Game 6 Page #15

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NICKY:

Finally, I get a waiter who doesn't

know "Macbeth".

WAITER:

But I know you, don't I? I seen you

on a poster in the theater

district. I'll think of your name

in just a --

Nicky lifts his hand to stop the man.

NICKY:

You know-

BAR CROWD:

Hen-duuu!

Then a moan and deep silence.

Nicky disengages from the altercation and looks at the TV

screen.

TV SCREEN:

Dave Henderson has hit a home run and the Red Sox now lead 4-

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

Toyota and Matthew are jubilant, and Nicky is quick to join

them. It is the only lively table in the place.

MATTHEW:

People are dependable.

TOYOTA:

Life is good.

NICKY:

Baseball is life.

TV SCREEN:

The Red Sox push across another run when Barrett singles,

driving home Boggs.

NICKY:

Enjoy your ice cream, kid. When

you're an old man it'll come back

to you. The same deep sweet soft

toothy taste. And you'll remember

where you were and what you saw.

Scoreboard shows: Red Sox 5, Mets 3, going into the last of

the tenth.

INT. THE BARRYMORE

he theater is nearly emptied out. A few people still heading

toward the exits. Laurel Rogan remains seated, wearing her

headset, listening to the ball game. She is concentrating

deeply, fists clenched.

Only one other person is still seated, three rows back. It is

Steven and he is looking intently at Laurel.

The house lights dim.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN

Toyota, Matthew and Nicky are huddled closely, watching the

screen. Matthew is seated now and Nicky leans over him from

behind, framing the boy's head in his hands so that Matthew's

attention will be directed unswervingly to the action on the

screen.

The bar crowd is somber.

Nicky drops his mob accent.

NICKY:

This is something no one has been

privileged to see in almost seventy

years. Very few people now alive

can say that they have seen what

you are about to see, Matthew. The

Red Sox win a World Series. This is

deeply, intensely personal. All the

mistakes I've made, all the envy,

fear and violence that's encased in

this little envelope we call a

person -- all washed away in the

next few minutes. And your

grandmother knows why.

TOYOTA:

Because God loves a winner.

NICKY:

He used to love losers. But the

laws of physics changed.

TV SCREEN:

Backman flies out to Jim Rice. One out.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

NICKY:

Backman flies to Rice. It's like a

beautiful song lyric.

TV SCREEN:

Hernandez flied out to Henderson.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

NICKY:

All the times I died when the Red

Sox lost an important game they

should have won. All the awful

things I said to my mother and

father. To Tmy wife and daughter.

TOYOTA:

Washed away.

NICKY:

Because life is good.

TOYOTA:

Because faith is rewarded.

INT. RED SOX LOCKER ROOM

Attendants putting plastic in front of the lockers to prevent

champagne damage. Camera crew setting up. Men wheeling the

twenty cases of champagne into the clubhouse. A man peeling

foil from the tops of the bottles.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

NICKY:

All the failures, all the fatalism.

MATTHEW:

Washed away.

NICKY:

One more out.

TV SCREEN:

Carter singles to left.

The bar crowd remains silent.

NICKY (V.O.)

One more out. One more out.

Mitchell singles to center.

Slight stirring among the bar patrons. A few people, about to

exit, return to the bar.

TOYOTA (O.S.)

It's all right, Frankie. Just a

little touch of suspense. Life is

good.

MATTHEW (O.S.)

Baseball is life.

NICKY (O.S.)

One more little out. A nubber. A

pop-up. All year long, thousands of

outs. We want one more little out.

Knight singles to right center. Carter scores and Mitchell

goes to third. The score is 5-4.

The whole tavern is rocking.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

TOYOTA:

Don't worry. It's a test.

NICKY:

It's a test all right. They're

bringing in Stanley.

TV SCREEN:

Bob Stanley trots in from the bullpen.

NICKY (O.S.)

It's Stanley. It's the Steamer.

Fate has spoken to this man in the

depths of the night.

MATTHEW (O.S.)

What did it say?

NICKY (O.S.)

A thousand things.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

MATTHEW:

You're hurting my head.

Nicky releases his grip on Matthew's head.

The bar crowd begins to chant.

BAR VOICES:

Mookie, Mookie, Mookie, Mookie!

TV SCREEN:

Mookie Wilson stands in against Bob Stanley.

MATTHEW (O.S.)

We're still winning. That's what

counts.

First pitch to Wilson -- he swings and misses.

Silence from the bar crowd, cheers from Nicky's table.

Second pitch to Wilson -- he fouls it off. No balls, two

strikes.

Sound begins to fade. Wilson fouls off a pitch. Wilson takes

a ball, outside. Wilson fouls off another pitch.

Absolute, unnatural silence.

Stanley prepares to throw. The silence suddenly breaks and

for the first time we hear the TV Announcers clearly.

ANNOUNCER 1

The Sox are one pitch away.

ANNOUNCER 2

One pitch away.

ANNOUNCER 1

Stanley's getting ready.

ANNOUNCER 2

This could be it.

ANNOUNCER 1

This could be it.

INT. MANION'S OLD TIMER TAVERN - THE TABLE

Nicky recognizing the line from his play.

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