Do the Right Thing Page #3

COCONUT SID:

You a dumb-ass simple motherf***er.

Where did you read that?

ML:

Don't worry about it. But when it

happens and I'm in my boat and ya

black ass is drowning, don't ask me

to throw you a lifesaver either.

SWEET DICK WILLIE

Fool, you're thirty cents away from

a quarter. How you gonna get a boat?

ML:

Don't worry about it.

SWEET DICK WILLIE

You're raggedy as a roach. You eat

the holes out of donuts.

ML:

I'll be back on my feet. Soon

enough.

SWEET DICK WILLIE

So when is all this ice suppose to

melt?

INT:
SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

Customers are in Sal's; it's lunchtime and it's fairly busy.

Sal puts a hot slice down on the counter in front of BUGGIN'

OUT, a b-boy.

SAL:

You paying now or on layaway?

Buggin' Out looks at the slice.

BUGGIN' OUT

How much?

SAL:

You come in here at least three

times a day. You a retard? A buck

fifty.

BUGGIN' OUT

Damn, Sal, put some more cheese on

that motherf***er.

14.

SAL:

Extra cheese is two dollars.

Y'know dat.

BUGGIN' OUT

Two dollars! Forget it!

Buggin' Out slams his money down on the counter, takes his

slice and sits down.

ANGLE--TABLE

All around Buggin' Out, peering down from the WALL OF FAME,

are signed, framed, eight by ten glossies of famous Italian

Americans. WE SEE Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Perry Como,

Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Governor

Mario Cuomo, Al Pacino and, of course, how can we forget

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa: THE ITALIAN STALLION,

also RAMBO.

CLOSE UP--BUGGIN' OUT

He looks at the pictures hovering above him.

BUGGIN' OUT

Mookie.

CLOSE UP--MOOKIE

MOOKIE:

What?

CLOSE UP--BUGGIN' OUT

BUGGIN' OUT

How come you ain't got no brothers

up?

CLOSE UP--MOOKIE

MOOKIE:

Ask Sal.

ANGLE--PIZZERIA

BUGGIN' OUT

Sal, how come you ain't got no

brothers up on the wall here?

SAL:

You want brothers up on the Wall of

Fame, you open up your own business,

then you can do what you wanna do.

My pizzeria, Italian Americans up

on the wall.

15.

VITO:

Take it easy, Pop.

SAL:

Don't start on me today.

BUGGIN' OUT

Sal, that might be fine, you own

this, but rarely do I see any

Italian Americans eating in here.

All I've ever seen is Black folks.

So since we spend much money here,

we do have some say.

SAL:

You a troublemaker?

Pino walks over to Buggin' Out.

PINO:

You making trouble.

BUGGIN' OUT

Put some brothers up on this Wall

of Fame. We want Malcolm X, Angela

Davis, Michael Jordan tomorrow.

Sal comes from behind the counter with his Louisville

Slugger Mickey Mantle model baseball bat. Vito is by his

side, but Mookie intercepts them, and takes Buggin' Out

outside.

SAL:

Don't come back, either.

BUGGIN' OUT

Boycott Sal's. Boycott Sal's.

EXT:
SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

MOOKIE:

Buggin' Out, I gotta work here.

BUGGIN' OUT

I'm cool. I'm cool.

MOOKIE:

Come back in a week, it will be

squashed.

They give each other five.

16.

INT:
SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

Mookie enters.

SAL:

Mookie, if your friends can't

behave, they're not welcome.

MOOKIE:

I got no say over people.

PINO:

You talk to 'em.

MOOKIE:

People are free to do what they

wanna do.

SAL:

I know, this is America, but I

don't want no trouble.

EXT:
STREET--DAY

Mookie walks down the block with pizza box in hand when he

sees Da Mayor sitting on his stoop.

DA MAYOR:

Mookie.

MOOKIE:

Gotta go.

DA MAYOR:

C'mere, Doctor.

Mookie turns around and goes back.

DA MAYOR:

Doctor, this is Da Mayor talkin'.

MOOKIE:

OK. OK.

DA MAYOR:

Doctor, always try to do the right

thing.

MOOKIE:

That's it?

DA MAYOR:

That's it.

17.

MOOKIE:

I got it.

INT:
TENEMENT BUILDING--DAY

Mookie is hiking up a flight of stairs.

ANGLE--STAIRCASE

He puts the pizza box down and takes a breather.

CLOSE UP--MOOKIE

Sweat drips off his face.

ANGLE--MOOKIE

He bends down to pick up the pizza box and tackles the last

few flights.

CLOSE UP--DOORBELL

Mookie pushes the buzzer.

ANGLE--DOOR

A young Puerto Rican woman opens the door.

NILDA:

I hope it's not cold.

Mookie hands her the pizza.

MOOKIE:

No, it's not cold. Twelve dollars

for the pie.

Nilda hands him a handful of singles. Mookie looks at the

crumpled mess. Nilda attempts to close the door, but

Mookie's foot says, "Hell no."

MOOKIE:

Hold it. Let me count this first.

First he straightens out the dollars, then counts the bills.

MOOKIE:

You're short.

NILDA:

I counted the twelve dollars myself.

MOOKIE:

Twelve is right, but no tip.

18.

NILDA:

No tip.

MOOKIE:

Look, lady. I carried your pizza

up five flights of stairs and sh*t.

The cheese didn't slide over to one

side like it sometimes does with

delivery people who don't care. I

do care. May I get paid?

Nilda looks at him and sees right away he's not going

anywhere.

NILDA:

Wait here.

MOOKIE:

I'll wait.

Nilda goes into the apartment and we hear her talking in

Spanish to a male.

ANGLE--MOOKIE

Mookie bends down to tie his sneakers.

ANGLE--DOOR

Nilda reappears and holds out a lonely lone dollar for him.

Mookie has her hold it out for awhile, then he takes it.

MOOKIE:

Gracias mucho.

Nilda slams the door.

MOOKIE:

A dollar! Cheap bastard! Your

pizza is gonna be f***ed next time.

EXT:
MOTHER SISTER'S STOOP--DAY

Jade sits down next to Mother Sister on the stoop.

MOTHER SISTER:

Jade, you're late.

JADE:

I know, Mother Sister, but I'm here

now. Where's the stuff?

Mother Sister hands her a bag that is at her side.

19.

MOTHER SISTER:

Seen your brother, just walked by.

Jade unwraps a head scarf from around Mother Sister's head

and a full head of long black hair falls to her shoulders.

JADE:

This might take some time.

MOTHER SISTER:

I got nowhere to go. We haven't

had a good sit-down for a long while.

Jade begins to part, grease, and comb out Mother Sister's

hair.

MOTHER SISTER:

Tender-headed runs in my family.

You tender-headed?

JADE:

Yeah, me too.

MOTHER SISTER:

That's why I don't fool with it.

Only let you touch it...Ouch!

JADE:

Sorry, comb got caught.

MOTHER SISTER:

Be gentle, child. Mother Sister is

an old woman.

JADE:

How are you holding up in this

weather?

MOTHER SISTER:

I'll do.

JADE:

I don't know why you still haven't

bought an air conditioner.

MOTHER SISTER:

Don't like 'em. A fan will do.

ANGLE--DA MAYOR

Da Mayor stands in front of the stoop, he's smiling for days.

20.

DA MAYOR:

I didn't know you had such beautiful

hair.

ANGLE--STOOP

MOTHER SISTER:

Fool, there's a lot in this world

you don't know.

CLOSE UP--DA MAYOR

DA MAYOR:

I'm not stopping. I'm on my way.

The Mayor tips his hat and heads up the block.

ANGLE--STOOP

JADE:

You are too cruel to Da Mayor, it

isn't right.

MOTHER SISTER:

I'm not studying no Mayor. Besides,

he reminds me of my least favorite

peoples. My tenants and my ex-

husband--Goddamn-bless his soul.

They both laugh.

MOTHER SISTER:

Number One:
I got some jive, late-

rent-paying trifling Negroes in

this house. Every year I keep

threatening to sell it.

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