Sing Street Page #10

Barry follows behind. They turn the corner up ahead. The

others don’t know what that was.

DARREN:

Knackers. Come on. Never mind them.

Darren presses play on the machine as the others watch. But

Conor’s attention is momentarily taken by Barry, who makes a

throat-slitting gesture back to Conor. All the colour drains

from Conor’s face.

( SCENE 55 INTENTIONALLY DELETED )

( SCENE 56 INTENTIONALLY DELETED )

EXT. LANEWAY - DAY

Raphina diverts his attention back to the viewfinder. On

screen, Conor begins singing. Raphina smiles at him. She

grabs his hand in excitement as she appears on screen. And

doesn’t let go. Conor looks down at his hand in hers.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Conor is cycling his rusty racer through the city. Raphina is

sitting on the cross bar, holding on to the handlebars,

enjoying the wind in her hair.

RAPHINA:

So where do you live?

CONOR:

Not far from the school. Harcourt

Terrace?

RAPHINA:

Oh, by the canal. You grew up

there?

(CONTINUED)

53.

CONOR:

Yeah. Though we might be moving. My

parents are broke. That’s why they

sent me to that school.

RAPHINA:

Yeah, I wondered about that. You’re

a bit posh for around here!

She laughs.

CONOR:

Speak for yourself. Your house is

massive!

She is silent.

CONOR:

And my parents are probably

splitting up.

RAPHINA:

That’s sad. You doing okay with it?

CONOR:

Oh yeah. It’s sort of intense being

around them. They’ll probably get

separate flats. We’ll live between

two places. Me and my brother.

Which will be cool. I’m like “Guys,

split up, you’re killing each

other”.

He is experimenting with this. It is not how he feels about

it at all.

RAPHINA:

A bit like an American movie.

You’ll be all complicated and

divorced and sophisticated.

CONOR:

(bluffing)

A bit, yeah.

He doesn’t quite know what she means, as they pull up outside

her house across from the school. She jumps off the bike.

RAPHINA:

Jesus, all that drama! I’m glad I

don’t have parents.

CONOR:

Right.

He has no idea what she means. Though intrigued, he is polite

enough not to ask.

(CONTINUED)

54.

A Ford Granada screams into the street, and skids up beside

them. The window winds down, and a smiling man (22) is at the

wheel. Music blaring, smoking a cigarette.

MAN:

Hey baby.

RAPHINA:

Hi. This is Evan Adams.

MAN:

Word.

CONOR:

How do you do.

RAPHINA:

This is Conor, the singer in the

band I mentioned.

EVAN:

Ah! Cool. She played me your song.

Good vibes. Bitta Duran Duran in

there, little bitta New Romance.

What style would you say you are?

CONOR:

I’m a futurist.

EVAN:

Epic. See you in the future then.

You ready, baby?

RAPHINA:

Yeah. See you soon.

She gives Conor a very European kiss on either cheek. He is

blushing awkwardly. Evan looks very dangerous and cool,

wearing a dirty leather jacket and sunglasses. He is

listening to GENESIS.

Raphina gets into the passenger seat and the car revs up.

EVAN:

Nice blouse!

He shouts as he spins off. She rolls down her window and

gives him a big, white smile.

RAPHINA:

Let’s make another video soon,

yeah?

Evan U-turns. But but has over estimated the width of the

street, and the coolness of the U-turn is undermined by the

fact that he has to do a five point turn.

Finally, the car drives off.

(CONTINUED)

55.

Conor stands around. Suddenly, he feels very young and self

conscious. And he’s wearing his mother’s blouse.

He looks over towards the gate on her house. As he passes it,

he sees a detail he missed before. It’s a small sign on the

gate. It reads

KIRWIN HOUSE ESTABLISHED 1940

He continues past.

INT. BRENDAN’S ROOM - NIGHT

Conor is playing Brendan the dailies of his first video. They

are watching it on a small TV at the end of Brendan’s bed. On

screen, a wobbly camera follows Raphina down the laneway.

CONOR:

You have to imagine it’s not as...

BRENDAN:

Sh*t?

The take ends. Conor nervously awaits his brother’s reaction.

Below the table, we see that Conor’s fingers are crossed.

BRENDAN:

(finally)

This will be good.

CONOR:

(delighted)

Really?

BRENDAN:

Yeah. If you had proper cameras and

a good director. As long as it’s in

your head, that’s the important

thing. This is an exercise in

imagination.

CONOR:

Really?

BRENDAN:

Yeah. Think big, Conor. This is all

just a means to an end.

SHE looks amazing.

They both watch Raphina on screen. Frankly, she is the only

good thing about this whole affair. She has a confidence and

sultry beauty that totally belongs on screen.

BRENDAN:

The “Riddle of The Model” isn’t a

great title.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

56.

But your chorus is promising. You

gotta get her in all the videos.

CONOR:

Yeah?

BRENDAN:

Oh yeah. She should connect them

all. She’s world class. Looks a

little like Dee C Lee, from the

Style Council? Without her, you’re

just a bunch of gay looking

children down an alleyway. She

elevates it.

So did you kiss her yet?

Surprised by his forthrightness.

CONOR:

What? No way.

BRENDAN:

Why not?

CONOR:

She’s a year older than me. And

anyway, she’s got a boyfriend.

BRENDAN:

Oh yeah. Who?

CONOR:

Evan Adams. He’s like, a grown man.

He has a car and all, and stubble.

BRENDAN:

What’s he doing hanging out with a

kid?

CONOR:

She’s not really like a kid.

We hold on Brendan. He doesn’t like the sound of this. He has

pulled three albums out of his collection. He hands them to

Conor.

CONOR:

What’s this?

BRENDAN:

Homework. You’re good. Get better.

Conor studies the sleeve. A Joe Jackson record. The Police.

The Jam.

BRENDAN:

How do you know he’s her boyfriend

anyway?

(CONTINUED)

57.

CONOR:

Well it seemed like he was. They

pulled off in his car, music

blaring. He’s pretty cool.

BRENDAN:

What was he listening to?

CONOR:

Genesis?

BRENDAN:

He won’t be a problem.

CONOR:

Really?

BRENDAN:

Trust me, no woman can truly love a

man who listens to Phil Collins.

Off, we hear a row breaking out downstairs between the

parents. Brendan lowers the volume.

BRENDAN:

Shh. Listen.

They listen. Raised but muffled voices. Slammed doors. The

smash of a plate.

BRENDAN:

I think she’s having an affair.

CONOR:

What? Why?

BRENDAN:

I see her getting a lift home from

her boss a couple of times a week.

CONOR:

She doesn’t drive. What’s wrong

with that?

BRENDAN:

She always gets out of the car

about a hundred yards up from the

house. It’s a nervous thing. She’s

overcompensating.

We hold on Conor considering this. It clearly makes him very

sad.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

On bike.

(CONTINUED)

58.

Conor free wheels. He is preoccupied. In his satchel over his

shoulder, the three albums.

EXT. SYNGE STREET - RAPHINA’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Conor cruises by Raphina’s house. He leans against a tree,

still sitting on his bike. He’s not sure what he’s doing

here.

He is about to cycle off, when the Ford Granada pulls up, and

Raphina gets out, crossing over to the driver’s door. Evan

Adams holds onto her hand, pulling her back. She laughs, and

pulls away, making her way up her steps. He accelerates off,

wheel spinning, burning rubber. She rings the doorbell. In a

moment, a WOMAN (60s) opens the door and lets her in.

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