Superman Page #5

64ANGLE ON TRAIN WINDOWS - CLARK'S POV

A LITTLE GIRL of' six looks out one window, her nose pressed to the glass, her chin dropping in surprise.

65BACK To CLARK

He notices. Embarrassed, he runs faster, pulling on ahead and passing the train.

66INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - -DAY

The GIRL'S PARENTS are the couple we saw in the opening shot of the movie, cooing over their baby. They are six years older now, as is she: LOIS LA.NE

LOIS:

(turns - amazed)

Golly! I saw a boy out there, running fast

as the train! Faster, even!

MOTHER:

(affectionate sigh)

Lois Lane, you do have a writer's gift for

invention. I'll say that for you.

LOIS:

But...

FATHER:

Read your book, dear.

67EXT. KENT FARMHOUSE - DAY

A small farm on a dirt road facing a wheatfield. A barn stands at one end of the front yard area. CLARK, running in a blur suddenly appears by the tree growing next to the front gate, stops. CAMERA PANS: coming down the road: the convertible with the FOOTBALL PLAYERS and CHEERLEADERS. CLARK leans nonchalantly against the tree as the car and its amazed occupants roll to a stop, stare with wonder.

SUSIE:

Clark ....?

FOOTBALL PLAYER:

How the hell did you...

CLARK:

(deadpan)

I ran.

FOOTBALL PLAYER:

(pause- to others)

Told you he was a weirdo. Let's get out of here...

He guns the car, irritated, roars off. CLARK breaks into a thin, self-satisfied smile.

JONATHAN'S VOICE

Been showin' off a bit, have you, son?

68ANGLE ON JONATHAN

JONATHAN KENT, much older now, stands with stooped shoulders, a scythe in one hand. He looks care-worn, but deeply concerned as CLARK joins him in the yard.

CLARK:

I don't mean...to show off, Dad.

It's just that...

JONATHAN:

(total understanding)

You got all these amazin' things you can do

and sometimes you think you'll go bust if

you don't let other people know ..

68 CONTINUED

CLARK:

(misty-eyed frustration)

I could score a touchdown every time I had

the ball. Every time, Dad. Is it showing off

for a person to do what he's capable of? Is

a bird Showing off when it flies?

(no reply)

I'm sorry, Dad. I know I made a promise,

but I just don't think I can handle it anymore.

CLARK turns away. JONATHAN watches with compassion.

JONATHAN:

Look, son. You've been nothin' but a blessing to your mother and me. In the beginning - when you first

came -we thought they'd take you away from us if

people found out about. . . the things you could do.

But a man thinks different as he gets older, 'thinks...

better. Wiser. Starts to see things clear. And I

know now that as sure as we're gonna see the moon

tonight there's a reason why you're here. Don't ask me

what reason, don't ask me whose reason. But whoever, and whatever, there's one thing I do know...

(soft smile)

It ain't to score touchdowns.

CLARK turns, nods, understanding. JONATHAN puts his arm around him.

JONATHAN:

Now why don't you see if you can finish up your

chores before I finish up all that apple pie I smell

comin' from your mother's kitchen window....

CLARK smiles, heads off toward the barn, CAMERA TRACKS with him. Suddenly: a choked scream is heard 0.S. CAMERA WHIP PANS: JONATHAN, his hand clutching his heart, staggers on the front step of the farmhouse.

CLARK (O.S.)

Dad! . .

66 CONTINUED

MARTHA'S VOICE

(from inside)

Jonathan...?

JONATHAN collapses, falling backwards as MARTHA opens the front door.

MARTHA:

Jonathan!

69EXT. KAN5AS CEMETERY - DAY

CAMERA CLOSE on a tombstone reading: JONATHAN KENT, 1887-1943 R.I.P., PULLS BACK: CLARK stands by a freshly filled grave, holds the hand of the weeping MARTHA. Both are dressed in mourning.

CLARK:

(quiet anguish)

All those things I can do, all those powers...

and I still couldn't save him.

70 EXT. KENT FARM - NIGHT'

The barn stands silhouetted against the night sky. .SLOWLY TRACKS TOWARD IT, passes through the door.

71INT. BARN - NIGHT

Pitch dark inside. A green light emanates somewhere from beneath a mound of hay the light seems to throb as it glows, as if calling out for something - or someone.

72INT. CLARK'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

CLARK KENT, now 18 years old, is asleep, suddenly his eyes open. Her sits up, looks around.

73EXT. FARM - NIGHT

The back door opens. CLARK, fully dressed, emerges from the house, crosses

to the barn.

74INT. BARN - NIGHT

CLARK enters, crosses to the mound of hay which throbs with the green light. Digging and pushing the hay aside, he uncovers the geode-like module which brought him to earth. The module glows brightly, lit by something from within. CLARK stares hard at it - his eyes changing in colour and consistency.

75ANGLE ON GEODE - CLARK'S X-RAY POV

Seen through CLARK'S X-RAY vision which cuts through the solid surface of the module: a green crystal throbs inside, resting on the red, yellow, and blue blankets.

76BACK TO SCENE

CLARK kneels, opens the module, picks up the crystal, stares into it deeply, eyes widening in the eerie, pulsating light.

77INT. KENT KITCHEN

MARTHA stands over the kitchen stove in the early morning, bacon sizzling in the pan , a pot of hot coffee steaming nearby. She turns her head slightly, calls out.

MARTHA:

Clark? Are you going to sleep all day?

I've got....

She stops, has noticed something out the kitchen window. CAMERA PANS, pushes in through window: In the distant wheatfield across the road stands the motionless figure of CLARK.

78EXT. WHEATFIELD - DAY

CLARK stands quietly, immobile, staring north as the late morning sun hits the side of his face. The look is trance-like as if some force were pulling at him. There is a rustle in the wheat behind him. He does not turn...

CLARK:

I... have to leave.

MARTHA enters frame, stops, looks at him thoughtfully, full of emotion.

78CONTINUED

MARTHA:

I... knew this time would come.

I knew it from the day I found you. .

CLARK turns now, faces her. He speaks flatly, trying to avoid breaking down.

CLARK:

I'll bring in the crop before I leave. I...

talked to Ben Hubbard yesterday. He'll

be happy to help out from now on.

MARTHA:

He's a good man, Ben is. Your father

always said so.

CLARK:

(emotionally)

Mother...

MARTHA:

(helpless smile)

I know, son. I know....

79EXT. WHEATFIELD - DAY

The sun starts to set in the distance. CLARK approaches the vast wheatfield, his .father's scythe in his hand. He hesitates a moment, unobtrusively looks around, then bursts toward the wheat at SUPER SPEED, cutting an instant four-foot wide swath across the field.

80INT. KITCHEN - DAY - ANGLE ON WHEATFIELD

CAMERA looks through the kitchen window as the wheatfield practically disintegrates in neat rows before us, then PULLS BACK: MARTHA watches, her eyes filled with tears.

81EXT. KENT F ARM - DAY

The wind is blowing. Tall, neat stacks of baled wheat rise up near the barn. CAMAERA PANS: CLARK stands at the gate to the road in a windbreaker and slacks, has a rucksack at his side. MARTHA holds out a brown paper bag.

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