Dyr Sample

THE DETROIT YELLOW ROSES (Sample)

by Art D'Alessandro

Based on the book "22 Yellow Roses" by Coach Bud Hucul

NightFire Films [email protected]

(EXCERPT FROM “THE DETROIT YELLOW ROSES”, EARLY IN ACT II) EXT. OHIO BALL FIELD - DAY Bud’s girls sit quietly as the other team takes a brisk infield practice. Bud notices his girls’ lack of confidence. BUD Okay, here’s the deal. We don’t worry about win or lose. All we care about is going out there and working on the things we’ve been practicing. It’s nice of these girls to give us a game. The girls mumble amongst themselves. TANDY They a for real team. So are we.

BUD Right?

Huh?

The girls expressions don’t give him the answer he’s looking for. LATER Bud’s coaching at first. Yvette pops a ball up to the Second Base Girl. She jogs down the line, eyes on the ball. BUD (CONT’D) Run it out! (to his dugout) Run everything out! Yvette now runs it out.

But the ball is caught.

INT. MCDONALD’S - DAY, LATER The team takes up one whole section of the restaurant. They’re in a somber mood. Bud walks up, folding some cash into his wallet before he puts it away. BUD I think we all know what we need to work on, right? A few grunts.

2. TANDY Mostly we should work on not comin’ across state lines to lose two games. We could’a stayed home to do that. Others agree. BUD (removes his cap) Are you kidding me? We played a team that’s been together for years. They’re heading for the national tournament Labor Day. We were in both games. No blowouts. No mercy rule. I bet if we followed them home, they’d all be griping about how a team like ours even stayed with them. That’s what I bet. Now, let’s finish up here. On the drive back I’ll go over with each of you what you did right and what you did wrong. We cool? A long moment. TAYLOR So, you’re not gonna quit now? Bud looks over at Taylor, amazed that she’s said anything, let alone that. BUD Hell no. I’m not quitting. you, Taylor?

Are

Taylor shakes her head. Okay then.

BUD (CONT’D)

EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY, LATER The caravan pulls off onto a shoulder. A group of four girls climb out of Bud’s car and pile into one driven by Carm, as girls from his car climb out and fill Bud’s car. That set, the caravan proceeds back toward Michigan.

3.

INT. ALL SPORTS - BACK ROOM - ANOTHER DAY Bud sits at his desk, pours some milk out of a tiny carton into a man’s protective cup, sets it down on the floor. The cat stares at it from her box. BUD I’m not bringing it over, if that’s what you think. The cat emits one admonishing meow, pushes up from her box, limps over to the milk, and digs in. ‘Bout time.

BUD (CONT’D) Bud picks through his mail. notice.” He sets it aside.

Opens one up.

“Final

Bud opens another envelope. This one offers a flier from a company that boasts: “We accept credit payments. 90 days same as cash!” Bud picks up the phone, dials a number from the flier, waits. BUD (CONT’D) Hi. Yes. I have a sporting goods store here outside Detroit and I’d like to have you send me an application. Can you do that? (...) Okay, good. And on the credit deal, how would I qualify for that? As he listens, Bud jots down notes. INT. BUD’S HOUSE - DAY Marge walks out into the kitchen. waiting.

Bud has her breakfast

MARGIE What’s all this? BUD This is a full-fledged genuine breakfast homemade and served by your husband. Bud sits her down, grabs a pan from the stove and serves her sloppy eggs and bacon.

4.

Why?

MARGIE BUD Because I don’t want you to feel ignored or neglected in any way shape or form. Uh-huh... enough.

MARGIE It looks... edible

BUD May I join you? MARGIE Shouldn’t you be at the shop? Soon.

BUD Margie takes a bite, but Bud’s eyes are on her. MARGIE All right, what’s really up? Oh, god.

BUD Coffee.

He hops up, grabs the pot and pours her a cup. Bud?

MARGIE BUD (sits close to her) Look, I know I’ve been putting in a bunch of time with this team, and I know you’ve got to feel a little short-shrifted. I don’t blame you. And...

MARGIE BUD And. I was thinking maybe if I just included you more in what I’m doing you wouldn’t feel that way. (Margie stares at him) I put together a game for them, Margie. Against a team from the league they dropped out of. (MORE)

5. BUD (CONT'D) I mean, if you could see how far these girls have come... in person. Maybe you’d understand. You’ve got the night off, right? No, Bud.

MARGIE BUD I thought you said you were clear tonight. I am. game.

MARGIE I’m just not going to your

Bud, very flustered, gets up, paces. BUD Will you tell me why? to include you here.

I’m trying

MARGIE No you’re not. You’re trying to justify things for me. All the extra time you’re gone now. The money you’re spending. I’m not stupid, Bud, I know how you’ve been shuttling these kids around. I know it’s coming out of your pocket. Our pocket. Not all of it.

BUD MARGIE But most of it. Right? get them uniforms?

Did you

Bud now can’t look her in the eye. MARGIE (CONT’D) Remember, was it six years ago, the last time? How much it took out of you. How you said you couldn’t go down that road again. You said. Not me. You. BUD This is different. These girls need something in their lives. Something better than what they have now.

6. MARGIE Yeah. I get that. Thanks for breakfast. She pushes her plate aside and walks out, leaving Bud exasperated. EXT. BALL FIELD - NIGHT Game in progress.

Bleachers full.

Scoreboard reads: 9-0.

Third inning.

Bud’s in the dugout, craning his neck for the parking lot. An Ump yells, “Out” in the bg. The All Sports team, now in full-blown AS unis, runs in toward the dugout. Bud’s clapping his hands. Good defense.

BUD Way to go.

Tandy grabs a bat, as she passes Bud, who heads toward the first base coaching box. TANDY Mercy rule coming, coach. BUD No, we’re gonna play on. Not an official game. Ump’s paid, so he doesn’t care one way or the other. (then quietly) Third base has no arm whatsoever. Tandy steps in, waits for her pitch, hits a weak dribbler down the third base line. The third base girl goes for it, but can’t get the ball over to first on time. Tandy’s safe. Bud leans close to her. BUD (CONT’D) You haven’t seen her tonight? No, coach.

TANDY

7. Bud claps his hands, looks back toward the plate, where Jane steps in, asking the Ump for time as she readies herself. C’mon, Jane. want.

BUD Get the one you

Tandy takes her base. Bud glances out toward the parking lot again. INT. TAYLOR’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Taylor’s in her uniform, slumped in a corner, her hands over her ears. A barrage of SHOUTING from outside in the hallway. EXT. BALL FIELD - NIGHT, LATER Three of the All Sports girls are circling the bases. One scores. The scoreboard now reads: 13-1. LATER The All Sports girls are in the field. Runner on first. A line drive ropes toward center. The Center Fielder plays the ball on one hop and throws it back toward first. The runner heading to second moves on quickly toward third. Yvette throws her arms up in disgust. BUD Hit your cutoff! C’mon! the score. Jane gets the ball back.

Forget

She’s upset.

Another single, and the runner on third scores easily. The scoreboard changes: 13-2. winning big.

The All Sports team is

LATER The girls are huddled in the outfield for the team meeting. Behind them the scoreboard reads 22-7. buzzing with excitement, pride.

The girls are

8. Bud settles up with the Umpire. Then he walks over to the concession area, pays the man there for running the lights and scoreboard. Bud walks across the field toward his team. anxious for his accolades.

They’re

BUD (CONT’D) Okay there you go. You won. The team cheers, “All Sports!” BUD (CONT’D) You played good... for three innings. Then you thought you had it in the bag and you got sloppy. You made mistakes good teams don’t make. So, that leads me to believe you’re not a good team. Carm removes his cap, looks away.

Knows what’s coming.

BUD (CONT’D) Which leads me to believe we need more practice. (a collective groan) Carm, you take the outfielders, I’ll take the infielders. Let’s get a good workout in. When we’re done we’ll see how long it takes them to run ten laps around this field. Okay, coach.

CARM Let’s go, outfield!

The girls all rise, shoulders hunched, muttering. passes Bud, as she makes her way to the infield. T. What? Excuse me?

BUD TANDY BUD TANDY What can I do for you, Coach Bud? BUD Tomorrow you check in on Taylor and get back to me. Got that?

Tandy

9. Tandy nods. BUD (CONT’D) Eight hits, everybody. Run out the eighth! Game situation. EXT. ALL SPORTS - DAY The UPS Man pushes his full cart along the sidewalk. He checks his manifest, pulls one box off the cart, then another, and three more, checks the manifest again. He restacks them, and just wheels the cart into Bud’s store. INT. BUD’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT Bud’s copying names and phone numbers from a yellow pages. A RAPPING stops him short. EXT. BUD’S HOUSE - NIGHT ON THE FRONT DOOR. Bud pulls it open, looks out. No one. He’s about to close it when he spots Tandy running back into the front yard. Coach Bud! hospital.

TANDY Taylor’s in the

INT. BUD’S CAR/MOVING - NIGHT Tandy rides shotgun, gazes out at this nice neighborhood. BUD Why would she try something like that? I don’t know. A long moment.

TANDY Bud senses she does know.

BUD How’d you find my house? TANDY How’d you find mine? They drive on. TANDY (CONT’D) What kind of bad decisions?

10.

Huh?

BUD TANDY You said people thought you made bad decisions when you lost at nationals. BUD Maybe I made a bad decision telling you about that. Tandy stares at him.

Bud exhales a long breath.

BUD (CONT’D) We’re tied in the bottom of the sixth. Nobody’s got anything left. Both teams in the loser’s bracket. No score. We got a man on second. I pinch hit for my pitcher who hasn’t had a hit in three games. That’s it? decision?

TANDY That’s your bad

BUD Pinch hitter pops one up. We get no runs. Our new pitcher can’t find the plate next inning, other team notices, keep the bats on their shoulders. We walk the bases loaded. When the dust clears, they get three. We go home. TANDY Probably better if you let your good pitcher hit. BUD Thanks for the tip. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - NIGHT Bud and Tandy stop at a door. TANDY I’m not going in. BUD Might help her to see you.

11. Bud pushes the door open, walks into Taylor’s room. Tandy lurks just outside the half-opened door. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Taylor’s asleep, an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth. Bud looks down at her. A NURSE breezes in, checks her readings, notes them on her chart. BUD She gonna be okay? NURSE Once we get her blood levels back to normal. BUD How close was she? You family? Uncle.

NURSE BUD AT THE DOOR: Tandy eyes him. NURSE Mother hadn’t found her in that car when she did... (finally) What could be so bad? At her age? The Nurse leaves.

Bud glances back at Tandy.

EXT. ANOTHER BALL FIELD - NIGHT The All Sports team is firing on all cylinders. Bud and Carm encourage the girls as they head toward the dugout for their bats. SCOREBOARD: 12-4. BUD Let’s send ‘em home this inning. C’mon. Take no prisoners.

12.

INT. ALL SPORTS - BACK ROOM - NIGHT The room is now cluttered with more boxes. Barely room to move. Bud works at his desk. The cat, moving better, stretches as she walks out between the stacks. BUD You could find something useful to do. The cat rubs into Bud’s leg, surprising him. EXT. PRACTICE FIELD - NIGHT Bud’s taking his team through its paces. Routine stuff. Ground balls. Throws to first. Double play situations. Backing up. The team stops when Taylor and her father, KEN ALFORD, 40, walk up. TAYLOR Sorry I’m late, Coach Bud. BUD You got a pass on this one. over there on first.

Get

Taylor nods, heads out to meet her team. KEN (smoking) This wasn’t my idea. time if you ask me.

They swarm her.

Waste of

BUD Those girls don’t think it is. KEN They’ll find out soon enough. More to life than just playing games. BUD More to the game than just playing. KEN What time you finish tonight? We’re not supposed to leave her on her own, you know, for a while.

13. BUD You could stick around and watch. Bunch of the parents over there. He gestures toward the bleachers. Nah.

KEN I’ve got stuff to do.

BUD How ‘bout I run her home when we’re done. That be okay with you? Ken sizes Bud up. Yeah.

KEN I guess.

He walks off. Bud looks out at his girls celebrating Taylor’s return. After a moment: BUD Okay, break it up! Let’s get serious. Tournament coming up next week and we’ve got a lot of work to do. YVETTE You put us in a tournament, Coach?! BUD Well, if you want to go to Nationals next year, I figured we should get in one tournament before the end of summer. Was I wrong? The girls resoundingly confirm that he wasn’t. Good.

BUD (CONT'D) Let’s get one!

He smashes a ground ball toward third. INT. FAST FOOD JOINT - NIGHT Taylor and Bud sit in a booth. Bud draws on a milkshake; Taylor sips her coke. She seems very uncomfortable.

14. BUD Yes, I do believe the double chocolate chip milkshake is the most perfect food in the world. Not for me.

TAYLOR Bud sets the shake down. BUD Aw, you’ll outgrow that. Now she’s even more embarrassed. I’m eighteen.

TAYLOR BUD Both my kids went through it. Wouldn’t know it to look at ‘em now. (a beat) I’m glad you’re back. We missed you. TAYLOR I wasn’t asleep that night. Huh?

BUD TAYLOR In the hospital. I wasn’t asleep when you came in. I just didn’t know what to say. BUD That’s okay. You didn’t have to say anything. Still don’t. TAYLOR They’re making me talk to someone. She just looks at me. Like she’s expecting something. I hate that. BUD Maybe she doesn’t know what to say. (Taylor leaks a smile) You graduate next year? (she nods) Thought about college any?

15.

No.

TAYLOR Of course not.

BUD Well, you should. TAYLOR My dad’s been outta work for over a year. My mom works at two different places, just like this. So... BUD Maybe on scholarship? TAYLOR Not exactly a genius in the classroom. BUD Who said you have to be? They sit and sip.