There's a stoy in screenwriting circles about a floating plastic bag and the inspriation for the film "American Beauty." I like that story, and I found Mr. Alan Ball's script for the film to be extremely well written. I don't see the what he saw when I look at discarded shopping bags, but it's stuck with me and I've wondered about how he must feel in places such as San Francisco that have declared the ubiquitious liter to be detritus-non-gratta.
The following is a work of fiction and did not occur (to the best of my knowledge). Any actual quote of Mr. Ball which I did not fabricate on the spot is intended only as an aid for readers who care to search out what he has to say on the topic of plastic bags using "Ctrl-C" and Google.
A Thing of American Beauty
(by Jonathan Stark, 800 words)
Councilman McTaggart yawned as he shuffled the papers on the
table in front of him. The florescent
lights overhead flickered and the blueish bulb in the third fixture went
out. Then it came back on. He looked at Councilwoman Harris on his
right, then Councilman Greene on his left.
McTaggart cleared his throat. Then looked at Councilwoman Harris
again. She looked up from her phone,
said, “Oh, right. Sorry.”
Harris opened the folder in front of her. She’d borrowed it from her daughter and the
sight of the kitten falling of the tree branch on its cover made her heart skip
a beat. That poor cat. Driven by duty to her electorate, she pushed
aside her concern for the wellbeing of the animal and read from the first paper
inside.
“Next order of business is proposition seventeen dash zero
zero zero six,” said Harris. McTaggart
snickered. So did Greene. They always did when she said “proposition”
and sometimes she’d snicker too but not this time. Zero zero zero six was important.
Harris continued, “The council proposes a ban on the issuance
and use of plastic bags within the city limits by grocery stores, restaurants,
convenience stores, food carts, Yancy’s Lumberyard, and school lunches due to
the unsightly problem of excessive plastic bags on the sides of city streets, in
yards, clogging parks, congesting sidewalks, blocking bus grills, and filling the
shopping carts of homeless people.”
McTaggart said, “All in favor say, ‘Aye.’”
A well-dressed man transitioning from handsome middle age to
distinguished older gentleman, stood and said, “According to bylaw section
twelve paragraph ‘C’ you must open the proposition for discussion.”
McTaggart and Greene snickered. Then McTaggart said, “Everyone is in favor,
no need to discuss.”
“I am not,” said the man.
“You don’t realize what you are doing.”
Harris said, in her slightly schrillish voice, “Sir, the
plastic bags are an unsightly problem in our city. This prop-“ she stopped, bit her lip with a
sideways glance at McTaggart, “-plan will solve that problem.”
“You may as well solve the problem of flowers,” said the
man. The bluish bulb went out again, but
this time with a dramatic pop.
Henry Steed, well ensconced in distinguished gentlemen,
attended every council meeting. His
quiet snoring always comforted the councilmembers, reminded them of the
importance of their work. The sudden
interruption in the rhythm of the snoring when Henry awoke at the comparison of
trash to flowers was disconcerting.
Henry said, “Are you mad?
What do flowers have to do with plastic bags?”
The other man opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Henry’s face changed, lightened with sudden
realization and agreement. “Councilman
McTaggart, my esteemed colleague –“ he
paused, turned to face the man, “Sorry, what’s your name?”
“Alan,” said the man.
“Alan Ball.”
Henry nodded his thanks and then went on. “My esteemed colleague Mr. Ball makes a valid
point. You have not included Shane’s
Florist in the ban.”
“The amendment is approved,” said McTaggart, casting a
commanding look at Harris who dutifully wrote ‘Shane’s Florist’ in the margin
of the proposition.
“That’s not my point at all!” exclaimed Alan. “Have you ever seen a plastic bag caught in
the wind? Drifting along an alley,
dancing on the updrafts and floating down only to be swept further along?”
Nobody had.
“I have,” said Mr. Ball.
“And was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” They looked at him strangely. Everyone.
“There’s a Buddhist notion of the miraculous within the mundane, and-“
Steed interrupted. “We’re
all good Presbyterians here, Mr. Ball.
No need to confuse things.”
Alan lost his flow.
McTaggart leaped into the void and dragged the rest of the council with
him.
The ensuing debate ultimately resulted in a series of
amendments that allowed school children to bring their lunches to school in
plastic bags because the council, as eloquently expressed by Councilwoman
Harris, “Did not want to discourage the arts among the young people of our
great city.”
Henry Steed, who had been to Canada once, expressed his
displeasure. “The plastic bag is
garbage, a thing of American pestilence that should be eradicated.”
Mr. Ball said, “You are mistaken. It is a thing of American Beauty.”
Henry Steed rose from his folding chair, removed a carefully
folded plastic grocery bag from the left breast pocket of his blazer, shook it
open, and tossed it into the air.
The bag hung for a moment, as if orienting to the room, then
gently floated downward only to be caught in the sudden down draft of the overhead
HVAC duct. Just as it was about to crash
onto the vinyl tile of the floor, it whooshed toward the council table and rose
on an updraft.
Councilwoman Harris squeaked and covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide, filled with unshed tears, and she shook. Never, in all her days had she been so moved.
“It’s just Steed’s bag,” thundered McTaggart, oblivious to the miracle he witnessed.
Councilman Greene snickered.
