Sister Act

FADE IN:

INT. ST. ANNE'S ACADEMY - AKRON, OHIO - CLASSROOM

We are in a parochial school classroom, in the late

Sixties. The children all wear uniforms and sit at little

desks. SISTER IMMACULATA stands at the front of the room;

she is a middle-aged nun, very severe. The children are

all terrified of her.

SISTER IMMACULATA

Who can name all the Apostles? Yes?

ANGLE ON CHRISTINE CARTER

A thirteen-year-old girl sitting at a desk. She raises

her hand.

SISTER IMMACULATA

Christine?

CHRISTINE:

Sister, may I be excused?

SISTER IMMACULATA

Christine...

CHRISTINE:

It's an emergency. Real bad.

Sister Immaculata nods, pursing her lips. Christine

stands and heads for the door.

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS ROOM

Christine is now in the deserted St. Anne's girls room.

She is standing on tiptoes, looking in the mirror. She has

taken her hair out of its neat barrettes; she is combing it

out. She applies lipstick.

Christine reaches into her schoolbag; she pulls out a

stack of glittery bracelets and slips them on. She

unbuttons the top few buttons of her stiff white blouse.

She sprays herself with dime store cologne.

CUT TO:

EXT. HALLWAY

Christine opens the girls' room door; she looks both ways.

No one is around; she saunters down the hall.

Page 2.

ANGLE ON A DOOR MARKED BROOM CLOSET

Christine opens this door. She looks into the closet.

There is a very nervous thirteen-year-old BOY waiting for

her inside.

CHRISTINE:

Hi, Jimmy.

Christine slips inside the closet and closes the door

behind her.

ANGLE ON SISTER IMMACULATA

Striding down the hall, with a bloodthirsty look in her

eye, and a nasty-looking wooden ruler in her hand. She

flings open the broom closet door,

ANGLE ON CHRISTINE AND JIMMY

in the broom closet. Jimmy's face is covered with

lipstick. Christine's hair is awry. The couple has

clearly been making out.

SISTER IMMACULATA

(outraged)

Miss Christine Carter! Again! Don't

you know what happens to girls like you?

Don't you know what they become?

INT. CHRISTY'S APARTMENT - ANGLE ON A LARGE, TATTERED

POSTER-NIGHT (TODAY)

Taped over a crack on a wall. The poster shows a

glittering CHRISTY VAN CARTIER: singing star of a fifth-

rate Vegas lounge. Christy wears tight spangles and a

major wig on the poster. She has clearly lived up, or

down, to all of Sister Immaculata's expectations.

The CAMERA PANS through the dark bedroom in which the

poster hangs; a neon sign flashes outside the window,

casting a red and blue haze over the premises. A dressing

room table is cluttered with dozens of bottles of nail

polish and makeup, and garish clothing and flashy jewelry

are scattered everywhere.

We hear the movement of BED SPRINGS as someone sits up in

the dark.

CHRISTY'S VOICE

Come on, Vince -- hold me a minute.

VINCE'S VOICE

I'd love to. babe -- but I've got to go.

It was great. Like usual.

CHRISTY'S VOICE

It was twenty minutes. Like usual.

Page 3.

VINCE'S VOICE

The best.

VINCE LAROCCA stands at the mirror, adjusting his clothing

and checking his hair. Vince is a powerful, charismatic

man who rules an organized crime empire with personal

magnetism and threat. Vince's hold over Christy is

obvious, if unfortunate; he can seem expansive and generous

one minute, ruthless and dangerous the next.

VINCE:

(half to Christy, half

to the mirror)

You are something else.

Christy turns on a lamp and lights a cigarette.

CHRISTY:

Come on -- stay. Just a little. We can

talk, I'll get a pizza. Pizza in bed,

we'll have fun. And you still haven't

told me what happened. What did she say?

VINCE:

What did who say?

CHRISTY:

Who? The other woman. Your wife.

Vince turns to face Christy, turning on the charm.

VINCE:

You are so damn sexy.

CHRISTY:

Vince...

VINCE:

How did I get so lucky? What is it now,

five years we've been together? Who do I

thank?

CHRISTY:

(not buying it)

Today was the deadline, Vince.

Vince sits on the bed. He takes Christy's hand, and

kisses it.

VINCE:

I want us to be together. Like people.

Honest, decent people. In the eyes of

God. Babe, today... I went to

confession.

CHRISTY:

You did what?

Page 4.

VINCE:

For the first time in I don't know how

long. I wanted everything done right.

Open and above board. I told Father

Antonelli I was in love. I told him it

was a special love, for all the ages.

CHRISTY:

(starting to fall for

it)

You said that? And what did he say?

Did he say you could leave her? Did he

say we'd be happy?

VINCE:

(looking deep into her

eyes)

He said that if I got a divorce I'd burn

in Hell. For all eternity.

Vince kisses Christy's hands again and drops turns away

and starts putting on his shoes.

CHRISTY:

What?

(outraged)

VINCE:

You want me to go against a priest? Get

excommunicated? You think I'm nuts?

CHRISTY:

You bastard!

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