Pawn Sacrifice Page #3

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He grabs two chess pieces, one black and one white, holds

them behind his back and turns to Bobby.

CARMINE (CONT'D)

Choose.

TIME CUT:
As the game begins, Carmine seems confident. Bobby

makes a move that draws him up short.

TIME CUT:
Bobby's moves grow bolder, Carmine's body language

is changing. The fight is on.

TIME CUT:
Carmine has to use all his wiles. Eventually,

though, he begins to win, and soon he has Bobby trapped.

Bobby stares at the board, his face reddening. He has lost.

He HATES to lose. He pushes his chair back and walks away,

fighting back tears. Carmine turns to Regina.

CARMINE (CONT'D)

Well, I am officially the twenty-

fifth best chess player in New York

City. But he has great potential.

Suddenly, a piece is SLAPPED back on the board. Bobby has

returned and starts replacing pieces.

BOBBY:

Again.

Green Revision 10-14-13 12A-12B.

We can't help but see the ferocity in his eyes.

A18 TIME CUT - THE BROOKLYN CHESS CLUB A18*

A spectator pushes his way through a crowd gathered around

the young phenom.

*

*

18 50'S ROCK AND ROLL KICKS IN 18

As we follow Bobby's rise to fame. In THE BROOKLYN CHESS

CLUB, a small crowd watches him play. At a tournament -Carmine

by his side -- he defeats ONE OPPONENT AFTER ANOTHER.

Regina watches intently.

We see Bobby studying chess as he makes a sandwich, studying

as he walks down the street, asleep with his head on a board.

In the gym, We FOCUS on his hands as he moves his pieces in

what we will come to know as his signature SLAPPING gesture.

INTERCUT multiple exposures of Bobby's HANDS with NEWSREEL

FOOTAGE of the next five years: the Rosenbergs are executed;

Green Revision 10-14-13 13.

Playboy bunnies are introduced; revolution in Hungary; hoola

hoops, missile launches, A-bomb tests, duck-and-cover.

The images SPEED UP and PROLIFERATE, Bobby's hands becoming

a BLUR as the soundtrack BUILDS -- until, when we return to

normal speed, the CAMERA PANS UP FROM THE HANDS TO REVEAL:

19 OMIT 19

20 BOBBY - NOW AGE 13 - ONSTAGE AT AN AUDITORIUM 20

He's playing against a man in his 20's.

NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

...Bobby Fischer played American

master Donald Byrne today and beat

him in what is already being described

as the Game of the Century.

A21 IMAGES OF BOBBY -DOC STYLE (50'S ROCK AND ROLL CONT.) A21

shaking hands with opponents, being handed a big gold medal.

50'S REPORTER

So Bobby, congratulations.

next for you?

What's

BOBBY:

I don't know, my game's getting pretty

strong... *

Bobby blinks into the camera, hoists his medal.

NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER #2 (V.O.)

With the longest string of victories

in the history of the competition,

Bobby Fischer today became the

youngest ever United States Chess

Champion-B21

OMIT B21

21 OMIT 21

22 EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - DAY 22

Bobby wears a sharp suit, a strut in his stride. He carries

a large paper bag and a trophy. A KID yells as he passes.

BROOKLYN KID:

Hey, Jewboy, way to go!

The other kids laugh but Bobby is oblivious, he's clearly

playing chess in his head.

Green Revision 10-14-13 14.

23 INT. THE FISCHER APARTMENT 23

Bobby has taken a roll of aluminum foil from the paper bag

and is covering a window. The trophy has been thrown

haphazardly on a sofa. The TV is on:

ERIC SEVEREID (on TV)

..Today, the Soviet Union announced

it has successfully launched the

first satellite to reach outer space.

Its name is Sputnik.

He doesn't hear Joan as she enters carrying groceries.

JOAN:

What are you doing?

BOBBY:

You live under a rock? The Russians

are gonna shoot missiles at us from

space.

JOAN:

And you think aluminum foil will

keep out radiation?

BOBBY:

Hey, I'm not the one planning to fry

the world. You're gonna have a kid.

You should think about digging a

shelter.

Joan sees the trophy, lying on the kitchen table.

JOAN:

Congratulations.

come...

Wish you'd let us

BOBBY:

Mom? Can't concentrate when she's

there.

(looks around)

Where is she, anyway--?

*

*

JOAN:

Ban-the-bomb march in Union Square.

Bobby is distracted by a chess game-in-progress.

move.

Makes a *

BOBBY:

Be a hoot if she got blown up by a

Commie nuke while marching against

America.

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 15.

JOAN:

She's not marching against America.

She's marching for peace.

BOBBY:

Yeah? Chaining herself to the White

House...

JOAN:

It's just... Mom.

BOBBY:

(suddenly distracted)

--What day is it?

Friday.

JOAN:

No.

BOBBY:

The date. THE DATE!

The 26th.

JOAN:

Without a word, Bobby is heading out.

JOAN (CONT'D)

Where you going?

Too late. He's outta there.

24 INT. 'FOUR CONTINENTS' RUSSIAN BOOK STORE - DUSK 24

A slice of Moscow in New York. A samovar. Everyone smoking,

Russian spoken in hushed whispers. The middle-aged BOOKSTORE

CLERK knows Bobby when he enters.

BOOKSTORE OWNER:

It just came in.

He points to the magazine rack. Bobby reverently picks up

the latest Shakmanty Bulletin and dives in -- his eyes

MEMORIZING each diagram at a glance -- his photographic memory

like a motor-driven CAMERA. Cachunk. Cachunk. Cachunk.

FROM OUTSIDE THE STORE

A different POV. The store is under FBI Surveillance. Click.

25 INT. THE FISCHER APARTMENT - LATER THAT NIGHT 25

Bobby lets himself in. He sees Regina's shoes just inside

the door and A PAIR OF SIZE 12 SHOES beside them. Frowns.

Pink Revision 10-01-13

15A.

26

INT. BOBBY'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER 26

The room is little changed -- except for dozens of TROPHIES

strewn haphazardly, and stacks upon stacks of chess magazines.

Bobby opens to a page -- and there we SEE the handsome face

of Boris Spassky -- the Soviet Grandmaster.

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 16.

Bobby studies a DIAGRAM of Spassky's latest game. He places

his pieces. Working fast. Slap. Slap. He's in the zone.

Then...from the bedroom, the SOUNDS of a man and woman having

sex. Bobby puts his fingers in his ears, closes his eyes.

27 INSIDE BOBBY'S HEAD 27

The columns of numbers are jumbled, faded. A SOUND intrudes.

28 BACK IN THE ROOM 28

Bobby HEARS a toilet flush. The SOUND of laughter. A bed

creaking. It's all too much. Bobby LEAPS to his feet.

29 IN THE LIVING ROOM 29

Bobby finds Regina in her robe.

REGINA:

You're back! And you won!

Congratulations!

Bobby walks to the Size 12 shoes and picks them up.

BOBBY:

Every night I hear you two f***.

F*** f*** f***. Bang! Bang! Bang!

REGINA:

Bobby, put those down.

A big man -- CYRIL -- appears in the doorway.

Bobby-CYRIL

BOBBY:

I got nothing to say to you. You

live in my house but you're not my

father, okay?

Bobby-REGINA

BOBBY:

Where's my real father?

What?

REGINA:

BOBBY:

I was born, right? What'd you do

with him? Is he on earth? Does he

exist?

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 17.

REGINA:

Honey, it was a long time ago...

BOBBY:

And you can't remember? Where is he?

REGINA:

Gone.

BOBBY:

Gone where?

REGINA:

It doesn't matter-

BOBBY:

That's nice. My real father doesn't

matter but Mr. Bigfoot, he matters..!

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