Mistress America

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INT. DORM ROOM. DAY

A dark room. We hear movement from outside. A key in thelock. The door opens, light from the hallway silhouettesTracy as she hauls in a bag on wheels. She feels for a lighton the wall and hits the switch. The lights come on.

VOICE:

I was sleeping! Turn that off!

Tracy shuts the light.

TRACY:

Sorry.

(pause)

I’m your roommate.

LAURA (V.O.)

My name is Laura...

INT. DORM COMMON ROOM. DAY

A group of ten freshman sit around in a circle. One girl,

Laura, holds a flashlight and says:

LAURA:

...and I’m going on safari and I’mbringing with me a ROLLING PIN forRuth, a CAR for Carrie...

(everyone laughs)

A JAR for Juman and a... a... sh*t.

She stares at Tracy, unable to get her name. Tracy pipes up:

TRACY:

A TRACKING DEVICE for Tracy...

LAURA:

...Right a TRACKING DEVICE for

Tracy and a...LIGHTER for me,

Laura.

She passes the flashlight.

2.

INT. DORM ROOM. EARLY EVENING

Tracy sits in her new dorm-room with her roommate, a girlwith mousy hair and a hoodie. She watches Tracy unpack, fromher bed.

TRACY:

Aren’t you coming to convocation?

RUTH:

You’re going to that sh*t?

TRACY:

Yeah... isn’t everyone?

RUTH:

I don’t think anyone is going.

Except rapists.

TRACY:

What? Why rapists?

RUTH:

Or Christians and home-schooled

kids. Nobody really goes.

TRACY:

I think it’s just a candle lighting

ceremony.

(pause)

How do you already know all thisstuff? School hasn’t even started

yet.

Ruth doesn’t answer.

EXT. COLLEGE CHAPEL. EVENING

Tracy lingers outside the building. Kids are going inside.

She hesitates then decides to bag it.

EXT. BROADWAY, UPPER WEST SIDE. NIGHT

Tracy walks aimlessly.

INT. DINING HALL. DAY

Tracy gets a personal sized pizza and a bowl of cereal. She

picks up and inspects different items on the dessert tray,

doesn’t take any.

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

In class. Gets a paper back. She gets a B.

3.

PROFESSOR:

This is a starting point - this iswhat college is for, we’re going toteach you how to write and think.

TRACY:

(frowns, to the personnext to her.)

A “B.” That’s so annoying.

INT. CAFETERIA. EVE

Tracy eats by herself.

INT. MENTAL HEALTH OFFICE. DAY

Tracy sits in front of a counselor.

TRACY:

Um, I have trouble withprocrastinating.

COUNSELOR:

Did you ever think of just gettingyour work in on time?

TRACY:

(hesitates)

Yes, I have thought of that. I

have trouble doing it.

COUNSELOR:

Maybe you want to try a littleharder?

TRACY:

OK, thanks. Harder? I’ll trythat.

EXT. RIVERSIDE PARK. DAY

Tracy walks alone.

INT. ENGLISH CLASS. DAY

PROFESSOR (V.O.)

What comes to mind when you thinkof the Renaissance?

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

Tracy takes notes while a Southern girl talks:

4.

SOUTHERN GIRL:

I think of the Renaissance as beingvery plush, like a lot of velvetinlaid with jewels, brocades, thatkind of thing.

PROFESSOR:

Thank you... I was actually askingabout literature, but that was verynice.

Tracy bursts out laughing.

INT. DORM HALLWAY. NIGHT

Tracy is kind of “dressed” for a party. There are a bunch of

drunk teenagers around. She sees a Friendly Looking Girl:

TRACY:

Is the party at the end of the

hall?

FRIENDLY LOOKING GIRL

Did you get an invitation?

TRACY:

No...

FRIENDLY LOOKING GIRL

Then no.

OTHER GIRL:

She’s being a b*tch. Yes, it’sdown the hall.

