St. Vincent Page #16

INT. OLIVER’S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

David puts Oliver in bed. Maggie flips the light off.

EXT. MAGGIE & OLIVER’S HOUSE - LATER

Maggie and David stand by David’s car. Awkwardness is

all they know.

DAVID:

I can pick him up after school on

Friday.

MAGGIE:

Sure.

DAVID:

Okay, then.

MAGGIE:

Yep.

David gets into the car. Maggie knocks on the passenger

window.

MAGGIE (CONT’D)

You know, this is okay. I’m okay

with it. You’re his father. An

a**hole. But still his father.

So. I’ll get over it. Just going

to take some time.

DAVID:

Good night.

MAGGIE:

That’s all you’re going to say?

100.

DAVID:

I don’t disagree with anything you

said. So.

MAGGIE:

Even the a**hole part.

DAVID:

Especially that part.

Maggie thinks.

MAGGIE:

Alright. Good night.

DAVID:

Good night.

David drives off.

INT. HOME DEPOT - ANOTHER DAY

Oliver and Ozinski are loading a cart full of fence

building materials. Pickets, posts, nails, etc.

CHECK OUT COUNTER - MOMENTS LATER

David pays for the supplies.

EXT. STREETS - LATER

David’s SUV cruises down the road. Fencing supplies tied

haphazardly to the roof.

INT. VIN’S HOUSE - LATER

Vin is peeking out the living room blinds...watching

Oliver, Ozinski and Amelda fixing his fence.

VINCENT:

Ttthat’ll be straight.

He shuts the blinds.

EXT. VIN’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Oliver, Ozinski and Amelda are working on the fence.

Amelda’s the “foreman,” as she’s the only one who knows

what she’s doing.

Charisse pulls up in Vin’s car. Lumbers down the

driveway with a bag of groceries.

101.

CHARISSE:

Vin know you’re doing that?

OLIVER:

He peeks through the blinds every

few minutes.

CHARISSE:

Ain’t come out?

OLIVER:

Nope.

CHARISSE:

(disgusted)

Still playing the stroke card.

INT. NAT’S DINER - ANOTHER DAY

Oliver is interviewing Charisse. Amelda is eating, along

for the ride. Charisse is holding a flier for Oliver’s

school assembly:
“Saints Among Us.”

CHARISSE:

Why you want him to come to sh*t?

He ain’t been nothing but an

a**hole.

OLIVER:

I think he’s just misunderstood.

By himself mostly.

CHARISSE:

Cause he’s an a**hole.

OLIVER:

That’s a possibility.

Jesus comes over, refills Charisse’s coffee.

CHARISSE:

(to Jesus)

Jesus, you got any job applications

back there?

JESUS:

Si.

CHARISSE:

You bring me one?

JESUS:

Si.

Jesus is off. Oliver...impressed.

CHARISSE:

Sh*t, they need someone can speak

English ‘round here.

102.

END OF MONTAGE:

INT. OLIVER’S HOUSE - THE NEXT MORNING

Oliver’s room is full of Vin’s pictures. The memories

rescued from the trash. Oliver’s getting ready for

school. Standing in front of a mirror, tying a Windsor

Knot on his tie. Maggie calls from the kitchen.

MAGGIE (O.S.)

Oliver. Breakfast is ready.

Oliver furrows with confusion.

THE KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Oliver walks in to find a full pancake breakfast. Bacon.

Toast. The works. A big surprise in this household.

Maggie’s pouring OJ.

MAGGIE:

Gotta have fuel for your big day.

Oliver is touched.

MAGGIE (CONT’D)

I took the day off.

He hugs his mom.

OLIVER:

Thanks, mom.

MAGGIE:

You’re welcome, bub.

Somehow Maggie’s become a mother.

OLIVER:

I love you.

MAGGIE:

Don’t get sentimental on me.

She kisses his head.

INT. VIN’S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Vin’s sitting is his Lazy Boy, zoned out on Abbott &

Costello. Charisse rushes into the room.

CHARISSE:

I think my water busted.

VINCENT:

Calllll a plumber.

103.

She kicks his chair.

CHARISSE:

Get up.

Vin climbs out of his chair. Damn baby.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - AUDITORIUM - CONTINUOUS

The auditorium is packed to the gills with STUDENTS,

TEACHERS, PARENTS and GUESTS. The curtain opens and

Brother Crespi’s entire class walks out and takes seats

behind the on-stage podium. Oliver and Ozinski sit next

to each other. Friends for life.

A projection screen displays the banner, “Saints Among

Us.” The CROWD applauds.

INT. VIN’S CAR - MOMENTS LATER

Charisse is driving like a nut. Vin’s white knuckled.

He tries to light a cigarette. Charisse swipes it from

his mouth, tosses it out the window.

CHARISSE:

When you gonna grow up, man?

She shakes her head in disgust, then goes back to fake

deep breathing.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - AUDITORIUM - CONTINUOUS

Brother Crespi steps up to the podium and announces the

next speaker.

BROTHER CRESPI:

Our next speaker is Mr. Oliver

Bronstein.

The CROWD claps. Maggie hoots from her seat. She’s

sitting next to ex-husband David. They may end up civil.

Oliver walks up to the podium. Strong. Courageous. A

different kid than the one who couldn’t utter a word in

front of his class. He clears his throat.

OLIVER:

Saints are human beings we

celebrate for their dedication and

commitment to other human beings.

Brother Cary Crespi, circa 2011...

Laughs.

104.

EXT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - CONTINUOUS

Charisse whips the car into the school's lot. Pulls into

a handicapped spot. Vin is suspect.

VINCENT:

This isn’t the hospital.

Charisse tosses the flier in his lap.

CHARISSE:

Get your ass inside.

Charisse steps out of the car, moves on. Vin looks at

the flier.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - AUDITORIUM - CONTINUOUS

Oliver’s in mid-presentation. On the massive projection

screen behind him, we see a portrait of St. William of

Rochester. Click. The screen refreshes...and a picture

of Vin pops up.

OLIVER:

For my modern day saint, I chose a

man who shares many of the same

qualities as St. William of

Rochester:
Mr. Vincent Canatella.

He continues.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - CONTINUOUS

Outside the auditorium. Vincent stands in front of a

marquee board. It’s the “Saint Wall.” Under each

student’s name are two pictures: a real Saint next to a

Modern Day Saint.

Under Oliver Bornstein, we find: St. William of Rochester

and...Vincent Canatella. And he’s one f***ed-up looking

“saint.” Eyes black, face distorted, assuredly on drugs,

lying in his hospital bed.

Vin stares at the picture of himself.

He hears Oliver’s voice within. Walks to the auditorium

doors.

OLIVER (O.S.)

Mr. Canatella was born in Newark,

NJ, in 1950, the son of first

generation Italian immigrants.

Vin cracks the door open. Just as he’s doing this a

PRIEST comes up behind him and opens it the rest of the

way.

105.

FATHER:

(whispers)

After you...

Vin defaults. Walks in first. He stands at the back of

the auditorium. Oliver continues:

OLIVER:

Growing up poor on the streets of

New Jersey, Vincent learned all the

things a kid shouldn’t need to

know. Fighting, cursing and

gambling.

The slide show shuffles images of VINCENT AS A BABY.

Then a YOUNG BOY. Poor. Tough. Street. Pictures of a

hard life. All the memories Vin had tossed in the trash.

OLIVER (CONT’D)

In 1965, as a member of United

States Army’s 5th Regiment, Vincent

was among the 450 soldiers dropped

into the la Drang Valley, and

immediately ambushed by 2000

Vietcong troops.

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