Get on Up Page #5

James waits in the wings. On the other side of the stage, theRolling Stones watch. James flashes his trademark smile. Theyall wave back.

Archival Footage:

JAN AND DEAN approach the microphone and introduce theflames.

ZAP -a white follow spot burns into James as he stands headbowed. Check jacket, waistcoat, black pipes and mirror boots.

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He throws his head back, steps forward and the groove starts.

The screams rise to a deafening pitch

He’s already on the move, in a snake hipped side slide, mashpotatoes, up on one leg, level with the mike, spin and BAM!

JAMES:

You got your high-heel sneakers on-

The teens in the audience lose it. Bobby Byrd and the Flamesin immaculate tuxedos snap and step in time.

JAMES (CONT’D)

You know you out of sight-

IN THE WINGS -The Stones and Ben Bart watch a television

being fed the show in real time.

A big smile crosses Ben’s face.

CLOSE ON TELEVISION/INSERT ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE

INTERCUT FILMED STAGE AND ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE OF JAMES AND THE

FLAMES ON TELEVISION.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Say I...I...I...I love you so!

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE: Teenagers shake their heads completely inthe thrall of the minutely controlled and manipulatedfrustration and reward.

BACK STAGE -James stalks off past the Stones and Ben.

Keith Richards is slack jawed. Ben swallows a laugh. Jamescontinues on. We go with him.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Welcome to America.

James looks right at us. Sweating. Focused. Wide awake.

CLOSE ON TELEVISION/INSERT ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE

The Rolling Stones begin their first song. TIME IS ON MY SIDE

The crowd goes wild. A sea of white faces screaming for Mick.

James is watching the monitor. His face registers arealization. James stays on the Stone’s as he talks to us.

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CLOSE ON JAMES MOUTH IN PROFILE SURROUNDED BY BLACK AND WHITE

SCREEN:

JAMES (CONT’D)

The British Invasion make a man

strong. Make him stand up. Youain’t never been down how ya gonnaget on up?

James turns to us with an even deeper intensity.

JAMES (CONT’D)

I can’t never quit cause it gethard. You quit, you goingbackwards. You going backwards,

you dead. So, I take it. But I takeit and flip it. I go forward. And Ilive.

31 INT. SHACK. WOODS. DAY. 1941. JAMES 8 YRS 31

Fall day. Under the eves, James climbs round the side of thehouse. He reaches the corner to see HIS MOTHER STANDING ON

THE PORCH of the cabin, a suitcase packed. Her eye isswollen.

JOE BROWN:

You leavin’ you take your child,

girl. You his momma. I don’t need

no hungry child.

Confused, James approaches. Looks up at his mother.

SUSIE:

You keep him. You can feed him. I

can’t.

(She holds him, kisses him)

Bye, baby. You be good.

She leaves. Joe calls after her.

JOE BROWN:

That’s right. Why don’t you go try

to sell your ass on Twigg Street.

That’s right. Buy yourself a dress.

Maybe I pay you a visit.

Alone with his son, Joe stares at him. The boy stares back.

CUT TO:

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32 INT/EXT. SHACK. DAY. 1941 32

A MORNING IN THE CABIN. James watches his father silentlypack a few meager belongings into a sack.

JOE:

Be back in a week or so. Mind you

don’t makes no mess.

James runs over to the glassless window to watch his fatherlead a mule, barrels on its back, away into the woods.

CUT TO:

33 INT. SHACK. NIGHT. 1941 33

Wind howls and blows the door open. Shivering, Young Jamespulls a chair across the door of the shack and makes a nestof blankets under the bed. He crawls in.

34 TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY OF NIGHT 34

CUT TO:

35 EXT. SHACK. DAY. 1941 35

Morning. James tries to fetch water from a stream. He pulls abucket via a rope. The bucket tips over and spills thewater.

CUT TO:

36 EXT. PRODUCE STAND. 1941 36

James approaches a woman who’s selling produce. Annoyed, shepicks up a over-ripened tomato and throws it to James’ feet.

James picks up the tomato and walks away.

CUT TO:

37 EXT. WOODS. DILAPIDATED CABIN. MOMENTS LATER 37

James approaches a dilapidated cabin that has been flattenedby a fallen tree. He raises his stick and begins tapping iton the cabins rusted tin roof.

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Slowly he begins to work out a simple, familiar tune. Hebegins to stomp his feet, move his hips.

CUT TO:

38 TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY HERE - LEAVES BEGIN TO CHANGE 38

39 INT. SHACK. DAY - 10 WEEKS LATER. 1941 39

Joe’s back. Fully bearded. He unpacks his sack onto the bed.

In the doorway appears the boy. Half naked. Covered in mud.

Its clearly been weeks rather than days he’s been alone.

JOE:

(Chuckling)

Look at you boy. You go clean

yourself up ‘fore you come in here.

CUT TO:

Int. SHACK. KITCHEN TABLE. DAY.

1941

James sits opposite his father at the table. Joe eats andhums and sings a blues tune, No More My Lord.

James beats his stick on the leg of the table perhaps to joinin and impress his dad.

Joe acknowledges the beat that James is creating. For a

brief moment, father and son are making music together.

Joe quits singing but James continues beating the stick onthe table.

JOE BROWN:

Quit that. Driving me crazy.

LITTLE JAMES:

Keep singin’.

(James taps the stick quieter.

(Staring at his father.)

“No more my Lord”

JOE BROWN:

I said stop!

Joe gets up. Takes the stick and snaps it in two. Jamesstares hard at his father’s face.

JOE BROWN(CONT’D)

You gawkin’ at me?

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James stays on Joe. Joe quickly rises and yanks James out ofhis chair.

CUT TO:

41 INT./EXT. SHACK. DAY. 1941 41

From outside the shack, we hear the sounds of abuse.

JOE BROWN (O.C.)

Stop crying. I said stop crying.

Suddenly the shack door opens, and James runs out.

He sprints full pelt through the woods. He comes to a

clearing. He slows, approaches us and suddenly stops,

breathing heavily, he stops and looks straight at us.

Levelly.

BLACKOUT. A THUMPING RHYTHM BEGINS.

Beneath his tears a smile emerges...

CUT TO:

42 INT. HOLLWOOD SOUND STAGE - DAY - 1964 JAMES 31YRS 42

CLOSE ON:
An argyle sweater. The intro to I GOT YOU (I FEEL

GOOD) ramps up.

We widen to see James Brown singing.

JAMES:

I feel good! And I knew that Iwould now...

Even wider to reveal BOBBY BYRD and the rest of the flames

dancing in sound stage dressed to resemble a Ski Lodge.

FRANKIE AVALON and THIRTY VERY WHITE EXTRAS dance around

James and the flames. Everyone is in argyle and brightcolors.

To the side, FILM CREW MEMBERS AND A DIRECTOR do their best

to keep up with the rhythm. James is killing it. His

legendary moves in full force.

JAMES (CONT’D)

I feel nice. Like sugar and spice.

SLOW MOTION PHOTOGRAPHY

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Music stops. (Tom Newman theme here) James watches the cast,

crew and Flames doing their thing for camera.

James turns to us and speaks.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Take it and flip it.

END SLOW MOTION. END TOM NEWMAN THEME.

James removes his sweater and begins dancing and singingagain but now to a faster version of “I GOT YOU”. He smiles

at us, looks into our eyes. We push in tight.

We pull back to reveal James now singing this song in thefuture at The Olympia show. He’s sporting a “natural”.

Beautiful girls dancing behind him.

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