Prisoners
1 EXT. FIELD - DAWN/THANKSGIVING 1
A deer hops through waist-high grass, not far from...
KELLER DOVER, camouflage, hunting rifle in hand. A
serious man, imposing, still built like a prize fighter
at 37.
He doesn’t move a muscle; letting his son take the
shot...
RALPH DOVER, 15, aims his rifle, a little shaky, still
learning. He squeezes the trigger -- POP POP --
The deer stumbles towards us, shot in the neck. It backs
up and collapses. The high grass hides its final moments
in a canopy of swaying tendrils.
Still early morning. A pick-up truck barrels down the
highway. On the tailgate, in painted letters it says:
KELLER DOVER REMODELING & REPAIRS.
From above we see the shot deer lying in the pick-up’s
flatbed.
3 INT. KELLER’S TRUCK - TRAVELING 3
Keller drives. Ralph sits in the passenger seat. The
Everyday Testament is playing while Keller talks over it.
KELLER:
Most important thing your Grandpa
ever taught me. Be ready.
Hurricane, flood, whatever it ends
up being. No more food gets
delivered to the grocery store,
gas stations dry up. People turn
on one another and all of a sudden
all that stands between you and
being dead is you.
He looks at Ralph. Ralph nods, idolizes his father even
if he barely understands him. Keller nods back, not
finished, not satisfied, but done talking. He turns the
Everyday Testament up --
(CONTINUED)
EVERYDAY TESTAMENT
And he heard me; out of the belly
of hell cried I, and thou heardest
my voice. For thou hadst cast me
into the deep --
4 EXT. FAIRMOUNT CIRCLE - DAY/THANKSGIVING DAY 4
AN OLD YELLOWED RV as it weaves through CONYERS,
PENNSYLVANIA:
a blue collar town whose best days are halfThe RV turns onto Fairmount Circle, creeping past modest
houses with slush covered lawns, past KELLER DOVER’S
HOUSE, his pick-up truck parked in the driveway.
The RV disappears around the bend as...
The Dovers' front door opens and Keller’s daughter, ANNA,
6, walks out into the cold, followed by his wife, GRACE,
a fragile looking beauty with a whisper thin voice:
GRACE:
Wait, Anna.
ANNA:
Are we taking the truck?
Ralph comes out, cradling a couple hunks of venison
bleeding through butcher’s paper.
RALPH:
dope.
Keller comes out. Anna runs up to him, motioning for him
to pick her up --
ANNA:
Give me a ride.
Keller gives her a smile, squats down, lets her jump on
his back --
KELLER:
Up you go --
Keller hoists Anna up on his shoulders, Grace watching
on, smiling.
Anna riding on his shoulders, Keller leads his family
down the street to the Birches' house.
3 CONTINUED:
3(CONTINUED)
RALPH:
(to Keller)
Danny's Dad said he'd sell me
their old car. I got half of what
I need saved from the summer --
thought maybe --
KELLER:
Forget it. I'm barely getting
enough carpentry work to keep up
with the mortgage.
RALPH:
Why don’t you rent out Grandpa's
old apartment house?
Keller looks at Grace who’s grinning smugly.
KELLER:
(to Ralph)
Like I keep telling your mother,
it's an old building. Cost a
fortune to fix it up.
4A THE BIRCHES' HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 4A
Keller bends down so Anna can ring the doorbell. He puts
her down, the family waiting on the doorstep like mute
carolers.
The door opens and they’re welcomed by their neighbors
and long time friends THE BIRCHES:
FRANKLIN, 36, a bespectacled music teacher who already
has a drink in his hand. His wife NANCY, 32 -- tough,
happy, no nonsense.
NANCY:
Happy Thanksgiving. Keller, you
bring that poor deer you shot?
KELLER:
No Ma’am, this one’s Ralph’s.
Ralph shyly accepts credit with an awkward smile. Keller
slaps him on the back, proud as can be. Behind Franklin
and Nancy stand their two girls: ELIZA, 15, and hiding
behind her is JOY, 7, shy, wears glasses.
Anna bolts inside, running into the house with Joy.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Anna, we wait until we’re invited.
4 CONTINUED:
4(CONTINUED)
Grace rolls her eyes.
NANCY:
Oh, for God’s sake, Keller, get
the hell in here.
5 INT. KITCHEN - THE BIRCHES' HOUSE - LATER 5
Nancy peeks at the venison, then wraps it back up while
NANCY:
You’re in charge of this.
Us veterinarians make lousy
butchers.
GRACE:
No problem.
Keller and Franklin work to insert the leaf in the dining
table -- it’s not fitting. Keller uses his utility knife
to shoehorn it. Anna comes running in, goes to straight
to Keller --
ANNA:
Can I go outside with Joy?
KELLER:
Convince your brother to go with
you and you can.
Anna races from the kitchen as Grace yells after her:
GRACE:
Wear your hat, you’re still
getting over that cold.
6 EXT. FAIRMOUNT CIRCLE - DAY 6
Joy and Anna take off running, racing each other. Ralph
and Eliza take their time following them.
ELIZA:
You feel bad for that deer when
you shot it?
RALPH:
You feel bad for cows when you go
to McDonald's?
(off her confused
look)
That's what my dad says.
4A CONTINUED:
4A(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
And the deer, they have too many
babies and the babies starve
anyway. You gotta keep the
population down.
ELIZA:
Your Dad say that too?
RALPH:
(a little
embarrassed)
Yeah. But I agree with him.
ELIZA:
What do you say?
He doesn’t look quite sure. She smiles, amused,
obviously smitten. He looks up ahead --
RALPH:
(yelling to the
girls)
Hey, get away from that thing!
That old RV is parked up ahead on the side of the road,
the girls are racing each other to it. Joy leaves Anna
in the dust -- SLAPS the RV's bumper victoriously.
Ralph and Eliza pick up the pace and catch up to them.
The RV is parked in front of a house with a FOR SALE
sign.
RALPH (CONT’D)
Come on, let's go.
Eliza walks along the RV peering up at opaque windows
smeared with filth.
ELIZA:
Gross.
Anna starts to climb a little ladder on the back of the
RV, when Ralph pulls her off --
RALPH:
Let’s go --
Eliza grabs Joy’s hand and shooshes Ralph.
ELIZA:
Do you hear that?
They all stop and listen. A radio just came on inside
the RV:
some 1970s Christian folk song.6 CONTINUED:
6RALPH (CONT'D)
(CONTINUED)
ELIZA (CONT’D)
Somebody’s in there.
Anna chucks a piece of ice and it SMASHES LOUD on the
side of the RV. Ralph grabs her hand.
RALPH:
Cut the sh*t, I don’t feel like
getting yelled at. Let’s go.
Eliza takes Joy’s hand and the four of them continue on
around the block...
The rear windshield of the RV. A shadow appears behind
the filthy glass, watching them go...
7 INT. DINING ROOM - THE BIRCHES' HOUSE - LATER 7
The post-dinner table. Dirty dishes piled, half empty
wine glasses. The sound of laughter from the next
room...
8 INT. LIVING ROOM - THE BIRCHES' HOUSE - CONTINUOUS 8
Keller and Grace sit beside one another. Grace is
drinking wine. Keller drinks milk. Nancy shakes her
head as Franklin enters with his trumpet, obviously
drunk.
FRANKLIN:
I’m taking requests.
Anna and Joy run in behind him.
ANNA:
Mom, can I take Joy to our house?
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"Prisoners" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/prisoners_1343>.
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