Boyhood

EXT. OUTSIDE SCHOOL - DAY

MASON waits outside his elementary school, laying in the

grass staring up at the clouds. In the distance, the school

door opens and Mason's MOM, Olivia, walks toward him.

MOM:

Hey, love bug. You ready?

He is quickly on his feet and they are walking toward the

car.

MASON:

Yeah. Hey, guess what, Mom?

MOM:

What?

MASON:

I figured out where wasps come from.

MOM:

Oh, yeah? Where?

MASON:

Well, I think it must be if you flick

a rock into the air just right, it'll

turn into a wasp.

MOM:

Dang...

MASON:

Yep.

MOM:

That's cool.

INT. CAR - DAY

Driving...

MOM:

So how was your day at school?

MASON:

Fine.

MOM:

Hey, I had a good meeting with Miss

Butler this time. I kinda liked

her.

MASON:

What did she say?

2.

MOM:

Well... she said that you weren't

turning in your homework assignments.

And I told her, "I know he does them,

'cause I check them every night."

She said she found a big chunk of

them crumpled up at the bottom of

your backpack.

MASON:

She didn't ask for 'em.

MOM:

Well, baby, she doesn't have to.

You're supposed to turn them in.

And she said you're still staring

out the window all day.

MASON:

Not all day.

MOM:

And she said that you destroyed her

pencil sharpener.

MASON:

Not on purpose.

MOM:

Wait, she said that you crammed a

bunch of rocks in it.

MASON:

I thought if it could sharpen pencils,

maybe we could sharpen rocks.

MOM:

(stifling laugh)

Well, what were you gonna do with a

bunch of sharpened rocks?

MASON:

I was trying to make arrowheads for

my rock collection.

MOM:

Hm.

She glances back at him, with an understanding sigh.

EXT. HOUSE/DITCH - DAY

Mason rides his bike across the front yard and heads down

the street. Soon he and his friend TOMMY are riding down

the embankment of a large drainage ditch.

3.

EXT. DITCH - DAY

Mason runs up, as Tommy is spray-painting a drawing on the

concrete wall of the drainage ditch.

MASON:

Dude, when's my turn?

TOMMY:

I don't know.

Tommy hands Mason the can of spray paint. Mason begins to

spray-paint a letter on the wall.

SAMANTHA (O.S.)

(calling out)

...Maaason.

TOMMY:

Samantha!

SAMANTHA:

Oh! Tommy! Is Mason down there?

TOMMY:

Yeah.

SAMANTHA:

Well, tell him he has to come home

for dinner.

TOMMY (O.S.)

Okay.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Mason lays on the floor watching a cartoon.

There's a knock at the door, and Mom comes out to answer it.

It's TED.

MOM:

Hey.

TED:

Hey, sweetie. Why aren't you ready?

Hey, Mason.

MASON:

Hey, Ted.

TED:

Come on, come on, hurry up. Let's

go.

4.

MOM:

What time is it?

TED:

It's nine. Let's go, let's go.

MOM:

Okay, I meant to call you, 'cause

Janice flaked out. I don't have a

sitter.

TED:

Why didn't you call somebody else?

MOM:

Well, I can't get a baby-sitter now,

it's nine o'clock. But you're welcome

to hang out with us.

TED:

Well, no. I mean we have plans.

The guys are expecting me.

MOM:

Well... you can go.

TED (O.S.)

All right. Yeah, well, I'll come

back in a couple of hours. Is that

okay?

MOM:

Yeah. Yes.

TED:

All right.

MOM:

It's okay.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The kids lie on either side of Mom, as she reads a story

aloud to them.

MOM:

(Reading)

"Turn back! Turn back! I don't wanna

talk to Moaning Myrtle." "Who?"

said Harry as they backtracked

quickly. "She haunts one of the

toilets in the girls bathroom on the

first floor," said Hermione.

"She haunts a toilet?"

(MORE)

5.

MOM (CONT'D)

"Yes, it's been out of order all year

because she keeps having tantrums

and flooding the place."

"I never went in there anyway if I

could avoid it. It's awful trying

to have a pee with her wailing at

you."

INT. BEDROOM - LATER

Mason lies awake in bed listening to his mother argue with

Ted.

TED (O.S.)

Why can't you just say that?

MOM (O.S.)

I'm sorry. I don't want to go with

you.

TED (O.S.)

You're sorry, that's bullshit!

MOM (O.S.)

That's right, I wanna stay here with

my kids. That's what I'd rather do.

TED (O.S.)

All right. Would you stop using

your kids as an excuse?!

MOM (O.S.)

I'm not using my kids as an excuse!

You don't even know-

TED (O.S.)

I know you have to stay here with

your kids! You're acting-

MOM (O.S.)

You have this immature life-

TED (O.S.)

And why do I always-- Why-

MOM (O.S.)

You have no responsibility.

TED (O.S.)

I have an immature life! I have an

immature life?

6.

MOM (O.S.)

And I have responsibilities, okay,

you don't know what it's like to be

a parent.

TED (O.S.)

No, I don't! And why am I responsible

for your mistakes in life?

MOM (O.S.)

If you had any idea. You don't think

I wouldn't-

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Mason peeks around the corner to watch as the argument

continues.

MOM:

Don't call my kids mistakes! Don't!

TED:

I'm not responsible for your life

choic-- I didn't call your kids-

MOM:

You said, "Your respons-- your

mistakes in your life," pointing at

my kids.

TED:

I know what I said, you know what,

and immediately you use your kids

again.

Mason peeks through the doorway.

MOM (O.S.)

This is the reality: I'm a parent!

TED (O.S.)

That's, that's hysterical.

MOM (O.S.)

That means responsibility.

TED (O.S.)

I know you're a parent.

MOM (O.S.)

I would love to have some time to

myself! I would love to just go to

a f***in' movie! You don't think

I'd like that?

(MORE)

7.

MOM (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Go have some dinner, go to a bar! I

don't even know what that's like. I

was someone's daughter, then I was

somebody's f***ing mother! Okay, I

don't know what that's like.

INT. KID'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

Mason is comfortably asleep. Samantha slowly pulls the pillow

out from underneath his head and smacks him with it.

SAMANTHA:

(singing)

"Oops, I did it again... I played

with your heart. Got lost in the

game. Oh baby, baby..."

Mason throws a stuffed animal at her that she deflects.

SAMANTHA (CONT'D)

"Oops, you think I'm in love. I'm

sent from above. I'm not that

innocent."

Another stuffed animal. She continues to sing.

MASON (O.S.)

Stop! Quit it!

SAMANTHA:

"You see my problem is this. I'm

dreaming away. Wishing that heroes

truly exist. I cry watching the day.

Can't you see I'm a fool in so many

ways..."

MASON:

Quit! Mom!

SAMANTHA:

"But to lose all my senses-- that

is..."

He tries to drown out this last bit with a sustained scream.

Soon the door flies open and Mom enters, angry.

MOM:

What the hell is going on in here?!

Samantha has instantaneously shifted from singing to crying.

MOM (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Do you guys know what time it is?

8.

SAMANTHA:

(through tears/sobs)

He's throwing things at me...

MOM:

Mason! Do not throw things at your

sister!

MASON:

She's faking, she hit me first!!

MOM:

Listen, both of you! I am going

back to bed. I don't wanna hear

another peep out of here for an hour.

Go to sleep.

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