Chozen

FADE IN:

Tight on a POSTCARD. A HAND with a PEN starts writing.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Dear Jamal. Man, a day out theclink and I’m still feeling lockedup. Those 10 years took a lot awayfrom me.

The postcard FADES TO BLACK, BLACK BLEEDS TO HAZY COLOREDLIGHTS, a MUFFLED BEAT.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Back in the day, I was like MichaelJackson, but not creepy andsmelling of bleach.

FLASHBACK TO:

Band on stage. CHOZEN (18, white, chubby, coiffed curly hair)

Ricky (19, Hispanic, thin) CRISCO (19, Black, athletic, smallAfro) PHANTASM (19, Black, tall with Wesley Snipes“Demolition Man” white hair). They all wear BRIGHTLY COLOREDFOOTBALL JERSEYS with their names on the back. A giant signreads: “PHRESH PHRIENDS”

CHOZEN (V.O.)

I was the coolest dude on the whole

earf...

Snap to crowd, reveal only 50 people in a small rec center.

SONG (*CUE 1)

You can be anything! A poet, apreacher, a fireman, a grade schoolteacher....!

Chozen and Phantasm rap at the front of the stage. Criscohypes the crowd while Ricky DJ’s. Chozen steps in front ofPhantasm, unknowingly stealing his limelight. Phantasm ispissed.

Song continues under as-

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Makin’ music wif my boys, crushinga regional tour of community hallsand family amusement centers.

Showing kids their lives be worthsumfin. It ain’t all about drugs,

gangs, violence against women-

CUT TO:

2.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - MORNING

Chozen bolts awake- reveal mounds of cocaine, bales of weed,

machine guns, and a passed out whore in the corner.

CHOZEN:

(panicked)

What the-

BOOM! The door is kicked open by POLICE, guns drawn.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - MORNING

Chozen is escorted out, cuffed, head down. Chozen turns to

see Phantasm smirking. Phantasm gingerly waves goodbye,

smiles, flips up his middle finger, and kisses it.

INT. PRISON

PRISON MONTAGE:

FLASH! Chozen frontal photo. FLASH! Profile photo. Cell doorslams shut.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

You know how it is player. When yougo away everything changes...yourfriends, your beliefs, your bodyshapes...

Chozen bench pressing- his shoulders tattooed with “Chozen”

in Olde English font.

Chozen on the toilet with a newspaper. Headline reads“Positive Rapper? Wrong Message!”

CHOZEN (V.O.)

And all you can think about iswhere sh*t went wrong. But youdon’t give up hope...

Chozen hands a GUARD some LETTERS, tight on the names DONNYRicky and CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS above the addresses.

Chozen (a bit older, leaner, shorter hair) bobbing his headand writing in a notebook.

The guard delivers Chozen the SAME LETTERS STAMPED WITHRETURN TO SENDER.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

You live through it...

3.

Move in on PUBLICITY PHOTO OF PHRESH PHRIENDS. Chozen slices

up Phantasm’s face with a shiv, draws hairy vaginas on Criscoand Ricky’s likenesses.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

You conquer it...

Tight on a ROLLING STONE COVER featuring Phantasm. SMASH!

Pull back to see it taped to heavy bag in the prison yard,

Chozen beating the hell out of it.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

And you plan your next steps.

Chozen (Late 20’s, Stocky, Wearing prison khakis and T-shirt)

at PROCESSING WINDOW in prison. A GUARD slides him his BAG OFPROPERTY. He looks through his OLD POSSESSIONS.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Lucky for me, my sister’s lettin’me crash while I begin my quest forrap domination. Phantasm ain’tready for this.

Chozen tosses a bunch of OLD CLOTHES into a wastebasket,

holds onto a BASEBALL HAT, which he throws on.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

I miss you bro, and I miss yoursoft cuddles...

Chozen rifles through his OLD WALLET. Throws away a WORNPHOTO OF HIM AND A TEENYBOPPER GIRL. Holds onto a CHUCK E

CHEEZE FREQUENT GAMER CARD.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Say what up to Cookie and LittleGhost for me. Watch your ass homie,

and watch who’s watchin’ yourass...I wish it could still be me.

EXT. PRISON GATE

Chozen stands, taking it all in as the prison gates shutbehind him. He turns and walks into the sunset, his walk

turns into a Terminator run. He’s screaming, he’s free! Heslips and falls on his face.

BACK TO PRESENT:

4.

EXT. WESTERN UNIVERSITY QUAD - DUSK

Tight on Chozen’s hand signing the POSTCARD.

CHOZEN (V.O.)

Warmest wishes, Chozen.

The hands drops the postcard in a MAILBOX. Pull back toreveal Chozen walking on WESTERN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS.

TITLE CARD:

EXT. DORM BUILDING - NIGHT

Chozen scales the wall of a DORM. He reaches a window and

awkwardly tumbles in.

INT. DORM ROOM - CONTINUOUS

A LIGHT flips on to reveal TRACY (18, Brunette, a littlethick) straddling her BOYFRIEND (18, blonde hair, thin) onthe couch.

TRACY:

Holy sh*t!

CHOZEN:

What y’all doin, sex? My bad-

Tracy and boyfriend hop up, disheveled. Chozen looks him upand down.

CHOZEN (CONT’D)

That belly lookin’ tight, but youbest work on them quadsplayer.(sing songy) a littleflabby!

Chozen enters bathroom, leaves door open. Tracy kissesboyfriend and he quickly leaves. Tracy walks to the bathroomdoor, sees Chozen on the pot-pants down.

TRACY:

Christ! Close the door.

CHOZEN:

Nah, gotta keep my eyes open, peepall the angles. Fools be creeping.

TRACY:

I’m the only one here.

5.

CHOZEN:

What about that dude?

TRACY:

That dude...my boyfriend...left.

CHOZEN:

Why, he looked cool?

TRACY:

Why do you think? You climbedthrough the window, scared the shitout of us, and then insulted him.

FLUSH, Chozen steps out.

CHOZEN:

Aint no insult, just helping abrotha out.

TRACY:

What’d you do with the key I gaveyou?

CHOZEN:

I sold it.

TRACY:

Wha?! To who?!

CHOZEN:

I dunno. Some kid, said he knew

you.

TRACY:

Great, why didn’t you just invitehim to rape me?

Moving to the kitchen, Chozen opens the fridge.

CHOZEN:

Don’t trip, homey ain’t look likethe raping kind. You go to thestore? I’d love a little snack

before bed.

TRACY:

I’m keeping my food in my room fromnow on. You cleaned me out

yesterday.

Chozen pulls a few loose cigarettes from his waistband.

6.

CHOZEN:

This should be good for about 6pizza rolls.

TRACY:

Look around- we aren’t in prison- Idon’t want your cigarettes!

CHOZEN:

Fine then.

Chozen lights a cigarette.

TRACY:

You can’t smoke in here either!

CHOZEN:

You’re not being very fun right

now.

Tracy sits down on the couch in a huff, takes a breath, calmsherself.

TRACY:

I was paying bills online today andnoticed that I owe like $100 to the

cable company for pay per view.

Chozen grabs a beer from the fridge and sits down.

TRACY (CONT’D)

Would you know anything about that?

Someone watching “GI Joe: Rise ofCobra” 5 times yesterday?

CHOZEN:

Nah, wasn’t me.

TRACY:

Well I didn’t watch it.

CHOZEN:

Sounds like a mystery.

TRACY:

Okay, I understand this is probablya really hard adjustment for you.

But you gotta meet me half wayhere. I can’t afford all this

stuff.

Chozen laughs.

7.

CHOZEN:

Tracy, relax, it’s all good. In afew months I’ll be at the top ofthe charts and you’ll be set.

Dipped in the finest clothes,

pushing the freshest whips...

innumerable luxuries.

Chozen clicks on the TV, scans the channels. Tracy gets up,

overwhelmed and exhausted.

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