Loving Page #14

Richard locks off the chain with a hook on the side of the

outbuilding and goes to start pushing the car away.

Something catches his eye. He raises up.

A MAN APPROACHES ON FOOT UP THE DRIVE.

Richard walks over and makes himself known.

The man is tall, standing 6’4”. He wears a lean suit,

carries a suitcase, and has a camera dangling from his neck.

This is GREY VILLET(39).

Grey holds a hand up to wave as he approaches.

GREY VILLET:

Hello.

Richard stands his ground. Grey approaches and holds out a

hand. Richard takes it tentatively.

GREY VILLET (CONT’D)

Grey Villet. LIFE Magazine. What

you got there, a V8?

Grey doesn’t seem the least bit flustered by Richard giving

him a wary eye. He makes his way over to the dangling

engine.

GREY VILLET (CONT’D)

What’s the trouble?

Richard allows himself to be drawn in.

RICHARD:

Camshaft.

GREY VILLET:

Then you’re a better mechanic than

me.

74.

Grey walks toward the house, not stopping to speak.

GREY VILLET (CONT’D)

Of course all that rust on the

crankshaft would be your second

chore. Your wife inside?

As Grey walks up to the house, Mildred steps out onto the

porch. Grey continues approaching with a wave.

GREY VILLET (CONT’D)

Mrs. Loving, Grey Villet, LIFE

Magazine. Something smells good in

there. May I?

Grey wipes his feet and disappears inside. Mildred follows.

Richard is left by the rusty motor. He smiles at the oddity

of this man.

134 INT. KING AND QUEEN COUNTY FARMHOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT 134

Laughter.

The family sits around the dinner table hanging on one of

Grey’s stories.

GREY VILLET:

...I couldn’t go back with no

photo. No photo, no job, and this

is LIFE Magazine and the pigeon guy

wasn’t around.

DONALD:

(laughing)

Pigeon guy.

GREY VILLET:

So I look up at this office

building and it hits me. I go 55

stories up and talk some office

girls to let me by the window.

Before they could do anything, I

threw open the window and dangled

my feet out. They start screaming,

but I got this great shot of my

feet flying over 42nd and 5th

Avenue.

RICHARD:

So what happened?

GREY VILLET:

Security threw me out head first.

75.

This makes Richard laugh.

GREY VILLET (CONT’D)

LIFE hired me the next day.

Richard finishes off his plate.

RICHARD:

That’s a story all right.

135 INT. KING AND QUEEN COUNTY FARMHOUSE/KITCHEN - LATER 135

Mildred stands at the sink cleaning up the dishes. Grey

stands next to her holding his camera.

Behind them in the den, Richard crosses from the couch to

join the kids upstairs, who can be heard playing.

GREY VILLET:

So you go to the Virginia State

Court tomorrow.

MILDRED:

Yes.

GREY VILLET:

You nervous?

MILDRED:

I suppose. The lawyers told us not

to expect much.

GREY VILLET:

You think you’ll lose?

MILDRED:

Well, yes. But I think it’s all

right. We may lose the small

battles but win the big war.

Grey smiles at her. He snaps a photo, making her blush.

136 INT. KING AND QUEEN COUNTY FARMHOUSE/DEN - NIGHT 136

Grey sits on the floor with his back against the wall. A

cigarette dangles from his lips as he polishes the face of

his watch. His camera sits next to him.

The kids are in bed. Mildred and Richard sit on the couch

next to each other watching the Andy Griffith show on TV.

They laugh at the episode.

76.

Grey watches as Richard makes himself more comfortable. He

stretches out on the couch, placing his head on Mildred’s

lap. It’s a delicate pose. A happy one.

Grey quietly reaches for his camera and snaps a quick shot

from his chest.

He gently sets the camera back down and goes back to

polishing the watch.

137 EXT. VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT BUILDING - DAY 137

Richard and Mildred walk hand and hand out of the massive

Virginia Supreme Court Building in Richmond.

Mildred wears a long coat and Richard is dressed in a three

button suit and tie.

REPORTERS, armed with film and still cameras, track them down

the sidewalk. Richard walks stiff as a board.

PHIL HIRSCHKOP:

Mr. Loving?

Richard and Mildred turn at the sound of Phil’s voice.

Phil is standing by one of the many film crews and waves them

back toward him. Richard and Mildred walk back.

PHIL HIRSCHKOP (CONT’D)

They just want to ask you a few

questions.

A NEWS ANCHOR with a large microphone approaches and speaks

to Mildred first.

NEWS REPORTER:

Mrs. Loving...

He pauses to address his CAMERA MAN.

NEWS REPORTER (CONT’D)

You rolling?

(to Mildred)

Mrs. Loving, the Virginia Supreme

Court just ruled against you, how

do you feel about what happened

here today?

MILDRED:

Well, I feel hopeful. I’m hopeful.

77.

NEWS REPORTER:

Where are you going now?

MILDRED:

I guess we’ll go back to

Washington.

NEWS REPORTER:

You’ll go back to Washington. Mr.

Loving, do you have anything to say

about what went on in the court

today?

RICHARD:

No I don’t have anything to say.

NEWS REPORTER:

Okay.

Mildred nods to the Reporter and Richard has already turned

to leave. She keeps hold of his hand.

NEWS REPORTER (CONT’D)

Okay, cut Tommy.

Richard and Mildred try to walk toward their car. Phil walks

close behind them.

Bernie is giving an interview to a different CAMERA CREW when

he sees them pass by.

BERNIE COHEN:

Mr. And Mrs. Loving?

Bernie walks over to them with the Camera Crew in tow. Phil

takes a position next to him.

BERNIE COHEN (CONT’D)

I wanted you all to know, with this

travel back and forth to Virginia,

you all have my number and if

anybody arrests you, just have them

get in touch with us and we’ll hop

right to it. We won’t let you stay

in jail one minute longer than it

takes us to get down there and get

you out, okay?

RICHARD:

Okay.

BERNIE COHEN:

All right. Good luck to you.

78.

Richard reaches out to shake both Bernie and Phil’s hands.

PHIL HIRSCHKOP:

You did a good job today.

Richard, painfully shy in front of the cameras, sheepishly

smiles. Mildred gives a polite laugh.

RICHARD:

Well thank you, I sure appreciate

what ya’ll’s doing.

BERNIE COHEN:

It’s all right. Okay. See you.

Richard and Mildred walk to their car. Richard checks over

his shoulder, rattled by the whole affair.

The Camera Crew has backed off and is packing up their

equipment.

Phil and Bernie wave as the Loving’s car pulls away. Phil

leans in to Bernie.

PHIL HIRSCHKOP:

You know there’s no guarantee that

we can get them out if they get

arrested again?

Bernie watches the news media wrapping up. Showing unease

now that the cameras are off, he nods to Phil.

138

EXT. POWER STATION JOB SITE - DAY 138

Richard works at a big job site out in the country.

The 20 man CREW is constructing a power station. Richard,

along with a few others, sets brick for a substation.

The routine is there. Brick and mortar.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes