men of color short script

8/13/2019 Men of Color Short Script

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MEN OF COLOR

Written by

Mike Kearby

WGA #1614639PO Box 406 Lometa, TX 76853512-540-6717 [email protected]


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BLACK SCREEN

Car stopping on gravel.

SQUEAK of two car Doors OPENING, then SLAMMING Shut.

Shoe STEPPING on gravel. STOPS.

Third car Door OPENING. SLAMMING shut.

Footsteps CRUNCHING on gravel.

Footsteps THUMPING on concrete.

NARRATOR (V.O.)In the year 2031, the world isbroke - - and broken. The courtsystem devolved into a congestion

that came to be known as theInexhaustible Overload. Grandjuries, investigations, and DNAevidence all replaced by DistrictEvidentiary Panels. And in 2031 - -someone always pays.

FADE IN:

EXT. DEOTIS WILLIAMS HOUSE - NIGHT

BLUE MAN 1 and BLUE MAN 2, late 30s, dressed in ill-fitting

long-sleeve turtlenecks. Pants cinched tightly at the waistand tucked inside lace-up boots. Only their blue faces andhands are exposed.

They accompany RAGGEDY MAN, early-twenties, slender, a kidwho wears hand-me-downs: a tweed jacket with scuffed elbows,and wool pants with patched knees.

The neighborhood is bleak and in disrepair. There are notrees or shrubs. A street light BLINKS on and off.

The three stride purposefully for the front door of DEOTISWILLIAMS house.

Blue Man 1 turns the door handle. Door is locked. Removes aburglar pick from his pocket. Sticks pick into the key hole.Rotates pick back and forth.

Metallic CLINK of door being jimmied. Lock CLICKS open.

Blue Man 1 stops. Turns the door handle ninety degrees.Hesitates. Removes pick. Pushes door open several inches.


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SQUEAK of door hinges.

Blue Man 1 turns ear toward door. Leans in slightly. Listensintently. Pushes door fully open. Stands aside.

Raggedy Man steps inside.

Blue Man 1 and Blue Man 2 follow.

INT. DEOTIS WILLIAMS HOUSE - NIGHT

Raggedy Man, Blue Man 1 and Blue Man 2 move silently across asmall, sparse living room toward a dimly lit hallway.

They turn right at the hallway where Raggedy Man PRESSEShimself against the wall.

Blue Man 1 and Blue Man 2 move ahead.

INT. DEOTIS WILLIAMS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

A night light in the hallway hangs awkwardly causingelongated shadows of the trio to appear on the opposite wall.

Blue Man 1 and Blue Man 2 walk shoulder-to-shoulder. Armsswinging in a synchronized rhythm. They approach a closeddoor at the end of the hallway in six strides.

Raggedy Man follows closely behind.

Blue Man 1 reaches for the door handle. Rotates knob. Pushesdoor open.

INT. DEOTIS WILLIAMS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Blue Man 1 and Blue Man 2 walk hurriedly for a bed againstthe far wall. When they reach the foot of the bed, Blue Man 1

walks down the right side of the bed while Blue Man 2 walksdown the left side of the bed.

Raggedy Man stops at the foot of the bed. Removes an index

card from his inside jacket pocket.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS, an older black man, late 50s, rises upsuddenly startled. His face shows the lines and crevices of a

man beaten by the system. He pulls the covers up around hisneck, frightened.

Raggedy Man eyes DeOtis, then begins reading from the card.

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EXT. CHRISTINE NORWOODS FRONT DOOR - EVENING

DeOtis holds a pizza box carrier. Checks address numbers ondoor.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS(under breath)

2002.

DeOtis KNOCKS.

Checks address.

KNOCKS again.

Exhales, exasperated. KNOCKS again. Harder.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS (CONTD)

Is anyone home? Come on now,someone has to pay for this pizza.

DeOtis draws fist back. Starts it downward.

CUT TO:

EXT. GOVERNMENT SEDAN - PRESENT

Back passenger car door SLAMS shut. The car is black andunusually small.

INT. GOVERNMENT SEDAN - CONTINUOUS

DeOtis, still in his boxers, sits crammed in back seat nextto Raggedy Man.

Blue Man 1 sits cramped in the drivers seat.

Blue Man 2 sits cramped in the passenger seat.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSDont you see? Someone ordered apizza for 2002 Bay Circle.

