Finding Forrester Page #3

---

writing the great 20th-century novel...

...well, William Forrester did it.

On his first try.

Have you read this?

Yeah, you?

Only about a dozen times.

This was the only one

he chose to publish.

For all we know it was the only one

he chose to write.

Your job over the next week--

Your job over the next week

is to read it and tell me why.

So...

...you gonna be back tomorrow?

Yeah, they want me to spend

some time on the court.

Yeah, l heard.

Graduation was a little rough

on last year's team, that's all.

But it's just like college, right?

You get an education,

and they get what they want.

Maybe you both get what you want.

Yeah, maybe.

lt was very nice meeting you, Jamal.

You too, Claire. You gonna

be around tomorrow?

Not where you'll be...

...but you might be able

to find me for lunch.

l didn't say those two words.

Why didn't you?

Because l want you to read

more of my stuff.

You know, they talk a lot

about you out there.

All this ''legend'' bullshit.

They got some stories, though.

People wonder if you killed somebody.

That, and wondering

why you been in here so long.

l wouldn't move, though.

l'd stay for the quiet.

You don't hear nothing in here.

Our place got these noisy neighbors.

Their kid's always yelling

because he's only a year old.

Or pops is yelling

because the kid's making noise.

Then mom's yelling--

But that's a different yelling...

...because that's when the old man's

playing the tunes for her...

...and she got her head

banging up against the wall.

She be screaming like....

-Then she--

-You better stir that soup.

What?

Stir the soup before it foams up.

How come ours never

gets anything on it?

Come on. Come on. Closer.

Now.

-You got somebody doing that yelling?

-What l have here is an adult male...

...quite pretty...

...probably strayed from the park.

A Connecticut Warbler.

You ever go outside to do any of this?

You should have stayed

with the soup question.

The object of a question is to obtain

information that matters to us...

...and to no one else.

You were wondering why

your soup doesn't foam up?

Probably because your mother

was brought up in a house...

...that never thought

about wasting milk in soup.

Now that question was a good one.

ln contrast to,

''Do l ever go outside?''

Which fails to meet

the basic criteria...

...of obtaining information

that matters to you.

All right, man.

Guess l don't have

any more soup questions.

No?

Why did you say that stuff

about me being black?

lt had nothing to do

with you being black.

lt had to do with me finding out just

how much bullshit you'd put up with.

You knew l'd come back.

Yes, just like l know

you'll go to this new school.

How you know that?

Because there's a question

in your writing...

...suggesting what is it

you wish to do with your life.

And that is a question your present

school cannot answer for you.

Let's match up.

Wallace, you take Hartwell.

What's up, man? l'm Jamal.

Just check it, all right?

-Check the ball.

-Let's go, guys.

Come on now.

Ball's in.

Come on!

-Cover Danson! Get on him!

-Let's go.

Play him tough, play him tough.

Here, Johnny, inside!

Way to go. Way to go, gang.

Let's go, D up.

-Let's go, garbage.

-Come on.

-Come on.

-Step up. Step up.

Head's up.

Leave the trash-talking

back home, all right?

What?

Get that goofy look off your face.

-l'm gonna make you my son.

-Right.

-You gonna be my son.

-Come on.

Let's go.

-Come on, man.

-What?

-You're too small.

-What?

Nice handle.

Hartwell, a little defense

would be real nice.

Coach is right. A little defense.

Let's go.

-Try and get it past the line.

-What?

l said, get it past the line.

ls this too much? Pressure.

Too much.

l need some help!

Ten seconds. Let's go,

the other way.

l'm taking your spot?

-Taking what?

-Your spot.

Taking nothing. Come on.

My court, man. My court.

That's how we play down here.

That's right.

Hartwell's just a rich kid...

...who wants as much of the spotlight

as he can get his senior year.

That's all it is.

They take things real serious

around here.

Well, it's a serious place.

Serious enough l usually end up

here, getting lunch on my books.

What are you working on?

Forrester's book.

l thought you read it.

l know, but look at this.

My dad got it for me.

lt's an early printing.

Listen, l gotta go.

But you just got here.

l know, but...

...l forgot something.

l gotta check up on something.

l'll see you later.

''Born 1 930.

ln Scotland.''

''Moved to New York with his family

in his late teens.

Mr. Forrester was unavailable

for comment.''

Yeah, l bet he was.

Are we now planning

to make these visits a habit?

Are we now planning

to make these visits a habit?

-You said you knew l'd be coming back.

-Yes, but l thought you meant once.

l need some help with

this thing at school.

Ah, yes, this thing at school.

And what ''thing'' are we

talking about now?

You ever read that?

l'm trying, man.

l just can't seem to get past

the first 1 0 pages.

As l recall...

...l took a while

to get past those pages myself.

Oh, Christ, you've

dog-eared one of them.

Show a little respect

for the author, huh?

That's you, isn't it?

You're the author.

l read the whole thing.

lt's not bad. Especially--

Hey...

...l know what it is.

l don't need another person

telling me what they think it is.

l wasn't gonna say that.

What were you gonna say?

l should tell you everything about me?

l told you about me.

You could learn

a little something about...

...holding back.

lf l ask you not to say

anything to anybody...

...about here, us...

...is that something

l can trust you on?

Yeah.

l promise.

Fine.

And if l ask you to keep helping

me with my writing?

There'll be no questions...

...about me, my family...

...or why there was only one book.

Then l won't ask.

Good.

And good night.

What's it feel like?

What?

Writing something the way you did.

Perhaps you'll find out.

Listen, you 5-foot-nothing.

He's probably still

sleeping in the crib.

Kenzo, how old are you again?

Why?

Look at your face!

Did your mom do that to you?

She started you young.

You know where that starts from?

Eating too much cookie.

Teresa told me. She told me.

l like them big. You got a problem?

l like them big.

That big?

lt's like when l'm with

all three of your mothers.

-You're not talking about my mother.

-Hold on, Oscar Mayer wiener.

Stop playing. You got beat

like Tina in school one day.

l seen Duke smack you up.

Listen, throw it at your mama.

Everything tilts towards your mama.

Your mama. Stop throwing your mama.

Why you laughing?

Yo, man, your glasses

are like Coke bottles.

Classics.

-You ever met somebody famous?

-How famous?

Like, l don't know...

...somebody people would know.

Nobody like that

comes around here, man.

So, you here for good now?

Yeah, l'm just trying to get started.

Well, at least they look good.

Right?

This year's writing competition

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes