St. Vincent Page #9

OLIVER:

Yes, sir.

VINCENT:

You might as well learn the hard

way.

Vin pulls some cash from his wallet. Stands.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

I’ll go in with you.

They’re off to the betting window.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

(on his back)

That’s called mitigation.

THE FINISH LINE - LATER

The HORSES fly across. One. Two. Three. We whip over

to Vin and Oliver standing at the rail, screaming like

school kids. They hit it! The trifecta. For the first

time we see Vin’s smile. It’s the kind of smile that

lights up a life.

As Oliver jumps up and down...Vin catches Zucko in the

stands.

55.

He crumples his race form and starts to throw his usual

“just lost” tantrum. It’s a good act. Oliver’s

confused.

OLIVER:

We won? Didn’t we win?

VINCENT:

Roll with it, kid.

Without missing a beat, Oliver throws his hands in the

air. Tosses his race form.

OLIVER:

Son-of-a-b*tch.

Damn good.

VINCENT:

Son-of-a-b*tch.

Vin kicks his chair, walks off. Oliver follows.

OLIVER:

Mother f***ers.

Zucko shakes his head at the losers.

VINCENT:

(under)

Ease up there.

EXT. RACETRACK - PARKING LOT

Vin’s practically running. Ducking in, out, around and

between cars, a plastic shopping bag in his hand.

Oliver’s on his tail.

INT. VIN’S CAR - LATER

A wad of cash sits between the two. $5,600 to be exact.

VINCENT:

Your mom can’t know about this.

OLIVER:

Exactly.

Oliver nods.

OLIVER (CONT’D)

She could really use it though.

VINCENT:

Not if she knows where it came

from.

56.

OLIVER:

You keep my half for me?

Vin knows that’s not smart.

VINCENT:

Well. I don’t want. Let’s not go

there.

OLIVER:

What am I going to do with it?

INT. THE BANK - CONTINUOUS

Vin and Oliver sit at the banker’s desk, waiting. Terry

strolls up.

TERRY:

Good afternoon.

He recognizes Vincent.

TERRY (CONT’D)

Mr. Canatella.

VINCENT:

Kind of you to remember. Need to

open up a savings account for my

grandson here.

Terry has a seat. Vin slides a stack of cash across the

desk.

TERRY:

Never too young to start banking.

Vin slides over a few more bills

VINCENT:

And this’ll get my account back to

zero. Close me out, while you’re

tapping away there.

Vin smiles a f*** you at him.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

(to Oliver)

Don’t grow up to be a pencil

pusher, kiddo. They’re spineless.

INT. THE BUCK - NIGHT - LATER

Vin is dancing solo to Steely Dan’s, “Do It Again.” He’s

wasted. Maker’s in one hand, a smoke in the other.

His dance is a bizarre mix of slow-motion Tai Chi moves

and yoga poses. In it we see the punch he taught Oliver.

From the bar, Oliver watches. Perplexed.

57.

BAR - LATER

Celebration dinner. Vin and Oliver are bellied up to the

bar, eating a feast of bar food. Burgers, fries,

mozzarella sticks, onion rings, Coke, a few Maker’s

Marks.

Oliver slurps his drink to the bottom.

VINCENT:

You want another?

OLIVER:

Yes, please.

VINCENT:

Go for it. We’re living today.

Oliver calls out weakly to the bartender (Roger.)

OLIVER:

Excuse me, sir.

VINCENT:

You kids. Damn small talkers. No

point in yapping if nobody’s

listening. Let’s hear it.

Oliver belts out.

OLIVER:

Excuse me, sir.

VINCENT:

Can’t get nothing in this life

without being heard.

Roger walks over.

OLIVER:

Another Coke, please.

VINCENT:

You can hit me while you’re at it

there to, Rog.

Roger knows Vin is wasted.

ROGER:

I’m all out Maker’s, Vin. You

cleaned me out.

VINCENT:

Don’t lie to me, Roger. Be a man.

