John Q Page #2

DENISE (CONT'D)

What? No good? Okay. Okay. Hold on.

She tries to be tricky, but still it's clear as a bell.

DENISE (CONT'D)

Antenna.

The boys laugh at her.

DENISE (CONT'D)

See. That's why I don't play.

The car stops in front of the small, red brick elementary school. Kids everywhere. Mike kisses his mother goodbye.

EXT. THOMAS EDISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY

John walks Mike to the gate. Mike turns, serious.

MIKE:

Hey, Dad? I've got forty-six dollars I saved from my allowance. You can have it if you want.

J.Q.

Yeah?

MIKE:

We're a family. We've got to stick together, right?

John rubs his son's head. He's a good boy.

J.Q.

Right. But you earned that money. You keep it.

Mike runs toward the schoolhouse.

MIKE:

Okay. See you later!

J.Q.

Goodbye.

Mike turns around.

MIKE:

No, Dad. See you later. I hate goodbye.

J.Q.

Okay, okay. See you later.

Mike does the crab before running inside.

MIKE:

Flex Wheeler, 275 pounds. Two percent body fat. Yah!

INT. NEIMAN MACHINERY PLANT - DAY

Sparks. Fire. Goggles. Tires as tall as two-story buildings. John Q. and his best friend, JIMMY PALUMBO, work the assembly line. John holds a giant riveter.

INT. NEIMAN MACHINERY PLANT - EMPLOYEE LOCKER ROOM - DAY

Quitting time. Employees are showering, towling down, changing. John Q. is putting on a tie.

JIMMY:

What's the deal with the jacket? Who died?

EXT. NEIMAN MACHINERY PLANT - DAY

Cement and huge. Smoke billows from the stacks. John Q. and Jimmy make their way to their trucks.

J.Q.

I've got a job interview at the machinery plant over in Otisville.

JIMMY:

What job? There are no jobs.

J.Q.

I saw it in the paper.

JIMMY:

Forget it.

J.Q.

I've got to go. Denise is going to kill me if I don't find something. They repo'd her car this morning.

JIMMY:

Oh, boy. You want me to go with you?

INT. OTISVILLE MACHINERY PLANT - WAITING AREA - DAY

The waiting room is packed. A lot of people needing work. John fills out the application.

JIMMY:

This is a waste of time. Four hundred people for one job. Give me a break.

John keeps filling out his paperwork.

JIMMY (CONT'D)

I'm telling you, somebody's son, cousin, uncle has already got this job sewn up.

J.Q.

Jimmy, why do they put it in the paper if they're not hiring?

JIMMY:

They've got to put it in the paper to make it look good. State law or something.

J.Q.

Give it a rest, will you?

JIMMY:

I'm just saying, it's the run around. Mark my words. It's either, 'We'll keep your application on file.' That's the kiss of death. Or they tell you that you're overqualified. Either way, you're screwed.

A PERSONNEL MANAGER emerges from his office and reads from a clipboard.

PERSONNEL MANAGER

John Archibald?

INT. OTISVILLE MACHINERY PLANT - PERSONNEL OFFICE - DAY

John Q. sits across the desk from the P.M.

J.Q.

I've been working heavy machinery for fifteen years. I really want this job. Whatever you need, I can do.

PERSONNEL MANAGER

I see.

J.Q.

Hey, I could start today.

John Q. laughs nervously as the P.M. reviews his application.

PERSONNEL MANAGER

Your resume is very impressive. You've certainly got the experience. Frankly, you might be overqualified.

John Q. gets the message. He pushes his chair back and starts to get up.

INT. COMPUTER ROOM - SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA - NIGHT

The daisy wheel buzzsaws across the page. WE SEE more names, columns, entitled STATUS, ENTRY DATE. Underneath the Entry Date heading, months and days appear: June 19, April 30. February 6.

INT. ALL SAINTS CHURCH - DAY

Sunday services. The congregation sings. In the third row, Mike elbows his Dad.

MIKE:

The game starts in fifteen minutes. We're gonna be late.

J.Q.

I know.

A few rows back, John sees Jimmy Palumbo tapping his watch. Denise gives her husband a disapproving look. John sticks his head back in the hymn book and continues singing.

EXT. ALL SAINTS CHURCH - DAY

The congregation pours out of the church and parishioners run to their cars. Denise stops to talk to the PASTOR.

MIKE:

Dad!

John moves over to Denise and the Pastor.

J.Q.

Sorry, Reverend. No time for saving souls today. Big game.

PASTOR:

Have you been saying your prayers like we talked about?

J.Q.

Does praying for a job count?

PASTOR:

Work on him, will you, Denise?

DENISE:

He's hopeless.

PASTOR:

No one's hopeless. Good luck!

The Pastor waves as John grabs Denise by the hand and they run to the truck and hop in. In the parking lot, kids put on their uniforms, men and women change out of their Sunday best. Cars, vans, pick-ups, "dualies" take off, tires spinning, everybody whooping and hollering.

EXT. BASEBALL FIELD - DAY

It's a tailgate party. Parents lugging ice chests, making sandwiches, barbecuing. In the bleachers, John, Denise, Jimmy Palumbo, and his wife, GINA, cheer on the home team. The wives are really loud.

DENISE:

Let's go, Orioles!

GINA:

Pitcher's got a rubber arm!

The Dodger pitcher stretches, fires a fastball. The batter takes the pitch.

UMPIRE:

Ball four!

Tommy trots down to first base.

JIMMY:

Way to go, Tommy. Good eye. Walk's as good as a hit.

Mike steps to the plate. Family and friends cheer wildly.

GINA:

Yeah, Mike! Drive him home, baby! You can do it!

DENISE:

Hey, pitcher! Hey, pitcher!

The pitcher smokes one down the middle. Mike swings. Nothing but air.

J.Q.

That's okay, Mikey. Put the bat on the ball.

The pitcher burns one on the outside corner.

UMPIRE:

Strike two!

DENISE:

Hey, ump, you're blind! I hate this pitcher. How old is he, anyway?

GINA:

He's supposed to be twelve.

JIMMY:

Twelve, my ass. Look at him. His beard just grew an inch between pitches!

J.Q.

Don't let him rattle you, Mikey. Wait for your pitch.

The catcher flashes fingers. The pitcher nods and fires. Mike hits a sharp ground ball between first and second. The second baseman moves over but doesn't have the angle.

The first baseman charges the ball, scoops it on the run, then underhands it to the Dodger pitcher, who gallops off the mound towards first.

Mike's foot hits the bag at exactly the same time the ball plops in the pitcher's outstretched glove.

FIRST BASE UMP:

SAAAAAAAAFFFEEE!

DODGER PITCHER:

No way! He was out!

FIRST BASE UMP:

Tie goes to the runner, son.

As the Dodger pitcher argues with the umpire, the Oriole player on third base darts towards home. The Dodger pitcher wheels around and fires. Too late, the runner scores.

HOME PLATE UMP:

Saaaaaffee!

Seeing an opening, Mike races from first to second, arms pumping, breathing hard. The Dodger shortstop sees Mike, races to the base and calls for the throw.

DODGER SHORTSTOP

Second base!

The Dodger catcher throws off his mask and fires the ball.

CLOSE ON MIKE, slowing, suddenly clutching his chest, gulping for air, ten feet from the base. SMACK. The ball lands in the shortstop's glove.

Mike wobbles, doubles over and falls face first into the dirt. The Dodger shortstop stands over Mike. He can't decide if he should tag him. Players, spectators look on dazed, shocked.

ANGLE - BLEACHERS

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