Get on Up Page #6

Flash- We are back to “Ski Party”. Now the boring extras areup on their feet. They dance with precision the way Mr. Brownwould prefer. Just for us, James has transformed the “Ski

Party” into something way cooler.

James’ feet slide and move him back toward the door of the

ski lodge set.

JAMES (CONT’D)

I feel good and I knew that I would

now. So good. So good. Cause I

got you.

James moves outside the door and does a split in the pile offake snow.

We are now back to reality. James is again wearing the

sweater. The extras are now seated and clapping in a cornyfashion.

The stage bell rings. Over a loudspeaker-

VOICE:

That was great James.

Frankie Avalon runs up to James. James remains in his split.

FRANKIE:

Wow, James. You’ve got some groovymoves my friend.

JAMES:

Thank you, Mr. Avalon. And pleasecall me, Mr. Brown

30

As Frankie nods and walks away, James catches eyes with BOBBY

BYRD, 30. Bobby stares quizzically at James as he remains onthe floor in his split.

BOBBY:

Get up, James.

JAMES:

How many times have I done thissplit Bobby?

BOBBY:

A thousand, maybe five thousand.

JAMES:

Exactly, and now the first and onlytime I rip my pants has to be infront of all those white people.

Bobby cracks up.

BOBBY:

In white boy sweater.

JAMES:

My trumpet, bass, and drums arespread out all over this coldfloor.

James begins to laugh.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Go get my towel!

BOBBY:

You got it boss.

43 OMITTED 43

44 INT. CAR. 1949 DAY. JAMES 16 YRS 44

A man’s three piece suit hangs in the rear of a sedan.

SMASH. An elbow shatters the back door glass. A hand comes

inside and pulls the suit out of the car.

44AA EXT. RURAL ROAD. MOMENTS LATER. 44AA

A picturesque country road flanked by high, earthenembankments lined with trees.

31

James sudden bolts out of the trees with the stolen suit and

runs down the embankment.

Just then a police car speeds down the road towards him.

James drops the suit and runs to the opposite embankment.

As James tries to climb the embankment, the police car stops,

two officers get out.

James can’t get a footing on the steep embankment. We now

see that James is wearing the lynched man’s shoes.

CLOSE ON SHOES:

Digging deeper and deeper in the soil embankment. BLAM! A

gun fires.

James stops climbing and turns to see two guns pointed athim. He slides back down the embankment and raises his

hands.

CUT TO:

FLASH! James gets his mug shot. Front and side.

JAMES (O.S.)

I’m seventeen...

45 EXT. RICHMOND COUNTY JAIL - THAT NIGHT 45

CLOSE ON:
James speaking through bars.

JAMES:

Know what that means, Big Junior?

Means they can try me in Superior

Court. Means they can send my

juvenile ass down for a man’s term.

3 maybe 4 years.

Reveal a young man, BIG JUNIOR, 25, standing on the lawn bythe jail house holding a lantern. He looking up to James onthe second floor speaking out of the window.

BIG:

For robbing a suit?

JAMES:

You reach my daddy?

BIG:

He’s in the Army, James.

32

JAMES:

I know he’s in the Army. So yougotta go find him.

Big Junior looks to the ground and nods.

JAMES (CONT’D)

What’d Aunt Honey say?

BIG:

Aunt Honey say she can’t help youright now. Not this week.

JAMES:

Go find my daddy, Big. Please!

Okay?

Big Junior sighs, really uncomfortable.

BIG:

Aunt Honey already talked to him,

James. Your daddy say it’s a badtime too.

James fills with panic.

JAMES:

So, he knows I’m here?

Big looks all around, everywhere except at James.

BIG:

He say ain’t nothing he can do. Gotmoney problems. Sorry.

He shrugs and walks away.

46 INT. CELL. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS 46

James turns from the window. He goes to the sink of his tinycell, heaving for breath. He looks at himself in the tinycracked mirror.

JAMES:

Don’t cry Junior. Don’t cry now.

James begins expertly tapping his sliding his feet on thefloor. A more developed version of the tune he arranged inhis head during the boxing match is heard. James stares at usin the mirror. He smiles.

33

WARDEN (O.S.)

And you were thinking of this as aprofession...

47 INT. PAROLE REVIEW BOARD, ALTO REFORM SCHOOL. 1952. DAY 47

James, 19 years old, sits on a bare wooden chair. James’

aunt, HONEY, 40, is in attendance. Next to her sit two youngblack women dressed very sexy.

WARDEN:

So you want to be a singer?

JAMES:

Oh no Sir. Truth is I ain’t reallyinto all that so much. Not no more.

Five white adults sit behind a long table, studying him.

WARDEN:

But the other boys, they call youMusic-box.

JAMES:

It’s just a old nickname is all.

I’m looking for something stable.

Steady. I want to be a Mechanic.

WARDEN:

So first a singer and now aMechanic?

JAMES:

Yes Sir. There’s a fella I know

back in Augusta, he owns a garage,

he said he could find me a job if-

WARDEN:

You can’t go back to Augusta.

In the event of parole, the Courtin Augusta ruled you not be allowedto set foot in Richmond County tilthe full term of your sentence.

James is silent. Aunt Honey locks eyes with the Warden andsmiles.

WARDEN (CONT’D)

Do you know anyone outside Augustawho could act as your parolesponsor? Any family? Associates? Isthere anywhere else you could go?

34

Aunt Honey and the girls raise their skirts up there legsever so slightly with subtle sexual gestures.

The Warden gives Aunt Honey and the girls a disapprovingstare.

STAMP! A red stamp hammers down - REFUSED.

48 INT. HALL. ALTO. DAY. JAMES 19 YRS 48

A BAND, The Starlighters “entertains” the inmates. A tall

black kid in a white tux, flanked by four other boys.

BOBBY BYRD:

We the Gospel Starlighters, from

right here in Toccoa. Three Four..

The vocal group rip into a juiced up “Mary Don’t You Weep”.

And its good. James watches intently. The music plays over...

James begins to sing along and dance. Two rows back, a huge,

badass looking kid is staring. James turns and staresstraight back.

The big kid walks up to James.

BIG KID:

You eyeballin’ me, Music-Box?

The big kid punches James in the gut. James struggles to hisfeet and punches the BIG KID and fights back fearlessly.

All hell breaks loose. Two rough factions break out and themelee spreads. James picks up a chair and throws it at thebig kid. He ducks.

CUT TO:

49 INT. INFIRMARY, ALTO. LATER THAT DAY 49

Bobby sits in a chair outside the infirmary. He holds a cold

press to his nose.

James, bruised and torn but apparently victorious is led by awarden into the infirmary to cheers from his friends. He’sseated next to Bobby and cuffed to the chair.

JAMES:

What happened to you?

BOBBY:

Someone threw something.

JAMES:

Gee, that’s too bad.

They sit there. James shrugs.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Walk in the jungle sometimes youget bit by a snake.

BOBBY:

(Deadpan)

I’ll try an’ remember that.

They sit there.

JAMES:

Say. What’s that song you done?

BOBBY:

We only done half of it. “MaryDon’t You Weep” is an old gospel,

man. You ain’t heard that before?

Everybody be doin’ it.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes