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.

2 EXT. HIGHWAY - LATER 2

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 half

a century behind it.

The 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:

We’re going up the street you

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

Grace chops an onion --

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:
6

RALPH (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?

Rate this script:4.7 / 15 votes