Joker Page #2

Shakes his head, no.

SOCIAL WORKER:

Have you been sleeping?

5.

JOKER:

(lying)

Some.

She glances at his file again.

SOCIAL WORKER:

Arthur, you're on seven different

medications. Surely they must be

doing something.

He finally stands up. Zips up his faded red sweatshirt.

Looks at her--

JOKER:

I just don't wanna feel so bad

anymore.

CUT TO BLACK:

TITLE:

JOKER:

2 EXT. GOTHAM SQUARE, MIDTOWN - KENNY'S MUSIC SHOP - DAY 2

GOTHAM SQUARE IS CLOGGED WITH TRAFFIC. Non-stop honking

horns, pedestrians crowding the sidewalk. Huge billboards,

giant movie marquees, garbage bags piled high everywhere.

Underneath it all we hear a TINKLING PIANO playing something

bouncy and fast-paced.

FROM ACROSS THE BUSY CITY STREET, we see Joker. He's dressed

as a sad-faced HOBO CLOWN. This is his job.

Dressed in tattered clothes, dark five o'clock shadow painted

on his face, big bulbous red nose, his mouth's outlined in

white, turned down at the corners.

He's holding up a sign in front of Kenny's Music Shop that

reads, "EVERYTHING MUST GO!" A banner above the store reads,

"GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!" Behind him, an OLD MAN plays a piano

on the street. Both of them there to draw attention to the

big sale going on in the store.

Joker's doing a little Charlie Chaplin like waddle to the

music. Most people walk right past, ignoring him. A few bump

into him by mistake.

JOKER SEES A GROUP OF FIVE BOYS, no more than 15-years-old,

walking toward him. He moves out of their way. They crack up

laughing when they see him. Start making fun of him.

6.

Joker ignores them, tries to do his job the best he can while

maintaining some dignity. Keeps dancing and holding up the

sign.

One of the kids knocks the sign out of Joker's hands--

KID #1

Suck my dick, clown.

The kids laugh. Joker doesn't say anything. Just bends over

to pick up the sign--

Another kid kicks him in the ass--

KID #2

Whoops.

Joker falls face first onto the sidewalk. Oddly, the old man

playing the piano picks up the pace of the music--

The kids crack up. One of the boys grabs Joker's sign and

takes off running across the street--

The other kids follow, weaving through traffic--

Joker gets up and gives chase. He needs his sign back.

He almost gets hit by a taxi, spinning out of the way just in

time-- Spinning right into another taxi that stops just short

of hitting him.

Joker keeps running through traffic. People stare. A clown

barreling down the street has got to be a joke--

3 EXT. CORNER, SIDE STREET - GOTHAM SQUARE - CONTINUOUS 3

The five boys are booking it down the crowded street laughing

and whooping it up. At the last second they take a sharp

right turn down a cross street--

Joker almost overshoots the corner, slip-sliding in his big

red shoes--

He rights himself and heads down after them--

Sees them running up ahead--

WHAP! Out of nowhere Joker gets hit in the face!

He falls to the ground.

One of the kids was hiding between parked cars and hit Joker

with the "EVERYTHING MUST GO!" sign, splintering it in two--

7.

The other kids turn back and walk up to Joker down on the

ground.

Joker reaches out, still trying to save the sign--

THE KIDS START KICKING AND BEATING THE SH*T out of Joker.

It's brutal and vicious. Nobody on the street stops to help.

CLOSE ON JOKER'S HOBO CLOWN FACE, down on the ground. Sweat

running down his face, smearing his make-up. He doesn't even

look like he's in pain. He just takes the beating.

That stupid frown painted on his face.

4 INT. CITY BUS (PULLING OUT) - HEADING DOWNTOWN - DUSK 4

Joker, makes his way toward the back of the crowded bus, now

walking with a slight limp, but keeping his head held high.

His make-up's washed off, costume and props all shoved into a

big shopping bag slung over his shoulder. Some white grease-

paint still smudged on the sides of his face.

He finds an empty seat in the back of the bus. Sees a sad-

eyed FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL, face puffy from crying, sitting on

her knees looking back at him. Her mother's facing forward,

but even from behind you can tell she's angry.

Joker sees the sad-eyed girl staring straight back at him. He

doesn't know where to look, feeling self-conscious and small.

He gets back into "character" smiling like a clown and covers

his face with his hands-- Starts playing the peek-a-boo game

with her.

The girl stares back at him for a moment then giggles--

WOMAN ON BUS:

(turns back to Joker;

already annoyed)

Can you please stop bothering my

kid?

JOKER:

I wasn't bothering her, I was--

WOMAN ON BUS:

(interrupts)

Just stop.

AND SUDDENLY JOKER STARTS TO LAUGH. LOUD. He covers his mouth

trying to hide it-- Shakes his head, laughter pausing for a

moment, but then it comes on stronger. His eyes are sad. It

actually looks like the laughter causes him pain.

8.

People on the bus are staring. The girl looks like she's

going to cry again.

WOMAN ON BUS:

You think that's funny?

Joker shakes his head no, but he can't stop laughing. He

reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small card. Hands it to

the woman.

CLOSE ON THE CARD, it reads: "Forgive my laughter. I have a

condition (more on back)"

She turns the card over and there is a bunch of information

in small writing--

"It's a medical condition causing sudden, frequent, uncontrollable laughter that

doesn't match how you feel. It can happen in people with a brain injury or certain

neurological conditions."

She doesn't read it (but if you freeze frame the movie you

could). She just shakes her head annoyed and throws the card

on the ground.

Joker laughs harder. Tears running down his face.

Rate this script:3.9 / 8 votes