The Friendly Looking Girl hits the Other Girl and they runaway, laughing. Tracy leaves the way she came.

EXT. CAMPUS/INT. JERSEY HOUSE. NIGHT INTERCUT

Tracy sits on steps. She’s on the phone with her Mom.

TRACY:

I could be anywhere. It doesn’t

even feel like New York. And bytrying to participate I’m somehowfitting in even less.

Her Mom moves through the kitchen, cleaning, putting things

away.

MOM:

Aren’t you meeting friends in

classes?

5.

TRACY:

Mom, nobody meets friends inclasses.

MOM:

Oh, okay. I didn’t know.

TRACY:

You know the feeling of being at aparty where you don’t know anybody?

It’s like that the whole time.

MOM:

That sounds uncomfortable.

TRACY:

And I can’t go to bars.

MOM:

Don’t go to bars. Oh, did you getmy email with the reading - do youlike it?

TRACY:

I liked it. I think there is a

darker element to what Shakespearewas saying but I liked it.

MOM:

Good. Your brother is going to beplaying guitar with you while youdo it - is that okay?

TRACY:

I like David’s guitar playing.

MOM:

(happily)

He’s gotten good, right? I’m so

excited! It’s Thanksgiving weekendso we’ll have a built-in rehearsal

dinner on Thursday at the house.

It’ll be the first time the two

families are all in the same room.

Randy, Jim’s sister -

TRACY:

Right.

MOM:

She’s going to make a fig andthere’s a fish...and it’s on

cracker. That’s one thing.

6.

TRACY:

Mmm.

MOM:

We’re going to move all thefurniture out of the living roomand we changed the lyrics toFiniculi Finicula. We did the same

thing at Izzy’s 60th but Izzy won’tbe there so it’ll feel fresh.

(exhaling, playful)

Oh, Trace...

TRACY:

(playful back)

Oh, Stevie.

MOM:

You know, I was very unhappy for avery long time. But I’m so gladyour Dad and I stayed togetheruntil you and your brother were outof school.

TRACY:

I was NOT out of school. You broke

up when I was a junior in highschool.

MOM:

On your way out of the home...

TRACY:

I love you Mom, don’t be worried.

MOM:

I know, honey. So after you dothat, Brooke will read a poem she’swritten. I don’t think her brother

is doing anything - which hurts myfeelings, but I’m trying to be okaywith it.

(has an idea)

You should call Brooke. She’s in

New York, you know.

TRACY:

I’m so bad at calling people Idon’t know.

MOM:

I hear she’s fun.

7.

TRACY:

She’s like thirty living in New

York with a life, she doesn’t need

to hear from an eighteen year old

she’s tenuously connected to. I’d

be like why do I want to hang out

with you?

MOM:

She’s going to be your sister, that

doesn’t sound tenuous to me. And

you have plenty to talk about -

you’re both doing readings at our

wedding.

TRACY:

Aces.

MOM:

You aren’t sarcastic don’t pretend

to be.

TRACY:

Okay.

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

We hear a student, Nicolette, making a point:

NICOLETTE:

Nothing is higher than the law.

That’s the whole point - Antigone

thinks she’s above the law but

she’s not - like a celebrity in a

car crash or something.

Tracy is asleep at the seminar table. Her head hangs heavilyto one side.

VOICE:

Psst. Hey.

Tracy’s head jerks up and she opens her sleepy eyes. A boy,

Tony leans over from two chairs away.

TONY:

You were asleep.

TRACY:

(wiping drool from her

chin)

Oh...thanks.

8.

Tracy sits up straighter. She tries to focus on the

discussion. Her eyes fall heavy and shut. She’s asleepagain.

INT. HALLWAY. AFTER CLASS

Tony carries a briefcase. Tracy, deciding to make her fatebetter, walks up to him.

TRACY:

That was really nice of you...

waking me up.

TONY:

(smiling)

It takes a lot of moxie to fall

asleep in a twelve person class.

TRACY:

Thanks. I like moxie.

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