West Side Story Page #2

Synopsis: West Side Story is the award-winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet". The feuding families become two warring New York City gangs- the white Jets led by Riff and the Puerto Rican Sharks, led by Bernardo. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony and Bernardo's younger sister Maria meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love. Maria and Tony begin meeting in secret, planning to run away. Then the Sharks and Jets plan a rumble under the highway - whoever wins gains control of the streets. Maria sends Tony to stop it, hoping it can end the violence. It goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what's happened, tragedy strikes and doesn't stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Musical
Production: United Artists Films
  Won 10 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Metacritic:
86
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
NOT RATED
Year:
1961
153 min
Website
13,596 Views


Riff.

Do you ever stop to figure

how many bubbles

are in one bottle of soda pop?

Tony, this is important.

Everything's important, Riff.

You. Me. The sweet guy I work for.

The Sharks walk bad. They bite hard.

If we don't stop 'em now, we'll never...

Here! Work for a living.

How do you like that?

Four years,

I live with a buddy and his family.

I think I'm digging a guy's character.

Boy, am I a victim

of disappointment in you.

End your suffering, little man.

Why don't you just

pack up your gear and move out?

Cos your ma's hot for me.

No! No, it's cos I hate

living with my buggin' uncle.

- Come on! Come on!

- Uncle! Uncle!

Now...

Go play games with the Jets.

Why not? They're the greatest.

Ain't they?

Were.

Were?

You found something better?

No. Not yet, but...

But what?

You won't dig it, Riff.

So try me.

Come on, Tony, try me.

OK.

Every single night, for the last month,

I wake up, and I'm reaching out.

- For what?

- I don't know.

A dame?

It's right outside the door.

Just around the corner...

but it's coming.

What is?

I don't know!

It's like the kick

I used to get from being a Jet.

Well, now you're talking!

Man, without a gang, you're an orphan!

With a gang,

you walk in twos, threes, fours.

When your crew is the best,

when you're a Jet,

you're out in the sun,

you're home, free home.

Riff, I've had it.

Tony.

Tony, look at me, will you?

Come on, look at me.

I'm looking at you.

I never asked the time of day

from a clock, did I?

I never asked nothing from nobody.

But I'm asking you...

Come to the dance tonight.

I promised Doc

I'd clean up the store tonight.

Then do it after the dance.

Tony, I already told the guys

you'd be there.

If you don't show,

I'll be marked lousy.

What time did you tell 'em?

For me, Tony. For Riff.

- 10 it is.

- Womb to tomb?

Birth to earth! I'll live to regret this.

What you're waiting for

may be twitching at the dance.

Yeah. Who knows?

Who knows?

Could be

Who knows?

There's something due any day

I will know right away

Soon as it shows

It may come cannonballin'

down through the sky

Gleam in its eye,

bright as a rose

Who knows?

It's only just out of reach

Down the block, on a beach

Under a tree

I got a feeling

there's a miracle due

Gonna come true

Coming to me

Could it be?

Yes, it could

Something's coming,

something good

If I can wait

Something's coming

I don't know what it is

But it is gonna be great

With a click

With a shock

Phone will jingle

Door will knock

Open the latch

Something's coming

Don't know when, but it's soon

Catch the moon,

one-handed catch

Around the corner

Or whistlin' down the river

Come on, deliver

To me

Will it be

Yes, it will

Maybe just by holding still

It'll be there

Come on, something

Come on in, don't be shy

Meet a guy, pull up a chair

The air is hummin'

And something great is coming

Who knows

It's only just out of reach

Down the block, on a beach

Maybe tonight

Maybe tonight

Maybe tonight

Por favor, Anita. You are my friend.

You must make the neck lower.

Stop heckling me. We are working

on our time, not the old lady's.

One inch.

How much can one little inch do?

Too much.

Anita, it is now to be

a dress for dancing,

no longer for praying.

With those boys, you can start in

dancing and end up praying!

Querida. One little inch.

- Un poquitino.

- Bernardo made me promise.

Bernardo!

One month have I been in this country!

Do I ever touch excitement?

I sew here all day.

I sit at home all night.

Why did my brother bring me here?

To marry Chino.

Chino.

When I look at Chino, nothing happens.

What do you expect to happen?

I don't know. Something.

What happens

when you look at Bernardo?

It's when I don't look that it happens.

I think I will tell Mama and Papa

about you and Nardo

in the balcony of the movies.

Oh! I will rip this to shreds!

No.

But if you perhaps could manage

to lower the neck...

Next year.

- I hate that dress!

- Then, don't wear it.

And don't come

to the dance tonight.

- Don't come?

- Here!

Could we not dye it red?

No, we could not!

White is for babies.

I will be the only one there in a white...

Aaah!

- Oh, s.

- Ah.

It is a beautiful dress.

I love you!

- Are you ready, ladies?

- Nardo, come in!

Is it not beautiful?

Ah, yes.

Very.

Er... I didn't quite hear.

Ah, very beautiful.

Come in, Chino. Do not be afraid.

But this is a shop for ladies!

We won't bite you

till we know you better!

Chino,

keep both eyes on Maria tonight,

in case I cannot.

You too, Anita.

My brother is a silly watchdog.

Aah, my sister is a precious jewel.

What am I? Cut glass?

Nardo, it is most important

that I have a wonderful time tonight.

Because tonight

is the real beginning of my life

as a young lady of America.

Get out of here!

Hey, Nardo, cmo ests?

Come on, guys.

Maria!

Hey, Maria.

- Hey, look what I got.

- Hi, Consuelo.

These are some of my friends

you have not met.

- Hey. Pick up.

- How are you?

This is Loco.

- Mucho gusto.

- Encantada.

Teresita.

- My sister, Maria.

- Good evening.

- Luis Arruza.

- Encantada.

- Rosalia, hi!

- Oye, Nardo.

All right, boys and girls, all right.

Attention, please.

Attention!

- Come here.

- Let's get on with it!

My, this is a fine turnout

we have here tonight.

It's all for you, Glad Hand.

I know.

I know you boys and girls are here

because you want

to make new friends,

and get closer to old ones.

Tonight we're gonna do

something special.

We're gonna have a get-together dance.

Ginger-peachy!

All right. All right, now.

Kids, kids.

I want you to form two circles.

How many?

Two. Boys on the outside

and girls on the inside.

Where are you?

All right.

Now, er...

When the music stops

each boy dances with

whichever girl is opposite.

OK?

OK.

Two circles, kids.

Well, it won't hurt you to try.

Oo-ooh, it hurts, it hurts!

Snowboy.

That's it, kids. Keep the ball rolling.

Around she goes, and where she stops

nobody knows.

All right, here we go.

Boys to my right

and girls to my left.

- Mambo!

- Mambo!

Go!

Hey, Tony.

Mambo!

Baila! Baila!

Mambo!

You're not thinking I'm someone else?

I know you are not.

Or that we met before?

I know we have not.

I felt...

I knew something

was going to happen,

had to happen,

but this is so much more.

My hands are cold.

Yours, too.

So warm.

So beautiful.

Beautiful.

It's so much to believe.

You are not making a joke?

I have not yet learned

how to joke that way.

I think now I never will.

Get your hands off, American!

- Keep off my sister!

- Sister?

- Can't you see he's one of them?

- I saw only him.

They want only one thing

from a Puerto Rican girl.

- That's a lie!

- Later, Tony.

- Don't listen.

- She will listen to her brother first.

Please! Everything was going well.

- Come on, we're here to have fun!

- I want to talk to you.

Nardo!

Take her out of here, we're going home.

Nardo, it is my first dance.

Rate this script:2.5 / 6 votes

Ernest Lehman

Ernest Paul Lehman was an American screenwriter. He received six Academy Award nominations during his career, without a single win. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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