Rebel Without a Cause Page #6

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BEAU:

(laughing)

Yes!

MOTHER (O.S.)

Your eggs are on the table, dear.

JIM turns from window and passes camera.

Full shot JIM's dining room. The MOTHER is just settling a

plate of eggs at JIM's place. They FATHER is seated,

drinking coffee and looking at the newspaper. GRANDMA comes

in from kitchen. JIM is neatly dressed in tie, tweed jacket

and slacks.

MOTHER:

(continuing)

Sit down and eat--you'll be late.

JIM:

(approaching table)

It'd stick in my throat, Mom. I'm

nervous or something--

GRANDMA:

It's a wonder we don't all have TB

or some other terrible disease

after living in all those smokey

cities!

MOTHER:

Well, drink your milk anyhow.

GRANDMA:

(muttering)

There aren't so many factories here.

FATHER:

Mother--

JIM:

(still standing; he drinks)

You make any sandwiches?

FATHER:

My first day of school, mother'd

make me eat and by golly I could

never even swallow till recess--

MOTHER:

(bringing bag of

lunch from buffet)

There's nothing to be nervous about.

Here's peanut butter and meat loaf--

JIM makes a mouth-stuck-together-with-peanut-butter sound.

GRANDMA:

What did I tell you? Peanut butter!

MOTHER:

Well, there's a thermos of orange

juice and some apple-sauce cake in

the wax paper to wash it down.

GRANDMA:

I baked that!

JIM:

(kisses her cheek)

'Bye, Mom.

MOTHER:

Goodbye, dear.

FATHER:

(rising)

So long, young fella. Knock 'em

dead, like your old man used to!

JIM:

Sure--

(gets to door and turns)

You know something? I have a

feeling we're going to stay here.

FATHER:

And listen--watch out about the

pals you choose--Know what I mean?

Don't let them choose you--

But JIM is on his way out.

Full shot. JIM's backyard as JIM comes out of the kitchen

door into the early sunshine.

JUDY (O.S.)

Come out of the alley, Beau! This

is the last time I'm going to call

you.

JIM blinks, pauses and sees JUDY. He takes off his tie and

puts it in his pocket. Then he starts across the backyard,

camera panning with him to:

Full shot. The Alley with JIM coming out his gate, JUDY and

BEAU visible beyond. He stops again.

JUDY:

Beau! All right--go to school alone!

She starts down the alley. BEAU skips after her and starts

tightrope-walking the gutter gravel.

JIM:

(calling)

Hey!

JUDY glances at him briefly, but continues. JIM follows a

few yards, but on his side of the alley.

JIM:

(continuing)

Hey, didn't I see you before some

place?

JUDY ignores him, but something self-conscious happens to

her walk. JIM runs across the alley.

Med. shot. JUDY stopping as JIM enters. BEAU tight-rope

walking on down the hill.

JIM:

Hi. I saw you before.

JUDY:

Bully for you.

JIM:

You don't have to be unfriendly.

JUDY:

Now that's true!

JIM:

(smiling)

See?

JUDY:

"Life is crushing in on me."

JIM:

(smiling)

"Life can be beautiful." Hey, I

know where it was.

JUDY:

Where what was.

JIM:

Where I saw you.

(no answer)

Everything going okay now?

(no answer)

You live around here?

JUDY:

(relieved)

Who lives?

JIM:

See, I'm new.

JUDY:

Won't mother be proud.

JIM:

You're really flipped--aren't you.

JUDY looks up a little surprised.

JIM:

(continuing)

Where's Dawson High School?

JUDY:

You going there?

JIM:

Yeah--why--

JUDY:

Dig the square wardrobe!

JIM:

(defensively)

Yeah. So where's the high school?

JUDY:

(softer)

University and 10th--Want to carry

my books?

An auto horn, stuck, in the distance.

JIM:

I was just getting my car. I could

take you.

The horn approaches, loud.

JUDY:

The kids take me.

JIM:

Oh.

Another angle. JIM and JUDY as the car, horn blowing,

wheels into view above them and comes careening into the

alley. JUDY sees it and moves a step away from JIM.

JUDY:

I'll bet you're a real yo yo.

JIM:

A what?

JUDY:

(yelling over horn)

Goodbye! See you!

JIM:

(yelling)

I'm not so bad.

JUDY is moving toward the car.

Med. shot. Car full of kids as it comes to a jolting stop

near JUDY. The boys wear suede coats, leather jackets,

black peggers, boots. Their clothing is not uniform--it is

the air they assume which is uniform: swaggering, self-

conscious, piratical. Someone is always combing his hair.

The driver is BUZZ, whom we recognize as the leader of the

stomp gang we met on Easter. He wears a leather jacket.

With him are CHICK, a slight bespectacled lad; CRUNCH,

BUZZ's first lieutenant; COOKIE, a hanger-on; GOON, a

character; and the girls HELEN and MILLIE. The kids are

screaming as BUZZ jams on the brakes. JUDY comes forward.

JIM hangs back.

BUZZ:

Stella-a-a-a!

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