Get on Up Page #15

Velma turns to Dede.

VELMA (CONT’D)

I’m just sayin’ Mrs. Brown, Iwouldn’t go too near Teddy. Notunless you wanna catch impetigo.

DEDE:

Thank you, Velma. I’ll considermyself warned.

VELMA:

Warned? Oh, that’s a whole other

conversation. Welcome to the

family.

Dede and Velma smile at each other.

James looks at the two women then to Teddy. He pulls Teddyin close. James turns to his other kids.

JAMES:

Listen up. Which one of you catswant to fly to Reno on daddy’sairplane?

The kids all say “me!... me!” The kids, Bobby and Dede walk

up the steps onto the plane as Velma gets in her car.

James lingers.

JAMES (CONT’D)

(to Velma)

You need anything?

VELMA:

I’ll let you know. I’m putting abig list together right now.

Velma smiles and cranks her car.

108 EXT. RENO PRIVATE AIRPORT. ESTABLISHING. DAY. 1965 108

109 INT. PRIVATE AIRPORT TERMINAL. LATER THAT DAY. JAMES 109

James is giving a press conference to a group of journalists.

Bobby, Teddy and Dede stand next to James.

INTERVIEWER:

Welcome to Reno, Mr. Brown. What

exactly do you call your style of

music?

JAMES BROWN:

I call it James Brown music. What

I mean is, it’s so far ahead of

it’s time that they ain’t got a

name for it yet. Take another

record, any record from your stack

at home. I don’t care if it’s from

Motown or Stax or whatever...and

put it on your box. None of them

are gonna sound like mine. Not

even my own old records. Just like

the title says, it’s a “new bag”.

See the funk is in the bass. The

bass never changes. It’s a groove,

lady. Soon as you hear that

groove, I know I got you.

INTERVIEWER:

And what exactly is the groove?

JAMES BROWN:

The groove is something you feel.

The groove is solid. Bam Bap. It

don’t move. It’s like a heartbeat.

It’s inside you, driving

everything. Hard. Flat. A groove.

INTERVIEWER:

But how exactly do you define it?

JAMES BROWN:

I just did.

(Then)

See Miss. See there’s some things,

they’re just too big to fit in a

magazine. But we all feel it. Even

little Teddy here know it when he

feel it.

James groans “Um booga chooca. Um”. Teddy is lit up;

thrilled. He sings.

TEDDY:

“Um Booga Chooca”

88

JAMES BROWN:

See. Right there. We all feel ittogether. And that’s the groove.

Understand?

INTERVIEWER:

(Checks her questions)

So what’s your favorite food?

James catches Dede’s eye. She and James share a knowing lookwith Bobby. Bobby takes the mic as James walks away to aside room where Ben Bart is waiting.

CUT TO:

110 INT. AIRPORT MEETING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 110

BART, James study at a map. BOBBY sits across the aisle.

BART:

Then we got a day between Raleigh,

Carolina and Columbia two daysafter.

JAMES:

Day off?

BART:

Sure. Regroup. Rest the horses.

JAMES:

We ain’t payin’ the horses to rest‘em. Besides, we got a day off intwo weeks in New Orleans. The boyscan get their wives, girlfriendsalong, kick back. What’s betweenRaleigh and Columbia? Spartanburg?

BACK THE PRESS CONFERENCE:

BOBBY BYRD:

Well see, James started out inAugusta. Then his family moved toToccoa. That’s where we met.

JOURNALIST:

And tell me about James’ first

band, the Famous Flames.

BOBBY BYRD:

Well there was five of us to start

with. Nafloyd Scott, Baby RoyScott, Sylvester Keels..

JOURNALIST:

And they left...

BOBBY BYRD:

Yeah. They left.

James walks into the interview area.

JAMES:

(interrupting)

Bobby? What’s the name of thetheater in Spartanburg...

BOBBY:

Uh.. The Viceroy. The..

JAMES:

The Regal!

BOBBY:

Yeah. That’s it. The Regal.

JAMES:

(to Bart)

On Howard Street and main. Hold

about 750 people. Guy named Bennettused to own it. Yeah, Spartanburg.

Yeah, we’ll play there and I canbring in my masseuse from Anderson.

James disappears again.

JAMES (O.C.) (CONT’D)

Call ‘em up, Pop.

The journalists laugh.

JOURNALIST:

Wow. He’s got an amazing memory.

Bobby nods to himself.

BOBBY:

Yeah. James remembers everything.

90

111 EXT. JAMES BROWN’S HOME. WALTON WAY. 1967. CHRISTMAS. 111

On the lawn of James’ and Dede’s new home a Christmas

spectacular is staged. The Brown’s Colonial is smack dab inthe middle of Augusta’s most elite, white neighborhood.

Fake snow is being sprayed on the lawn by Teddy. Kids of all

races play in the white stuff.

We widen to see a huge line of people waiting to meet Jameswho is dressed as Santa Clause.

Dede is dressed as a sexy Mrs. Clause. Dede wears sexy fishnet hose which rise up her legs, disappearing into a shortred skirt. Dede holds an infant girl.

One by one, kids and their parents approach James. He hands

each Kid a five dollar bill.

A little white boy approaches.

JAMES:

Hey little man, you been good this

year.

LITTLE BOY:

Yes, Mister Brown.

James hands him a five spot. Dede hands the little boy acandy apple.

Another little white boy and his father approach. James asJames speaks to the little boy.

JAMES:

Merry Christmas, Little Man.

James then notices the boy’s father checking out Dede.

The little boy moves on to Dede. She leans over and picks upan apple from a tray.

The boy’s father takes full notice of Dede’s ass. James takesfull notice of the entire thing.

112

INT. JAMES BROWN’S HOME. WALTON WAY. AUGUSTA. LATER THAT 112

DAY.

James and Dede enter the Brown home, passing a huge life sizeportrait of James hanging in the foyer.

DEDE:

Great crowd today, Baby.

91

James passes Dede without a word and heads to the back of thehouse.

Dede follows James thought the living room and into thekitchen.

James disappears around a corner.

DEDE (CONT’D)

You want some dinner?

Dede follows James around the corner and disappears.

JAMES (O.C.)

You stand up in James Brown’s yard

dressed like that? So every man can

see you?

Then suddenly, A SMACK is heard. Dede’s Body falls back intoframe and collapses on the kitchen floor.

A towel flies into frame and lands next to Dede.

JAMES (O.C.) (CONT’D)

Cover yourself up.

113 INT. JAMES BROWN’S HOME. WALTON WAY. AUGUSTA. CONTINUOUS 113

We are now with James in the room off the kitchen. Behind

James we see Dede starting to get up off the floor.

The camera is on James’ face. We get the sense that James

wants to look at us and talk directly to us but he won’t.

Out of Shame, James leaves the room and goes to Dede’s aid.

CUT TO:

114 EXT. HOTEL POOL. NEW ORLEANS. 1967. DAY 114

The long awaited day off. The James revue kicks back by thepool in the sunshine, wives, girls, and kids.

An idyllic scene. Kids playing with fathers. Kids towelled

down by mothers.

115 EXT. HOTEL POOL. CHECK IN STAND. CONTINUOUS 115

A WHITE FEMALE TOURIST in swimming kit has been complainingto a HOTEL MANAGER. Her HUSBAND, tries to make peace.

92

HUSBAND:

(regarding the manager)

Honey, his hands are tied. The poolarea has been reserved for a

private function.

WIFE:

We’re good people and we’ve paid

good money. We didn’t come all the

way to New Orleans to swim in a

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