John Q

FADE IN:

EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - DAY

Mancini's "Ave Maria" fills the screen as a white BMW speeds along the road.

CREDITS ROLL:

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN is behind the wheel. We never see her face. Hanging from the mirror is a rosary with a crucifix. Her porcelain hand turns up the volume and the music swells. A silver bracelet dangles from her wrist.

EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS

A slow-moving semi obstructs her path. The woman leans out the window to see if the road is clear before moving into the oncoming lane. She steps on the gas. She's in the wrong lane and can't get over. There are headlights in the distance and the moan of an airhorn is heard.

EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS

Suddenly, the headlights are upon her. And airhorn blasts and she's trapped between two monstrous big rigs. She cuts the wheel hard, but too late. The oncoming truck clips her, sending her car end over end.

SLO-MO

The accident is violent and horrible. The BMW cartwheels along the highway in a grotesque ballet of destruction. The music crescendos and sparks fly as the car skids along the pavement on its roof. And as the BMW violently smashes headfirst into the embankment, the beautiful woman is slammed into the windshield like a crash-test dummy.

EXT. MIDDLE AMERICAN TOWN - PRE-DAWN

The indigo horizon shimmers with the first light of morning. Vapor spewing smokestacks dwarf brick and mortar homes. Dairy Queens, Hardee's, and Walmarts line the main drag. Stars and Stripes flutter from lampposts.

INT. ARCHIBALD HOUSE - BEDROOM - MORNING

A man sits propped up against pillows, his sleeping wife snuggled next to him. His name is JOHN QUINCY ARCHIBALD. His strong, handsome face is beginning to show wear and tear. From across the room, last night's news broadcast drones on the TV. The President is telling everybody how wonderful the country is doing.

JOHN Q. watches impassively, the irony not lost on him. Suddenly, he hears a noise. Something's not right. He jumps out of bed, wearing only a pair of BVDs.

WIFE:

Honey, what is it?

EXT. ARCHIBALD HOUSE - MORNING

The screen door bangs open. John Q. bursts onto the porch to find a tow truck parked in front of his house. TWO TRUCKERS are winching a hook and cable to a ten year old Chevy.

J.Q.

Hey, what the hell are you doing?

TOW TRUCK DRIVER #1

What does it look like?

J.Q.

Aw, come on. That's my car.

TOW TRUCK DRIVER #1

Yeah? That's not what the bank says.

The truckers quickly circle to the front and hop in. John Q. just watches as the truck speeds away, dragging the car along the cement.

The neighbors now stand on their porches, staring. J.Q. turns to see his wife, DENISE, standing in the doorway. She's not a happy camper.

Their nine year old son, MIKE, appears at his mother's side, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

MIKE:

What's going on?

INT. ARCHIBALD HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING

CLOSE ON a hand circling want-ads in red ink. J.Q. sits at the kitchen table drinking a half-filled cup of coffee, his eyes scouring the classifides.

Denise enters, dressed in her brown and red supermarket cashier's uniform. Without speaking, she passes J.Q. and starts making breakfast.

J.Q.

Sorry.

Denise doesn't respond. A chill fills the air.

J.Q. (CONT'D)

I talked to the bank. They promised they'd work with me.

DENISE:

Okay.

J.Q.

I did.

DENISE:

John, that was two months ago.

J.Q.

We've got enough money for next month's rent. That's it. It was either the car or the house, so I thought...

DENISE:

You thought.

J.Q.

What did you want me to do? Have us put out on the street? I'm down to twenty hours a week a the plant. They shipped off half the damn jobs down to Mexico.

DENISE:

My car is gone, John.

J.Q.

You know I'm out there trying to find a second job.

DENISE:

What do you want me to say? That it's fine? Alright, it's fine.

J.Q.

The car's still ours, Denise. We own it. All we have to do is wait two weeks until my check comes in.

Mike enters dressed for school. He strikes a body builder's pose, flexing.

MIKE:

Yah! Ronnie Coleman, Mr. Olympics two years running. Yah!

He moves to the bread box and grabs a donut.

DENISE:

Sit down, honey. Eat some breakfast.

MIKE:

(mouthful of food)

I am eating.

J.Q.

A donut isn't breakfast.

MIKE:

Yeah it is. It's a continental breakfast.

J.Q.

Yeah, well, you're not a continent right now.

MIKE:

Uh, Dad, what do you call North America?

Denise sets down two plates of hot food.

DENISE:

Enough about that. You're not going to school without breakfast. Now eat. Both of you.

Mike and John Q. wolf down their food three bites at a time.

MIKE:

I can't believe those jerks took our car, can you, Mom?

Denise gives J.Q. the hairy eyeball.

DENISE:

No, I can't.

MIKE:

What are we going to do? You're not going to do something, right, Dad? You know what I'd do? I'd get so big and mad, I'd just go crazy and kick someone's butt.

J.Q.

Watch your language.

MIKE:

I would. I swear. When I grow up I'll be so strong no one will ever take nothing from us.

J.Q.

You've been watching too much of that W.W. wrestling.

MIKE:

Not wrestling, Dad. Body building. There's a big difference.

DENISE:

Alright, alright. Get your books. You're going to be late.

Mike runs out of the room. Denise starts to clear the table.

DENISE (CONT'D)

Give me a ride to work?

J.Q.

Sure.

J.Q. takes her arm.

J.Q. (CONT'D)

Baby, things will get better. I promise. I've just got to get a few paychecks ahead, that's all.

INT. COMPUTER ROOM - SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA - NIGHT

An amber light flashes through the darkness, followed by a rapid buzzing sound. The CAMERA PUSHES IN on a mammoth-sized printer, furiously pounding letters onto a fact sheet. We catch glimpses of peoples' names, hometowns, other vital information. Vernell Tilson, Des Moines. Arthur Friedlander, Jefferson City. Amy Podgorsky, Topeka.

INT. JOHN Q.'S TRUCK - DAY

John, Denise and Mike. Denise in the middle. John and Mike are playing Speedy Gonzalez. The object of the game is to pick something and then say it so fast it's almost indecipherable. Mike's got a good one.

MIKE:

Rdshxshn.

J.Q.

Reddish Stick?

MIKE:

No. Rdshxshn.

J.Q.

Radishes?

MIKE:

Rdshxshn.

J.Q.

I swear to God, I'm hearing reddish stick.

MIKE:

It's a radio station.

J.Q.

Oh, brother. You got me.

It's Dad's turn.

J.Q. (CONT'D)

Ydugskew.

MIKE Yogurt and stew?

J.Q.

Yogurt and Stew?

MIKE:

Well, I don't know. Do it again.

J.Q.

Ydugskew.

MIKE:

I give up.

J.Q.

You're going to school.

MIKE:

Dad!

J.Q.

Okay. One more.

It's the longest one in history.

J.Q. (CONT'D)

Iplglgnstheflgvthntdstscvmrcndthrpblcfw chtstndsnntnndrgdndvsblewithlbrtyndjstc rll.

Mike gives him a look.

J.Q. (CONT'D)

Pledge of allegiance.

MIKE:

Wow. That's a good one. How about you, Mom?

DENISE:

I don't want to play. You guys always make fun of me.

MIKE:

Come on, Mom. It's fun.

J.Q.

Yeah, Mom.

DENISE:

Okay.

Mom's not very good. You can always understand her clearly.

DENISE (CONT'D)

Dashboard.

The boys giggle.

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