Save the Last Dance
Writers: Duane G. Adler, Toni-Ann Johnson, Cheryl Edwards
SAVE THE LAST DANCE
by
Duane G. Adler
revisions by
Toni-Ann Johnson
Current Revisions by
Cheryl Edwards (6/11/99)
REWRITE -- FIRST SET OF REVISIONS
Cort/Madden Company
Paramount Studios
5555 Melrose Avenue
Chevalier Building, Ste. 203
Los Angeles, California
JUNE 11, 1999
FADE IN:
1 EXT. PENNSYLVANIA COUNTRYSIDE - LONG SHOT - DAY 1
of an empty stretch of land parted down the middle by
railroad tracks. An Amtrak Commuter crests the horizon,
heads TOWARD us. As it gets CLOSER, we GO IN TIGHTER to
see --
2 FACE OF SARA JOHNSON 2
17, pressed at one of its windows.
3 REVERSE ANGLE - REFLECTION IN TRAIN'S WINDOW - 3
SARA'S FACE
distant and lovely and sad. SUPERIMPOSED against an
endless stream of sky and trees. The train speeds up and
SARA's face flies by, disappearing FROM FRAME.
4 INT. AMTRAK TRAIN - MOVING - DUSK 4
A zaftig BLACK WOMAN clumsily negotiates the aisle.
Stops at the first of a few empty seats left in the car.
WOMAN
This seat taken?
ANGLE ON SARA
looking up, around. She shakes her head, clears her
backpack and magazines from the seat beside her. The
Woman drops down, settles in. A long silence. The Woman
glances at the American Ballet magazine on Sara's lap.
Tries to make conversation.
WOMAN
I love ballet. Never had the body
for it. Do you dance?
Sara folds her arms, turns away mumbling under breath.
SARA
Used to.
Sara gazes out the window. The world outside begins to
dissolve melting into images from another time, another
place. Her eyes stare blankly OUT AT us, blinded by her
memories.
2.
5 FLASHBACK - INT. AUDITORIUM - KINDERGARTEN RECITAL - DAY 5
A stage full of five-year-olds in tights and tutus. A
little girl performs center stage. She's remarkably
poised, remarkably good. CAMERA PANS TO the audience. A
woman in an Irish clover necklace springs to her feet
clapping loudly. The little girl's eyes catch the glint
of the necklace's gold. Mommy. She flashes a megawatt
smile, ends the dance with an unscripted bow, as we...
DISSOLVE TO:
6 INT. BALLET CLASS - EVENING (FIVE YEARS LATER) 6
Young Sara, lithe and earnest, dances. A budding beauty
blessed with long limbs and natural grace, she makes it
look easy. Gliding past the envious stares of
classmates, she scans the hall for a glint of gold.
Finds it in the back of the room where her mother, Glynn,
stands watching her. Their eyes connect with mutual
smiles and those smiles CARRY us TO:
7 INT. SARA'S EXETER HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY 7
A pair of flexing feet in ballet slippers on a hardwood
floor. PAN UP and PULL BACK to reveal Sara at 17,
dancing in the space opened up by cornered furniture and
rolled up rugs. As Glynn looks on, Sara completes the
routine with a pirouette. She spins out of it with a
preoccupied frown on her face.
GLYNN
What's the matter? It was good.
SARA
(checks her
stance in mirror)
Everybody there's going to be
good, Mom. I have to be better.
(then, beginning
again)
My knees still knock when I do my
free form. Did you notice that?
GLYNN
I noticed that it was fine.
SARA
(escalating
frustration)
It's not supposed to be fine.
It's supposed to be special.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
3.
7 CONTINUED: 7
SARA (CONT'D)
And it just lays there, it doesn't
do anything. I bet they notice
that. That it doesn't do
anything. That I don't do
anything special enough to get in.
GLYNN
Sara. You'll get in.
SARA
Don't lie because you love me. My
free form sucks.
GLYNN
(giving up that
battle)
I've got something for you. Come
on. Sit. Mouth closed, eyes
shut. No pouting. No peeking.
Sara flops down on the sofa beside her. Closes her eyes.
Glynn removes the clover chain from her neck, fastens it
around Sara's.
GLYNN
For luck tomorrow. Not that
you'll need it. You dance like an
angel.
The necklace is Glynn's talisman. Sara knows what it
means to her. She throws her arms around Glynn, holds
onto her tightly.
SARA
I love the necklace but you're
still the best luck I'll ever
have.
Glynn, not one to choke up, chokes up. They cling to
each other.
8 INT. AMTRAK TRAIN (MOVING) - ON SARA - DUSK (PRESENT) 8
In the blink of her eyes, the memory fades. She pulls
the window shade, shifts in her seat. Her fingers travel
to the clover necklace at her throat. Linger. The Woman
regards her.
WOMAN
Nice... the necklace.
(CONTINUED)
4.
8 CONTINUED: 8
SARA
Oh. It's a good luck charm.
Doesn't always work.
The Woman's wearing a crucifix. She indicates it.
Smiles.
WOMAN
Mine either.
9 FLASHBACK - INT./EXT. BUS/RURAL ROAD - MORNING 9
A sea of young white faces. A jock entertains the troops
with two straws up his nose. Sara sits next to her best
friend, LINDSAY, 17. Lindsay, chomping on a wad of gum,
turns from the jock to Sara with a bubble in bloom,
bursts it with her teeth.
LINDSAY
Wanna pray? You're leaving for
Philly after first period. I
won't see you. We should pray.
SARA
(stupefied)
Lindsay... no. Not here.
Lindsay grabs Sara's hand and bows her head. Sara,
embarrassed, aligns her head with Lindsay's. She's
praying nobody sees them.
LINDSAY
'Awesome, Father, S.J. auditions
today. She's ready for them.
Please make them ready for her.
Even if she screws up. Thanks.
Amen.'
(sure shrug; another
bubble)
God's gotten me outta all kinds of
shit. He oughta be able to get
you into Juilliard.
10 EXT. EXETER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL - LATER THAT MORNING 10
Sara exits with a bouquet of roses, takes the steps two
and three at a time. Glynn's waiting in a flower van at
the curb.
5.
11 INT./EXT. FLOWER VAN (DRIVING)/RESIDENTIAL STREETS 11
Sara and Glynn. The back of the van is filled with
flower arrangements. Glynn takes note of the roses in
Sara's hand.
GLYNN
Where'd you get those, traitor?
SARA
Ellison -- Mr. Ellison. He
actually told me to break a leg.
GLYNN
Roses from the principal, even
droopy, out-of-season yellow ones,
is beyond cool, kiddo. You're
definitely movin' up in the world.
Sara looks through the windshield. It's starting to
drizzle.
SARA
Know what would be great? If you
didn't drop me off at the bus
station. If we just kept going
until we get to Philly.
GLYNN
Ruin everyone's Valentine's Day
and not have a shop when I get
back. That's your definition of
great? I can see the headline
now: 'Starving Artist Kills Unfit
Mother.'
(gently)
Sweetheart, we talked about this.
I'll get there as soon as I can.
Sara looks at her and Glynn instantly feels guilty.
SARA
Right. This is the hardest, most
important day of my life and all
you can do is get there as soon as
you can. Thanks, Mom.
12 EXT. GREYHOUND BUS STATION (READING, PA) - 12
CONTINUOUS ACTION
Glynn pulls the van into the parking lot. Smiles at
Sara. Sara doesn't smile back. She's too angry. Too
scared.
(CONTINUED)
6.
12 CONTINUED: 12
SARA
So I guess I'll see you later.
GLYNN
I won't miss your audition, Sara.
I'll be there, okay? If I have to
swim the Susquehanna, I'll be
there.
SARA
Swim? You can't swim, Mom.
GLYNN
I'll float then.
A moment. They look at each other. Sara finally smiles.
They embrace and she hops out the van. Glynn calls after
her.
GLYNN
Hey... Happy Valentine's Day.
13 INT. AMTRAK TRAIN (MOVING) - ON SARA - NIGHT (PRESENT) 13
Feigning sleep. From the corner of her eye, she watches
the Woman beside her flip through the American Ballet
Magazine. We move back in time through their pages.
14 FLASHBACK - INT. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - WAITING 14
ROOM - DAY
Sara, in costume, flips through a magazine. She taps her
toes, checks her watch. A phalanx of parents and dancers
are clustered around a sign posted on the door:
JUILLIARD SCHOOL OF DANCE AUDITIONS. Sara stares at it.
Re-checks her watch. An official with a clipboard walks
toward her. Where's her mother?
15 INT. UNIV. OF PENNSYLVANIA - STAGE/AUDITORIUM - 15
MOMENTS LATER
Sara on stage. She looks past a row of Juilliard JUDGES
into the audience. No glint of gold. MOZART'S "Elvira
Madigan" (Andante) CUES UP. Sara begins her technical.
She transforms her nervousness into a notable, powerful
performance. The Judges are mutely but clearly
impressed. One of them looks directly at her.
(CONTINUED)
7.
15 CONTINUED: 15
JUDGE
Is there anything you'd like to
share about your free form before
you begin? A motif... a theme?
Sara's stomach drops to her feet. Her mother's not there
and her free form sucks and she doesn't have a theme.
Shit!
SARA
Well, it's um, pretty self-
explanatory. The theme.
The Judges exchange a look. New MUSIC CUES UP. Some
driving, CLASSICAL NUMBER. Sara tries to elevate her
body above the music, but she's nervous, unsure on her
feet. She keeps glancing in the back of the auditorium
for Glynn. Searching for her port in the storm.
Wondering where her mother is and knowing how badly she's
dancing. Knowing but somehow continuing, stumbling,
recovering, and finally finishing with those damned
knocking knees. The Judges, eyes like stones,
perfunctorily nod. Their equivalent of maybe next year.
Sara chokes two words out...
SARA
Thank you.
