The Replacements Page #2

MARTEL:

I hear most of the cheerleaders

are gonna walk out in a show ofsolidarity.

(CONTINUED)

THE REPLACEMENTS - Rev. 8/25/99 6.

9A CONTINUED:
9A

ANNABELLE:

Most are.

MARTEL:

But you're staying? Who are yougonna cheer for? The peanut guy?

He laughs. She doesn't.

MARTEL:

Aw, c'mon, 'Belle. Lighten up...

ANNABELLE:

I'll lighten up in the off-season.

She gets into her car as Martel grins and shakes hishead.

MARTEL:

Listen to you. Maybe you shouldbe team captain instead of me.

ANNABELLE:

At least then they'd have a leaderwith some balls.

Martel's smile fades as he watches her drive off...

CUT BACK TO:

10 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - NIGHT 10

An empty stadium.

Quiet as a church, it sits in contrast to the din of

spectacle only hours ago. We SINGLE OUT O'Neil's privatebox high above the stadium as we hear a quiet SNORING...

11 INT. NEXTEL STADIUM - O'NEIL'S LUXURY BOX - SAME TIME 11

The old man sleeps soundly, peacefully. And then we hear

ICE CUBES SLOSHING IN a GLASS. He blinks his eyes open

to see:

JIMMY McGINTY

A handsome devil in his late fifties, wearing golfclothes and sipping the last dregs of a Scotch rocks.

(CONTINUED)

7.

11 CONTINUED:
11

McGINTY

You look like sh*t.

O'NEIL

I'm dying, Jimmy.

McGINTY

(laughs)

You've been dying for twenty

years.

O'Neil motions to the glass. McGinty pours three fingersfrom a Glenlivet bottle into a plastic cup before handingit over. O'Neil sips his whiskey, smiling as it goesdown.

O'NEIL

Now gimme a butt.

McGINTY

I quit.

O'NEIL

(scowling)

Nobody likes a quitter. Did yousee the game today?

McGINTY

Nope.

O'NEIL

Liar. Could you believe thatslide by Martel? What a p*ssy.

McGINTY

What did you expect? You've been

bottle-feeding those babiesstraight cash for years. Guyslike that aren't gonna take achance at getting hurt before astrike.

O'NEIL

You're right. I've got the wrongguys out there. On the field and

off.

(smiles, looking himover)

Take a walk with me, Jimmy...

12 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - NIGHT 12

As the two men walk down the stadium steps together...

(CONTINUED)

8.

12 CONTINUED:
12

McGINTY

How's the wife?

O'NEIL

She got her lips done. I didn't

even know you could get your lipsdone.

(shudders)

Looks like a large-mouthed bass.

McGinty laughs.

O'NEIL

Look, I'm too old and too

impatient to screw around so letme put it to you straight: I want

you back.

McGINTY

You already have a coach.

O'NEIL

I'll take care of that...

McGINTY

Like you took care of me?

O'NEIL

Now, Jimmy --

McGINTY

You don't even have any players.

They all flew home on their jetsto their castles, remember?

O'NEIL

We're gonna finish the season

anyway. We're gonna usereplacement players.

McGinty laughs as they reach the field...

McGINTY

Jesus, what a business.

O'NEIL

Look, we got four games left. If

we win three we're in the

playoffs.

McGINTY

Gee, win three out of four? With

replacements? That's not much to

ask...

(CONTINUED)

9.

12 CONTINUED:
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O'NEIL

You won for me once. You can do

it again.

O'Neil starts out across the grass to the middle of the50 yard line where we see the logo for the WashingtonSentinels. McGinty pauses at the edge of the field, asif it were the deep end of a pool. O'Neil gives a slysmile.

O'NEIL

S'matter, Jimmy?

Jimmy shoots him a look before stepping onto the fieldand walking out after him. It's been a long time...

O'NEIL

Look, nobody is gonna give youanother chance like this after

that Dallas mess...

McGINTY

(getting hot)

I was right.

O'NEIL

It's not about being right! You

went head-to-head with an eightmillion-

dollar quarterback! Who

did you think was gonna win? But

that's not gonna happen here. I'm

talking about a team of poornobodies who play to win. Not a

bunch of bitchy millionaires.

McGinty looks downfield for a beat.

O'NEIL

Jimmy...

McGINTY

Shut up, I'm thinking...

(then)

Total control of my team? You let

me recruit who I want, with no

interference.

O'NEIL

My word is my bond.

McGINTY

I want it in writing.

(CONTINUED)

10.

12 CONTINUED:
(3)

O'Neil chuckles. Suddenly from behind them we see theenormous JUMBO-TRON DIAMOND VISION screen suddenlyflicker to life. At first it seems like a malfunction...

but then we see the face of a younger Jimmy McGinty comeinto focus.

12

O'NEIL

Hmm... gotta get that thingfixed...

O'Neil smiles and walks up the steps for his box.

McGINTY

You old bastard...

But he can't turn away. It's his life up there. A

montage of photographs of his past triumphs as coach...

a famous last-minute touchdown catch... players dousinghim in All-Sport... the team holding him up on theirshoulders... McGinty holding a trophy over his head incelebration...

CLOSE ON McGINTY

as the glow of the enormous screen reflects in his eyes,

sealing the deal as we hear...

McGINTY (V.O.)

Let's get to work!

13 INT. HEAD COACH'S OFFICE - DAY 13

McGinty is sitting behind his new desk. The logo for theWashington Sentinels hangs proudly on the wall.

McGINTY

Whataya got for me?

Standing before him are the offensive coordinator, LEOPILACHOWSKI, an asthmatic who regularly takes hits froman industrial-size inhaler, and CHRISTOPHER BANES, an ex-

player and defensive coordinator.

BANES:

Well, we thought we would skipspecial teams for the moment.

It's gonna be tough enough justputting an offense and a defensetogether in seven days.

(CONTINUED)

11.

13 CONTINUED:
13

PILACHOWSKI:

But we definitely need a kicker.

A placekicker over a punter.

BANES:

Thinking being that if we lose thetoss, we have to be able to at

least kick off.

Both coaches laugh nervously.

anything.

McGinty doesn't say

PILACHOWSKI:

Okay. Here's a list of everyplayer cut this past season.

we'd like to -What

McGINTY

(pointing at the list)

Those people? Those people werecut for a reason.

(hands the list back)

We're gonna go another way here...

McGinty takes out a list of his own.

McGINTY

This is a list of people I've keptan eye on over the years. They'veall played football somewhere, butonly a few in the pros. And

they've all got something...

unique to bring to the game.

We're gonna take these people andtry to put together a winning

team. And if nothing else, theyshould be fun to watch...

Pilachowski and Banes look at McGinty's list, then backto him, hoping that this is a joke. But McGinty onlysmiles.

MUSIC UP:
"ROCK AND ROLL (Part 2)." A Hip Hop versionof the Gary Glitter sports anthem plays on, as we...

CUT TO:

14 INT. METHAMPHETAMINE LAB - DAY 14

A bunch of BIKERS are cooking up a vat of speed. These

guys are big and bad ass-looking. One of the bikers

looks up.

(CONTINUED)

12.

14 CONTINUED:
14

BIKER:

Did you hear something?

The other biker shakes his head, no. They go back towork. Suddenly, the door disintegrates in front of acharging man wearing a police windbreaker. This is

DANIEL BATEMAN, a big, young, psychotic cop, whoimmediately knocks one of the bikers down and kicks theguy in the head.

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