Pleasantville Page #6

ANGLE. JENNIFER.

She glances around at several students who seem to be nodding

in agreement. All at once, she thrusts her hand into the air.

MISS PETERS:

Mary Sue.

JENNIFER:

What's outside of Pleasantville?

The teacher looks at her with a puzzled frozen smile on her

face. She looks vaguely troubled.

MISS PETERS:

What?

(beat)

I don't understand ...

JENNIFER:

Outside of Pleasantville ... What's at

the end of Main Street?

The class lets out a knowing groan--as if to say "Oh. We get

it now. Boy what a stupid question." Miss Peters gives a kind

but condescending look.

MISS PETERS:

Oh, Mary Sue. You should know the answer

to that. The end of Main Street is just

the beginning again.

Miss Peters gives a big grin as a series of heads nod up and

down. Jennifer stares straight ahead, dumbfounded ...

CUT TO:

INT. GYMNASIUM. DAY.

There are fifteen to twenty boys scattered around the Gym.

Each is dressed identically in white shorts and black socks

with a "PLEASANTVILLE" jersey.

SHOT. DAVID.

He stands at the free throw line with a basketball in his

hand. (Not exactly an athletic image.) David lets go of a

jump shot that swishes effortlessly through the net. He looks

a little surprised.

DAVID:

Wow.

He stares at the backboard slightly intrigued. David

retrieves the ball and fires again, this time chucking it

up blind. The ball sails through the hoop again, HITTING

NOTHING BUT NET.

FULL SHOT. OTHER SIDE OF THE GYM.

Ten to twelve of his teammates fire simultaneously at the

hoop. ALL OF THE SHOTS SAIL THROUGH THE HOOP, NONE EVEN

NICKING THE RIM. The boys retrieve their shots as the coach

claps his hands.

COACH:

That's it men. Keep it up. Big game

tomorrow.

ANGLE. DAVID.

He gets the ball and turns his back on the basket completely.

David flings the ball wildly over his shoulder. It bounces

off all the walls of the gym, then glides through the net as

smoothly as the others. He stares in amazement.

BIFF (OS)

Bud ...

WIDER.

Biff Martin (the boy in the convertible) approaches from the

other side of the Gym. He is a classic All American Hero--

somewhere between 4-H club member and a future astronaut.

BIFF:

(a little nervous)

Hi ya Bud.

BUD:

Hi ya Biff.

He fidgets nervously for a moment looking down.

BIFF:

Can I ask you a question?

BUD:

Sure.

BIFF:

Well ... If I was to ask your sister ...

What I mean is, if I was to go up to

Mary Sue ...

DAVID:

Oh God! Are we in that episode?

BIFF:

What?

DAVID:

I don't believe it.

BIFF:

What's the matter?

DAVID:

You want to ask her out tonight, right?

And then you want to give her your

school pin ...

BIFF:

Yeah ... How'd you know?

DAVID:

(shaking his head)

Lucky guess.

(beat)

Look, Biff ... I don't think it's a real

good time for that right now ...

Biff's expression falls. He stands crushed in front of David.

DAVID (CONT)

What I mean is ... Mary Sue's been a

little "different" lately ...

BIFF:

(stunned)

She won't go out with me?

DAVID:

I didn't say that. It's just that right

now ...

BIFF:

I don't know what I'd do if she wouldn't

go out with me ...

All at once, Biff takes the basketball he's been holding and

hurls it toward the hoop. The ball does a couple of

revolutions of the rim, and then amazingly pops out.

WIDE ANGLE. GYM.

Play comes to a halt. ALL THE PLAYERS TURN AND STARE,

DUMBSTRUCK AT THE SIGHT OF A MISSED SHOT.

SHOT. DAVID.

He retrieves the ball quickly then hurries back to Biff.

David pulls him aside as play slowly resumes on the other

side of the gym.

DAVID:

(under his breath)

Look, I'm sure we'll work something out.

I'll talk to her or something.

Biff looks at him, troubled.

DAVID (CONT)

Honest. It'll be fine.

Biff nods, a little confused, as David pats him on the back.

CUT TO:

INT. CORRIDOR. LATER ...

David stands off to the side with his sister, while class

pours out around them.

JENNIFER:

No way.

DAVID:

One date, Jen--that's all I'm asking. If

you don't go out with this guy we could

throw their whole universe out of whack.

JENNIFER:

It's too weird David. This place is

giving me the creeps. Did you know all

the books are blank?

DAVID:

What?

JENNIFER:

I looked in the library. They got covers

with nothing inside them.

DAVID:

What were you doing in a library?

JENNIFER:

I got lost.

(beat)

Oh here ... look at this!

She reaches into her purse and pulls out a book of matches.

Jennifer tries to light a Kleenex on fire.

DAVID:

JENNIFER!

JENNIFER:

Just watch. You know why those guys just

get cats out of trees? 'Cause nothing

burns around here, that's why! They

don't need any firemen ...

Sure enough the tissue has become flame retardant.

DAVID:

Jen, listen ...

JENNIFER:

(trembling)

I like--really need a cigarette, too.

DAVID:

(putting his arm around her)

I'll get us out of here. I really will.

But if we don't play along we could

alter their whole existence. We may

never get home.

She looks over at him, slowly.

JENNIFER:

You really think anybody's gonna, like,

notice if I don't have a chocolate malt

with this guy.

At that moment, three of Mary Sue's "friends" come tittering

around the comer. They skitter up to her like a group of

wind-up toys.

PEGGY JANE:

(high-pitched--rapid fire)

You won't believe what we just heard.

LISA ANNE:

Biff Martin's going to ask you out.

BETTY JEAN:

And that's not all ...

PEGGY JANE:

No, that's not all ...

ALL THREE TOGETHER

He's going to give you his pin!

They explode in a torrent of TITTERS all over again. Jennifer

looks over at David.

EXT. PARKER HOUSE. DUSK.

A lone streetlamp glows in the foreground. Jennifer's voice

plays OS.

JENNIFER:

You sure I'm supposed to wear this?

INT. MARY SUE'S ROOM.

Jennifer emerges from the closet in a mohair sweater and a

poodle skirt. Under the sweater she wears a 1950's "bullet

bra" that turn her breasts into lethal weapons.

JENNIFER:

(looking in the mirror)

I could like kill a guy with these

things.

DAVID:

It's in your closet.

JENNIFER:

(examining her profile)

I've worn some kinky stuff before ...

DAVID:

He won't notice anyway.

JENNIFER:

What do you mean?

DAVID:

They don't notice that kind of thing.

JENNIFER:

So what's the point?

DAVID:

Jen please ...

JENNIFER:

He-llo? I've got like three pounds of

underwire here ...

DAVID:

Just go with the program--hunh? I'm late

for work.

CUT TO:

EXT. SODA SHOP. DUSK.

The flashing neon ice cream cone looks good enough to drink.

Underneath it, the swirling script spells "SODA SHOP". Johnny

Mathis drifts out into the evening air ...

CLOSER.

David comes sprinting up to the screen door and pauses to get

his breath. He adjusts a little soda jerk's hat, then plunges

inside.

INT. SODA SHOP.

Mr. Johnson, the owner and proprietor is wiping down the

counter. He is a "pleasant" looking man, in his early forties

wearing a white apron and black glasses. The strains of

"MISTY" get louder as Bud lets the screen door slam behind

him.

MR. JOHNSON

(looking up)

Bud?

DAVID:

Sorry ... I had to help my folks and

then I couldn't find my hat ...

MR. JOHNSON

Oh.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes