arrowfire (working title)

PAGE ONE (five panels)

Panel 1. Establishing shot. A typical sunny afternoon over downtown Los Angeles, CA, but for the smog that hangs over the buildings.

CAP:         LOS ANGELES, CA. 1999.

Panel 2. Same skyline as Panel 1, but smaller and as seen through a bedroom window. A boy stands looking out this window. The boy is Andrew Mano.

CAP:         I WISH I WAS SOMEONE ELSE. SOMEWHERE ELSE... MOM'S WITH HIM
                 AGAIN. BUT THAT MEANS I CAN DO WHATEVER  I WANT.

Panel 3. Medium shot of Andrew running down the stairs from the second floor of the house.

ANDREW:      I'M GOING OUT. I'LL BE AT TIM'S. LATER. DON'T WAIT UP.

Panel 4. A child's hand reaches for a chrome doorknob as it reflects a distorted hand.

MOM(op):      WHAT? WAIT, YOU DON'T GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT ASKING FIRST.
                       AND GREET YOUR GUEST WHILE YOU'RE AT IT. HEAR ME,
                       ANDREW?

Panel 5. Long shot of a man and Andrew's mom seated across each other at a small kitchen table.

MOM:         (sigh) YOU CAN GO TO TIM'S AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR HOMEWORK.
                    BETTER YET, LETS HEAR YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING ANY AND
                    WE'LL GO FROM THERE. SAY "HI" TO CARL.

CARL:         WHAT'S UP, LITTLE MAN. BIG PLANS TODAY?                     end page one



PAGE TWO (five panels)

Panel 1. Close up onAndrew's face. With a stoic expression, he gives his reply.

ANDREW:        THANKS FOR BELIEVING IN ME, BUT I DON'T HAVE EXCUSES JUST
                          COMPLETED MATH HOMEWORK. SO, MAY GO TO MY FRIEND'S
                          HOUSE, MOTHER?

Panel 2. Close up on Andrew's mom. Now upset, she snaps back at him.

MOM:           CAN'T YOU GIVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER? SOME EFFORT AT SCHOOL
                      WOULD BE NICE, IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR? AND I'M NOT 
                      TELLING YOU AGAIN FOR MANNERS FOR MY GUEST.

Panel 3. Andrew is storming out of dor that leads to the outside.

ANDREW:       SINCE THAT'S NOT A COMMAND I'M LEAVING. YOU HAVE TIM'S
                         NUMBER SO LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE, OKAY? BYE.

Panel 4. Close up of mom's friend who displays a wide grin.

CARL:           CUTE KID... LOOK, AT THAT AGE KIDS ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS.
                      MAYBE... HE SHOULD STAY AT HIS FRIEND'S TONIGHT.

Panel 5. Close up on mom as she holds her prayer hands to her face.        end page two



PAGE THREE (six panels)
Panel 1. Medium shot of Andrew, frowning and standing just outside the closed front door.

ANDREW (whisper):         ... bitch...

Panel 2. Long shot. In the foreground, Andrew is walking throughresidential neighborhood. The street is empty.

Panel 3. Balcony shot. He is seen walking through tree branches.

Panel 4. Over the shoulder shot. Andrew is startled by someone's voice.

MOVI(op):         IT'LL BE DARK SOON.

Panel 5. Medium shot of Movi's half-smilling face.

MOVI:          I MEAN, YOU'RE MOTHER WOULD WORRY. CAN'T HAVE THAT, RIGHT?
                     OH, I GET IT: YOU DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS. THEN JUST THINK OF
                     THIS AS A SOCIAL CULLING.

Panel 6. High angle. Andre looks up in defiance.

ANDY:         ANOTHER FRIEND. DID MOM SEND YOU TO GET ME? I'M NOT IN THE
                     MOOD FOR A LECTURE, ESPECIALLY FROM ADULTS, SO I WISH 
                     YOU JUST GO AWAY.                                               end page three



PAGE FOUR (six panels)

Panel 1. Two shot. They are looking at one another.

MOVI:          ha-ha. A RATHER BRAVE ONE... I'M NEW TO THESE PARTS. I DON'T
                     KNOW MOTHER OR ANYNE ELSE, BUT HERE I AM.

ANDY:         OKAY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?

Panel 2. Two shot. Movi is reaching into his coat pocket as Andy looks on.

MOVI:          STRAIGHT TO THE POINT I LIKE THAT. ALRIGHT: WHAT. NAME'S MOVI
                     AND I'M LOOKING FOR HELP.

ANDY:         SEE, I KNEW IT. IF A STRANGER ASKS FOR HELP I SHOULDN'T
                     BELIEVE HIM AND RUN AND CALL THE POLICE.

MOVI:         GO AHEAD AND CALL ANYONE YOU LIKE. I'VE DONE NOTHING
                    WRONG.

Panel 3. Movi has a whole pomegranate which he is wincing and attempting to break open as Andy looks on.

ANDY:         WHAT KIND OF PERVERT ARE YOU? WHY NOT ASK ADULTS.
                     WHY ME?

MOVI:          DON'T NEED IT THIS MINUTE, BUT I WILL SOON... LOOK I THOUGHT
                     YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED, YOU'RE NOT SO I'M WASTING
                     TIME HERE.

Panel 4. Medium shot of Movi cutting the fruit with a knife.

MOVI:          STILL HERE, GOOD. I COME FROM A FAR AWAY PLACE AND  
                     FACING A WAR. I'VE FEW FRIENDS BUT MANY ENEMIES. IN TIME I 
                     WILL NEED HELP PROTECTING MY HOME. AND FRIENDS. I CAME   
                     TO FIND THOSE WHO WOULD CARE.

Panel 5. Andrew pointing a t his chest and Movi is smiling and eating seeds.

ANDY:         I GOT NO TIME AND BETTER THINGS TO DO.

MOVI:          I DID SAY "IN TIME", BUT A FETUS LIKE YOU IS NOT CAPABLE OF
                     HANDLING SUCH A TASK.

ANDY:         YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO AND WHEN I GET OLDER I'LL DO
                     WHATEVER YOU CAN DO.

Panel 6. Movi, in dramatic pose has his head tilted back and arms stretched out to form a "T", knife in one hand fruit in the other. Andy points at him.

MOVI:         THIS FROM ONE CRYING TO BE LEFT ALONE. DO I HEAR A
                    CHALLENGE? WILL THIS BE MY CHAMPION? I SERIOUSLY
                    DOUBT IT.

ANDY:        AND ALL YOU'RE GOOD FOR IS STUFFING THAT SHIT IN YOUR MOUTH.