16 INT. AUDITORIUM - BACKSTAGE
... Rushes backstage. Fighting tears, she hurries past
waiting dancers angrily unhooking the clover leaf chain
from her neck.
17 INT. DRESSING ROOM - DAY 17
Sara in street clothes. Cramming her ballet gear into a
duffle bag when the official (of the clipboard)
approaches her. She touches Sara's shoulder gently.
Says something we do not hear.
18 INT. OFFICE (UNIV. OF PA) - CONTINUOUS ACTION 18
SHOOTING THROUGH office window. A state trooper in a
rain slicker offers Sara a chair. She sits. The trooper
talks. As he does, dread and disbelief spread over
Sara's face. She shakes her head, attempts to stand.
Her legs buckle beneath her. The trooper and the
official catch her as she falls.
8.
19 EXT. AMTRAK TRAIN - NIGHT (PRESENT) 19
A glowing moon in a clear, star-specked sky.
20 TRAIN 20
CHUGS toward Baltimore's Penn Station, which is visible
in the f.g.
21 EXT. PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE - INTERCUT - MORNING 21
A torrential rain. A flower van -- Glynn's van -- caught
in it. SHOOTING THROUGH the driver's side window, we can
see Glynn's face, intense and determined, squinting
through the downpour.
22 TRAIN'S WHEELS 22
GRINDING.
23 VAN'S WHEELS 23
Hydro-planing, slip-sliding.
24 TRAIN 24
It's SQUEAL OF BRAKES as it maneuvers into the station.
25 VAN 25
The SQUEAL of its BRAKES as Glynn loses control and
smashes into the back of the eighteen wheeler in front of
her.
26 TRAIN 26
across space and time, the SOUND OF SQUEALING BRAKES
commingle as the Amtrak Commuter pulls into Penn Station.
27 INT. AMTRAK TRAIN - NIGHT 27
Sara. Holding her breath, clenching her fists. Waiting
for the sound to stop, oblivious to the stare of the
Woman beside her.
9.
28 EXT. PENN STATION (BALTIMORE) - PLATFORM - NIGHT 28
ROY JOHNSON, 37, a handsome, laconic man of uncertain
style, takes a last drag from his cigarette, drops and
stomps it. Passengers disembark from the train. Roy
searches their faces. They all look like strangers.
29 EXT. AMTRAK TRAIN - SAME TIME 29
A conductor helps Sara to the platform. Steam from the
train's engine is sucked into the fog. She walks through
it. Sees him. They see each other. Roy weakly waves.
Walks toward her. Sara watches his bow legs stiffly
advance. She wants to run. Can't.
ROY
Hi.
SARA
Hi.
ROY
Have a good ride?
Sara self-consciously tucks her hair behind an ear.
SARA
Slept through most of it.
A beat. Roy looks at her.
ROY
Guess you got stuff. Baggage.
SARA
Two suitcases. One big one.
ROY
Looks like they're unloading.
-- You hungry? We can stop
somewhere if you want.
SARA
I'm kinda tired.
Roy takes her backpack. They walk.
30 INT./EXT. ROY'S PICKUP/STREET - SARA AND ROY - NIGHT 30
A heavy silence. Roy starts to turn on the radio, stops
himself. He lights a cigarette, cracks the window.
(CONTINUED)
10.
30 CONTINUED: 30
ROY
I didn't like leavin' you so soon
after the funeral. I wouldn't
have if you hadn't asked me to go.
I mean, I could've hung around.
Helped you say good-bye. That's
what you were doin', wasn't it?
SARA
Uh-huh.
Roy takes another drag, nods thoughtfully to himself.
ROY
That's what I figured you were
doin'.
Sara peers out the windshield. Baltimore City. The
neighborhoods are changing. The streets are getting
progressively gritty and dirty. It surprises her. It
worries her. Roy worries her.
ROY
Look. Sara. I feel bad too. I
mean, we both got hit by the same
bolt of lightning. You don't have
to pretend this is easy.
(off nothing)
Everything's upside down right now
but don't worry. We'll work this
bachelor-father thing out. Hell,
it ain't like we're movin' in with
strangers. We got a pretty good
idea about each other, right?
Sara looks askance at him, her expression indicating
otherwise. A moment. Roy's too new at this to hold up
both ends of the conversation. The silence deepens. Roy
switches on the radio.
31 EXT. BOND STREET (SOUTH BALTIMORE) - NIGHT 31
Roy's truck pulls up to a string of disrepaired rowhouses
with pristine white marble steps. He and Sara each lug a
suitcase from the truck. Her eyes wander up and down the
street. They're on the fringes of a ghetto. A few
people roost on their stoops, hang on the corners. All
of them have black faces.
SARA
Thought you were moving to Fells
Point.
ROY
Fell through.
11.
32 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 32
The second floor of a two-story house has been turned
into a one-bedroom studio. A partition separates the
living area from the bedroom. Sara walks past a
collection of saxophones and several framed pictures of
herself. Aside from the saxophones and the pictures,
there's hardly any furniture. Roy lights a cigarette.
ROY
Not much of what you're used to.
But the water's hot and the fridge
is full. And I made room in the
closets for you. Girl's gotta
have closets, right? You even get
your own bed. I'll crash on the
couch.
SARA
You bought a bed?
ROY
(slight bow)
Pardon me. Your own futon. Check
it out. On the other side.
Suitcase in hand, Sara walks around the partition. Her
"room" is an old futon, an ancient set of drawers. She
stands in the middle of nothing, wanting something to do.
She removes framed photos of Glynn from her backpack,
places them around the room.
33 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - LIVING AREA - MINUTES LATER 33
Sara walks in. Doesn't see Roy. Calls out.
SARA
Do you have a phone?
Roy emerges from the bathroom drying his hands, walks
past her.
ROY
Of course I have a phone.
SARA
You didn't at the last place. The
last place I saw anyway.
ROY
Things change. You've changed.
You grew up on me. Overnight.
(CONTINUED)
12.
33 CONTINUED: 33
SARA
Over the summer. You blew me off
for some gig on the road,
remember?
(before he can
respond)
Can I call Lindsay? Let her know
I got here alright.
ROY
Are you alright, Sara?
(off the scowl
in her eyes)
I just wanna know how you feel.
SARA
I feel fine. I feel like calling
Lindsay.
She's a wall. A brick wall. Roy's head aches from
knocking into it. He goes to the couch. Drops down.
Mutters at her.
ROY
Phone's in the kitchen. Knock
yourself out.
34 INT. SARA'S ROOM/BATHROOM - LATE THAT NIGHT 34
Sara lying in bed... wide awake... her stiff upper lip
quivering. She slips out of bed, creeps on tiptoes into
the bathroom. Closes the door oh-so-quietly behind her.
She flips on the light, crosses to the sink, turns on
both faucets. As the water flows and the PIPES RATTLE,
the brick wall shatters. Sara crumbles to the floor.
Buries her head in her arms. Cries like a baby.
35 INT./EXT. ROY'S PICKUP (SOUTH BALTIMORE) - 35
NEXT MORNING
Roy and Sara. Barreling through the south end, tongues
stuck in gear. A Pop-Tart grows cold on Sara's lap.
Then, finally.
SARA
I can take the school bus.
Tomorrow.
ROY
School bus? That's the other Oz,
Dorothy. Patterson kids ride the
city Metro. Or walk.
(CONTINUED)
13.
35 CONTINUED: 35
SARA
Well, I know how to do both.
ROY
Not around here you don't. Not
until you get the hang of things.
Sara looks out the window at a full-fledged ghetto. It's
all to obvious, the hang of things. Roy glances over at
her.
ROY
I called about your transcripts.
You're all set. Patterson's got a
pretty good Humanities program.
No ballet, but we can find a
studio someplace close for after
school --
SARA
-- I don't think I'll have time.
I have to study, I'll be busy.
Roy can hear the lie behind her words. The pain too. He
lights a cigarette, cracks the window. He wants to say
the right thing.
ROY
Good idea. Take a break. Not too
long a break though. You're a
dancer. You should dance. Stay
on top of your art.
SARA
Like you stay on top of yours?
ROY
Maybe I ain't playin' no grand
ballrooms or fancy jazz festivals,
but I'm playing.
SARA
(unconvincingly)
I didn't mean it like that.
ROY
S'alright. Hell, I wish I had
half the time I wasted gettin'
wasted. But those days are over.
You'll see. I got my life on
track.
14.
36 EXT. PATTERSON HIGH SCHOOL (SOUTH BALTIMORE) - MORNING 36
Formidably large and surprisingly well-kept, Patterson
serves the nearby, predominantly black O'Donnell Heights
Projects. Kids malinger outside on the front steps and
lawn.
37 FROM ANOTHER ANGLE - PARKING LOT 37
Roy's pickup pulls in. Roy CUTS the ENGINE. Sara looks
at him. Or through him. She won't let his eyes connect.
SARA
You don't have to go in with me.
Since I'm all set. I mean, I have
done this before. Gone to school.
I'll be fine. I am fine. Really.
Roy regards her with weary resignation. Sara climbs out.
He calls after her.
ROY
-- Pick you up. Three-thirty.
SARA
(over a shoulder)
Yeah. Sure. Whatever.
38 EXT./INT. PATTERSON HIGH - MORNING 38
Sara moving TOWARD us PAST a floating mosaic of black
faces. This is a near out-of-body experience for her.
She walks like a well-rehearsed soldier in a stiff
straight line to the school's entrance. It's clogged
with students. Inside the doorway, two security guards
flank a metal detector. When it's Sara's turn to pass
through, one of the guards grabs her backpack and
wordlessly begins searching it. He hands it back to her
on the other side of the detector where Sara stands
obtusely and mutely amazed.
39 INT. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - MORNING 39
THROUGH a window, Sara seated across from an
ADMINISTRATOR. We PUSH IN.
ADMINISTRATOR
... It's no fun being uprooted in
the middle of your senior year.
We realize that and we'll do what
we can to help with the
transition.
