthur looks around.

Arthur: I hope no-one sees me in this thing.

Arthur and D.W. get in the pool and lie down.

Arthur+D.W.: (sigh)

Buster comes by.

Buster: Hey, Arthur!

Arthur: Ah!

Buster: I came over to see how you guys were doing. Ooh, nice-looking bath! Can I join you?

Arthur: Um, okay. D.W., could you move over a little?

D.W.: But Nadine's sitting here.

Arthur: Well, tell her to move over.

Buster, Arthur and D.W. lie in the pool.

Buster: (sighs) This is great. I can almost imagine I'm at the beach.

The kids relax.

D.W.: Aah! I feel an octopus!

Arthur: That's just my foot! Pal comes running. Arthur picks him up. Come on, boy. You can come in too.

D.W.: Why don't you just invite the whole neighborhood?

Pal barks at the sea horse head and bites into it.

Arthur: Pal! Stop that!

The pool deflates.

D.W.: Hey! What's happening? We're sinking!

Buster: Abandon ship!

Mr. Molina and Mr. Read are watching.

Mr. Molina: (laughs) Oh, you have to watch out for dogfish! I will show you a way to cool down that doesn't need so much water.

***

Mr. Molina fills a large plastic bowl with water in the Reads’ kitchen.

Mr. Molina: This is what my abuela used to do whenever she was hot. Here! Put your feet in.

He puts the bowl on the floor. Arthur and D.W. sit on chairs and put their feet in it.

Arthur+D.W.: (sigh)

Mr. Molina closes the curtains.

Mr. Molina: And, if you keep the curtains closed, the house will stay cooler.

Mr. Read: Thanks again, Ramon.

D.W.: Do you like blackouts, Mr. Molina? ‘Cause you're really good at them!

Mr. Molina: Hahaha. No, D.W. I too, miss not having electricity. But, when I was growing up in Quito, my family always used blackouts as an excuse to have a fiesta.

Flashback: A dark street in Ecuador is lit by lanterns. A woman puts food on a table. Other people are making music and dancing.

Mr. Molina (narrator): People would all share their leftovers, there would be music and dancing and everyone on the block would party into the night.

The flashback ends.

Mr. Molina: So, there were some good parts to the blackouts as well.

D.W.: That's a great idea. Let's have a fiesta!

Mr. Molina: I'd love to, D.W. But I'm afraid we don't have enough food.

Buster: I could bring over all the things from my food case!

Arthur: Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea. But what about some stuff from your garden?

Mr. Read: And I have the perfect main course!

***

Arthur and Mr. Read get the large ham.

Mr. Molina starts the grill while Mrs. Molina and Mrs. Read hang up lanterns.

Arthur and Alberto carry an old crank gramophone into the garden.

Kate puts party hats on Pal and Amigo.

Kate: (giggles)

Vicita and D.W. put juice cartons into the buried pail.

***

That night, the fiesta begins. Grandpa Dave dances with Mrs. McGrady. Buster comes with his mom and gives Mr. Molina a bag of vegetables.

Buster: Here, Mr. Molina. Some more organic tomatoes!

Mr. Molina gives them to Mr. Read.

Mr. Molina: ¡Perfecto! David, you start working on the salsa. I'm going to get some lamps.

Vicita shows D.W. how to use a hand-held fan.

Vicita: It's all in the wrist. Like this. D.W. imitates her. ¡Excelente! Now try it out!

D.W. fans Arthur who is playing dominoes with Alberto.

D.W.: Five cents, please.

Alberto gives coins to Arthur, who gives them to D.W..

Alberto: It's good to have a lot of change at these blackout fiestas!

Mr. Molina brings out two oil lamps when the electric lights go back on.

Dr. Jake (on radio): Well, it looks like the power will be out for another day at least, and there... Wait! It's...it's back on! Woo-hoo!

D.W.: Oh, that's it? It's over?

Arthur: Well, at least you'll be able to watch Mary Moo Cow again.

D.W.: Yeah, but I'd rather have a fiesta.

Mr. Molina: Hmm, don't worry. I am prepared for this emergency as well. He goes inside and turns the electric lights off. Now, we can party all night!

Buster: Woo!

In the city the lights come back on.