Sounder Page #13

SWING BACK TO:

ANGLE - CLARENCE

CLARENCE:

I was going home to get my daddy.

QUICK TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - BOY #1

BOY #1

What made you stop and go back!?

QUICK TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - CLARENCE

CLARENCE:

Cause if I hadda ran home, by the time I got

back, my sister woulda drowned.

QUICK BACK TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - GIRL #1

GIRL #1

How come you didn't know that at first?

MOVES BACK TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - CLARENCE

CLARENCE:

I was scared!

QUICK MOVE TO:

ANGLE - BOY #2

BOY #2

Hold it! Clarence's story ain't true! Me and

Clarence been to the river a lotta times, and

I know, he can't swim!

MOVES TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - CAMILLE

She is somewhat thrown -- hesitates but must follow through, delicately --

CAMILLE:

Clarence, would you tell us a story that was

not true, after telling us it was?

PULLS TO:

CROSS HALF ANGLE - CLASSROOM

CLARENCE:

No, Miss Johnson...

CAMILLE:

Can you swim?

CLARENCE:

(pause)

Yes mam...

SWING TO:

ANGLE - BOY #2

BOY #2

Clarence, you know you can't swim! Every time I

tried to show you, you fell down, and I had to

always pull you out!

SWING TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - CAMILLE

CAMILLE:

Is that true, Clarence?

MOVES TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - CLARENCE

CLARENCE:

(pause)

Yes mam... But when I saw my sister 'bout to

drown in the water, I tried because I wasn't

scared no more! I was just swimming and kickin'!

I don't know how I was doin' it! But I was,

cause my sister was drowning! She was drowning!

PULLS TO:

FULL ANGLE - CLASS ROOM

CLARENCE sits -- the class is silent --

MOVES TO:

CLOSE ANGLE - DAVID LEE

DAVID LEE has been deeply involved in everything that has taken place in the

room. As he sits, he is split with indecision as to whether he should rise

and say something or to remain in his place. But he makes a sudden decision,

and rises --

DAVID LEE:

I believe Clarence's story...

PULLS TO:

FULL ANGLE - CLASS ROOM

All eyes turn to David Lee --

CAMILLE:

You want to come forward and tell us why,

David?

He hesitates for a moment -- he moves and stands before the class --

DAVID LEE:

Some people came and took my daddy away and

other people said we couldn't work the farm.

But we had to,'cause we didn't wanna lose our

farm. We planted the crops and they grew. I

believe his story 'cause his story is about

what he did when he had to do somethin'. He

didn't know how to swim but he had to or else

his sister woulda drowned. That's how he did

it...

He looks around to CAMILLE, and then he moves back to the place where he was,

and sits and then the class room breaks out in applause -

MOVES TO:

ANGLE - CLARENCE

He is happy to know that his story has finally been accepted as the truth --

SWINGS TO:

CLOSE FACE ANGLE - DAVID LEE

His face too is beaming with laughter --

EXT. FRONT OF BORDERDALE SCHOOL - DAY

CAMILLE and DAVID LEE exit from the school house -- DAVID is filled with

excitement over his adventure in the class room. They are joined by SOUNDER

who is impatiently waiting for DAVID. DAVID LEE strokes the dog a few times,

and they keep moving on out of the school yard --

CAMILLE:

Well, how did you like the class, David?

DAVID LEE:

It was the best thing I ever been to, Miss

Johnson!

They move out of the school yard towards town.

INT. CAMILLE'S PLACE - NIGHT

CAMILLE is busying herself, sweeping, dusting furniture items, putting things

in place, etc. -- DAVID LEE is following her about the place, helping her

wherever he can -- His spirits are very high at the moment. SOUNDER is

crouched in a corner, looking on at the activity --

DAVID LEE:

... So me and Sounder, ran right by the men

that was the prisoners, and crawled under the

fence! That's when I cut my hand on the glass.

It hurt like mad! But I kept runnin', and then

I didn't feel no more hurtin' till I stopped

runnin'!

(pause)

Why was that, Miss Johnson?

CAMILLE:

Because all you could think of was getting away

from the guard.

DAVID LEE:

Oh...

(pause).

You right, that's all that was worryin' me right

then...

CAMILLE:

You know, that was a good thing you did for

Clarence, in class today. I believed his story,

but I was afraid the other children wouldn't...

DAVID LEE:

He was real scared nobody would believe him -- I

could tell, even when he first stood up.

CAMILLE:

You could? How?

DAVID LEE:

I been like that myself, when I thought nobody

was gonna believe me...

(pause)

You wanna hear another story?!

CAMILLE:

Not now, David, it's time for bed. You have a

long trip ahead of you in the morning...

A thought grips the boy, and he moves to the window, and stares out into the

darkness, as CAMILLE starts to make the bed for him -- she stops for a

moment, and looks up and over at him at the window --

CAMILLE:

What are you looking at, out there? There's

nothing to see.

DAVID LEE:

My daddy likes to look into the dark, even when

there ain't nothin to see -- it's what you hear

he say.

CAMILLE notices and feels that his mood has changed.

CAMILLE:

You think about your father a lot, don't you?

DAVID LEE:

Yes mam...

CAMILLE:

Well, you shouldn't worry about him too much,

David.

DAVID LEE:

What do I tell my mama when I get home? I

didn't find him and that's what I wanted to do.

CAMILLE:

But you did all you could, David. Not many

little boys could've gone on such a journey as

you did.

DAVID LEE:

But where is my daddy!?

CAMILLE:

I can't answer that for you -- but it's no

fault of your own that you don't know where

your father is now. You tell me what you did

that kept you from finding your father.

(pause)

Come on, tell me...

DAVID LEE:

(pause)

Nothin'...

CAMILLE:

And so you did your job, right?

DAVID LEE:

(pause)

Yes, mam...

CAMILLE:

Whewwww! You sure keep my mind jumping, boy!

DAVID LEE:

What do that mean?

CAMILLE:

Means you keep me using my head, and that's

good!

She returns to making up the bed.

DAVID LEE:

(pause)

Miss Johnson... Do you think I can come back

here, and you let me study school with the

other children?

The question stops her work -- and then she momentarily struggles for an

answer for the boy -- she sits down on the bed as he turns back to gazing out

of the window. She looks on him for a moment, rises, moves to the window,

puts her arm around his shoulder -- and they both look out of the window into

the blank darkness --

EXT. FRONT OF THE HOUSE - ROAD - DAY

JOSIE MAE is on the porch with EARL when she spots DAVID and SOUNDER on the

road, rushing toward the house.

JOSIE MAE:

Mama! Mama!

She and EARL rush out to the road to meet them -- REBECCA moves out of the

front door behind them. DAVID is carrying two books given to him by CAMILLE.

They all reach him about the same time.

JOSIE & EARL

Hi, David! Sounder!

REBECCA:

What happened to you? I've been worried out of

my life. What's wrong with your hand, son?

DAVID LEE:

I cut it on some glass and we got lost, Mama.

REBECCA:

Did you find your father?

DAVID LEE:

Didn't see 'im, Mama. The other men there say

they didn't know Daddy.

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