(CONTINUED)
15.
39 CONTINUED: 39
There's a KNOCK at door. MRS. GWYNN, the Guidance
Counselor, steps in. The Administrator introduces her to
Sara. Sara regards Mrs. Gwynn with polite petulance.
MRS. GWYNN
Any questions? Concerns?
SARA
About school? No. Not really.
MRS. GWYNN
Not even about Baltimore?
SARA
I'm not gonna be here that long.
Besides, it's just a city, right?
Mrs. Gwynn looks at her squarely. But the brick wall
doesn't move an inch. Sara feels too safe behind it.
40 INT. HALLWAY - MORNING 40
Clutching new textbooks, Sara starts down the hallway.
She's hoping nothing in her face reveals the rising panic
in her heart. She's surrounded. Alone. Every inch of
her feels afraid.
SARA'S POV
as she MOVES FORWARD. A crush of KIDS -- mostly black
with a sprinkling of white and Latino faces thrown in.
Kids like her. Only they don't dress like her. They
dress like commercials for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin
Klein. And they definitely don't sound like her...
TEENAGER #1
Yo, man, check it, the
muthafuckers wasn't playin', they
was jackin'. Ten rides in five
days. For real.
TEENAGER #2
Fools got caught for real too.
Ten years in five days. Stall
that shit!
Sara walks on, taking this netherworld in, eavesdropping
on other conversations. It's not just the words. It's
how they say them: Loud. Matter-of-fact. Cool. A
cooler cool. Like they breathe static electricity.
(CONTINUED)
16.
40 CONTINUED: 40
That's it! The entire student body is energized. Sara's
thoughts are jolted by two black girls squeezing by. One
clips Sara's elbow as she passes, knocking it against a
locker. They keep going as if they don't see her. No
one seems to see her. Welcome to mass avoidance at
Patterson High.
41 AT SARA'S LOCKER - LATER 41
Sara's back is to a black girl striding purposefully
toward her. CHENILLE -- tall, pretty, with about a
million braids in her hair -- swoops Sara's backpack from
the floor. Thrusts it at her.
CHENILLE
That's how easy it is to give to
charity around here. Don't put
your shit on the floor.
SARA
(cautions a smile)
Thanks.
She closes her locker, starts to say something else.
She's eager to make a friend. One friend. But
Chenille's gone.
42 ANOTHER CORRIDOR 42
Sara memorizes the schedule of classes in her hand. She
passes a clutch of students who surround a kid in the
middle like a horseshoe. Sara gets a fleeting glimpse of
him.
SARA'S POV - PATRICK REYNOLDS
Eye candy: Tall. Dark. Heartbreakingly handsome. If
Patterson were a monarchy, Patrick would be king. He
sure holds court like one, turning on his dazzling smile
and abundant charm for the crowd. One gets the sense
that the All-American Home Boy is almost as enraptured
with himself as the sycophants around him.
43 INT. JURASINSKI'S CLASSROOM - MORNING 43
The room's seen better days. Probably better teachers
too. MR. JURASINSKI looks out at his American Literature
class and sees nothing but tenure.
(CONTINUED)
17.
43 CONTINUED: 43
JURASINSKI
In Cold Blood represents a turning
point in our country's literature.
Take the cap off and tell me why
that is, Mr. Ricard.
WIDER to include the class. FAVOR "SNOOKIE" RICARD. We
recognize him from the hallway kids wrapped up in
Patrick. Snookie, a flagrant Patrick wannabe, sits next
to him now. He removes his baseball cap. Thoughtfully
twirls it on a finger. He truly believes he's being
profound.
SNOOKIE
Gay rights. That Compote dude who
wrote it? Sweet tooth. Straight-
up fag, Mr. J.
JURASINSKI
Thank you, Mr. Ricard. Your
genius grant is in the mail.
Anyone else?
No volunteers. Jurasinski looks for someone to put on
the spot. Sees the new girl in a back corner. Johnson.
He gets into her line of sight. The class shifts in
their seats, peeping her.
JURASINSKI
Ms... Johnson. You can catch up
later. If this is over your head.
Everyone looks at her. The way kids look at new kids.
SARA
It's a non-fiction novel. The
first of its kind. Capote mixed
true events with things he
couldn't know, so he made them up.
A small murmur goes up. Over this, the voice of a
dissenter.
PATRICK (O.S.)
White folks back then felt safe.
Capote scared 'em. He took hard
core crime out the ghetto and
dropped it in America's back yard.
That's what makes the book
special.
(CONTINUED)
18.
43 CONTINUED: 43
Sara cranes to see him. God. It's pretty-boy. He's
sitting on the other side of the classroom. Looking...
pretty. Looking at her. He has nice eyes. Not that she
noticed.
SARA
Yeah. That is part of it.
PATRICK
That's all of it. Capote wasn't
first. Richard Wright and James
Baldwin did the same thing.
Wasn't nobody tryin' to read them
though.
SARA
Lots of people read them.
A defensive save. Patrick sees right through it.
PATRICK
Lots of people like who? You?
Hello. Didn't think so.
SNOOKIE
Mr. J.! Girl needs to bone up.
Give her a pass to the lib'ary.
The room erupts in laughter.
ON SARA
flushed in the face. Embarrassed. Pissed.
ANGLE WIDENS as Jurasinski quiets the class. Then.
JURASINSKI
She can have your pass, Mr.
Ricard. Since you obviously never
use it.
44 INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE OF CAFETERIA - NOON 44
Lunchtime. PICK UP Sara among a cattle drive of
boisterous students.
45 CAFETERIA - FOOD LINE - LATER 45
Hundreds of voices unleashed in pure, unadulterated
teenage cacophony. Sara's in a queue of kids, working
her way down the line.
(CONTINUED)
19.
45 CONTINUED: 45
She's as invisible and anonymous as ever. CAMERA TRACKS
her FROM the line, TO the cashier, INTO the heart of the
dining hall. She stands with a food tray, looking for a
place to sit.
HER POV
Table cliques of the cafeteria.
SERIES OF SWEEPING SHOTS
46 JOCK TABLE 46
Two tables pushed together. Full.
47 NERD TABLE 47
Barely, pathetically populated but surprisingly diverse.
48 HIP-HOP TABLE 48
Loud, overflowing, fun. King Patrick and his loyal
subjects horse around.
49 POPULAR TABLE 49
Over which a glacial beauty we will come to know as NIKKI
DAVIS presides. Girls only.
50 WHITE TABLE
Notable for its glaring absence of color. A girl we will
come to know as TONI sits there.
And then PUSHING IN ON --
51 CHENILLE'S TABLE 51
She's there with a group of girls who eschew pretense.
They, like Chenille, are rugged and regular. They know
who they are.
END OF SERIES OF SWEEPING SHOTS.
20.
52 ANGLE ON SARA 52
eyeing Chenille's table. Screwing up courage as she
approaches it. She gets there but two black girls are
faster. They sit down in the only empty seats. Sara
backs off, invisible again.
ON CHENILLE
glimpsing Sara from the corner of her eye as Sara walks
away.
53 AT NERDS' TABLE - LATER 53
Time has passed. The cafeteria is half as full, half as
noisy. Sara sits among the NERDS, a friendly if verbose
group. She's trying to eat but a snooze button is
talking her to death...
WONK
... I know you're new to the
table, but think about it. We're
the Y2K generation and nobody
takes us seriously. We don't take
ourselves seriously. Just look
around. Half the student body is
D.O.A. -- and that's from the neck
up, Clara.
SARA
Sara. It's Sara.
CHENILLE (O.S.)
Yeah. It's Sara. And you're
boring her from the ears down.
Sara looks up, surprised to see Chenille standing there.
She flashes a knowing smile at her, indicates Sara's
tray.
CHENILLE
You finished?
Sara leaps up with a quick, grateful nod. Beats a hasty
retreat from the table. As she and Chenille walk through
the cafeteria, Sara shudders with relief. She feels
rescued.
SARA
God! Thank you!
(CONTINUED)
21.
53 CONTINUED: 53
CHENILLE
(laughs)
Gotta watch where you sit, girl.
And it's Chenille. But you're
still welcome. Let's catch some
air before the bell rings.
54 EXT. QUAD - MOMENTS LATER 54
Sara follows Chenille into the "QUAD," four squared off
sections outside the cafeteria. There are a few dry-
rotted picnic tables scattered around. Other kids -- and
they run the gamut -- are seen in clots, sneaking
smokes... horsing around... making out.
SARA'S POV - KIDS OF QUAD
And OVER the sound of HIP-HOP MUSIC, a pair of feet.
Moving. Dancing. CAMERA PANS UP to reveal Nikki. She's
demonstrating some moves to the girls from the popular
table. Nikki's dancing her ass off, showing off.
BACK TO SCENE
SARA
What's it called? What she's
doing?
CHENILLE
A dance.
SARA
(a look; knows that)
No, I mean... the step, the...
She trails off as she catches someone in the corner of
her eye. She turns away from Chenille, gradually
focusing on --
PATRICK
playing cards with Snookie at one of the picnic tables.
He glances up to see Sara. Glowering at him. He grins.
Sara rolls her eyes, turns away. Mutters loudly to
herself.
SARA
Asshole.
(CONTINUED)
22.
54 CONTINUED: 54
CHENILLE
Asshole beaucoup. In this crowd,
you gotta be more specific.
SARA
(covertly indicates
Patrick)
He's in one of my classes. Thinks
he's so... smart. So cute.
CHENILLE
I don't know about cute but he is
smart. Real smart. Real trip,
too.
SARA
So you know him?
CHENILLE
Patrick Reynolds? Hell yeah, I
know him. He's my brother.
Chenille waits for Sara to swallow her tongue. Enjoys a
laugh.
ANGLE SHIFTS TO PATRICK
as Nikki approaches him. Sexy, standoffish and
conceited, she's the stuff of wet dreams and futile
longing. She sits down next to Patrick. Close to him.
Snookie watches her, much amused.
NIKKI
You comin' tonight?
Patrick keeps playing his hand. Responds very coolly.
PATRICK
Gotta work.
NIKKI
You already skipped three
meetings.
(as he's ignoring
her)
Is it because of me? Everybody on
the committee thinks it's because
of me. Us.
(infuriated by his
silence)
Look, Patrick. Regardless.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
23.
54 CONTINUED: 54
NIKKI (CONT'D)
You're in charge of the music.
I'm in charge of the prom. So
show up. Don't make me fire your
ass.
Fighting words. Snookie holds his breath. Patrick
throws out a card, turns slowly to Nikki with a withering
stare in his eyes.
PATRICK
You already fired my ass, Nikki.
Once and done. Over. Out. 'Bye.
She stalks off. Snookie oogles her departure, peers at
Patrick, about to say something. Patrick cuts him off,
indicates cards.
PATRICK
Hit me and shut the hell up.
SNOOKIE
I'ma shut up... after I say it
been real frigid 'round here since
y'all broke up. 'Specially since
she broke up with you. That was
harsh, way she canceled your ass
like a stamp for that Howard U
dude. But their shit's over. Now
might be the time to forget
mistakes that was made. Shoot.
You been with the girl since ninth
grade.
PATRICK
Why you sweatin' me, Snookie?
SNOOKIE
(pounding his heart)
'Cause I'm about you, man. I want
a happy ending. Aww, shit. Tuck
an' duck. Here he comes. The
hood of the 'hood, up to no good.
THEIR POV
MALAKAI RHINEHART, 17, heading toward them. Powerfully
built and edgy with insolence, Malakai is like a tightly-
wound coil -- you never know when he's going to snap.
ANGLE WIDENS and we see Patrick is happy to see him. He
and Malakai grin at each other. Knock handshakes.
(CONTINUED)
24.
54 CONTINUED: 54
MALAKAI
Medicine man...
SNOOKIE
(interjecting himself)
Did I tell you, Malakai, man, how
chill it is to have you back?
We ain't been bad without cha.
MALAKAI
Shut the fuck up and step your
lame ass off, Snookie. You heard
me. Space.
Snookie haughtily, comedically obliges. A moment.
PATRICK
What happened to you at lunch,
man?
MALAKAI
Business.
Short-hand. Patrick understands it, nods. Malakai slips
the cigarette from behind his ear, openly lights and
starts smoking it. CAMERA TRACKS them walking back
toward Patterson.
PATRICK
So you're hangin' in, man?
Feelin' strong about being back?
MALAKAI
Not at this motherfucker. Out a
week and where am I? Fucking home
sweet high school. Jail away from
jail. You can have it.
PATRICK
You gonna stay though. Right?
MALAKAI
Judge says it's school or JuVee
and I sure as hell ain't goin'
back there. Shit. I never knew a
year could be such a long time.
A flash of commiseration, of guilt, crosses Patrick's
face. They're at the doors now. Most of the kids have
gone. Malakai puts his cigarette out on the floor as
they step in.
(CONTINUED)
25.
54 CONTINUED: 54
PATRICK
You up for some hoops after
school? Break your free-throw
back in. Chump the chumps like we
used to.
MALAKAI
Up for it? Hell-the-fuck yeah,
man. Let's do it.
55 EXT. PATTERSON HIGH - THAT DAY (AFTER SCHOOL) 55
Sara exits with Chenille. A CAR HORN starts to blare.
Both of them ignore it. But it goes on like a musical
number. Sara gets a sinking feeling that drops like a
stone when she looks across the street. Roy's parked at
the curb, waiting for her. She rolls her eyes and he
HONKS AGAIN. Then he waves at her. Waves! Chenille
looks at Sara. Then at Roy.
CHENILLE
That's your old man? Now he's
cute.
SARA
He's embarrassing.
CHENILLE
(laughs)
Yeah. He is. For you.
56 INT./EXT. ROY'S TRUCK - CONTINUOUS ACTION 56
Sara climbs in, slams the door. Roy looks over at her,
unaware of how annoyed she is with him. She's a clenched
fist inside.
ROY
How'd it go?
SARA
Fine.
(as he pulls off)
Tomorrow I catch the bus.
57 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - SARA'S "ROOM" - NIGHT 57
Sara's moving the partition around, trying to make her
room more like a room. Trying to build another wall
between her and Roy.
(CONTINUED)
26.
57 CONTINUED: 57
ROY (O.S.)
Hey, Sara. C'mere a minute.
Sara lets out a heavy sigh. What does he want?
SARA
What?
ROY (O.S.)
Just come here.
She walks into the kitchen. Roy's in front of the open
freezer door. Grinning from ear to ear. He motions her
over. Sara crosses to the freezer. Looks inside.
INSERT - INSIDE FREEZER
It's full of frozen dinners. They're in unruly, lopsided
stacks.
BACK TO SCENE
Roy regards her expectantly.
ROY
Hungry and Healthys. I asked at
the market. They're the best.
So. What do you feel like?
(whimsically)
Lamb Chop Suey? Tropical Tuna?
Primavera Paradise?
SARA
I had a big lunch.
Roy, deflated, closes the freezer door, trails her into
the living area. Sara's clenching again. There's no
escaping him.
ROY
What do you wanna do? You wanna
hang out with me? Go to my gig.
You can if you want.
SARA
It's a school night, Roy.
ROY
Right. School night. Got it.
27.
58 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - SARA - LATER 58
Roy's gone. Sara takes her first good look around. A
mess. It drives home where she is. What she's lost.
It's overwhelming.
59 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - CLOSE ON EMPTY T.V. 59
DINNER TRAY - NIGHT
An empty beer bottle, one askew kitchen chair. Vestiges
of Roy's meal. ANGLE WIDENS as Sara enters. She opens
the freezer to unearth a dinner and starts an avalanche
of falling food. A box of Sugar Puffs cereal lands at
her feet. Something else out of place. She picks it up,
jams everything back into the freezer. Slams the door
shut.
SHOCK CUT TO:
60 SARA 60
in a whirlwind, cleaning the apartment. Wall to wall.
Scrubbing away what's churned up inside. The dervish
ends in her "room," where she finishes unpacking.
Several layers into a suitcase, she comes to her ballet
shoes. The sight hits her like a slap in the face. Sara
stares at the shoes until her eyes blur. Then she
snatches them up and entombs them deep inside her closet.
61 EXT. O'DONNELL HEIGHTS PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS - 61
MORNING
Patrick, Chenille, Snookie straggle through the dreary
jungle of concrete lawns and blighted high rises on the
way to school. It's quiet now but the scars of past
battles, like the bombed out police substation on one of
its corners, are evident everywhere.
SNOOKIE
I need a date --
CHENILLE
Why? Your hand busy?
SNOOKIE
-- For the prom. And if it wasn't
for that kinda undue attitude, you
could be the lucky girl, Chenille.
My personal prom queen. I can see
us now.
(CONTINUED)
28.
61 CONTINUED: 61
CHENILLE
You must be lookin' in your
dreams.
Snookie glances at Patrick. He's somewhere else.
SNOOKIE
Help me, man. Defend me.
PATRICK
I got my own problems, Snook.
SNOOKIE
What problems? You goin' to
college. Doctor college after
that. You large, man.
PATRICK
I ain't gonna be doctor nothin' if
I don't get in and I'm not in 'til
I get my letter.
CHENILLE
It's in the mail, Patrick. Okay?
SNOOKIE
(wishfully thinking)
I probably coulda been a doctor
too. If I hadn't got left back
that time.
CHENILLE
That time? What? Fifth and sixth
grade don't count?
Patrick finally laughs. Then his face changes. Becomes
serious. He hops a low wall, keeps in stride above them.
They continue on like this, the ruins of their world in
the b.g. behind them.
62 INT./EXT CITY BUS/BALTIMORE STREETS - MORNING 62
The bus is crammed with kids. Sara, seated by a window,
doesn't bother looking out. Inside's more interesting.
The kids cut up. Singing, rapping, and jousting with
each other. Some even manage to read. Sara watches with
immunity. She's invisible to them.
63 EXT. BUS STOP (NEAR PATTERSON HIGH) - MORNING 63
Sara alights just as Patrick, Chenille, and Snookie walk
past. Patrick's the only one to see her and their eyes
briefly connect.
29.
64 INT. HALLWAY NEAR ENTRANCE (PATTERSON HIGH) - 64
CONTINUOUS ACTION
Patrick and Chenille pass through metal detectors, watch
Snookie clown his way through. The security guard shakes
his head. All three begin to walk. Snookie, bobbing and
jiving, doesn't see Mrs. Gwynn coming up from behind.
Her voice stops him cold.
MRS. GWYNN
(as Patrick and
Chenille look on)
Light on your feet? Good. Be
sure they dance into my office
next week.
She moseys on. Snookie regards Patrick's smile, shakes
his head.
65 INT. CHEMISTRY LAB - LATER THAT MORNING 65
The class has donned lab coats and is ready to begin when
Sarah rushes in. She tries to slink into a seat. The
teacher, MR. HILL, gives her a disapproving look, points
at one of several formulas (C2,H6,O2) on the blackboard.
Sara just looks at him
MR. HILL
We're cooking today, Ms. Johnson.
This is your first lab. You'll
need a partner. Mr. Reynolds --
Patrick -- will show you the
ropes.
Patrick bounces a smile off unsettled Sara. This should
be fun.
66 INT. CHEMISTRY LAB - MINUTES LATER 66
The class, in safety goggles and gloves, has partnered
up.
ANGLE ON SARA AND PATRICK
He's holding two vials. Sara picks up a beaker. Stares
at the blackboard. She has no idea -- and no intention
of admitting it.
PATRICK
(very casually)
That's too big.
She glints at him, grits through her teeth.
(CONTINUED)
30.
66 CONTINUED: 66
SARA
I know it's too big.
She puts the beaker down. Picks up a vial. Flips
through her textbook. Her eyes shift from it to the
blackboard, trying to make a connection. She settles on
one. Picks up a vial of powder. Patrick grabs her hand,
leans over and whispers.
PATRICK
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
SARA
(yanks her hand back)
Who died and made you teacher?
Patrick pulls back, looks at her. He can't believe she
dissed him. A small smile forms on his face. Sara turns
away from it, goes back to her vials. Patrick slides to
the farthest end of the table. Watches her consternation
with bemusement.
PATRICK
Know the difference between ethyl
glycol and methyl acetate? Both
got three elements, two parts the
same. It's that first part, C2
versus C3. C3 could blow a vial
right out a person's hand.
Sara thinks he's messing with her. But then the contents
of the beaker begin to ominously bubble. Panicked, she
drops the vial into their sink. It instantly goes up in
smoke. Some of the liquid splashes on Sara's lab coat.
Patrick grabs a wet towel, quickly wipes it off. The
class stops cold. Hill rushes up to them. Once he's
sure Sara's fine, he looks sternly at Patrick.
MR. HILL
What happened? Everybody back in
your seats!
Patrick stares at Sara. Her face is red. She's biting
her lip.
PATRICK
I misread the component.
MR. HILL
(even more angry now)
You? You misread a component.
Don't give me that, Patrick. You
were screwin' around!
(CONTINUED)
31.
66 CONTINUED: 66
Hill's tone is searing. He turns to Sara. She's trying
to say something but the words won't come out. Hill
regards her wearily, then walks off pushing the curious
class back to their stations. Sara looks at Patrick,
weakly mouths "thanks."
67 INT. GYMNASIUM - NIGHT 67
Over the sound of GRUNTING... OPEN CLOSE ON a girl's
plump ass. Squirming in too-tight gym shorts that hug
the cheeks. ANGLE WIDENS to reveal a stout white girl on
a balance beam. Trying to get her legs to stand up on
it. Hanging on for dear life. From somewhere around
her, a WHISTLE BLOWS.
TEACHER (O.S.)
Alright, Ms. Diggs. Time!
WIDEN to see the teacher and her class (FAVOR Sara,
Chenille, and Nikki). Amid snickers, the stout girl
("DIGGY") slides off the beam, walks past the teacher
with her head demurely cast down. Clearing the teacher,
Diggy pivots around, both middle fingers in the air.
Gives up the double bird with much attitude. The class
loves it. Cheers it. Until the teacher swerves around.
67 SERIES OF CLOSE CUTS 67
Chenille on balance beam. competent but average.
Nikki on balance beam. Agile. Self-assured. Good.
... And then TIGHTER STILL on Sara. Tentatively
approaching the balance beam. Mindful of all the eyes on
her, all the bated breaths. All waiting to see the new
girl fall on her ass. Sara swings herself onto the beam
with aplomb. Her legs and body are strong, supple,
pliable rubber bands. She flounces across it on her
tiptoes. Does a flawless split. Hops off. Looks out.
SARA'S POV - TEACHER AND CLASS
Reacting with shock and surprise. Awed. Except for
Nikki. She stands there with her arms folded.
Simmering. Envious.
68 PATTERSON HIGH - END OF SCHOOL THAT DAY 68
Sara. Heading down the steps with other students.
Chenille and Diggy break through the logjam, catch up to
her.
(CONTINUED)
32.
68 CONTINUED: 68
CHENILLE
Girl, how you get your legs to
twist like that?
DIGGY
(wildly gesticulating)
Yeah. What was all that double-
jointed cheerleader shit?
CHENILLE
This is Diggy. Thinks she's down.
DIGGY
Egg-cuse me? I am down.
CHENILLE
So, Sara. What's up with that?
SARA
(awkwardly)
Nothing's up with it. I used to
kind of dance. Ballet. Mostly.
Chenille makes an impressed face. Regards Sara
curiously.
CHENILLE
You should hit Feetz with us
tomorrow night. It's a club.
Sorta members only.
DIGGY
Un-der-ground.
SARA
I don't know...
CHENILLE
Come on and hang out. Snook dee's
sometime. He can get you in.
(yelling)
Yo, Snook
Sara sees Snookie... then Patrick... loping her way. She
steels herself. He's going to say something, crack some
joke about her nearly blowing him up. But Patrick just
stares at her with a twinkle in his eyes. A nice
twinkle. Sara's not entirely immune to it. Chenille
breaks their eye play, pushes Patrick aside. She grabs
Snookie's arm, indicates Sara.
(CONTINUED)
33.
68 CONTINUED: 68
CHENILLE
She needs to get hooked up for
Feetz. All the way up. Sara,
give Snook twenty dollars.
SARA
For what?
SNOOKIE
I.D. Eye-dee. How you think you
gettin' in? On your looks?
(rolling his eyes)
Chenille, your girl is weak.
Shit. I got my rep to watch. I
can't just be gettin' any green
in.
Sara glares. Regards Snookie with a sweeping scowl.
SARA
Look closer. And if I still look
green, I think maybe you should
wipe the crust from your eyes.
Snookie's jaw drops. Patrick cracks up. Diggy too.
Chenille's stays on point. She's about solving the
problem.
CHENILLE
You gonna pay the man or what?
SNOOKIE
She ain't got it. Look at her.
Loud-talkin' me and broke as a
damn promise.
Sara, put on the spot, pulls out the money. Snookie
snatches it.
SARA
I don't even know where it is.
CHENILLE
So we'll hook up at my house. Go
together. I will have your I.D.
Snookie shrugs affirmatively. Patrick looks directly at
Sara. The twinkle in his eye is gone, replaced by fair
warning.
PATRICK
Feetz ain't no square dance.
SARA
That's okay. I dance in circles.
Probably around you.
34.
69 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - SARA'S ROOM - NIGHT 69
Roy walks in to see Sara on the futon in her pajamas
reading a book. She's got a head full of rollers.
ROY
I'm splittin'.
(as she barely looks up)
Whatcha readin'?
SARA
Chemistry.
ROY
You're takin' chemistry?
SARA
Right now it's taking me.
ROY
Give yourself some time. Well.
See ya in the mornin'. Maybe I'll
call between sets.
Sara really looks up. Gives him an angelic, sluggish
shrug.
SARA
I'll be asleep.
He leaves. As soon as Sara hears the front DOOR CLOSE,
she jumps up, strips down to bra and panties, races to
the closet. One hand rips the rollers from her hair, the
other rips through outfits. She's frantic and unsure
about choosing the right one.
70 EXT. "BLACK" STREET (SOUTH BALTIMORE) - NIGHT 70
Sara. In a skin-tight miniskirt and a bolero jacket.
Looking more eighties than nineties, more cute than cool.
She walks with tentative, jittery purpose down this
poverty stricken street. Doesn't meet anyone's eye. But
can feel the eyes on her. She keeps going. She's walked
too far to turn back.
71 EXT. O'DONNELL HEIGHTS PROJECTS - SARA - NIGHT 71
Approaching the malignant edifices as the Heights begin
to come to life... or death, depending how luck's
running. Sara walks into this world of shadows and
despite a trepidation, finds something fascinating about
the possibility of real danger.
35.
72 EXT./INT. REYNOLDS APARTMENT/HALLWAY - NIGHT 72
Chenille triple unlocks the door, lets Sara in. Sara's
surprised -- the apartment is surprisingly quaint and
extremely neat. It looks a helluva lot better than Roy's
place. Chenille is dressed in hugely baggy military-
style pants and a tube top with a form-fitting, short-cut
leather coat over it. Sara takes it in.
SARA
Cool outfit.
CHENILLE
Slammin'. Slammin' outfit.
SARA
... I look okay?
Chenille gives her the once over. Decides to lie.
CHENILLE
Yeah. You look okay.
(then)
Moma Dean. I'm leavin'.
FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
GRANDMOMMA DEAN enters with a toddler ("CHRISTOPHER") in
her arms. She sports snow white, waist-length dreads and
she's wearing a dashiki lounger. Despite her white
locks, she doesn't look old enough to be a grandmother.
She hands Christopher to Chenille. Inspects Sara. Her
eyes are open, kind.
CHENILLE
(fussing over
Christopher)
Grandmom, Sara. Sara, Grandmom.
Also known as Momma Dean. And
handsome here is Christopher.
SARA
Hi.
MOMMA DEAN
Hello. Now don't get him all
riled up, Chenille. I want to get
some sleep tonight.
Chenille kisses Christopher, hands him off to Momma Dean.
They exit. Sara looks tentatively at Chenille.
SARA
Is that... is he... yours?
CHENILLE
He sure ain't Momma Dean's.
36.
73 INT./EXT. CAB/STREET (MOVING) - SARA AND CHENILLE 73
- NIGHT
They've been talking. Well, Chenille has. Sara's been
listening. Intently. Liking this confidence they're
sharing.
CHENILLE
... He'll be one in July. Best
mistake I ever made. Kenny --
Christopher's father -- he's the
worst. Triflin'. Okay?
74 EXT. 6TH AND BROADWAY (EAST BALTIMORE) - NIGHT 74
A curbed cab. Sara and Chenille get out. Chenille digs
into her pocketbook, hands Sara her I.D. PUSH IN ON
photo of obese white girl with an untamed trailer trash
perm. Sara's eyes go wide.
SARA
Chenille. She's ugly. She's fat!
CHENILLE
She's twenty-one too. I ain't got
all night. Let's hop.
SARA
Wait. I have to ask you
something.
(hard for her)
Do I really look alright?
An unspoken thing passes between them. Chenille suddenly
whips off her coat. Gestures at Sara with her head.
CHENILLE
Gimme that '89 Madonna shit. Your
jacket. Give it here.
Sara takes off the bolero. Chenille ties it around her
own neck, then yanks Sara's miniskirt down around her
hips. Sara's torso is clad in a long-sleeved cotton tee.
Chenille frowns at it.
SARA
It's from the GAP.
CHENILLE
It's country. You look country in
it. Take it off.
SARA
I'm not walking in there in my
bra.
(CONTINUED)
37.
74 CONTINUED: 74
Chenille thrusts her leather coat at her. Sara can't
believe what she's doing, getting (un)dressed on a public
street! She pulls off the tee, slips on Chenille's coat.
Buttons it as far as the buttons go. Looks down. Half
her chest is exposed.
75 EXT. ALLEY (EAST BALTIMORE) - SARA AND CHENILLE - NIGHT 75
Gaining on what looks like an abandoned warehouse.
Chenille snorts at the roped off queue of kids waiting to
get inside.
CHENILLE
Rope dopes. C'mon.
She leads Sara to the door of FEETZ. The Sumo-sized MAN
guarding it knows Chenille, digs her. His grin exposes
gold-capped teeth.
DOORMAN
Chenille. Lookin' fine. As
always.
CHENILLE
Too fine to stand in line?
The Man grins, opens the rope, lets them in -- "in" being
just inside the front door. A BOUNCER there collects the
$10.00 cover charge. Checks their I.D. He hands Sara's
back with a smirk.
BOUNCER
Changed your hair.
He waves a metal detector over their bodies, nods to yet
another bouncer who escorts Sara and Chenille through yet
another door.
76 ANOTHER ANGLE 76
They march a short distance to an old elevator where a
group of kids wait. Bouncer #2 engages the elevator.
Everyone piles in.
77 INT. ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS ACTION 77
Sara holds onto her stomach as the CREAKY ELEVATOR
descends and the MUSIC below rises. The elevator's
vibrating with music.
(CONTINUED)
38.
77 CONTINUED: 77
SARA
(an inside to Chenille)
Can't get much more underground
than this.
78 INT. FEETZ CLUB - CONTINUOUS ACTION 78
A smoky hole in the wall, filled to the brim with kids.
Mostly black kids with a few whites and Latinos melting
in. They share a common goal: To clog the dance floor,
flaunt their outfits and get nasty with the music of the
masters: Tupac Shakur, NAS, Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy,
etc. Here, the boundaries of dirty dancing are pushed,
from erotic to vulgar; loving to lascivious.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Sara and Chenille. Sara's excited. She loves that she
has to shout to be head over the music.
CHENILLE
Let's get our table 'fore it gets
crashed and I hafta hurt somebody.
Sara's bewildered. She doesn't see any tables. She
follows Chenille to the back of FEETZ. Sees six or seven
tables. All of them have reserved signs. Most of them
are filled.
SARA
What are you, some kind of V.I.P.?
Chenille indicates the deejay booth. Snookie's in it.
CHENILLE
Snook hooks me up whenever he
dees.
They walk past a SLACKER in lycra pants and a big Army
shirt. He licks his tongue at Chenille, grabs at her
protruding butt. She swirls around, grabs his crotch
hard enough to get his attention. The Slacker is
squirming in her clutch.
SLACKER
Aw'right, aw'right. You got it.
CHENILLE
Got what?
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
39.
78 CONTINUED: 78
CHENILLE (CONT'D)
(as he can't think of
anything but the
squeeze on his balls)
The right to walk past your
greasy, tickle dick self without
your paws on my ass? 'S'that how
I got it?
Chenille bobs her head right in his face. Sara can't
believe it. A few people have stopped and are looking.
The Slacker nods hastily. Chenille releases him, gently
smoothes out his shirt.
CHENILLE
That's how I thought I had it.
(a fly wave)
See ya.
She and Sara continue on to back-of-the-club tables.
Stop at a reserved one. An adjacent table sports Nikki,
her three girl crew... and Diggy. All nurse drinks.
Nikki snake-eyes Sara.
NIKKI
What is up with this place? Seems
like they're lettin' anybody in.
CHENILLE
Yeah. And they started with you.
The three girls and Diggy snicker. Nikki gives Chenille
a look. Turns back to Sara with a snide smirk. Points
out her crew.
NIKKI
I'm Nikki. Alyssa. Jasmin.
Tiff'nee. You know Diggy, right,
Marsha?
SARA
Sara. It's Sara. And I know you.
We have a class together.
NIKKI
That don't mean you know me.
CHENILLE
Quit it, Nikki.
NIKKI
Quit what? I ain't walkin' on
eggshells just 'cause you brought
the Brady Bunch to the Negro Club.
(CONTINUED)
40.
78 CONTINUED: 78
SARA
(kiss-my-ass polite)
Maybe you came to the wrong spot,
Nikki. I'm pretty sure this one
doesn't have any Negroes.
Chenille cracks up mainly to back Sara up. Nikki glowers
at her.
NIKKI
I'm pretty sure you came with one.
CHENILLE
Oh, no. Uh-uh, wench. You did
not just call me a Negro.
As Chenille bucks, Diggy springs up from her seat, runs
her arm in the space between Chenille and Nikki like a
referee.
DIGGY
Alright, y'all. Chill.
NIKKI
Tell her to chill. She always got
somethin' to say.
CHENILLE
I can say a lot more. Keep
runnin' your mouth, Nikki. I'll
lay all your shit bare.
Whatever shit it is, Nikki's not taking any chances. She
ejects herself from the table, walks off. The three
girls scoot loyally after her. Diggy gets up. Sits down
at Sara's and Chenille's table. Diggy goes with the
flow. That's why she always fits in.
DIGGY
Why you burn her like that?
CHENILLE
'Cause I can't stand her ass and
the way she played my brother. I
need a drink, Sara. Let's walk.
79 INT. FEETZ - ENTRANCE - SAME TIME 79
Patrick and Malakai enter with two high school dropouts
we will learn are ARVEL and LIP. Females flock to flirt
with Patrick and Malakai, who both swell like sponges,
soaking up the attention.
41.
80 INT. FEETZ - BAR - SAME TIME 80
Chenille pushes her way to the bar, tugging Sara along.
A tall, angular twenty-something MAN on the far side of
the bar sees her. She sees him. Sucks her teeth, nudges
Sara.
CHENILLE
That's him. Comin' over. Kenny?
Don't look.
So of course Sara does. She makes a silly face at
Chenille as Kenny sidles up to her. Chenille rolls her
eyes half-heartedly.
KENNY (MAN)
What's up?
CHENILLE
Where's my money, Kenny?
KENNY
I'm a little short this week.
Don't jump off. It's comin'.
CHENILLE
It's comin'? No. You lyin'.
KENNY
Lemme rap to you about the
situation on the dance floor.
She shakes her head firmly but her eyes do tell. She's
in love with him. Enough to let him whisper in her ear,
sweet-talk her away from the bar. Before she's swallowed
up by the crowd, Chenille turns back to Sara, shouts:
CHENILLE
Rum and Coke. No ice. Hook me
up.
ON PATRICK
splitting off from Malakai and a girl clinging to him.
He's walking through when Nikki appears from nowhere,
grabs his arm.
NIKKI
Let's dance.
PATRICK
(pulling away)
Let's not.
(CONTINUED)
42.
80 CONTINUED: 80
NIKKI
Oh? It's gonna be like that.
PATRICK
How'd you think it was gonna be?
That you was gonna drop me and
pick me up whenever you felt like
it?
NIKKI
It ain't all that serious,
Patrick.
PATRICK
It ain't anymore, Nikki. Not to
me.
He walks off. CAMERA TRACKS him going deep inside the
club. He wants a drink. He's almost at the bar when he
sees Chenille on the dance floor with Kenny. She shrugs
a smile, then cocks her head over at the bar. Toward
Sara. The look is like, help me out. Don't let me leave
her hangin'. Patrick rolls his eyes as he glances at
Sara, before he really sees her. She looks fly. Hugely
fly. He ambles up as she shouts into the bartender's
ear.
SARA
Rum and Coke, straight up. And a
beer. I don't care. Anything.
PATRICK (O.S.)
Bad choice. 'Anything.'
The closeness of his voice startles her. She turns into
his smile. That cocksure, leave'em-weak-in-the-knees
smile.
SARA
It's just a beer.
PATRICK
Then it should be the best beer.
You'd know that if you really
drank.
Sara's knees straighten, her spine stiffens. The
asshole's back.
SARA
Whatever.
PATRICK
What's that mean? Whatever.
(CONTINUED)
43.
80 CONTINUED: 80
SARA
Whatever you want it to mean.
You're the whiz kid, right? You
know everything.
PATRICK
(chuckles at this, at
her)
Not everything. Like I don't know
why we're standin' still.
(closer with a teasing
whisper)
I'm supposed to be dizzy by now.
Remember? From all those circles
you danced around me.
Sara leans against the bar. The knees are going again.
SARA
I don't feel like dancing.
PATRICK
But you do know how...?
SARA
Would I be here if I didn't?
PATRICK
... Let's do it then. C'mon.
He coaxes her onto the dance floor. PARLIAMENT'S funk
classic "Flashlight" is playing. The dance crowd is
robustly singing the refrain to the song. There's a
party on the floor. FAVOR Sara and Patrick, facing each
other. He's moving already. She starts to dance,
stiffly, tentatively. Patrick smiles at her. Shakes his
head. He grabs her hands, swings them in time to the
music.
PATRICK
Now move your hips. Not so fast.
(as Sara looks lost)
Sara! Just like our hands.
(singing, in sync with
the crowd)
'Flashlight! Neon light! Stop
light! Everybody got a little
light under the sun.'
The music's beginning to feel good to Sara. Patrick lets
go of her hands. Starts to dance. Sara watches him
intensely, her body follows his stiffly. Patrick's a
good teacher. He leads without leaving her. Whenever
she misses a complicated move, he smoothly segues into
another less-complicated one.
(CONTINUED)
44.
80 CONTINUED: 80
Sara begins to pick-up on Patrick's rhythm. Her eyes
never wander from his. And then she starts to feel
something else. They both do. A rising beat. A
quickening heart. And not from the dancing. She smiles
bashfully at him. Patrick suddenly grabs her around the
waist, pulls her to him in a sexy spoon dance. All Sara
can do is try to keep up and hang on.
FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
Nikki avidly watching Sara and Patrick with Jasmin and
Tiff'ny.
JASMIN
She's all up in your nut, Nikki...
Oh, that's right. It ain't your
nut anymore.
NIKKI
It is if I want it to be. He is
if I want him to be. That bitch
ain't got shit on me.
The girls regard her in conspicuous, dubious silence.
Nikki maintains her cool but inside her pride is
pricking.
81 INT. FEETZ - SAME TIME 81
Malakai and the clinging girl nuzzle in a back corner.
She licks his ear, whispers into it. Malakai laughs.
Then his expression abruptly darkens. A storm cloud
comes over it. He gets up.
MALAKAI'S POV - WALKING TOWARD
... two dealers a few feet away. They're talking to an
Asian guy with a multi-colored Mohawk. One slips Mohawk
a packet of coke, the other takes his money. WIDER as
Malakai reaches the dealers. He doesn't explain, doesn't
complain. He just starts swinging.
SARA AND PATRICK
The MUSIC changes and their dance ends. They stand there
for a moment, a little caught up in each other. A little
unsure of the moment. And then there's a scream!
Several of them actually. Patrick reacts to it
instinctively. Looking around. In a small pocket of the
club he sees Malakai.
(CONTINUED)
45.
81 CONTINUED: 81
PATRICK'S POV - MALAKAI
in full fisticuffs with the two dealers. Holding his
own.
ON PATRICK
leaving Sara, slicing through a clot of looky-loos until
he reaches Malakai. He jumps into the fray.
INT. FEETZ - FIGHT - PATRICK AND MALAKAI
A thick crowd around them, proceed to beat the living
shit out of the two dealers.
ANGLE ON SARA AND CHENILLE
wrangling their way to the front line of the crowd, Diggy
not far behind them. Sara looks on, dumbfounded and
dazzled by what she sees, which is --
PATRICK
pummeling his dealer into cowering submission. Only then
does he look over at Malakai who, eyes engorged with
rage, is standing over his opponent, kicking and stomping
him with no signs of letting up. Patrick can see
Malakai's too far gone for talk. He rushes him from
behind, nearly lifts Malakai off his feet to swing him
away from the dealer's writhing body on the floor.
82 EXT. FEETZ - OUTSIDE VESTIBULE - CONTINUOUS ACTION 82
The exit door bursts open and Patrick and Malakai tumble
out. Patrick bends over, cups his knees as he catches
his breath.
PATRICK
Man, what the hell are you doin'?
Tryin' to get sent back up?
MALAKAI
They the ones tryin' shit. Comin'
here. Squarin' off in my shit.
PATRICK
You couldn't let it slide?
(CONTINUED)
46.
82 CONTINUED: 82
MALAKAI
Let it slide tonight, they come
back strong tomorrow. You know
that.
PATRICK
Malakai, you fuck up parole, you
ain't gonna back to JuVee.
Eighteen and up, that's Jessup.
Hardcore lockdown. You want that?
MALAKAI
(regards him coldly)
I want what was mine. Feetz is my
spot. I'ma do business here just
like I did before. Like we did
before. And if I gotta stomp some
niggers in my way, so be it.
An uncertain but tense moment. Patrick tries to salvage
it.
PATRICK
Well, you definitely got the
stompin' part down.
They look at each other. Share a small laugh.
MALAKAI
We fucked those fools up for sure.
PATRICK
(crossing to exit door)
For damn sure, man.
Patrick finds the door locked. He and Malakai hoist
themselves over a high, wrought iron fence. Disappear
behind it.
83 EXT. FEETZ - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT 83
Distant WAIL of SIRENS as Feetz begins to empty out.
Kids converge on the sidewalks. PICK UP Sara, Chenille
and Diggy. Waiting and watching for Patrick. Diggy
looks at them.
DIGGY
It's about to get real out here.
Cops and shit. I'm gone.
She leaves. Chenille spots Patrick. Not too worse for
the wear. She smiles with relief. Then Sara sees him.
She smiles too.
47.
84 EXT. STREET (O'DONNELL HEIGHTS) - NIGHT 84
Sara, Patrick and Chenille. Walking home. Chenille's
preaching to Patrick. He's not in the mood.
CHENILLE
... Yeah, I'ma tell you. Tell you
like I keep tellin' you, Patrick.
You need to let Malakai alone.
Let him handle his own shit before
he drags you down in it.
PATRICK
Chenille. I heard you the first
five hundred times.
They round a corner bordering the Heights. Stop in front
of it. Chenille, disconcerted with Patrick, looks dourly
at Sara.
CHENILLE
I'll see you Monday.
(to Patrick, like an
order)
He'll walk you.
As much as this makes sense, it still takes Patrick by
surprise. Sara sees it in his face, regards Chenille
with a false bravado.
SARA
It's just a few blocks. It's
okay.
CHENILLE
No, it's not okay. Would you tell
the girl it ain't okay?
PATRICK
It's not okay, okay?
(before she can
protest)
Come on, Braveheart.
85 EXT. STREET - SARA AND PATRICK - NIGHT 85
walking. Sara keeps stealing glances of him. Or so she
thinks.
PATRICK
What?
SARA
(caught)
What?
(CONTINUED)
48.
85 CONTINUED: 85
PATRICK
Why you keep lookin' at me?
SARA
I have to look somewhere. The
streets are deserted. Might as
well look at you.
PATRICK
That's not why. You wanna know
somethin'. Ask somethin'.
SARA
It's not a question. It's the way
you were beating that kid up. You
looked so mad.
PATRICK
I was mad and he wasn't no kid.
But you're from the suburb Mars,
right? Folks don't fight there.
SARA
Not like that.
(some kind of
wonder)
You were really kicking his ass.
It's not funny, the look on her face. But Patrick
laughs.
SARA
Are you laughing at me?
Dropping the smile, Patrick shakes his head. Looks at
her.
PATRICK
My friend was in trouble.
SARA
Maybe he's my question. Your
friend. Chenille doesn't like
him.
PATRICK
She likes him. It don't stop her
from trippin' off him now and
then. But Malakai's good people.
We go back. Way back. You know,
like they say, through thick and
thin.
(beat)
So, how'd you like Feetz?
(CONTINUED)
49.
85 CONTINUED: 85
SARA
It was great.
PATRICK
Once you got used to the music.
SARA
It wasn't the music I wasn't used
to. I mean, it's not the first
time I heard hip-hop, Patrick.
PATRICK
Uh-huh. Bet you listen to it all
the time.
Patrick regards her with a sly, knowing smile. His stare
is significant, unsettling. Sara's face flushes. She
turns from him, hoping he didn't see it.
SARA
Not all the time. But a lot.
PATRICK
We gettin' any closer to your crib
or should we stop for food and
water?
Sara snaps out of it. Looks around. Shit. First the
flush and now this. She looks at him. She could kick
herself.
SARA
We passed it.
PATRICK
You passed it.
A look. They double back to her front door. Pause on
the stoop.
SARA
Thanks for walking me.
PATRICK
No problem.
SARA
So. I'll see ya.
PATRICK
Is that 'see ya' like gee-whiz,
had a great time, can't wait to
see you again?
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
50.
85 CONTINUED: 85
PATRICK (CONT'D)
Or is it like 'see ya,' I'll bust
a cap in your ass if you ever
darken my doorstep again?
He makes it impossible not to smile. So damned charming.
SARA
I haven't said gee-whiz since I
was six. But I really had a great
time... okay?
PATRICK
Okay.
She enters the rowhouse. Patrick waits until the lights
go on inside before he turns around and starts home.
86 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NEXT MORNING 86
Roy's making breakfast when Sara straggles in. She peers
at the stove. Scrambled eggs and bacon. Toast too! A
first for him.
ROY
Figured I'd put a little marrow in
your bones. Siddown, siddown.
(she slumps in chair)
You gettin' along at school?
Makin' friends...?
(as she nods robotically)
... See any of 'em last night?
He slides a plate in front of her. Stands there holding
his.
ROY
I came home on my break.
SARA
Oh.
The succinct sneer in her voice gets to Roy. He snaps at
her.
ROY
... Oh? Jesus! You're hard!
Look. You're seventeen. If you
wanna go out, go out. But don't
lie to me. On top of everything
else, don't make me worry like
that about you.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
51.
86 CONTINUED: 86
ROY (CONT'D)
(after long moment)
I didn't mean to yell.
(sits down; trying
like hell)
So how are the eggs? They good?
Sara takes a small, tasteless sample, nods. They eat in
silence. Then Sara looks over at him with genuine if
detached remorse.
SARA
You're right. I should've said
something. I'm sorry.
Roy exhales. Finally, a chink in the brick wall.
ROY
What're you gonna do today?
Anything special?
SARA
Nope. Nothing special.
87 INT. RECORD STORE (EAST POINT MALL) - DAY 87
A track from TOP DOGG BLARES from invisible SPEAKERS.
All of the store's many customers are teenage kids.
Snookie, in sunglasses and a reversed baseball cap,
clerks behind the counter. He's ringing up (and trying
to rap to) a fly girl when Patrick walks in, overhears
the overture.
SNOOKIE
... How you know I can't do
nothin' for you? I'm the hardest
workin' man in showbizness, girl.
C'mon. Let me be the bomb in your
shell.
The fly girl rolls her eyes. Takes her bag. Leaves.
Patrick looks at Snookie, wryly shakes his head.
PATRICK
You do the shit to yourself, man.
The bomb in your shell?
SNOOKIE
That was black magic, Patrick.
It's gonna work one of these days.
He reaches behind the counter, hands Patrick a Jay-Z C.D.
(CONTINUED)
52.
