The Butler Page #13

---

(to Louis)

How long ya’all been dating?

LOUIS:

5 Years.

CAROL:

We’re just friends.

Cecil stares at his son, and then at Carol. An awkward

moment. Charlie smirks. This dinner’s gonna be good. Gloria

changes the subject.

GLORIA (CONT’D)

Is, uh, all the rest of the kids

getting involved in politics too?

LOUIS:

There’s been a division, kind of a

split Ma. A few of them like John

Lewis are--

GLORIA:

I always liked him.

Cecil looks surprised.

CECIL:

How do you know who John Lewis is?

GLORIA:

Because I read JET Magazine. I’m

not just sitting up there sewing

for you all day.

Carol takes a sip of grape soda. She BURPS.

CAROL:

I’m getting sick and tired of

gettin’ thrown in jail.

CECIL:

Yeah? Well that makes two of us,

don’t it?

Carol rolls her eyes. Gloria takes note.

LOUIS:

Dr. King’s philosophy ultimately

got him murdered. It worked when we

started, but now it’s time to take

the next step, which is politics.

Charlie grins.

76.

GLORIA (CONT'D)

CHARLIE:

What, so y’all going to the White

House now? Dad, Louis going to the

White House. You know they ain’t

gonna let you in with them nipples

out. Maybe one, but not both of

them out.

Louis chuckles, only Charlie can make him smile these days.

LOUIS:

Nah, we’re more grass roots, one on

one with the community. Although we

have started our own political

party.

Charlie sees that Louis is serious.

CHARLIE:

(to Carol)

What’s your party? You like to

party? I like to party. What’s your

party called?

CAROL:

The Black Panther Party.

Cecil looks at his son, confused.

CECIL:

What kind of name is that? What

that stand for?

Carol is instantly edgy with him.

CAROL:

We provide free breakfast for

children, free medical clinics,

free clothing and self defense

classes.

GLORIA:

And why y’all need self defense?

LOUIS:

We ain’t gettin’ beat no more.

This lands like a hammer. Cecil and Gloria look

uncomfortable, not sure what the implications are.

GLORIA:

Me and your daddy saw a wonderful

movie the other night, reminded me

so much of you.

77.

LOUIS:

Oh yeah?

GLORIA:

What was the name of that movie

honey?

CECIL:

‘In the Heat of the Night’.

GLORIA:

‘In the Heat of the Night’ with

Sidney Poitier. Lord, Sydney

Poitier. I love Sydney Poitier. Sy--

LOUIS:

Sidney Poitier is the white man’s

fantasy of what he wants us to be.

GLORIA:

What you talking about?

CECIL:

But his movies have him fighting

for equal rights.

LOUIS:

Only in a way that is acceptable to

the white status quo.

(Then)

And the brother can’t act.

He and Carol laugh. Cecil looks upset at his son mocking one

of his heroes.

CECIL:

What are you talking about? He just

won the Academy Award... he’s

breaking down barriers for all of

us.

LOUIS:

By being white, by acting white.

Sidney Poitier is nothing but a

rich Uncle Tom.

CECIL:

Look at you. You all puffed up. You

got your hat on your head. Coming

in here. Saying whatever you want.

Your girlfriend is belching at the

table. You don’t even think you

need to go to school even though I

gave you the money.

78.

Cecil stares at him for a beat. Then makes a decision

CECIL (CONT’D)

You need to go. Yeah, Louis, I need

you to get out of my house.

Louis looks stunned.

LOUIS:

What?

Cecil jumps to his feet, screaming.

CECIL:

GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!

Louis and Gloria jumps to their feet.

GLORIA:

Cecil! Cecil no! No no no! Cecil!

CECIL:

I can’t take this no more!

GLORIA:

We ain’t seen this boy! We ain’t

seen this boy in years! Now

everybody just sit down!

LOUIS:

I’M SORRY, MISTER BUTLER! I DIDN’T

MEAN TO MAKE FUN OF YOUR HERO!

Switching gears mid sentence, Gloria turns to Louis and

SMACKS him across the face! He flies back, stunned. Gloria

stares at him with a fiery intensity.

GLORIA:

Everything you are, and everything

you have, is because of that

butler.

Gloria turns to Carol.

GLORIA (CONT'D)

Now you take that triflin’, low

class b*tch and get out of this

house.

Silence. Then Louis and Carol leave the house. They look

furious.

Cecil, Gloria and Charlie sit back at the table, an awkward

silence between them all. Then Charlie turns to Cecil:

79.

CHARLIE:

I like Sydney Poitier, daddy.

EXT. JAIL WAITING AREA - WASHINGTON, DC - DAY - 1970

Carter and Charlie have been sitting in this waiting area for

what seems like forever. He looks at his watch.

CARTER:

Y’all gonna make me late for work.

Charlie is grateful that Carter is there.

CHARLIE:

Uncle Carter, I’m sorry. Who else

am I gonna call to bail him out?

CARTER:

What they got him in for this time?

CHARLIE:

He said the cop stopped him “just

because”.

CARTER:

Just because?

CHARLIE:

He said he wasn’t gonna get beat no

more, so... he got out the car and

hit him back.

CARTER:

What about that little gal of his?

CHARLIE:

They put her in the hospital.

Carter looks at his watch again.

CARTER:

In the hospital? Charlie this

sh*t’s gotta stop, man. I’m late

for work.

(then half joking)

You tell Louis I’m not his momma. I

want my money back.

Charlie smiles. Louis enters the room.

CARTER (CONT’D)

You alright?

80.

LOUIS:

Yeah. I’m alright. Thanks Uncle

Carter.

CARTER:

You can take all this Black Panther

sh*t somewhere else. I’m not them,

I want my money back. Hear me?

LOUIS:

Yes, sir.

CARTER:

Every dime.

LOUIS:

Yes, sir.

CHARLIE:

Hey Uncle Carter, don’t tell Daddy?

Carter nods, then leaves.

Louis sits across from Charlie. Slight tension. Then -

CHARLIE (CONT’D)

How you avoid anal sex in prison?

Louis laughs.

CHARLIE (CONT’D)

Do they teach you that at The

Panthers? They teach you how to

sit?

Louis laughs harder, loves his brother. Louis gets serious.

LOUIS:

She been drinking again?

CHARLIE:

No. She sober. She ain’t doing

nothing but sewing and feeding them

damn fishes... feed them more than

she feed me.

LOUIS:

You excited about going back to

Howard?

CHARLIE:

I’m excited about not going back.

81.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote