Superman Page #4

46CONTINUED

JONATHAN:

Well - better change that tire

if we're gonna get hone and see

about contactin' that boy's proper kin.

MARTHA:

(defensively)

He hasn't got any - not for sure. Not

around here anyways. You saw that

magic contraption he came in, same as me.

JONATHAN has arrived at the truck, starts jacking up the front end...

JONATH.AN

I did. But I ain't gettin' hauled off

to no booby hatch by tellin' other

people I did - and neither is you.

JONATHAN removes the lugs and the punctured tire.

MARTHA:

You take things easy now, Jonathan.

You mind what Doc Frye said about

that heart of' yours...

47INSERT SHOT - JACK

The jack begins to shimmy. The truck shakes.

48CLOSE ON JONATHAN

JONATHAN struggles with the spare tire under the truck, wondering why it won't fit in.

49INSERT SHOT - JACK

The jack continues to shimmy. Suddenly, the stone beneath it slips away.

50CLOSE ON MARTHA

MARTHA screams, horrified.

51BACK TO JONATHAN

JONATHAN under the truck, shoots a quick look at his wife, then - as her scream stops in a gasp - he looks behind himas CAMERA PANS: The' BABY is holding up the truck, two wheels off the ground. JONATHAN and MARTHA are poleaxed with disbelief.

52INT. TRUCK CAB - DAY

The BABY sits happily in MARTHA'S lap. The COUPLE look ahead, lost in thought, MARTHA in particular.

MARTHA:

(carefully)

All these years, happy as we've been, how I

prayed and prayed the Good Lord would see

fit to give us a child.

JONATHAN:

(looks - alarmed)

Martha, there is something downright strange

about that boy. Where he come from, what he

just did back there. Now surely you don't mean to...

MARTHA:

(firmly)

No one must ever know.

JONATHAN:

But folks'll ask questions . . .

MARTHA:

We'll say he's child to my cousin in North

Dakota, and just now orphaned. Jonathan,

he's a baby...

(cuddles baby)

Poor thing.

JONATHAN:

Well...

(sigh)

Maybe we could give it a try for the time bein'.

I'd better hitch the rig and come back to Get

that ... that thing he was settin' in. What do you

make of that thing? Martha'? Martha Kent,

you listenin' to me?

52 CONTINUED

MARTHA:

I was thinkin' what to call him.

I was thinkin' I had an uncle who

was a fine man, you recall him?

The church sexton?

JONATHAN:

Who?- Clark? I never cared two hoots

for that fella.

53 EXT. SMALLVILLE HIGH FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY

CAMERA LOOKS DOWN on a typical midwestern small town high school football field in the 1950's. A coach's whistle signals the end of the team's practice session. A group or GIRL CHEERLEADERS run through their routines nearby. Several PLAYERS practice "extra points" by kicking the ball through the goalposts from the 2 1/2-yard line, now stop, congregate around the bench with the other PLAYERS as they turn in their equipment, prepare to go home.

54CLOSE ON BENCH - TRACKING SHOT

CAMERA TRACKS along the bench as the PLAYERS drop their pads, towels. kicking tees, footballs, etc. on the bench. Picking them up, stacking them neatly and methodically is a bookish-looking TEENAGER of 15. With dark, unstylish hair, heavy-rimmed glasses, and an air of social unease, he is the perfect candidate for team manager - the young CLARK KENT. CLARK nears the end of the bench, looks off at the CHEERLEADERS: five or six wholesomely cute teenagers in their uniforms of sweater, tiny skirt, sneakers, and white socks. They have finished rehearsing their final routine now laugh, applaud themselves, drop their megaphones and run off to join several of the departing PLAYERS. One CHEERLEADER (SUSIE) with an attractive, sensitive face -pauses, sees the megaphones strewn around the ground, begins 'to collect them.

55 CLOSE ON SUSIE

SUSIE gathers up the megaphones. CLARK crosses to her.

CLARK:

You don't have to bother with those,

Susie. I'll take them in for you with

the other equipment.

55CONTINUED

SUSIE:

Why, thank you, Clark.

(rises- smiles)

You know something, Clark?

I think you're just about the nicest

boy in the whole school.

CLARK blinks shyly, practically blushing.

CLARK:

Well ... ah ... ah ... it's sort of my job

as team manager, anyway, and...

SUSIE:

No, I mean it. I really do. Listen. A whole

bunch of us are going over to Mary Ellen' s

and play some records. Would you like to come?

CLARK:

Well, gee... I'd...why, yes, Susie, I'd like that

very...

FOOTBALL PLAYER (0.5.)

Kent won't be able to make it.

A large FOOTBALL PLAYER comes into frame, looks at SUSIE with what passes for "macho" at 15.

FOOTBALL PLAYER:

Kent's still got a lot of work to do.

CLARK:

(innocent- turning)

What do you mean? I've stacked all the...

CAMERA PANS as CLARK turns: the mass of equipment he had neatly piled on the bench has been tossed all over the field. Water buckets overturned, etc. In B.G. several other PLAYERS and CHEERLEADERS are crammed into an open , convertible car, snigger to themselves, pretend not to look.

56BACK TO SCENE

CLARK'S face falls. He stares at the Grinning FOOTBALL PLAYER as we see a momentary flash of anger pass through his eyes. Will he...? No. Regaining his former composure, CLARK smiles faintly.

CLARK:

I'm ... sorry, Susie. I guess

I'd better clean it up.

The FOOTBALL PLAYER puts a victorious arm around the reluctant SUSIE, prods her off toward the open convertible. They get in. The car roars off.

57 CLOSE ON CLARK.

CLARK is left totally alone on the football field, his face downcast with anger and hurt born of humiliation. He approaches a football sitting on the extra-point tee at the 2 1/2 yard line, is about to pick it up, suddenly gives it a frustrated kick. The ball takes off like a tiny rocket.

58ANGLE THROUGH OPPOSITE GOALPOSTS

The ball whistles perfectly through the far goalposts. CLARK has kicked it over 100 yards.

59BACK TO CLARK

CLARK turns, looks at the mess left by the players. He reaches down for the first towel, suddenly grits his teeth, accelerates into SUPER SPEED. His image is only a blur on the screen as towels, pads, buckets, etc. disappear from the field and miraculously reappear on the bench.

60EXT. KANSAS ROAD - DA y

CLARK trudges along a country road, heading for home. In B.G. the Open convertible appears, closing fast. He turns. It slows down, seems to be intending to pick him up. Then, at the last minute, the FOOTBALL PLAYER who is driving honks the horn loudly, roars past him, laughing, leaving CLARK in a swirl or dust.

61CLOSE ON CLARK .

CLARK stares angrily, his rage growing. He takes off his glasses, puts them in his

Pocket. Turning, he suddenly takes off, running cross-country.

62EXT. KANSAS COUNTRYSJDE - DAY

The blur which is the running CLARK zooms through a cornfield, makes a hair-pin turn across a meadow and up over a rise.

63 EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DAY - TRAVELLING SHOT

Clark runs parallel to some train tracks on the other side of the rise. A train looms up rapidly behind him, overtakes him by one or two cars. For a moment CLARK is content to keep pace with the train, then looks up at its windows.

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