Bull Durham Page #14

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CUT TO:

EXT. THE TEAM BUS ON THE ROAD BACK --DAY

The sounds of Diana Ross and the Supremes.

INT. THE BUS -- DAY

LARRY, DEKE, TOMMY AND MICKEY as the Supremes, singing "Stop

in the Name of Love" at the front of the bus.

NUKE:

I love winning, Crash, you hear

me? I love It. Teach me

everything.

CRASH:

It's time you started working on

your interviews.

NUKE:

What do I gotta do?

CRASH:

Learn your cliches. Study them.

Know them. They're your friends.

Crash hands Nuke a small pad and pen.

CRASH:

Write this down.

(beat)

"We gotta play 'em one day at a

time."

NUKE:

Boring.

CRASH:

Of course. That's the point.

(beat)

"I'm just happy to be here and

hope I can help the ballclub."

NUKE:

Jesus.

CRASH:

Write, write--"I just wanta give

It my best shot and, Good Lord

willing, things'll work out."

NUKE STARTS WRITING them down.

NUKE:

"...Good Lord willing, things'll

work out."

CRASH:

Yep. So how's Annie?

Nuke looks up from his cliches, startled.

NUKE:

She's getting steamed 'cause I'm

still re-channeling my sexual

energy--maybe I should cave in

and sleep with her once just to

calm her down. What'ya think?

CRASH:

You outta your mind? If you give

in now you might start losing.

(beat)

Never f*** with a winning streak.

Nuke nods seriously, listening to the master.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE STADIUM PARKING LOT -- DAY

THE BUS PULLS IN -- Wives and girlfriends are waiting.

The players get off, greet their women.

ANNIE GREETS NUKE -- They head for her Volvo..

JIMMY STARTS ACROSS THE LOT on foot, dragging his luggage,

when Millie pulls up in her car.

MILLIE:

Hi, Jimmy. Want a ride?

JIMMY:

(nervously)

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as

your personal savior?

MILLIE:

No.

JIMMY:

Can I give you my testimony?

MILLIE:

You can do anything you want.

(a tiny grin)

Hop in.

JIMMY NERVOUSLY GETS IN WITH MILLIE They roar away.

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S KITCHEN -- DAY

NUKE SITS AT THE TABLE -- He's just finished eating.

Annie circles him. A pot of soup on the stove.

ANNIE:

I'm so proud of you and all the

guys. Want some more soup?

NUKE:

No, no, it was great.

ANNIE:

How 'bout a back rub?

NUKE:

No, that's okay. All I need's a

little nap.

ANNIE:

I'll tuck you in.

NUKE:

(nervously)

You can't seduce me.

ANNIE:

I'm not gonna try to seduce you,

sweetie...

ANNIE STRETCHES OUT HER LEG and lays it an the table.

NUKE:

What's that?

She pulls back her skirt slightly, exposing her garter snaps

attached to her stockings.

ANNIE:

That's my leg.

NUKE:

I know what it is.

ANNIE:

I figure we could work on some

fundamentals even if we don't

make love.

She strokes her leg. Nuke stares fearfully.

NUKE:

Fundamentals?

ANNIE:

Sure.

(beat)

Unsnap my stockings.

Nuke squirms, then reaches for her garter snaps. And stops.

NUKE:

Crash once called a woman's, uh--

p*ssy--y'know how the hair kinda

makes a "V" shape?--

ANNIE:

Yes I do...

NUKE:

Well--he calls it the Bermuda

Triangle. He said a man can get

lost in there and never be heard

from again.

ANNIE:

What a nasty thing to say.

NUKE:

He didn't mean it nasty. He said

that gettin' lost and disappearing

from the face of the earth was

sometimes a good thing to do--

especially like that.

ANNIE:

Oh...

(beat)

Crash is a very smart man. Now

c'mon, honey, give it a try.

NUKE REACHES FOR THE GARTER SNAPS with two hands. He fumbles,

groping awkwardly. Annie stops him gently.

ANNIE:

Watch...one hand--

WITH A SINGLE HAND ANNIE FLICKS each snap. Flick, flick,

flick. Magic. The snaps open effortlessly.

NUKE:

oh.

ANNIE RE-SNAPS THEM QUICKLY, offering her leg to Nuke.

ANNIE:

Now you try.

NUKE TRIES AGAIN -- One handed. Awkwardly again, but--

ANNIE:

(sighing sexually)

Mmmmmmm...oh yes...

BUT NUKE LEAPS TO HIS FEET -- Reacting vigorously, nervously,

desperately. The soup crashes on the floor.

NUKE:

No! You're playing with my mind!

ANNIE:

I'm trying to play with your body!

NUKE:

I knew it--you're seducing me!

ANNIE:

Of course I'm seducing you for

Godsakes, and I'm doing a damn

poor job of it--

(beat)

Aren't I pretty?

NUKE:

I think you're real cute.

ANNIE:

Cute?! I hate cute! Baby ducks

are cute! I wanta be exotic and

mysterious!

NUKE:

You're exotic and mysterious and

cute--that's why I better leave.

Nuke starts to leave.

ANNIE:

Nuke! You got things all wrong!

There's no relation between sex

and baseball. Ask Crash.

NUKE:

I did.

ANNIE:

What'd he say?

NUKE:

He said if I gave in to you I'd

start losing again.

ANNIE:

He did?

NUKE:

I'll be back when we lose.

NUKE HURRIES OUT THE DOOR -- Annie just stares.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE DOWNTOWNER MOTEL -- DURHAM -- DAY

A run of the mill cheap modern motel.

INT. CRASH'S ROOM AT THE MOTEL -- DAY

CRASH WORKS ON HIS SWING in front of a mirror.

A knock at the door.

CRASH:

Come in.

ANNIE ENTERS the room. Crash stays with his stance.

ANNIE:

Crash...I want you.

CRASH:

Nuke won't go to bed with you,

eh?

ANNIE:

He' s confused--

CRASH:

Aren't we all?

ANNIE:

Don't you think I'm pretty?

Crash puts down the bat, and looks directly at her. As he

does he picks up two spring loaded hand exercisers and begins

pumping them an he talks.

CRASH:

You're gorgeous, God damn it!

From the moment I first saw you I

knew I had to have you. I had to

have you!

ANNIE:

I want to be had.

CRASH:

I think of you and the "boy" all

the time.

ANNIE:

He won't make love to me anymore.

CRASH:

And he's right! A ballplayer on

a streak has to respect the streak.

They don't happen very often.

(beat)

You know how hard this game is?

If you believe you're playing

well because you're getting laid

or because you're not getting

laid or because you wore red silk

panties--then you are!

(beat)

And I still think Thomas Pynchon

is full of sh*t.

ANNIE:

I want you desperately!

Crash can hardly keep up. So he slows her down--

CRASH:

Who are you? Do you have a job?

ANNIE:

I teach part time at the Junior

College. What if I told you I

was through with Nuke? He learned

his lessons quickly and left me.

CRASH:

And now you wanta teach me?

ANNIE:

I don't imagine there's much I

could teach you.

CRASH:

I doubt that.

ANNIE:

Crash, I get wet just thinking

about you.

CRASH:

I thought you wanted an

"uncomplicated" boy?

ANNIE:

I'm ready for a complicated man.

CRASH:

--and as soon as we lose a game,

he'll be back in your arms.

ANNIE:

I said when I think about you, I

get wet.

CRASH:

Annie, I think you should leave.

Annie launches into a tirade without orchestration or self-

awareness. She's frustrated, confused, angry and...

ANNIE:

God damn you--what is happening?

Is there no man who'll have me?

(beat)

This is the weirdest season I

ever saw--the Durham Bulls can't

lose and I can't get laid!

CRASH:

(softly)

You okay?

Annie slides against the wall down to the floor. Tears flow.

Her makeup runs. Her eyes are red.

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