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A Screenplay
By Ambrose
A Screenplay Based on A short story by Flannery O' Connor
Draft of...
"A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND"
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html
The first 13 minutes/the setup
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1953 - Georgia
FADE IN:
INT. A CAR – AFTERNOON
A FAMILY of Georgians are the passengers. They are the BAILEY’S. JOHN BAILEY drives and his wife JOSETTE sits next to him. In the backseats sit their eleven year-old son, JOHN JUNIOR BAILEY, next to him sits their nine year-old daughter, JUNE “STAR” BAILEY, and next to her sits GRANDMA BAILEY. At her feet is a basket with a black cat curled up in it.
JOHN: --This is ridiculous, I’m not going to argue with you right now, ma’ it’s a hundred in this damn car!
The kids snicker at his cuss.
GRANDMA(waving a newspaper): --Now look here, John, see here, read this!
JOHN: Damnit ma’ I can’t read the damn paper, I’m driving!
Josette sighs in aggravation.
Grandma turns to her grandchildren.
GRANDMA(reading to the children): Here, see this, this fellow calls himself The Misfit, says he’s aloose from the Federal Pen and headed for Florida. What he did to those poor people... just you read it. (very reassuring)I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose --
JOHN: Ma’ you’re an old woman for cryin’ out loud, makin’ up excuses like that, you’ll scare the children!
GRANDMA: It’s not an excuse. You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to east Tennessee.
JUNIOR(bratty): If you didn’t want to go to Florida, why dontcha stay at home?
JOSETTE(could care less): Mind your mouth Junior.
Grandma sighs.
GRANDMA: Now you see, John, you even got the children turnin’ against me.
Beat.
JOSETTE(tired sigh): Any idea how long until we’re out of Georgia?
JOHN: A while.
JUNE STAR(whiny): Let’s go through Georgia fast so we don’t have to look at it much.
GRANDMA: If I were a little girl, June, I wouldn’t talk about my native state that way. Tennessee has the mountains and Georgia the hills.
JUNIOR(coldly): Tennessee is just hillbilly dumping ground, and Georgia is a lousy state too.
JUNE STAR: You said it.
GRANDMADear lord, in my time children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. They did it right back then.
CUT TO:
EXT. DRIT ROAD – LATER
The car tears through the strip of road located in the middle of nowhere. On the side of this road there is a part stucco and part wood filling station and dance hall.
The car pulls up near the gasoline pumps. Everyone exist the car. Grandma carries the basket with her cat in it.
INSERT - SIGNS PLASTERED ON THE STATION
Various signs read: TRY RED SAMMY'S FAMOUS BARBECUE. NONE LIKE FAMOUS RED SAMMY'S! RED SAM! THE FAT BOY WITH THE HAPPY LAUGH. A VETERAN! RED SAMMY'S YOUR MAN!
CUT TO:
INT. RED SAMMY’S BARBECUE - MOMENTS LATER
The station is a long dark room with a counter at one end and tables at the other and a dancing space in the middle.
The family enters and they all sit down at a board table next to the nickelodeon.
RED SAM'S WIFE, a tall burnt-brown woman with hair and eyes lighter than her skin, comes and takes their orders.
Josette puts a dime in the machine and "The Tennessee Waltz," begins to play.
GRANDMA: That song always made me want to dance. Car to dance, John?
John glares at her. She only laughs at him. She sways her head from side to side, pretending she is dancing in her chair.
Red Sam’s Wife passes June Star dancing.
SAM’S WIFE: Ain't she cute? Would you like to come be my little girl?
June Star stops dancing.
JUNE STAR: No I certainly wouldn't. I wouldn't live in a broken-down place like this for a million bucks!
She runs back to the table.
Sam’s Wife smiles warmly.
SAM’S WIFE: Ain't she cute?
THE TABLE
June Star hops onto her seat.
GRANDMA: Aren’t you ashamed!
June Star doesn’t even acknowledge the reprimand.
RED SAM explodes into the station; bright red and exhausted. His khaki trousers reach just to his hip bones and his stomach hangs over them. He walks over and sits down at a table nearby and lets out a combination sigh and yodel.
RED SAM: You can't win, you just can't win. (wipes his sweating red face off with a gray handkerchief)These days you don't know who to trust.
GRANDMA: Ain't that the truth? People are certainly not nice like they used to be.
RED SAM: Two fellers come in here last week driving a Chrysler. It was a old beat-up car but it was a good one and these boys looked all right to me. Said they worked
at the mill and you know I let them fellers charge the gas they bought? Now why did I do that?