87 CONTINUED: 87
SNOOKIE
Last one on the rack. I snatched
it up for you. Rang it up on my
discount.
PATRICK
(what Snookie's
waiting for)
Thank you, Snookie.
SNOOKIE
(as Patrick pays him)
You workin' or what, man?
PATRICK
On my way. Soon as I get outta
here...
As he says this, his eyes wander around the store. And
he sees her in the stacks. Sara.
88 INT. RECORD STORE - HIP-HOP SECTION - MOMENTS LATER 88
Sara with a bunch of C.D.'s. She juggles them in one
hand, flips through Hip-Hop C.D.'s with another. She
looks up to see Patrick standing beside her. He takes in
the C.D.'s. Grins at her.
PATRICK
Throwin' a party?
There's no wiggle room but Sara wiggles anyway.
SARA
Just adding to my collection. I
heard some stuff I didn't have
last night.
PATRICK
(that twinkle in his
eyes)
Well, you were fly anyway. Last
night. Dancin', I mean.
SARA
Not as fly as you.
PATRICK
(half-serious)
Nobody's as fly as me.
(CONTINUED)
53.
88 CONTINUED: 88
SARA
(dead-serious)
Not yet anyway.
Patrick laughs. Looks at her. Sara looks back at him.
They're staring at each other.
PATRICK
Maybe we could hook up later.
After school or somethin'. Work
on some of your moves. If you
want.
SARA
Okay. Sure.
Patrick nods affirmatively. Starts to leave. Turns
back, indicates her stack of C.D.'s.
PATRICK
By the way, Hammer's pretty much
played out.
SARA
(convincing lie)
Not to me.
89 INT. ROY'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT 89
Sara's on the phone, unwrapping one of those T.V.
dinners.
SARA
(into phone)
It was so... slamming, Lindsay.
The dancing! I'm going again.
What? No, I haven't seen anybody
get shot yet. God, I didn't move
to Bosnia.
90 INT. PATTERSON HIGH - HALLWAY - MORNING 90
A fight. Two black girls having at it. It's a ferocious
match. Hair pulling, spit flying, punches landed,
clothes torn apart.
ANGLE ON SARA
as she crowns the corner, comes to a bottleneck of
students. It's like the nose bleed section of Caesar's
Palace. The far hallway is the ring. Sara cranes her
neck to see the action.
(CONTINUED)
54.
90 CONTINUED: 90
ANGLE WIDENS as a security guard earns his hazard pay.
He separates the two girls who are still swinging at each
other. He throws one into a corner, hurls the other in
an opposite corner.
ON SARA
as a WHITE GIRL standing next to her shakes her head
lamentably.
SARA
What happened?
The White Girl studies Sara's suburban clothes and fresh-
scrubbed face. Thinks she found a kindred spirit.
TONY (WHITE GIRL)
We freed the slaves and didn't
teach them no manners.
(before Sara can react)
You're Sara, right?
(as Sara warily nods)
Toni. I was gonna introduce
myself before but you're always
with that crowd. You know.
Chenille, her girls, that identity
crisis Diggy.
Sara looks at Toni. Getting it. Getting her. The
expression on her face closes off. Toni, too dense to
read it, keeps talking.
TONI
(brightly)
We should hang out sometime, Sara.
The two of us. Whenever you
decide to lose the tan?
Her inference clear, Toni flashes a brilliant smile,
happily walks off. Sara shakes her head to herself.
What an idiot.
As Sara continues down the hall, a P.A. address comes on.
P.A. ADDRESS (V.O.)
Seniors, a reminder before you
rise up and change the world.
Mrs. Gwynn is holding all diplomas
hostage in her office. Her only
demand is the pleasure of your
company for career D-Day. Be
there.
Sara enters her classroom, a bunch of kids in front of
and behind her.
55.
91 EXT./INT. STREET/ROY'S ROWHOUSE (SO. BALTIMORE) - DAY 91
Sara walks up the street (passing many black people),
sees Roys' pickup. Shit. He's home.
92 CAMERA TRACKS 92
Sara as she enters their rowhouse, walks up a flight of
stairs to their apartment. There's a JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL
FAINTLY coming from it. And another NOISE. Foreign and
yet familiar. Like grunting... but not. Sara unlocks
the door. Opens it.
93 SARA'S POV - LIVING ROOM 93
Her father's fucking somebody! On the couch. Half on it
anyway. In broad daylight! The whore underneath him is
moaning. Jesus!
ANGLE WIDENS as Sara turns away from the spectacle.
Reaches for Roy's sax. She blows the longest, shrillest
note known to mankind.
94 ON ROY 94
The hair on his head stands up. His body deflates
instantly.
95 INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER 95
Sara sits at the table. Roy enters in a wrinkled T-shirt
and battered jeans. His embarrassment is naked.
ROY
I don't know what to say. I
don't.
SARA
How 'bout fuck it? Or should I
say fuck her? It's a fuck-fest,
Roy.
ROY
Don't talk to me like that, Sara.
(beat)
I thought you were goin' to your
friend's house after school.
Obviously, you changed your mind.
So I'm sorry. Alright?
SARA
Sorry you got caught.
(CONTINUED)
56.
95 CONTINUED: 95
ROY
Sorry I got... observed
The "whore" with the Hich C is RHONDA. She stands
between the living area and the kitchen entrance now.
Sara tries not to look at her. Can't help it. She has
to see the whore. Not bad looking, in a washed out,
bottle blonde barfly kind of way.
RHONDA
Don't be mad at him. It's my
fault. I'm real sorry, honey.
ROY
It's nobody's 'fault.' It's over.
Let it be over. We're all adults.
Sara glares at him. The disingenuous Rhonda jumps in.
RHONDA
I think he means you know about
sex. That we have it and he likes
it. Isn't that what you mean,
Roy?
Sara looks at her. Bats her eyes. Hard.
SARA
Really? How often do you have it?
RHONDA
Things been kind of slow since you
got here. Once upon a time we
were real rabbits, weren't we,
Roy?
Verbal quicksand. Roy can feel himself sinking.
ROY
Rhonda. Shut up. Please.
96 INT. SARA'S ROOM - NOT MUCH LATER 96
OPEN CLOSE ON a framed photo of Glynn and Sara (in full
ballet costume). Embracing. Happy. PULL BACK to see
Sara. Sitting on the edge of her futon, holding Glynn's
clover leaf necklace and staring at her mother's face.
Lost. Lonely. Missing her. She kisses the lucky charm,
smiles at Glynn, slips the necklace on.
57.
97 INT./EXT. CAR WASH - DAY 97
Patrick, in coveralls, slouches over a mechanic's station
studying. A few workers mill about, waiting for the next
car on a slow day. A BMW with tinted windows peels into
the lot on two wheels. Patrick looks up as Malakai and a
tall, wiry, nattily dressed man get out.
PATRICK
I got it.
He exits into the lot. Approaches Malakai and the man
("TUTE").
MALAKAI
Medicine Man. You know Tute.
Tute takes in Patrick. Looks around. Snickers
derisively.
TUTE
You call this a job, man?
PATRICK
Actually, I call it a car wash.
The work I do, yeah, that's a job.
Malakai lets out a nervous laugh. Tute doesn't crack a
smile.
TUTE
I need some sticks. Watch my
ride, Malakai.
Tute enters the cashier's office. Patrick looks at
Malakai.
PATRICK
You hangin' with him now? Think
that's a good idea, 'Kai?
MALAKAI
You got a better one?
PATRICK
You could try layin' all this shit
off for awhile. Give yourself a
chance on the other side.
MALAKAI
What other side?
PATRICK
You know what I mean. It ain't
like you don't have good sense.
(CONTINUED)
58.
97 CONTINUED: 97
MALAKAI
I got sense enough to know who I
am, what I can do and where I can
do it. I ain't like you. People
don't just up and hand me shit.
Tute emerges from cashier's office lighting a cigarette
from a fresh pack. He blows a plume of smoke into the
air, regards Patrick.
TUTE
We ain't here for our health. You
workin', then work.
(throws Patrick
car keys)
And don't forget the rims.
98 INT. REYNOLDS' APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN - 98
LATE THAT NIGHT
Patrick, still in work coveralls, enters. First thing he
does is pick up a stack of mail. Tracking him into
kitchen as he crosses to refrigerator, takes out a plate
Momma Dean's left for him. He sits down at the table,
takes a breath, begins shifting through the mail. His
face registers disappointment. Nothing. Again.
99 INT. GUIDANCE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE - DAY 99
Patrick sits across from Mrs. Gwynn, the reality check of
Patterson High.
MRS. GWYNN
Maybe you think it's enough to
have the grades, get a full
scholarship. But it isn't,
Patrick. Georgetown makes mulch
of students like you every
semester. You have to be ready to
change. Change friends.
Lifestyle. Your entire point of
view. What I'm saying is, options
won't matter if you don't keep a
clean nose to the grindstone.
PATRICK
(looks her right in
the eye)
I know that, Mrs. Gwynn.
The unflappable Patrick. He doesn't fool Mrs. Gwynn.
(CONTINUED)
59.
99 CONTINUED: 99
MRS. GWYNN
Knowing's easy. Doing is hard.
BEGIN MONTAGE
in which a series of STUDENTS parade in front of
Mrs. Gwynn.
100 SNOOKIE 100
SNOOKIE
Me? I wanna operate on cars.
Some place fly like the Kentucky
Derby. -- Ah-ha! Joke on you...
101 SPACED-OUT STUDENT 101
SPACED-OUT STUDENT
Career? That the same as a
job...?
102 DIGGY 102
DIGGY
A Rock-n-Rap club in L.A. I'm
gonna put a tattoo parlor on the
roof. Soon as I find some
investors...
103 SERIOUS STUDENT 103
SERIOUS STUDENT
I want to be a lawyer, but I
believe in God so I'm not sure
about it...
104 TONI 104
TONI
I'm moving to Idaho. I hate it
here