Boyhood Page #18

TURLINGTON:

I'm worried about you, Mason.

MASON:

Why is that?

TURLINGTON:

I'll tell you why. The images you're

turning in, they're cool. You're

looking at things in a really unique

way. Got a lot of natural talent.

MASON:

Thanks.

TURLINGTON:

Yeah, but, that and fifty cents will

just get you a cup of coffee in this

old world. I've met a lot of talented

people over the years. How many of

them made it professionally without

discipline, commitment, and a really

good work ethic?

Mason shrugs and shakes his head, unsure.

TURLINGTON (CONT'D)

I can tell you. I can count it on

two fingers. Zero. It's not gonna

happen for you, Mason. The world is

too competitive. There are too many

talented people who are willing to

work hard. And a butt-load of morons

who are untalented, who are more

than willing to surpass you. As a

matter of fact, a lot of them are

sitting in that classroom out there

right now. Hm? You know what they're

doing? They're doing their

assignments, which is what you're

supposed to be doing, but you're

not. You're in here. Why is that?

Are you special, Mason?

MASON:

No, but I mean the things you're

talking about, like work ethic or

whatever, I feel like I do work pretty

hard. I spend the whole weekend

taking pictures a lot of times.

126.

TURLINGTON:

You like football, Mason?

MASON:

Not really.

TURLINGTON:

Yeah, I know you don't. That's why

I've just assigned you to shoot the

football game tonight. Okay? It

starts at 7:
30. I want you to get

there early. I want you to shoot a

full card, three hundred images, and

I want 'em downloaded, I want 'em

sorted, and I want to see them very

first thing Monday. Okay? You want

to know why I'm doing this?

MASON:

I guess.

TURLINGTON:

Who do you want to be, Mason? What

do you want to do?

MASON:

I want to take pictures. Make art.

TURLINGTON:

Any dip-sh*t can take pictures, Mason.

Art, that's special. What can you

bring to it that nobody else can?

MASON:

That's what I'm trying to find out.

TURLINGTON:

Try harder. Hey, maybe in twenty

years you can call old Mr. Turlington

and you can say, "Thank you, sir,

for that terrific dark room chat we

had that day."

(walking away)

Get back to class and do your work.

INT. CLASSROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Mason walks back to his computer. NICK sits at the

neighboring computer.

NICK:

Hey man. You're walkin' a little

funny.

127.

MASON:

F*** you.

NICK:

I'm just saying, you guys were in

there for a long time. Just hope he

bought you dinner first.

Mason playfully jabs Nick in the arm.

INT. JIM'S HOUSE - DAY

Jim sits at the kitchen table, opening a beer. Mom and

Samantha prepare dinner in the kitchen. Mom walks over to

the stairs to call up to Mason.

MOM:

Mason! Honey, come down for dinner.

On her way back to the kitchen, Mom notices the screen on an

open laptop.

MOM (CONT'D)

Samantha! You didn't post these

pictures and their descriptions?

Come on, this auction is going to

end on Sunday, honey. You've got to

get those posted.

SAMANTHA:

Why are we even doing this? It's

like an online junk shop. I thought

you had a good job?

MOM:

I do. We're what you call house

poor. Everyone's got to do their

part. Your brother took the pictures.

You have to help.

SAMANTHA:

Who even buys this sh*t?

JIM:

Hey, Sam, watch your mouth, alright?

Don't disrespect your mother. You

like a roof over your head, don't

you?

MOM:

Yeah, and you like having electricity

so that you can charge your cell

phone?

128.

SAMANTHA:

I'm not even gonna be here next year.

I'm a senior. I should be having

fun.

Mason enters. He sits down at the table. He has blue nail

polish on his fingernails.

JIM:

Nice nails.

MASON:

Yeah, some girl did that in sixth

period.

JIM:

You planning on keeping them?

MASON:

Until it comes off, I guess.

JIM:

Last summer it was the earrings, and

now the nails. You got a, uh, you

got a purse to go with all that?

SAMANTHA:

A lot of guys do that. He's just

trying to be cool.

JIM:

When I was in high school, having a

job, being responsible, being able

to afford a car, that was cool.

MOM:

Mason, honey, why don't you get you

and your sister some water.

Mason gets up to help set the table.

EXT. FOOTBALL GAME - NIGHT

An announcer comments on the game over the loud speaker.

The crowd cheers and the band plays. Mason is on the

sidelines, photographing details he finds interesting. He

scrolls through the images on his camera.

NICK:

Hey man, Turlington says to cut the

artsy crap and shoot the game. So

take your lens and point it that

way.

129.

MASON:

Jesus Christ.

NICK:

Also, we got a ride tonight.

CHASE:

McCormick gonna take us to the party.

We're gonna head out after the game.

You're goin', okay?

MASON:

Okay.

NICK:

Shoot the game.

A player catches the ball and is tackled.

EXT. PARTY - NIGHT

"She's Long Gone" by the Black Keys plays over the party.

Mason fills a cup at the keg. Samantha takes a shot with a

boy. Kids play beer bong.

BEER PONG GUY:

Kobe...

It goes in - guests react.

GABY:

Oh! First one. What was that?

What was that? What is up?

Nick plays drums with teen band. Mason approaches SHEENA.

He nudges her shoulder.

SHEENA:

Hey, what's up?

MASON:

Hey. How's it goin'?

SHEENA:

Pretty good. How long have you been

here?

MASON:

I don't know. Awhile, I guess.

SHEENA:

Awhile? Yeah.

130.

EXT. QUIET SPOT - MOMENTS LATER

Mason and Sheena sit and talk.

MASON:

I just feel like there are so many

things that I could be doing and

probably want to be doing that I'm

just not.

SHEENA:

Why aren't you?

MASON:

I mean, I guess it's... just being

afraid of what people would think.

You know, judgment.

SHEENA:

Yeah. I guess it's really easy to

say, like, I don't care what anyone

else thinks, but, everyone does, you

know? Deep down.

MASON:

Exactly. I find myself so furious

at all these people that I'm in

contact with just for controlling me

or whatever, but you know, they're

not even aware they're doing it.

SHEENA:

Yeah. So... in this perfect world

where no one's controlling you, what's

different? What changes?

MASON:

Everything. I mean, I just wanna be

able to do anything I want, because

it makes me feel alive. As opposed

to giving me the appearance of

normality.

SHEENA:

Whatever that means.

MASON:

I don't think it means much.

SHEENA:

You're kinda weird, you know that?

MASON:

Yeah?

(MORE)

131.

MASON (CONT'D)

(Laughing)

Is that a compliment?

SHEENA:

I don't know. Do you wanna be weird?

MASON:

I mean, I don't want to like... scare

kids at the park, or anything like

that.

Sheena laughs.

MASON (CONT'D)

I really like talking with you. I

don't usually even try to like

vocalize my thoughts or feelings or

anything. Just, I don't know, it

just never sounds right. Words are

stupid.

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