Point in Time
Return to Simply Scripts
This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved.
This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express
written permission of the author.
FADE IN:
INT. HOTEL ROOM -- EVENING
Inside the shabbily furnished, rundown room is a rickety
bed and not much more. On the bed lies BIG REED RODNEY, 93.
Standing over him is JACOB JONES, 50, dressed in a new suit.
HOBO ONE and HOBO TWO, both about 55, are in the room.
HOBO ONE
You're a good man, JJ.
HOBO TWO
He spoke of you often.
Hobo One and Hobo Two walk out, closing the door behind
them.
Rodney's eyes are shut. Jacob gently touches Rodney's
hand. Rodney opens his eyes as his breathing becomes very
labored.
BIG REED RODNEY
Jacob? Jacob Jones. That you?
JACOB
It is I.
BIG REED RODNEY
What you doing in Kansas City?
JACOB
Felt like a jam session. Get your
ass out of bed, grab Sally and let's
get funky. Blow, Rodney.
Rodney's response is a slight chuckle.
BIG REED RODNEY
You have newspaper?
Jacob holds up a thick newspaper.
JACOB
You taught me well. New York Times
Sunday Edition.
BIG REED RODNEY
Lot of pages.
Rodney shuts his eyes, struggles to take one last labored
breath and then lies there silently, motionless.
A train whistle BLOWS and a harmonica plays BLUSEY MUSIC.
EXT. RAILROAD CROSSING -- NIGHT
A freight train passes by.
INT. BOXCAR -- CONTINUOUS
Inside the dark, cluttered car are Hobo One, who plays his
harmonica, Hobo Two and Jacob. The boxcar rocks from the
motion of the train.
A cell phone RINGS. Jacob pulls his phone from his pocket,
looks at the caller ID and ignores the call.
HOBO ONE
Radio station again?
JACOB
Yup.
The train whistle BLOWS, crossing bells CLANG.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Last time I rode the rails, I was
westbound.
HOBO ONE
Probably five hours to Detroit.
HOBO TWO
Might as well get some shut eye.
EXT. RAIL YARD -- MORNING
A freight train slows.
EXT. BOXCAR -- MOMENTS LATER
The train stops, Jacob climbs out carrying a duffel bag and
guitar case.
JACOB
Take care guys.
HOBO ONE
Peace be with you, JJ.
HOBO TWO
Hope to ride with you again
sometime.
EXT. CAR RENTAL AGENCY LOT -- MORNING
Jacob drives off in a new Cadillac.
EXT. THE POINT PRESENT DAY -- EVENING
Misty rain falls on a country intersection where one road
splits into two. A giant tree grows at the fork in the
road.
In the background two pinpricks of light come closer then
fill the screen. The lights go out revealing Jacob's rented
Cadillac parked near the tree.
The driver's door opens. Jacob walks to the tree, looking
at a road sign: MAKERSVILLE 1 MILE.
Jacob rubs his chin as if pulling on a imaginary goatee.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM 1972 -- MORNING
A flip-card style digital clock turns its numbers from 6:59
TO 7:00. A 70'S TOP 40 pre-recorded radio announcer is
heard.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (V.O.)
And the hits just keep on coming!
RADIO JINGLE SINGERS (V.O.) (V.O.)
CKLW, The Motor City.
Over the INTRO OF A RECORD we hear CKLW DJ TOM SHANNON.
TOM (V.O.) (V.O.)
7 o'clock with Tom Shannon. Don't
you dare hit that snooze alarm
again, time to get up.
Jacob's bedroom is a masterpiece of teenage male
disorganization. Other than a black light poster of
President Richard Nixon sitting on the toilet, and one that
proclaims "Make Love Not War" the room is a shrine to Motown
Records.
An acoustic guitar leans against the wall under a
hand-written sign: "God Loves the Snake Pit." Record albums
are everywhere.
An electric guitar, amp, saxophone, drum kit, portable
keyboards, two reel-to-reel tape machines and microphones on
stands are crammed in the room.
On one of the tape machines is a framed picture of Jacob's
mother.
Beneath the covers out pops the head of JACOB JONES, 17,
his mop of hair covering his ears.
His eyes open slowly, adjusting to the light. Jacob
cradles his chin in his right hand and rubs as if pulling on
an imaginary goatee. He climbs out of bed and comes to life
to the music.
Jacob stands up wearing jockey shorts, grabs a tie-dye
t-shirt draped over a chair, gives it a quick sniff and
pulls it on in rhythm to the music.
In front of a poster of The Temptations he does the
"Temptation Walk." Step forward. Step back. Step forward
and pivot as he rolls his hands "this old man" style.
Jacob pulls on a pair of bell bottom blue jeans.
EXT. JACOB'S HOUSE -- MORNING
Jacob opens the door and bounds down the front steps.
EXT. A STREET CORNER -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob meets KEVIN WILSON, also 17 years old. He wears
jeans and a t-shirt with the Chevrolet logo. A "McGovern
'72" button is pinned to the shirt. MANY TEENAGERS mill
about, all walking in the same direction.
KEVIN
JJ, what's up, man?
JACOB
Nothing, man. What's up with you?
KEVIN
When Kevin Wilson is around, what's
up is all good. So the girls say.
JACOB
Only thing smaller is your IQ.
EXT. THE STREET -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob and Kevin walk toward HIPPIE CHICK and HIPPIE DUDE
both in their late 20's handing out leaflets.
KEVIN
Oh, groovy, man. Get out the love
beads and light some incense.
JACOB
These burn-outs again.
The two boys are stopped by the pair of hippies.
HIPPIE DUDE
Peace.
Hippie Chick hands Jacob and Kevin each a flier. Kevin
looks it over, Jacob gives it a quick glance.
HIPPIE CHICK
Love.
HIPPIE DUDE
Brothers Jacob and Kevin, Mother
Earth must be saved from the
evil-doers on the hill.
HIPPIE CHICK
We're having a "love-in" to tap
into cosmic energy to stop
pollution, starvation and end the
war.
JACOB
Yeah? Think you can plug into the
cosmos and get the "Wild, Wild West"
back on the air?
HIPPIE DUDE
Dig the McGovern button.
KEVIN
My dad's union gave him a shit load
of them. You have to vote for
Democrats or they kick you out.
HIPPIE CHICK
Play at our happening. Your music
will be the message.
JACOB
I'm not into the Joan Baez thing.
Hippie Chick begins rubbing Jacob's chest suggestively.
HIPPIE CHICK
The vibes you share will be richly
rewarded.
Kevin continues to study the flier.
KEVIN
You're holding this at old man
Dundee's pasture? How'd you get the
old coot to agree to that?
HIPPIE DUDE
He neither agreed nor disagreed.
HIPPIE CHICK
Love is land. Land is earth.
Earth is free. It belongs to us all
to do with as we please.
HIPPIE DUDE
We made love in a cow pasture.
HIPPIE CHICK
Very organic.
HIPPIE DUDE
Can we count on you to make some
beautiful noise, brother Jacob?
Jacob walks away. Kevin joins him.
JACOB
I'll let you know. Tune into
channel deep six on your cosmic
antennae for the answer.
Hippie Chick and Hippie Dude walk up to some more kids.
HIPPIE CHICK
Attend a happening.
HIPPIE DUDE
Free brownies and tea.
Jacob shoves his flier into a bush by the sidewalk.
JACOB
Thank God I'm not burdened with a
social agenda.
KEVIN
Did you get a whiff of them?
JACOB
Gamy.
KEVIN
Probably just had their wild roll
in the cow shit.
JACOB
Right after their flying saucer
landed. Speaking of smelling,
what's your favorite after shave?
KEVIN
Uh, English Leather?
Jacob jumps up in a perfect Bruce Lee karate move and kicks
Kevin in the ass.
JACOB
Wrong! Hai Karate!
Kevin attempts the same move, completely misses, stumbles
and almost falls on his face.
KEVIN
Ah, shit. Old Spice to you.
EXT. FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob and Kevin walk toward the old two-story school.
Massive trees frame and overhang the building.
DAVID (O.S.) (O.S.)
Pssst. Dudes.
They look around, to place where the voice is coming from.
DAVID (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Over here, ass wipes.
In a thicket of bushes and weeds on the perimeter of the
school property, 14 year old DAVID CRANKWELL's head slowly
comes into view at ground level.
DAVID (CONT'D)
We're gonna get busted, man.
JACOB
No way.
DAVID
Busted and sent to prison forever,
maybe longer.
KEVIN
Get out of there, loser.
David crawls out on his hands and knees, then reverses and
crawls back into hiding.
DAVID (O.S.) (O.S.)
We're done. Here he comes.
A Volkswagen Beetle comes toward the boys; driving is High
School Principal ELI McGURDY, 56. If mean looks had a
poster boy, he would be the perennial centerfold.
McGurdy stops his bug.
MCGURDY
Do you gentleman plan on education
or fraternization today?
JACOB
Education.
MCGURDY
Education what?
JACOB
Principal McGurdy, sir.
MCGURDY
Get to class quicker than
immediately. Got it?
McGurdy starts to drive away.
MCGURDY (CONT'D)
I see you under those bushes, Mr.
Crankwell.
David crawls back out and stands.
DAVID
He knows. We're doomed. He knows.
KEVIN
He knows nothing. McGurdy will
never figure out who did it.
DAVID
I hope you're right. Don't want to
wake up with a tarantula in my bed.
KEVIN
Those tarantulas are his babies.
He'd never let one out.
DAVID
He walks them on a leash after
dark. Joey Kinchloe says.
JACOB
That stoner doesn't know shit.
DAVID
Ain't taking chances.
JACOB
It'll be neat, clean, quick and
done. Look at those trees, strong
as steel.
DAVID
Don't know.
KEVIN
Fossil face McGurdy gave you
detention six weeks for what again?
DAVID
Staining my algebra book with
Twinkie Cream.
KEVIN
Twinkie Cream. Proves he's an
asshole and likely a Communist to
boot. Only a comrade would get
cranked up about good old American
Twinkie Cream.
DAVID
Yeah, he must be a Commie.
KEVIN
Remember the kid on detention
forever?
DAVID
His grandma lay dying in the
hospital.
KEVIN
Poor woman, in a plane crash taking
food to poor kids in China, Chile,
Simi Valley; someplace like that.
DAVID
McGurdy zapped him with permanent
double detention.
KEVIN
For going to his grandma's funeral
without a permission slip.
JACOB
If that's true, it's sick.
KEVIN
McGurdy's the king of evil. That
kid's grandma will look down on us
tonight and smile.
DAVID
Man, I still don't know.
JACOB
Let's do another practice run after
school. Cool fool?
KEVIN
Cool fool. Cool fool?
JACOB
David, cool fool? All for one,
JACOB & KEVIN
One for all.
KEVIN
Davey, boy. Cool fool?
Jacob and Kevin get on opposite sides of David and
playfully push him back and forth. Finally David cracks a
smile.
DAVID
Alright, cool fool. I guess.
EXT. THE STREET IN FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH -- CONTINUOUS
The throaty ROAR of a muscle car is heard as a Plymouth
Hemi 'Cuda with the ragtop down comes into the scene. The
driver is 18 year-old MEGHAN ALLEN, a drop-dead, stone fox.
Meghan notices Jacob, Kevin and David. She playfully flips
her shoulder length hair from the side of her face.
MEGHAN
Boys. Are you staring at me?
David gazes open-mouthed, Jacob looks at her lovingly.
KEVIN
Wouldn't be polite to stare.
MEGHAN
I do believe you're staring at me.
KEVIN
We're, uh, I'm enchanted. And
wonder where an angel like you hides
her wings while visiting earth.
MEGHAN
How sweet in a yokel sort of way.
DAVID
Yokel? Yokel Ono?
MEGHAN
I'll make note to see you boys
later.
Meghan guns the engine, laying rubber through all four
gears.
DAVID
Who is that lovely creature?
KEVIN
Don't know but I'm in lust.
JACOB
Not good.
KEVIN
Maybe in love.
JACOB
Bad idea.
KEVIN
Head over heels.
JACOB
Don't be in love with that girl,
I'm gonna marry her right after gym
class.
EXT. FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- AFTERNOON
The school bell rings, a sea of kids flood out the doors.
In the midst of the crowd are Jacob, Kevin and David.
DAVID
I didn't say The Temptations aren't
good. I like the Partridge Family
better, that's all.
JACOB
You're a man of unique taste.
KEVIN
What's with you and Motown?
JACOB
Sweet music. I'm gonna play there
someday.
KEVIN
Man, Motown ain't gonna hire no
white boy like you.
JACOB
Ain't no white boy can play like me.
KEVIN
Wake me up when your wet dream's
over. Motown's decent.
JACOB
Decent?
KEVIN
Some is pretty good. "Ball of
Confusion" tells how the world
sucks. Great lyrics.
JACOB
Don't know the lyrics, just know
the jam. Dennis Coffey's guitar is
cool with fuzz tone and echoplex.
KEVIN
Echo, fuzz tone? Whatever fuzz
nuts.
JACOB
You want to change the world. My
music is my world. Nobody ever dies
or gets hurt where I live.
KEVIN
I dig where you're coming from.
Someday you have to crawl out of
Captain Kangaroo's Treasure House.
Open your eyes to all the crap all
around you. Raise hell like Mother
Jones.
JACOB
Rather raise funk with Mother
Motown.
KEVIN
The clock is ticking. Motown's
fifteen minutes are about up.
DAVID
When does your fifteen minutes of
being an asshole end?
JACOB
Very good.
DAVID
Hey, I made a joke.
KEVIN
Far out, solid and right on, man.
DAVID
Cool. A good joke.
KEVIN
Dude, you are the joke. The point
is nobody will give jack shit about
Motown ten years from now.
JACOB
Not when we can listen to the
Archies.
KEVIN
You're messed up. Stick with
something, like me, that has staying
power.
An acoustic guitar PLAYS the intro of "My Girl."
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Who wants to hear "My Girl" when
they're fifty years old?
INT. JACOB'S CAR PRESENT DAY -- NIGHT
Heavy rain falls outside as a rain-soaked older Jacob sits
in the passenger seat of his car, he is playing his guitar
and singing along.
A 4x4 pickup coming from town slows down as it passes by.
The pickup turns around and stops. A spotlight from the
truck shines on Jacob's car, lighting up the interior.
JACOB
(still singing, then)
In the spotlight shining bright
(finishes lyric)
The pickup flies away leaving a trail of spray from the
rain in its wake. The spray fills the screen.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Music critic.
EXT. THE ALLEY 1972 -- AFTERNOON
Smoke fills the screen then clears revealing the back alley
of downtown Makersville. Another cloud of smoke rises from
the coughing mouth of JOEY KINCHLOE, 23.
Joey passes a poorly rolled joint to DANNY DORPHMAN, 21.
Danny takes a toke and chokes on what has to be harsh
ragweed.
Jacob, Kevin and David walk through the alley.
JOEY
Look what the cat puked up and
dragged back to the alley. Ladies,
come take a walk on the wild side.
DANNY
Yeah, wild side. Girls, show us
you have hair on your balls.
Danny hands the joint in the direction of Jacob, David and
Kevin who all refuse to take it.
JOEY
What's wrong bitches, don't want to
ride the magic carpet? Play suck
face with Mary Jane?
JACOB
No thanks, man.
JOEY
You sluts are hurting my feelings.
Expand horizons. Visit imaginary
places. Listen to music that ain't
been written. Set your spirits free.
KEVIN
My spirit's fine. Don't wanna grow
tits, that's what that shit does.
DAVID
And you get brain damage.
JOEY
Wouldn't want that would we
Einstein?
KEVIN
A guy in Chicago jumped out a 20
story window after just one toke.
JOEY
Bullshit.
DANNY
You tell them Joey, bullshit.
JACOB
No, bull-fact. I want to keep
using my brain for something besides
a sponge to stop air leaks.
JOEY
I heard it was Cleveland and a 30
story window. So? Fall 29 floors,
you got it made. That's a few feet
from the ground. Anybody can jump
from there.
The boys walk away.
KEVIN
Man, the war totally messed that
dude up.
DAVID
I think he's right. You should be
able to jump from there.
KEVIN
How old are you again?
DAVID
Almost fifteen.
KEVIN
A pup. Taken under our wings to
learn to be cool like us. Me anyway.
JACOB
Your mama.
KEVIN
Don't think you can be taught. Try
hanging close to me, maybe you'll
soak it up through osmosis.
DAVID
Osmosis? Isn't that about plants?
JACOB
Photosynthesis.
KEVIN
David and plant life. Same thing.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- MOMENTS LATER
A small town of very few businesses, each one generically
and unimaginatively named, ie: the flower shop is called
"Flower Shop", barber shop is named "Barber Shop," liquor
store goes by "Liquor Store," the three bars carry the
simple moniker "Bar."
The boys approach the "Coffee Shop."
INT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
Sitting at the table in the window are the queen bees of
town gossip, the menopausal, LOUISE JONES, ROXIE REYNOLDS
and JANE VINTON. All are in their upper 50's and look every
minute of it.
The table is cluttered with its usual assortment of items:
a pot of coffee and three mugs, packs of cigarettes, an
ashtray filled with cigarette butts and a bright pink
scrapbook.
LOUISE
You know she has a drinking problem.
JANE
She likes her sauce. And her
morals, should we say, are a bit
loose.
LOUISE
If she charged a nickel a pop she'd
be retired to Mexico by now.
Jacob, Kevin and David pass by the window.
JANE
Look at these three.
LOUISE
Disgraceful.
ROXIE
That long girlie hair. So pretty.
JANE
Heads out of the sand, the hippies
have taken over.
LOUISE
In Makersville. I thought we were
above that.
JANE
Who knows what's next with the
likes of them traipsing around.
ROXIE
Help us, Jesus.
LOUISE
That kid, Jacob has the same last
name as me. We're not related.
JANE
You've told us many times.
ROXIE
Jones is a common name.
JANE
If nothing else those three are the
jolliest ol' souls in town.
Louise strikes a match and lights a cigarette. Roxie
brings life to her ciggy off Louise's still flaming match.
ROXIE
How's that?
Jane attempts to light a smoke off the match. Louise shakes
the flame out.
LOUISE
Never three on a match, dear.
JANE
I forgot.
Jane pulls out a Zippo lighter from her purse, flicks it to
life, takes a deep drag and loudly snaps the lighter shut.
JANE (CONT'D)
They get happy-faced smoking that
wacky tobacky. Giggle smoke.
All three ladies cackle, smoke and slurp coffee. Through
the window we see Jacob, Kevin and David cross the street.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- CONTINUOUS
McGurdy's VW pulls out from a parking space and stops short
of hitting the boys.
MCGURDY
Learn to pay attention quicker than
immediately. Got it?
JACOB
Sure thing Mr. McGurdy.
MCGURDY
Sure thing, what?
JACOB
Principal McGurdy, sir.
MCGURDY
Mr. Jones, Mr. Wilson, enjoy your
summer vacation this year, you will
despise the fall. You've heard I'm
tough on seniors? That's wrong.
I'm brutal. Got it? As for
sophomores Mr. Crankwell, they're
slime. I hate sophomores. Got it?
McGurdy drives off, Kevin flips the bird.
KEVIN
Get this. You'll hate tonight,
jerk.
INT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
LOUISE
Druggies in Makersville.
ROXIE
Help us please, Jesus.
JANE
Giggle smoke.
The ladies pound the table, cackle and snort uncontrollably.
EXT. CHICKEN COOP -- AFTERNOON
Chickens cluck. Jacob, Kevin and David are in the
background.
EXT. KEVIN'S FARM -- CONTINUOUS
The boys look straight up a tree. Heavy rope runs through
block and tackle hung from a branch and ends at a hook
attached to a large block engine. Kevin and David pull the
rope with all their might.
With the engine twenty feet off the ground the hook shifts
position causing the load to go off balance.
KEVIN
Let it down.
DAVID
OK.
David lets go of the rope and walks away. Kevin shoots up
in the air as the engine hits the ground with an earthly
thud. Kevin dangles twenty feet in the air. Wrapping his
legs around the rope he slides to the ground.
KEVIN
At what age did you get your
lobotomy?
JACOB
Be cool man, it was good practice.
And great comedy.
EXT. FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- NIGHT
Jacob, Kevin and David sneak toward the school. David
carries the rope; Jacob the block and tackle. They wear
work gloves.
Jacob jumps up, grabs a branch and pulls himself into the
tree closest to the school. He hooks the block and tackle
over a branch overhanging the building. Jacob gestures for
David to throw the rope up.
David tosses the rope up just out of reach. Jacob
stretches to grab the rope, loses his balance and hangs
upside down like a bat on a tree.
Jacob pulls himself upright. Kevin throws the rope to
Jacob who threads it through the pulleys and sends it back
down.
Jacob crawls the branch and jumps to the roof. He walks to
the edge, looks down at his buddies, assumes a stiff
military posture and salutes.
Kevin and David salute back. Kevin motions for David to
follow him.
EXT. ELI MCGURDY'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER
Down the street from Makersville High School is McGurdy's
home. The driveway has a steep incline toward the street.
At the crest McGurdy's Volkswagen is parked.
Kevin and David sneak up the drive. Kevin opens the door,
takes the bug out of gear and slowly starts to move the car,
holding onto the door frame.
David walks to the front of the VW and gives it a mighty
shove. It picks up speed down the driveway toward the
street.
The VW rolls in front of an oncoming car. The driver
swerves sharply to avoid hitting the Volkswagen.
DRIVER (O.S.) (O.S.)
Asshole, McGurdy!
The VW jumps the curb onto the sidewalk. Kevin and David
run up to the car.
DAVID
At least we got it over the curb.
EXT. FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- CONTINUOUS
Kevin and David push the Volkswagen to the tree with the
block and tackle. Kevin hooks the rope to the front bumper.
Kevin and David pull the rope, the car moves and rises off
the ground to roof level, then eye level with Jacob.
Jacob reaches for the rope, pulling the car toward him.
There is not enough clearance to get it over the building.
MEGHAN (O.S.) (O.S.)
Hey boys. What's going on?
The boys freeze in position, Meghan enters from back of the
school, her left hand behind her back.
JACOB
Just doing some fishing.
MEGHAN
Caught a big one. Gonna be a
bloody mess to clean.
Meghan nonchalantly walks away.
JACOB
What are you doing?
Meghan brings her left hand into view, it holds a lit
cigarette. She takes a deep drag then flicks the butt on
the school lawn.
MEGHAN
Hiding out while I practice
learning a bad habit.
Meghan turns and walks toward the street.
The boys lift the car a few inches higher. Jacob indicates
a fraction of an inch more is needed. The car clears the
top of the building.
Jacob pulls the rope and stumbles backward. The tires hit
the top of the school, the car flips over on its roof.
Jacob unhooks the rope from the Volkswagen. He rocks the
car from side-to-side, until it rights itself
Jacob pumps his arms up and down in a victory gesture
toward the sky as the boys on the ground do a gleeful dance.
A creaking sound is heard and becomes louder. The VW falls
through the roof to the second story floor then to the first
floor. Jacob looks straight down the hole in the roof.
INT. MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- CONTINUOUS
We look straight up at Jacob.
JACOB
Whoops.
INT. MCGURDY'S OFFICE -- MORNING
We look up at Jacob from floor level. He sits in a chair
and looks down.
MCGURDY (O.S.) (O.S.)
There appears to be a Volkswagen in
my office.
McGurdy sits in a chair on one side of the Volkswagen, not
a scratch on it. Jacob, Kevin and David are across from
him. Underneath the car are the shattered remains of
McGurdy's desk.
MCGURDY (CONT'D)
There appears to be a Volkswagen on
my desk. It appears to be my
Volkswagen. Do you gentlemen know
how my Volkswagen got on my desk?
David and Kevin shake their heads.
JACOB
No sir. That's quite a mystery.
McGurdy glares at Jacob with a knowing look.
MCGURDY
I know you did this. I don't have
proof. I don't need proof. This
fall you three will be on triple
permanent detention. Lots of walls
to wash. Gobs of gum to scrape.
Meghan's 'Cuda drives by. Jacob looks out and McGurdy
notices his infatuation.
MCGURDY (CONT'D)
Now get out of here.
Jacob stands up and continues to look out the window.
MCGURDY (CONT'D)
Right now. Got it?
EXT. FRONT OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- AFTERNOON
A banner on the front reads: "Have a Nice Summer!" The
school bell RINGS, students explode out the doors.
McGurdy drives his Volkswagen out the front door with
Jacob, Kevin and David snickering as they follow close
behind.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- AFTERNOON
Scores of teenagers exchange hand-slaps and high fives.
A pile of shoes and socks is in front of the liquor store.
Jacob, Kevin and David come out of the liquor store, each
carrying a bottle of soda pop. They take off their shoes
and socks, throwing them on the existing pile.
DAVID
Ah, summer vacation!
JACOB
Ain't it grand?
DAVID
No more pencils. No more books.
DAVID & JACOB
No more teachers dirty looks.
The other kids in the nearby crowd join in singing.
ALL
School's out for summer!
The crowd breaks into spontaneous clapping and laughing.
DEPUTY VINTON, the local cop, age 56, drives slowly down
the street. His stomach protrudes over the steering wheel,
his face barely visible through the passenger side window.
DEPUTY VINTON
This look like a playground? Don't
make me have to get out and write
you a ticket for unlawful assembly.
The group laughs but not loud enough for him to hear.
KEVIN
We need to be serious about having
fun this summer.
JACOB
Serious about having fun? Too much
work. Easier to be miserable.
KEVIN
Enjoy the moment, loser. Before
you know it, it'll be fall. You and
I will be seniors. We'll graduate.
JACOB
That was fast.
KEVIN
Next summer Uncle Sam invites us to
Vietnam to kill people, become drug
addicts and ship us home in a box.
JACOB
Probably postage due.
KEVIN
Our only hope is for McGovern to
beat Nixon. Then we'll be out by
March.
DAVID
Think so?
KEVIN
I guarantee it one hundred, no, one
thousand percent.
Meghan's 'Cuda approaches.
MEGHAN
Hick town boys loose your shoes?
Or are they taboo here at "Green
Acres?"
KEVIN
Our poor, tired dawgs could use a
rest. Going our way?
MEGHAN
Where you headed?
KEVIN
Wherever you're going.
MEGHAN
To the store, then home, uh, my
uncle's house. He needed prune
juice real quick.
KEVIN
Tell your uncle I hope everything
comes out in the end.
DAVID
In the end. Oh man that's wild.
You are a riot, seriously.
Meghan parks the car and enters the liquor store.
JACOB
That was an asshole statement.
KEVIN
Exactly.
JACOB
Don't act like a hayseed around a
sharp girl like that.
KEVIN
What the hell do you know about
her? She just showed up yesterday.
JACOB
Known her all my life. Finally
getting around to meeting her.
Meghan exits the liquor store with a bottle of prune juice.
She gets in her car, gives the boys the playful flip of her
hair like she did when they first met the day before.
MEGHAN
I'll be back. You can show me
around.
She pulls out of the parking spot and drives away.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP -- MOMENTS LATER
Louise, Roxie and Jane have their noses pressed to the
window staring as Meghan drives by, their exhaling fogs the
window.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob, Kevin and David continue their walk through town.
KEVIN
I'm no Mopar man, but that's one
sweet ride. Love to go
title-to-title with her in the
quarter mile.
JACOB
Your old man's giving your car back?
KEVIN
After three months. You believe
it? For putting Tobasco Sauce in
his toupee. Ugly ass rug anyway.
DAVID
Ugly ass is right, man. Looks like
a weasel sitting on his head.
KEVIN
Couldn't be a weasel. None of your
family has ever been to my house.
DAVID
I have.
KEVIN
Please, don't remind me while I'm
still alive.
Kevin spots a car with a bumper sticker: "Nixon Now."
Kevin pulls a jackknife from his pocket. He cuts the "w"
off the sticker so it reads "Nixon No."
JACOB
I think you hit every car in town.
KEVIN
Hope so. Dude, when are you going
to get a set of wheels?
JACOB
Gas and insurance eat more moola
than I can scratch up.
KEVIN
If you didn't blow your dough on
albums and instruments, you could
pay my insurance, your insurance and
buy enough gas to fill a fart
factory.
JACOB
Miles Davis, John Coltrane,
KEVIN
Oh no.
JACOB
Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin.
Those guys don't just make albums,
KEVIN
Here we go.
JACOB
they produce spiritual guidance.
KEVIN
I had to open this can of worms.
JACOB
My instruments aren't just
instruments, they're the
JACOB & KEVIN
tools of my trade.
JACOB
Music is who I am. I feel it. I
hear it. I see music. I have to
C-sharp before I can B-sharp.
DAVID
C-sharp. B-sharp. I get it.
That's funny, man.
KEVIN
No, what's funny is your mama
imitating a shop vac on my wing-wang.
JACOB
Your mother's into microbiology?
KEVIN
Pure jealousy. While you're
playing with your tools, I'll be in
the city, picking up chicks with my
427 manly cubic inches of bad-ass
Chevy power.
JACOB
Hell, that bad-ass Chevy will meet
a bad-ass tree before summer is
over.
Meghan pulls up in front of the coffee shop. Louise, Roxie
and Jane jump up to stare out the window.
MEGHAN
Boys, show me the hot fishing
spots. Someplace where the fish are
bigger than Volkswagens.
Jacob runs to the car and jumps into the passenger seat.
David and Kevin squeeze behind him into the back seat.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
Louise, Roxie and Jane have their noses pressed to the
window as Meghan drives away.
INT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
The three ladies continue staring. A copy of the local
newspaper "The Makersville Journal," scissors and glue are
among the regular items cluttering the table.
The ladies plunk down in their seats.
JANE
Who is that trollop?
Louise pounds on the scrapbook.
LOUISE
By the company she keeps, it won't
be long before she's in the book.
ROXIE
Help us, Jesus.
JANE
Better get back to it.
LOUISE
Yes, duty calls.
Jane leafs through the paper, something grabs her interest.
JANE
This one looks promising.
She cuts out an article hidden from our view.
LOUISE
Less than nine?
JANE
Looks like.
ROXIE
Mercy.
Jane flips through the scrapbook, stopping half-way
through. Jane glues the clipping in place under a article
already on the page and nods her head in a gingerly,
definitive "yes."
ROXIE (CONT'D)
Haaaaah!
EXT. THE POINT -- AFTERNOON
Meghan and the boys fly up in Meghan's 'Cuda.
KEVIN
Where the hell did you learn to
bang through the gears like that?
MEGHAN
Always drove with a clutch; gives
me more control. Hate those damn
automatics, anyway.
JACOB
This is "The Point."
MEGHAN
The who?
JACOB
If it were The Who, we'd be on the
Magic Bus.
MEGHAN
Sad when hick town boys attempt
humor.
KEVIN
This road to the freeway, is called
"The Point." For me, it points the
way outta here forever.
JACOB
That's it for this end of town.
Turn around for the other side.
Take about 18 seconds to get there.
MEGHAN
Probably less.
Meghan downshifts and punches the accelerator, the car
spins around in a donut. The car speeds away from The Point.
JACOB
I forgot we're riding with Megarito
Andretti.
EXT. DEPOT BALLROOM -- AFTERNOON
Meghan's car approaches an old train station. She stops
next to a portable marquee sign: "BOOK YOUR SPECAL PARTY
EARLY / BINGO WEDNESDAY 7PM"
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
DAVID
(Turns his head from
side-to-side
emulating stereo
sound from
left-to-right)
Number nine. Number nine. Number
nine. Turn me on dead man. Turn me
on dead man.
KEVIN
Instead of playing the White Album
backwards, try something new. Play
Black Sabbath sideways, up your ass.
JACOB
The Dep Ball, Depot Ballroom.
MEGHAN
Great place for a SPEC-al party.
DAVID
SPEC-al. Whoa, man I think
somebody seriously messed up the
spelling.
KEVIN
My God, you're brilliant. Did you
come up with that all on your own?
JACOB
This is the hot spot for hooting
and hollering, bra-snapping and
crotch-grabbing. All this depravity
and more tonight on "Peyton Place."
MEGHAN
A splendid time is guaranteed for
all. Thanks for the nickel tour,
boys. You owe me four cents change.
There's nothing here and very little
of it.
DAVID
It's not so bad. Nobody can say
Makersville doesn't keep up with the
times. We even have seven pay
phones.
MEGHAN
You don't mean it.
KEVIN
Ain't no seven pay phones.
DAVID
Count them jack-off. One at the
high school. The bars another
one-two-three. The gas stations,
two more.
KEVIN
That's only six.
DAVID
Oh yeah. Six. But they all work.
MEGHAN
Fantastic. 100 percent success
ratio. Can't get better than that.
JACOB
I don't know you people.
Meghan pulls away and Jacob points off to his right.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Now for something you'll really
like.
EXT. HOG FARM -- MOMENTS LATER
Pigs wallow in the mud. Meghan's 'Cuda enters the scene.
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
MEGHAN
Putrid.
JACOB
Making bacon is the smell of money.
Meghan turns the car around, squealing away back toward
town.
MEGHAN
That'd gag a maggot on a gut wagon.
Near the Depot Ballroom she slows down.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
How can anybody live around that?
JACOB
You get used to it. Kind of.
DAVID
Lot of hog farms around. Some guys
work them all their lives.
MEGHAN
Why? The opportunities for career
advancement? How do you work your
way up to head shit shoveler?
KEVIN
Don't know. Don't care. When I
graduate, I'll get state certified
and be a mechanic anywhere but here.
DAVID
I'm staying. Join the National
Guard, so I don't get shipped off
to 'Nam.
KEVIN
President McGovern will have us out
of there before we graduate.
DAVID
Ain't trusting my life to any damn
politician. Joining the Guard
anyway.
KEVIN
Look out. A mighty weekend
warrior.
DAVID
Get a job over at the glass factory.
KEVIN
That place is for losers, man.
DAVID
My uncle's been there 26 years.
KEVIN
There you go.
DAVID
Just made assistant night shift
foreman. He'll get me in.
KEVIN
What'd you ever do to him?
DAVID
Can't beat the pay. After a year,
close to three bucks an hour. With
overtime, you really rake it in.
MEGHAN
And you Mr. Jacob Jones?
KEVIN
You mean Mr. Music. Soon to be the
hottest axe man in the Motor City.
JACOB
Knock it off.
DAVID
Play guitars for the stars
Jacob looks out at the passing scenery.
MEGHAN
JJ, I believe you're embarrassed.
KEVIN
(Howard Cosell voice)
Look at this, sports fans, the king
of the Motown Sound is turning red.
MEGHAN
Motown?
DAVID
His dream.
KEVIN
Make records with the Four Tops and
Marvin Gaye. Mr. Jacob Jones,
guitar player supreme for the
Supremes.
MEGHAN
You any good?
DAVID
He plays "Layla" just like the
record, only better. And "Cloud
Nine," outta sight. Wah, wah, wawa
wah, wawa wah.
MEGHAN
You should audition.
Jacob takes a big swig out of his bottle of soda pop.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
I know somebody who can get you one.
Jacob instantly chokes and spits out his mouthful of soda.
JACOB
One what?
MEGHAN
Audition.
JACOB
Excuse me?
MEGHAN
This time, slowly in English. I
can get you an audition at Motown.
Hitsville USA.
JACOB
Very funny. What do you know about
Hitsville?
MEGHAN
My father's secretary's sister
works there.
JACOB
Your father's
MEGHAN
Secretary's sister. Motown Millie.
Just gave me the latest Rare Earth
album on eight track. She's cool.
And she's connected.
JACOB
Really? She know Smokey Robinson?
MEGHAN
Yup.
JACOB
Norman Whitfield?
MEGHAN
Yup.
JACOB
Berry Gordy?
MEGHAN
Knows everybody. Want to meet her?
JACOB
Right now?
MEGHAN
Probably not.
JACOB
Later this afternoon?
MEGHAN
Probably not.
JACOB
Tonight?
MEGHAN
Definitely not. I'll call my dad's
office in the morning and ask his
secretary to work it out for you.
Jacob lays his head on the seat back, a big grin on his
face.
EXT. A STREET CORNER -- MOMENTS LATER
Joey and Danny stand near the stop sign. Meghan's car
approaches and halts, waiting for traffic to clear.
JOEY
Hey baby doll. The three of them
put together ain't half the man I
am. Call me when you're ready for
some real action.
Traffic clears. Meghan makes a right turn.
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
MEGHAN
Who is that?
JACOB
"What is that" is the real question.
KEVIN
He's a psycho.
DAVID
Very dangerous.
MEGHAN
Danger can be fun sometimes.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP -- MOMENTS LATER
The boys get out of Meghan's car. Louise, Roxie and Jane
are glued to the window.
MEGHAN
See you boys later.
JACOB
You'll call for sure?
MEGHAN
No problem. Then I'm running
errands with my uncle. See you when
I get back.
JACOB
How about I go with you? I run
good errands.
MEGHAN
You don't want to go with my uncle.
Go home, practice. Do me one favor.
JACOB
Anything.
MEGHAN
Remember who I am after you're
famous.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Jacob sits on his bed playing his electric guitar. He
stops, falls back, his head hits the pillow as he shuts his
eyes.
The room darkens as a spotlight falls upon Jacob's face.
JACOB
I'm ready for my solo, Mr.
Whitfield.
Thunderous applause is heard as Jacob drifts off to sleep.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- MORNING
Jacob is awakened by an obnoxious car horn playing "Shave
and a Haircut." His arms are wrapped around his guitar.
KEVIN (O.S.) (O.S.)
Jones! Don't sleep the summer
away.
At his window, Jacob sees Kevin and David in Kevin's Chevy.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Catch up on your sleep this fall
when school starts.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- LATER
David is in the middle, Jacob rides shotgun. They snack on
chips and soda pop.
DAVID
(belching)
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P.
KEVIN
Damn, boy. All the way to P.
DAVID
That's the furthest ever.
KEVIN
What you guys want to do?
DAVID
Let's see what's happening downtown.
JACOB
Hey! Maybe something is going on
that wasn't the first 30 times we
rolled through.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- MOMENTS LATER
Kevin turns down the main drag, Jacob stoops down in his
seat, out of sight. Outside viewers see Kevin and David
sitting close together. Joey and Danny watch.
JOEY
Look at the lover boys. Ain't they
sweet? Wish I had a Polaroid,
that'd look good on the front page
of "The Makersville Journal." Give
each other some tongue. Kissey,
kissey.
DANNY
(makes kissing
sounds)
JOEY
Invite us to the wedding. You
bitches make me horny watching you.
Joey flicks his tongue like a snake.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- CONTINUOUS
KEVIN
Fricken asshole sit up.
JACOB
Sorry, man, dropped a chip. Wanted
to keep your car clean.
KEVIN
Speaking of cleaning, the old girl
is a bit sluggish. Gotta blow the
carbon out.
Jacob grabs the door handle.
JACOB
I'm out of here.
Kevin guns the engine, the car picks up speed.
KEVIN
Chicken shit. Sit back, shut up,
enjoy the ride.
EXT. THE POINT -- MOMENTS LATER
Kevin's Chevy gains speed as it comes closer to The Point.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- CONTINUOUS
JACOB
Ease off moron.
DAVID
Lord, please forgive me for all
I've done, all I've thought about
doing, and all I will do if I live.
David holds tight to the dashboard, his eyes as wide as
saucers, the color drained from his face.
Jacob sits stiffly. His hand over his eyes.
Kevin downshifts to a lower gear.
EXT. THE POINT -- CONTINUOUS
Kevin stomps hard on the accelerator, power sliding around
the corner, coming within inches of smashing the big tree.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- CONTINUOUS
KEVIN
Yee Haw!
JACOB
Thanks for almost killing us.
KEVIN
Quit your bitchin'. You'd pay a
lot for a thrill ride like that at
the state fair. With me, it's free.
EXT. THE POINT PRESENT -- NIGHT
The rain has stopped. Jacob leans against his car smoking
a big cigar. The 4x4 pickup from earlier pulls up behind
his car. The engine shuts off, the driver's door opens.
MEGHAN (O.S.) (O.S.)
I knew I'd see you again. And it
would be here.
Out of darkness steps MEGHAN ALLEN, 51.
JACOB
Dr. Allen, I presume.
MEGHAN
Taken up smoking, I see.
JACOB
Only for special occasions.
MEGHAN
Like return visits to Makersville?
JACOB
Something like that.
MEGHAN
Smoking to celebrate your return or
in spite of it?
JACOB
Something like that.
MEGHAN
Cute. Fire up one of those bad boys
for me.
Jacob pulls a cigar and cutter out of his inside coat
pocket. He cuts and expertly lights it, puffs it to life
and hands it to Meghan.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Ah, always the romanticist.
She takes a few puffs.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Contraband from Cuba. Very nice.
JACOB
Friend of mine works Customs.
Every now and then Havanas come up
missing
(he pats his inside
coat pocket)
and accidentally show up here.
Jacob and Meghan smoke in complete silence.
INT. COFFEE SHOP 1972 -- DAY
Roxie reads the scrapbook. Louise and Jane look outside.
LOUISE
Is that Bill Baxter going in the
bar?
Jane looks in a slightly different direction than Louise.
LOUISE (CONT'D)
No, dear. Not that bar.
Louise points toward where Jane is still looking then
points to the bar where she wants Jane to look.
LOUISE (CONT'D)
That bar.
JANE
Unbelievable. Wonder when his
clothes last saw the inside of a
washer?
LOUISE
If his wife wasn't so busy playing
footsie with the president of the
PTA. I won't bring that up. I'm
not that kind of person.
JANE
My word, look at Isabelle Sanderson.
LOUISE
Where did she get that dress?
JANE
Above her knees. At her age.
LOUISE
Disgusting.
ROXIE
Wonder how her knees got so bruised
and scratched?
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob, Kevin and David come out of the liquor store, each
holding a bottle of soda pop. They walk through town.
KEVIN
Boring.
JACOB
It's only the third day of vacation.
KEVIN
We need to stir up some excitement.
Have fun while we can.
DAVID
I hear that, man.
KEVIN
Something with more kick than this
pop would liven things up a bit.
JACOB
No, man, let's not get into that.
KEVIN
Man, the older you get the more
pussified you become. No big deal.
Couple of Q.T.'s, maybe Boone's
Farm.
DAVID
Mad Dog?
KEVIN
What's the harm in getting pie-eyed?
JACOB
Nothing if you're Soupy Sales.
KEVIN
A nip of John Barleycorn ain't a
bad thing. It's not like dope.
Doesn't make you go insane. Nobody
gets hurt, and it's perfectly legal.
JACOB
If you're 18, which applies to
exactly none of us.
KEVIN
Just shy of it.
JACOB
I'm oldest and I'm six months away.
KEVIN
Alright we're on the cusp of legal.
A minor grey area of the law.
JACOB
That minor grey area is enough to
get us thrown in the juvey.
DAVID
Oh man, my cousin got put in the
juvey home one time. You don't even
want to hear what they do with
broomsticks.
KEVIN
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not
talking about your broomstick
fetish. What you do at night is not
our business. Consider this:
drinking is healthy.
JACOB
Consider this: you don't know what
the hell you're talking about.
KEVIN
It's proven, a bit of alcohol is
good for you. Keeps your blood
pumping. If it didn't, my old man
would've croaked a long time ago.
JACOB
If alcohol gets blood pumping, your
old man could shoot his from here to
Hoover Dam.
KEVIN
Alright smart ass, you want to
argue against the bible? Wine is on
almost every page. Nuns drink it.
Monks make it. Can't get more
straight-laced than that.
JACOB
Nuns and monks drink to keep their
minds off the fact they can't get
laid.
KEVIN
Man, you're ill.
The boys are at Kevin's car. Kevin gets in. David gets in
on the passenger side, slides over the seat toward the
middle.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
No, you get in back.
David scrambles out and climbs in the back seat. As Jacob
gets in, Meghan drives by. Jacob jumps back to the sidewalk.
JACOB
Meghan! Hey! Wait up!
Meghan makes an abrupt stop in front of the coffee shop.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Hold on a second guys.
Jacob runs up to Meghan's car. They chat briefly.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Catch you clowns later.
He jumps in Meghan's 'Cuda and they drive off.
KEVIN
And then there were two.
DAVID
Huh?
KEVIN
The Three Musketeers are now The
Dynamic Duo.
DAVID
Batman and Robin?
KEVIN
Shit. Got a feeling that broad's
trouble. Get in front. Let's find
something to do.
EXT. MAKERSVILLE PARK -- AFTERNOON
Meghan sits on a picnic table bench. Jacob is on the table
top with his feet on the bench. He has his acoustic guitar.
JACOB
Oh, man. Don't tell me that.
MEGHAN
Settle down.
JACOB
A battery acid enema would be more
humane.
Jacob strums his guitar.
MEGHAN
I didn't know Millie was on
vacation.
JACOB
Track her down.
MEGHAN
Don't know where she is.
JACOB
She should carry a phone with her.
MEGHAN
What a dumb idea. Why?
JACOB
For extreme emergencies like this.
Get a phone with a real long cord.
MEGHAN
Take a chill pill. Millie will get
you an audition.
Deputy Vinton cruises by slowly. Jacob plays the opening
bars of "Dueling Banjos."
DEPUTY VINTON
That table top look like a lounge
chair? Don't make me have to get
out and write you a ticket for
improper use of city-owned property.
MEGHAN
Bend over JJ, squeal like a pig.
EXT. THE ALLEY -- DAY
Joey and Danny are outside the back of the liquor store.
Joey holds a brown grocery bag. Kevin's Chevy pulls up.
Joey walks to the car and puts the bag on the front
floorboard. Kevin pulls the bag to his lap and opens it.
KEVIN
Cool.
Kevin lifts up a bottle of Boone's Farm wine.
DAVID
Awesome.
KEVIN
Yes sir, yes sir. Three bottles
full.
David grabs a bottle and holds it up to his mouth
pretending to guzzle down the unopened wine.
JOEY
Hey bright boy, you wanna put it
back in the bag before somebody
sees?
David hands the bottle to Kevin who puts it back and
rustles around the bag looking for something else.
KEVIN
Didn't you forget something?
JOEY
Like what?
KEVIN
My change, man.
JOEY
Didn't forget. Ain't any.
KEVIN
I gave you a fin.
JOEY
So?
KEVIN
Boone's Farm is 69 cents.
JOEY
Yeah?
KEVIN
That's 2.07. Change from a
five-spot leaves 2.93.
JOEY
You forgot shipping and handling.
KEVIN
What the hell?
Joey points the short distance from where he stands to the
back door of the liquor store.
JOEY
I had to walk all the way from
there to here. That's a $2.93 walk.
If I only had to walk from there to
here,
He takes three steps closer to the store.
JOEY (CONT'D)
That would have been two bucks,
even.
He walks to his original spot and takes three steps beyond.
JOEY (CONT'D)
This is $3.93. Be happy. You
saved a buck. Shipping and handling
charges get you every time.
EXT. MAKERSVILLE PARK -- AFTERNOON
Meghan has joined Jacob on the picnic table top. Close by
THREE YOUNG CHILDREN play catch with a ball.
JACOB
That's messed up. What's with your
parents?
MEGHAN
My mother has obligations to Grosse
Pointe society, my dad his practice.
You don't become senior partner as
fast as he did without sacrifices.
JACOB
Sacrifices by you.
MEGHAN
Moving here is probably best. I
really think I want to be a
veterinarian. Farm country will let
me know for sure.
JACOB
If you can learn to love the smell
of pig shit.
MEGHAN
Plus, I can check out the
veterinary program at Michigan State.
JACOB
It's good I hear. When will you
spend time with your folks?
MEGHAN
Couple of weekends a month, unless
they have other plans.
Meghan begins to cry very softly.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Christmas and spring vacations, if
they don't take a trip instead.
JACOB
They won't take you with them?
Meghan's crying turns into laughter.
MEGHAN
They can barely stand to take each
other.
The ball hits Jacob in the head. He throws it back.
JACOB
Hey, you might knock sense in me.
Meghan and Jacob watch the kids play.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Ah, to be young again.
MEGHAN
What about your parents? They must
be proud of your talent.
JACOB
My mom was a great pianist. She
regretted not turning pro. My dad
thinks music is a nice hobby. Other
than that it's a stupid waste of
time. Around here you work 30 years
in a factory then crawl out long
enough to sit down in the recliner
and die.
MEGHAN
College?
JACOB
We're not college material.
MEGHAN
Can't get far without a degree.
JACOB
Music is my one shot. I'll play
sessions and shop songs I've
written. Maybe move to New York or
L.A.
MEGHAN
Playing at Hitsville would be
great.
JACOB
Incredible.
MEGHAN
My uncle and I are going to the
Pointes to move the rest of my stuff
here. Be back Monday.
JACOB
Amazing. Shipped off to live with
your aunt and uncle your senior year.
MEGHAN
That's me. A commodity to be moved
from here to there.
JACOB
Hitsville to Hicksville.
Meghan and Jacob's hands slowly move toward each other and
bond together in a tight clasp.
EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD -- AFTERNOON
Kevin's Chevy drives toward us.
KEVIN (O.S.) (O.S.)
Pull!
David leans out the passenger's window. He throws
something down the road in front of the car. Kevin veers
toward the rolling object. He attempts to run over it but
misses.
KEVIN (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Shit.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- CONTINUOUS
A nearly empty bushel basket of potatoes sits on the seat.
DAVID
Oh, man that was close.
KEVIN
Give me a double header.
David leans out the window with two potatoes in his hand.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Pull!
EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD -- CONTINUOUS
David throws the two potatoes. As they roll and separate,
Kevin smashes first one, then the other.
INT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- CONTINUOUS
DAVID
Too cool!
KEVIN
I'm the king of potato smashers.
Kevin pulls up a bottle of Boone's Farm. He drains the
remaining wine with a gulp.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Throw down a triple play.
David throws three potatoes. Meghan drives toward the
boys. A potato splatters on her windshield.
MEGHAN
Jerk, knock it off.
KEVIN
Jerk, knock it off. OK Princess
Sunshine.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- AFTERNOON
Jacob strums his electric guitar playing random chords.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Phone.
Jacob keeps playing
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Jacob! Telephone.
Jacob looks toward his bedroom door.
JACOB'S DAD (CONT'D)
Jacob!
Jacob stops playing.
JACOB
What?
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Phone.
JACOB
Who is it?
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Some girl. Sounds like long
distance.
Jacob runs down the stairs.
INT. JACOB'S KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob picks up the wall mounted telephone. It has an
extraordinarily long chord. Jacob sits at the table.
JACOB
Hello?
INT. MEGHAN'S GROSSE POINTE BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS
Meghan lies on her bed.
MEGHAN
Mr. Motown, you're on.
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
JACOB
You're kidding. You got me an
audition?
Jacob jumps up in excitement.
MEGHAN
Not officially but Millie will get
you in.
JACOB
When?
MEGHAN
Probably a couple weeks.
JACOB
Oh. Damn. That's cool. I can
wait. I can wait. I think.
MEGHAN
Give you a bit more time to
practice.
JACOB
An audition at Hitsville. I am
going to strike a statue of you,
right in the middle of Makersville.
Jacob begins spinning around in circles, the phone chord
wrapping around him like a boa constrictor coming off a six
month fast.
MEGHAN
No, please. Whatever you do,
don't. You might want to pick up a
couple new outfits and maybe dust
off some shoes. Gotta look sharp.
JACOB
OK.
MEGHAN
See you.
JACOB
Meghan, I think I love
He is interrupted by the dial tone.
JACOB (CONT'D)
you. And the dial tone is hot,
too. OK. Gotta look sharp. Oh,
Dad.
Jacob spins around to unwrap the phone chord from his body,
hangs up the phone and walks out of the kitchen.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Can I borrow the car?
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Where you going?
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.)
The mall.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Don't be out late.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.)
It closes early tonight.
EXT. JACOB'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob walks to the driveway, Kevin and David pull up.
KEVIN
Jones, hop in. It's "Fifty-Cent
Sunday" at the drive in.
DAVID
Steve McQueen double header.
JACOB
Can't. Gotta go to the mall.
KEVIN
Mall? Man, it's Steve McQueen.
JACOB
Meghan says. That is, I think I
need some new clothes.
KEVIN
The ball and chain is out of town.
You're a free bird. Live a little.
JACOB
Can't tonight, guys.
KEVIN
Uh, huh. Let me know when the
noose starts to choke you. Maybe
I'll throw you a knife so you can
cut the twine.
Kevin starts to pull away.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
You're in luck, Davey boy. It's my
treat tonight.
DAVID
That mean I don't have to ride in
the trunk?
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- MORNING
Jacob is jarred awake by the obnoxious BLOWING of the car
horn of Kevin's Chevy. Jacob's bed is covered with several
clothing boxes.
KEVIN (O.S.) (O.S.)
Jones. Come out, come out wherever
you are.
DAVID (O.S.) (O.S.)
Can't hide from us, bitch.
Jacob runs to his bedroom window.
JACOB
Dudes, I'm not dressed. Come back
in a half hour.
KEVIN
Half hour? What's that? Two beers
from now?
DAVID
Maybe three. Depends how big they
are.
KEVIN
Yeah, check it out, man.
JACOB
Never mind. Pull up a chair. I'll
be out in a few.
EXT. JACOB'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER
Kevin and David get out of the still-running Chevy. They
stagger a bit to the porch. Kevin plops down in a chair.
David plunks his butt on the front of a chair, it tilts
forward. He falls down as the chair crashes to the porch.
KEVIN
Oh man, that's messed up.
DAVID
Totally messed up.
Jacob walks out the front door. He wears a brand new
shirt, pants and socks. He carries a Hush Puppies shoe box.
He sits on the steps puts the Hush Puppies on and laces
them. Kevin and David, both barefoot, watch in amazement.
KEVIN
What are you doing?
JACOB
New shoes. Need to break them in.
KEVIN
Shoes? It's summer.
JACOB
Have an important meeting. Got to
get used to them.
KEVIN
Important meeting? You letting
your left hand meet your right
hand's playmates? What important
meeting?
JACOB
Motown.
KEVIN
Huh?
DAVID
Motown? For real?
KEVIN
Ain't no way.
JACOB
Yeah, way.
KEVIN
They need a floor sweeper?
JACOB
I have an audition.
KEVIN
Forget it, man. Shit like that
doesn't happen, only in the movies.
(holds hand to face
like talking on
telephone)
Mr. Gordy, there's a punk ass,
pimple face teenager from some shit
bucket town nobody's heard of.
JACOB
I don't have pimples.
KEVIN
He wants to play on your records.
Would that be OK?
JACOB
Knock it off.
KEVIN
What's that? You have several big
bags of money to give pimple boy if
he'll sign right now? Fat chance,
JJ.
JACOB
Is there anything you don't cut
down?
KEVIN
Telling the truth ain't cutting
down.
JACOB
Maybe you're pissed. Jealous that
something special never happens in
your pathetic life.
KEVIN
Fuck you. You're pathetic. Look
at you. New threads. New shoes.
Too big in the britches now for low
lives like Davey boy and I.
JACOB
That's not what I mean.
KEVIN
What do you mean? Please enlighten
us poor, pathetic assholes.
JACOB
Guys, we'll always be what we'll
always be. We'll always be what
we've always been.
KEVIN
Refresh our memories.
JACOB
The Three Musketeers. All for one,
Jacob waits for Kevin and David to join in the Three
Musketeers chant with him. They don't.
JACOB (CONT'D)
All for one,
Another pause and still no reply.
JACOB (CONT'D)
And one for all. Right? Am I
right?
KEVIN
If that's still the case, prove it.
Come pound down some brews with us.
JACOB
No, man. Drinking ain't cool.
KEVIN
Maybe you can show us shit kickers
how to be cool, Mr. Motown. That
makes you better than us, right?
JACOB
I didn't say that.
KEVIN
Don't have to. If you're not
plucking your fricken guitar, you're
fricken hanging with Miss Plucky.
JACOB
Don't talk about Meghan like that.
KEVIN
She has you right where she wants
you: pussy-whipped and hog-tied.
Never work on us sod-busters, right
Davey boy?
DAVID
Yeah. I mean no. I mean yeah.
JACOB
You don't know her.
KEVIN
Marry her. Marry her daddy's
money. Live happily ever after.
JACOB
That's not the subject. It's about
you guys getting sloshed all the
time.
DAVID
Not all the time. Most of the time.
KEVIN
Why do you care?
JACOB
I hate seeing you mess up your
lives.
KEVIN
Gee thanks, mom. I'll keep your
concern in mind until I sit down to
shit it out.
DAVID
Why can't things be the way they
used to?
JACOB
Maybe I haven't been around as much
as before. Having even a chance to
play at Motown is a dream come true.
KEVIN
Be careful of dreams. They usually
turn around and bite you in the ass.
JACOB
After this audition things will be
the same. I promise.
KEVIN
What's the going rate for a promise?
JACOB
OK, not just a promise. But a
super duper quadruple suple promise.
DAVID
This is getting serious.
KEVIN
Put the sacred shake on it.
Jacob and Kevin grab hands in a traditional handshake, then
latch fingers, lock hands and make a circular motion then
slam their wrists together three times and chant in unison.
JACOB & KEVIN
Ooga booga, chewga, chewga.
Jacob and David follow the same ritual.
JACOB & DAVID
Ooga booga, chewga, chewga.
DAVID
Cool.
JACOB
It's official.
KEVIN
As kids that was official. Now it
takes more.
JACOB
Like?
KEVIN
Seal it with a drink.
JACOB
No, man.
KEVIN
One or two ain't gonna kill you.
Get in the car, wuss.
Kevin points at his still-running Chevy in the street.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Shit, man. I left the chariot
running. Crazy. Let's go eliminate
some unnecessary brain cells.
EXT. KEVIN'S CHEVY -- LATER
Kevin stands in the street bending into the car as he pours
beer into a paper cup. He snaps on a lid and puts in a
straw.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- CONTINUOUS
Kevin's Chevy is parked haphazardly with the rear passenger
side tire on the sidewalk, the front of the car jutting into
the traffic lane.
The boys sit on the hood. Kevin, near the street, David in
the middle, Jacob at curb side. Each boy has a beer-filled
cup. Kevin and David sip on their straws, Jacob ignores his.
KEVIN
How about hitting the drag strip
tonight? Funny car eliminations.
You in JJ?
JACOB
I kind of promised Meghan I'd take
her to the Bijou.
KEVIN
You'll go to the movies with her.
DAVID
Isn't "Love Story" playing?
JACOB
Uh, well.
KEVIN
"Love Story."
DAVID
Yeah, and "Romeo and Juliet."
JACOB
Thanks, David.
KEVIN
You'll see "Romeo and Juliet" with
her but wouldn't watch Steve McQueen
with us. You are one sick puppy.
Eli McGurdy drives his VW through town. On the roof is a
mattress secured with a spider web of ropes.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Look at this dip shit.
McGurdy is right beside the boys as he continues driving by.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Hey McGurdy. What's that? A crash
pad in case your bug takes another
dive off the roof?
Jacob ducks down behind the Chevy.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.)
Shut up, man.
MCGURDY
I'll remember that in September,
Mr. Wilson.
KEVIN
The beginning of summer and I've
got detention lined up. Damn I'm
good.
Joey and Danny walk up. Jacob remains scrunched down
behind Kevin's Chevy.
JOEY
Jakey, looking for something?
What'd you lose? Your virginity?
Kevie? Davey? Which one of you
bitches deflowered him?
DANNY
Yeah, which one?
Jacob stands up.
JOEY
Be good girls, help Jakey find his
lost cherry.
JACOB
So you can lick it?
JOEY
Lick it. Not bad.
KEVIN
You gonna have problems with our
order?
JOEY
If I wanted problems I'd create
them for somebody else. Why do you
want all that beverage?
KEVIN
A few other guys want a taste.
JOEY
I see. You're middlemen. That's
alright. Anybody gets busted, they
can't pin it on me.
JACOB
You shouldn't buy for these guys.
Joey uses his index finger to jab Jacob's chest.
JOEY
Keep your nose on your ugly face,
not up their asses.
JACOB
Not even noon and they're buzzed.
JOEY
I didn't make the drinking age 18.
I'm participating in the free market
system. Capitalism. The American
way. I'm a true red, white and blue
businessman.
JACOB
I've never heard such bullshit in
my life. You should go into
politics.
JOEY
Mayor Kinchloe. Governor, Senator,
President Kinchloe. That's nice.
You think straight sometimes, kid.
Joey and Danny walk away.
JOEY (CONT'D)
(hums "Hail to the
Chief")
Excellent.
(to Danny)
Join me, Mr. Vice President.
JOEY & DANNY
(both hum)
JACOB
How do I resign my citizenship?
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- LATER
Kevin and David are in the front seat of the Chevy,
snoring. Jacob is on the hood. Meghan drives up and stops.
MEGHAN
You clean up nice. New clothes,
spiffy new kicks.
JACOB
Hush Puppies.
Jacob walks over to Meghan's 'Cuda. It is full.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Need a hand moving your stuff?
MEGHAN
You want to come to my uncle's
house?
He looks over at his sleeping friends. Both of them conked
out, their mouths wide open, drool running down their faces.
JACOB
These guys are out for the
afternoon. They'll be fine long as
nobody lights a match around them.
Jacob runs around to the passenger side of the car. He
opens the door and struggles to lift a big box sitting on
the seat.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Holy led balloon, Batgirl. What's
this all about?
MEGHAN
Equestrian trophies.
JACOB
You have a horse?
MEGHAN
Three. One for mama, one for papa,
and one for the wild child daughter.
Jacob gets in and puts the box on his lap. Meghan drives.
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
JACOB
Been riding long?
MEGHAN
Before I could walk.
JACOB
You won all these?
MEGHAN
Sugarplum, that's my horse, and I
won them. When we're together we
become one. Been around horses?
JACOB
Not really.
MEGHAN
Like big puppy dogs. Unconditional
love. Sugarplum is my best friend.
JACOB
How'd you learn to ride like that?
MEGHAN
Had a trainer. As your friends
would say, it's a rich bitch thing
to do.
JACOB
There's always something new and
fascinating to learn about you.
MEGHAN
The lessons are about to get really
fascinating.
EXT. ELI MCGURDY'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER
Meghan pull in front of McGurdy's house. McGurdy's VW
still has the mattress on top. Meghan drives past McGurdy's
house.
JACOB
I thought you were going to
McGurdy's
Meghan stops the car in the middle of the street and backs
up the steep hill of McGurdy's driveway.
JACOB (CONT'D)
House.
MEGHAN
Fasten your seat belts, boys and
girls, we're in for a bumpy ride.
JACOB
Your uncle
MEGHAN
Is Eli, Principal McGurdy, sir.
JACOB
You watched us pull his Volkswagen
on top of the school.
MEGHAN
It was mildly amusing.
JACOB
You said nothing.
MEGHAN
Didn't hurt his bug. If the roof
was that bad, they needed a new one.
JACOB
You don't like your uncle?
MEGHAN
I love him. He's always there for
me. Uncle Eli's the person my super
lawyer father wishes he could be and
my busybody mother doesn't
understand how to be.
JACOB
This is getting heavy.
MEGHAN
A bit preachy, even.
McGurdy comes out of the house and unties the ropes
securing the mattress to the VW. Meghan and Jacob walk up
the drive.
MCGURDY
Mr. Jones. Did I see you downtown
with that Kevin Wilson?
JACOB
I don't think so. I didn't see you
anyway, sir. Let me give you a hand.
Jacob walks around so McGurdy can see him.
MCGURDY
Those Hush Puppies?
Jacob starts to help unwind the labyrinth of ropes.
JACOB
Yes, sir.
MCGURDY
Well made. Solid, excellent choice.
McGurdy grabs the mattress.
JACOB
Let me help you, sir.
MCGURDY
I'm fine.
McGurdy lifts the mattress in one big effort. The momentum
causes him to fall back in a hedgerow. The mattress lands
on top of him as he continues to sink further into the
bushes.
MCGURDY (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Maybe you can give me a hand.
Jacob grabs McGurdy's hand, tugging on it to lift him from
the bushes. McGurdy stands and brushes himself off.
MCGURDY (CONT'D)
You're still washing walls and
scraping gum. Got it?
INT. JACOB'S KITCHEN -- EVENING
Jacob is on the phone sitting at the kitchen table. He
continuously twirls the chord around his finger.
JACOB
You and Principal McGurdy, related.
Surreal.
INT. MEGHAN'S MAKERSVILLE BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS
Meghan sits of the floor painting her toenails, the phone
scrunched up to her ear by her right shoulder.
INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION
MEGHAN
We all live within walking distance
of surrealistic dreams or
nightmares. Depends which direction
you turn when you leave your house
each day.
JACOB
Which way do I turn tomorrow?
MEGHAN
Walk straight out. You'll be fine.
JACOB
I owe you big time.
MEGHAN
Just go knock them dead. And bring
extra clothes, we might have to stay
the night. Good night.
JACOB
Meghan, I
We hear the dial tone.
JACOB (CONT'D)
love you.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- EVENING
Jacob has his electric guitar. He reaches over and hits
"play" on one of the reel-to-reel tape machines. We hear
drums and keyboards. He stops the tape, rewinds to the
start.
JACOB
(as Elvis Presley)
Thank-you very much. Here's a
ditty I wrote: "Meghan on My Mind."
Jacob hits "record" on the second tape machine then hits
"play" on the first machine. Jacob plays along on his
guitar. We hear that Jacob isn't just good, he is a superb
musician.
JACOB (CONT'D)
(singing)
When I wake up in the morning
Who do I wish to see? It's Meghan.
Meghan. Most certainly. More
lyrics to come. Blah, blah, blah.
Moon, spoon, June. La de da de da.
EXT. REAR OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob's song continues. Meghan smokes a cigarette.
Kevin's Chevy drives by then backs up, driving onto the
lawn.
KEVIN
Hey hon, what's happening?
MEGHAN
My name's not Attila.
KEVIN
What's that?
Meghan walks up close to the car on Kevin's side.
MEGHAN
You called me "hon." Do I look
like a Fifth Century Barbarian?
KEVIN
Excuse me,
MEGHAN
I should hope
KEVIN
Your royal highness.
MEGHAN
Royal highness. OK.
Meghan takes a deep drag from her cigarette.
KEVIN
Ever heard that nasty habit will
kill you?
MEGHAN
Death usually takes longer with my
habit than yours.
KEVIN
Meaning what?
MEGHAN
I smell the booze from here.
KEVIN
(to David)
You believe this shit?
(back to Meghan)
Who the hell asked your damn
opinion?
MEGHAN
It's your life.
KEVIN
Finally precious preppie girl gets
it right.
MEGHAN
You're an asshole when you drink.
KEVIN
Drinking has nothing to do with
anything. What about you? Getting
Jacob all riled up about playing at
Motown. Ain't never gonna happen.
MEGHAN
You're the expert?
KEVIN
Go back to Grosse Pointe and leave
us the hell alone. Everything was
fine until you came along.
Kevin backs his car up toward the road.
MEGHAN
You know something? You're right.
KEVIN
Never been wrong yet.
MEGHAN
Drinking has nothing to do with you
being an asshole.
Kevin's car roars away. Meghan walks to the front of the
school.
EXT. SIDE OF MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- MOMENTS LATER
Joey sits on the steps to the side entrance, puffing on a
joint. Meghan does not see him. Jacob's music fades out.
JOEY
Hey sugar plum.
MEGHAN
Don't sneak up on me like that.
JOEY
I'm sitting. You're sneaking.
MEGHAN
Why do you smoke that?
JOEY
We all have vices sweet pea. Those
dudes who just left like the taste
of grain. Your drug is nicotine.
MEGHAN
I'm gonna quit.
JOEY
Uh, huh. This shit makes me numb.
I like numb.
MEGHAN
Don't waste your life.
JOEY
Too late. The war did that.
MEGHAN
Vietnam?
JOEY
Charlie Company. We lost a bunch
of guys. Snipers and land mines.
The Viet Cong were brutal. Couldn't
fight what we couldn't see. Word
came the VC were hiding in this
village. We were pumped, primed and
ready to kick some ass. That's how
us cowboys went locked and loaded
into My Lai.
MEGHAN
Oh my.
Various photos of the victims of My Lai flash on the screen.
JOEY
Kids and women shot. An old man
thrown down a well, grenade lobbed
in after him. People lined up face
down and machine gunned. The enemy
wasn't even there. Just 500 dead
civilians. Most of us didn't take
part. So what? We were there. We
were the monster. Life. Death.
It's all the same to me now.
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob finishes his song. He stops the machine recording
the song and puts it into rewind mode.
JACOB
That's Jacob Jones with another
certified smash hit.
The tape whips around as the tape hub keeps spinning.
EXT. JACOB'S HOUSE -- MORNING
Meghan is parked out front. Jacob runs up carrying his
guitar and a grocery bag. The guitar is put on the back
seat, the bag on the floorboard.
MEGHAN
What's in the bag?
JACOB
Clothes.
MEGHAN
Nice suitcase. Gucci recyclable?
JACOB
Here's something for you.
Jacob pulls roses from the bag and hands them to Meghan.
MEGHAN
That's sweet.
JACOB
Got a dozen for Millie, too.
MEGHAN
Stay up all night reading Miss
Manners?
Jacob pulls out the tape with his song and hands it to
Meghan.
JACOB
I wrote a song for you. The lyrics
aren't done, but you'll get the idea.
MEGHAN
Won't play in my eight track.
Millie can hook us up with a
machine.
Meghan puts the tape in the glove box, the roses on the
back floorboard, then opens a bag of carrots she had on the
floor.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Want one? Healthier than the junk
you constantly shove in your beak.
He takes one, they crunch in unison. Meghan puts a couple
of carrots in each of the front pockets of her jeans.
JACOB
Why'd you put them in your pocket?
MEGHAN
Might need them later. Besides, a
girl is allowed to have a little fun
while she drives, isn't she?
Jacob rolls his eyes, shakes his head and smiles.
EXT. THE POINT -- DAY
Meghan's 'Cuda approaches from the distance and passes by.
EXT. THE FREEWAY -- MOMENTS LATER
Meghan's car zooms by a freshly painted roadside billboard:
THANK-YOU FOR VISITING MAKERSVILLE. A FRIENDLY PLACE TO
LIVE AND LEARN. HOME OF THE 1971 BOYS BASKETBALL STATE
CHAMPIONS!
EXT. FREEWAY SIGN -- MOMENTS LATER
Sign reads: Detroit 99 Miles. The 'Cuda passes by.
EXT. DETROIT METRO AIRPORT -- DAY
A jet flies over the freeway in front of Meghan and Jacob.
EXT. THE GIANT TIRE -- DAY
Meghan and Jacob approach the giant landmark, that was
originally a ferris wheel at the 1964 World's Fair. It now
sits alongside I-94. Meghan pulls off the freeway beside
the tire.
A 35mm CAMERA CLICKS off pictures. Various shots show
Meghan and Jacob in front of the tire.
Jacob climbs the tire until he reaches the top.
EXT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
Meghan and Jacob talk and laugh. Shot is in the background.
BEGIN MONTAGE OF DETROIT LANDMARKS
Several color-faded 1972-era photographs fade in and out.
EXT. TIGER STADIUM -- DAY
EXT. OLYMPIA STADIUM -- DAY
EXT. J.L. HUDSON'S BUILDING -- DAY
EXT. FORD WORLD HEADQUARTERS -- DAY
EXT. CHRYSLER WORLD HEADQUARTERS -- DAY
EXT. AMERICAN MOTORS WORLD HEADQUARTERS -- DAY
EXT. GENERAL MOTORS WORLD HEADQUARTERS -- DAY
END MONTAGE
EXT. HITSVILLE USA -- AFTERNOON
Several people are on the front lawn. TWO YOUNG MEN play
Frisbee, TWO YOUNG GIRLS jump rope. A MALE and FEMALE
couple on a blanket share some laughs.
Sitting on a bench on the front lawn are two dapper,
courtly gentlemen, GUS and MEL both about age 60.
Meghan's car enters opposite Hitsville. She does a sharp
U-turn and stomps down the accelerator to power slide to a
perfect curbside stop.
GUS
Man, that girl's crazy.
Jacob jumps out and runs half-way up the walk then makes a
quick pivot back to the car. He picks up roses. He runs to
the building, drops and kisses the first step.
MEL
He ain't exactly all there either.
Meghan joins Jacob. They cross the front porch to the
entrance. Jacob opens the door.
INT. HITSVILLE USA -- MOMENTS LATER
Meghan and Jacob are inside the reception area. A
RECEPTIONIST rapidly types on an electric typewriter.
Jacob walks around the entire room. The typing stops.
Jacob stands still, his head looks up and down, back and
forth like a bobblehead on a pogo stick.
RECEPTIONIST
Your head will come unscrewed.
Ain't having a mess like that on my
floor.
JACOB
Millie? That you Millie?
He runs to the desk, kisses the receptionist's hand.
Noticing a vase on her desk with a couple of carnations, he
rips the wrapping off the roses, placing them in the water.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Rose for a rose. Get you coffee?
A sandwich? Wash your car? Neck
massage? Rub your feet?
MEGHAN
Jacob, this is not Millie.
RECEPTIONIST
Hush, girl. Let me be Millie for a
few minutes more.
MILLIE (O.S.) (O.S.)
Somebody mention my name?
MOTOWN MILLIE, walks in the room.
MILLIE (CONT'D)
Meghan, some sugar. A Grosse
Pointe air smooch.
Meghan and Millie hug and in greatly exaggerated movements,
kiss the air on alternating sides of each others necks.
Jacob grabs the roses out of the vase and hands them to
Millie, water pours all over the floor.
JACOB
Here. Flowers.
MILLIE
So I see. This must be Jacob.
JACOB
I am?
MEGHAN
You are.
JACOB
OK.
MILLIE
Meghan says you play a mean guitar.
JACOB
I do?
MEGHAN
You do.
JACOB
OK.
MILLIE
So, you'd like an audition?
JACOB
I would?
MEGHAN
You would.
JACOB
OK.
MILLIE
I don't believe I've ever met
anyone with such a command of the
English language. Let me show you
around.
They walk down the hall. A young man wearing sunglasses
runs toward them. He carries scissors and half a necktie.
He bumps into Jacob. It is STEVIE WONDER.
STEVIE
Sorry, man. Didn't see you.
MAN (O.S.) (O.S.)
Bring the rest of my tie back here.
MILLIE
Cutting neckties again, Stevie?
JACOB
Stevie? That's Stevie Wonder.
INT. CONTROL ROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
The three walk to the control room door. Millie looks
through the window, then opens the door. TWO ASSISTANTS are
around record producer NORMAN WHITFIELD.
NORMAN
Millie! What's happening, babe?
MILLIE
Same ol' same ol'. Norman, I have
a young man here who wants to
audition.
NORMAN
Uh, huh.
MILLIE
Plays guitars, horns, keyboards,
drums. You name it, you got it with
this kid.
NORMAN
Dig that. I don't do auditions.
As a friend of Millie's, I'll check
my calendar. What's your name, man?
JACOB
Uh, um.
MEGHAN
Jacob.
JACOB
Jacob.
NORMAN
Slide by tomorrow afternoon around
12:30, Jacob. We should be about
wrapping up this session then.
ASSISTANT ONE
Oh, man.
NORMAN
Hey, nothing wrong with perfection.
No promises, I'll try to give you a
listen tomorrow.
JACOB
Wow! Golly, swell!
NORMAN
Wow? Golly? Swell? Millie,
what'd you do, kidnap Beaver
Cleaver? Back to work. Roll it
from the top.
Assistant Two starts the tape machine. Music PLAYS as the
door slowly closes.
MILLIE
There you go. You'll have your big
opportunity tomorrow.
JACOB
I will?
MEGHAN
You will.
JACOB
OK.
MEGHAN
I need to make a quick call.
Jacob drifts toward Studio A, looking through the door
window.
MILLIE
Go in.
She opens the door.
INT. STUDIO A -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob and Millie walk down the steps to the studio floor.
MILLIE
More hits have come out of this
room than any other place on earth.
Millie sits at the drum set and raps a cymbal.
MILLIE (CONT'D)
I still get goosebumps.
Jacob places an ear tightly against the wall.
MILLIE (CONT'D)
What're you doing?
JACOB
These walls have soaked up all that
music, wondered if they'd give some
of it back.
MILLIE
The walls are greedy. They'll keep
it all for themselves forever.
Meghan walks down the stairs to the studio floor.
MILLIE (CONT'D)
Get your call made?
MEGHAN
Yeah, everything's all set.
Meghan looks around the studio.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Been a long time since you snuck me
in for a session.
MILLIE
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas?
How old were you?
MEGHAN
Nine, ten, maybe eleven.
MILLIE
Nowhere to Run?
MEGHAN
Dancing in The Streets.
JACOB
Nine years old and you sat in with
Martha Reeves and the Funk Brothers.
MEGHAN
Just part of being buddies with the
lovely and talented Motown Millie.
MILLIE
You're turning my head. Tell me
more.
JACOB
When I was nine, my thrill was
armpit farting "Three Little Monkeys
Sitting On A Bed."
A toy piano plunks out the intro of "Three Little
Monkeys..."
EXT. BELLE ISLE BRIDGE -- AFTERNOON
Meghan's 'Cuda crosses over the bridge to the island.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.)
Where's this flat?
MEGHAN (O.S.) (O.S.)
On the river. Tenth floor. Nice
view of downtown and Canada.
The car is on the island.
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- CONTINUOUS
MEGHAN
No clients are using it, and none
of the partners are having playtime
with their mistresses tonight.
JACOB
We can stay there?
MEGHAN
No crazy ideas. I get the bed.
You camp out on the couch.
JACOB
I didn't think
MEGHAN
Good. A male who doesn't think.
That's when guys get in trouble.
Take your head out of the gutter,
I'll show you one of the most
amazing sights in the city.
EXT. BELLE ISLE WOODS -- MOMENTS LATER
The 'Cuda is parked near thick woodland. Meghan and Jacob
sit on the hood.
MEGHAN
Be very quiet.
Rustling of leaves comes from the woods. A fawn walks out
of the woods. Meghan moves slowly toward the animal.
The fawn and Meghan are upon each other. She pets the
animal's head. The fawn rubs its head on Meghan's side.
Meghan pulls a carrot from her pocket. The fawn takes the
carrot from Meghan and looks up lovingly.
Meghan motions Jacob over. He takes a step, the fawn
stiffens. He takes another step, the fawn watches. The
next step his foot snaps a twig, the fawn runs in the woods.
JACOB
Damn it.
MEGHAN
She sensed your tension. Animals
are better at reading people than
people are at reading people.
JACOB
I'm not tense. Not really. A bit
nervous about the audition.
MEGHAN
You need to unwind. My therapist
used to
JACOB
You have a therapist?
MEGHAN
Doesn't every baby-boomer child?
JACOB
My father told me split the word
therapist in two and you have "the
rapist." He said that's because
they try to screw with your mind.
MEGHAN
Mine didn't just try to screw with
my mind. Before he went to prison
he taught me how to chill. Imagine
a special place. Close your eyes,
take deep breaths and see yourself
in that place.
Jacob closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Hold it. Let it out
Jacob exhales.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Where are you?
JACOB
California. Under a palm tree.
MEGHAN
Palm tree? Get in the car.
INT. BELLE ISLE CONSERVATORY -- MOMENTS LATER
Inside the building are tropical plants and palm trees.
JACOB
Palm trees in Detroit. Who'd have
thunk it?
MEGHAN
I love this place. Used to beg to
come here when I was a kid.
JACOB
I thought your parents never took
you anywhere.
MEGHAN
They wouldn't be caught dead here.
