I Am Sam Page #3

ANNIE:

This is Mozart. He did twenty-two

variations of "Twinkle Twinkle Little

Star". You smell good. You can tell a

lot about a person by their smell. If

they've got too much perfume on they're

covering something up. You gotta watch

someone who smells like soap. Gotta

wonder what their priorities are.

Nervous people. People who try too

hard. They smell like fish. But you.

You smell like milk. Milk and hope.

Lucy leaves the piano and toddles over to Annie's loom and

plays with a ball yarn.

VOICE (O.S.)

Groceries, Annie.

ANNIE:

Thanks.

Annie opens the door to pull in the groceries. The ball of

yarn ROLLS OUT the door and Lucy chases after it. Annie,

terrified, bellows:

ANNIE (CONT'D)

Lucy! Come back here! Come back!

It becomes obvious Annie can't walk outside. Trembling:

ANNIE (CONT'D)

"Lucy in the sky with diamonds..."

Hearing the familiar tune, Lucy stops and toddles back.

Annie sweeps her up, relieved and we --

INT. KARAOKE BAR - NIGHT

Sam on stage, with Ifty and Brad as his back-up singers,

continuing the song in the oddest, most heartfelt version to

Lucy who sits on Robert's lap and in heaven.

EXT. PARK - DAY

A beautiful blue sky. And "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

continues as Lucy's THREE YEAR OLD laughing face SWINGS INTO

FRAME on a swing then DISAPPEARS out THE OTHER END OF FRAME.

Now Lucy SWINGS BACK DOWN and out of the other end again...

Sam's FACE, glowing with delight, APPEARS AGAINST THE SKY and

then disappears. Sam and Lucy are on swings surrounded by

MOTHERS and KIDS at the park.

LUCY (V.O.)

Daddy, where does the sky end?

SAM (V.O.)

Let me see, let me see. I've never been

there but they say it's somewhere near

China.

EXT. PARK - ONE YEAR LATER

Lucy FLIES INTO FRAME, now FOUR, sitting on Sam's lap,

swinging.

LUCY (V.O.)

Are lady bugs only girls or are there

boys, too. And if there are, what are

they called?

SAM (V.O.)

The Beatles.

EXT. PARK - ONE YEAR LATER

Then Lucy FLIES INTO FRAME, now FIVE, followed by Sam.

LUCY (V.O.)

Do I look more like you or Mommy?

ON SAM'S FACE

He knew this moment would come.

INT. DENNY'S - THURSDAY NIGHT DINNER - EVENING

Lucy and Sam are having a serious talk over breaded Sole.

LUCY:

If you and Mommy liked each other enough

to have me, how come you're not together

anymore?

SAM:

I think she fell out of love with me.

Not you, never you. Me, just me.

LUCY:

When you fall out of love where do you

land?

SAM:

Somewhere in Florida, I think.

LUCY:

Do you think she'll ever come back?

SAM:

(long pause)

Paul McCartney lost his mother when he

was fourteen. John lost his mother

twice. First when Julie gave John to

her sister Mimi to raise. And then

again when Julia was hit by a car. They

say God picks certain people, special

people. That's what they say.

Lucy takes this in. Sam begins to shift his tomatoes just

so... his potatoes just slightly to the left. Lucy watches.

LUCY:

Daddy, did God mean for you to be like

this or was it an accident?

SAM:

Do you mean - what do you mean?

LUCY:

I mean you're different.

SAM:

What do you mean? I mean, what do you

mean?

LUCY:

You're not like the other daddies.

SAM:

I'm not am I. I'm sorry.

LUCY:

Don't be sorry. I'm lucky. Nobody

else's daddy ever comes to the park.

ON SAM'S FACE

Filled with relief. Bursting with love.

SAM:

We are very lucky, aren't we?

Grace approaches with two plates of pie, ice cream on the

side.

GRACE:

Ice cream on the side.

LUCY:

Not on top. Not on top.

SAM:

Good choice. Very good choice.

INT. SAM'S APARTMENT - THURSDAY NIGHT VIDEO NIGHT

SAM:

Brad, I know it was your turn. I'm sure

of it.

BRAD:

I swear to God it was Robert's turn.

ROBERT:

Why is it always my fault?

IFTY:

I keep track, last time, I say to

myself, I say, write it down... Bank of

America give away beautiful calendar,

every month a picture of wild animal,

look June, an Elk. Elke Sommer...she

starred in the remake of "Prisoner of

Zenda"... Three stars Leonard Maltin

video movie guide.

As they go on, Lucy matter-of-factly PULLS A VIDEO OUT OF HER

BACKPACK, and puts it in the VCR. She turns it on. It's

"Kramer vs. Kramer". Everyone stops their arguing and stares

at Lucy.

LUCY:

Annie let me borrow it.

INT. CHILDREN'S SHOE STORE - DAY

A row of brand new children's shoes on display. Lucy tries

on dozens of school shoes, surrounded by Sam and her

"Godfathers": Ifty, Brad and Robert.

SAM:

You need a good sturdy school shoe.

Arches are very important.

IFTY:

Sturdy is boring. Red shoes bring good

luck.

BRAD:

But red doesn't got with green.

IFTY:

Except on Christmas.

BRAD:

No brown clodhoppers. Everyone will

make fun of her.

SAM:

NO ONE will make fun of Lucy.

ROBERT:

She might be stupid.

IFTY:

No she's not --

ROBERT:

Did they test her?

BRAD:

You don't know for sure.

SAM:

Yes I do.

BRUCE:

But if she is, don't make her go to

school.

ROBERT:

Don't let her in the lunch room. Johnny

Marzettie's there.

BRAD:

And gym. Get her a pass. The rules for

volleyball are so hard to remember.

"Rotate Rackman Rotate."

IFTY:

Throw the ball at his forehead and the

water on his brain will come out his

nose.

Meanwhile, Lucy has been trying on a simple brown shoe.

LUCY:

I like these.

SAM:

She know what she likes. She likes

these. How much are they?

SALESMAN:

Forty-nine ninety-nine.

SAM:

One penny less than fifty. These shoes

are one penny less than fifty?

LUCY:

It's okay, Dad. I don't really like

them.

SAM:

No, no no no no.

IFTY:

We'll all give ten dollars.

BRAD:

I've only got three plus five. But I

need one for stamps.

ROBERT:

Don't pull your wad out in front of

people.

They all dig in their pockets and begin counting very slowly.

SAM:

Thank you, thank you. We are rich in

friends. That's what our fortune cookie

said. 1, 2, 3, 4, quarters that makes

one.

SALESMAN:

I'll count it.

SAM:

Is it enough?

SALESMAN:

(exasperated)

If there's a God.

BRAD:

Do we get a balloon with these?

SALESMAN:

Yes.

ROBERT:

All of us, or just her?

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. STREET NEAR SHOE STORE - DAY

Those new little brown shoes walking in between four pairs of

man's shoes. We move up from those shoes to see FIVE PAIR OF

HANDS tightly clasping their balloons as they march

victoriously down the street. We MOVE IN on Lucy's little

brown shoes skipping with joy and --

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SCHOOL FIELD - DAY

Those same little shoes in the midst of a mass of black

soccer cleats. We move up and see Lucy in the middle of a

fierce kids soccer game.

Score's tied. The ball comes to Lucy. She kicks and misses.

From the sidelines we hear:

SAM:

Beautiful kick! Very close!

Lucy looks up at her dad proudly. The ball comes again.

Nobody could miss this one. But Lucy does.

SAM (CONT'D)

Thatta girl! Thatta girl! They're

getting scared now!

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