Annie (20130524).Pdf
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May 24, 2013 FADE IN: 1 INT. CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON 1 A Harlem classroom filled with kids and an overmatched teacher. A cherubic little girl with red hair and a short dress over-enunciates her essay in front of the class-- RED HAIR ...So even though he wanted to do a lot as president, he died after 32 days in office from pneumonia. So we can all learn from William Henry Harrison to wear our coats, wash our hands and eat healthy, so we have better immune systems. The end. She smiles widely and flourishes with a Shirley Temple tap dance bow. TEACHER Good job, Annie. As she skips back to her seat the other kids roll their eyes. TEACHER (CONT'D) Okay. Annie B. Your turn. We find our Annie, sitting in a middle row. ANNIE You sure there's time? I don't wanna keep anyone from vacation. TEACHER Get up here. (Annie approaches) Where's your essay? ANNIE (taps her head) Up here. It's more of a performance * piece. The teacher sighs. This isn't the first time. ANNIE (CONT'D) My president is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was elected in 1932 * when most people had no money. So just like now, but with no texting. (MORE) 2. ANNIE (CONT'D) (gestures to the class) Everyone except the front row, you be the poor people. Won't be a stretch. (laughter) You're all hungry and mad so stomp your feet. She demonstrates and they all follow. ANNIE (CONT'D) The front row are the rich people. (they cheer) Laugh and beat your chests like you're better than everybody. (they follow) * Mr. Diaz, you be Franklin Roosevelt. * (off his look) He was very smart. Annie ushers him next to the "poor people." ANNIE (CONT'D) He passed a bunch of laws called the New Deal that helped people get back to work. He had people build new roads. She takes Diaz's hand and taps a girl. She gestures for her to become "rich" -- laugh and beat her chest. She does. ANNIE (CONT'D) And new bridges... She nods to Diaz to continue tapping kids as she chants/sings over the beat created by the kids-- ANNIE (CONT'D) ...He made it easy to buy a house... To go to college... Soon almost all the class are rich, rubbing and smacking. ANNIE (CONT'D) Soon the whole country was happy. They got their hands up, payin' their bills. And it's all gonna be okay, yeah, it's a party in the USA! (to the front row) Don't worry, rich people, you're still better than everyone, 'cause you got even richer. (MORE) 3. ANNIE (CONT'D) Yeah, it's a party in the USA! Everyone... EVERYONE Yeah, it's a party in the USA! The bell rings. Mr. Diaz shoots Annie a look. Annie smiles. 2 EXT. EAST HARLEM SCHOOL - MOMENTS LATER 2 Kids stream out of school ad-libbing "Vacation!" and "have * a fun break," etc. Annie rushes through two of her foster sisters: Isabella (11 and girly) and Pepper (12 and angry). PEPPER * Gonna make it in time? * ANNIE I always do. ISABELLA We'll cover for you. * (they slap hands) * Good luck. * ANNIE Luck's for suckers. She bursts through the scrum and runs down the street. The sounds of the city become a beat and "score" her movement. Cars, steam, jackhammers, sirens, yelling, etc. join together to form a melody and then (seamlessly) song elements from our movie start to creep in. Our overture. Over the following-- Annie jumps on the back of a friend's bicycle and zooms down the street. (The sounds of the bell and the spokes start to incorporate themselves into the "score.") She spots a street sweeper up ahead and, timing it perfectly, jumps on the back as it makes a wide turn. She waves to her friend as the sweeper barrels down 125th street. (Its sound now part of the "score.") She rides until it turns onto Broadway where she jumps off and hustles toward the elevated subway just as a train approaches the station. 3 EXT. 125TH STREET SUBWAY STATION - CONTINUOUS 3 She sprints up the (broken) escalator and gets there just as the train opens its doors and disgorges mobs of people. Annie waits for her moment: just when the turnstiles are at their busiest, and the token clerk's view is blocked, she * rushes in, and ducks under the turnstile. * 4.* She dashes across the platform as the train's doors are * closing. She's not going to make it. Like a Ninja, she hurls her backpack at the doors. Direct hit. The doors close on it, giving her just enough time. As the doors reopen she slips onto the train. And smiles a $10,000 smile at the passengers. Who can be mad at that? Surely not the image of Teddy Stacks who appears in ads for his Stacks Mobile * throughout the subway: "Never-Drop-A-Call with Stacks!" And * sure enough, many passengers are on Stacks-branded phones. 4 INT. SUBWAY - MOMENTS LATER 4 As our "score" continues (now incorporating subway sounds), Annie hurries through the train cars, making her way to the front. She gets to the first car just as the train is about to go underground. WIDE SHOT of Annie from outside. Her little face in the front window. Smiling. 5 EXT. CANAL STREET - LATER 5 * Annie sprints up the stairs from the subway. QUICK CUTS as * she runs through the masses of people. She passes different * street musicians playing stand-up bass, drums, and a woman singing (a dangling lyric which also becomes part of the overture -- "I think I'm gonna like it here"). Hurrying around a corner she looks up at a huge Stacks Mobile * billboard. "It's 5:48, and No One's Dropped A Call with * Stacks." She looks back down and... almost hits a Chinese * food delivery man on his bicycle. (With the screeching and * bell ringing in the score) she nods her apology and takes * off. 6 EXT. SOHO STREETS - LATER 6 * QUICK CUTS as she runs down the street. She sees a clock in * a store window: 5:53. More running as she dodges a car and * in the distance we hear: "9..8..7..6.." It's the opening of * a brand new Stacks Mobile retail store. A crowd is gathered * under a sign: "FIRST 500 PEOPLE GET A FREE STACKS PHONE." * "5..4..3.." Annie runs to the barricades and... keeps on * running. As she sprints past we put a face to the voice-- * STACKS * ...2..1.. Light it up! * The store illuminates, spelling "STACKS" in bright lights. * STACKS (CONT'D) * Who wants a free phone? * The crowd roars, Annie couldn't care less. This isn't what * she came for. Onward she goes. (With the crowd's crescendo matching the score's, signaling the overture's end.) 5.* 7 EXT. SOHO STREET - MOMENTS LATER 7 * Annie turns the corner and runs up a relatively quiet block. No tourists, very little activity. She stops at a small, * dingy Italian restaurant. "Brunello's." A waiter turns the * sign to OPEN, sees her through the window and comes out. * WAITER * Tonight's reservations. He hands her their reservation list. She doesn't take it, * just asks-- ANNIE Any Bennetts? WAITER Sorry. (off her down look) I'm guessing you're gonna wait anyway. She smiles and he shakes his head. Not the first time. LATER. Annie sits on the sidewalk opposite the restaurant, watching people. She fingers the silver locket she wears. * Then she unwraps a PB&J. * 8 EXT. STACKS MOBILE STORE - SAME 8 * Stacks is finishing giving out free phones. * WOMAN * Thank you. I love your phones. I'm * totally gonna vote for you now. * STACKS * This isn't a campaign event, but * (whisper-winks) * I'd totally love that. * She laughs and shakes his hand. Grace, his beautiful and * whip-smart vice president, steps in. * GRACE * That's it. You're done. * As security guards step in front of him, Stacks instantly * drops his smile. Karl, his bulldog political consultant, * holds out Purell. * STACKS * Hose me down. Like I'm on fire. * Put me out. * 6.* He starts to lather himself up. Hands, face, everything. * GRACE * You kissed a couple babies. I'd get * the tongue, too. * STACKS * Really? I can use it on my tongue? * GRACE * Absolutely. Dip it in there. Lather * it up. * Stacks realizes she's messing with him. * STACKS * You shake 500 hands. I feel like a * zookeeper. * GRACE * Your next mayor of New York City, * ladies and gentlemen. * STACKS * I said I wanted to help 'em, not * touch 'em. * KARL * We gotta go. You're giving a speech * to the iron worker's union. * STACKS * Iron workers? We taking our time * machine? * KARL * If we get their support, the others * will follow. * STACKS * Who, the blacksmiths? How am I * polling with the witches? * GRACE * They find you unlikable. * He shoots her a look. She clearly has his number. * 9 EXT. BRUNELLO'S RESTAURANT - SAME 9 * Annie sits alone on the curb, sandwich eaten. She draws her * name in the sidewalk with a pebble: a curly, cursive ANNIE. A taxi arrives and a couple get out. * 7. African-American, late 30s. Annie jumps up and rushes across * the street into-- * 10 INT. BRUNELLO'S - CONTINUOUS 10 Annie runs in and the waiter points to the couple, being seated by the host. She sizes them up, excited. But the * host heads over, shaking his head.