Too pedestrian. That's what nannies
are for.
Meghan and Jacob walk through the displays in silence. He
holds her hand. They stop under hanging plants.
He moves toward her, then backs off. Again he moves close
to her. A hanging plant gets in the way as he kisses
Meghan. The greenery gets a bigger smooch than Meghan or
Jacob.
Meghan bends over laughing. Jacob looks away embarrassed.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Come here.
Meghan takes his face in her hands and gives Jacob a long,
sweet, loving kiss. They hug.
JACOB
I love you.
MEGHAN
Hick town boy, you are so sweet.
EXT. DETROIT RIVER SKYLINE -- AFTERNOON
EXT. DETROIT RIVER SKYLINE -- EVENING
EXT. DETROIT RIVER SKYLINE -- NIGHT
EXT. DETROIT RIVER SKYLINE -- MORNING
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING -- MORNING
A DOORMAN opens the door. Meghan and Jacob leave the
building holding hands, he carries his guitar. Meghan's
'Cuda is in the front circle drive, engine running.
RADIO JINGLE SINGERS
More music. CKLW.
TOM (V.O.) (V.O.)
It's high noon in Windsor and
Detroit. Tom Shannon at CKLW. Now
a Motown classic from Junior Walker
and the All-Stars. Oh babe, What
does it take to win your love for
me?
The doorman opens Meghan's door, she gets behind the wheel
and puts the car top down. Jacob puts his guitar in the
back seat as the doorman opens his door.
Meghan and Jacob kiss then pull onto the street.
EXT. HITSVILLE USA -- AFTERNOON
Meghan pulls up to the front of the building. Gus and Mel
sit on the bench. The people on the lawn are silent.
Jacob takes his guitar from the back seat and waits for
Meghan. They walk up the sidewalk toward the building.
GUS
Man, leave that guitar in the car.
MEL
Don't need that.
JACOB
They're trying to psyche me out to
have a lousy audition.
MEGHAN
Don't fall for it. Keep telling
yourself you're very good.
Excellent.
Meghan and Jacob climb the steps. As they get to the door
it opens, TWO MUSICIANS walk out carrying their instruments.
MUSICIAN ONE
What you going to do?
MUSICIAN TWO
I got enough saved to open a
carwash.
INT. HITSVILLE USA -- MOMENTS LATER
Meghan and Jacob walk into the reception area to find
nobody there. They walk down the empty hallway.
Meghan and Jacob walk toward Studio A and notice a office
memo posted on the window of the door.
They both read it silently.
MEGHAN
Oh my.
Jacob takes the memo off the door.
JACOB
"As of this date Motown has moved
its headquarters to Los Angeles. No
further recording sessions are
scheduled for the Detroit facility."
MILLIE (O.S.) (O.S.)
I am so sorry.
Millie enters the scene.
MILLIE (CONT'D)
I didn't know this was coming down.
JACOB
They can't do this.
MILLIE
Motown wants to make movies.
JACOB
Who the hell wants to watch movies
when you can listen to music?
Jacob drops the memo, turns and walks away stiffly.
MILLIE
There are other studios.
Tera-Shirma, United Sound. Good
talent doesn't go unrecognized.
EXT. HITSVILLE USA -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob walks down the front steps zombie-like. He walks
halfway down the front sidewalk and stops.
JACOB
Nooooooooooooooooooo!
Jacob pitches his guitar in the air, it makes a perfect arc
and lands in the back seat of Meghan's 'Cuda.
Jacob lifts his right leg, takes off his shoe and throws it
in the car. He takes off his sock and slams it down on the
lawn. He repeats the procedure for his left foot. He walks
to the car, gets in and slams the door shut.
Meghan catches up to him.
MEGHAN
JJ, this isn't the end of the world.
JACOB
Get me the hell out of here.
He swats his hand onto the door lock, slinks down in his
seat sulking like a two-year-old being weaned off his binkie.
INT. MEGHAN'S 'CUDA -- LATER
Meghan and Jacob ride in the car on the freeway.
MEGHAN
I know you're disappointed. There
will be other opportunities.
Meantime, this silence is deafening.
After a few more seconds of silence, Meghan turns the car
radio on. It PLAYS a classic Motown hit.
Jacob punches another button on the radio. A sugary
"bubble gum" PLAYS.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
I like that other song.
She punches the button to go back to Motown hit.
JACOB
Yeah, well
He punches the button to go back to bubble gum music.
JACOB (CONT'D)
There. That's real music.
Meghan punches the button back to Motown. Jacob
immediately punches back to bubble gum.
MEGHAN
Stop it.
She punches back to her song. He punches back to his song.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Quit acting like a baby.
She punches back to her song and holds the button. Jacob
repeatedly punches his button until it breaks off the radio.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Oh, good one. You will fix that.
Meghan turns the radio off. They drive in silence.
EXT. HIGHWAY OVERPASS -- LATER
They are several hundred yards from a highway overpass
where a curtain of dark clouds seem to rise up.
JACOB
There's the dark cloud that's been
looking for me all day. All my life.
MEGHAN
I'm seeing a negative side of you I
don't like.
JACOB
Excuse me for not jumping through
hoops and being Mr. Bubbly for you.
MEGHAN
It's not as bad as all that.
JACOB
What the hell do you know? When
something good is supposed to
happen, I'm always a day late.
Misery seems to run ahead of
schedule.
He stands up, holds on to the windshield, facing the clouds.
JACOB (CONT'D)
I'm here. Come get me, I dare you.
Make my life unbearable.
Meghan's 'Cuda approaches the bridge.
MEGHAN
Don't tempt fate.
JACOB
Nothing else can go wrong today.
Meghan's 'Cuda leaves the sunshine to go under the bridge.
We hear a crack of thunder. The car comes out on the other
side of the bridge into a downpour of rain.
Meghan turns on the windshield wipers at full speed and
leans forward to see through the heavy rain. She flicks the
switch to put the power top up, nothing happens. She
joggles the switch several times.
MEGHAN
Shit. The top is stuck again.
JACOB
I'll take care of it.
Jacob hops into the back seat.
JACOB (CONT'D)
I hear the motor running.
He begins pulling on the top.
MEGHAN
Careful.
JACOB
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MEGHAN
Don't blow a fuse.
JACOB
Hey, I know what I'm doing.
He tugs on the top. A loud pop is heard as sparks fly.
Meghan glares at Jacob in the rear view mirror. He lays
down, opens his arms letting the rain drench his body.
MEGHAN
I'm so lucky to be with somebody
who knows what he's doing.
EXT. THE ALLEY -- AFTERNOON
Kevin backs his car up to the liquor store's back entrance.
Joey comes out, Kevin walks to the back of the Chevy.
JOEY
Pop the trunk.
Kevin fumbles with the keys and drops them.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Sometime this century.
Kevin puts the key in the lock. The trunk pops open. Joey
wheels out a dolly with six cases of beer. He tosses a case
in the trunk.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Give me a hand, girls.
Kevin, puts a case in the trunk. David walks to the back
of the car. He grabs a case and throws it too high, it
lands on the hood.
JOEY (CONT'D)
On second thought, I'll do it
myself. You did pay for white glove
service.
As Joey reaches the front of the car, Deputy Vinton cruises
slowly through the alley. Joey jumps onto the case, putting
his legs together to hide the beer from view.
DEPUTY VINTON
This look like your mama's back
yard? Don't make me have to get out
and write you a ticket for
loitering.
Deputy Vinton stares intently, but continues his slow
drive. Kevin cracks open a case of beer in the trunk. He
puts one can in each of the front pockets of his jeans.
Joey grabs the beer off the hood, puts it in the trunk,
loads the other three cases, and slams the trunk closed.
Kevin and David walk to the front of the car and climb
inside.
DAVID
Oh yeah! Party!
Joey leans in the window studying David's face.
JOEY
Let me take a wild fucking guess.
Your mother was in the hospital.
She shit the bed. They thought she
gave birth. And that's how you
ended up walking amongst us.
KEVIN
That's wicked.
Joey walks away wheeling the dolly into the store.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Let's make our deliveries and live
it up.
Kevin takes the beer from his pockets. He pops the top on
one, handing it to David. He opens and keeps the other can.
DAVID
I'm with you.
KEVIN
Salute.
DAVID
Salute.
They toast each other, smash the cans together with such
force that the beer shoots straight up and all over them.
EXT. DOWNTOWN MAKERSVILLE -- AFTERNOON
Meghan's 'Cuda splashes through a puddle.
MEGHAN
I was trying to help you. What
happened is not my fault.
JACOB
Who the hell said it was? Let me
out here. I don't need this shit.
MEGHAN
I'll take you home.
JACOB
Are you dense? I said let me out
here.
MEGHAN
Fine.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
She pulls in front of the coffee shop.
Jacob opens the car door, water cascades out. He gets out
and lifts his guitar from the back seat. He shuts the door
and begins to walk away past the rear of the car.
MEGHAN
Jacob Jones, you are the most
selfish, inconsiderate person I ever
met. I felt bad at first.
Jacob stops in front of the coffee shop window.
Meghan gets in and stands on the back seat.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
You know what? You're an asshole.
You deserve what you get. Don't
look to me for sympathy. Don't
call. Don't come around. I'll
gladly spend the rest of my life
pretending you don't exist.
Meghan grabs his shoes from the back floorboard.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Don't forget your shoes. Might
want to wear them to the next
hootenanny and pig castration
ceremony.
She throws one shoe hitting Jacob in the leg.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Maybe you'll be guest of honor.
The next shoe she throws too hard and too high. It strikes
the coffee shop window. Louise, Roxie and Jane duck down in
fright. Jacob gathers his shoes and walks away.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
I hope they use a rusty, dull knife.
Meghan jumps into the front seat, puts the car in gear and
peels out of the parking spot.
INT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS
Louise, Roxie and Jane watch Jacob and Meghan go their
separate ways. On the table is the pink scrapbook and the
"Makersville Journal." Glue, scissors and a newspaper
clipping are also on the table.
JANE
Lover's spat, girls.
ROXIE
Very emotional just like she's
LOUISE
You think she's got one in the oven?
JANE
Likely he provided the yeast to
raise the dough.
ROXIE
Lord have mercy.
LOUISE
Let's not stoop to idle gossip,
that's for others. We have work to
do.
Jane picks up the newspaper clipping.
JANE
A girl. Eight pounds, seven
ounces. Pamela Lynn Davis. Born
last Tuesday.
LOUISE
Seems quick. Red pen, I bet.
Jane flips through the book. Several of the pages have
big, bold numbers on the outside corners. The numbers ten
and above are in black, numbers nine and below are in red.
JANE
Should put these in alphabetical
order.
She finds the page and clipping she is looking for.
JANE (CONT'D)
Married January 17th.
She glues the birth announcement under the wedding clipping
and writes a big red 6 on the outside corner of the page.
LOUISE
Six months.
JANE
They did the nasty at least three
months before they made it legal.
ROXIE
Lord have mercy.
Louise looks closely at the wedding announcement.
LOUISE
She had the nerve to wear white.
JANE
Pathetical.
LOUISE
I remember we happened to be
driving by when they came out of the
church.
ROXIE
Was that during the blizzard?
LOUISE
I believe so. Laughing and smiling
like nothing was wrong.
JANE
No shame.
LOUISE
Young people today are so shallow.
ROXIE
Let's pray for their redemption.
JANE
Yes.
LOUISE
Cigarette first?
JANE
Second that.
ROXIE
Ditto.
All three light up, take a deep drag, and exhale in unison
like a precision smoking team. Louise flips through a few
pages in the book. One page grabs her attention.
LOUISE
This one was only four months.
Jane glances at the book.
JANE
That's my niece.
LOUISE
How'd that get in here?
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Jacob aggressively strums his guitar. It sounds like
something a three-year-old might hammer out.
His bedroom is now neat and clean in a clinical way. The
walls are bare except for the sign "God Loves The Snakepit."
SIRENS WAIL in the distance, then closer. Jacob imitates
the sounds of the sirens as he plays. The sirens fade out.
Jacob stops playing. He picks up an album. He plops it on
the turntable, sets the tone arm on the disc and puts on
headphones. He bobs his head and hums along to the music.
Jacob shuts his eyes and falls asleep.
FULL SHOT RECORD PLAYER -- LATER
The stylus tracks in the dead groove at the end of the
record making a MONOTONOUS "WICK, WICK" SOUND through the
headphones that are askew on Jacob's head.
BACK TO SCENE
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Phone!
Jacob comes to consciousness.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Jacob. Telephone.
JACOB
Who is it?
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Some guy.
INT. JACOB'S KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob grabs the phone receiver.
JACOB
Yeah?
He listens with disinterest, then snaps awake. He rushes
out, dropping the telephone receiver to the floor.
JACOB (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Dad, I'm using the car.
EXT. JACOB'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
Jacob flies down the steps and slips and skids as his bare
feet hit the rain soaked sidewalk. He drives off, the
wheels spinning to get traction on the wet pavement.
EXT. THE POINT -- MOMENTS LATER
A police car, two ambulances and a fire truck surround the
big tree. Jacob parks on the shoulder.
He rushes to the scene leaving the car running, the
windshield wipers slap furiously at the driving rain.
Deputy Vinton is in Jacob's way, he can't see beyond the
rotund officer.
DEPUTY VINTON
Kid, you can't park there.
Jacob walks around Deputy Vinton and sees Kevin's burnt out
Chevy. Smoke-charred beer cans and wine bottles are strewn
around the wreckage.
The fire truck and the ambulance farthest from Jacob pull
away slowly with no emergency lights on.
PARAMEDIC ONE and PARAMEDIC TWO carry a covered body on a
stretcher toward the ambulance nearest to Jacob.
A strong wind blows the sheet partially off David. His
face is bruised, bloodied and battered. His eyes stare in
eternal horror, his mouth open as if gasping for one last
breath.
Paramedic Two struggles with the sheet to secure it over
David's head. The stretcher is slid into the ambulance.
Paramedic One walks over to Deputy Vinton.
PARAMEDIC ONE
Never had a chance. Neither one.
Deputy Vinton pulls out a tin of chewing tobacco and puts a
big plug between his cheek and gums. He shakes his head.
DEPUTY VINTON
Kids into booze and whatnot. Where
do they learn that?
Deputy Vinton spits a big wad of tobacco juice on the
ground.
PARAMEDIC
Must be seeing it on the TV.
Paramedic One climbs in the ambulance, it slowly pulls
away. Deputy Vinton gets in his car to fill out paperwork.
He notices Jacob staring and rolls down the passenger Window.
DEPUTY VINTON
Sorry about your friends. Go home,
son. It's no good being here.
Meghan's 'Cuda skids to a stop. She races to Jacob whose
back is to her.
MEGHAN
Oh, God. Jacob what happened?
JACOB
They're gone, Meg. Gone.
MEGHAN
How? Why? It can't...
JACOB
It's my fault.
MEGHAN
No.
JOEY (O.S.) (O.S.)
Meghan. Let's go.
Through the open car door, the dome light shines on Joey.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Nugent won't hold the show.
Meghan puts her arms around Jacob. His arms remain limp by
his side as he sobs.
A CAR HORN BLOWS.
JOEY (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
The Motor City Madman awaits.
Jacob buries his head on Meghan's shoulder.
JACOB
Should have been me, not them.
MEGHAN
Shhh.
The CAR HORN BLOWS long.
JOEY
Meghan, this can wait. Those kids
will still be dead tomorrow.
Jacob yanks Joey out of the car flat onto the ground and
throws a series of wild punches, most of them connect with
the wet ground, not with Joey's body.
INT. DEPUTY VINTON'S POLICE CAR -- CONTINUOUS
Deputy Vinton watches but does not get out of his car.
DEPUTY VINTON
Nail him a few times for me, kid.
BACK TO SCENE
JOEY
Man, you dumped those guys anyway.
Just go find some new chumps to use.
JACOB
I'll kill you, you bastard.
Jacob lands a brutal punch to Joey's nose, blood splatters
everywhere. Meghan pulls Jacob as Joey struggles to stand.
Joey breaks loose from Jacob and scrambles back into the
'Cuda. He slams the door shut and locks it.
