American History X Page #3

The teacher stares at him.

CUT TO:

INT. PRINCIPAL LOBBY - DANNY

He sits in a chair next to an office door marked DR.

ROBERT SWEENEY - PRINCIPAL. Danny glances at the

secretary as she types and talks on the phone.

TIGHT ON DANNY. He listens to the conversation through

the the crack in the door as his eyes swell.

MURRAY (O.S.)

I do not have a problem with him as an

individual, alright!?

SWEENEY (O.S.)

Oh sh*t Murray sure you do. You hate

this kid.

INT. OFFICE - THE CONVERSATION

The bespectacled, short-haired MURRAY ROSENBERG, 48,

looks over and spots Danny listening outside. Murray

walks over and shuts the door. He looks at DR. SWEENEY,

who now has his jacket off.

He points to a typewritten report on the desk and smiles

in horror. It is titled BOOK REPORT--MEIN KAMPF.

"Daniel Vinvard - American History" is in the upper left

hand corner.

MURRAY:

This paper is a travesty, Bob!

Arguing for Hitler as a civil rights

hero?! You've gotta draw a line.

SWEENEY:

Murray...it says in your syllabus that

they could do their report on any book

related to the struggle for Civil

Rights.

MURRAY:

Oh come on, Bob!

SWEENEY:

Let me finish! He needs help...I'm

not disputing that. But I read it and

I'm not going to throw him out.

MURRAY:

His brother probably put him up to it.

SWEENEY:

I can guarantee you his brother didn't

have anything to do with it, Murray.

Murray sighs and takes off his glasses.

MURRAY:

Don't let him walk scot-free here.

For his sake...not mine. You might be

all he has left.

Sweeney stares at the younger teacher and nods.

CUT TO:

EXT. OFFICE - THE DOOR OPENS

Murray walks out and turns back to Sweeney.

MURRAY:

Thanks, Bob.

SWEENEY (O.S.)

Okay. Get in here, Dan!

Danny and Murray make hostile eye contact.

DANNY:

I knew it was you.

SWEENEY (O.S.)

Shut up and get your ass in here!

INT. OFFICE - DANNY ENTERS

Before he even gets through the door he's chastised.

SWEENEY:

What's it gonna be, Dan?

DANNY:

What's what going to be?

SWEENEY:

This petty sh*t you're pullin'.

DANNY:

Well...I don't know.

SWEENEY:

You said it, all right. Sit down.

Danny does what he's told. Sweeney stares at the

teenager and leans back in his chair.

SWEENEY:

Are you okay?

DANNY:

Yeah.

SWEENEY:

Any time you wanna talk, Dan--

DANNY:

Okay.

SWEENEY:

How's Derek?

DANNY:

Fine.

SWEENEY:

Adjusting okay?

DANNY:

Yeah.

SWEENEY:

He was a student of mine. Honors

English. He was a great student...

like you...but he hung out with

scumbags. Also like you. That's why

he ended up in the pen, hunh?

No answer. Sweeney holds up Danny's paper.

SWEENEY:

Great writing. I can't correct it

though. It wreaks too much of sh*t.

DANNY:

Come on, man! I followed directions

and wrote an "A" paper. It's got

nothing to do with Derek.

SWEENEY:

Everything you do now has something to

do with Derek. Who told you to do

this?

DANNY:

Let us get on with our lives, man!

SWEENEY:

Hey, I'm not worried about Derek--he

can take care of himself. I'm worried

about his little brother.

(softly)

Mein Kampf, Dan? I should expel you!

DANNY:

Do it. What? You don't think I could

handle it?

SWEENEY:

(smiling in disbelief)

The street would kill you, Danny.

You're not tough. The second a

brother pulls a gun on your ass you'll

be holierin' for Doris.

(pondering to himself)

So here's the drill. Take it or leave

it cause I'm sick of babysitting. I'm

your history teacher from here on out.

We're gonna deal with sh*t happening

right now. Call it American

History...X. I see your ass once a

day. Any more, any less, and you're a

memory at Venice High. Clear?

DANNY:

It took me a week to read Mein Kampf.

Come on, Sweeney.

SWEENEY:

My name is Dr. Sweeney. And I want a

another paper on my desk tomorrow.

DANNY:

What am I doing it on then?

SWEENEY:

It'S not a "what", it's a "who."

(after a beat)

Derek.

SMASH TO:

EXT. VENICE SHORELINE - LATE AFTERNOON

A series of intercuts shows activity in and around the

pier. A HOMELESS LATINO MAN searches a trash dumpster.

OPEN VENDORS sell tie-dye and water bong paraphernalia.

A FAT WOMAN walks past eating a hot dog. BLACK GANG

MEMBERS play basketball in their low-rider shorts and

boxers.

TIGHT ON DANNY. He skateboards down the boardwalk,

performing tricks and spinning the board. He eats sh*t,

recovers, and looks off into the distance.

DANNY (V/O)

People look at me...and they see my

brother. That's how things have gone

since the murder of our father.

EXT. BOARDWALK - NEAR THE BASKETBALL COURT

From afar, he spots a group of black gang members shoot

hoops. He and Little Henry from earlier exchange a cold

glance.

DANNY (V/O)

Little Henry Hastings and his older

brother Jerome. Jerome's a Shoreline

Crip...Henry's on his way.

Little Henry and older brother JEROME catch their breath

and stare down Dan. Danny doesn't flinch. Jerome sips

from a 40 oz. beer and resumes playing.

DANNY (V/O)

Venice Beach, man. It didn't always

look like this. I mean...our Dad used

to take us down here to run...and it

was cool. Derek f***ing owned this

place. Since then though...the gangs,

man--

TIGHT ON DANNy. He watches the basketball action as he

takes a drag off his Marlboro Red.

DANNY (V/O)

--they've moved west from Inglewood

and South Central and have really

just...taken over. Especially at my

high school. The Venice Locos are big

too but they hang out in bumluck Mar

Vista. It's scary.

(then)

And then there's The Disciples of

Christ. The D.O.C.

Jerome and Little Henry joke and argue with eight extra

players and spectators.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - A GAME - FLASHBACK

DANNY'S POV. The teams are a mixed assemblage of 3

blacks and 2 Latinos and 3 whites and 1 black and 1

Latino. SKINHEAD FAT SETH RYAN, early twenties, and his

two skinhead buddies, can't compete against the better,

predominantly black team. One of the skins, CURTIS, has

a shaved head, a light beard and an M-16 RIFLE tattooed

on his head.

JEROME and LITTLE HENRY sit together to the right of the

court and monitor closely. Danny looks over his left

shoulder and sees Derek and Stacey sit with CAMMERON.

Cowboy hat and BRONCO JERSEY, they sit and converse on

the bleachers.

Rate this script:4.6 / 5 votes