I Am Sam Page #6

SAM:

Run, Lucy, run!

We see LUCY'S FEET KICK the COP'S LEGS and wrestle out of his

grasp. She flies out the booth, holding that balloon. She

runs down the street, the balloon soaring into the sky - a

cop follows. Sam struggles.

ON SAM:

Reeling, devastated, we HEAR A JUDGE speaking:

JUDGE (O.S.)

Given the fact that the father was

arrested for solicitation, did not

cooperate with the police...

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Sam sits ALONE. At another table, Margaret Brown and a

lawyer, along with several people from the CPS.

JUDGE:

...could not control his emotions,

endangering other children. Miss Brown

also cites Mr. Dawson's mental

deficiencies which raise serious

questions about his ability to properly

parent. I agree to grant petition.

The child shall be removed from the home

until a forma jurisdictional hearing.

Mr. Dawson, is there anything you'd like

to add?

SAM:

Yes. I just wanted it to be a nice

surprise party. I had gotten the plates

at Pic-N-Save. Pink and yellow, pink

and yellow. Like a princess. And the

balloons at --

JUDGE:

(gently)

Mr. Dawson, it sounds like a lovely

party, but right now I want to talk to

you about your legal rights. I would

strongly suggest you get yourself legal

counsel and allow your attorney to

present your case at the jurisdictional

hearing on February 13th. Counsel, are

you available?

COUNSEL:

Ted, I have a trial that day.

JUDGE:

February 20th. 8:00 a.m.

SAM:

(panicking)

Twenty-two days? Lucy will come home

and you want me to bring Lucy back in

twenty-two days?

JUDGE:

No, Mr. Dawson. You'll have supervised

visits twice a week for two hours. Now

I'm sorry, we have thirty more cases to

see today. Next! Hopkins vs. Clifford.

INT. SAM'S APARTMENT - DAY

Sam's on the phone, a teddy bear in his hand. Robert, Ifty,

and Brad all sit with Yellow Pages open in front of them.

SAM:

Thursday? Today is Monday, Mrs. Brown.

That's three days away. That's too

long. She can't sleep without Mr.

Jeeters. Well if you're not available

until Thursday, maybe I could see her

without you there...

maybe the Judge made a mistake - maybe

he doesn't know that for seven years I

played with her without you there...No

Mrs. Brown, I'm not trying to violate

the court...

(the other line hangs up)

Mrs. Brown?

ROBERT:

I bet they were recording the whole

conversation. Check your phone. You

can't make a move. You need a lawyer.

BRAD:

Call Jerry Spence. He has his own show.

He must know what he's doing.

ROBERT:

No. Johnny Cochran. He has his own

show, too.

BRAD:

Yeah! He can even get a guilty person

off.

SAM:

So you think I'm guilty?

IFTY:

No. You didn't kill anybody.

SAM:

But she said I'm not her father.

IFTY:

She didn't say that. That runty kid

with the blue shirt and the mean father

whose voice sounds like the man on the

Channel Four News who has a toupee.

Toupees are expensive.

SAM:

But Ifty. She said it.

IFTY:

But she didn't mean it. I said I hated

my mother once. "Once upon a time..."

is how stories begin.

ROBERT:

You should get a personal injury lawyer.

You've been personally injured.

BRAD:

Here - look at this - "Sebastion

Gibson." He can do anything.

Pedestrians. Back and neck. Uninsured

Motorist. Dog attacks.

SAM:

The Social Worker said it's a custody

case.

ROBERT:

Then get a divorce lawyer.

IFTY:

When Dustin Hoffman was trying to keep

Billy from going back to Meryl Streep,

his lawyer said it was going to cost him

fifteen thousand dollars - and that's if

we win!

SAM:

Fifteen thousand dollars!

BRAD:

Don't worry about money now. Get the

best. Century City - Here: "Rubel Bly

Harrison and Williams".

INT. RITA HARRISON'S CENTURY CITY OFFICE - DAY

A Century City lawyer spins in front of our eyes. It's SAM'S

POV as he sits in a chair that spins - in the center of RITA

HARRISON'S lavish, penthouse office. Now we see the

panoramic of Los Angeles. Now the dots in the Lichtenstein

on the wall WHIRL PAST US. Now the DOOR SWINGS OPEN AND --

RITA HARRISON and her assistant burst in. Rita moves in

opposite circles around the room. Looking for something. In

fact, as we watch Rita, we realize that she never stops

moving. Period. Ten steps ahead of anyone, too much energy,

too much caffeine, not enough food. If she slowed down a

beat she might get vulnerable. Can't have that. Can't be

wrong. Can't really look you in the eye. Can't help it if

she's smarter than anyone else in the room. Any room. Any

time.

RITA:

Did Fred Kimble call? I'm already

twenty minutes late.

PATRICIA:

He --

RITA:

What'd Michelle Kresge say?

PATRICIA:

She --

RITA:

She wasn't defensive, was she?

PATRICIA:

Well --

RITA:

That's ridiculous. What happened with

my car?

PATRICIA:

They --

RITA:

Because it wasn't my fault.

PATRICIA:

I --

RITA:

Thank you, Patricia.

PATRICIA:

This is Mr. Dawson. There was some

confusion with the temp last week and --

RITA:

Mr. Dawson, it's a pleasure. Since

somebody made a mistake, unfortunately

we only have a little time. Hold all my

calls unless it's my kid - I'll have a

double cap.

SAM:

Good choice, very good choice.

RITA:

Can we get you anything to drink?

SAM:

Is it free?

ON RITA:

Hmmmm?

TEN MINUTES LATER --

Sam is in the middle of the beginning of his story. Rita on

her second cappuccino, eyes her computer screen for calls.

SAM (CONT'D)

...Lucy had an ice-cream cake with pink

flowers - pink, not white not

white...Lucy's favorite is cherry

vanilla which is pink, too. Cherries

and vanilla.

RITA:

Uh huh uh huh -- uh huh uh

(into Amtel)

If that's Jake Hiller, put him through.

(picking up phone)

Jake. No no no no no no.

PATRICIA:

(from speaker)

Your son's on line two.

RITA:

Jake, did you get that?!

(to Patricia)

Tell him to hold for just one second.

Jake I have to go...he what?

PATRICIA:

(through speaker)

Deborah Chapman on line three --

RITA:

Hold on Jake.

(she punches another line)

No no no no no no no. Have a nice

weekend.

(punches another button)

Jake?!

We HEAR MUSIC coming from the other end of the phone --

SAM:

Burt Bacharach shared billing with The

Beatles and Jose Jiminez on the Ed

Sullivan Show June 5th, 1968.

RITA:

Really?

(then)

Jake, what'd you say you tell him yes I

am.

(yelling; re:
coffee)

This tastes like low, are you sure it's

non? Okay okay okay. I think there's

been a little mistake here --

SAM:

Yes. A little one. Your son's on line

two.

RITA:

Oh my God.

(pushes another line)

Danny?

(Danny's hung up)

Patricia? Get Danny back. Well keep

trying.

She unconsciously digs through the bowl of jelly beans on her

desk sorting out all the yellow ones.

RITA (CONT'D)

Mr. Dawson, what I'm trying to say is

I'm a divorce lawyer and as much as I'd

like to, I don't handle cases like yours

--

SAM:

Since you would like to, why don't you

talk to your boss. Maybe he would let

you.

She pours the bowl of jelly beans onto her desk, now

frantically sorting through them.

RITA:

(into phone)

Then keep dialing --

(to Sam)

What I mean is that at this point in my

career, I can't afford to.

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