Frequency Page #7

FRANK:

(over radio)

CQ 15, here is WB2YXB, by for call.

John gets up, Bushmill bottle in hand, and stumbles into...

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - STUDY - CONTINUOUS

FRANK (O.S.)

CQ 15, come in 15.

Approaching the desk, John sits down at the radio. Reaches

out to the mic -- presses down on the red squawk bar.

JOHN:

Uh, hello?

FRANK (O.S.)

WB2YKXB, who've I got?

JOHN:

(slightly slurred)

Name's John.

In the BACKGROUND of FRANK'S VOICE, we barely hear WALTER

CRONKITE interviewing someone.

FRANK:

Are you licensed to broadcast, buddy?

JOHN:

Look, I don't really remember how this

thing works.

FRANK:

Listen, you can't broadcast without a

license. Unless this is an emergency,

you gotta get off the band.

JOHN:

(chuckling)

Pal, my whole life's an emergency.

A pause.

FRANK:

Where are you transmitting from?

JOHN:

Queens, New York.

FRANK:

Whatta ya know. Bayside, born and

raised.

JOHN:

I thought these things were for talkin'

around the world.

FRANK:

15-band closes down at night. During the

day you can chew the band with China if

you want.

JOHN:

I can't believe people are still using

these things.

As John releases the squawk bar, the distant sound of Frank's

TV filters out of the HAM.

FRANK:

Can you hold on a second?

And then John hears the sound of a door closing.

FRANK (CONT'D)

Sorry 'bout that. So Queens, you psyched

for the Series?

JOHN:

(taking a swig)

I don't really follow baseball anymore.

FRANK:

What?

JOHN:

I got fed up with all the bullshit.

FRANK:

Fed up? Lemme tell you something, in a

1000 years, when school kids study

America, they're gonna learn about three

things:
the Constitution, Rock 'n' Roll,

and Baseball.

Despite his mood, John has to smile.

FRANK (CONT'D)

How can you live in Queens and not love

the Amazin's?

John warms to the topic of his boyhood heroes.

JOHN:

If you're talking The Amazin' Mets, well,

that's different. You know people talk

about Seaver, but I'll love Ron Swoboda

til the day I die.

Static crackles out over the radio. The signal weakens.

FRANK:

(through static)

I'm right with you, man. He's got the

heart of a lion. Hey, how 'bout the

first game of the Series?

JOHN:

Yeah. It was all over after Buford

nailed Seaver's first pitch outta the

park.

More static.

FRANK:

No way, brother. Ain't gonna happen.

BZZZSSSSHHHH - loud static. THE SIGNAL IS GONE.

JOHN:

Who the hell was that?

Behind him, on TV, Larry King and Hawking continue talking.

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - STUDY - NIGHT - 1969

ANOTHER FINGER PRESSING DOWN ON THE RED SQUAWK BAR... FRANK

SULLIVAN. Seated at the polished wooden desk.

FRANK:

Hello, Queens. You there?

Silence. The signal is gone. Frank leans forward, jiggles

the frequency dial, trying to regain the signal. No luck.

Slightly frustrated, he stands and opens the glass doors to

the family room where Julia is watching TV - a very young

STEPHEN HAWKING is being interviewed by WALTER CRONKITE, 52.

JULIA:

Frankie, Johnny wants to say goodnight.

FRANK:

(a little distracted)

Sure.

He starts to take a step into the room, and stumbles over

Elvis, sleeping by the door...KNOCKING INTO and CRACKING a

GLASS PANE in one door.

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - STUDY - 1998

John, dog tired and more than a little wasted, gets up from

the desk, inadvertently leaving the Ham Radio ON, and

shuffles for the family room through the glass doors.

CAMERA HOLDS, CLOSE on the GLASS PANE...CRACKED in the exact

same spot where Frank knocked into it 29-YEARS AGO.

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - JOHNNY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1969

Frank unpins the police badge from Johnny's shirt, takes the

whistle from around his neck. He pulls up the covers and

softly kisses Johnny's forehead. You can tell he loves this

kid more than anything in the world.

FRANK:

(lullaby-like)

Take me out to the ballgame, take me out

with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and

cracker jack...

INT. SULLIVAN HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - 1998

John plops down on sofa, half asleep. The TV drones on.

JOHN:

...I don't care if I never get back.

FADE TO BLACK.

The LEGEND reads:

OCTOBER 11th - FIRST GAME OF THE WORLD SERIES

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