Get on Up Page #4

Momma?

He scans the trees. He’s alone.

SUDDENLY in the trees he glimpses someone. A woman. 30. Red

dress. She giggles as she scampers from behind one tree toanother. She peeps round. He beams.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Momma!

He chases her. She’s laughing.

SUSIE:

You can’t catch me!

Each time he loses her she peers from behind a tree hesqueals in delight but she disappears. He is suddenly alone.

JAMES:

(Scared)

Momma?

She jumps out from behind a tree and scoops him up.

SUSIE:

I gotcha!

He squeals and laughs in her arms.

27 EXT. WOODED PATH. DAY. 1941 27

Susie and James walk hand in hand.

JAMES:

Momma, I’m hungry.

SUSIE:

You ain’t hungry baby. That feelingin yo tummy?

(MORE)

SUSIE (CONT'D)

That feelin’ is the spirit inside

you. He’s in there tickling your

belly right now cause he knows you

such a good boy. You ain’t hungry.

He’s just trying to make you laugh.

Susie begins tickling James. James starts to laugh.

SUSIE (CONT’D)

Are you a good boy?

He tries to speak but can’t from laughing.

SUSIE (CONT’D)

I can’t hear you.

Susie continues to tickle James.

JAMES:

(through laughter)

I’m a good boy!

28 EXT. SHACK. BROWN FAMILY HOME. DEEP WOODS. SOUTH CAROLINA.28

Cold. James sits on the porch with a stick. He continuallybeats the stick on the porch post forming a beat.

He suddenly stops as a man in a thick worn work coat andheavy boots, is approaching singing the blues to himself.

The man puts his pack down, ruffles the kid’s hair, saysnothing and walks inside.

SUSIE:

Where you been? I been sittin’ here

for nine days with your child. You

nine days late Joe. Where you been?

JOE:

Working turpentine, baby. Chippin’

trees.

James peers around the opened door and watches.

SUSIE:

Where you been? Gamblin? You spent

the money again?

JOE:

No.

19

SUSIE:

DON’T LIE TO ME JOE! Give me some

money.

JOE BROWN:

I ain’t lyin’!

SUSIE:

Give me some money!

Susie tries to put her hands in Joe’s pocket. He shoves her

hand to his side.

SUSIE (CONT’D)

I’m here all alone here for four

weeks. And we got nothing. Nothing!

JOE:

Susie. Shut your sweet mouth get

those panties off baby.

Joe grabs Susie and carries her into the cabin.

28A INT. CABIN. CONTINUOUS. 28A

Joe and Susie kiss and begin tearing at each others clothes.

Joe’s been gone A LONG TIME.

As they lower to the bed, we see James watching through theopened door.

James soon turns his head and walks off into the woods.

28A EXT. FOREST. BARNWELL. DAY. LATER THAT DAY 28A

James walks down a worn path deep in the woods singing a songto himself. He suddenly stops.

There, about ten feet up in the air, hanging in a tree is ablack man. Aged about eighteen.

The child stares up at the lynched man who is dressed in niceclothes. Then to his feet within beautiful leather shoes.

Silence. He looks at him carefully.

James reaches his small hand up to touch the suspended footof the man. Pulls on his laces. His shoe comes off.

20

James drops the shoe and removes the other.

CUT TO:

29 OMITTED 29

30 INT. DARK CORRIDOR. DAY. TAMI SHOW 1964 30

BEN BART, 50’s, running along the corridor backstage. Hereaches the door with JAMES BROWN written on it. Outside sits

an enormous, middle aged black woman, knitting.

BEN BART:

I need to speak to James.

GERTRUDE:

He resting, Pop.

BEN BART:

Gertrude, it’s important.

GERTRUDE:

He resting. Nobody allowed in.

Ben offers Gertrude some money. It’s a twenty. She takes it.

Gertrude kisses Bart on the cheek. She opens the door.

GERTRUDE (CONT’D)

Mr. Brown will see you now, Mr.

Bart.

We go inside with Ben. Sitting slumped, back to us, on a

burnished throne in front of a lit mirror, James Brown.

HENRY STALLINGS attends to the towering bouffant on James’head. Bobby Byrd sits in a chair next to James going over aplay list.

James stares at Ben in the mirror.

JAMES:

Gertrude!

Gertrude walks in.

GERTRUDE:

Yes, Mr. Brown.

JAMES:

I said I didn’t want to be

disturbed.

(holds out his hand)

That’ll be twenty dollars.

Gertrude walks over and hands James the same twenty spot Bengave her. Ben winks at Gertrude as she exits.

BEN BART:

James, I just spoke to theproducers. They’ve requested theRolling Stones close the show.

James looks confused.

JAMES:

Huh?

BEN BART:

Rolling Stones, James. You’ll go onright before them. It’ll be you,

then the Rolling Stones top of thebill.

JAMES:

The Rolling Stones, huh?

James to Bobby.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Then why we here, Bobby?

BOBBY:

We here to play, James.

BEN BART:

You’re here because they want youhere, James. You’re James Brown! I

want you here. Because this isn’tthe chitlin’ circuit man. We’re

done with that sh*t. This is an

audience full of white faces and

you’re gonna make them love you.

You’re just not closing the show.

His eyes focus.

BEN BART (CONT’D)

James. Now don’t start. Let it go.

BOBBY:

This don’t matter, James.

22

THE DOOR FLIES OPEN. JAMES BROWN STRUTS DOWN THE CORRIDOR AS

BEN BART FOLLOWS.

JAMES:

The Rolling Stones ain’t even had ahit record here.

They pass several dressing rooms along the way.

JAMES (CONT’D)

They ain’t even ever played in

America. Have they?

James passes a dressing room where a group is rehearsing.

BEN BART:

They’re just kids. In a year fromnow we won’t even know who theyare. It’s business, James.

JAMES:

And it’s my business to hear whatthey got to say about this.

He passes another dressing room with a group of guysharmonizing.

James stops, glances at the VERY WHITE CALIFORNIA GROUP andthen to Ben.

BEN BART:

James, don’t...

James is off again. He rounds the corner walks straight up tothe Stones dressing room. On the door it says THE ROLLINGSTONES.

A guy on the door stands but knows he can’t stop James Brownwho walks straight in. Ben stops at the door and watches.

JAMES BROWN:

Fellas, how ya doin’. Mr. Jagger.

Mr. Richard. Hear you boys areclosing the show. Did you knowthat?

MICK JAGGER:

Uh..That’s what they’re saying.

Yeah. They just told us.

Mick looks over to Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones.

23

JAMES BROWN:

Uh-hmm. Well, I was told I’mclosing the show. That’s why I flewout here.

Mick leads James to a couch. They sit.

MICK JAGGER:

Listen man. We’re filming a moviehere today. This isn’t live.

JAMES:

I know that.

MICK JAGGER:

What I mean is, the order in which

we play makes no difference.

They’re going to edit and arrangethe show any way they want later.

James raises and shakes Mick’s hands. James shakes a coupleof the other guys hands.

JAMES BROWN:

Y’all have a great show, fellas.

We march out with James. He turns to Ben.

JAMES:

I’ll be on stage in five. Theybetter be ready. And the white

people.

BEN BART:

Yes Sir, Mr. Brown.

JAMES struts to the side of the stage. On a televisionbackstage we see a live feed of:

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: THE SUPREMES FINISHING THEIR PERFORMANCE.

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