AMY´S CREEK - S01E20 - CAN A FALLEN STAR RISE FROM THE ASHES?

1. Int. Audrey´s Apartment. Evening.

Natasha and Audrey are practicing their lines together.

Natasha (voice over):

I´ve lived in the best suites of some of finest five-star hotels in the entire world and dined with kings and queens. Literally, I have! They were actual kings and queens, not just people who call themselves it! If I´d had any real friends, then I probably would have enjoyed it more, than I do spending an evening getting to know Audrey in her tiny apartment. We´ve met before, it´s not that, but that was years ago, when I had my up nose to far up in the sky to see her as a potential friend. I wouldn´t speak to anyone on set, if they didn´t have a starring role or were either the producer or the director. In some ways, I´m glad the world has changed me.

Audrey:

How can you treat your own flesh and blood like that?

Natasha:

You don´t know, what you talking about!

Audrey:

I know this much. You don´t deserve to call yourself a mother!

Natasha:

Leave me alone!

They giggle together.

Audrey:

I can ask Dawson to change that line.

Natasha:

I don´t want them to think, I´m difficult.

Audrey:

You´re so different, from how I remember you!

Natasha:

How was that?

Audrey:

As kind of a stuck up snob. Sorry.

Natasha:

I probably was. It´s me, who should apologize. I´d go back and give my old self a big old slap across the face, If I could. She could have used it.

Audrey:

What changed?

Natasha:

That´s a good question. I don´t know, if there´s one single answer.

Natasha (voice over):

There never is, is there?

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Natasha´s House. Evening.

Natasha still has a rather nice house, even if it´s clear to see, that she hasn´t bought new furniture in a long time. She sits on her couch and looks on her I-Pad, when a lazy looking cat jumps on the couch and snuggles up next to her. She begins cuddling it and it purrs loudly.

We see what she´s reading. It´s an article with the headline "Former Teen Star to be part of rogue movie production" and has a recent picture of her with Audrey, Melina, Kathy, Dawson and Todd, as well as a few pictures from movies she made in her late teens and early 20´s. We see her smile, as she reads it.

Natasha (voice over):

It´s been a long time, since I made the gossip pages for anything, I can be proud of. The last time they gave me the time of day, was a TV show appearance for an Italian TV station. I did a bunch of low budget movies over there, towards the end of my glory years. None of them did much at the box ofice, but one of them has become a cult favorite in the years since. I haven´t done a ton of work, I´m proud of, but that one is a great little flick, I won´t deny it! Since it was the 10 year anniversary, they probably figured that bringing the cast in for interviews would be good for ratings. To be fair to them, they did ask me in their E-Mail, if I spoke Italian. Back then, I could have a simple conversation in Italian, if I talked very slowly and had a little help here and there. So, of course I said, I did! I didn´t want to disqualify myself from getting one last taste of fame.

3. Int. TV Studio Set. Evening.

We´ve gone back two years in time. Natasha sits down across from the interviewer and looks happy to be there, in a real studio with a rather large studio crowd again.

Slightly Younger Natasha:

Thanks for having me on. This is so exciting!

Host:

È bello rivederti, Natasha. Come va la tua carriera in questi giorni?

(It´s great to see you again, Natasha. How is your career going these days?)

Natasha (voice over):

Can you imagine the embarrassment when it isn´t until I´m on live TV, that I find out, I´m the only one there, who speaks English? It was like a curtain came down and I completely forgot every word of Italian, I´d ever known, except for Pizza and Spaghetti.

Slightly Younger Natasha:

I don´t understand the question. Can you say it again, just a lot slower?

Natasha (voice over):

I tried to piece some sentences together out of the few words, I remembered with the expected result! There´s a subtitled version with 30 million hits on YouTube, that´s pretty hilarious, if you´re not me! Of course, it has comments both in English and Italian of the kind you can imagine, like "What a stupid bimbo", "You can see that she doesn´t have a working brain cell". My personal favorite was a comment from a woman calling herself Fiona192, who wrote "Doesn´t she feel any shame?". I don´t like being a laughingstock more, than everyone else does. I just wanted to re-capture the feeling of being adored. I know that it sounds incredibly superficial and self-absorbed, but I miss that feeling.

4. Int. Awards Show. Evening.

We´re back in 1997 and a 15 year old Natasha is at the Nickelodeon Awards waiting with excitement. She has her fingers crossed, as one of the presenters opens the envelope and hands the note inside to the other presenter, who looks it over.

Presenter:

The winner for break-out actress of the year is ... Natasha Kelly!

Young Natasha practically jumps out of her seat with joy and hugs her agent, a man in his early 40´s, before heading up to the stage. She shakes hands with other celebs on the way up there and looks like she´s on top of the world.

Natasha (voice over):

That was me at 15, winning my first award. Words can´t begin to express, how proud I was! I remember thinking to myself, that I could die happy now. How dumb is that?

She reaches the podium and is handed her award, before stepping up to the microphone.

Young Natasha:

This is ... I can´t even describe it!

She gets a small laugh from the crowd.

Young Natasha:

I have to thank all the people, who make the series come to life behind the scenes . They´re the unsung heroes, you should hear about. I have to thank my parents, hi mom and dad! My brother, my sister, my agent Maury, who always believes in me and of course my co-stars. This award is for you, almost as much as it´s for me. I can´t say where my career will take me, but I´ll tell you this. When we come back next year, then we´ll really knock your socks off! Thanks.

She raises her award for the cameras, as she soaks in the adulation.

Natasha (voice over):

I call that creating a monster.

She´s led off stage by the other presenters. The host, a slick looking comedian comes on stage.

Host:

Congratulations to Natasha, but we´re just getting started. Are you ready for the hottest band in the world?

The young crowd cheers loudly.

5. Int. Backstage Area. Evening.

Natasha is still celebrating, when her agent Maury meets up with her.

Natasha:

Can you believe it?

Maury:

Don´t think it means, you can stop working hard. Fame can disappear, as quickly, as you get it.

Natasha:

Will you stop killing my happy buzz! Let´s celebrate!

She hugs him and they start to leave.

Natasha (voice over):

I should have listened to Maury more often, than I did. Especially when he suggested that I stay on the series and waited until the right script came along. The sad truth is that I´ve re-watched my old episodes dozens of times. They represent a time in my life, that was full of hope. A time, where I thought, there was nothing I couldn´t do, if I set my mind to it. It wasn´t long after that evening, when another agent came luring with offers, that he could make me a millionaire movie star. How does being on a teep soap compare to that, no matter how much I loved my character and the people, I worked with? I said yes to him, left Maury and the show behind and a big part of me has regretted it ever since. If I had waited and not tried to rush it, then things would have turned out vastly different. They did a re-boot last year and guess what they did with my character? She died off screen on a burning bridge! How´s that for a metaphor?

6. Int. Dawson´s Office. Day.

Current day Natasha is meeting with Dawson. She has a contract in front of her.

Natasha:

I was expecting it to be hastily scribbled on the back on a napkin!

Dawson:

If you don´t like the experience, then we´ll tear it up, but you know how it is.

Natasha:

No need to explain. For once I can say, that I literally have zero qualms about signing something!

She signs the contract with a smile.

Dawson:

Been watching "Parks and Rec", have ya?

Natasha:

Guilty as charged! I love that whole universe, they created.

Dawson:

I´m the same. It´s made me consider creating one of my own.

Natasha:

Let me know, if you want help. I can think of a ton of things, you could do. I want credit, though!

They smile at each other.

Dawson:

Let´s get this opus done first, before we embark on the next one, shall we? You look good. I didn´t mean that in a come on way, I just ...

Natasha:

Thanks. I can take a compliment for what it is, especially when it comes from you. You look like you´re doing alright too.

Dawson:

I wasn´t a month ago. Then the movie I was working on got shut down and fate for some strange reason, decided to send me on this path.

Natasha:

I´m glad, it did. It would be great, if you and me could become friends again. I´ve missed having you in my life, Dawson.

Dawson:

We had some good times together, didn´t we? I mean, when my insecurities and utter lack of relationship experience wasn´t messing it up?

Natasha:

Do you think that´s why, we broke up?

Dawson:

Let´s face it. You´re the poor girl who had to live through my romantic growing pains! It´s a wonder, you didn´t run away sooner, than you did!

Natasha laughs.

Natasha:

I wasn´t exactly perfect either, remember?

Dawson:

Anyway, it was a long time ago. How´d you like to talk about the future in stead? Like when we start shooting.

Natasha:

I´m all ears!

Natasha listens with excitement.

Natasha (voice over):

It´s so like Dawson to completely take the blame for why, we didn´t work out. He did cheat on me and dumped me on my answering machine, which hurt like hell, I won´t lie, but that was only the beginning of our story. It was afterwards, when he owned up to his mistake and showed what a great guy he is, by also being my friend, that I fell for him in earnest. He´s my one that got away, but there´s only myself to blame. I could have continued working solely in LA and it probably would have helped my career. Me and Dawson would have had our chance and who knows, where that would have led to? But I was young and set on experiencing the world, while I could. It wasn´t that there weren´t plenty of great and amazing moments, but I never made a friend again, like I had in him. That´s what I missed more than the intimacy. When your life consists of staying a short while here, then a short while there, then it can be very lonely, even if you´re surrounded by people. When you come home, your old friends have done so many things and in some cases moved to other places or started families. Before I knew it, I could honestly say, that I didn´t have a single real friend left in the world.

7. Ext. Ship. Morning.

It´s 2007 and 25 year old Natasha is getting on a ship, that´s to be used as a set for a movie. She already looks bored, when she meets the director.

Natasha (voice over):

It´s insane to think back on all the things, I said no to. I can count at least five series, that ended up being massively successful. My agent urged me to follow the money, while I still had my looks, so I did. Back when I was still a somewhat hot name, the easy money was in sleazy horror movies. The first ones I did with Dawson and Todd at least had a decent story and I mostly had fun doing them. It was a campy and fun world to live myself into, where I could pretend to be a strong girl, who could overcome everything. The more I did of them however, the worse they seemed to get. My last starring movie role was in "Cruise of Fear 6", a 2.1 wonder on Imdb, that by far has to be the worst of them! I finally fired my agent after that fiasco, but by then it was too late. The damage to my name was done. That shoot in particular was a miserable, sick-ridden experience on top of it. I´d just been dumped by the first boyfriend, I´d had in years, so I drowned my sorrows the day before we started shooting. Most of all, I wanted to be by myself and wallow in self-pity for a few days. Thinking back, that´s what I should have done.

Director:

Welcome, Natasha. I look forward to working with you.

Young Natasha:

Just tell me where my cabin is.

Director:

I´ll have my assistant show you. He´ll also show you the latest revisions to the script.

Young Natasha:

More revisions? You can´t be serious!

Director:

Are you okay?

Young Natasha:

Just a little hung over. When do we set sail?

Director:

We´re still waiting for the rest. Here´s one, you might know.

A young Audrey comes rushing up to them.

Young Audrey:

I´m so sorry, that I´m late! I completely lost track of time!

Director:

It´s okay, Audrey. Audrey Lidell, meet Natasha Kelly, your co-star.

Young Audrey:

It´s a pleasure. We have something in common.

Natasha puts on a very fake smile for her.

Young Natasha:

Please tell me. I can´t wait to find out!

Young Audrey:

My boyfriend used to be your boyfriend! Dawson Leery?

Natasha´s mouth practically drops.

Young Natasha:

It can´t be the same guy!

Young Audrey:

He told me to say hi. Where´s my cabin? Never mind, I´ll just ask. Tootles!

She leaves them, as young Natasha tries to take it in.

Young Natasha:

Tootles? Please tell me, I never have to speak to that bimbo again!

Director:

You have plenty of scenes together.

Young Natasha:

If we do, then I´ll throw myself overboard! Where´s your stupid assistant?

Natasha (voice over):

On one hand I sabotaged her career, but in my own defense, we´re talking about "Cruise of Fear 6" here! It isn´t like it would have catapulted her into super stardom. She probably had infinitely more fun on that shoot too, than I did, since she didn´t have to face knowing that the movie, she was starring in, was a sinking ship in itself! When we got back to land, I told myself that this was the chance for a fresh start, where I could do classic plays on Broadway and great Indie dramas, like I´d always wanted to. Maybe even a guest role on one of my own favorite TV series. How awesome would that be? I quickly found out, it wasn´t that easy, when it was only one out of the dozens of agents and agencies I contacted, that responded back. I was lucky to find one that wanted me after my string of fiascos, but it´s an agency and I´m only one out of hundreds of names, they represent. I´ve been reduced to being yet another a name on their list of actors, most of whom are more talented, than I am. They got me work here and there at first, but it quickly dried out. I don´t even know, if they still have my number!

8. Int. Natasha´s House. Evening.

Natasha is having Audrey, Kathy and Melina over for a girl´s night.

Audrey:

I ´ve missed holding girl´s nights like these! What should we do first? Gossip over boys or braid each other´s hair?

Kathy:

How old do you think, we are?

Melina:

You can braid my hair, if you want to.

Audrey:

Come here, you little cutie!

Melina sits down on the floor in front of Audrey, who gets to wotk.

Audrey:

Sorry, if I´m over excited.

Natasha:

I´m still trying to take in, that this is actually happening!

Audrey:

What are you guys doing on your last day of freedom?

Kathy:

I´m just gonna memorize my lines and go to bed early.

Melina:

I have to do pre-shoot work with Dawson.

Audrey:

Are you 35 too? You sound like it! They´re not like they made them back in our day, are they, Nat?

Natasha:

Is that such a bad thing? I´m not sure the world could handle two of you!

Audrey:

If there were two of me, then we would take over the world!

Melina and Kathy laugh. They seem to be at ease with them.

Melina:

If we´re so boring, why don´t you tell us, what you would have done back in your day?

Natasha:

Most likely partied, until way after we should have and turned up looking like something, the cat dragged in.

Audrey:

That sounds right!

Kathy:

Don´t you regret it? Think of all the opportunities, you missed out on.

Audrey:

Nah, life´s too short for regrets! What do you say, Nat?

Natasha:

I try not to think about it.

She tries not to look sad and smiles it off.

Natasha (voice over):

That´s been my tactic for the past years. I don´t have count on how many it is by now. This has allowed me to dream again, even if the movie doesn´t become the huge success, we all want it to. For the sake of my mental health, that´s a huge thing. It would be nice, if it did, though. I need a success in my life or who knows, how the rest of it will turn out?

9. Int. Auto Shop. Day.

Natasha is saying goodbye to her co-workers, three men in the 50´s, with a glass of champagne.

Natasha (voice over):

Have the years been terrible? No, because I found my own way of getting by. Men have come and gone, but my rock has been this auto shop. It´s what´s kept me not only in money, but also sane. The manager is a nice guy and my co-workers have treated me like one of the boys, since I started here. It´ll be weird not seeing them every day anymore, but I still plan on coming back to visit.

Natasha:

To the past four years!

They each take a small sip.

Manager:

I wouldn´t have allowed alcohol free Champagne on the job, if this wasn´t something to celebrate. We always knew, we couldn´t hold onto you forever.

Saleman #1:

Don´t forget those who helped you get there, when you´re walking down the red carpet.

Natasha:

Of course, I won´t! But my old acting coach passed away years ago, so ...

Salesman #2:

There´s no one else, you need to thank?

Natasha:

You guys know, I´m not good with mushy speaches. I don´t have to say it, do I?

Manager:

You´ll be welcome back here any time.

Natasha:

You guys gave a chance, when it felt like no one else would. Thanks.

Salesman #1:

You can thank us by not being a stranger. This place won´t be the same without you.

Natasha:

With my luck, I´ll probably be begging for my job back in a week!

Salesman #2:

If you´ve had a streak of bad luck, that only means you´re in line for the good kind.

Natasha:

I really hope, that´s true!

She takes a small sip and smiles.

Natasha:

I´ve been inclined to prepare for the worst for so long, that I can´t help thinking about the things, that can go wrong. Starting a movie doesn´t always mean, you get to finish it. I´ve tried that and so have the others. Someone could get hurt, equipment could be stolen, plus there´s a lot of unforeseen expenses, that can hit them and so on. All things that could send me right back here. For now, I´ll enjoy the ride and see, where it takes us. I probably won´t get the chance again, if we fail. At least this way I get to go out with a movie, I made with friends, who came in with the best intentions. That´s more than I can say for pretty much everything else, I´ve been in.

10. Int. Natasha´s House. Evening.

Natasha and Audrey are waiting for their dinner to be ready, while Audrey plays with Natasha´s cat.

Natasha:

I spent the first years after my downfall mostly hiding out from the world and spending the money, I´d made. When it ran out, I finally had to get out in the world and I found out that it wasn´t as bad, as I pictured it. Still, the cherry on the Sundae would have been to find a friend like the ones I used to have, before I blew most of them off. If you´d told me ten years ago, when I first met her, that me and Audrey would hit it off like we have this time around, I would have told you to get your head checked. Never the less, I can´t deny that she´s exactly the jolt of positivity, I´ve needed for so long. She´s just so damn lovable!

Audrey:

You love me, don´t you, Kitty?

The cat gets out of her grasp and leaves them.

Audrey:

Fine, be that way! Don´t come crying to me, when it´s feeding time!

Natasha:

Audrey, it´s a cat! It doesn´t speak English!

Audrey:

It can´t be worse than your Italian, ha!

Natasha:

Or your Jamaican accent.

Audrey:

What cha talkin´ ´bout, Mon?

They smile at each other and Audrey checks on the oven.

Audrey:

Won´t be long now!

Nataha:

Is that what you keep telling yourself with Dawson?

Audrey:

You can have him, if you want.

Natasha:

You don´t mean that!

Audrey sits down on the kitchen counter and lets her legs flail like a little kid would.

Audrey:

I would give you my blessing, if it´s what´s the best for both of you.

Natasha:

What about yourself?

Audrey:

I´ll die alone as a near life long spinster, surrounded by the other sad existenses in the nursing home. You can´t tell me, that you haven´t thought about it, over the years.

Natasha:

I did at first, but that was a lifetime ago. Re-boots never turn out to be as good as you hoped they would, anyway.

Audrey:

It´s the same thing every time, isn´t it? It can be the same actors and great stories and all that, but you can´t catch lightning in a bottle twice.

Natasha:

Aren´t we wasting out time, then?

Audrey:

We still haven´t caught it the first time!

Natasha:

Ah and there in lies the difference!

Audrey:

Can I take it out? I could eat a horse!

Natasha:

Go ahead. It must be ready by now.

Audrey opens the oven and takes their dinner out, a plate of Moussaka.

Natasha (voice over):

She´s right, you know? What I need isn´t to think about getting a re-boot, like they did with my old series. It only lasted a season and was panned by both the critcs and the fans, anyway. This is the real beginning of my career, done the way it should have been from the start.

11. Ext. Porch. Evening.

Audrey and Natasha are sitting in rocking chairs on Natasha´s porch like two old ladies.

Audrey:

Can we skip ahead to when we´re 70, so we can do this every day?

Natasha:

God, no! I want to at least get laid one more time, before I´m that old!

They laugh.

Audrey:

Why is it so hard to find one single guy, who´s worth your time?

Natasha:

Don´t you think, they think the same thing about us?

Audrey;

That´s their problem! All women our age are goddesses!

Natasha:

Do you really believe that?

Audrey:

No, I can easily see, why they wouldn´t want most of us! Why can´t we all be like Joey and Pacey? They meet each other as kids and okay, they definitely took their sweet time to get there and then some, but the two of them have it made! Nothing to be in doubt about, just live the sweet life, until it´s over! It´s when you wait until you´re our age and then have to find someone, that it becomes close to impossible!

Natasha:

I tried all of it. Dating services, bars, speed dating, getting fixed up with guys, you name it! Maybe I´m destined to die alone!

Audrey:

Don´t talk like that! If there´s hope for me, then there has to be hope for you.

Natasha:

Do you think you´re getting back together with Dawson?

Audrey:

I´m not sure. It´s like we´re stuck in this constant "Awkward Flirting" mode, where none of us dare to say it out loud, because we´re afraid how the other one will react.

Natasha:

Sounds complicated.

Audrey:

I figure that I´ll let it build up as a bubble of frustration, until I finally have enough and ask him, if he doesn´t do it first, of course.

Natasha:

What if another girl comes along?

Audrey:

I´ve been thinking about that a lot and to be honest, I don´t think I would have the right to be mad at them. Which doesn´t mean, I won´t be! Let´s make that clear! I´ll just play it off passive/aggressively and find someone else, I suppose. There has to be someone in this whole world besides Dawson, I can be happy with!

Natasha:

Maybe we can find one for me, while we´re at it.

Natasha rocks a little more in her chair and thinks about it.

Natasha (voice over):

It´s not that I wanted to end up at alone at 35. Just like with the early parts of my acting career, I had plenty of offers back in the day. I´ve slept with top athletes, pop stars, actors, even a few very hot male models. There were plenty of them, I could have seen myself with in the long sad part is that I never gave any of them a chance, because I didn´t want to miss them all the time, after whatever shoot I was working on had wrapped up. I guess, I always saw it as something I could figure out, when I got older. When I decided to live here permanently, I also found out that it wasn´t as easy, as I thought it would be, because I wasn´t the same anymore. I couldn´t go back to being my old self and go for it with a guy, because I thought he looked hot. Maybe that was enough 15 or 20 years ago, but if I´m gonna give someone my heart, then it has to have real potential. I´m too old to waste my time on someone, who might not be worth it. This whole experience is opening up a ton of new doors. Love could end up being one of them, if I´m really lucky. Wouldn´t that be nice?

She smiles to herself.

CLOSING CREDITS