Raggedy Man removes index card from jacket pocket.

RAGGEDY MANThis isnt trial.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSBut no one came to the door, no oneanswered. A prank, I guess -- butsomeone has to pay.

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BLUE MAN 1(smiling at Blue Man 2)

He knows the law.

BLUE MAN 2(smiling back)

Without question.

Government sedan speeds away SPINNING gravel into air.

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Government sedan SPEEDS through vacant and dark city streets.

NARRATOR (V.O.)In the year 2025, operator 425-089-36-14 working at a district hair-

coloring corporation, discoveredthat ions manipulated in a solutionof pigment exhibited a verifiabledeclension rate that the operatorcould manipulate. Some hailed it asthe greatest discovery of the time.

EXT. DISTRICT DECOLORING FACILITY - LATER

The government sedan pulls into the driveway of a modifiedfour bay car wash. The sedans lights illuminate thefacility.

The drive-thru for each bay has been sealed with cinderblocks. Each bay has a painted door with black writing on it.

The first door is BLUE. Written: THIEVES.

The second door is YELLOW. Written: CHILD MOLESTORS.

The third door is GREEN. Written: RAPISTS.

The fourth door is RED. Written: MURDERERS.

EXT. GOVERNMENT SEDAN - CONTINUOUS

The driver side door, the front passenger door, and the backleft passenger door open simultaneously. Blue Man 1, Blue Man2, and Raggedy Man exit.

MONTAGE

- Blue Man 1 walking around back of the car.

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- DeOtiss door swinging open.

- DeOtis being jerked from the car.

- Blue hands clamping onto DeOtiss upper arms.

- DeOtis being dragged toward the red door.

- DeOtis being spun 180 degrees so his back is to the door.

- Raggedy Man withdrawing packing peanuts from coat pocket

- DeOtiss face trembling.

- Peanuts being pushed into DeOtiss ears and nostrils.

- Red door swinging open.

- Raggedy Man pushing DeOtis inside.

INT. RED DISCOLORING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

DeOtis stands in the center of the room.

An unlit red light is mounted on a side wall. Under thelight is an sign.

Written: RED DYE = FIFTY YEARS.

DeOtis glances overhead.

A shower head hangs from the ceiling.

A single drop of red dye DANGLES from one of the openings.

DeOtis CLOSES both eyes.

The drop FALLS. SPLATTERS onto DeOtiss forehead.

DeOtis lowers head. OPENS eyes. Stares at Raggedy Man.

Door SLAMS shut.

RAGGEDY MAN (O.C.)I would hold my breath rightabout...

DeOtis stares at the closed door, then at the red light.

Light FLASHES on.

RAGGEDY MAN (O.C.) (CONTD)Now.

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A compressor KICKS on. HUMS noisily.

DeOtis LOWERS chin toward chest. Beaten.

The shower head SPEWS red dye.

EXT STREET OUTSIDE DEOTIS WILLIAMS HOUSE - DAY

Rundown neighborhood. Every house looks the same and all arein the same state of disrepair. Each yard is landscaped withrocks of assorted sizes. The street is gravel.

A RED DeOtis stands on the sidewalk leading to his house.Watches government sedan speed away.

Three small boxes and a duffel bag lay near the curb.

DeOtis glances up the sidewalk toward his front door. Tapedto the door is a sign.

Written: EVICTED.

DeOtis turns back. Kneels beside one of the boxes. Opens it.Pulls out a balled-up shirt and pants. Stands. Glances aroundthe street.

Slips into the pants, then the shirt.

Kneels beside open box.

Inside are two coffee mugs, a toothbrush, a half-used tube oftoothpaste, and his wedding picture.

Pulls wedding photo from the box. Runs finger over photo.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSIm ashamed to say, Adie, but Imawfully glad you didnt live to

witness this.

ESKIMO (O.C.)Dont feel bad.

DeOtis turns. Startled.

ESKIMO, a tall, GREEN man. Late 40s, with a full beard thatsurrounds his face, points at the boxes.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWhats that?

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ESKIMOSo she tells us. You know, sotheres someone to help the newpeople understand how to survive.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSHer son was?

Eskimo glances around the neighborhood again.

ESKIMOIt might be best if we walk now.

DeOtis slings the duffel over his shoulder. Reaches for theremaining box.

Eskimo walks away in long, fast-paced strides.

DeOtis starts after him.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWait, her son was?

Eskimo doesnt look back. Glances up and down the street.

ESKIMOHe was killed on a street just likethis one after he got his color --yellow. You know what they do toyellows?

DEOTIS WILLIAMSThey killed him?

ESKIMODead.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWho paid?

Front doors of houses along the street start to open. Asteady stream of residents exit.

Eskimo notices the movement. Immediately lowers his head.

ESKIMO(whispering)

Theres no paying for killing a manof color.

DeOtis stops.

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DEOTIS WILLIAMSWait! This is a mistake. Has to bea mistake. I cant run. Im notlike you.

Eskimo stops.

ESKIMOIs that what you think?

DEOTIS WILLIAMSI didnt kill anyone. Im nocriminal.

Eskimo takes a step toward DeOtis.

ESKIMOListen to yourself. This isnt

about mistakes - - its aboutdomination. Moral domination. Thekind that makes an innocent manguilty.

Grumbling builds from the residents. Some bend down. Sortthrough the rocks in their yards. A young girl, no more thanten, gently bounces a rock in her palm. Checking its weightand balance.

DeOtis stares at his neighbors.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS

What are they doing?

Eskimo walks away fast.

ESKIMOMaking sure we get out of theirneighborhood quick-like.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSBut I know these folks.

ESKIMOKnew. Things have changed.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWhat?

ESKIMOYou knew them. You dont anymore.Sometimes thats the hardest partto get use to.

DeOtis hurries to catch up.

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DEOTIS WILLIAMSYoure wrong. I know these folks.

ESKIMOKnew.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSAnd you think they would kill me?

ESKIMODead.

DeOtis stops.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSAn innocent man wouldnt run away.

A rock sails out of the crowd and lands near DeOtiss feet.

He looks in the direction of the crowd. A second rock bouncesinto the street. He glances from one side of the street tothe other.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS (CONTD)(to his neighbors)

What are you doing?

Another rock lands in the street. Then another. Its theiranswer to him. A rock hits DeOtis in the leg. Theyre comingin fast now. He rubs his leg.

ANGRY VOICE steps into the street. True redneck.

ANGRY VOICE (O.C.)Get out of here, Redder!

Eskimo sprints down the street.

DeOtis looks at Eskimo, then at the crowd. Fear takes over.Hes running now.

ANGRY VOICE (O.C.) (CONTD)Thats it, and keep running!

DeOtis yells at Eskimo.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWait!

Eskimo disappears over a small rise.

ESKIMO (O.C.)Theres no waiting, just running. --Fifty years of it. A lifetime, boy!

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DeOtis races over the rise.

DEOTIS WILLIAMSWait!

Residents eye the rise intently. ANGRY VOICE races after thepair. Hes all shouting and bravado.

ANGRY VOICERun, Redder! Run!

Residents who still hold rocks, open their fists. The rocksdrop in a rain-like CLATTER. They begin to drift back insidetheir homes.

EXT. STREET - DAY

A running DeOtis SLOWS to a WALK then a complete STOP. Looksahead, then back. What just happened? Looks down at box.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS(weakly)

An innocent man wouldnt run.

Hesitates briefly. Drops box. CRUNCH. Cardboard box hittinggravel. It bounces over on one side. Wedding photo flies out.CRACKLE. The glass shatters obscuring Adies face. He slipsthe duffel from his shoulder. SOBBING. Slowly lowers duffelto the ground. Keeps his fingers tight on strap. Hesitant tolet go.

DEOTIS WILLIAMS (CONTD)Wouldnt run.

Looks down at Adie, then ahead. Back to Adie. Starts to pickup frame.

ANGRY VOICEHey!

Angry Voice is at the top of the rise. Hes pissed. Andrunning for DeOtis.

ANGRY VOICE (CONTD)You didnt hear what I said, boy?

DeOtis backs up a step. Looks at Adie, then at Angry Voice.Theres moment, then surrender. Opens fingers. Lets go ofduffel. Reaches for wedding photo. SMASH. A rock splattersthe frame and glass. Looks back at Angry Voice. Looks atsmashed frame. A rock sails in close. He cant do it. Takesoff running.

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NARRATOR (V.O.)In the year 2031, the guilty areremanded inside a prison whose barsare the shade of their own skin.

FADE OUT.

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men of color short script

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