BRING ME THE SUN pilot script! scenes 29-47

16 Sep, 2024

INT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - E'S APT - MAIN ROOM - LATER

• Eleanor bursts through the front door. Kabili trails behind.

ELEANOR
You know, it's just occurred to me: I don't have a suitcase.

KABILI
What? How?

ELEANOR
I've never really gone anywhere.. Let's share?

KABILI
Uh-.

ELEANOR
Thanks!

• Eleanor grabs Kabili's suitcase and runs into the other room. Kabili stays here, taking in the barren decor.

• A sudden cacophony from the other room: drawers yanked open and shut, the rummaging and tossing of clothes and more.

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Wow, I actually have a lot of junk!

KABILI
What are you going to do?

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Most I'll leave behind. I don't need this.. this life! A series of one night stands. Sorry, TMI.

KABILI
The hats? The makeup? The jewelry?

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Hang on now, I never said all that.
(the rummaging stops)
Uhhh... makeup.
(heavy thump)
Annd,

• We hear a latch, then the pouring out of little metal items.

KABILI
Think it'll take Adam long to pack?

ELEANOR (O.C.)
No, but don't remind me.

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - DRUG STORE - MEANWHILE

• Adam exits a tiny DRUG STORE onto the busy avenue with a pack of cigarettes and a bottle. He tucks the pack away, pulls out his flask, unscrews; pops open the bottle, then slowly transfers the liquor from this to that. Firm concentration.

• A little OLD WOMAN bumps into him. He spills some, glares -- she carries on, oblivious -- then tops off his flask. He blows a musical note along the rim, sets it on the floor, tucks flask away, and goes to cross the avenue.

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - ADAM'S APT - MOMENTS LATER

• A block down from the drug store, Adam turns left onto a street, passing a RESTAURANT while taking a sip from his flask. He puts it away, pulls out his keys, drops them, stops, picks them up, then begins to cross the street. He stops again, this time more sudden and alert.

• Across the street, by the entrance of the DECAYED BUILDING his apartment resides in, are GOONS standing by the open door.

• Adam's luck runs shorter than Kabili's (at dry meadow) because they've spotted him: only one of the goons, but then he whispers in another's ear. Now they're all looking at him.

ADAM
Christ in heaven.

• Adam bolts into an ALLEY. So do they.

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS

• The alley is narrow and shallow. Dead end.

• Adam scans frantically: TRASH and BACKDOORS. He grabs a handle: locked; grabs another: ditto; another: samesies.

• He turns round and stops. Three smirking goons slowly creep up. One of them has a huge BAT, another a KNIFE.

GOON #3
Where's the camera, Sullivan?

ADAM
Sorry.. camera? 'Fraid I don't know what you mean, boys! Mine got smashed ohh.. yesterday, unfortunately. You see, one of your buddies -- two of 'em, actually -- they got a bit excited and-.

• The batter bashes a metal trash can. The sound reverberates up the walls. Adam flinches and backs up. They creep.

GOON #3
A nigger and a potato-eater broke into Eddy's place last night. I see a sleepy ginger with bags under his thievin' eyes. Don't play dumb.

ADAM
Umm, uuhhh.

• Adam backpedals into a heap of garbage, but catches himself. He holds up a shaky hand and the goons laugh.

• A door kicks open on Adam's right, which swings and SLAMS into Goon #3, who falls on top of the other two.

• Out comes a middle aged ITALIAN COOK taking out the garbage.

ADAM
Wow! Deus Ex Linguine!

• Then he hops inside.

ITALIAN COOK
Ayy, what the fuck are you-a doing!
(notices goons)
Ai!

• The cook drops the garbage and falls back. He tries shutting the door, but the goons throw it wide open and charge, screaming like some goofy battle cry.

INT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS

• There's peace in the restaurant. LUNCH DATES joke around, BUSINESS MEN quietly discuss propositions.

• A disheveled man bursts from the KITCHEN ENTRANCE. It's Adam. Everyone stops what they were doing.

• Adam stops too, holding a finger to his lips:

ADAM
Shhhh.

• He positions himself by the flank of the kitchen entrance and sticks his foot out, intending to trip his chasers.

• And here comes a young ITALIAN SERVER walking through with several PLATES of SPAGHETTI, not prepared for the off-chance a foot is in the way...

• SLAM. CRASH. Tomato sauce and noodles fly across the room. The customers gasp. Adam's jaw hangs open. The server hops up, livid and still balancing a ruins plate of spaghetti.

• Just before he verbally unloads all his frustrations of the day onto our idiot, the three goons run in at full speed: slip! Slide! SLAM. CRASH!

• Adam and the server look down at the groaning, confused goons, then at each other.

• Suddenly Adam grabs a handful of spaghetti off the server's plate and CHUCKS it, hitting goon #3 square in the face.

