Pleasantville Page #22

DAVID:

(a whisper)

We better go.

EXT. MAIN STREET. NIGHT.

Darkness has fallen and the streetlamps have come on. Some

debris is scattered around the street and distant sounds of

the mob still fill the air. David rolls back into town with

the headlights off.

CLOSER. CAR.

MARGARET:

Where are they?

DAVID:

I'm not sure.

They head down Main St. and turn the comer on Walnut. All at

once, a weird ORANGE LIGHT bathes the car ...

REVERSE ANGLE. THEIR POV.

A BONFIRE has been lit in the middle of the street between the

library and the barber shop. Twenty to thirty people are

gathered around it still whooping and hollering as the bright

ORANGE FLAMES shoot into the air.

ANGLE. CAR.

David pulls over by the curb, and their eyes go wide ...

REVERSE ANGLE.

From closer up, it becomes clear what they're burning. Huge

piles of library books have been dumped onto the sidewalk,

waiting their turn on the pyre. There is a strange celebratory

atmosphere as they chuck book after book on the flames, with

the glee of a teenager tossing a firecracker. David sees

something and bolts from the car ...

DAVID:

Oh my God.

ANGLE. SIDE OF THE BONFIRE.

Jennifer is locked in some strange wrestling match with Biff.

He clutches a book over her head while she tugs at his wrist

trying to stop him from throwing it on the fire ...

JENNIFER:

Don't! Just let go.

BIFF:

It's better, Mary Sue.

JENNIFER:

I said, NO!

(yanking it)

... I've read like one book in my

whole life and I'll be damned if I

let you throw it on that fire ...

Jennifer wrestles with him for a couple of seconds and then

suddenly kicks Biff in the groin. He doubles over in agony

when Jennifer snatches the book and bolts in the other

direction.

DIFFERENT ANGLE. STREET.

She sprints up the street and is just passing the barber shop

when a hand reaches out and grabs her. Jennifer starts to

scream but David puts a hand to her mouth.

DAVID:

(a whisper)

It's okay. It's me.

CUT TO:

WIDE SHOT. SODA SHOP. OTHER SIDE OF MAIN STREET.

The crowd has moved on and all that is left is the dark

wreckage of the soda shop. Several stools lie out in the

street and shards of brightly painted glass are scattered

around the sidewalk. It is eerily quiet.

WIDER.

David, Betty and Margaret sit silently in the car, across the

street with the lights off. He unlatches the door handle and

gets out slowly. The rest of them follow him into the empty

street as they move silently toward the soda shop, like some

platoon on patrol.

REVERSE ANGLE.

As they get closer, more of the wreckage comes into view. Half

a booth ... a soda spigot ... After a moment or two Jennifer

looks up and gasps.

CLOSER.

Several teenagers step out of the shadows. They have scraped

faces and ripped clothing--the signs. Most are dazed and ALL

OF THEM ARE IN COLOR. After a second or two, more appear:

Mary Jane ... Lisa Anne ... The boy who was reading Huck

Finn...

ANGLE. DAVID.

The kids turn to him as if he has some kind of answer. Of

course he doesn't. The sounds of the Mob still carry through

the air from somewhere off in the distance.

DAVID:

Let's go inside.

INT. SODA SHOP.

The place is just sad. All the remnants of what they had are

strewn around the floor, The jukebox is turned over. The

stools are ripped out of the floor. Betty looks over at the

corner where he painted her ... The easel is smashed to bits.

ANGLE. BETTY.

She brings a knuckle to her lip and David puts an arm around

her and draws her close. After a moment or two they HEAR a

weird SCRAPING sound.

DAVID:

Hello?

The SCRAPING SOUND stops. They all look to the open door and

after a second or two, Mr. Johnson appears holding a broom and

dustpan.

MR. JOHNSON

Just thought I'd try to tidy it up

a bit.

Betty runs across and throws her arms around him. The

teenagers watch as she holds him tight.

MR. JOHNSON (CONT)

It's okay. Once we sweep it up it'll

be alright again ...

Betty stifles a sob as he strokes her hair. No one says

anything while they just embrace for a moment. Finally ...

DAVID:

Well he's right. Come on. Let's turn

these booths back up. "Mary Sue",

why don't you help me slide this in

front of the door. We'll be okay in

here.

They respond to the tone of leadership. One by one the kids

start to pitch in, sifting their way through the wreckage.

Jennifer and David slide a barricade in front of the door as

the kids try to put their shop back together.

CUT TO:

INT. TOWN HALL. (CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING) NIGHT.

Big Bob stands at the podium addressing a packed house. The

atmosphere is odd: somewhere between a bake-off and a

lynching. People sit in the aisles and in the window sills.

Bob points his finger.

BOB:

This is not the answer people.

The crowd quiets a bit. He leans over the lectern.

BOB (CONT)

No matter how upset we may get, or

how frustrated we may be, we're

not gonna solve our problems out

in the street. It's just the wrong

way to do it. We have to have a

"Code of Conduct" we can all agree

to live by.

His tone grows softer--more concerned ...

BOB (CONT)

Now, I asked George and Burt here

to sketch out some ideas-and I

think they've done a terrific job.

(beat/

scans the crowd)

If we all agree on these then we

can take a vote and I think we'll

start to move in the right direction.

ANGLE. CROWD.

They murmur and nod ...

BOB:

(reading from the

CODE OF CONDUCT")

"ONE:
All public disruption and

acts of vandalism are to cease

immediately."

EXT. BONFIRE. NIGHT.

It is still ablaze with books. As Bob continues to READ in

VOICE OVER, a firetruck comes screeching up to the curb.

SHOT. FIRETRUCK.

The same fireman who learned to use the hose before pulls

several yards of it from the back of the truck. He can barely

contain his excitement as he gets to open the valve and

extinguish the raging bonfire ...

BOB:

"TWO:
All citizens of Pleasantville

are to treat one another in a

courteous and "pleasant" manner ..."

SERIES OF SHOTS. LAMPPOSTS.

The CODE OF CONDUCT is nailed to lampposts and tree trunks in

rapid succession. It is plastered on walls and in shop

windows ...

SODA SHOP.

Debris is still strewn around the street. A dim light

emanates from inside.

INT. SODA SHOP.

It looks like a scene from the French Revolution. Ten to

fifteen kids huddle behind the barricade while David reads

the code of conduct out loud by flashlight.

LISA ANNE:

"Courteous and Pleasant manner."

That doesn't sound too bad.

David just looks at her then continues.

DAVID:

(reading from THE CODE)

"THREE:
The area commonly known as

Lover's Lane as well as the

Pleasantville Public Library shall

be closed until further notice."

This sends a murmur amongst the kids.

DAVID (CONT)

"FOUR:
The only permissible

recorded music shall be the

following:
Pat Boone, Johnny

Mathis, Perry Como, Jack Jones,

The marches of John Phillips

Souza or the Star Spangled

Banner. In no event shall any

music be tolerated that is not of

a temperate or "pleasant" nature."

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