Monday 26 September 2022

Pee and Em

 







Inside JIM's living room
The television is on, but only a hum comes from it, and the screen is a flickering gray. 

The FATHER sits lumpily in a chair by the fireplace, still dressed but with his collar open. 

The sound of JIM's step in the dining room makes him open his eyes. Fear of facing his son makes him shut them again. The boy comes in, a bottle of milk in his hand. 

Seeing his FATHER there, he stops short--his impulse is to flee. Instead he comes in and looks down at the sleeping man whose eyelids, fluttering in the FATHER's masquerade of sleep, make him seem to be having a dream. 

JIM is torn between his desire to leave and his need to speak. He turns off the television quietly, then lies down on the couch across the way. 

He mumbles the things he would say to his FATHER 
and the answers he feels he would get. 

The old man opens his eyes once, 
sees the boy there, head banging upside down from the couch. 
Then he shuts them again.

Upside down long shot. Room (JIM's viewpoint). 

Suddenly, inverted in his vision, the MOTHER appears at the head of the stairs, in bathrobe and nightgown. She pauses a moment, then runs down crying:

MOTHER 
He's home! You're home! 
You're all right!


The camera rights itself suddenly.
JIM as he completes his turn, pulling his head up and sitting.

FATHER as he pretends to awaken with a start.

Full shot, room as the MOTHER hurries to JIM, holds him, inspects him, kisses him.
 
MOTHER 
What happened, darling. 
We were so worried
I was going to take 
a sleeping pill, but I wouldn't 
till I knew you were home.

JIM 
I have to talk to someone, Mom. 
I have to talk to you both
And Dad this time you got to 
give me An Answer.


FATHER 
Go ahead.


JIM 
I'm in terrible trouble.--
You know that big high bluff 
near Millertown Junction?

FATHER 
Sure--there was a bad accident there. 
They showed the pictures on T.V.

JIM 
I was in it.

MOTHER 
How!

JIM 
It doesn't matter how. 
I was driving a stolen car--


MOTHER 
Do you enjoy doing this to me or what--

 
JIM 
Mom--I'm not--

MOTHER 
And you wanted him to make a [Christmas] list!

FATHER 
Will you let him tell it!

JIM 
She never wants to hear. 
She doesn't care!

MOTHER 
I guess when I nearly died giving birth to you--
that shows how much I don't care!

FATHER 
Just relax, please relax!

JIM 
I told you Dad
it was a question of honor
They called me chicken-- 
you know, chicken!
I had to go or I would 
never have been able to face 
any of those kids again
So I got in one of these cars 
and a boy called Buzz 
got in the other. 
We had to drive fast and jump 
before the cars went over 
the edge of the bluff. 

I got out okay but 
Buzz didn't

He was killed.

MOTHER 
Good Lord!

JIM 
I can't keep it to myself anymore--

FATHER 
Well, just get it off your chest, son.

JIM 
That's not what I mean. 
I've never done anything right. 
I've been going around 
with my head in a sling for years...
I don't want to drag you into this 
but I can't help it. 
I don't think I can prove anything 
by going around pretending 
I'm tough any more, 
so maybe you look like one thing 
but you still feel like another.

FATHER 
You're absolutely right!

JIM 
Are you listening to me? 
You're involved in this! 
I want to go to The Police 
and tell them I was mixed up 
in this thing tonight?

FATHER 
You what?

MOTHER 
No!

FATHER 
Did anyone see you there? 
I mean did they get 
your license number 
or anything?

JIM 
I don't think so--

FATHER 
Well--
 
MOTHER 
What about the other boys--
Do you think they'll 
go to The Police?

JIM 
What's that got to do with it?

MOTHER 
Why should you be 
the only one.

FATHER 
Look Jim. Far be it from me 
to tell you what to do, 
but there's--

MOTHER 
Are you going to preach now? 
Are we going to have a sermon?

FATHER 
I'm just explaining what you mean
You can't be An Idealist all your life! 
Nobody thanks you 
for sticking your neck out!

MOTHER 
That's right!

JIM 
Except yourself!

FATHER 
Will you wait a minute?

JIM 
You don't want me to go.

MOTHER 
No! I don't want you 
to go to The Police
There were other people and why should you be the only one involved!

JIM 
But I am involved! 
We're all involved, Mom! 
A boy was killed

I don't see how 
we can get out of that 
by pretending it 
didn't happen!

FATHER 
You know you did Wrong. 
That's The Main Thing, isn't it?

JIM 
No! It's nothing! Just nothing
You always told me to 
Tell The Truth

You think you can 
just turn that off?

MOTHER 
He's not saying that! 
He's saying 'Don't Volunteer!'

JIM 
Just tell a little white lie?

FATHER 
You'll learn as you get a little older, Jim.

JIM 
I don't want to learn that!

MOTHER 
Well, it doesn't matter anyhow-- 
because we're moving.

JIM 
No! You're not tearing me 
loose any more.

MOTHER 
Do I have to spell it out?

JIM 
You're not going to use me 
as An Excuse again, Mom. 
Every time you can't face yourself 
you want to move and you say 
it's because of me or the neighborhood 
or some other phony excuse

Now I want to do 
one thing right 
and I'm not letting 
you run away

(silence

Dad?

 FATHER 
Son--this is all happening so fast--

 JIM 
You better give me 
something, Dad. 
You better give me something — 

(stops as he sees the emptiness in them
Mom?

MOTHER 
Jimmy, you're very young--
and a foolish decision now 
could wreck your whole life.

 
JIM 
Dad -- Answer Her -- 
aren't you going to 
stand up for me?

The FATHER is mute, helpless... 

Suddenly JIM screams.


JIM 
Dad?

He leaps at his FATHER, dragging him to his feet, hands at the man's throat.

MOTHER 
Stop it! You'll kill him! 
Jim! Do you want to 
Kill Your Father?

Suddenly JIM loosens his hands and rises. He looks swiftly at each of them--moves a few steps toward the door, looks back at them again--then rushes out of the house. 

The parents stand frozen.

DISSOLVE TO:

Outside Precinct Station
JIM's car comes to a stop at the curb. JIM gets out and approaches the flight of steps leading up the entrance. A bare bulb on either side is the only illumination. As he mounts the first step, the double doors above him swing open revealing several people. JIM stops short. So do they.
Low angle. CRUNCH, MOOSE and their parents. JIM's back in f.g. The boys stare down at him.
High angle. JIM (from the boys' point of view) as he stares up at them. MOOSE's father takes his arm and starts him down the stairs, the others moving too.

MOOSE 
Let go of me--

MOOSE'S FATHER 
You want a good crack in the mouth?

JIM starts forward up the steps. CRUNCH grabs him.

CRUNCH This place appeal to you or something?
They move down the steps as JIM breaks away and continues up. He goes through the doors.

Inside doors as JIM comes through and stops. He looks back through the glass. We see the group reach the curb where their cars are parked. There is a brief discussion which we cannot hear, then CRUNCH and MOOSE move off to MOOSE's car. JIM turns back. He looks worried as he passes camera.
Med. shot. CRUNCH and MOOSE. They stop at MOOSE's car and look back at the entrance. The parents are seen beyond them, getting into their cars. CRUNCH is near tears with anger.
 
CRUNCH What's he going to pull--
 

MOOSE Nothing, Crunch. They picked him up like the rest of--
 
CRUNCH You see any cops?
 
MOOSE'S FATHER (yelling) You monsters start home. We're going to--
 
MOOSE Yeah. Yeah.
 
MOOSE'S FATHER We're following you so better get there.
 
CRUNCH You see any cops?
 
MOOSE No--
 
CRUNCH He's going to cheese, I tell you. Nobody arrested him!
 
MOOSE I think I should go home.
 
CRUNCH No. We're going to bring him down.
 
MOOSE Crunch--my father's--You going to kill him?
 
CRUNCH (crying) You clean out of your head? Come on!

CRUNCH gets into the car. MOOSE follows. They gun the motor and throw the car into a sharp U-turn. MOOSE'S FATHER jumps into his car. He steps on the starter but nothing happens--just the empty whirring, over and over. Finally it starts, but the boys have gone.

Inside Precinct Station. Juvenile division. A desk sergeant is writing in the record book. Facing him across the desk and handcuffed to an officer is a young hoodlum, very different in appearance from the kids we have met--a typical duck-tail 'cat'.
 
SERGEANT (spelling) W-O-J-T-what?
 
HOODLUM O-W-I-C-Z. Wojtowicz. What's the matter, man? That's the craziest name in town! It swings!
 
JIM Excuse me--but--You know where I can find--I mean I don't remember his last name--
 
SERGEANT Look--can't you see I'm writing?
 
HOODLUM (combing his duck-tail) Man, this cat never stops. He just keeps going like Big Jay at a session! OFFICER Shut up.
 
HOODLUM He's writing a book about me--
 
SERGEANT What I could write about you they wouldn't print.
 
JIM I think his first name's Ray--I have to see him. It's very important.
 
SERGEANT What's the charge?
 
OFFICER Assault with a deadly weapon.
 
JIM Listen--
 
SERGEANT (annoyed) 
He's not here. He's not at Juvenile Hall. I don't know where he is. He's out on a call and he'll be out all night. How old are you?
 
JIM My parents know I'm out. They know I'm here.
 
SERGEANT Come back tomorrow.
 
JIM I'll wait for him.
 
SERGEANT Why don't you come back tomorrow, son? (to hoodlum) Ever been booked before?

JIM turns away, notices a phone on the wall--puts in a coin, asks for a number. 

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