ADAM
You try eating a fucking rotten potato. Day in. Day out. S'not fun! Think we deserved it, huh? Starvi-
(to server)
You really oughta quit.

• Adam bolts. Goon #3 is looking red (and noodley).

INT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - E'S APT - MAIN ROOM - MEANWHILE

• Eleanor waddles into the main room holding the suitcase with both hands and a CIRCULAR BOX under her arm.

ELEANOR
Okay.. I'm... uh!
(slams suitcase on table)
Ready!

• Kabili sits there by the furnace, holding the camera.

ELEANOR
Oh, shoot. I forgot about that.. thing. Um.

• She puts the circular box on the suitcase, throws the top off, and pulls out a large hat similar to what she's wearing.

ELEANOR
Here, trade.

• She puts the feminine hat on Kabili, takes the camera, and tries to fit it in the box. Width-wise, it clears. She puts the top of the box back on: it protrudes half a foot out.

ELEANOR
This is uh.. yeah.

KABILI
Mhm!

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - THRIFT STORE - MEANWHILE

• Adam steps out of a cluttered shop wearing a torn up COAT and trying frantically to put on a railroad hat so as to hide his bright red hair. It doesn't quite fit. The remaining hair he hides by popping the cat's collar.

• He looks left and immediately drops to the floor, quickly taking on the role of a homeless man, hanging his head low.

• Five goons walk by -- clearly on the hunt.

• One by one, each of them pass by our homeless man. Then:

GOON #5
Alright, John Henry. You seen a Irishman run by?

• He pulls his legs in and shuts his coat tight.

GOON #5
(kicks his shoe)
Don't be a bum now. Fess up or-.

• He notices a stain on the bum's shoe: tomato sauce.

• Adam LAUNCHES his leg out, kicking the goon's shin with all his weight. The goon yelps and falls over.

• The other goons quickly turn and see one of their men on the ground, hugging his leg like a football injury. In the middle of the crowd, they see a ginger head sprint the other way.

INT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - E'S APT - MAIN ROOM - MEANWHILE

• The suitcase lays on the table, open, clothes vomiting out and all across the floor. The camera and the prop dress lay in the middle. It's all rather volcanic. Eleanor sighs.

ELEANOR
I don't wanna do this anymore.

KABILI
What? Really?

ELEANOR
No, just felt like the right thing to say. This is depressing, though. Give me a hand?

• The two of them lift and shut the suitcase. Kabili holds it down while Eleanor latches it shut. They're packed.

• Kabili takes off the hat. Just as he's about to toss it:

ELEANOR
(grabs his arm)
Wait! I can't part with that hat. Can you wear it?

KABILI
What!?

ELEANOR
(grabs skirt off floor)
And this.

KABILI
Out THERE!?

ELEANOR
Absolutely. A disguise!

KABILI
(blushes)
I can't do that.

ELEANOR
Why not?

KABILI
I don't look like a lady.

ELEANOR
Oh, please. Just give us a falsetto and you'll be fine. No -- that's bad advice. Let me think... speak on the tip of your tongue, feel the words in your face, enunciate, smile -- or don't, and make them wish you would.

• Kabili hesitates.

ELEANOR
Less heads would turn if we were girlfriends. Pointless as it is, we both know mixed couples don't fly.

• She holds the skirt out. He hesitates a while longer... but eventually puts the hat back on.

KABILI
Should I shave?

• Eleanor sighs and unlatches the suitcase again.

LATER

• All we see: the RAZOR and ball cap, forgotten on the table.

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Ok, let's go.

• We hear Kabili grunt, something heavy lift off the floor, and the door open.

ELEANOR (O.C.)
After you, madam. Also, where are we meeting?

KABILI (O.C.)
The Chelsea Piers.

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Ok.

KABILI (O.C.)
Eleanor, I look absurd.

ELEANOR (O.C.)
Absurd is good!

• The door slams.

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - E'S APT - MOMENT'S LATER

• The lobby doors swing open: Kabili (left) clean shaven, full face, dressed like a flower, and Eleanor (right) holding the tripod in her right hand as if it were a pitchfork; a vague resemblance of American Gothic.

• What they're looking at (more like surrounded by): a couple dozen SUFFRAGETTES, many holding PICKET SIGNS. The closest to us, a middle aged woman wearing a big, gold and black BUTTON (it says "VOTES FOR WOMEN") breaks the silence:

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Hello, Eleanor!

ELEANOR
...hhhhiiiiii.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
We were beginning to assume you had slept in so we thought it'd be best if we checked in on you before we start the march.

ELEANOR
Aw, that's very thoughtful!

• Another woman, one holding a picket sign containing an entire political simile, speaks up:

SUFFRAGETTE #2
You're still marching, right?

