Homegrown Page #7

POLLY:

What do you think, Pops..? Pops!

Pops, oblivious to the conversation, offers a cheesy grin.

Will studies their interaction.

POLLY:

Thoughts about Dylan going electric?

POPS:

Dig it.

POLLY:

Profound insight as always.

Pops returns to watching his hand surf the wind.

INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

The foursome watches a movie and shares popcorn. Polly

cuddles with Pops.

Will’s face contorts in new ways, engaged in the film. Renee

observes Will -- smiles.

INT. RENEE’S CAR - MOVING - LATER THAT NIGHT

The foursome rides home.

RENEE:

What’d you guys think?

POLLY:

Effects were too much. Plot was way

outlandish. I need a little realism.

RENEE:

Pops? How’d you like it?

POPS:

Dope.

38.

RENEE:

Will... your thoughts?

WILL:

The story seemed unrealistic-

POLLY:

Thank you. Finally a fellow

realist.

WILL:

The characters lacked conviction

and made illogical decisions. But

the experience was intriguing.

Renee smiles in the rearview.

EXT. POLLY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Renee pulls into Polly’s driveway. Polly and Pops exit.

POLLY:

Good night, you guys.

Renee calls out of her open window:

RENEE:

Good night, my love. G’night, Pops.

Pops throws up a peace sign over.

INT. RENEE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS

Will remains in the back. Renee eyes him in the rearview.

RENEE:

My name is Renee. I’ll be your

chauffeur this evening. Where to?

Will swallows, the humor lost on him.

RENEE:

Get up front, Will.

WILL:

Oh - okay.

INT. PRISON CELL - NIGHT

Charlie scribbles on a note pad. His hand moves with rapid

precision, as if he can’t write fast enough.

39.

INT. RENEE’S CAR - MOVING - SAME

Renee stops in front of the Cahill home.

RENEE:

Thanks for coming tonight.

WILL:

(hesitates; then:)

I enjoyed it.

Renee leans over and kisses Will on the cheek. Will’s body

locks up; his face reddens. Renee leans back, smiles.

RENEE:

Have a good night.

Will exits -- then turns back, earnest.

WILL:

I’ve decided to participate in the

Presidential Scholar Program.

RENEE:

You mean ‘apply?’

(off his confident stare)

Alright - I like the swagger. Let’s

meet early Monday to start prep.

Will nods. Renee smiles -- drives away.

EXT. CAHILL HOME - PORCH - CONTINUOUS

Mr. Cahill puffs a cigar. Will walks past. No pleasantries.

INT. PRISON KITCHEN - NIGHT

BJ, still with a black eye from Charlie, washes dishes.

Charlie mops. They are alone.

BJ:

You got a lady on the outside?

(no response)

Listen, man. We’re gonna spend a

lotta time together in this f***in’

sweatbox. Goes much faster if we

talk.

CHARLIE:

What would you like to discuss?

40.

BJ:

Sh*t - I dunno. Anything.

Charlie’s eyes penetrate BJ, sizing him up.

CHARLIE:

I’m interested in your group. Are

you actually a White Supremacist,

or do you just claim allegiance in

here for protection?

BJ:

Wasn’t affiliated on the outside,

but I got to listenin’ to the

teachings. I like what I hear.

CHARLIE:

And what are the teachings?

BJ:

We’re the superior race, man. We

just want to wipe out the

inferiors, you know?

CHARLIE:

What makes you superior?

BJ:

This beautiful ivory skin.

CHARLIE:

That’s all it takes?

BJ:

Them minorities aren’t fully

evolved.

CHARLIE:

You’re aware that whites aren’t a

majority in the world. Even in this

country, Caucasians will soon be

outnumbered.

BJ:

Which is why we gotta attack now.

Charlie sneers -- continues mopping.

BJ:

Where’d you learn that fancy

fightin’ sh*t?

41.

CHARLIE:

Learned basics in the Army.

Developed the rest myself.

BJ:

You mind showing me a few moves?

CHARLIE:

I do mind.

BJ chuckles:
fair enough. They work in silence for a moment.

BJ:

What do you believe in then? Easy

to cast judgment - not say anything

-not stand for anything.

Charlie pauses, provoked -- stares a hole through BJ, then:

CHARLIE:

I believe in many things, but my

prime ethic - which permeates every

decision I make - is to leave

things better than I find them.

BJ:

You think my face is better off

with this black eye?

CHARLIE:

The struggle to survive precedes

the desire to improve.

BJ:

How do you reckon we improve things?

CHARLIE:

Sometimes it’s simple - like

picking up a piece of trash.

BJ:

So you wanna be a garbageman?

CHARLIE:

On a larger scale, to leave the

earth better than we found it...

will require drastic actions. The

world is on a dangerous trajectory.

(off BJ’s nod)

Humans are consciously destroying

the earth, while the population is

swelling. And this nation is

crumbling.

42.

BJ:

I’m with you. We have similar

beliefs, man. Keep the foreigners

out. Wipe out the excess - the

minorities. Stop them inferiors

from overbreeding.

CHARLIE:

Do you have children?

BJ:

Yep - four little white angels.

CHARLIE:

You’re the problem. And your

bigoted, nonsensical, obsolete

ideology disgusts me.

BJ processes the insult for a moment, then laughs,

uncomfortable. Charlie just stares at him.

BJ:

You’re f***ing crazy, man.

CHARLIE:

Sometimes I think I’m the only sane

person on the planet.

Charlie gets back to mopping.

A moment of silence, then BJ coughs... then all of a sudden

starts convulsing, having a seizure.

BJ:

Nasy... Sh*t...

BJ’s breathing deepens. He falls to the floor, gasping:

BJ:

My pills... in the infirmary...

please...

CHARLIE:

Quite superior.

Charlie calmly walks away.

INT. PRISON HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Charlie strolls past a door marked ‘INFIRMARY’ but doesn’t

break stride. Not even a glance.

43.

INT. PRISON KITCHEN - SAME

BJ writhes until he finally lays motionless, dead.

INT. CHARLIE’S CELL - MOMENTS LATER

Charlie nonchalantly peruses the collection of books on his

window sill -- selects on a tattered Kierkegaard novel.

BEGIN MONTAGE:

-LIBRARY. Renee and Will study together. Renee points to

Will’s notes -- makes a suggestion. Will shakes his head --

explains his better way. Renee nods, conceding.

-COUNSELOR’S OFFICE. Will sits with the Counselor.

WILL:

I’d like to switch into the

advanced classes... All of them.

COUNSELOR:

The semester’s nearly over.

WILL:

I’ll make up the work. No problem.

COUNSELOR:

O-kay. Would you want to take some

of the old Advanced Placement

tests... To gauge-

WILL:

Absolutely. As many as possible.

-MATH EXAM. The rest of the class hammers away on their

scientific calculators. Will quickly computes in his head.

The Teacher strolls past, intrigued -- looks down at his

answer sheet. Her face drops, impressed.

-WILL’S ROOM. Will scribbles on his homework.

-TRACK. William outsprints the entire gym class, including

Adam, with ease. Coach’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.

-HALLWAY. Will passes Teacher 1, Theresa and Ganthon.

TEACHER 1

He scored 5’s on every sample AP

exam he took - including Latin,

Physics, and Chinese.

44.

THERESA:

Did he have access to the tests

beforehand? Did he cheat?

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