THE GRIND
Shooting Script
By David Hung
June 9, 2001
1 INT BAR-MORNING 1
The room is dark and decrepit with sounds of muffled chatter
bouncing off the paint chipped walls and the shuffling of
poker chips crackling throughout. PHILIP, 24, unshaven, weary
and defeated sits at a worn, ash covered table as he tries
his luck at one last hand. Surrounding him sit a group of
exhausted men hunched over, faces clouded by smoke and
covered in early morning stubble. Phil sits silent and in
disgust as he loses his last dime once again.
X INT BAR STAIRCASE-MORNING
He emerges in shock from the smoke filled room and stumbles
awkwardly against the wall.
PHIL
..fuck, Phil.
Looking at his watch,he lets out a long breath and begins to
trot down the long wooden staircase.
2
INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 2
The room is black with all but a small stream of light
creeping through the blinds as CHARLIE, 25, clean cut and
handsome is awoken by deafening pounding on his door.
PHIL (O.S.)
Hey yo, Charlie!
Charlie scratches the back of his head emphatically as he
fumbles to find the light switch.
CHARLIE
Yeah...?
Squinting into the peephole he sees Phil on the other side
with a cocky smile and waving a casual hello. Charlie takes
a step back and pauses for an uncomfortable moment before
finally opening the door.
PHIL
Charles!
The door has barely been unchained before Phil pushes it wide
open and pulls Charlie in to embrace him.
PHIL
(continuing)
How the fuck you been, man?
CHARLIE
Good...Phil..I uhh...I've been
good.How have you been? How's Kelly?
PHIL
Ahh...you know. Same old thing. But
you,... Charlie, look at you.
Phil brushes the lint off of Charlie's faded old t-shirt and
casually wipes it off his hand before continuing.
PHIL
(continuing)
I gotta tell ya man..you look like
shit. Just get off work?
CHARLIE
Couple of hours ago. Corey called in
sick in the middle of my shift. Got
stuck doing a double.
Paying Charlie no attention, Phil walks around the room,
unamusingly looking at the messy apartment.
PHIL
Hmmm? I don't know if that's it.
CHARLIE
Well it is 7:00 in the morning.
PHIL
Man the army's been up for like,..12
hours or something already, alright?
So..don't even give me that. They've
had their fuckin morning breakfast
and did all that marching banjo shit
and still had time for..god knows
what else those fuckers do.
CHARLIE
Ok,..ok,..you're right.
Phil quickly skims through a stack of cd's and uncaringly
tosses them one after another back onto the desk.
PHIL
Of course I'm fuckin right..but
hey..who am I to compare? Those guys
got nothing better to do than shave
their heads and..and..butt fuck the
recruits so..Unless you're into that.
CHARLIE
No..no. Not that I'm aware of.
PHIL
Well you never know these days. Why
the fuck are you still working at
that place anyways? The pay is shit,
the hours are brutal and Sid..oh my
god Sid is the biggest fucker ever.
I mean, that's the main reason why I
quit or else I would have ended up
killing the guy. Swear to God.
CHARLIE
You were fired, Phil
PHIL
I was?..huhh..maybe that's why he
wouldn't give me that reference.
CHARLIE
Yeah. Maybe.
PHIL
Oh well,..fuck it. Got coffee?
3
INT CHARLIE'S KITCHEN-MORNING 3
Charlie carefully scoops heaping tablespoons of coffee grinds
into two deep black mugs.
CHARLIE
Black?
PHIL (O.S.)
What's that?
CHARLIE
Your coffee.
4
INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 4
Phil stands at the desk staring at an old photo of the two of
them from a few years back.
PHIL
Umm..yeah..black.
5
INT CHARLIE'S KITCHEN-MORNING 5
Pouring the cream, all that is heard in the silence is the
occasionally pinging against the mug from the spoon.
CHARLIE
So how much did you lose?
6
INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 6
Expecting the question, Phil looks over at Charlie leaning
against the kitchen doorway.
PHIL
...I dropped it all.
Charlie stares blank faced at the wall and frustratingly
slides his hand down his long face.
PHIL
(continuing)
What can I tell, ya? One minute I'm
stacked to the tits in chips and then
BAM the next thing you know I'm
fuckin stuck for all I gots.
Phil looks away and shakes his head.
CHARLIE
What were you playing loose? Throwing
chips away or what?
PHIL
No, tight. So tight. I'm talking..I
was a rock...made a couple of early
moves..but..no..no. Solid I swear.
CHARLIE
Then what happened?
PHIL
I don't know, man. I was getting
tired and shit. Then Paki Paul comes
around and he keeps check raisin' my
ass ...
(beat)
I was gettin so fuckin pissed off!
CHARLIE
Oh, Phil! You know better than that.
PHIL
Yeah I know but, its just, I was
gettin monster hands, just couldn't
lay them down..fuck..
Beat.
CHARLIE
Who was all there?
PHIL
The usuals..Chow and his
crew..Adam..B..Frank..the guys a
major fuckin putz.
CHARLIE
Which Frank?
PHIL
Fat Frank.
CHARLIE
...Fat Frank?
PHIL
Yes. Frank. Fat Frank! The guy from
out West. Glasses? Cowboy boots?
CHARLIE
Ooohhh!! You mean Hollywood Frank!
PHIL
Hollywood Frank, Fat Frank. Same
shit, same fuckin Frank, same fuckin
putz.
Charlie backs way from the confrontation stares into his mug
swirling the coffee around its brim.
(beat)
PHIL
(continuing)
Look, Charlie..I'm just gonna come
out and ask you, alright?
CHARLIE
Alright.
PHIL
You got any coin you can lend me
there?..I mean..I know I still owe
you from last time..but...I gotta get
back..and..you know how it is.
Charlie stands up from the floor and hands Phil his coffee.
CHARLIE
No I'm sorry, I don't, Phil.
Charlie strolls over to the window and open the curtain.
PHIL
You don't,..or you won't, Charlie?
Charlie turns around and looks hard at his old friend.
CHARLIE
I won't, Phil.
Charlie sips his coffee staring out the window as Phil sits
baffled.
PHIL
Wait..wait...am I missing something
here? I'm tapped, Charlie. Bone dry.
I'm fucked. I don't have nothing
left.
CHARLIE
You don't have anything left.
PHIL
Yeah.
CHARLIE
No..what I mean is..you have to say;
"I don't have anything left" you
can't say:"I don't have nothing
left". Its a double negative.
PHIL
Oh. "a double negative". I see. How's
this for a double negative;fuck you,
Charlie.How's that?
CHARLIE
I'm just saying..
PHIL
No. Don't just say anything. This
isn't fuckin special ed class. Say
this; "Here you go, Phil..here's
some money to save your ass,cuz I'm
not a total fuckin dick and I don't
want to see my friend, ME, get his
ass kicked".
CHARLIE
And why would you get your ass
kicked?
PHIL
"Why?" What do you mean "why?" That's
not the fuckin point,Charlie.
CHARLIE
What is your point?
PHIL
My point is that you can help out an
old friend here.
CHARLIE
A friend? As in you? What the fuck is
that? You don't just show up at my
house after.. what..a year after
screwing me over last time..wake my
ass out of bed at 7:00 in the morning
and then go barking orders around
expect me to be ok about it. I don't
expect shit from you, you don't
expect shit from me. Simple as that.
Charlie stops midsentence and gives up. Downing the rest of
his coffee he walks to the kitchen passing Phil who is trying
hard to look away staring at the floor.
CHARLIE
(continuing)
Look, I know what its like losing
your entire bankroll and having to
grind your way. I was down too. But
I never fucked anybody over in the
process. Never. We have been friends
a long time but you've screwed me
over once too often. I may have a
shitty job and maybe my bank account
isn't what it use to be... but I'm
not a sucker.
Charlie raises his eyebrows and simply smiles, knowing Phil
will have nothing to say in response as he turns and walks
into the kitchen.
7
INT CHARLIE'S KITCHEN-MORNING 7
Charlie leans over the sink and quietly shakes his head to
himself.
8
INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 8
Phil sits silent and uncomfortably, staring around the room
and not knowing what he should say or do.
9
INT CHARLIE'S KITCHEN-MORNING 9
Charlie rummages through his empty cupboards, spilling over
expired jars of condiments pushing them on their sides.
PHIL (O.S.)
I'm just gonna go.
Startled, Charlie jumps up to see Phil at the doorway.
CHARLIE
Yeah? O.k..
PHIL
I should go check on, Kel. Probably
pissed that I haven't called.
CHARLIE
Of course. You should call her.
PHIL
Yeah,... well.
The two stand there, nodding their heads, silent in the
awkwardness before Phil realizes he is still holding the
coffee mug.
PHIL
(continuing)
Oh..uhh.thanks for the coffee.
CHARLIE
No problem. Hey look. About what I
said earlier..I'm...
PHIL
Hey..don't...
CHARLIE
No, I mean..I don't think...you
know..maybe I was a little out of
line.
PHIL
Hey, I know I can be an ass..so..
CHARLIE
I'm sorry..
PHIL
Charlie. It's ok.
CHARLIE
Yeah?
Phil grins and nods his head in acknowledgement as he
casually taps a beat against the doorway with his hands.
PHIL
Alright then..umm...I'd better go.
CHARLIE
Hey wait...you wanna go grab some
breakfast or something?
PHIL
Breakfast? No..you're tired I
shouldn't..
CHARLIE
..no..it's ok I'm never gonna fall
back asleep. Want to go to the Grill?
PHIL
The Grill? Great, I'm starving.
Umm...why don't you shower, get
cleaned up. I'll go see Kel at the
shop and I'll come by in what...an
hour?
CHARLIE
An hours good.
PHIL
Cool. I'll see you then.
Phil stands uncomfortably as he pats his jacket down
nervously for his keys. Finally feeling them inside of his
pocket, he gives Charlie one final nod as he heads out the
door.
10 INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT HALLWAY-MORNING 10
Phil slowly closes the door behind him, quietly banging his
forehead against it letting out a long breath.
PHIL
(continuing)
...fuck, Phil.
11 INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 11
Fresh out of the shower is, Charlie throws on a pair of jeans
and t-shirt.
12 INT BUILDING STAIRCASE-MORNING 12
The echoe of thunderous footsteps slowly trotting up the old
wooden staircase are heard as a long shadow is cast against
the rotting wall.
13 INT CHARLIE'S APARTMENT-MORNING 13
Charlie snaps on his watch and grabs his keys as he slides
his wallet into the back of his jeans. Somewhat confused he
pulls his wallet out from behind him and slowly cracks opens
the folds to find it completely empty.
CHARLIE
Fuck!
14 INT BUILDING STAIRCASE-MORNING 14
Phil, hunched over and exhausted begins to emerge from the
bottom of the staircase as he heads towards the apartment at
the top of the stairs. As he comes to the door, he stops and
pulls out a crumpled wad of money from his pocket. Letting
out a long deep breath, he knocks.
FADE OUT:
THE END.
Copyright 2001 by David Hung
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