Deputy Vinton grabs Jacob from behind in a bear hug.
Jacob's arms remain free.
DEPUTY VINTON
That's enough. Missy, get in your
hotrod and get out of here.
Meghan rushes to the driver's side of the car.
JOEY
You're a nut case.
Jacob slaps at the closed window with his hand. He punches
the window with his fist. He pounds the top of the roof and
begins to kick the door of the 'Cuda.
MEGHAN
Stop it.
JACOB
Shut up, bitch. You don't give a
shit anyway.
Meghan jumps in the car and speeds away.
Deputy Vinton lets go of Jacob. He is too weak to stand
and falls to his knees.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Meg, no. Come back. Don't leave
me, too.
He falls face down in the mud. He has barely enough
strength to pull himself back up on his hands and knees.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Meggie.
We hold on Jacob's tear-stained, rain-soaked,
mud-splattered face for several seconds.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM -- DAY
Jacob tries to close an overstuffed suitcase on his bed.
He jumps and sits on it and quickly snaps the closures shut.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
I did what you're doing.
JACOB
You always lived here.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Quit school. Went to work on the
Dundee farm.
JACOB
I'm going a bit beyond a farm on
the edge of town.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Los Angeles. You'll get kidnapped
by a cult.
JACOB
No I won't.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
How will you get there?
JACOB
I'll walk if I have to.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Make sure you quit school for the
right reason. General Motors is
hiring. I'll get you an application.
JACOB
I can't work for The General,
putting the same bolt on the same
bracket ten thousand times a day.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
Pay's good. Full benefits. Early
retirement. What's a musician get?
JACOB
Mom told me to follow my dreams. I
have to do this.
Jacob opens his suitcase, takes his mother's picture off
the tape machine, puts it between clothes and shuts the
suitcase.
JACOB'S DAD (O.S.) (O.S.)
May she watch over you.
EXT. RAILROAD TRACKS -- AFTERNOON
Jacob walks on the rail bed between the tracks, weighted
down by his suitcase and two guitars.
EXT. RAIL YARD -- EVENING
Jacob struggles to an open box car, throws his suitcase
inside and climbs aboard, carrying his guitars.
INT. BOXCAR -- CONTINUOUS
In the darkness Jacob stumbles through stacks of boxes. He
puts his suitcase and guitars in a corner and settles in.
JACOB
Better get comfortable. Gonna be
here awhile.
BIG REED RODNEY (O.S.) (O.S.)
Depends where you're going and what
you're doing.
Jacob stands up, walks past the open door.
BIG REED RODNEY (O.S.) (O.S.) (CONT'D)
They're gonna see you.
Jacob walks to the other side of the car and sees BIG REED
RODNEY, 60.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
You must be a virgin.
JACOB
Excuse me?
BIG REED RODNEY
First time traveler. The way you
advertise yourself in front of that
open door. Don't make the rail yard
bulls bust you. Boy, you can't be
more than 15.
JACOB
17.
BIG REED RODNEY
Where you going, what you running
from?
JACOB
L.A. Ain't running from anything.
BIG REED RODNEY
What you think you're running to?
L.A., let me guess. Gonna be a
movie star. Next Paul Newman, that
right?
JACOB
I'm not an actor. I'm a musician.
BIG REED RODNEY
Uh, huh. You have a girlfriend?
JACOB
No.
BIG REED RODNEY
You should. Know what they call a
musician without a girlfriend?
Homeless. What they call you?
JACOB
Huh?
BIG REED RODNEY
Your name, boy. Got one?
JACOB
Jacob Jones.
BIG REED RODNEY
What the hell kind of name's that
for a hobo? No pizazz.
JACOB
I'm no hobo. I'm hitching a ride
to hook up a recording contract.
BIG REED RODNEY
Hobo's a better career choice. Set
your hours and don't worry about the
suits screwing you out of money.
JACOB
What do you know about the music
business? What's your name anyway?
BIG REED RODNEY
I go by Rail Car Rodney. The music
business and I have made
acquaintance now and again.
JACOB
What? You know how to play
records? Or you roll musicians for
wallets?
BIG REED RODNEY
Boy, you got 50 years of sass in
that 17 year old body. Ain't no
hobo ever rolled any musician.
JACOB
Sorry, man. Meant no harm.
BIG REED RODNEY
Didn't harm me. Just showed your
ignorance. Run into that a lot.
The train starts moving.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
Better sit down before the kickback
knocks your ass down.
The box car jerks, Jacob stumbles and falls on his butt.
JACOB
Shit.
BIG REED RODNEY
Should have warned you a mite
earlier.
Jacob walks toward his side of the car, tripping over
something.
JACOB
What the hell.
He lifts up a saxophone case.
BIG REED RODNEY
Careful with that.
JACOB
Looks like a saxophone case.
BIG REED RODNEY
Stands accused, found guilty as
charged.
JACOB
What're you doing with it?
BIG REED RODNEY
Nothing while it's in your greasy
hands.
JACOB
Alright, man. I'll leave you alone.
Jacob walks to his side of the box car.
BIG REED RODNEY
Got a blanket?
JACOB
Nope. It's warm in California.
BIG REED RODNEY
It's cold at night here. There's a
lot of here before you get there.
JACOB
I'll survive.
INT. BOXCAR -- LATER
Jacob shivers.
BIG REED RODNEY
Got some newspaper over here.
JACOB
Thanks, give me something to read
while I freeze to death.
BIG REED RODNEY
Boy, class is in session. Gather
your shit, get over here.
Jacob gathers his belongings and stumbles his way to
Rodney's side of the car. Halfway there he trips and his
suitcase opens and scatters its contents. Unknown to Jacob,
his wallet slides under a pallet holding a stack of boxes.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
I was gonna tell you open your
suitcase, but you work ahead.
Jacob scoops up his belongings and throws them back in the
open suitcase, sliding it the rest of the way with his foot.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
Rule number one: always pick up a
newspaper, out of the trash,
wherever.
Rodney grabs a long-sleeve shirt out of the suitcase. He
stuffs newspaper in the sleeves.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
Fill clothes with newspaper and you
got a blankie warm as your
grandmama's quilts. The paper's
mandatory for pit stops among the
pines.
INT. BOXCAR -- MORNING
Light streams through the cracks in the boxcar. Jacob and
Rodney awaken, Jacob looks around confused.
JACOB
Forgot where I am.
BIG REED RODNEY
You are where you are. Might not
be where you outta be. When we make
Kansas City, hop an eastbound. Go
home, back to school. Your mama
misses you.
JACOB
My mother's dead. Cancer.
BIG REED RODNEY
Boy, I'm sorry. When I was 9, I
went with my mother to get
groceries.
EXT. CORNER GROCERY STORE 1921 -- DAY
A car drives erratically toward BIG REED RODNEY, age 9 and
his MOTHER, 29 as they leave the store carrying groceries.
BIG REED RODNEY (V.O.) (V.O.)
Coming out, a car driving fast and
crazy jumped the sidewalk. Mom
pushed me from harm's way. She was
hit dead on. Flew probably twenty
feet in the air.
JACOB (V.O.) (V.O.)
Oh.
BIG REED RODNEY (V.O.) (V.O.)
I looked down, thinking she's gonna
be upset for the tomatoes splattered
all over her favorite dress.
BACK TO SCENE
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
Only it wasn't tomatoes.
JACOB
Driver go to prison?
BIG REED RODNEY
White boys didn't go to the
hoosegow for killing black women.
His life was in front of him, hers
didn't mean shit. Daddy worked two
jobs. I hung with the neighborhood
cats into jazz. Pops saw I dug it
and took a third job to buy Saxie
Sally.
JACOB
What'd you call your saxophone?
BIG REED RODNEY
Nothing.
JACOB
Rail Car Rodney, my ass. You're
Big Reed Rodney. The man with the
sound so big his reed's the size of
Cincinnati.
BIG REED RODNEY
Where you hear such crap?
JACOB
And his sidekick, Saxie Sally. You
jammed with Miles and Coltrane.
BIG REED RODNEY
Kid your age don't know jazz. Rock
and Roll. Rolling Stones. That's
you.
JACOB
Oh, man. Big Reed Rodney. You
played on hundreds of sessions.
BIG REED RODNEY
Thousands including live radio.
JACOB
So, how did you
BIG REED RODNEY
End up here? Money. Lack of. Got
paid pocket change to do radio.
Couldn't live on it.
JACOB
You played on lots of records.
BIG REED RODNEY
A "punch the clock" job, union
scale. Record goes number one on
the Hit Parade, sells a million
copies, the eagle doesn't fly for
you again.
JACOB
That's not fair.
BIG REED RODNEY
The men in suits used to say
"Rodney, it's like the guy who
paints your house. You pay him for
the job once. Sell the house at the
long dollar, he doesn't get a dime
more."
JACOB
That's not right.
BIG REED RODNEY
Right or wrong. It is what it is.
JACOB
Your playing made people rich.
BIG REED RODNEY
Some people. Sometimes.
JACOB
That sucks.
BIG REED RODNEY
I'll die a richer man than most,
long as I have music in my soul and
Sally by my side.
JACOB
You deserve more.
BIG REED RODNEY
Musicians are givers not getters.
We give the world our music. Makes
great art, lousy business.
JACOB
Then you should get all you can
while you can.
BIG REED RODNEY
You have to give before you get.
Then give again. Some day you might
be able to make a difference. Even
if it's only one person's life, do
it. That's worth more than 20 gold
records and four mansions.
JACOB
Twenty gold records and four
mansions?
BIG REED RODNEY
Ten gold records and two mansions.
Alright, a gold record and a
bungalow.
EXT. BOXCAR -- LATER
An acoustic guitar plays a FUNKY JAM.
INT. BOXCAR -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob continues his furious strumming.
JACOB
Blow, Rodney!
Rodney gets down on his saxophone.
EXT. RAILROAD CROSSING -- LATER
The train crosses the intersection as Jacob and Rodney
continue jamming.
EXT. RAIL YARD -- DAY
The train is stopped. Rodney climbs out of the boxcar with
his backpack. Jacob jumps down carrying the sax case.
BIG REED RODNEY
The eastbound is four tracks over.
Be home tomorrow afternoon.
JACOB
I'm going to Los Angeles.
BIG REED RODNEY
I was foolish at 22. Guess you got
the right to be at 17.
JACOB
Go with me?
BIG REED RODNEY
Kansas City's my home. My friends
are here. The barbecue is better in
KC than LA. You don't need me. You
got the chops and youthful arrogance
to make it.
Rodney takes his sax case from Jacob, walks several steps
then turns around.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
Always remember. Give then get.
Then give some more. That
philosophy will never let you down.
Rodney turns, walks a few more steps and turns once more.
BIG REED RODNEY (CONT'D)
One more thing. Very important.
JACOB
Yes?
BIG REED RODNEY
Don't forget the newspaper. New
York Times Sunday Edition is a real
treasure. Lot of pages.
Big Reed Rodney turns and walks out of the scene.
EXT. LOS ANGELES RAIL YARD -- DAY
Jacob climbs down carrying his suitcase, guitars and a
newspaper. He throws the newspaper back in the boxcar.
JACOB
Shouldn't need that anymore.
Jacob walks away from the box car then turns around, goes
back and grabs the newspaper.
JACOB (CONT'D)
On the other hand.
EXT. STOCK FOOTAGE OF VARIOUS HOLLYWOOD LANDMARKS.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- AFTERNOON
Jacob is across from the building. He crosses the busy
street, walks around a bench at a bus stop and in the door.
INT. HITSVILLE WEST -- CONTINUOUS
Inside the reception area L.A. RECEPTIONIST greets him.
L.A. RECEPTIONIST
The soup kitchen's three blocks
over.
JACOB
Fascinating. I'm here for Norman
Whitfield.
L.A. RECEPTIONIST
Let me put your name on the list.
There, only 912 people ahead of you.
JACOB
Norman will want to see me.
L.A. RECEPTIONIST
Why didn't you say so? Norman
wants to see you. I just bumped you
up. Only 909 to go.
L.A. Receptionist makes eye contact with somebody behind
Jacob. Jacob catches her gaze.
JACOB
Mr. Whitfield?
Jacob turns and sees GARY, a huge security officer about 40.
JACOB (CONT'D)
You called security on me?
GARY
No sir, I'm not security. I'm
Gary, the courtesy officer.
Gary is slowly and gently moving Jacob toward the exit.
GARY (CONT'D)
As a courtesy to our guests, I make
sure this nasty old door doesn't hit
them on the way out.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob is on the front sidewalk.
GARY
That'd be rude.
Gary goes back inside. Jacob sits down on the park bench.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- EVENING
Jacob sits in the same place. Gary walks out the front
door, locking it. Jacob jumps up to meet Gary.
JACOB
Gary, can't you sneak me in?
GARY
No.
JACOB
What if you forget to lock the door?
GARY
It might jump off it's hinges and
come over and hit you in the bootie.
That'd be rude. Can't have that I'm
the courtesy
JACOB
Courtesy officer. Couldn't you be
crass once in awhile?
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- NIGHT
Jacob is exhausted, sprawled on the bench tossing and
turning his way into sleep that won't come.
A luxury sports car pulls up. Inside are the driver, RICH
BRAT ONE and the passenger, RICH BRAT TWO, both males about
21 years old.
RICH BRAT ONE
Look a street urchin.
RICH BRAT TWO
Vagrant. I heard about them in my
sociology class.
RICH BRAT ONE
Street lad, you look hungry. How
do you like your eggs?
RICH BRAT TWO
Scrambled?
Rich Brat Two throws a raw egg hitting Jacob in the
forehead.
RICH BRAT ONE
He looks to be an omelette man.
Two eggs?
Rich Brat One hits Jacob with another egg.
RICH BRAT TWO
He's famished. Three.
Rich Brat Two nails Jacob with a third egg.
RICH BRAT ONE
Thirsty?
Rich Brat Two shakes a bottle of champagne spraying it all
over Jacob.
RICH BRAT TWO
Enjoy homeless boy.
RICH BRAT ONE
Dom Perignon. Worth more than you
and your entire family combined.
Both brats laugh.
A police car pulls up behind. Flashes its lights and gives
a short BLAST of its siren.
LOUDSPEAKER (V.O.) (V.O.)
Move along.
Rich Brat One and Rich Brat Two drive off.
LOUDSPEAKER (V.O.) (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I said move along.
Jacob realizes the officer means him.
LOUDSPEAKER (V.O.) (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Move along or we'll move you along.
Jacob gathers his belongings and shuffles away from the
bench.
EXT. L.A. STREET -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob moves slowly struggling to carry his guitars and
suitcase.
EXT. DUMPY HOTEL -- LATER
Jacob walks up to the hotel. Sign reads: Bed and Bath $4
INT. DUMPY HOTEL LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS
Tattered and dirty, the lobby looks like something that
would win Cockroach Monthly's "Slime Hole of the Month."
Trashy Halloween decorations and a sign advertising a "Trick
or Treat Party" fill the room.
Jacob walks up to DESK CLERK, a poorly dressed little man
wearing cheap sunglasses. He is about 60 years old.
DESK CLERK
Rooms are private. All six floors
have their own shared bath and head.
Four bucks now.
JACOB
OK.
Jacob pats his jeans and shirt for his wallet. Not there.
He opens his suitcase, throws his belongings on the floor.
He searches all his clothes. He ransacks the nooks and
crannies of his suitcase. No luck.
DESK CLERK
I'll take a stab at it. You had a
million. But you're a big tipper
and got nothing left.
JACOB
Can't find my wallet.
DESK CLERK
It's late. I'm tired. One room
left. Help me, I help you.
JACOB
Anything.
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- LATER
Jacob scrubs a filthy toilet. He walks out carrying a
bucket with water, a toilet brush and a bottle of bowl
cleaner.
INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS
The water splashes from the bucket as Jacob ambles down the
hallway toward the stairs, he trudges up to the next floor.
INT. BATHROOM DOOR -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob opens the door to an even grungier toilet and begins
scrubbing.
INT. DUMPY HOTEL LOBBY -- MORNING
The lobby has a chintzy Christmas tree, the lights flash
sporadically from an electrical short. A sign advertises
the Hotel Christmas Party.
Jacob leaves with his guitars in tow.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- LATER
Jacob is escorted out the front door by Gary.
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- LATER
Jacob scrubs a toilet.
INT. DUMPY HOTEL LOBBY -- MORNING
The lobby has Valentine's Day decorations and a sign
advertising a party. Jacob walks through with his guitars.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- LATER
Gary shows Jacob out the door.
INT. DUMPY HOTEL LOBBY -- MORNING
St. Patrick's Day decorations fill the lobby along with a
sign for the "St. Patty's Day Party." Jacob walks through
with his guitars.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- NIGHT
Gary walks Jacob out the door and down the street.
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM -- NIGHT
Jacob scrubs a toilet. He hears something, like feet
shuffling on a carpet. He looks up and sees nothing. He
throws the toilet brush on the floor, walks to the doorway
to search for what he heard. He doesn't find a thing up or
down the hallway.
He returns to his job not seeing the toilet brush, he skids
on it and lands face-down in the toilet bowl.
JACOB
I'm done. Get me that application,
dad. I'm coming home to carry on
the GM tradition.
INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT
The room is almost a duplicate of the shabby room where Big
Reed Rodney would one day draw his final breath, as
described on the first page of the screenplay currently in
front of your eyes. Jacob lies on the bed in a fretful
sleep.
Footsteps are heard. Jacob glances up in a daze. The room
begins to glow slightly, his eyes struggle to focus.
JACOB
Can't be.
Sitting on the end of the bed is David.
DAVID
Could be. You never know, man.
JACOB
What is this? Some kind of joke?
DAVID
I wasn't good at jokes. Although
the one I made about Kevin being
past his fifteen minutes of asshole
time wasn't bad, was it?
JACOB
Man, that toilet bowl cleaner has
wicked fumes.
Jacob rubs his eyes as if to make David disappear.
DAVID
That won't help. I'm still here.
Last time you saw me I looked a lot
like this.
David puts on his death mask face with his eyes wide open
and his mouth askew.
JACOB
I don't drink, do drugs.
DAVID
Kevin says "hi." Had a drag race
or he'd be here, too.
JACOB
Why
DAVID
Am I here? Good questions deserve
good answers. Here's yours. Music
and Motown are your dreams. Don't
give up. Not after all this. The
pay off will be there. Keep
believing.
JACOB
You've become a 14 year old prophet?
DAVID
It's not prophecy. I have
thousands of years of wisdom to draw
upon. An advantage of where I live
now.
Jacob shakes his head and rubs his eyes again.
JACOB
This isn't happening.
DAVID
Hang in there. You'll make it.
Big Reed Rodney would tell you the
same.
JACOB
Rodney? How do you know
DAVID
Hey, it's like a big TV screen in
the sky. We see it all.
JACOB
All?
DAVID
Everything. Don't worry we don't
talk among ourselves.
David walks to the window.
DAVID (CONT'D)
Believe and achieve. Here's
something you'll like: Motown. They
play a lot of Motown up there.
Jacob shuts his eyes briefly as he smiles. When he opens
his eyes, David is gone. Jacob gets out of bed, looks
around the room and then goes to the window. He pulls back
the grimy window shade and looks up at the sky.
EXT. HITSVILLE WEST -- MORNING
Jacob carries his two guitars. He notices an untied
shoelace. He sits at the bench, next to an idling bus, to
tie it. The bus pulls away engulfing Jacob with thick, oily
smoke staining his face black.
Jacob walks in the building. The usual receptionist is not
there. SUZY, age 24 mans the desk on this day.
JACOB
What happened to the other
receptionist?
SUZY
Vacation.
JACOB
Gary?
SUZY
He's here. Like me to get him?
JACOB
Oh no. That'd be rude. Gary
doesn't like rude. I'm here to see
Norman Whitfield
SUZY
He's in the studio and can't be
interrupted.
JACOB
The studio. Through here?
SUZY
For sure. You can't go in there.
Jacob walks down a hallway. He finds a door marked
"Control Room." A red light flashes above the door. He
tries to open the door, it is locked. He pounds hard on the
door.
JACOB
Let me in.
The door opens. Assistant One and Assistant Two are on
either side of Norman Whitfield. All three stare at Jacob.
NORMAN
Man, didn't you see the damn light?
We're recording.
JACOB
I rode my ass three thousand miles
on a freight train to get here and
spent six months cleaning shitters
to see you.
NORMAN
Beaver? Beaver Cleaver from
Detroit? That you?
Norman touches Jacob's face. Some of the diesel oil comes
off on his hand.
NORMAN (CONT'D)
Man, is there anything you won't do
to get an audition?
JACOB
You said you'd give me a listen.
Open your ears. Here I am.
NORMAN
Circumstances changed.
JACOB
You promised.
NORMAN
Man, I'm in the middle of a session.
JACOB
You promised.
Suzy walks in the control room.
SUZY
Sorry Mr. Whitfield. Should I call
security?
JACOB
You promised.
NORMAN
Nah, let it be.
JACOB
You promised.
NORMAN
OK. I get the feeling I promised.
Slide by tomorrow about 12:30
JACOB
Bullshit. I heard that in Detroit.
12:30 is now.
INT. HITSVILLE WEST STUDIO -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob walks out of the control room, into the studio. A
DRUMMER, PIANIST and GUITAR PLAYER are in the studio. He
pulls his electric guitar out of its case.
JACOB
Mind if I plug in?
GUITAR PLAYER
Help yourself.
Jacob plugs his guitar into the amp.
JACOB
Finally. I'm ready for my solo,
Mr. Whitfield.
Jacob kicks into a JAZZ-FUNK JAM. The drummer and pianist
dig the groove and join in.
NORMAN
(over speaker in
studio)
Beaver, thanks man. That's enough.
JACOB
Does that mean "no?" After three
thousand miles in a box car I am not
here to hear "no."
INT. HITSVILLE WEST STUDIO -- NIGHT
It is several months later. Jacob, his hair perfectly
coifed, his image pristine, is in the studio with fellow
musicians.
NORMAN
No. Still not right. Do it again.
JACOB
Oh, man. We've done 57 takes.
NORMAN
I told you when you signed I accept
nothing less than perfection.
JACOB
For the sixteen millionth time, I'm
ready for my solo, Mr. Whitfield.
1-2, 1-2-3-4.
Jacob and the band break into the intro of "Mary is My
Life."
ANNOUNCER
And now number one.
RADIO JINGLE SINGERS
CKLW, The Motor City.
Various newspaper and magazine headlines touting JJ Mania
fade in and out of the screen.
TOM
Topping the charts for the eighth
week in a row, JJ Mania continues.
The hottest artist of 1975. Jacob
Jones and "Mary is My Life."
INT. STAGE -- NIGHT
Jacob plays his guitar. It is a large arena overflowing
with adoring fans. Several young female fans try to jump on
stage. Big Reed Rodney is in Jacob's band.
JACOB
Blow, Rodney!
Rodney breaks into a bad ass sax solo.
INT. RECORD STORE -- DAY
The music continues. Jacob autographs a copy of his album
for a fan. She faints. Hundreds of fans crowd the store.
EXT. RECORD STORE -- CONTINUOUS
The line of fans is several blocks long.
EXT. LIMOUSINE -- NIGHT
Jacob has to claw his way through screaming and crying fans
to get in the back of his limo. Rodney rides with him.
INT. LIMOUSINE -- CONTINUOUS
Fans press their faces to the window, banging on the door.
EXT. STAGE -- AFTERNOON
Jacob and band play a continuation of the same song. The
setting is a large outdoor arena. It is three-quarters full.
INT. RECORD STORE -- DAY
Jacob has another autograph session. 20 people or so wait
in line.
INT. STAGE -- NIGHT
It is a medium size auditorium, half-filled. Jacob and
band continue on with the song. Jacob is worn out.
INT. RECORD STORE -- DAY
Jacob holds an autograph session. The store is empty
except for a YOUNG MOTHER thumbing through albums, her
DAUGHTER, about age 2, sucks on a pacifier as drool spills
on the table where Jacob is seated.
INT. STAGE -- EVENING
The setting is a small club of about 15 patrons, talking
and drinking, not paying attention to Jacob and band as they
continue the song. Jacob is pissed.
EXT. STAGE PRESENT -- EVENING
Older Jacob is on the stage singing the song seamlessly
from the previous scene. Signage indicates it is an "Oldies
Concert Revue." Meghan is in the crowd.
EXT. THE POINT -- NIGHT
Light rain falls.
JACOB
Every time I see you it's raining.
MEGHAN
Hasn't rained for thirty years,
then you show up.
JACOB
Don't get me going on the "black
cloud" theory.
Meghan reaches into her purse and pulls out a reel of
recording tape.
MEGHAN
I listened to this last week.
JACOB
Oh my.
MEGHAN
Dusted it off after I heard you
play in Saginaw.
JACOB
You drove to Saginaw. Double oh my.
MEGHAN
"Meghan on My Mind," sounds
amazingly like your chart-buster
"Mary is My Life."
JACOB
That chart-buster busted me.
MEGHAN
Was number one for 700 weeks.
JACOB
My career was defined by that one
song. It created me, nurtured me,
abandoned me and consumed me.
Meghan walks to her truck and pulls out a record album.
MEGHAN
Even I fell into the throes of "JJ
Mania."
She shows Jacob a copy of his album "JJ."
JACOB
You bought my album?
MEGHAN
Not then. No way. Got this at a
used record store last month.
JACOB
Quarter? Fifty cents?
MEGHAN
179.50. Collectors item. Rarity.
Very old. Ancient. Museum piece.
JACOB
I was shoved down the public's
throat, until they regurgitated me.
That was it. No hits no more. I
became a DJ at a radio station in
LA. 20 years sitting on my ass
playing the same old records. I got
word my mentor in Kansas City was
dying. They wouldn't give me time
off, so I quit. Sold my house, sold
my car, sold my everything. After
the funeral, I was in the
neighborhood.
MEGHAN
Kansas City. Michigan. You're
right, walking distance.
JACOB
And I knew I had to come back.
MEGHAN
For good?
JACOB
For now. I did that gig in Saginaw
for a charity that helps R&B
musicians who are broke. Going to
do a bunch of those concerts.
MEGHAN
That's nice.
JACOB
I owe them that. You're doing OK,
aren't you? I've seen your web site.
MEGHAN
Nothing to it. Answer questions,
make a few comments. My 12 year old
niece throws it up on the internet.
JACOB
Love the livestock forum. Your
discussions on banminth and bloody
scours were without a doubt the best
swine talk of all time.
MEGHAN
I do live in farm country. That
reminds me: the smell of pig shit.
You lied. You never get used to it.
JACOB
You never forget its pungent
bouquet.
A Makersville City Police car drives up.
MEGHAN
Look at this.
JACOB
Don't believe it. We're not going
to make you get out to write a
ticket.
The passenger side window rolls down. A very YOUNG POLICE
OFFICER is seen.
YOUNG POLICE OFFICER
You folks alright?
MEGHAN
Everything's fine. Thanks.
YOUNG POLICE OFFICER
Probably want to get inside. Bad
storms heading this way.
The patrol car leaves.
JACOB
Where'd they get him? The
playground?
MEGHAN
You're old enough to be his
grandfather.
JACOB
No. No. No. That's not possible.
You, on the other hand.
MEGHAN
Careful. I carry some potent horse
tranquilizers in my truck.
JACOB
Shaken or stirred?
MEGHAN
I suggest something a bit tamer.
Come by for a drink. I built a
house on the hill. A few acres, few
horses.
JACOB
Done well for yourself, Doctor.
Meghan walks toward her truck, stops and turns around.
MEGHAN
OK in some ways. Not so well in
others.
She gets in the truck, starts the engine. She puts it in
gear, the truck surges forward. She stomps the brake.
JACOB
Is this the same woman who used to
power shift a four-speed Hemi 'Cuda?
Practicing driving skills for when
you retire and move to Florida?
MEGHAN
It's still sad when hick town boys
attempt humor. It's the
transmission. Damn automatics
anyway.
Meghan playfully flips her hair like she did when she first
met Jacob 30 years before. Thunder and lightening fill the
air as it starts to pour rain.
MEGHAN (CONT'D)
Don't drive in this. Come over.
Dry off. Get a fresh start in the
morning. I'll put the light on.
You'll see it from here. OK?
JACOB
Don't know. Have a couple things
to do first.
Meghan drives away slowly.
Jacob gets in his car and starts the engine. He puts his
car in gear, it lurches forward. He stomps the brake.
JACOB (CONT'D)
Damn automatics anyway.
Lights come on at Meghan's home filling the sky with a
luminescent halo through the rain.
He looks at the tree, toward Meghan's house and back at the
tree.
He drives toward the light glowing from Meghan's house but
passes by and heads to town.
INT. JACOB'S CAR -- LATER
Jacob sits in his car and writes out a check for One
Hundred Thousand Dollars to: Makersville High School Music
Scholarship Fund. He places it in an envelope and seals it
shut.
EXT. MAKERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob walks to the front door, sliding the envelope
underneath.
EXT. THE POINT -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob drives past the road to Meghan's house.
EXT. THE FREEWAY -- MOMENTS LATER
Jacob's car passes the faded, peeling, barely-legible
billboard: THANK-YOU FOR VISITING MAKERSVILLE. A FRIENDLY
PLACE TO LIVE AND LEARN. HOME OF THE 1971 BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE CHAMPIONS!
A crack of thunder is heard and several flashes of
lightening illuminate the dilapidated sign.
EXT. FREEWAY SIGN -- NIGHT
Sign reads DETROIT 99 Miles
EXT. THE GIANT TIRE -- LATER
In the early morning dawn light Jacob drives by the tire.
INT. JACOB'S CAR -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob smiles as he sees the tire.
EXT. WOODWARD AVENUE -- LATER
Jacob's car drives past the Fox Theater, Comerica Park,
Ford Field and the former Motown Office Building.
EXT. HITSVILLE USA -- CONTINUOUS
Jacob's car does a sudden U-turn, parking in front of
Hitsville. GUS III and MEL III, both six years old sit on
the bench and watch Jacob's every move.
Jacob walks to the first step, pats it with his hand and
sits down. He stands, pulls an envelope from his coat
pocket and slides it under the door.
Jacob walks to the street. He salutes the building and
drives away. Gus III and Mel III stand on the bench and
salute the building.
EXT. THE POINT -- MORNING
The sun peeks through the sky. It is dark enough to see
the lights shining at Meghan's house.
EXT. MEGHAN'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER
The porch lights go out. Meghan steps outside. A
telephone rings. Meghan leaves the door open and goes
inside.
INT. MEGHAN'S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS
The caller ID box reads "Jones, Jacob 555-2648."
Meghan picks up the telephone receiver.
MEGHAN
Yes?
Jacob walks in the house, his cell phone in hand.
JACOB
Definitely yes.
Jacob and Meghan look at each other. She walks to him.
They hug and kiss lovingly.
MEGHAN
Hick town boy. You are so, so
sweet.
They kiss passionately.
EXT. MEGHAN'S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS
Pulling back away and upward, the house becomes a tiny
speck on the landscape.
MONTAGE OF VARIOUS MAPS
City of Detroit indicated with a red star just like the
Motown map logo.
The entire Midwest comes into view with Chicago marked.
The whole eastern half of the U.S. with Memphis,
Philadelphia and New York City marked.
All of the United States is shown. Los Angeles is marked.
Pulling further back London is shown on the map. A Motown
red star marks the city of Glasgow, Scotland.
END MONTAGE
FADE OUT:
FADE IN TAG SCENE:
EXT. COFFEE SHOP PRESENT -- DAY
It is run-down and deserted. An eerie wind BLOWS.
Through the filthy front window is the table with a dusty
coffee pot, grimy ashtrays, faded cigarette packs and the
discolored pink scrapbook.
Three skeletons sit in the chairs where Louise, Jane and
Roxie used to hold court.
In each bony jaw is an old cigarette with dead ash trailing
out the front.
In rapid succession the heads fall off the skeletal bodies.
FADE OUT.
THE END