St. Vincent Page #5

VINCENT:

What’s your name?

OLIVER:

Oliver.

More silence.

VINCENT:

Little cold for shorts, don’t you

think?

OLIVER:

It’s a long story, sir.

VINCENT:

I’m sure it is.

Silence.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

I don’t like “sir.”

OLIVER:

Sorry, sir.

Hmm. The phone rings.

26.

THE KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Vin picks up the phone.

VINCENT:

Yes.

INT. MISSION HILLS HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS

The CAT scan lab. Maggie’s in scrubs, whispering in the

corner of the room. ANOTHER NURSE is manning the

controls, as a PATIENT (seen through the glass) is slid

into the tube.

MAGGIE:

This is Maggie, Oliver’s mom.

this Vincent?

Is

INTERCUT WITH VIN IN THE KITCHEN

VINCENT:

Your kid’s here.

MAGGIE:

Yes. I just got his message.

that all right?

Is

VINCENT:

Is what all right?

MAGGIE:

That he stays there?

VINCENT:

Stays here. Like what, stays here?

MAGGIE:

I’m at work and...we got a few more

cases. So, I don’t get off for a

couple of hours and I can’t get him

the key anyway. I’m in a little

bit of a bind right now...

VINCENT:

You want me to baby-sit?

MAGGIE:

Well, he’s hardly a baby. He won’t

bother you. He’ll just do his

homework.

Oliver walks into the kitchen.

OLIVER:

Sir?

Vin holds up his hand, shushes Oliver.

27.

VINCENT:

What’re you paying?

MAGGIE:

Excuse me?

VINCENT:

For baby-sitting. I’m not a

philanthropy.

MAGGIE:

Okay...ten dollars an hour.

VINCENT:

Twelve.

Maggie is amazed.

MAGGIE:

Fine. Great. Can I talk to him?

Vin puts the phone down on the counter, walks off.

VINCENT:

It’s for you.

Oliver walks to the phone, picks it up.

VIN’S LIVING ROOM - LATER

Oliver and Vin are sitting on the couch watching an old

Abbott & Costello movie. Vin’s smoking, drinking.

Felix the Cat is sitting in Oliver’s lap. Vin’s not

thrilled.

VINCENT:

He doesn’t like many people.

OLIVER:

I’m good with animals, sir.

VINCENT:

Yeah. He doesn’t usually like

people who say they’re good with

animals either.

Oliver laughs at the movie. It’s rare.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

You’ve never seen Abbott &

Costello?

OLIVER:

No, sir. Are they old?

VINCENT:

They’re dead. That’s the oldest

you can be.

28.

OLIVER:

Or the youngest. Time freezes when

you die.

Hmm.

VINCENT:

Where’d you learn that?

OLIVER:

A book.

VINCENT:

What book?

OLIVER:

A kid’s book, sir. I doubt you

know it.

Little sh*t. Then...

VINCENT:

It’s dinner time. You hungry or

something?

Oliver looks at Vin, studies his face.

OLIVER:

A little, sir.

Vincent looks annoyed. He’s the kind of guy that gets

annoyed when someone wants something, even if he offered.

VINCENT:

Figures.

KITCHEN - VIN’S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Vin’s scouring the kitchen, looking for something to feed

the kid. All he finds is a can of Spam and a package of

Saltines. He cracks the Spam open. Slices it like it’s

sushi. Decorates a dirty plate with concentric circles

of Spam and stale crackers. Not bad.

VIN’S LIVING ROOM - LATER

Oliver’s eating a Spam cracker sandwich. Watching the

movie. Perfectly at home.

Vin’s drinking his dinner, a huge stack of mail sitting

on his lap. Bank statements, overdraft notices. He rips

them up, one by one. His idea of filing.

The doorbell rings.

VINCENT:

Probably your mother.

29.

OLIVER:

Probably, sir.

Oliver doesn’t move.

VINCENT:

I guess I’ll get that.

OLIVER:

Thank you, sir.

Vin aches his way out of the recliner.

THE FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS

Vin peeks out the peep hole, then opens the door

for...Maggie.

MAGGIE:

Hi. Vincent.

VINCENT:

Yep.

He doesn’t instinctively let her in.

MAGGIE:

Thank you so much for watching

Oliver. I just started a new job

and...

VINCENT:

I don’t need the whole story.

MAGGIE:

Ok. Right.

Maggie digs in her purse and pulls out some cash.

MAGGIE (CONT’D)

Here...three hours. Twelve dollars

an hour-

VINCENT:

Thirty six.

MAGGIE:

Yes, I know.

She hands him two twenties.

VINCENT:

I don’t have change.

Of course he doesn’t.

MAGGIE:

That’s...fine.

30.

Vin counts the money, puts it in his shirt’s breast

pocket.

VINCENT:

Where’s his father?

That’s personal.

MAGGIE:

Well. That’s a long story...see...

VINCENT:

Don’t worry about it then.

A beat. We hear Oliver laughing in the background.

Maggie smiles.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

How come you don’t have anyone to

watch this kid after school?

MAGGIE:

We just moved in-

VINCENT:

I was there.

MAGGIE:

Right.

VINCENT:

You gonna pay for my fence?

MAGGIE:

Of course.

VINCENT:

And the tree?

MAGGIE:

The tree? How-

VINCENT:

Everything has a price. You’re an

adult, you should know that.

MAGGIE:

Okay. How much?

VINCENT:

I’ll figure out something fair.

A beat.

MAGGIE:

Let me know.

31.

VINCENT:

I can the watch the kid too. After

school for a few hours. Same

price.

Maggie is speechless.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

I’ll do eleven bucks an hour if you

supply the snacks. Little sh*t ate

all my Spam.

INT. MAGGIE & OLIVER’S HOUSE - LATER

Maggie and Oliver sit at a tiny round table, off the

kitchen. Oliver is chowing down on a frozen dinner.

MAGGIE:

You ate at Vincent’s house, no?

OLIVER:

Can we buy some Spam, ma?

MAGGIE:

Sure. Remind me next time we’re at

the store.

OLIVER:

Okay.

MAGGIE:

You like him?

OLIVER:

Who?

MAGGIE:

Vincent.

OLIVER:

He’s interesting. In an old,

grouchy sort of way.

MAGGIE:

That he is.

A beat.

MAGGIE (CONT’D)

You know, he offered to watch you

after school.

OLIVER:

He did?

MAGGIE:

Yep. I was thinking maybe that’s

not such a horrible idea.

(MORE)

MAGGIE (CONT'D)

It’s right next door. Would save

me having to find a baby-sitter.

OLIVER:

You’ll be home though. Right.

MAGGIE:

Late mostly, baby. We have to eat.

I have to work. Your

father’s...not helpful. The new

school isn’t cheap.

Oliver eats, thinks.

OLIVER:

I guess he’s too old to be

dangerous and not too old to be too

dangerous either. If you know what

I mean.

MAGGIE:

That’s what I thought. Maybe we’ll

give it a whirl. See what happens.

OLIVER:

Sure.

Then...

OLIVER (CONT’D)

Ma, are we still Jewish?

INT. BROTHER CRESPI’S CLASSROOM - CONTINUOUS

Crespi, teaching.

BROTHER CRESPI:

What is a saint?

Hands go up. Never Oliver’s. He’s doodling.

BROTHER CRESPI (CONT’D)

Rachele.

A tiny ASIAN GIRL answers.

RACHELE:

Individuals who display and act out

of exceptional holiness.

Damn.

BROTHER CRESPI:

Okay. That’s pretty perfect,

Rachele. Thank you. Who can name

a saint?

Hands.

32.

33.

BROTHER CRESPI (CONT’D)

Keesha.

KEESHA:

St. Michael the Archangel.

BROTHER CRESPI:

Great. He’s a classic. Jeremiah?

A LATIN BOY answers.

JERMIAH:

St. Jude.

BROTHER CRESPI:

Good one. What’s he known for?

JERMIAH:

He has a hospital.

Laughs.

BROTHER CRESPI:

He sure does. Okay...anyone know a

modern day saint? Bridgette?

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