Sing Street Page #14

( SCENE 89 INTENTIONALLY DELETED )

EXT. THE PIER - LATER

The gang haul their gear back up the pier. Conor and Raphina

fall back. Raphina is looking out to sea.

CONOR:

You know, on a clear day you can

actually see the mainland of

England? Ireland is actually only

30 Miles from the coast of Wales.

It has to have just rained. No dust

in the air. Then you can just about

see it.

RAPHINA:

No way. How do you know stuff like

that?

CONOR:

My grandad worked on the ships to

Holyhead. He used to bring me out

here. We used to go out on his

little boat. Fishing.

RAPHINA:

Wow. So I can wave back to you when

I’m in London!

Conor’s heart sinks. They both stop and look out to sea. The

others carry on.

76.

INT. THE TRAIN - RETURNING - DAY

The gang returns to the city at dusk; tired and worn out from

all the sea air. The rooftops of Dublin spreading out through

the window. Raphina leans her head against the glass looking

out. Conor sits next to her.

CONOR:

My brother says all the great

artists had to get off this island.

The ones who stayed just got

depressed. Or turned into

alcoholics.

RAPHINA:

That makes sense. You mention your

brother a lot, don’t you? Do you

really love him?

Conor shrugs. He’s never been asked a question like this.

CONOR:

Well, he’s kind of like my dad in a

way. He seems to be the only one

who cares how I turn out. Like take

music- when we were kids, we shared

a room- and he’d play me records

every night. Falling asleep. He

said that way, the music entered

into your subconscious. He’s a bit

mad like that.

RAPHINA:

He sounds cool. My dad used to sing

songs to me falling asleep. And it

got so I couldn’t fall asleep until

he was back from the pub. Which was

usually after 11. Then he’d sit

there on the side of the bed,

singing The Auld Triangle, or

whatever, old mad rebel songs! The

smell of drink, and I’d fall asleep

with the music.

(beat)

Always had trouble sleeping since

he died.

She smiles.

INT. CONOR’S HOUSE - DAY

Conor and Brendan sit at the top of their stairs. Down below,

Penny is sitting in the porch, catching the last few minutes

of evening sun. They watch her, her shoulder straps pulled

down a little, a glass of wine poured, and a cigarette in the

ashtray. It is a beautiful, sad image.

(CONTINUED)

77.

BRENDAN:

(watching her)

Look at her. She races home in the

evening to get that last little bit

of sun. She sits there and reads

the evening paper. She’s always

talking about a holiday to Spain.

But he never takes her. This is all

she gets. Then that tall tree

blocks it, and she comes in. I

often wonder what she’s thinking

about.

We hold on Conor, watching his mother.

EXT. SYNGE STREET SCHOOL YARD - ANOTHER DAY -

Conor walks with the band through school. He is wearing

massive sunglasses and a porkpie hat. The rest of the band

are a little ABC. Outside his class, they disperse, back to

their individual classes. Conor joins his queue. Barry is

waiting with the rest of the class to get in. He laughs at

Conor.

BARRY:

I hear you’re in a band now. What

are they called? The queers?

A few lame laughs from the group.

CONOR:

Good one, Barry. Is someone getting

these down? You know who you’re

like, Barry? Oscar Wilde.

BARRY:

What class is he in?

Conor shakes his head. Some people laugh at Barry. Another,

bigger kid, standing with some fifth formers, overhears this.

BIGGER KID:

He’s not in school, Barry, you

spanner.

BARRY:

Wha?

BIGGER KID:

You spa.

The crowd laughs. Barry is not used to this.

BARRY:

I’m going to kill you some day, do

you know that?

(CONTINUED)

78.

CONOR:

No you’re not. Because you don’t

even exist.

BARRY:

What?

Barry comes up close to him. This time, Conor stands his

ground. A small group is gathering.

CONOR:

You’re living in my world, I’m not

living in yours. You’re just

material for my songs.

BARRY:

Be careful what you say now, you’ll

get a battering.

CONOR:

Go ahead Barry. Beat me up while

you still have the power. This is

the best year of your life. But

it’ll all come crashing down when

you leave school. You only have the

power to stop things. But not to

create.

He turns. Barry doesn’t stop him. It’s a minor triumph for

the little man. Conor joins the back of the group, on his

own. Barry makes a wanker gesture with his fist.

This bomb is diffused, but the battle is far from over.

INT. SYNGE STREET SCHOOL CORRIDOR - ANOTHER DAY

Conor is excitedly leading Darren and Eamon down a corridor

towards the notice board. There’s a poster for the END-OFTERM

disco.

End of Term disco. School hall Fri

15th. DJ and lights! Tickets £2.

EAMON:

So?

CONOR:

I say we ask if we can play at it.

Our first gig!

DARREN:

When is it?

CONOR:

Three weeks.

(CONTINUED)

79.

EAMON:

We’re not ready.

CONOR:

We could be. We need a deadline.

Something to prepare for.

EAMON:

We have exams next week. I need to

prepare for that.

CONOR:

They’re mid term exams. They mean

nothing.

EAMON:

They do to me Ma. She wants me to

go to college an all. Get

qualifications.

Will there be girls at the disco?

CONOR:

Yes!

EAMON:

I say we do it.

CONOR:

We’ve got five songs. We need a

half hour set. So three more...

INT. CONOR’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Conor is working away with an acoustic guitar and notebook

and pen. He writes lyrics, trying them out.

CONOR:

“Well the boots’s on the other foot

now, Look alive we’re taking you

down. Your curtain’s falling, take

a bow”.

As he plucks away on the acoustic, his composition is

interrupted by raised voices, off.

ROBERT:

(off)

Well you’re sure as hell not moving

in here with him!

PENNY:

(off)

It’s my mother’s house!

(CONTINUED)

80.

ROBERT:

(off)

I’ve been paying a mortgage on this

house for fifteen years. I must own

some part of it by now!

PENNY:

(off)

You came into this relationship

with nothing but a bicycle and a

raincoat! And you’ve never had

anything. My mother was right!

ROBERT:

(off)

Oh give me a break. Go to his

place. Go on, piss off.

INT. CONOR’S HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT

Conor sets out into the corridor. His mother is filling a

large suitcase in the hallway below from her wardrobe. Robert

is standing with his arms folded, watching her.

Conor looks up at Brendan’s attic door. It is closed.

INT. BRENDAN’S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

The two brothers sit in Brendan’s room listening to a popular

80’s tune. This drowns out their parent’s rowing.

They are laughing, and having a good time, air guitar and air

drumming.

BRENDAN:

People sort of laugh at this chap,

but he’s actually the dogs

bollocks!

Conor looks at the album cover.

INT. CONOR’S BEDROOM - MORNING

Conor wakes up on a Saturday morning. We hold on him

overhead, as he lies there, considering his lot. He finally

pulls himself out of bed and exits.

INT. CONOR’S HOUE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Rate this script:3.8 / 4 votes