Election Page #5

JIM:

(quietly)

Paul.

EXT. SKI SLOPE (REAR PROJECTION) DAY

PAUL METZLER is SKIING in goggles and scarf. Behind him is a cheesy

dated rear projection of other skiers. Suddenly Paul loses his balance

and FALLS.

CLOSE ON PAUL writhing in the snow.

PAUL:

Why. . . ? Why. . . ?

PAUL (VO)

I was so mad at God when I broke my leg

at Shadow Ridge over Christmas break.

INSERT X-RAY LIGHT BOX

CLOSE ON AN X-RAY of a multiple FRACTURE.

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

The doctors told me I'd have to quit

sports for at least a couple years if

not forever.

INSERTYEARBOOK PICTURE

Paul kneels in his FOOTBALL UNIFORM. The photograph erupts in flames.

Bonanza-style.

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

...which meant no first-string

quarterback in the fall. It was like the

end of my life!

EXT. MILLARD HIGH FRONT STEPS DAY

Paul stands talking to FRIENDS in a very typical high school tableau.

All wear backpacks or carry books. A GIRL kneels to sign his cast.

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

When I got back to school everybody was

so supportive, and they all wanted to

sign my cast and everything...

EXT. MISSOURI RIVER LOCKOUT -- DAY Alone, Paul leans on his crutches

and watches the river

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

... but I still couldn't shake the

feeling that now my life had no purpose.

What did God want from me?

THE VAST MISSOURI - always flowing, never stopping, no beginning, no

end

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

Why did I exist?

INT. LIBRARY DAY

Paul is sleeping slumped over a table, his head cradled on crossed

arms. The Celestine Prophecy is open face down next to him.

PAUL (VO CONT'D)

Sometimes you can search everywhere for

answers. Then one day destiny just taps

you on the shoulder. I know, because it

happened to me.

A FINGER reaches down and taps Paul's shoulder. Paul comes to and

looks -- it's Mr. McAllister.

JIM:

Paul, could I talk to you for a minute?

MILLARD HALLWAY - DAY

His arm on Paul's shoulder, JIM walks Paul down a deserted hall and

into Jim's classroom. JIM picks up some scrap paper off the floor and

puts it in the proper place.

PAUL (VO)

Mr. McAllister changed my life. And no

matter what they say he did or did not

do, I believe he is a good man.

JIM'S CLASSROOM - DAY Paul sits in a chair, while JIM stands

JIM:

Paul, I know you've been pretty down

since your accident.

PAUL:

I wanted to play next year so bad I

could taste it. And maybe go on to...

JIM:

I know. I understand disappointment.

I really do.

PAUL:

Yeah.

JIM:

But you've got a big choice right now.

You can choose to be depressed about it

for the rest of your life. Or you can

choose to see it for what it really is:

an opportunity. I personally think you

have a big future ahead of you, and I

don't mean the fleeting glory of sports.

PAUL:

What do you mean?

JIM:

Let me give you a clue. You're a born

leader. You're one of the most popular

students at Millard. You're honest and

straightforward. You don't choke under

pressure, as we all saw in that amazing

fourth quarter against Westside. The

other kids look up to you. What does

that spell?

Paul furrows his brow and looks around, searching for an answer. His

lower lip is wet.

JIM:

Student... council... president.

It takes a moment for this to sink in. Finally

PAUL:

Who, me? Nooo. I never... I don't

know anything about that stuff, Mr. M.

Besides, that's Tracy Flick's thing.

She's always working so hard and --

JIM:

Yeah, no, she's a go-getter, all right.

PAUL:

And she's super-nice

JIM:

Yeah. But one person assured of

victory kind of undermines the whole

idea of a democracy, doesn't it? That's

more like a... well, like a

dictatorship, like we studied.

JIM:

Paul, what's your favorite fruit?

PAUL:

Huh? Oh. Uh... pears

JIM:

takes a piece of chalk from the lip of

the blackboard.

JIM:

Okay, let's say

PAUL:

No, wait -- apples. Apples.

JIM draws illustrative circles on the board as he speaks.

JIM:

Fine. Let's say all you ever knew was

apples. Apples, apples and more apples.

You might think apples were pretty good,

even if you occasionally got a rotten

one. Then one day there's an orange. And

now you can make a decision. Do you want

an apple, or do you want an orange?

That's democracy.

PAUL:

I also like bananas.

JIM:

Exactly. So what do you say? Maybe

it's time to give a little something

back.

INT. STUDENT COMHON AREA DAY

Tracy directs her friend ERIC OVERHOLDT on a ladder as he hangs a

large POSTER high on a wall.

TRACY:

The right side is too high. The right

side. Just a smidge.

Suddenly she notices a small COMMOTION in the adjacent cafeteria and

goes to investigate.

INT. CAFETERIADAY

A small crowd of students compete to sign Paul's nomination petition

taped to the wall.

GUY:

(signing)

Hey Paul, you going over to Anthony's

on Friday, or what did you decide?

PAUL:

I gotta talk to him first.

Tracy watches the hubbub, none too pleased, and pushes her way to the

front of the group.

TRACY:

Who put you up to this?

PAUL:

Huh? Oh, hi, Tracy

Tracy stares at him.

TRACY:

Who put you up to this?

PAUL:

What do you mean?

TRACY:

You just woke up this morning and

suddenly decided to run for president?

PAUL:

No. Uh... I just... you know, I just

thought --

TRACY:

Thought what?

PAUL:

Well, see, I was talking to Mr.

McAllister about my leg and

everything... and how I still want to,

you know, do something for the school

and --

TRACY:

So Mr. McAllister asked you to run.

PAUL:

Well, I mean, you know, I talked to him

and everything, but he just said he

thought it was a good idea... and how

there's all different kinds of fruit

and... It's nothing against you, Tracy.

You're the best. I just thought --

TRACY:

Okay, Mr. Popular. You're on.

With that Tracy turns and SIGNS Paul's sheet

THE "I" IN "FLICK" is dotted with a STAR

CLOSE ON TRACY'S FACE - as she walks away, Paul and his fans receding

behind her

TRACY (VO)

You might think it upset me that Paul

Metzier had decided to run against me,

but nothing could be further from the

truth. He was no competition for me: it

was like apples and oranges. It just

meant I had to work a little harder,

that's all.

INT. TRACY'S BASEMENTNIGHT

CLOSE ON TRACY'S FACE --

in a xeroxed photograph. "Vote Tracy!" is written at the bottom.

Tracy is making campaign buttons with her BUTTON MACHINE. She

manufactures her buttons with almost alarming intensity. PATRIOTIC

MUSIC begins to rise.

TRACY (VO CONT'D)

You see, I believe in the voters. They

understand that elections aren't just

popularity contests. They know this

country was built by people just like me

who work very hard and don't have

everything handed to them on a silver

spoon.

THE TRACY BUTTONS

drop one by one into a box. All the little round Tracys smile up at

us.

EXT. MILLARD PARKING LOT DAY

Paul is in the driver's seat of his hitching big-wheeled PICKUP TRUCK.

His door is open, and his radio blasts a SONG carefully selected to

boost soundtrack album sales. Various FRIENDS OF PAUL'S hang around.

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