Interstellar Page #3

Cooper steps to the engine compartment.

The ballplayer notices Cooper's two boys, TOM, 15, and MURPH,

10, watching them. He wanders over.

7.

BALLPLAYER:

You think your dad's going to be

able to help us out?

Murph, a filth-encrusted kid with a black eye, smiles at the

ballplayer.

MURPH:

My dad can fix anything.

(WRY SMILE)

Except maybe your fastball.

The ballplayer frowns: smartass kid.

After a moment under the hood, Cooper signals to the driver,

who tries the engine. It turns over once, then STARTS.

BALLPLAYER:

Sure appreciate the help.

COOPER:

(SHRUGS)

You don't make it, my boys won't get

to see you lose.

The ballplayers load up into the bus and as it pulls away,

we can see the logo painted across the back of the bus for

the first time:

WORLD FAMOUS NEW YORK YANKEES

EXT. SPACE, NEAR EARTH ORBIT

Earth spins, lazily. From this height, it looks much the

same as it has done for thousands of years.

Suddenly, a tiny black object appears, racing toward Earth.

The object SMASHES into a large satellite and races onward.

Behind it, the satellite spins out of orbit in a cloud of

fragments.

EXT. BASEBALL STADIUM -- NIGHT

An old minor league stadium. The stands are barely halfway

full. Cooper, his boys, and Cooper's father-in-law, DONALD,

60s, have a row to themselves behind the dugout.

Murph offers his grandpa some popcorn.

DONALD:

Popcorn at a ball game is unnatural.

I want a hot dog.

8.

MURPH:

(CONFUSED)

What's a hot dog?

Suddenly, play stops on the field below as the players and

fans look up at the night sky:

A bright blue streak is tearing across it. It's beautiful.

TOM:

Is that a comet, Dad?

COOPER:

(shakes his head)

Satellite. Big one. Probably

Chinese.

Everyone watches the fireworks as the satellite burns up in

the upper atmosphere.

After a moment, play resumes -- it's a pretty show, but

everyone has seen it plenty of times before.

Down on the field, the Dodgers' catcher misses an easy pop

fly and the Yankees load the bases. Donald looks disgusted.

INT. COOPER'S TRUCK -- NIGHT

Cooper guides his truck along a potholed road. His father-

in-law is riding shotgun; the boys are sleeping in the back.

DONALD:

Those clowns would get their asses

handed to them by the ballplayers I

grew up watching.

COOPER:

You ruin it for the boys when you

talk like that.

DONALD:

I'm not doing my grandkids any favors

by lying to them. They're growing

up watching lousy baseball.

COOPER:

They didn't have any baseball at all

when I was a kid.

That shuts the old man up for now. They drive on in silence.

CUT TO:

9.

EXT. FARMHOUSE -- MORNING

The sun is gently landing on the horizon, painting the sea

of corn around Cooper's modest house gold. Cooper walks out

of his house, still eating his breakfast.

Donald is on the porch, looking at a black clouds of smoke

in the distance. The neighboring fields are BURNING.

DONALD:

Nelson's burning up his crops. Found

some of the blight on the okra.

Cooper watches the men walking through the fields, setting

fire to the crop.

COOPER:

I thought okra wasn't susceptible.

DONALD:

(SHRUGS)

Better safe than sorry.

(looks at him)

You've got to take the boys to school.

COOPER:

Something wrong with your truck?

DONALD:

(SMILES)

Parent-teacher conference day.

Cooper bends his head in dismay.

DONALD (CONT'D)

Be nice to Murph's teacher. She's

single, you know.

COOPER:

What does that have to do with

anything?

DONALD:

We're supposed to be repopulating

the earth. Gotta pull your weight.

Besides, the boys could do with a

woman in their lives.

The boys run out of the house and pile into the truck. Cooper

pulls away before Donald can continue.

EXT. ROAD -- DAY

Cooper weaves the car along a dirt road. The kids are arguing

over an ancient comic book in the back seat.

10.

Cooper turns around to break it up.

BANG -- one of the tires blows out in a foot-deep pothole.

Rate this script:3.3 / 9 votes