ROGER:

Vin. And he shouldn’t be sitting

at the bar.

58.

Vin digs some cash out of his pocket. It’s a slow

process. He tosses too much on the bar. Grabs his

drink.

VINCENT:

We’re going to find another place

to our spend money.

OLIVER:

He’s just doing his job, Vin.

Vin stares at Oliver.

VINCENT:

Turncoats. Everywhere you look.

No loyalty anymore. Everyone

taking care of themselves in the

old U.S. of A. That’s why we’re

falling apart.

Vin drains his wet ice, then smashes his glass on the

bar. It shatters. His hand is ripped open.

ROGER:

Damnit, Vin.

VINCENT:

Just a cut, pal. I’ve had a lot of

them.

Vin gets woozy, leans into Oliver.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

Let’s get you home, kiddo. Got

homework to do.

He passes out.

EXT. VIN’S HOUSE - NIGHT - LATER

A taxi pulls into the driveway. The headlights

illuminate a very pissed off Maggie, standing on Vin’s

lawn.

Vin and Oliver climb out of the car. Vin’s hand is

bandaged.

OLIVER:

Hi, mom.

MAGGIE:

(to Vin)

Where the hell’s your car?

OLIVER:

It broke down.

VINCENT:

It broke down.

59.

MAGGIE:

Really. I don’t appreciate you

taking him anywhere without asking

me.

VINCENT:

This is gonna be fun.

MAGGIE:

Don’t be a smart ass for once. I

need to know where my son is at all

times, okay?

OLIVER:

We went to eat.

VINCENT:

He should starve?

MAGGIE:

Get inside Oliver.

OLIVER:

Mom-

MAGGIE:

Go on.

Oliver slumps off.

OLIVER:

Good night, Vin.

VINCENT:

We’ll see.

Oliver goes inside.

MAGGIE:

He’s fighting at school. You know

about this?

VINCENT:

Mentioned something like that.

MAGGIE:

Great. He tells you. Not his

mother.

VINCENT:

If you haven’t noticed...you’re not

home much. Kinda hard to have a

conversation with someone when

they’re not there.

MAGGIE:

I love it when people like you give

people like me advice. Especially

parenting advice.

60.

VINCENT:

I didn’t sign on for hormones here,

deary. That’ll cost you 15 bucks

an hour.

MAGGIE:

You don’t have kids. You don’t

have anything to think about but

yourself.

Vin starts to walk away.

VINCENT:

What do you know about me? Really?

Tell me. I’d love it.

Vin stops. Maggie thinks.

MAGGIE:

Okay. You’re right. I don’t know

a whole lot about you. Because you

don’t want much known. So you act

like a prick and everyone stays

away.

VINCENT:

If it ain’t broken...

MAGGIE:

It is broken. Look at it.

Vin goes into his house. Gets the last word in before he

closes the door.

VINCENT:

I’m up to 40 hours this week. 41

starts time-and-a-half.

He’s gone.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE - DAY

Oliver’s sitting on a bench outside the Principal’s

office. Across from him, Ozinski’s sitting with his

MOTHER (REESA.) Ozinski’s nose is bandaged like a prize

fighter’s.

REESA:

(to Oliver)

You’re a real tiny fella, aren’t

ya.

OLIVER:

Yes, ma'am.

REESA:

You take Judo or something.

Ozinski is embarrassed.

61.

OZINSKI:

Ma.

REESA:

Shut your face. You don’t talk for

a month.

Ozinski slumps.

REESA (CONT’D)

I’m glad it was a little sh*t that

knocked the snot outta-ya. Now ya

got no excuses.

INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Maggie’s sitting across from PRINCIPAL O’BRIEN, a puffy-

faced official looking gent in his fifties. Maggie’s

reading a report.

MAGGIE:

I can’t even say these words.

PRINCIPAL O’BRIEN

They’re...creative.

MAGGIE:

That’s one way to put it.

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