Boyhood Page #3

TEACHER (O.S.)

All right, nice cursive. Okay, Mason,

when I check the mobiles, am I gonna

find yours?

MASON:

No.

15.

TEACHER:

And why not?

MASON:

'Cause I didn't finish it.

TEACHER:

Well, it's time to finish it.

MASON:

Just a minute.

TEACHER:

No, let's do Apple Quit.

Mason cuts a sheet of construction paper in the shape of the

state of Texas, presumably to finish his mobile. He sits

across from a female classmate, GIRL IN RED, who teases him.

GIRL IN RED:

Time to finish your work, Mason.

"Apple Quit."

INT. GRANDMA'S HOUSE - LATER

Samantha sits with her GRANDMA, Catherine, showing off her

good grades on various school reports. Mason sits in his

own chair, playing with a Gameboy.

SAMANTHA (O.S.)

So this is my history test...

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Mm-hm. A+, very good.

SAMANTHA (O.S.)

And that's another history test.

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Mm-hm, and another A.

SAMANTHA:

Yeah, well, it doesn't have a plus

but... oh well.

GRANDMA:

Oh.

Grandma strokes Samantha's hair proudly.

SAMANTHA:

And then um, that's my report on

lizards...

16.

GRANDMA:

Oh, let me see your pictures.

SAMANTHA:

And then, um... Oh yeah, these are

my pictures.

GRANDMA:

What is that?

SAMANTHA:

Well, that's called a dewlap.

GRANDMA:

A dewlap, okay.

SAMANTHA:

Oh yeah, this is a math test.

GRANDMA:

Oh, "A" again.

Mason reaches into candy dish on the table.

GRANDMA (CONT'D)

Mase, that's the last candy, okay?

MASON:

Okay.

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Okay. We need to put this stuff up.

EXT. STREET/FRONT PORCH - DAY

A Pontiac GTO pulls up outside.

GRANDMA (O.S.)

That's him.

DAD gets out of the car and hurries to the door. Samantha

squeals, as she runs out to greet him.

SAMANTHA:

Daddy! Hi!

DAD:

Oh my! Look at you, you're so big!

He hugs them both.

DAD (CONT'D)

Hey, MJ! What's happening, buddy?

Are you guys ready to have some fun?

17.

MASON AND SAMANTHA

Yeah!!

DAD:

Yeah! Alright. Hey, Catherine, how

are you?

GRANDMA:

Mase. I'm good.

DAD:

Good to see you.

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Yeah.

DAD:

What time should I have these rascals

back?

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Oh, I don't know, around 7:30, I

guess. I gotta get 'em home by 8:00.

DAD:

Aw, you know what, why don't I take

them over to their mom's?

A moment of tension passes between them.

GRANDMA:

No, that's okay. She's expecting

me.

DAD:

Oh no, that's alright. You guys

know where it is, don't you?

SAMANTHA:

Mm. Yeah.

DAD:

All right, I'll do it. It's no

problem.

GRANDMA:

I don't think that's such a good

idea.

DAD:

Look, it's no problem. Alright?

GRANDMA:

(rolls her eyes)

Okay...

18.

DAD:

You guys ready to go?

MASON AND SAMANTHA

Yeah!

DAD:

Let's do it, go!

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Whoa. Wait a minute, you gotta get

your stuff.

SAMANTHA:

Oh yeah.

GRANDMA:

You got backpacks, your purse.

Homework. Go to the bathroom.

DAD:

Can't believe how big they are.

GRANDMA:

Yeah. Time is goin' by.

DAD:

Mm. Must be nice for you, having

'em here in Houston.

GRANDMA:

I love it, yeah. I'm volunteering

at their school.

DAD:

Oh yeah? What you doin' over there?

GRANDMA:

I'm in the library. You know, reading

to the little ones.

DAD:

Huh. Great.

GRANDMA:

So -- Alaska, huh?

DAD:

Yeah.

GRANDMA:

Are you back?

DAD:

We'll see. How's Liv?

19.

GRANDMA:

She's a busy girl. Yeah. She's

back in school. But she's working,

and single parenting... a lot to

juggle.

DAD:

You guys got everything, huh?

MASON AND SAMANTHA

Yeah.

DAD:

Alright, say goodbye to your

grandmother.

MASON (O.S.)

Bye!

SAMANTHA (O.S.)

Bye grandma!

DAD:

Alright, let's roll. Now wait a

second. You're not the type of kids

who like presents, are ya?

SAMANTHA:

Yes!

DAD:

Naw, you don't -

MASON:

Yeah!

SAMANTHA:

'Course we are!

DAD:

Really? Let's do it!

MASON AND SAMANTHA

Yeah! Yay!

MASON:

I call front seat!

SAMANTHA:

I wanted the front seat, though.

DAD:

Alright. Well, Mason gets it on the

way there and Samantha gets it on

the way back, huh? Hop in there.

20.

GRANDMA (O.S.)

Seat belts!

DAD:

Seat belts. Alright.

He motions to Grandma that he's got it covered.

DAD (CONT'D)

Seat belts. Not like this car has

any seat belts.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY - LATER

Samantha is bowling, her pink ball hurdling down the lane

toward the pins.

DAD (O.S.)

Nice... Nice... Nice...

Strike!

SAMANTHA:

Yay!

DAD:

Yeah! Alright!

Dad is clearly impressed and excited for Samantha, as he

stands to embrace her.

DAD (CONT'D)

Come here, come here, yes! That was

awesome! Get up there Mason, get up

there!

SAMANTHA:

Daddy!

DAD:

(to Samantha)

It was so good!

(to Mason)

Come on. Let 'em know who you are,

buddy. Let 'em know who you are.

Dad kisses Samantha. Mason throws his bowling ball.

DAD (CONT'D)

Yes! Yes! Yes! Alright, alright...

Gutter ball.

DAD (CONT'D)

Don't worry about it.

21.

MASON:

Wish we could use the bumpers.

DAD:

Bumpers are for kids. You know,

what're you, two years old? You

don't want the bumpers. Life doesn't

give you bumpers.

Mason tosses the ball again.

DAD (CONT'D)

There we, there we go, there we go!

We got something there! We got

something! We got something! Ooooh!

Another gutter ball.

MASON:

Last time I went bowling we had

bumpers and it was a lot more fun!

Dad gets up to bowl.

DAD:

You don't want the bumpers, alright?

You bowl a strike with the bumpers

and it doesn't mean anything. Trust

me. Just lay it out on the lane.

One, two, three and...

Samantha mimes smoking, points to Dad, as if to say that he

smells of cigarettes. It's Dad's turn to bowl.

DAD (CONT'D)

Ka-blam! Let's hear it for the

father! Whoo!

(To Samantha)

Get up there, get in there...

SAMANTHA:

Yay! Great job!

DAD:

Get out there, girl, get out there!

Score-keeping screen flashes an animated alligator that reads:

STRIKE:

EXT. Street as car burns (on TV screen)

TV NEWSMAN (V.O.)

Four Blackwater operatives have been

viciously attacked in their cars in

(MORE)

22.

TV NEWSMAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Fallujah. The bodies and cars were

set on fire, after insurgents started

shooting, killing American citizens.

DAD (O.S.)

Look at this. It's a disaster.

TV NEWSMAN (V.O.)

But the ambush didn’t end there.

The bodies of the four men were

savagely ripped apart...

INT. BOWLING ALLEY CAFE - EVENING

The family sits around a table enjoying their snacks, while

Dad smokes a cigarette.

DAD (O.S.)

Alright, let me tell you what's

happening in Iraq, alright? Exactly

what every thinking person in the

world knew was gonna happen before

they got started. Bush and his little

numb-nut fanatics he's got around

him, they don't give a rat's ass.

SAMANTHA:

That's a quarter.

DAD:

What's a quarter?

SAMANTHA:

You said a-s-s.

DAD:

Oh, sorry. My bad.

SAMANTHA:

And my teacher says it's a good war,

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