ELEANOR
Yes!... um... actually, uh.. just now I was uhh.. planning! Aaaa new route! for us to march.

• Some murmurs ripple through the suffragettes.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Really? Whereto?

ELEANOR
......Chelsea Piers.

• A few women gasp, some "Huh?" Another suffragette speaks up, this one in her early 20s and wearing a gold and black SASH:

SUFFRAGETTE #3
Wait, no Central Park? Because I made my sign look like a tree.

ELEANOR
Oh. It looks really good!

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Eleanor, wouldn't we reach a wider demographic in the park?

ELEANOR
No, no think about it! At the piers uh, there's tourists and sailors. Annnd what better way to spread our message than on ship?

SUFFRAGETTE #2
Wow, you are SO right.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Well, then! It's settled. Chelsea Piers today, the park another time.

SUFFRAGETTE #3
(clicks tongue)
Darn.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
By the way, who is this?

ELEANOR
Oh! Um, this is Kabili.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Hello, Kabili! That's a very pretty name. Quite foreign.

• Kabili just stares.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Are you marching too?

ELEANOR
Yes!

SUFFRAGETTE #2
What's the suitcase for?

ELEANOR
The suitcase! That's uh-.

SUFFRAGETTE #1
Well, let her speak, Eleanor.

• ...

KABILI
(femme voice)
Hello.

ALL SUFFRAGETTES
Hi.

ELEANOR
Hey, does anyone have an extra sign and some tape?

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - PROTEST AVENUE - LATER

• The suffragettes march down the middle of the avenue. Some people trail behind, others walk around, and an impatient Model T mounts the curb and drives around.

• All the women shout "We will not be silenced!" including Eleanor, who's fashioned a sign onto the tripod.

ELEANOR
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!!
(to Kabili)
I wonder where Adam is.

• Kabili marches awkwardly along with the heavy suitcase, lip syncing and keeping his head down.

KABILI
(femme voice)
Yeah.
(turns around)
Wait, is that Adam?

• Eleanor turns: sure enough, here comes Adam in a raggedy coat, grasping a hat. He sprints through a gap in the suffragette ranks, which soon closes behind him.

• Running from what? Eleanor and Kabili turn again: several goons try to break through the ranks.

GOON #3
Get out of the way!

ALL SUFFRAGETTES
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!!

• Soon enough, the goons begin shoving the women (including Kabili) out of the way. He catches himself, but just in front of him one woman falls to the ground.

GOON #3
Get the fuck out of the way, you filthy bulldykes!

• Out on the sidewalk, a couple POLICEMEN do nothing but laugh.

• Eleanor's face goes red quick. BANG! She strikes Edison's goon with Edison's tripod on top of his stupid head.

• Before they can figure out just who hit him, all the nearby suffragettes start beating the goons, who soon find themselves outnumbered and overwhelmed.

• A policeman blows his whistle. Now the cops come in to arrest the ladies. Eleanor and Kabili wisely hurry ahead.

EXT. NYC - HELL'S KITCHEN - DELIVERY STREET - MOMENTS LATER

• A Model T TRUCK slowly parks along the sidewalk with an upright PIANO fastened to the bed.

• On the sidewalk stands a PROUD DAD with his arm around his SON, who bounces on his tip toes.

PROUD DAD
Well, son, here it is! Our first piano.

SON
It's so big!

PROUD DAD
Y'know, it reminds me of when I was your age.

SON
You were a kid once!?

PROUD DAD
Sure was! I used to go to my grandma's house and just listen to her play for hours. She's your great grandma.

SON
Oh. Where is she?

PROUD DAD
Resting in heaven. But I think she's looking down on us and I think she's smiling.

• Suddenly a raggedy looking man runs up and hops in the truck.

• The TRUCK DRIVER, who was writing on a clipboard (holding some business documents) and is still behind the wheel -- parked with the engine running -- looks at the new passenger.

ADAM
I'll give you two bucks if you take me to the Chelsea Piers.

He holds up a wrinkly two dollar bill.

TRUCK DRIVER
(takes the money)
Deal!

• The truck shifts into first gear and speeds off. The dad quietly watches it leave. The kid starts scream crying.

EXT. NYC - CHELSEA PIERS - LATER

• Adam sits by himself on a crate, his head hanging low and covered, resuming his conductor disguise. All around him, the hustle and bustle of TOURISTS boarding and SEAMEN docking.

• Two shadows block the sun. He looks up, squinting.

ADAM
Billy, what are you wearing?

KABILI
I don't know.

ADAM
Same. Where's the camera?
(Kabili holds up suitcase)
And the tripod?
(Eleanor displays the sign)
Oh! Didn't notice.

ELEANOR
Where's the boat?

ADAM
Pier 54.

INT. NYC - CHELSEA PIERS - TICKET BOOTH - MOMENTS LATER

• Our three fugitives shove through a ROWDY CROWD up to the TICKET BOOTH, where a composed, old TICKET MAN sits.

ADAM
Hi, next boat to Chicago.

TICKET MAN
$12.38 per.

ADAM
What!?

TICKET MAN
T-welve dollars and thirty-eight cents per person!

• Adam's face goes white. He turns and faces the crowd.

ADAM
Does anyone have two quarters!?

• Either no one can hear him or no one cares.

ADAM
Please! Please, anybody! A quarter, a dime!... A nickel!

KABILI
Uhh, Adam?

• He can't hear. His panic fades and despairs.

ADAM
...a penny?

ELEANOR
Hey, Adam.

• He twitches around and looks at Eleanor. She points to her right: Kabili holds a dollar bill out for Adam.

• Adam, who by now has been awake for well over 24 hours, tries his best not to cry.

INT./EXT. NYC - CHELSEA PIERS - PIER 54 - MOMENTS LATER

• Hundreds of TOURISTS, BUSINESSMEN, and MIGRANTS, such as our three, gather round the RAMP leading up to the BOAT.

• Adam and Eleanor are already halfway up.

ELEANOR
By the way, where's your luggage?

ADAM
Elly, if I were to think about anything that has just transpired my head would explode.

• Just before Kabili steps on the ramp, a black hand grabs him. He turns around: his step uncle.

• For a brief moment, time stand still between them. People maneuver around. Kabili stands there, mouth agape, in a long skirt and a feminine, flowery hat; holding the baggage, held back by a hand. Uncle's expression changes every half second.

KABILI'S UNCLE
What are you doing?

KABILI
I'm going home.

• He rips his arm away, steps aboard and doesn't look back.

EXT. STEAMBOAT - STERN - HUDSON RIVER - LATER

• Adam and Eleanor lean on the back rail of the boat. She takes a swig from his flask.

• A couple miles out, the Statue of Liberty drifts away.

ELEANOR
Remember when it was brown?

ADAM
(yawns)
I don't remember anything.

EXT. STEAMBOAT - DECK - HUDSON RIVER - MEANWHILE

• Kabili, right side of deck, a couple feet away from the densely packed rail, watches New York City pass.

STRANGER (O.C.) Sad to see it go?

• He jumps and looks left: a STRANGER, a tall and young black man looks down. Kabili stands there, stuck, then looks away.

KABILI
(femme voice)
Yes.

STRANGER
Me too. Thought I'd spend my whole life there, yet here I am.

• ...

STRANGER
What brings you to Chicago?... Sorry, it's rude of me to pry.

KABILI
(femme voice)
My mother.

STRANGER
Oh! Chicago's your home?
(Kabili shakes head)
..Ever been?
(Kabili shakes head)
Me either.

• They pass Hell's Kitchen

KABILI
(femme voice)
Are you excited?

STRANGER
Sure am. Who knows what the future'll bring.

• They pass San Juan Hill.

STRANGER
Say, when we dock in a couple days, how about we explore the city together?

• Kabili jumps again and looks at the strangers, eyes darting back and forth, brow all scrunched up.

KABILI
(femme voice)
Why?

STRANGER
Well, it'd be nice to have some company and I think you're very beautiful.

KABILI
(femme voice)
Excuse me.

• Kabili darts toward the stairs. In one hand, he holds the long skirt up so as to not trip, slightly revealing his manly shoes and pants; in the other hand, he's hiding an erection.

INT. STEAMBOAT - ADAM'S ROOM - LATER

• A cramped room with a shallow mattress, small nightstand, and circular window. Golden sunlight shines through as Adam drops onto the bed and breathes a huge sigh of relief.

• He sits back up and starts untying his shoes.

• Someone knocks on the door.

ADAM
Come in.

• It's Eleanor. She enters, shuts the door, and leans on it.

ELEANOR
Just wanted to check in before you crashed. Bread?

• She holds out a slice of BREAD (she has a half eaten slice for herself too). Adam takes it. They both take a bite.

ADAM
Thanks.

ELEANOR
Mhm. Do you know where Kabili is?

ADAM
Haven't seen him in a few hours. Why?

ELEANOR
Just curious. Plus he has my clothes.

ADAM
Oh, yeah. What are you gonna do?

ELEANOR
I don't know, nap nude or something.
(swallows bread)
Anyway, I'm going to go figure out my predicament, because I am utterly exhausted.

• She opens the door and nearly steps out, when:

ADAM
Hey, uh..

ELEANOR
Hmm?

ADAM
If you want, you could sleep here.

• She sighs and rolls her eyes.

ELEANOR
Goodnight.

• Slam.

EXT. SPACE

• Adam floats through interstellar space, alone.

FADE OUT.

END OF PILOT.