I Am Sam Page #18

EXT. RANDY'S NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

It's later that week. Lucy walks proudly down the street in

a GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM, selling cookies. Randy is by her side,

beaming.

LUCY:

We've made $22.36. That's seven

dollars, 64 cents less than thirty.

RANDY:

Well that's one way of looking at it.

EXT. RANDY'S NEIGHBORHOOD - LATER

DISSOLVE as they move through the neighborhood. Finally we

see her bound up the steps to an apartment building. She

knocks on the door. It opens - and Lucy and Randy's JAW

DROPS.

REVERSE ANGLE:

Sam stands there. Holding three kittens. WE see various

dogs in arm chairs, the couch...

LUCY:

Daddy?!

RANDY:

What are you doing here?

SAM:

I live here. This is where I live.

LUCY:

This is where you live? So close to me?

SAM:

I wanted to be close to you. I wanted

to be closer. Look at my apartment

number.

(it's number 9)

John was born on October 9th. His son

was born on October 9th.

LUCY:

John met Yoko on November 9th.

SAM:

His mother lived at 9 Newcastle,

Liverpool.

LUCY:

Newcastle. 9 letters. Liverpool - 9

letters...

RANDY:

Lucy, give me one minute with your

father. Sam, I consider myself an

understanding person but I don't

understand this. You can't close the

distance between you and Lucy with a new

address. We go to court in a week -

SAM:

I don't want to spend half my visit with

Lucy on the bus getting to Lucy. I

don't want to waste one more minute.

Buster sneezes.

LUCY:

(from the doorway)

Does Buster still have his cold?

SAM:

He's better, much better. Now I'll have

one box of mint chocolate cookies.

LUCY:

That'll be three-eighty six.

LUCY & SAM

(in unison)

Let me see let me see let me see...

That's one dollar and 14 cents less than

five.

Randy watches with a mixture of jealousy and fear as Lucy

effortlessly enters her and Sam's universe.

EXT. CARPENTER HOUSE - DAY

From the window, Randy watches as Sam hands Lucy four leashes

and the two of them get pulled down the street by the dogs.

INT. LUCY'S BEDROOM - 2 A.M.

Lucy lies in her hammock, unable to sleep. Staring at the

little origami bird on her window sill. She moves it, opens

the window wide, quickly takes Mr. Jeeters - and within a

moment she's out the window and onto the limb of the tree.

EXT. MAIN THOROUGHFARE - NIGHT

"The night grows teeth..." stray dogs fight over garbage - a

wino talks to himself and in the midst of it all walks Lucy

in her pj's. Mr. Jeeters tucked under her arm. Lucy crosses

the street. HONK! the screeching of tires...

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER

We're looking at an old fashioned fire escape when suddenly

we make out a figure climbing higher and higher. It's Lucy.

We catch glimpses of her and then lose her as the neon sign

across the street blinks on and off.

INT. SAM'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Sam's asleep. Suddenly his eyes open wide. And like an

animal sensing danger, he gets up. We HEAR THE SOUND of

something THUMPING AGAINST RUNG AFTER RUNG OF THE FIRE

ESCAPE. He rushes to his window and looks to see --

EXT. SAM'S APARTMENT

Lucy climbing the fire escape! Sam opens the window and

reaches for her.

SAM:

Lucy Lucy. What are you doing?! You

could have really hurt yourself. What

are you doing?

LUCY:

I couldn't sleep. Daddy, did you know

that Warren G. Harding was the twenty

ninth President of the United States?

SAM:

No.

LUCY:

Remember - the twenty-ninth President.

In case the Judge asks.

EXT. RANDY'S STREET - NIGHT

Sam, in his pajamas, holds a sleeping Lucy in his arms. He

turns a corner and heads up the walkway to Randy's house. He

knocks on the door. Finally the door opens and we see Randy

and Bill in their pajamas SHOCKED at seeing Sam and Lucy.

SAM:

She couldn't sleep.

RANDY:

Give me my daugh -

(she stops herself)

Give me - I'll take Lucy.

SAM:

Maybe if you rub her tummy twenty-three

times, tell her two stories and give her

half a Denny's blueberry muffin and a

third of a glass of milk she'll sleep.

Good night.

Randy and BILL, her husband, watch as Sam turns and walks

purposely down the walkway - his houseslippers scuffling on

the quiet street.

SERIES OF SHOTS AT 3:00 A.M. --

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Lucy in her pj's walks down the middle of the street.

EXT. SAM'S WINDOW - NIGHT

Lucy knocks on Sam's window.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Lucy and Sam walk back down the street to Randy's house.

EXT. SAM'S WINDOW - NIGHT

Lucy lugs encyclopedias to Sam's windowsill.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Lucy in a blanket being carried by Sam toward Randy's house.

INT. LUCY'S ROOM - NIGHT

Until FINALLY, we see Lucy in her hammock at Randy's house

looking out the windows, which have now been completely

covered with BARS. Her room is filled with origami birds

from the 100 Denny's napkins, her birthday gift. Lucy gets

out of her hammock and tiptoes across her room - quietly

opening the door.

INT. CARPENTER HOUSE - STAIRS TO LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

We follow her through the dark house as she creeps down the

stairs. She gets to the front door. It's been DEAD BOLTED

where she cannot reach it. From the darkness we hear --

RANDY:

(tenderly)

Lucy. Come here.

Randy sits in the darkness, next to a THIRD OF A GLASS OF

MILK and a HALF A DENNY'S BLUEBERRY MUFFIN.

RANDY (CONT'D)

I made us a midnight snack.

Lucy stares at the muffin and milk. Torn.

RANDY (CONT'D)

I understand that you want to see your

daddy. And I don't want to keep you

from him. I honestly don't. So you

tell me when you want to see him. You

can see him anytime you want. But we

have to arrange it first. Do you

understand?

(Lucy nods)

Now would you like a snack?

Lucy nods. Elated, Randy makes room for her on the couch.

But Lucy just reaches for the milk and muffin and heads up

the stairs then turns back and speaks gently to Randy.

LUCY:

Thank you. Goodnight.

RANDY:

(words caught in her throat)

Goodnight, Lucy.

INT. SAM'S BEDROOM - DAY

We PAN ACROSS THE ROOM and see Sam's shoes, his tie, and a

YELLOW PAD WITH ALL THE PRESIDENTS LISTED IN ORDER. A KNOCK

at the door - Sam opens it to see Rita standing there,

looking intensely vulnerable, holding her husband's suit.

RITA:

My husband left this when he moved out.

SAM:

Oh, lovely Rita, meter maid.

RITA:

(entering)

Nice place. I worry. I worry

sometimes...

SAM:

You worry you did the wrong thing?

RITA:

I worry that I've gotten more out of

this relationship than you.

SAM:

No no no. I'm the lucky one. I have

the lawyer that never loses.

RITA:

(covering)

That's me...okay, let me see, let me

see, let me see.

(pulls out notes)

They're going to put Bill and Randy on

the stand first and then you.

SAM:

Them first, then me. They're a nice

couple. They have a nice house. She's

pretty. She's smart, too. I can tell.

The manager of the salad bar is gonna

testify, isn't he? That will help us.

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