FADE IN:
EXT. PORCH - DAY
Two very old men, pushing 100 years of age, sit on a porch. They are WALTER, a bald white man with glasses, and CHARLIE, a black man with white hair and beard. A small table with a radio and two glasses of lemonade sits between them. The radio plays a baseball game as the men stare off at nothing in particular, intently listening to the action. Exciting plays send them into animated pleasure or disdain as a NARRATOR speaks.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Meet Charlie and Walter, a couple of old-timers...and I mean OLD-timers. They've been best friends since they met at the age of 5 back in 1916. All their lives, they've shared a passion for baseball. Between the two of them, they've collected more autographs and memorabilia from the major leagues, the negro leagues, the minor leagues, and pretty much any other league there is, than just about the rest of the world combined. They've been to every ballpark, several World Series games, seen every famous baseball player over the past century take the field, and for the last 35 years...their golden years of retirement...they've religiously spent their time sitting right here, listening to as many games as they possibly can.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Here's the 1-1 pitch to Mathis…right down the middle for a strike.
WALTER
(angrily)
Aw, come on you bum! Swing the pine!
CHARLIE
Ain't no surprise why his average is only .198 this year. All he do is watch d’ball go by.
WALTER
They need to send him back down. Send him back down, I say.
CHARLIE
Sho’ thing.
WALTER
He’s barely good enough to be the bat-boy.
CHARLIE
Know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Aw yes. Charlie and Walter know so much about baseball, you'd think they invented the game themselves. They have the solution to just about everything, and anybody who knows anything about baseball would be crazy not to listen to them. At least, that's what they'd tell you.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Here’s the 1-2 pitch to Mathis…It’s BELTED HIGH AND DEEP.
Charlie and Walter react with excitement as the play is announced.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (cont, V.O.)
DAVIS AND DENORFIA RACE BACK TO THE WALL…THEY LOOK UP…IT’S GONE! MATHIS HAS HIT IT OUT!
Charlie and Walter join the radio’s audience in cheers and applause.
WALTER
I just KNEW he’d come through! What have I been saying about that boy!
CHARLIE
He be a natural.
WALTER
He's a shoe-in to make the all-star team!
CHARLIE
Know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!
Charlie and Walter continue to cheer and applaud with excitement and laughter.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
That’s right. Charlie and Walter are verifiable encyclopedias when it comes to baseball, and nobody can tell them otherwise. They know everything there is to know about the game. Absolutely everything.
CUT TO BLACK
NARRATOR (cont., V.O.)
Except for one thing.
EXT. PORCH – DAY
It’s a new day. Charlie and Walter sit on the porch as they did before. An announcer calls a game over the radio that sits on the table between them.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Here’s the 2-1 pitch to Varitek…high and outside, so the count goes to 3-1. Rory, getting back to what you were talking about a moment ago in regards to the Commissioner's…
Walter reaches over to the radio and turns down the volume. Charlie gives Walter a confusing look.
CHARLIE
What da hell you turn dat down for, man? I was listenin’.
WALTER
I want to ask you a question.
CHARLIE
What?
WALTER
Do you think there’s baseball in Heaven, Charlie?
CHARLIE
Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout?
WALTER
What do you think I’m talking about? Do you think there’s baseball in Heaven?
CHARLIE
We both gon be in Heaven 'fore we know who win dis game if you don’t turn it back up right now.
WALTER
Just answer the question, dag nabbit. Do you think there’s baseball in Heaven or not?
CHARLIE
How d’hell am I s'pposed to know? I ain't never been there befo'.
WALTER
I think there’s baseball in Heaven. There has to be.
CHARLIE
Howz you figgya?
WALTER
Nothing is as great as the game of baseball. It’s God’s greatest creation.
CHARLIE
Well I definitely ‘gree with you there. Now turn up the damn radio ‘fore we miss any mo’ of da game.
WALTER
You know what Charlie? You and I are working on borrowed time. We won’t be around much longer. One of us is fixin’ to kick the bucket sometime soon.
CHARLIE
(exasperated)
And I hope we can finish dis game ‘fore that happens.
WALTER
Here’s what I was thinking. Whichever one of us dies first will come back down to Earth and tell the other if there’s baseball in Heaven. What do you say?
Charlie gives in to Walter’s requests to finish the conversation. He’s even intrigued about Walter’s latest idea.
CHARLIE
You know what? Dat’s a great idea. Whoever go first come back to share da news.
WALTER
Agreed.
CHARLIE
Now will you please turn da game back on?
Walter turns the volume back up on the radio.
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
One hit, no runs, no errors, and a man left on base. We go to the top of the 5th inning when we return. No score between the Angels and Red Sox. You're listening...
FADE TO BLACK
SUPER: 3 MONTHS LATER
EXT. PORCH – DAY
Walter sits by himself and listens to a baseball game. A glass of lemonade sits on the table beside the radio.
NARRATOR
As it turned out, Charlie passed away just two weeks after their discussion about baseball in heaven. Walter mourned the loss of this friend for a couple of months, spending most of his time reflecting on the past. But it wouldn’t be long before Walter was right back out there on that porch, sipping his lemonade and listening to a ballgame. He knew that’s exactly how Charlie would have wanted it to be.
Walter stares blankly, despite the exciting play being announced over the radio. His demeanor begins to change however, as a strange, ghostly premonition presents itself over the lawn in front of the porch. Walter watches it carefully.
The ghostly premonition gets larger and brighter. Walter’s curiosity grows.
CHARLIE (V.O.)
(slowly, ghostly)
Walterrrrrrrrr. Walterrrrrrrrr.
Walter sits up excitedly.
WALTER
Son of a one-eyed caterwauler! Charlie! Is that you?
The ghostly premonition turns into Charlie, who smiles ear to ear. He’s bright, dressed in white, and looks much younger than before.
CHARLIE
Yes my friend. It's me.
WALTER
Charlie, I can't believe my eyes! It really IS you! What are you doing here?
CHARLIE
Well Walter, I come back to answer yo’ question ‘bout baseball in Heaven, just like we ‘greed.
Walter jumps to his feet in an instant. He fidgets nervously, afraid to ask.
WALTER
And? Is there baseball in Heaven Charlie? Oh Betsey, tell me now before I burst!
CHARLIE
Walter, I got good news, and I got betta' news. Da good news is there’s baseball in Heaven, my friend. There is baseball in Heaven.
Walter laughs out loud. He begins to dance as if he were a teenager again. He claps his hands and slaps his knees the whole while. Charlie smiles at his friend’s elation.
WALTER
I knew it Charlie! I just knew it! I just knew there was baseball in Heaven!
CHARLIE
It gets even betta' my friend. It get's even betta'.
WALTER
It gets better? How could anything be better than baseball in Heaven?
CHARLIE
(excited)
Well, you da startin’ pitcha' tomorrow night!
Walter’s elation drops cold. He stares at his dead friend with deep concern.
WALTER
Say again?
CUT TO BLACK
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Hey Ron,
ReplyDeleteI love this script, I like seeing old folks in stories, they're not used enough - I've been working with the elderly on and off for years and I think they're the best - wise and funny and even the cantakerous ones are lovable.
This is a great little story, I like how they broach the subject of death and that you handle it in such a humorous manner.
How necessary is your narrator?
I like his first speech but feel the rest could be done away with, you show us what he tells us anyway so I'm not too sure how much it adds, especially when Walter is on his own after Charlie's death - the visuals are enough and I think the narration takes away from the poignant scene of him alone.
Would you be up for posting a version without the narration just to see how it works??
Mel
aha, works if I'm annonymous!
ReplyDeleteRon,
ReplyDeleteI'm going to piggyback on Mel's comment and say you don't need the narrator at all--you can say all the exposition-type stuff through clever dialogue. Plus, it would be funnier to have those guys yelling/arguing with each other over who has more useless baseball crap.
Also, don't forget about set design as a way of explaining things about the characters.
I liked it a lot though. Proper.
B!