Soul Page #11

---

22

I’ve only been a person for an hour

and even I know that’s a bad idea.

They walk into the building.

INT. JOE’S APARTMENT.

22 and Joe step inside his small apartment. Floor-to-ceiling

shelves against a wall are lined with vinyl, surrounding an

upright piano. Next to it, an upright bass. Classic jazz

posters hang on other walls.

JOE:

I just gotta get back in my body

and really bring it tonight.

22 smells the body’s armpit, then forearm.

22

How come this part is stinky, but

this part smells fine?

Joe points to a laundry pile.

JOE:

Never mind, just put those pants

on! Sheesh, I can’t believe I’ve

been walking round in this city

with no pants on.

22

I don’t even want to be here,

remember!?

Joe walks into a sunbeam.

JOE:

I don’t want you here, either.

(yawn)

I just want to get back in my...

(yawn)

body and get back to...

(yawn)

the club.

He flops down and starts purring.

22

What’s the matter with you?

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 66.

JOE:

(sleepy)

I... don’t know. It’s the sun...

It’s just so...

Joe’s cell phone in 22’s hospital gown pocket RINGS. Joe

bolts up!

22

Your clothes are rumbling again.

22 pulls out Joe’s phone. Joe sees it’s Curley.

JOE:

Curley!

Joe tries to grab it but can’t. Instead he fumbles the phone

all over the floor, like a cat with a toy.

Finally, the phone goes silent.

JOE:

Augh!

Joe sees a “voicemail” pop up. He pushes play.

CURLEY (O.S.)

Hey, Mr. G. It’s Curley. Um... I

hope you’re doing okay. Dorothea

freaked out when she saw you. And

she called this other guy, Robert.

He’s got the gig now. I’m sorry.

JOE:

No no no!

CURLEY (O.S.)

Look. Honestly, your class was the

only reason I went to school at

all. Like, I owe you a lot. So...

Joe stares nervously at the phone as Curley finishes:

CURLEY (O.S.)

Here’s the plan. Clean yourself up,

put on a killer suit, and get to

the club early. I’m going to try to

talk to her.

Joe gasps, spirits lifting.

CURLEY (O.S.)

Just make sure you show up looking

like a million bucks, alright?

(MORE)

(MORE)(MORE)

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 67.

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

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

I hope I see you, man. Alright,

Peace.

JOE:

Ohhh! I can get the gig back! 22, I

need your help! I have a suit. I’m

gonna need you to try it on. And

then I can line up my hair a little

bit and I can-

22

No no no. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

No way! No way, no how.

JOE:

22!

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

22 and Joe freeze, staring at the front door.

CONNIE (O.S.)

Mr. Gardner?

JOE:

Bah! It’s Connie. She’s here for

her lesson.

22

What do I do!?

CONNIE (O.S.)

I can hear you!

JOE:

Just tell her you can’t do it

today.

22 goes to the door, talking through it:

22

Hi, Connie. Sorry, but Joe can’t do

it today. I mean me... me can’t do

it today.

JOE:

Good. Now, let’s go check out that

suit-

CONNIE (O.S.)

I came to tell you that I quit!

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 68.

22

(mildly intrigued)

Quit?

JOE:

Ugh. We don’t have time for this.

The suit is in the closet...

CONNIE (O.S.)

Band is a stupid waste of time!

22

(more intrigued)

This kid is talking sense.

22 opens the door.

JOE:

What are you doing!?

INT. JOE’S APARTMENT --HALLWAY.

22 and Joe peek out behind the chained apartment door.

Outside is Connie, the trombonist from Joe’s middle school

band class. She holds out her trombone to 22, angry.

CONNIE:

Here, I quit! I think jazz is

pointless!

22

Oh yeah, jazz is definitely

pointless.

JOE:

Hey!

CONNIE:

In fact, all of school is a waste

of time.

22

Of course. Like my mentor George

Orwell used to say: state sponsored

education is like the rattling of a

stick inside a swill bucket.

Connie’s eyes go wide:

CONNIE:

Yeah!

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 69.

22

The ruling class’s core curriculum

stifles dissent. It’s the oldest

trick in the book.

JOE:

What are you talking about!? She

doesn’t care about any of that--!

CONNIE:

I’ve been saying that since the

third grade!

JOE:

Ugh.

22

You know, you seem really smart.

What is your position on pizza?

CONNIE:

Uh... I like it?

22

Me. TOO!

22 unchains the door and swings it open, tossing Joe off her

shoulder.

JOE:

What are you doing?

22

I’d rather hang with Connie.

22 shuts the door, leaving Joe alone in the apartment.

JOE:

What! Come back here!

Connie and 22 watch Joe’s paws reach for them from under the

apartment door.

JOE (O.S.)

You open this--!

But from Connie’s POV, we hear Joe YOWLING.

CONNIE:

Um, I think your cat wants to get

out.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 70.

22

Ugh, he thinks he knows everything.

CUT TO:

INSIDE JOE’S APARTMENT.

Joe looks under the door, frantic, YELLING at 22:

JOE:

22! Don’t you walk away from me!

Come here right now! I’m gonna

scratch up the sofa!

(catching himself)

Wait a minute, that’s my sofa.

CUT TO:

BACK IN THE STAIRWAY.

22 and Connie sit on the stairs.

22

You really got things figured out,

Connie.

CONNIE:

I’d better give this back. It

belongs to the school.

22

Sure.

Connie passes 22 her trombone. 22 quickly takes it. But as 22

talks Connie looks as if she’s just given up her dog.

22

You know, I really am glad there’s

someone else who sees how

ridiculous this place is. You’re

right to quit, I learned about

quitting just-

But Connie starts to have second thoughts. She takes back the

trombone case, opens it and pulls out the trombone:

CONNIE:

(interrupting)

Uh, you know what Mr. G? I was

practicing this one thing yesterday

and... maybe you can listen to it

and tell me to quit after, okay?

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 71.

Connie starts playing.

22

Uh, okay.

22 listens politely, not expecting much. But Connie is good.

22 becomes inspired while watching Connie get lost in the

music.

CUT TO:

INSIDE JOE’S APARTMENT.

Joe keeps trying and failing to get the door open.

CUT TO:

BACK IN THE STAIRWAY.

Connie finishes her solo. 22 is awestruck.

22

Wow. You really love this!

CONNIE:

Yeah. So maybe I’d better stick

with it?

22

Yeah!

INSIDE JOE'S APARTMENT.

Panicked, Joe has nearly given up when he hears:

CONNIE (O.S.)

Bye, Mr. G. See you next week!

He looks under the door to see Connie walk away. Joe jumps on

the doorknob, determined, hanging there desperately:

JOE:

22!

The door swings open, tossing him off. 22 walks in, trying to

figure something out:

22

So, Connie came here to quit, but

then she didn’t?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes