Animal Kingdom Page #14

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 82.

CONTINUED:

NICKY:

How's things?

DARREN:

I don't know where J is. I dunno if

he's coming back anytime soon.

Pope enters with drinks and a syringe. He hands a drink to Nick.

POPE:

J won’t be long.

He opens his beer, sips. He holds up the syringe.

POPE:

I'm having a shot. You want a shot?

NICKY:

What is it?

POPE:

It’s fun.

DARREN:

She just wants to go home.

POPE:

It’s fun. Have some.

Pope crouches before her. He smiles. He rubs her arm gently andslips the needle in. Nicky looks up at him. He pulls the needleout and watches her. Seconds pass, her eyes droop.

POPE:

Have you been talking to the cops?

NICKY:

What? About what?

Nicky droops, scratches her nose. Pope is tender with her.

POPE:

About anything.

NICKY:

No. It's none of my business.

POPE:

Yeah it is. It’s your business whenyou're in love, isn't it? When youwhisper in each other’s ears. I justgot a call from someone says he sawyou talking to the cops.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 83.

CONTINUED:
(2)

NICKY:

Cops.

POPE:

Who were you talking to?

DARREN:

What are you doing this for, Pope?

POPE:

It's OK. You can tell me about the

cops, honey.

Pope watches her. She can barely keep her eyes open.

DARREN:

Pope.

Her eyes close. He watches her, then holds his hand over hernose and mouth. She struggles weakly. An uncomfortably long timepasses before she goes limp. He takes his hand away, watchesher. He strokes her hair and stands.

DARREN:

What the f***?

POPE:

You’re doing it again, Darren. You’vesmoked yourself silly, thinkingsomething’s going on.

112 EXT. COUNTRY MOTEL - NIGHT 112

Leckie's car pulls into the car park of a country motel, darkand quiet. Norris escorts J to one of the rooms.

113 INT. COUNTRY MOTEL - NIGHT 113

Leckie motions for J to sit on the bed. He checks inside the

bathroom. Norris stands over J.

J:

Why am I here?

LECKIE:

For your safety. Get some sleep.

Leckie and Norris exit. J is left alone.

114 EXT. BACK YARD / CODY HOUSE - NIGHT 114

Pope emerges from the back door carrying Nicky's body. Her armsand hair hang. Her ringed fingers dangle.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 84.

CONTINUED:

Pope lays her down gently on the concrete. He takes a sheet ofcorrugated iron against the fence and pulls it over her. Hesits. He adjusts the iron with his foot and pats the dog.

115 EXT. COUNTRY MOTEL - NIGHT 115

CAMERA moves slowly towards the motel, dark, no passing traffic,

only two cars parked outside rooms. Dogs bark.

116 INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT 116

CAMERA tracks slow through the room. It looks unoccupied. The

bed is still made. Through to the bathroom.

J sits on the edge of the bath. His hands shake.

117

INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY 117

The room is daylit. J is curled on top of the covers, fully

clothed, shoes too. A drop of water lands on his face. His eyes

open. He stares, startled but still.

Norris sits on a chair right beside the bed with a glass.

J doesn't move. He watches Norris.

NORRIS:

You want a sip of my drink?

J can see a shotgun leaning against the wall.

NORRIS:

What's the matter?

No response.

NORRIS:

Are you scared?

(beat)

Are you scared of me?

J doesn't move.

NORRIS:

That can't feel too f***in good.

The door opens. Leckie enters with coffee and bananas.

LECKIE:

Bananas.

Leckie puts the food down and pulls the curtains open. He sees Jlying prone. He senses something strange.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 85.

CONTINUED:

NORRIS:

We're still a bit sleepy.

Leckie sees the shotgun against the wall. He stays calm.

LECKIE:

(to J)

Hey, let's go sit outside a bit.

J doesn't move. The atmosphere is tense. Leckie reassures.

LECKIE:

C'mon. Just you and me.

118 EXT. MOTEL - DAY 118

Leckie leads J, squinting in sunlight, around the side of themotel. Leckie sits at a crappy table and chair setting by aswimming pool. He thinks a moment, then looks up at J.

LECKIE:

You wanna take a seat? I'm staringstraight into the sun.

J:

I don’t wanna talk to you.

LECKIE:

You don't have to. Let me talk. You

can sit and listen.

Leckie sits a pebble on his knee and waits. J sits.

LECKIE:

You know what the bush is about? It's

about massive trees that've been

standing for thousands of years andbugs that'll be dead before the

minute's out.

J sits, face in hands. Leckie flicks the pebble off his knee.

LECKIE:

It's big trees and pissy little bugs.

The way it works, if we were standinghere a few million years ago, maybethe whole forest'd be full of

impractical animals and soft juicyplants that animals eat like ice

cream.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 86.

LECKIE(CONT'D)

CONTINUED:

But that was never gonna work, so nowit's about super-efficient animals andhard thorny plants and everythingknows it's place in the scheme ofthings. Everything sits in the ordersomewhere. Things survive coz they'restrong and everything reaches anunderstanding.

Leckie, eyes down, gives J a moment to take this in.

LECKIE:

But not everything survives because

it's strong. Some creatures are weak

but they survive because they're

protected by the strong. For one

reason or other.

Leckie takes another moment.

LECKIE:

You might think, because of the

circles you've been moving in or

whatever, that you're a strong

creature. But you're not. You're one

of the weak creatures. And that's

nothing against you. You're weak

because you're young. You've survived

because you've been protected by the

strong. But they aren't strong anymore

and they certainly aren't protecting

you.

(beat)

I have a son with Down Syndrome. You

know what that is?... He's six. He

wouldn't last a day out here by

himself. But he doesn't have to.

Because I'm looking out for him. And

he lets me look out for him.

Leckie watches J. J stares at the ground.

LECKIE:

We’re here because we know who you are

and we know what you’ve done.

(beat)

You feel like you're in a tough

situation. But you have an out.

There’s nothing your uncles can do to

squirm out of this. Craig’s learnt it

the hard way. But you’re not one of

them. You know that.

(beat)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 87.

LECKIE(CONT'D)

CONTINUED:
(2)

They're telling you talking to me isbetraying your family, but they’vebetrayed you. You’re out here dealingwith us right now. That's all theproof you need. And you're in danger.

Don't be confused about it. I think

you know. And I think you know I canhelp you. But I can’t keep offering.

You gotta decide. You gotta work outwhere you fit.

J wants help, but can't look up.

J:

(unconvincing)

I don't know why you're telling me all

this.

Leckie watches J.

LECKIE:

Yeah, you do.

Leckie watches J another moment, then stands.

LECKIE:

We’re going home.

He heads back to the motel. J finally raises his head andwatches Leckie walk. J doesn't want to go home at all.

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