The Butler Page #9

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CARTER (CONT’D)

(changing the mood)

Cecil, how’s your boy doing?

CECIL:

Out of jail. He says he’s back in

school. But I think he’s doing that

freedom riding thing.

HOLLOWAY:

Hey man, how’s Gloria doing with

that drinking?

CECIL:

(strained)

She’s hangin’.

CARTER:

You see that Kat that’s playing?

He’s a big deal.

HOLLOWAY:

Pablo Casals. World famous.

CECIL:

Course he’s world famous! You think

Ms. Kennedy’s gonna have some back

woods country fiddle band playing

out there for her?

HOLLOWAY:

Man...

CECIL:

Why don’t you start a band. Maybe

you could go out there too? You

know, in fact, let’s all start a

band! I’ll play the bongos... what

about you?

CARTER:

I’ll play a mean skin flute.

HOLLOWAY:

Casals is a righteous soul. He

refuses to play in any country that

recognizes Franco’s regime.

CARTER:

Who’s Franco?

Cecil chuckles. Carter shakes his head in disgust.

51.

HOLLOWAY:

Forget it, man.

CARTER:

Huh?

HOLLOWAY:

Forget it. You’re ignorant.

EXT. ALABAMA - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT - 1961

A Greyhound bus drives down a dark country road in Alabama.

INT. GREYHOUND BUS - MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA - NIGHT - 1961

A dozen Freedom Riders are on the bus with a few JOURNALISTS,

white. Every black Freedom Rider sits next to a white one.

LOUIS:

Carol, you tired?

CAROL:

What you want me to put my head on

your shoulder?

LOUIS:

What’s wrong with that?

CAROL:

(smiling)

I’m not putting my head on your

shoulder...

The mood is fairly relaxed. Kids goofing off, having fun,

despite the potential danger. A JOURNALIST, 30, white,

charming, talks with one of the riders.

JOURNALIST:

You ever been on a Freedom Bus

before?

FREEDOM RIDER #1

No, it’s my first time.

JOURNALIST:

No? How’s your boyfriend feel about

that?

FREEDOM RIDER #1

(laughing)

My boyfriend?!

52.

JOURNALIST:

(smiling)

Yeah... He must be upset at you,

being on this bus?

FREEDOM RIDER #1

I don’t have a boyfriend.

JOURNALIST:

You don’t have a boyfriend? How do

you not have a boyfriend?

Louis and Carol sit together, relaxed, until someone notices:

FREEDOM RIDER #3

Louis, what is that?

A beam of light floods through the bus. Everyone looks out

front and sees a car with a KLAN CROSS formed by bright

lights. The car is coming straight for them!

LOUIS:

DRIVER, TURN! TURN THE BUS!

The bus turns onto a bridge to avoid the collision. All of a

sudden, lights are turned on by cars blocking the other side

of the bridge.

Men with torches in Klan dress and a burning cross approach

the bus. They start SMASHING the bus windows with bats and

chains!

The Freedom Riders drop to the center aisle of the bus. Glass

shards fall on top of them. A WHITE MAN’s smiling face

appears as he takes off his Klan hood. Then - he throws A

MOLOTOV COCKTAIL into the bus, setting the back on FIRE!

LOUIS (CONT’D)

(Yelling)

EVERYBODY OUT!

INT. WHITE HOUSE - KITCHEN - LATER - 1961

With most of the White House staff gone, Cecil sits at the

kitchen table reading a book to Caroline.

CECIL:

‘In an old house in Paris that was

covered in vines, lived 12 little

girls in two straight lines. The

smallest one was Madeline.’

53.

CAROLINE KENNEDY

Like Caroline.

Caroline, sleepy, beams at Cecil. Lorraine smiles fondly from

the stove.

CECIL:

“She was not afraid of mice.”

CAROLINE KENNEDY

Why do people ride in the freedom

bus?

Cecil looks at Lorraine. Then at Caroline. Before he can

answer:

CAROLINE KENNEDY (CONT’D)

Uncle Bobby told my daddy that the

Freedom Bus exploded.

Lorraine drops her hot comb on the floor. She looks at Cecil.

They share stares of horror. Cecil continues reading. His

hands trembling on the page

INT. GAINES HOUSE - DAY - FEBRUARY, 1962

Gloria is on the couch watching on TV a report about the

explosion on the Freedom Bus. Cecil watches as well.

CECIL V.O.

I didn’t know if my boy was dead or

alive...

The phone rings! They jump up as Cecil quickly answers it.

CECIL:

Hello?

His entire body slumps in relief as he hears:

LOUIS O.S.

Hi, dad. I’m in Mississippi.

Gloria starts to tear up, knowing her son is alive.

CECIL:

I thought you was in Alabama?

LOUIS (O.S.)

We spent two weeks in jail there,

now we’re in Mississippi.

54.

CECIL:

Now I want you to listen to me,

Louis. I want you to come home. I

know we ain’t seen eye to eye, but

your mamma, she wants you home.

He looks over to Gloria, smoking a cigarette, tears flowing.

LOUIS V.O.

They keeping me.

CECIL:

How long?

GLORIA O.S.

Where is he?

LOUIS V.O.

I don’t know. They said 3 months.

When I get out, I’m gonna take

another ride.

CECIL:

What are you talking about?!

GLORIA O.S.

What is he saying? Let me talk to

him. Give me that phone.

INT. MISSISSIPPI PRISON - DAY - 1962

Bandaged and bruised, Louis is in a blue prison uniform

calling from the pay phone. The prison looks like hell.

LOUIS:

It is my right to ride that bus. It

is my legal right and I will

exercise my rights as an American

citizen!

GLORIA V.O.

American citizen? What you talking

about? You know what they gonna do

to you? They gonna lynch ya. Then

they gonna throw your little ass in

the river. They gon’ kill you.

LOUIS:

Ma, then they just gonna have to

kill me.

He hangs up the phone.

55.

FULL SCREEN - ARCHIVAL NEWS FOOTAGE - 1963

Black & White archival footage of black children and teens

being HOSED DOWN in the streets by police and firemen as

barking dogs snap at them.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - 1963

Jack and Jackie watch the news footage, they look horrified.

Cecil and Holloway stand against the back wall, struggling to

not appear upset. Jack looks deeply troubled.

JACK:

I don’t know what country I’m

looking at.

Cecil peeks out over Jack’s shoulder, starring at the screen,

a sinking feeling.

EXT. BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - DAY - 1963

Louis is sprayed with a fire hose. Its force throws him

violently against a brick wall. The water pummels him. Carol

clutches a tree as the fire hoses drill into her.

INT. GAINES HOUSE- LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1965

Gloria and Howard sit in the living room on the couch. They

watch the TV footage of the protestors. She’s in her bra and

slip. Howard is in his postal uniform. Shoes off.

HOWARD:

Louis man... that little nigga

might be on to something.

GLORIA:

Stop calling him a nigga cause he

ain’t no nigga.

HOWARD:

What’s wrong, baby?

Gloria suddenly realizes the situation she is in.

GLORIA:

What’s wrong with me is... this.

HOWARD:

What are you talking about?

56.

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