Scene 1:
Shot 1:
Ext. a small, isolated bar, located in a seemingly abandoned
lot. Day.
The camera looks down at the bar from above, as if suspended
in the sky.
A sign reading “Frank’s Bar” hangs over the bar's entrance.
No people are seen, but sounds of laughter can be
heard. The laughter is slightly muffled,
like it might be coming from within the bar.
Shot 2:
Int. bar. Camera looks down a long table. Room is dark, but daylight comes in through
windows.
Four green, old/hoary looking stick figures are seated
at the table. In relation to the camera,
two sit on the left side of the table, and two sit on the right. The stick figures wear casino visors with names
embroidered on the crowns (above the brim).
To the left of the camera, going clockwise, the embroidered names read
as follows: Buck, Brock, Bill, Buddy.
BUCK
He’s the funniest man
alive!
BROCK, BILL, BUDDY
(Laughing.)
BROCK
A comedic genius!
BUCK, BILL, BUDDY
(Laughing.)
BILL
Transcendent levels
of hilarity, right here!
BUCK, BROCK, BUDDY
(Laughing.)
BUDDY
I’ve whizzed myself!
BUCK, BROCK, BILL
(Laughing.)
Shot 3:
Camera
angle reversed (180 flip). The other side
of table (the end previously not seen) is shown. A green stick figure is seated. He wears a casino visor. Embroidered into the crown of the visor is
the name “Carl.” Carl smiles.
Shot 4:
Camera reverses (180) again.
Buck, Bill, Brock and Buddy are shown.
BUCK, BROCK, BUDDY,
BILL
(Still Laughing.)
BUDDY
Tell us another joke,
Carl. Willya?
BUCK, BROCK, BILL
(They start calming
down.)
Shot 5:
Camera angle flips again.
Carl grins
mischievously.
Shot 6:
Camera flips. Buck, Brock,
Bill, and Buddy stare at Carl anxiously.
Shot 7:
Camera flips.
Carl.
CARL
Oh, alright!
Shot 8:
Camera flips. Brock,
Buck, Buddy, and Bill cheer.
Shot 9:
Ext. Frank’s Bar.
CARL
(tells joke ---
inaudible)
BROCK, BUCK, BUDDY,
BILL
(Start laughing
again.)
Camera moves backward/fades away.
Scene 2:
Shot 1 (Similar to
Shot 1 in Scene 1): Ext. a small, isolated bar, located in a seemingly
abandoned lot. Day.
The camera looks down at the bar from above, as if suspended
in the sky.
A sign that says “Hank’s Bar” hangs over the entrance of the
bar.
No people are shown, but sound of someone laughing is
heard. The laughter is slightly muffled,
like it might be coming from within the bar.
It’s very deep and resonant laughter.
Shot 2: Int. of
bar. Well lit. Camera looks out from
behind the bar.
Three old/hoary purple stick figures sit at the counter. Steins, poker chips, and a deck of cards rest in front of them on the counter. Behind
the three stick figures at the bar, additional old, purple stick figures play
poker.
The three stick figures at the bar all look past and to the
left of the camera toward something not shown.
The glow on their faces and the garbled, mechanized sound of voices
suggests they’re watching TV.
The stick figures wear poker visors. The visors have names embroidered on the crowns. From left to right, the names read: Harry,
Josh, and Haslow.
HARRY, HASLOW
(Both smile.)
JOSH
(Laughing at
television.)
Shot 3: Camera
angled the left of the Josh, Haslow and Harry.
The TV is visible now, but what’s on the screen isn’t (hazy whiteness
and vague shapes are all that’s seen).
More of the area behind the counter of the bar is show, too. An old stick figure bartender is behind the
counter, cleaning a stein with a dishrag.
He’s purple. He grins at Josh,
Harry, and Haslow, while they watch television. Some of the stick figures behind Josh,
Harry, and Harold who are playing poker are still visible.
BARTENDER
Take it easy, Mr.
Josh, or you’ll hurt yourself.
Shot 4: (Same as
shot 2.) Camera looks out from behind the bar.
JOSH
(Still laughing, but
starting to calm down.)
Shot 5: (Same as
shot 1.) Ext. of bar Josh’s laughter is no longer heard. A group of birds has congregated on and
around the sign that denotes the name of the bar. (“Hank’s Bar”)
Shot 6: (Same as shots
2 and 4.) Shot from behind bar counter. Josh, Harry, Haslow watch
TV. Harry and Harold look impassive. Josh smiles vaguely, the remnants of his
laughing fit still showing.
BARTENDER (not shown)
Wanna hear a joke,
Mr. Josh?
Harry, Haslow, and Josh’s go from looking at the television
toward the general direction of the bartender.
Harry and Haslow act as if they’re annoyed with the Bartender’s
offer. They roll their eyes and throw
their hands up in mock despair.
HARRY
Sweet Jesus, please
don’t set him off again.
Josh looks excited and he leans across the counter some, as
if to hear the joke better.
JOSH
Pay no attention to
Harry, Hank. Let ‘er rip.
(The bartender’s name is apparently Hank.)
Shot 7: (Same as
shot 3.) Camera is to the left of Haslow,
Harry, and Josh. Hank is now shown
behind the bar. He’s still cleaning steins with a dish towel.
HANK/BARTENDER
Brace yourself, Mr.
Josh …
(voice trails off as Shot changes)
Shot 8: (Same as shots 1 and 5.) Ext. of bar.
Birds are still gathered on the sign. Suddenly, Josh’s deep laughter is heard. The birds fly away.
Scene 3
Split-screen Montage:
Josh is on right side of screen.
Carl is on left side of screen.
Both men do the same thing.
Scene is supposed to show character’s similarities in terms of attitude
and living situation. They’re a little lonely
(and alone).
Shot 1: The
camera shows each man’s windshield. It’s
dark out. Carl and Josh drive home from Frank’sBar and Hank’s Bar and listen to their radios. They both keep changing the stations. (They’re listening to the same channels.) The music varies: Rock, Rap, Pop, Soul, Jazz, etc. Carl and Josh frown as they switch through
these genres. Eventually, laughter and
applause replaces the sound of music then a disc jokey announces that an
upcoming comedian will be heard momentarily.
Carl and Josh smile. They stop
changing the channels. They keep driving.
Shot 2: The camera shows a portion of the back of each
man’s television and both men sitting on their couches. The only light in the rooms comes from the
television screens. Carl and Josh stare at their television sets. They both wear pajamas. The sounds of the TV’s are garbled and
inaudible. They laugh and seem
interested in what they watch. Hanging
behind each man, on the wall, are framed pictures.
The vast majority of these pictures show each man with a woman stick
figure of corresponding color (green for Carl, purple for Josh).
Shot 3: The
camera shows each man’s bedroom and their beds.
Carl and Josh are both reading.
Their beds are large – meant for two people. Carl and Josh read for a little. After a while, at the same time, they turn
out their lights.
Scene 4:
Shot 1: The
camera shows a crowded and fluorescently lit gymnasium. The shot is angled down slightly, as though
the camera is hanging up on the wall. A
banner that reads “Senior Night: Bingo (latecomers WILL BE BEATEN)” hangs from
the ceiling. At the back of the room, on
the wall, is a large clock. The time is
visible. It is 8 (presumably) p.m. Below the clock is a door. Tables are spread around the gym. Stick figures sit at the tables. Some stick figures have walkers. Others have canes. All are old.
Each table is occupied by different colored stick figures. (Purple, green, red, blue, etc.) No different colored stick figures sit with
each other. There is a small, empty
table, close to the camera, at the front of the room. All stick figures wear nametags.
Carl’s friends (Buck, Bill, Brock, and Buddy) are seated
together on the left side of the gymnasium.
Josh’s friends (Harry and Haslow) are on the right side of the
gymnasium. Josh and Carl are not present.
Everybody faces the camera.
WOMAN (not shown)
(Announces
non-sequential “bingo” numbers in a monotone, nasally voice.)
She does this for almost a minute.
Suddenly, one of the doors under the clock opens.
Shot 2: Camera is
now on opposite side of gymnasium (on side of the two doors/under the large
clock) and looks out toward the old bingo players and the woman at the front of
the room (she’s on a pulpit). The crowd
of elderly, bingo-playing stick figures turns toward the doors (and, in doing so, turns toward the camera). Everyone
stares at the camera (supposed to be like they’re staring at the person who has just entered).
Shot 3: Camera
cuts to shot of door opener: it’s Carl.
SOMEONE (not shown)
(Coughing fit.)
Shot 4: Same as
shot 1. The camera is at the front of
the gymnasium and shows everybody seated at their tables. The camera shows Carl, too. He’s still standing by the door, under the
clock.
Carl walks to the table his friends are sitting at, realizes
there’s not enough room to join them, looks around, sees the table at the front
of the gym, shrugs his shoulders, and walks toward it. His friends wave good-bye as he walks away. Carl sits down. Alone.
The gym is quiet the entire time. All stick figures watch Carl, until he sits,
then, in unison, their heads turn back toward camera/front of gym/pink lady
stick figure on pulpit.
WOMAN (still not
shown)
(Starts reading
“bingo” numbers again. Her voice sounds
even more monotone and nasally than before.)
Carl looks back at his friends, longingly, then down at his
bingo card.
Time passes.
Suddenly, the door under the clock opens again.
Shot 5: (Same as
shot 2. Everyone’s head swivels toward
the camera, under the clock.)
The stick figure lady on the pulpit is heard muttering nasally/monotone
obscenities.
Shot 6: (Same as
shot 3.) Camera cuts to shot of door
opener: it’s Josh.
The gymnasium is quiet.
SOMEONE (not shown)
(Sneezing fit.)
After sneezing fit, gymnasium is quiet again.
Shot 7: (Same as
shots 1 and 4.) The camera is at the
front of the room. Everybody is shown
sitting at their respective tables. Josh
walks to the table his friends are sitting at, realizes there’s not enough room,
looks around, sees that the only table with room is the one at the front of the
gym where Carl is seated, shrugs his shoulders, and walks toward it. His friends wave good-bye as he walks
away. Josh sits down next to Carl.
Gym is quiet the whole time Josh does this. Everyone watched Josh intently/intensely while he moves about the gymnasium. The moment Josh
sits, all heads, in unison, turn back toward camera and the woman (not shown)
on the pulpit.
WOMAN
(Clears her
throat. Starts listing “bingo” numbers. Additional nasal-ness and monotony is manifested in her tone.)
Carl and Josh look at each other. They look shy/nervous. They nod to one another then go back to
looking at their bingo cards.
Time (for the audience/watcher of movie) speeds up. This is depicted by the clock in the back of
the room spinning quickly and scenes (shot from the same angle) shifting/fading
into one another.
Josh and Carl don’t speak to each other the whole time.
Eventually, time slows returns to normal.
WOMAN (not shown)
Bingo is over. Go with God.
Carl and Josh, without acknowledging each other, walk toward
their friends.
Scene 5: (similar to scene 3)
After bingo.
Split-Screen Montage. (Background music: first minute of Mozart’s
Symphony 40.)
Shot 1: Camera
shows each man walking home from bingo in the rain. As they walk, both men look worried. They’re thinking.
Dialogue:
VOICEOVER
After bingo, Carl and
Josh thought about race.
(In the movie, this is shown by thought bubbles floating
above Josh’s head and Carl’s head.
Inside each of the thought bubbles is the word “race,” followed by a
question mark.)
Shot 2:
(Still split-screen.)
VOICEOVER
Later, both men
started realizing the prevalence of race.
Camera shows back of couches. Carl and Josh are sitting on the couches and
changing the channel. Their television
sets both depict people of various races holding hands.
(Floating above each stick figure's head is a thought bubble
with the following punctuation: “?!”.)
(This scene is meant to show that Carl and Josh are each
somewhat resistant/averse to the notion of racial intermingling.)
Shot 3:
(Still split-screen.)
VOICEOVER
Finally, as the day
drew to a close, Carl and Josh considered the following question: why do people
treat others differently because of colors?
The camera shows Carl and Josh sitting on their beds. Both men have books out, but the books are
face down and on their laps. They still
look worried. Their bubbles depict segregated races.
VOICEOVER
Neither man came up
with an answer.
Scene 6: (similar to scene 1)
(Sometime after Josh
and Carl become friends.)
Shot 1: Ext. a
small bar (“Frank’s Bar”) located in a seemingly abandoned lot. Camera looks down from above. Day.
The sound of people laughing is audible. Josh’s laughter (deep/resonant) is heard
mixed with the others.
Shot 2: Int. of bar.
Camera is positioned at the head of the table (like in Scene 1). Six stick figures sit at the table. In relation to the camera, three stick
figures sit on the left side of the table, and three sit on the right. The stick figures are purple and green. They sit in no particular color-order. They wear casino visors with names embroidered
into the crowns: Buck, Harlow, Buddy, Bill, Harry, and Brock.
Shot 3: Camera
angle reversed (180). Josh and Carl are
seated at the head of the table. Josh
leans on Carl’s shoulder while he laughs, and Carl smiles.
Shot 4: Ext.
bar. Birds have congregated on and
around the front of Frank’s Bar (on the sign and on the roof). The laughing continues. The birds stay put.
The camera moves back then fades to black.
