The Piano Lesson Page #19

Synopsis: 1930's Pittsburgh, a brother comes home to claim "my half of the piano", a family heirloom; but his sister is not wanting to part with it. This is a glimpse of the conditions for African-Americans as well as some of the attitudes and influences on their lives. But whether he is able to sell the piano so that he can get enough money to buy some property and "no longer have to work for someone else" involves the story (or lesson) that the piano has to show him.
Genre: Drama, Music
Director(s): Lloyd Richards
Production: Republic Pictures Home Video
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.1
PG
Year:
1995
95 min
1,618 Views


BIG SISTER:

Yes it is.

MYRTLE & BIG SISTER

Dear - George - you - have - my

MYRTLE:

heart? (She pulls a face as if

it doesn't make sense) Ada

McGrath.

BIG SISTER:

It doesn't make sense.

The little girls read it again together. MYRTLE turns the key over

matter of factly to see if there is more writing.

MYRTLE:

That's all

They all look up at him.

BAINES:

Say it again, just you.

Everyone turns and listens to MYRTLE

MYRTLE:

Dear George you have my heart,

Ada McGrath.

She gives a little "Is that all?" gesture.

BAINES:

You say it. (He points to BIG

SISTER, who has a crazy deep

voice.)

BIG SISTER:

Dear George you have my heart,

Ada McGrath.

Another little girl spontaneously recites the message. And so does

another. Through all this BAINES keeps his bead down shaking it in

disbelief and shy happiness. He starts to laugh with relief and

pleasure. The little girls think it is something funny in the line and

continue to repeat it, which each then appears to give BAINES fresh

pleasure. Meanwhile the smallest of the girls is quietly helping

herself to the sweets.

SCENE 127 DELETED

SCENE 128 DELETED

Sc 129EXT BAINES’ DUSK Sc 129

BAINTS rides up to his house in the evening light He is silly with

happiness. HIRA comes running out to meet him

HIRA:

Peini, Peini, liddle gel. I

seen her come up here, scream,

scream . blood on her. Look

bad... very bad

BAINES jumps off his horse and strides into his hut.

Sc 130INT BAINES' HUT DUSK Sc 130

Inside he finds FLORA crouching in a corner, her face is white, tear

stained and splattered with mud. Her angel wings are squashed behind

her and blood stained. On seeing BAINES she cries with renewed pain

and relief

BAINES:

What has happened? Hush, hush,

what is it?

FLORA thrusts the wrapped finger at BAINES. He takes the blood soaked

object and unwraps it. The finger unravels into his hand, he reels

back groaning, choking about to be sick.

FLORA:

(yelling) He says you're not to

see her or he'll chop her up!

BAINES:

(angry, horrified)

What happened?

But FLORA cannot speak. She bursts into loud sobs. BAINES kneels in

front of her shaking her.

TELL ME! TELL ME!

BAINES stops shaking her, she scrambles away and out the door. BAINES

chases after her.

Sc 131EXT BAINES DUSK Sc 131

FLORA screams as he catches her.

BAINES:

Quiet down! Shhh! Where is she?

FLORA:

(whimpering)

He chopped it off

BAINES:

Jesus! I'll kill him! I'll kill

him.

What did she tell him?

(shaking her)

What?

HIRA:

Put her down Peirn She is

liddle.

HIRA takes the quivering FLORA in her arms.

There girl. there

BAINES notices the blood on FLORA'S dress, he touches it, she shys

away.

Sc 132EXT STEWARD'S HUT NIGHT Sc 132

STEWART walks outside his hut disconsolate.

Sc 133INT STEWART'S HUT NIGHT Sc 133

STEWART enters ADA's room with a lamp. He puts it down beside her on

the table. He studies her pale face and dry lips. ADA's eyes flicker

open.

STEWART:

(speaking to his feet)

I lost my temper. I'm sorry.

STEWART looks at ADA.

STEWART:

You broke my trust, you pushed

me hard, to hard. (he sighs)

You cannot send love to HIM you

cannot do it. Even to think on

it makes me angry, very angry

ADA opens her eyes and looks at STEWART. It is evident she hears

nothing and has understood nothing, she is struggling with pain. Her

face grimaces and she groans.

STEWART:

I meant to love you. I clipped

your wing, that is all.

STEWART sings two lines of an English love ballad to ADA.

STEWART:

We shall be together, you will

see it will be better...

Her forehead is damp with fever. She thrashes at the blankets. STEWART

pulls them off to cool her. He feels her brow.

STEWART:

(whispering) ...

my love bird.

Her nightgown is damp with sweat and clings to her body. STEWART

reaches out to adjust her gown, his hand touches her leg and he holds

it there, feeling a tingle of pleasure, that grows and builds the

longer his hand remains.

STEWART:

Ohhhhh my love

His hand begins to move further and further up her leg, nudging the

nightgown higher and higher. He looks at her face. She is closed-eyed,

unconscious. STEWART'S face crinkles into a pained expression and all

his control melts into a drive to hold and extend this moment. He

brings his mouth to her leg and begins to kiss her knee, her thigh. A

new thought occurs to him, a terrible thought, but as he has phrased

the thought to himself, he cannot resist it. He glances at her face

still fevered and unconscious. Quietly, stealthily, he begins to undo

his belt buckle. He bends across her to gently separate her legs. As

he moves his body over her, he looks towards her and to his shame and

horror she is looking directly back at him, her eyes perfectly on his,

perfectly focused. Quietly STEWART moves back and pulls down her gown,

all the time keeping his eyes on her.

STEWART:

You are feeling better?

ADA's lips move slightly and STEWART turns suddenly as if he has heard

something. Slowly he turns back to ADA.

STEWART looks at ADA intently, moving closer to her bed, closer to ADA

his eyes locked on hers.

STEWART:

What...?

The sound of his own voice makes him blink. He watches her as if

listening to her speak in a voice that is so faint, and distant, that

only with great concentration and perseverance can he make it out. As

he watches her his face transforms; his eyes fill, his lips soften and

his eyebrows take on the exact expression of her own.

The kerosene lamp burns fitfully, fluttering a light pulse across

their faces. STEWART moves closer to ADA. Outside a wind bangs the

iron roof and rubs branches against each other making a high-pitched

see-saw sound. He leans closer still.

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes

August Wilson

August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama more…

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