GRANDMA: Because you're a good man!
RED SAM: Yes'm, I suppose so.
His wife returns with the orders, carrying the five plates all at once without a tray, two in each hand and one balanced on her arm.
SAM’S WIFE: It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust. (looking at Sammy) And I don't count nobody out of that, not nobody.
GRANDMA: Did you read about that criminal, The Misfit, that's escaped?
JOHN: Oh ma’ don’t start up with that line again!
SAM’S WIFE: I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he didn't attack this place right here. If he hears about it being here, I wouldn't be none surprised to see him. If he hears it's two cent in the cash register, I wouldn't be a tall surprised if he--
RED SAM: That'll do, my dear. Go bring these nice people their Co'-Colas.
She exits frame.
RED SAM (settles in his chair): Christ have mercy, a good man is hard to find these days. Can’t trust a damn soul. I remember the days. Every- thing is getting terrible now. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.
Grandma smiles warmly.
GRANDMA: You and I tell nothin’ but the truth, Mr. Sam.
CUT TO:
EXT. A DIRT OF ROAD – LATER
A lush pine forest is located on the right side of this dirt road. The left consists of farm land and plains. The car drifts through the bumpy road.
CUT TO:
INT. THE CAR
The children sleep. Grandma is nicely settled in her seat. Her cat sleeps soundly in its basket.
GRANDMA: That Sam fellow spoke nothing but truth. These days everyone is cold. Lord have mercy.
JOSETTE:What a dreadful place that was, I wont be surprised if we all get food poisoning.
JOHN (an amused huff): Got that right, honey.
GRANDMA: You see, old Red Sam was right--
BLAM! Everyone in the car panics!
CUT TO:
EXT. THE ROAD – SAME
One of the car’s has exploded and the car spins out of control! It barrels into the wooden pine! The car smashes into the trunk of a great pine!
Smoker simmers around the car.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE SIDE OF THE ROAD – LATER
The children are playing with some dandelions while John paces up and down the road. June Star has her doll in her grasp. Grandma sits on the ground stroking her cat. Josette stands like a statue with her arms crossed. Nobody is terribly injured though. Just some scratches on John’s head.
JOSETTE: Maybe a car will come along?
JOHN: Maybe. Goddamn tire!
Further down the road a beaten up, black car putters through. John notices it!
JOHN: (running towards the oncoming car) Hey! Hey! We need help! Hey!
The children help.
JUNE AND JUNIOR: Help! We’ve had an Accident! Help us!
Grandma strokes her cat.
The car pulls over to the family.
THE BEAT UP CAR
The DRIVER looks down with a steady expressionless gaze to where they. Then he turned his head and mutters something to the OTHER TWO. They step out.
One is a fat boy in black trousers and a red sweat shirt with a silver stallion embossed on the front of it. He moves around on the right side of them and stands staring, his mouth partly open in a kind of loose grin.
The other has on khaki pants and a blue striped coat and a gray hat pulled down very low, hiding most of his face. He comes around slowly on the left side. Neither speak
The Driver gets out of the car and stands by the side of it, looking down at them. He is an older than the other two. His hair is just beginning to gray around his burns and he sports silver-rimmed spectacles that give him a scholarly look. He has on blue jeans that were too tight for him. He also has no shirt on. He’s quite fit.
JUNE AND JUNIOR: We’ve had an Accident!
The Driver smiles warmly at them.
THE DRIVER: You folks okay?
JOHN: One of our tires blew out. We just passed a gas station a few miles back. If you could give me a lift back, I’d really appreciate it.
THE DRIVER: You mean Red Sammy’s place? We just passed by there, shouldn’t be a problem.
Grandma looks up at the Driver. She looks as if she knows him from somewhere.
GRANDMA: No... No!
Everyone turns to the old woman.
She rises and the basket falls over freeing the black cat.
GRANDMA: You’re him! You’re The Misfit! Oh my Lord! You’re him!
The Driver looks stunned and perplexed.
JOHN: Christ ma! Shut your mouth, now!
THE DRIVER: (chuckling) How long have you been out in the sun?
The other tow men look a bit pensive.
JOHN: Look I’m sorry--
THE DRIVER: --Nah, don’t worry--
GRANDMA: --John! Get away from him! It’s him!
The children look scared.
Josette looks irritated.
JOHN: (super pissed off) Ma! Enough! Shut up!
GRANDMA: Damnit John listen to your mother!
The Driver begins to laugh.
THE DRIVER: Bobby Lee, Edward, go get that spare tire from the trunk! (to John) It’ll save you some money when the tow comes.
The two men are by the trunk of the car now. They open it.
GRANDMA: Christ John!
The Driver suddenly turns to the old woman.
THE DRIVER :Oh fine... stop your yellin’.
John looks confused now.
Bobby Lee and Edward stand by the open trunk staring at The Driver.
THE DRIVER: Looks like there’s no point in tryin’ anymore.
KU-CHUNK! The sound of a shotgun being pumped is heard.
Bobby Lee has a long shotgun in his grasp.
GRANDMA: No...
The Driver, now known as The Misfit, shakes his head. He sucker punches John in the face. He staggers back holding his mouth. Josette yelps in fear.
The children watch in horror.
THE MISFIT: Bobby Lee, Edward, take them to the woods.
They walk over to John, Josette, and the two children. Bobby Lee aims the gun at John. Edward tosses a revolver to The Misfit. He catches it.
The Misfit looks blank. He turns and looks at the old woman.
June Star doesn’t cooperate with the two men.
JUNE STAR: --No! I want to stay with grandma!
The Misfit’s blank expression turns to one of compassion. He walks over to her and gets down on one knee. He smiles at the little angel.
THE MISFIT: What’s your name, sweetie?
JUNE STAR: June, June Star.
THE MISFIT: What a beautiful name. (pointing at the doll) What’s her name, June Star?
JUNE STAR: Josette, like my mommy.
He smiles.
THE MISFIT: June Star, sweetie, I’m just gonna’ talk with your grandma for a few minutes. My friends Bobby Lee and Eddy want to play a game with yall in the woods. You like playin’ games, June Star?
JUNE STAR: Yes.
THE MISFIT: Then run along with your mommy.
She runs to her mother’s side. Josette drops to her knees, tears streaming down her face, and clutches her baby girl.
The Misfit rises as the group ventures into the woods. He looks at the old woman and aims the gun at her. They walk off into the woods in a separate direction.
CUT TO:
INT. THE WOODS – SAME
The old woman and The Misfit come to a downed log. He motions the gun telling her to get on her knees. She obeys and The Misfit looms over her with a terrifying blank stare.
GRANDMA: You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?
THE MISFIT: I would hate to have to.
He pulls back the revolver’s hammer.
GRANDMA: Listen, I know you're a good man. You don't look a bit like you have evil blood in you.
BLAM! A single blast is heard off in the distance.
GRANDMA: I know you must come from nice people!
He looks blank; gun still aimed at her.
BLAM! Another single shotgun blast is heard.
THE MISFIT: Yes ma’am, finest people in the world. God never made a finer woman than my mother and my daddy's heart was pure gold.
BLAM! Another blast.
THE MISFIT : Ain't a cloud in the sky. Don't see no sun but don't see no cloud neither.
BLAM! The final shot is heard.
GRANDMA: You can’t be this bad... you can’t be...
THE MISFIT: I was a gospel singer for a while. I been most everything. Been in the arm service, both land and sea, at home and abroad, been an undertaker, been with the railroads, plowed Mother Earth, been in a tornado.
GRANDMA: Pray, pray... pray...
She reaches her hand out and does the “sign of the cross” in the air.
The Misfit leaps backwards and fires three rounds into the old woman. He breathes calmly and slowly rises to his feet. He fires one more bullet into her. He lowers the gun and stares at her.
THE MISFIT: I stopped praying after I left the gospel...
Bobby Lee and Edward come into frame. Bobby Lee has a smile cutting across his fat face. Edward has John’s button down shirt and sports jacket under his arm.
The Misfit still blankly stares at the dead woman.
THE MISFIT: Take her to where you did the others.
EDWARD: (hands him the clothes) She sure was a talker that one.
THE MISFIT: (while putting on the clothes) She would of been a good woman, if she had somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.
He takes off his glasses and wipes the bit of blood spatter off of them with John’s handkerchief.
BOBBY LEE: Sure was a lot of fun, Eli!
The Misfit, now known as Elias, looks ahead.
ELIAS: Shut up, Bobby Lee. It's no real pleasure in life.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE SIDE OF THE ROAD - MOMENTS LATER
The three killers walk to their car.
The black cat is perched near it’s basket. It stares at the men.
They enter their car and it drives way.
CUT TO:
5/8/2004 10:39:52 PM
(Updated: 5/8/2004 10:46:04 PM)
(Updated: 5/9/2004 1:09:26 AM)
(Updated: 5/9/2004 1:11:32 AM)
(Updated: 5/9/2004 11:40:09 AM)
(Updated: 5/9/2004 11:41:58 AM)
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