The Replacements Page #8

McGinty comes strolling through the locker room, thepicture of calm. He walks by tight end Brian Murphy andsigns to him to have a good game. Murphy signs back,

"Thanks, Coach." McGinty bums an egg from Fumiko beforewalking to the middle of the locker room. He eats the

egg as he turns slowly and takes in the frightened looksof his players...

(CONTINUED)

THE REPLACEMENTS - Rev. 9/18/99 44.

48 CONTINUED:
(2) 48

McGINTY

Welcome to professional football.

We SLOWLY PAN ACROSS the faces of the replacement playersas McGinty continues:

McGINTY

There are some who will say that

your accomplishments today will

soon be forgotten. That you're not

'real' players and that this isn't a

'real' team. Well I say that's

bullshit. Because as of today you

are professional football players.

And the difference between

professional and amateur, between

playing for the Washington

Sentinels and Michigan State, is

that this is your job. Just like

you worked at the mini-mart, and

you worked in the shipping yard,

and you worked at the auto plant,

and you...

(stops on Wilkinson)

... well, you were in jail, but

the point is you are now being

paid to play. And that's a

privilege few athletes will ever

know. I want you to remember

that. Because the men whose place

you're taking forgot it a long

time ago.

(pauses)

Now let's play some football!

The guys erupt in cheers as we:

SMASH CUT TO:

49 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - DAY 49

We're FOCUSED ON an enormous, plastic blow-up WashingtonSentinel helmet that bobs on the ground in front of theexit. The idea is, the players will run into and thenout of the helmet as they are introduced. Annabelle and

her replacement cheerleaders are lined up on either sideof the bobbing helmet, waiting for the players.

45.

50 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - DAY 50

Madden and Summerall are vamping on camera:

MADDEN:

... and Detroit went out and

bought an entire semi-pro teamonce the strike happened.

Washington management, on theother hand, is going with a bunchof unknowns, although we'll seeone or two familiar faces out

there today.

SUMMERALL:

Like Shane Falco, the talented

college quarterback who fell outof sight after a disastrousshowing in the Sugar Bowl a fewyears back.

(to Madden)

Remember that beating he took fromFlorida State, John?

MADDEN:

Oh, yeah, Falco was decimated!

But that's nothing compared tosome of those thrashings he gotdown in San Diego.

SUMMERALL:

One thing we do know, is thatFalco can take a hit.

MADDEN:

He's sure had enough practice,

Pat.

SUMMERALL:

For some of these players this isanother shot, a last shot for a

guy like Falco...

51 INT. NEXTEL STADIUM - TUNNEL - DAY 51

Shane is looking out at the field through the blow-uphelmet. Suddenly, a CANNON goes off with a BOOM! asShane jumps.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

Ladies and gentlemen, yourWashington Sentinels!

46.

52 INT. NEXTEL STADIUM - DAY

In the stands we see a sparse crowd is in attendance,

mostly diehard fans who are already drunk. Amongst themwe find BOB, ROB, and TODD. You know those idiots yousee on TV? The ones who shave their heads and painttheir faces to look like football helmets? These guysare those idiots. Each one has painted his face in theteam's red and white colors while dressing up as adifferent founding father.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

Here's the starting defense fortoday...

52

53 INT. NEXTEL STADIUM - TUNNEL - DAY

Bateman is first in line, looking like a racehorse oncocaine.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

At middle linebacker, number 56,

Daniel Bateman!

Bateman roars as he takes off at a dead run out of the

tunnel and into the helmet.

53

ON HIS FOOT:

It hits a wire stretched across the ground inside thehelmet.

ON BATEMAN:

He trips into the side of the helmet. He bounces to the

other side, bounces again and is shot out like acannonball!

54

&

55

OMITTED 54

&

55

56 ON CHEERLEADERS

Bateman is catapulted out of the helmet and takes outfour cheerleaders who go down shrieking in pain.

56

57 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - DAY

Madden covers his face. Summerall winces.

(CONTINUED)

57

47.

57 CONTINUED:
57

Oh my...

SUMMERALL:

58 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - PARKING LOT - DAY 58

A contingent of strike players, led by Martel and Wilson,

huddle around a personal TV laughing their asses off.

59 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - FIELD - DAY 59

Cheerleaders are down and screaming in pain.

is running from girl to girl, doing triage.

Annabelle

ON BATEMAN:

sheepishly standing to one side as trainers come toassist.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

And now... uh, the rest of the

Washington Sentinels...

The rest of the team walks unceremoniously out of thehelmet and onto the field, as we -CUT

TO:

60 OMITTED 60

61 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - FIELD - DAY 61

Boom! The Detroit kicker puts one in the end zone for atouchback. The Sentinel offense walks out onto the

field. Shane snaps his chin strap as he and McGintyshare a look.

McGINTY

There can be only one leader outthere on the field.

(pauses)

Go be it.

Shane takes a deep breath and runs out onto the field...

62 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - FIELD - ANOTHER ANGLE - DAY 62

The Washington offense walks out onto the field withShane bringing up the rear.

(CONTINUED)

48.

62 CONTINUED:
62

IN HUDDLE:

Jamal and Fumiko are arguing.

JAMAL:

That's where I stand!

No it's not!

FUMIKO:

JAMAL:

C'mon, man, that's my spot in thehuddle!

Jamal shoves Fumiko over.

FUMIKO:

It's my spot now!

Fumiko shoves him back.

JAMAL:

Not for long, you tub of rice!

Jamal shoves him again.

62A ON SHANE 62A

As he walks we hear McGinty's voice in Shane's helmet,

delivered by one-way radio coming from McGinty's headset.

McGINTY (V.O.)

Nice and easy now. Let's run the

ten plays and get a feel for theland...

Shane walks into the huddle and the chaos.

Hold on!

SHANE:

What's the problem here?

FUMIKO:

I'm gonna kick your black ass!

JAMAL:

You ain't kickin' jack sh*t, Chinaman!

FUMIKO:

I'm Japanese not Chinese!

Andre gets involved as Shane gets between them.

(CONTINUED)

62A

THE REPLACEMENTS - Rev. 9/18/99

CONTINUED:

49.

62A

ANDRE:

(to Fumiko)

Don't be messing with my brother!

SHANE:

Hold on...

63 ON REF 63

He's watching the play clock, and when it gets to zero,

he pulls his penalty flag and throws it.

REF:

Delay of game! Five yards!

64 IN HUDDLE 64

Fumiko suddenly punches Andre through his face guard.

Andre knocks into Shane and spins him around. Jamal goesto punch Fumiko, misses and nails Shane in the back ofthe helmet. Shane goes down. Hard.

65 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - DAY 65

Madden and Summerall look confused.

SUMMERALL:

... I don't know. Something seemsto be going on in the huddle. It

looks like... yes, Shane Falco ison his back. They haven't run aplay yet but Falco is down!

MADDEN:

This is not a good sign.

66 EXT. NEXTEL STADIUM - FIELD - DAY 66

Trainers race out to Shane, who is lying face-up with thehuddle standing over him.

SHANE:

(clearing the cobwebs)

What happened? Am I hurt already?

Shane sits up. And then he remembers what happened.

(CONTINUED)

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