Room Page #7

JACK (OVERLAPPING)

I don't like this trick.

MA:

Come on, Jack, let's try rolling

you up.

JACK:

Uh uh.

MA:

Please Jack, try just for a minute.

JACK:

Half a minute.

MA:

OK.

(CONTINUED)

33 CONTINUED:
(3) 33

A little later:
He’s lying down on the rug.

MA (CONT’D)

Okey-dokey.

She rolls him up. We're with Jack inside the rug.

MA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Can you hear me? Can you breathe?

JACK:

Yeah.

MA (O.S.)

Excellent! He'll pick you up - stay

stiff as you can.

Jack holds himself rigid as Ma lifts him up.

MA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Then he'll put you in his truck.

Set down awkwardly, Jack bites his lip, but stays quiet.

MA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

The second you hear the engine -

She makes engine noises and shakes him.

MA (O.S.) (CONT'D)

-that means Old Nick's busy

driving, so that's your chance to

start wriggling out. Now, Jack.

Wriggle out.

JACK:

I can't. I'm stuck.

He bursts into loud tears.

MA (O.S.)

Remember your superpowers.

Jack cries harder. Ma unrolls him fast and hugs him. Then

takes a long breath.

MA (CONT’D)

Ok, it’s too many turns. Up, up.

I’ll fold the end over like this.

(She folds the end of the

rug to make it narrower)

Now lie down and fold your arms

like this.

(CONTINUED)

33 CONTINUED:
(4) 33

She folds them across Jack's chest, elbows sticking out.

(CONTINUED)

33 CONTINUED:
(5) 33

MA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

There, Now push up your arms.

JACK:

I can’t.

MA:

Push, Jack.

His elbows scrape through and his fingers clasp hers.

MA (CONT’D)

Now roll.

Jack makes a feeble try, barely moves. Pants, sobs.

MA (CONT’D)

OK. Take a breath.

JACK:

Get me out.

MA (O.S.)

You're getting yourself out.

JACK:

Out!

MA (O.S.)

If you panic, Old Nick will hear

that you're alive, and he'll be

mad.

Jack groans.

MA (O.S.) (CONT'D)

I know you, Jack. I know you can do

this.

Jack clenches his teeth and starts to writhe and roll side to

side.

He rolls over face down, and gets his butt slightly in the

air, bending the cylinder of the rug.

He rolls the other way, sits up: the rug opens. He claws his

way out, his face red and smeared. Ma is looking almost as

distraught as him, but she grins.

MA (CONT’D)

You did it! You're the banana!

(CONTINUED)

33 CONTINUED:
(6) 33

JACK:

I hate you.

The first time he's ever said it: they're both shocked.

MA:

That's OK. I brought you here to

Room. I didn't mean to but I did,

and I've always been so glad. And

now it's my job to get you out.

34 INT. ROOM - DUSK 34

Later. Jack's lying half rolled in the rug. He’s been waiting

for hours. Ma crouches beside him drilling him in the plan.

JACK:

Truck, wriggle out, Jump, Run -

MA:

Wait till the truck slows down at

the first stop sign - if you jump

when it's going fast you might -

She stops talking so as not to cry. Checks her watch. Stares

at the door as if she can will it to open.

MA (CONT’D)

So Truck, Wriggle Out, Jump when it

Slows Down...

Jack struggles to remember the list.

JACK:

Somebody, Run -

MA:

Jump, Run, then shout to Somebody

and show them the Note.

Jack checks the for note in his pocket.

MA (CONT’D)

Tell them your Ma is Joy Newsome

and –

(CONTINUED)

34 CONTINUED:
34

JACK:

Who is Somebody?

MA:

Anybody - the first person you see.

JACK:

An actual real person.

Ma nods, worried by his lingering confusion.

JACK (CONT’D)

What if Old Nick unwraps me?

MA:

He's not going to -

Ma falters, puts her head in her hands. She collects herself.

MA (CONT’D)

You got Bad Tooth in your pocket?

Jack points to his cheek.

JACK:

It’s in here so I don’t lose it.

Beat

MA:

You're going to love it.

JACK:

What?

(CONTINUED)

34 CONTINUED:
(2) 34

MA:

The world. Living in the hammock

house with your Grandma and

Grandpa...

JACK:

And you.

We see that Ma doesn't believe she'll get out, but she nods.

Bends over and hides her face by putting it against his.

JACK (CONT’D)

Sing.

Ma kneels back up into position.

MA:

One evening as the sun went down

and the jungle fire was burning,

down the track came a hobo hikin',

and he said "Boys, I'm not turning.

I'm headed for a land that's far

away, beside the crystal fountains.

So, come with me, we'll go and see

the Big

The door beeps, and Ma rolls Jack up, very fast. We're in the

dark with him, the rug pressing close.

Sound of Old Nick stepping in. Proud of himself.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Antibiotics.

The door shuts with a boom.

OLD NICK (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Are you nuts, wrapping a sick kid

up in that?

Ma's voice is very close because she's bent over the rug.

MA (O.S.)

He got worse in the night.

She waits, giving Old Nick time to figure it out.

In the rug, Jack lies frozen except for his flickering eyes.

MA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

He wouldn't wake up.

(CONTINUED)

34 CONTINUED:
(3) 34

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Are you sure?

She lets seven years of rage pour out.

MA (O.S.)

Am I sure?

In the rug, Jack blinks in fright.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Ah gee. That's - Poor girl.

His self-justification kicks in right away.

OLD NICK (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Guess it must have been serious,

pills wouldn't have worked anyway.

MA (O.S.)

You killed my baby.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Take it easy. Let me Jack's

eyes squeeze tightly shut: total darkness.

MA (OVERLAPPING)(O.S.)

Keep your hands off him!

OLD NICK (O.S.)

OK, OK.

Jack opens his eyes again, inside the rug.

OLD NICK (O.S.)(CONT’D)

He can't stay here, you know.

MA:

Where will you take him?

OLD NICK (O.S.)

I don’t know. I’m thinking.

MA (O.S.)

Not here. I’d feel him. I’d know.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

OK.

MA (O.S.)

Drive him somewhere nice, somewhere

with lots of trees.

(CONTINUED)

34 CONTINUED:
(4) 34

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Trees, sure.

MA (O.S.)

Keep him wrapped up. Swear you

won't even look at him with your

filthy eyes.

OLD NICK (O.S.)

I swear.

(thinks)

It’ll be dark in an hour.

MA:

(screams at him)

Now. I can’t bear it.

OLD NICK:

OK, OK.

Jack feels himself being scooped up by Old Nick.

MA (O.S.)

Gently!

OLD NICK (O.S.)

Get back and turn around.

Jack is tilted head down as Old Nick taps the code. Ma starts

to moan quietly. A swaying motion as he carries Jack outside.

Ma's voice is cut off by the boom of the door.

35 EXT. OLD NICK'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - DUSK 35

We're with Jack; glimpses of twilight sky, shrubs, hedge

through the end of the carpet.

A terrible pause as Old Nick contemplates the back yard. Then

walks on. Jack is heaved face-down into the flatbed of an old

pick-up.

A pause - Jack senses a light going on nearby. Then the clang

of a shovel being dropped onto the bed of truck beside the

rug.

Old Nick's footsteps, heading for the driver's seat. Sound of

the truck rumbling to life.

36

EXT. STREET NEAR OLD NICK'S - DUSK 36

Sound and shaking: the truck roars along too fast.

We're with Jack, stunned, face-down in the darkness.

(CONTINUED)

36 CONTINUED:
36

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes