Soul Page #17

---

The other Counselors happily surround her.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 106.

COUNSELORS:

Oh my goodness, this is amazing

Shut the fridge, 22 has got an

Earth Pass?! This is cray cray!

This is a great day! After all

these years!

22 can’t believe it.

22

But... what filled in the last box?

Joe seethes, lashing out:

JOE:

I’ll tell you what filled it in...

I did! It was my Spark that changed

that badge!

(to Counselors)

She only got that because she was

living MY life! In MY body!

22 starts to protest, but Terry interrupts.

TERRY:

Come on, Mr. Gardner.

Terry opens a portal to the Great Beyond.

But a Counselor leans to Joe:

COUNSELOR JERRY A

Joe, it’s time for you to accompany

22 to the Earth Portal. Give you a

chance to say goodbye.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Of course! It’s standard procedure.

The Counselors gently usher Joe and 22 toward the Earth

Portal.

TERRY:

Just hold on a minute! I get to set

the count right!

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Terry, you’ve done a super job!

We’ll take it from here. You’re

amazing.

TERRY:

(flattered)

Well thank you.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 107.

Terry exits into the Portal.

TERRY:

(proudly)

Terry time.

The Counselors encourage 22 and Joe to the Earth Portal.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Go ahead you two.

EXT. THE YOU SEMINAR --EARTH PORTAL.

Joe and 22 approach the edge of the Portal, both angry. 22

looks holds the Earth Pass.

22

You don’t know. You can’t be sure

why my pass changed.

JOE:

Come on, 22. Think about it. You

hated music until you were in my

body. You hated everything until

you were me!

22 stews. Joe turns to walk away.

JOE:

Hmph, I hope you enjoy it.

As Joe walks something hits him on the back of his head.

He sees 22’s Earth Pass lying on the ground.

He locks eyes with 22, who stares angrily at him.

Joe picks up the pass and makes to throw it back at 22. But

when he looks, the soul is gone. Joe looks around, confused.

COUNSELOR JERRY B (O.S.)

I have to ask...

Startled, Joe hides the Earth Pass behind his back.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

How the Dickens did you do it? Get

that Earth Pass to change?

JOE:

Oh... uh. I just... let her walk a

mile in my shoes, you could say.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 108.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Well, it worked.

JOE:

Heh... yeah.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

You should probably get going to

the Great Beyond.

The Counselor turns to walk away. Joe stops him:

JOE:

Hey, we never found out what 22’s

purpose was.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Excuse me?

JOE:

You know, her Spark. Her purpose.

Was it music? Biology? Walking?

COUNSELOR JERRY B

We don’t assign purposes. Where did

you get that idea?

JOE:

Because I have piano. It’s what I

was born to do. That’s my Spark.

COUNSELOR JERRY B

A Spark isn’t a soul’s purpose.

The Counselor walks off, chuckling:

COUNSELOR JERRY B

Oh, you mentors and your passions!

Your purposes! Your meanings of

life! So basic.

Joe is confused.

JOE:

No... No!

He walks to the edge of the Earth Portal, watching the other

new souls jump to Earth.

JOE:

It is music. My Spark is music. I

know it is!

Determined, Joe jumps down into the portal to Earth.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 109.

INT. 22’S CLUBHOUSE

22 crawls inside her clubhouse, distraught.

22

(muttering)

I’m no good. I got no purpose.

She leaves under the sink, onto the Astral Plane.

22

No purpose... No purpose...

INT. SUBWAY STATION.

Joe comes to in his own body, a sea of anxious PASSERBYS

staring down at him. He rubs his aching head, realizing he’s

back.

Mr. Mittens looks on, until the Therapy Cat Lady approaches.

The cat runs into her arms.

Joe checks his watch and rushes out of the station.

INT. HALF NOTE.

Joe runs down the stairs, into the club. He runs into Curley,

looking good in his own gig suit.

CURLEY:

(surprised)

Mr. G?

JOE:

Curley, I made it! I’m ready to go!

CURLEY:

You’re too late, man.

JOE:

Let me talk to Dorothea.

CURLEY:

No, no, no, man! She don't play

that!

But Joe blows past Curley and into Dorothea’s dressing room.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 110.

INT. HALF NOTE --DRESSING ROOM.

DOROTHEA talks to Miho while finishing her makeup. Joe bursts

in.

DOROTHEA:

Who let this lunatic in here?

JOE:

Listen, you’ve gotta give me

another chance!

DOROTHEA:

This is my band. I decide who

plays.

JOE:

And if you don’t go with me, you’ll

be making the biggest mistake of

your career.

Dorothea approaches him, unconvinced.

DOROTHEA:

Oh yeah? Why’s that?

Joe stands his ground as Curley listens from the doorway.

JOE:

My only purpose on this planet is

to play. It’s what I was meant to

do. And nothing’s gonna stop me.

Dorothea is intrigued. She thinks for a moment, then-

DOROTHEA:

Well aren’t you an arrogant one. I

guess you really are a jazz player.

(to Curley)

Tell Robert he’s out. For now.

(to Joe)

Nice suit.

Dorothea exits, saying over her shoulder:

DOROTHEA:

Nice suit.

Curley gives Joe a thumbs up and rushes off.

Joe looks in the mirror, relieved. As he straightens his tie,

Joe notices a photograph of Duke Ellington straightening his

tie. Joe smiles:

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 111.

JOE:

Get ready Joe Gardner. Your life is

about to start.

INT. HALF NOTE --STAGE.

LATER --The band kicks in. Joe doesn’t miss a beat. He

pounds on the keys as he and Dorothea solo joyously back and

forth, in the flow. We see the quartet’s tight performance in

a series of TIME CUTS. The CROWD eggs them on wildly.

Then it ends. The lights come up. Joe is spent, breathing

heavily, taking in the applause. He looks over at Dorothea.

She smiles and leans in:

DOROTHEA:

Welcome to the quartet, Teach!

The audience is on their feet APPLAUDING, including Libba,

Melba and Lulu.

MELBA AND LULU:

Woohoo!

LIBBA:

That’s my Joey!

Joe is elated.

EXT. HALF NOTE. NIGHT.

Curley, Miho and Joe come out of the club, excited and

energized.

Libba, Lulu and Melba follow.

CURLEY MIHO:

Nice work --that was killer! (laughing)

I’m not going to cover that

bridge for you again!

JOE:

Yeah, that was amazing! Ha ha!

Curley and Miho walk off.

CURLEY:

Later, Mr. G!

Libba, Melba and Lulu congratulate Joe and hail a cab.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 112.

MELBA AND LULU:

You did great! We love you!

LIBBA:

I’m so proud of you Joey!

She hugs her son, then climbs into the cab.

LIBBA:

Gotta get to bed. We old!

Joe waves as Dorothea exits the club.

DOROTHEA:

You play a hundred shows, and one

of them is killer. You don’t get

many like tonight.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes