Apt Pupil Page #29

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Todd and French dash off in different directions.

EXT. GRADUATION - DAY - LATER

Standing at the podium is a black, female graduate, TASHA

LITTLE. She is reading the end of a poem by Emily Dickinson.

Principal Morgan and Todd sit in chairs next to the podium. In

the b.g. is the graduating class, Joey is among them. French

sits among the faculty, who are lined up to the right of the

podium.

TASHA:

Thy sacred emblems to partake -

Thy consecrated bread to take

And thine immortal wine!

There is polite applause from the audience as she takes her seat

and Morgan goes to the podium.

MORGAN:

Thank you, Miss Little for that superb

invocation.

Pause. More applause.

MORGAN (CONT'D)

And now it gives me great pleasure to

introduce a young man who's academic

achievement at this institution stands as

testament to the power of hard work and

determination. Todd had a tough time a few

months ago, so by God, he buckled down, hit

the books, and pulled himself through it.

Todd's eyes scan the crowd indifferently. He notices Becky,

seated in the audience near some friends.

MORGAN (CONT'D)

Ladies and gentlemen, students and faculty,

here to deliver the student remembrance for

the class of 1985, this year's valedictorian,

Todd Bowden.

The crowd burst into applause.

EXT. DUSSANDER'S HOUSE - DAY

A half dozen police cars are in front of the house. One OFFICER

is blocking off the entire yard with yellow tape. A news van

pulls up.

EXT. GRADUATION - DAY - CONTINUING

Todd shakes Morgan's hand and takes the podium. The crowd

quiets. Todd begins:

TODD:

We all have dreams that we carry with us.

Perhaps it is a dream of prosperity, or

happiness. But now, so early in our lives,

it seems that all we should ask for is to be

at peace with the world, because only then

can we be at peace with ourselves.

INT. DUSSANDER'S HOUSE - DAY

Weiskopf and Richler, both wearing rubber gloves, are carefully

looking through the contents of Dussander's dresser. They pour

over everything, placing some items in clear plastic bags. A

few DEPUTIES are milling around. Richler picks up a small

photograph of a young woman. Todd's voice comes in:

TODD (V.O.)

We learn from our education that we are the

master's of our own destinies. We learn what

it is that separates us from the others, why

we are special.

RICHLER:

What about this?

WEISKOPF:

Yes. All photographs.

Detective Getty comes in.

GETTY:

You boys better come down to the cellar.

You're not going to believe this.

INT. DUSSANDER'S BASEMENT - DAY

Getty comes down the steps followed by Weiskopf and Richler.

Weiskopf gazes across the cellar. Whatever he sees disturbs

him. He turns away and goes back up the stairs.

TODD (V.O.)

Each of us have unique talents and interests

unlike those of anyone else. The challenge

now, as we stand at the doorway to adulthood,

is to channel our abilities into our goals.

Richler, moves to the rail and looks out, disgusted. He pulls a

handkerchief from his pocket and covers his nose and mouth. A

DEPUTY, wearing rubber gloves, carries the shovel up to him.

EXT. GRADUATION - DAY - CONTINUING

As Todd speaks, he notices his parents, Becky, various teachers.

His eyes stop on Ed French, who is looking oddly at something in

the crowd.

ANGLE ON FRENCH:

French notices an elderly couple walking down the aisles of

seated spectators as if they are looking for someone.

TODD (O.C.)

We forge our own paths. Our education is but

a stepping stone to the world.

They are Victor and Agnes Bowden, looking for Dick and Monica.

Todd sees them too. He pauses almost imperceptibly. He looks

back at French.

TODD (CONT'D)

Our.. Our true destinies await us. There we

become the...

Todd's grandparents come down the aisle to see Dick and Monica

in the second row. They start to slide in, causing a slight

ruckus. Dick is surprised to see his parents, but smiles and

makes room for them. French watches all of this curiously.

TODD (CONT'D)

There we become the men and women that will

make a difference. But we must take away

from this place a sense of purpose for

ourselves. We now begin to see the road

ahead. It is a road from which we cannot

veer.

A connection is made between French, Todd, and the Bowden

family.

EXT. GRADUATION - DAY - LATER

Morgan is reading the last of the names as the graduates file

past and collect their diplomas.

MORGAN:

Andrew Woodman... Donald Young... Karmisha

Youngblood... David Zedek... Kyle Zuckerman.

The graduating class of 1985.

The crowd cheers as the graduates throw their caps into the air.

The band begins to play.

MORGAN (CONT'D)

Now we invite all the friends and parents to

join the students and faculty in the main

courtyard for refreshments.

Todd, still pale, bolts off the stage. He reaches his parents.

French starts to walk down to the Bowdens. Todd goes up to his

mother.

MONICA:

Honey.

TODD:

Mom, I don't feel so good.

MONICA:

What's wrong?

TODD:

I don't know, I feel like I'm going to pass

out. Can we go home?

AGNES:

You looked real good up there, Todd.

Todd ignores her.

DICK:

Don't you want to see your buddies?

TODD:

I want to go, Dad. Right now.

Todd and his family start off. As they leave the CAMERA MOVES

to show Ed French working his way through the crowd past the

spot where they had been standing.

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