Get on Up Page #20

JAMES:

Now it’s true, we work hard. A man

gotta work hard if he wanna break

ground. And we breaking new ground

everyday...

James enter the theatre front door.

135E

INT. OLYMPIA THEATRE. LOBBY. CONTINUOUS. 135E

James begins walking toward us.

JAMES:

My record Live at the Apollo is the

first R&B album in the history ofthe world to go top ten. Stayed upin there for 66 weeks..

James walks into the rear of the packed house.

GIRLS AND GUYS SCREAMING, DANCING. JAMES IS INVISIBLE TOTHEM.

From the rear of the house, James watches himself and the

band performing on stage. He and his band are IN MID-GROOVE.

A BEAUTIFUL BLACK DANCER DANCES ON A RISER BEHIND THE BAND.

Vicki Anderson, sings backup.

JAMES (CONT’D)

That record come across. I mean it

hit hard!!! Uhn!

135F

INT. OLYMPIA THEATRE. STAGE. CONTINUOUS. 135F

James walks among his performing band members. He watches

himself on stage at the microphone driving the crowd crazy.

117

JAMES:

And slowly, the whole World knew

who we were.

James walks to each band member and places a twenty dollarbill in each of their pockets. They don’t see the James whois talking directly to us.

He straightens a band members tie. James turns to stage leftand sees his son, Teddy Brown, dancing. He then gives Yvonnea wink who’s also standing in the wings looking HOT.

JAMES (CONT’D)

See in showbusiness, you got twoparts. You got the show and you gotthe business. And brother.

(Deadly serious)

You better believe. You looking at

both.

He spins around and runs up to the microphone. He replaceshimself and begins to sing.

SCREAMS. HORNS VAMPING. James performs out of his skin. Amedley of three songs, “Soul Power,” into “Sex Machine,” into“Super Bad”.

Backup dancers and singers are tearing it up!

On James’ signal the rag tag band of kids behind thegodfather of soul take off like a rocket ship into one of theabove songs. It sounds nothing like the old version. Its raw

urgent, stripped down. The Bootsy’s bass rumbles like troublebrewing and Catfish’s over driven guitar slicing cleanthrough the hook.

Before them a standing room crown dance and sing from thestage to all the way back to entrance

James and Bobby look at each other. Holy sh*t.

James drops into the splits, flips up again.

The crowd is seeing something for the first time on Europeansoil. They erupt with joy and begin dancing in their seats.

CUT TO:

136-138 OMITTED 136-138

118

139 INT. OLYMPIA STAGE. SAME NIGHT. 139

The crowd has left. A custodian roams the isles picking uptrash. James and Bobby sit on the edge of an empty stage,

laughing.

BOBBY:

You know what I think? After we putout my next solo album, I bet Icould play Paris or the Apollo.

James TUNES IN

JAMES BROWN:

How’s that?

BOBBY:

I was just saying when me and youput out my new record, I bet Icould fill this place all myself.

No problem.

James stiffens at this comment.

JAMES BROWN:

What the hell you talking about?

“Fill this place all myself”? “Noproblem?” You sayin’ I’m slippin’?

BOBBY BYRD:

No I don’t think you slippin’. You

James Brown. You ain’t never

slippin’. I was just...

JAMES BROWN:

People copy me, Mr. Byrd. Peoplegonna copy my moves till the earthgoes dark. You understand? You

think people are gonna buy thatrecord like they buy my record?

That what you sayin’?

BOBBY:

No.

JAMES BROWN:

Who you been tellin’ this too? You

been telling that to the Apollo?

Bobby gets mad.

BOBBY:

No, James! I haven’t told nobodybut you. We were just talking.

(MORE)

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I thought you be cool with that.

You always been talking about...

About... About... standin’ on myown feet.

JAMES BROWN:

Bobby, how you gone stand on your

own feet? You just spent twenty

years gettin’ fat on a man’s

dollar. I produce a record for you

and now it’s gone to your head.

You go talking big behind my back.

You go sneaking round, raising heat

off another man’s name. We here, we

doing something and you making

plans sucker?

Bobby gets more upset. He’s using a tone with James we’venever heard before.

BOBBY:

(Shouting)

I ain’t told nobody or made anyplans. We just talkin’ about it.

Now. That’s it.

JAMES:

I’m ashamed of you, Bobby. And youshould be ashamed of you. Now youtryin’ to run around with Vicki.

Don’t jive yourself bro’. Now,

Vicki, she could fill this place.

BOBBY:

Well, Vicki ain’t yours. So, Vicki

and me ain’t none of your damn

business.

James smiles.

JAMES:

But she’s been my business before.

Bobby walks up close to James and stares him in the eye. Heballs his fist.

BOBBY:

I can’t do this no more, James.

JAMES BROWN:

Damn right you can’t do this no

more.

120

BOBBY:

I said I can’t do this no more.

James looks absolutely poleaxed. THEN. He laughs. And looksat Bobby, almost affectionately.

JAMES BROWN:

See, the funny part. You say thatlike it’s a big thing. Like“oh my God, Bobby Byrd gone leaveJames Brown on his own.”

Bobby fights to control himself. To find anything left togive.

BOBBY:

I ain’t leaving you on your own,

Mr. Brown. You already on your own.

Always were.

He shakes his head and walks across the stage. He turns.

BOBBY (CONT’D)

Is that God too?

Bobby turns and leaves James ALONE.

140 INT. OLYMPIA. NIGHT. 1970 140

Bobby walks across the big empty stage and for a split secondlooks right at us. He continues past us and away.

CROSSFADE TO:

141 INT. APOLLO CORRIDOR / DRESSING ROOM. 141

FLASHBACK -Corridor in 1962. The Night of Live At The

Apollo.

MUSIC:
Wonder When You’re Coming Home plays over:

A woman in a flower print dress and a cheap hat sits on abench with a coat over her arm. A young Bobby comes out ofthe dressing room. She stands.

142 INT. APOLLO DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT. 142

BOOM! A flashbulb goes off.

James sits next to his mother, on a couch, SMILING Happily,

having the moment documented. She is smiling too. Bobby andother guests in the room watch the photographers.

The photographer is ushered out of the room by Bobby Byrd.

JAMES:

Bobby? Get everybody out of hereand wait outside.

Bobby ushers the guests outside.

James sits opposite his mother. She is very, veryuncomfortable but trying to appear relaxed.

SUSIE:

I was on the Subway last week, andthe two kids next to me was arguingwho was the best, James Brown orLittle Willy John. And this oneboy, he was saying “James Brown thebest” “There ain’t no one better

than James Brown”, he got so mad Ithought he was gonna whup thisother boy. And then-

James holds up his hand. She falls silent.

JAMES:

Why tonight?

(She stops, her face falls.)

Why you come here?

She starts to flap.

SUSIE:

Well. Sugar, I live over inBrooklyn... and you my baby and youhere playin’ the Apollo.

JAMES:

I don’t want you to feel proud.

I ain’t your sugar. I ain’t yourbaby. Not then. Not now. And Idon’t want you to tell anyone youmy momma, because you and me knowthat ain’t true.

SUSIE:

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes