"DO THE RIGHT THING" (1989)

TITLES - WHITE ON BLACK

PLACE Brooklyn, New York

TIME Present

WEATHER Hot as shit!

EXTREME CLOSE UP

WE SEE only big white teeth and very Negroidal (big) lips.

CAMERA MOVES BACK SLOWLY TO REVEAL MISTER SENOR LOVE DADDY, a DJ, a radio personality behind a microphone.

The CAMERA, which is STILL PULLING BACK, shows that Mister Senor Love Daddy is actually sitting in a storefront window. The control booth looks directly out into the street. This is WE-LOVE RADIO, a modest station with a loyal following, right in the heart of the neighborhood. The OPENING SHOT will be a TRICK SHOT -- the CAMERA PULLING BACK through the storefront window.

He hits the cart machine and we hear a station jingle.

He laughs like a madman.

An old, grizzled man stirs in the bed, his sheets are soaked with sweat. He flings them off his wet body.

CAMERA MOVES IN ON a young man sitting at the edge of a sofa bed.

CLOSE UP - HIS SMALL HANDS

WE SEE him counting his money. This isn't any ordinary counting of money, he's straightening out all the corners of the bills, arranges them so the bills -- actually the "dead presidents" -- are facing the same way. This is MOOKIE. Once he's finished with that task, counting his money, he sneaks into his sister's bedroom.

CLOSE UP - JADE

JADE, Mookie's sister, is fast asleep. Mookie's fingers ENTER THE FRAME and start to play with her lips. Jade pushes his hands away. Mookie waits several beats and he continues. Jade wakes up -- mad.

He plants a big fat juicy on his sister's forehead.

A 1975 El Dorado pulls up in front of the neighborhood pizzeria -- Sal's Famous Pizzeria. From the car comes out the owner, SAL, a slightly overweight man in his early fifties, and his two sons, PINO, 22, and VITO, 20. It's time for them to go to work at Sal's Famous Pizzeria in the heart of Black Brooklyn. Sal's sits right on the corner of The Block. The Block being where this film on the hottest day of the summer takes place.

Pino kicks a beer can in his path into the gutter.

Pino now is silent. Sal walks over to him.

Mookie comes down his stoop and walks to work.

The Block is beginning to come to life. Those unlucky souls who have to work this Saturday drag themselves to it, and the kids are out on the street to play in the hot sun all day long.

Mookie stops to say hello to MOTHER SISTER. She leans out her out her window on the parlor floor. In the summertime, the only time when she's not perched in her window is when she's asleep.

Mookie enters the pizzeria and Pino is on him before the door closes.

Pino looks at his father. He wants to be backed up on this; all he gets is an amused look, and a smirk from Vito.

There's a knock on the door and Da Mayor enters.

Sal looks at Pino, who reluctantly gives Da Mayor the broom.

Da Mayor almost runs out of the pizzeria in his hurry; soon as he finishes he'll be able to get a bottle.

Da Mayor sweeps the sidewalk, happy as can be. As soon as he finishes he can get that money and get that bottle.

A group of youths sit on a stoop waiting for someone. They are CEE, PUNCHY and the lone female, ELLA.

Ella stands up and yells.

She looks up into his window, then sits down.

The door swings open at the top of the stoop and AHMAD appears.

Ahmad sits down with them.

In the BG, we hear the dum-dum-dum of a giant box. The sound gets louder as the box gets closer. The youths look down the block and see a tall young man coming towards them. He has a very distinct walk, it's more like a bop. This is RADIO RAHEEM. The size of his box is tremendous and one has to think how does he carry something that big around with him? It must weigh a ton, and it seems like the sidewalk shakes as the rap music blares out. The song we hear is the only one Radio Raheem plays.

MEDIUM SHOT - RADIO RAHEEM

Radio Raheem stops in front of the group, looks at them and turns down the volume. It's quiet again.

Radio Raheem nods and turns up the volume. Way up.

Radio Raheem waves to Mister Senor Love Daddy as he walks by.

Mister Senor Love Daddy gives Radio Raheem a clinched- fist salute.

Da Mayor walks into a newly opened fruit and vegetable deli stand that is owned by Koreans.

Da Mayor is looking for his beer in the refrigerated cases, his ice-cold beer.

Da Mayor has his can of beer (not Budweiser) and the brown paper bag is twisted into a knot at the bottom. He stops and takes a long swill.

Da Mayor lowers the can from his mouth and looks up at his heckler. It's obvious from the look on his face he's heard this before. Da Mayor contorts his face and stares at her.

Da Mayor changes his face into a more grotesque look.

Da Mayor tips his beat-up hat to Mother Sister and takes a final swig of beer just for her.

An elderly Puerto Rican woman, CARMEN, is telling off her daughter TINA in Spanish. Tina, having heard enough, closes the door on her mother's ranting and raving.

ANGLE - TINA

Tina bends down and scoops her baby son HECTOR up from the bed and holds him for dear life to her breasts. She talks to her son while walking around the room.

Tina kisses her son. Tina is seventeen years old, another teenage parent.

Every day on this corner, summer or winter, spring or fall, a small group of men meet. They have no steady employment, nothing they can speak of, they do, however, have the gift of gab. These men can talk, talk, and mo' talk and when a bottle is going round and they're feeling "nice," they get philosophical. Thsse men become the great thinkers of the world with solutions to all its ills; like drugs, the homeless and AIDS. They're called the Corner Men: SWEET DICK WILLIE, COCONUT SID and ML. All three are sitting in folding chairs up against a wall in the shade.

Customers are in Sal's; it's lunchtime and it's fairly busy. Sal puts a hot slice down on the counter in front of BUGGIN' OUT, A B-boy.

Buggin' Out looks at the slice.

Buggin' Out slams his money down on the counter, takes his slice and sits down.

ANGLE - TABLE

All around Buggin' Out, peering down from the WALL OF FAME, are signed, framed 8X10 glossies of famous Italian- Americans. WE SEE Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Governor Mario Cuomo, Al Pacino and, of course, how can we forget Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa: THE ITALIAN STALLION, also RAMBO.

CLOSE UP - BUGGIN' OUT

He looks at the pictures hovering above him.

CLOSE UP - MOOKIE

CLOSE UP - BUGGIN" OUT

CLOSE UP - MOOKIE

ANGLE - PIZZERIA

Pino walks over to Buggin' Out.

Sal comes from behind the counter with his Louisville Slugger Mickey Mantle model baseball bat. Vito is by his side, but Mookie intercepts them, taking Buggin' Out with him.

They give each other five.

Mookie enters.

Mookie walks down the block with pizza box in hand when he sees Da Mayor sitting on his stoop.

Mookie turns around and goes back.

Mookie is hiking up a flight of stairs.

ANGLE - STAIRCASE

He puts the pizza box down and takes a breather.

CLOSE UP - MOOKIE

Sweat drips off his face.

ANGLE - MOOKIE

He bends down to pick up the pizza box and tackles the last few flights.

CLOSE UP - DOORBELL

Mookie pushes the buzzer.

ANGLE - DOOR

A young Puerto Rican woman opens the door.

Mookie hands her the pizza.

Nilda hands him a handful of singles. Mookie looks at the crumpled mess. Nilda attempts to close the door, but Mookie's foot says, "hell no."

First he straightens out the dollars, then counts the bills.

Nilda looks at him and sees right away he's not going anywhere.

Nilda goes into the apartment and we hear her talking in Spanish to a male.

Jade sits down next to Mother Sister on the stoop.

Mother Sister hands her a bag that is at her side.

Jade unwraps a head scarf from around Mother Sister's head and a full head of long black hair falls to her shoulders.

Jade begins to part, grease and comb out Mother Sister's hair.

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

Da Mayor stands in front of the stoop, he's smiling for days.

ANGLE - STOOP

CLOSE UP - DA MAYOR

The Mayor tips his hat and heads up the block.

ANGLE - STOOP

They both laugh.

CLOSE UP - JADE

She looks up at the white-hot sun.

CLOSE UP - MOTHER SISTER

She does the same.

ANGLE - MOOKIE

Mookie bends down to tie his sneakers.

ANGLE - DOOR

Nilda reappears and holds out a lonely lone dollar for him. Mookie has her hold it out for awhile, then he takes it.

Nilda slams the door.

HOT, HOTTER AND HOTTEST MONTAGE

Right now, folks, we're gonna suspend the narrative and show how people are coping with the oppressive heat.

People are taking cold showers.

Sticking faces in ice-cold, water-filled sinks.

Heads stuck in refrigerators.

A wife telling her husband, "Hell, no, I'm not cooking. It's too hot. The kitchen is closed."

Men downing six-packs of ice-cold brew.

Faces stuck directly in front of fans.

A young kids cracks an egg on Sal's Cadillac. The moment the egg hits the car hood it starts to cook. The kids looks directly INTO THE CAMERA and smiles, then looks up to see Sal, mad as a motherfucker, chasing after him.

And how can I forget the papers, the newspaper headlines: New York Post: "A SCORCHER" New York Daily News: "2 Hot 4 U?" New York Newsday: "OH BOY! BAKED APPLE" New York Times: "RECORD HEATWAVE HITS CITY"

CLOSE UP - JOHNNY PUMP

POW! A powerful gush of water flies out RIGHT AT THE CAMERA.

Ahmad has just turned on the johnny pump and the white stream of water flies across the street.

This attracts all the people on the block. It's a chance to cool off and momentarily beat the killer heat.

ANGLE - CEE AND PUNCHY

They both scrape beer cans on the sidewalk.

ANGLE - ELLA

She stands with caution away from the fire hydrant. Ella does not want to get wet.

ANGLE - CEE AND PUNCHY

They're still scraping away.

ANGLE - STREET

Folks, young and old, begin to get in the water and play.

ANGLE - CEE AND PUNCHY

Both now have cans with the ends scraped away, and go to the johnny pump. Punchy bends down behind the hydrant and places the can over the water. The can now directs the water into giant streams.

ANGLE - ELLA

Ahmad sneaks up behind Ella and picks her up. She's kicking and screaming furiously.

Ahmad is not having it. He carries a kicking Ella into the middle of the street in direct line of fire.

They both are hit with a blast of water and are soaked to the bone. Ella starts to punch Ahmad who she chases after.

ANGLE - STREET

We hear the familiar rap music of Radio Raheem's box.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

Radio Raheem is too cool. By the way he's dressed, it could be fall, not the hottest day of the year. But you could never tell it from him. He's too cool.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

Raheem looks at Cee, he wants to get by and he doesn't want to get wet either. And if his box gets wet, somebody is gonna die. Cee knows this too.

ANGLE - JOHNNY PUMP

Cee stands in front of the hydrant, blocking the water so Radio Raheem can pass.

ANGLE - RADIO RAHEEM

He slowly bops across the street as all eyes watch. When he's clear, Cee moves and the water gushes out again as folks play.

ANGLE - STREET

We hear a car horn blowing. People move out of the way as the vehicle speeds through the spray.

ANGLE - WHITE CONVERTIBLE

An older man, CHARLIE, stops his white convertible and blows his horn.

CLOSE - CEE AND PUNCHY

CLOSE - CHARLIE

CLOSE - CEE

ANGLE - HYDRANT

Both Punchy and Cee sit in front of the hydrant once again, blocking the water.

ANGLE - WHITE CONVERTIBLE

The car cautiously eases forward. Charlie doesn't trust Cee and Punchy at all.

CLOSE - CHARLIE

CLOSE - CEE AND PUNCHY

ANGLE - STREET

The people all move to the car, for they know what is about to happen.

ANGLE - HYDRANT

Cee and Punchy leap off the hydrant, unleashing a jet blast that flies directly into Charlie's car. The whole block is dying.

ANGLE - STREET

Charlie pulls his flooded car over to the curb, jumps out and runs to get hold of Cee and Punchy. Of course, he's slow, as both turn into track stars and make like Carl Lewis.

ANGLE - CHARLIE

Charlie, a wet mess, tries to buy some sympathy from the folks; none is to be bought.

The ranting continues, and people laugh at him.

A cop car screeches to a halt in front of the man. Two officers, LONG and PONTE, get out.

Officer Long goes into his car and gets a wrench.

ANGLE - JOHNNY PUMP

Officer Long turns off the hydrant, then puts the cap back on.

Officer Long sides up to Da Mayor who's been looking on.

Da Mayor is quiet.

Officer Ponte goes to Da Mayor's other side.

Mookie emerges from the crowd and leads Da Mayor away from the interrogation.

The man looks at the crowd of Blacks and Puerto Ricans around him and he considers what he just heard.

Both cops laugh.

ANGLE - STREET

Charlie drives away, fuming.

Cee and Punchy look down from a roof on all the havoc and confusion they've started. Both laugh.

Mookie enters.

He gives Mookie a bag full of food.

Vito and Mookie walk down the block.

Mookie and Vito wave at Mister Senor Love Daddy through the storefront window and he buzzes them in.

Mookie and Vito very quietly walk in, the man is on the air.

Mookie goes to the mike.

He hits the cart machine ...

On a stoop, a group of Puerto Ricans sit talking, drinking "cervesa frio" and playing dominoes. One of their cars sits in front of the stoop from which salsa music blasts.

ANGLE - RADIO RAHEEM

As usual we hear the rap music of Radio Raheem, but underneath the salsa music. Radio Raheem does not like to be bested; the salsa music from the parked car is giving him competition, this is no good. Radio Raheem stands in front of the stoop and raises his decibel level.

ANGLE - STOOP

The Puerto Rican men look at him, then begin to yell at him in Spanish. There is a standoff, the rap and salsa clashing in a deafening roar. One of the men, STEVIE, gets off the stoop and goes to the car.

ANGLE - CAR

Steve turns the car radio off.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

Radio Raheem smiles, nods, turns his box to a reasonable listening level and bops down the block. Radio Raheem still the loudest. Radio Raheem still the king.

ANGLE - STOOP

The men curse in Spanish and shake their heads in bewilderment and Stevie turns the salsa back on.

Vito and Mookie see Buggin' Out on their way back to Sal's.

Buggin' Out gives Mookie five and a menacing look at Vito.

Buggin' Out is walking down the block when CLIFTON, a Yuppie, accidentally bumps into him, stepping on his new sneakers.

CLOSE - BUGGIN' OUT

He looks at his sneakers.

CLOSE - SNEAKERS

There is a big black smudge on his new white unlaced Air Jordans.

ANGLE - BUGGIN' OUT

He runs down the block after Clifton.

Clifton turns around.

This commotion has attracted a crowd, including Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella.

HERE WE GO!

The crowd likes that one and they laugh and egg him on.

AWWW SHIT! Why did he get Buggin' started.

Buggin' Out looks down at his marred Air Jordans. The crowd, smelling blood, wants to see some.

The crowd gives their approval.

Mookie and Vito enter the shop.

Vito stands frozen in front of his brother.

Vito walks away and Mookie is disgusted.

Officers Ponte and Long drive down the block and at the corner they stop, glare at "The Corner Men."

CLOSE - OFFICER PONTE

CLOSE - SWEET DICK WILLIE

CLOSE - OFFICER LONG

CLOSE - COCONUT SID

ANGLE - POLICE CAR

ANGLE - CORNER

Sweet Dick, ML and Coconut Sid stare right back at the cops.

ANGLE - POLICE CAR

It drives off.

ANGLE - CORNER

Coconut Sid blanks.

ML points across the street to the Korean fruit and vegetable stand.

CLOSE - ML

CLOSE - COCONUT SID

CLOSE - ML

CLOSE - SWEET DICK WILLIE

CLOSE - COCONUT SID

CLOSE - ML

This is truly a stupefying question and all three are silent. What is the answer?

Sweet Dick Willie gets up from his folding chair.

Da Mayor sits on his stoop and a kid, EDDIE, runs by.

Eddie stops.

He gives Eddie some money.

Eddie runs down the block just as Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella pass him.

Da Mayor stands up from his seat cushion on the stoop.

The teenagers look at Da Mayor.

Da Mayor sits back down on his seat cushion on his stoop.

ANGLE - PAY PHONE ON WALL

Mookie is on the phone.

CLOSE - SAL

CLOSE - MOOKIE

CLOSE - SAL

CLOSE - MOOKIE

CLOSE - PINO

CLOSE - MOOKIE

The phone rings right away and Pino picks it up.

ANGLE - PINO

CLOSE - SAL

CLOSE - MOOKIE

CLOSE - PINO

CLOSE - VITO

ANGLE - PIZZERIA

Mookie is smiling now.

Pino doesn't answer, because he sees the trap he's alreay fallen into.

Mookie and Vito laugh.

With each additional word Pino is hanging himself even further.

RACIAL SLUR MONTAGE

The following will be a QUICK-CUTTING MONTAGE of racist slurs, with different ethnic groups pointing the finger at each other. Each person looks directly INTO THE CAMERA.

CLOSE - MISTER SENOR LOVE DADDY

Mookie picks up his two pizza pies for delivery.

Mookie leaves.

Mookie walks down the block. The streets are filled with kids playing. WE SEE stoop ball, double dutch, hand games, bike riding, skateboarding, etc.

ANGLE - MOOKIE

Radio Raheem approaches Mookie.

Mookie stares at the gold "brass knuckles" rings Radio Raheem wears on each hand. Spelled out across the rings are the words "LOVE" and the right hand and "HATE" on the left hand.

He thrusts up his left hand.

He thrusts up his right hand.

Mookie is buggin'.

He locks his fingers and writhes, cracking the joints.

Mookie doesn't know what to say, so he doesn't say anything.

Radio Raheem enters Sal's with music blaring.

Sal grabs his Mickey Mantle bat from underneath the counter. Everyone, Sal, Vito, Pino, Radio Raheem and the customers are poised for something to jump off, STATIC.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

He smiles and turns off the beat.

CLOSE - SAL

Sal puts Mickey Mantle back into its place.

Mookie hands the pizzas over and takes the money and counts it.

Mookie walks, says hello to the people he knows.

Mookie runs up stoop.

We hear a key in the door, the lock turns and Mookie enters.

Jade sits in a chair directly in front of an air conditioner going full blast.

Mookie turns on the shower and screams; the water is ice cold.

Mother Sister sits in her window looking out at the block.

Da Mayor has fallen asleep sitting on his stoop. His hands loosely hold a brown paper bag that is tightly twisted around a beer can.

Sweet Dick, ML and Coconut Sid each hold an umbrella for protection from the hot and harsh rays.

Ahmad, Punchy, Cee and Ella sit on a fire escape, trying to keep still, trying to find a cool spot in the shade. No one says a word.

Sal takes a seat at one of the tables.

Pino sits down next to his father.

Pino is quiet.

Mookie pulls the shower curtain back and steps out.

Mookie sits on his bed, still wet.

ANGLE - JADE

Buggin' Out waves at Mister Senor Love Daddy as he walks by the storefront.

Buggin' Out sticks his head in and yells:

Before Sal and his two sons can answer, Buggin' Out is gone.

Buggin' Out has one foot up on a fire hydrant and tries to clean his soiled Air Jordan.

ANGLE - JADE AND MOOKIE

Jade and Mookie walk up to Buggin' Out.

Mookie leaves.

Jade looks at Buggin' Out like "are you serious?"

Mookie has nothing to say.

ANGLE - DOOR

Jade enters, and Sal looks up. He stops blasting Mookie and a very noticeable change comes over him.

Sal moves behind the counter and goes to work. Pino and Mookie look at each other in agreement, neither likes what he has seen. This happens to Sal every time Jade is in Sal's Famous Pizzeria.

ANGLE - TABLE

Vito sits down with Jade.

The once white-hot sun is now turning into a golden orange glaze as it begins to set. Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella dance on the roof around a box that is tuned into WE-LOVE. Each one is trying to come up with some new moves, a new dance and a name for it.

Radio Raheem is walking down the block and there is something wrong, something is not quite right. AHA! His music is not loud, the rap song begins to drag and finally stops all together.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

He looks at his box and presses the battery level indicator.

CLOSE - BATTERY LEVEL INDICATOR

The needle doesn't move. His batteries have had it.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

CLOSE - KOREAN CLERK

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

CLOSE - KOREAN CLERK

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

Radio Raheem points to the D batteries behind the counter.

CLOSE - KOREAN CLERK

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM

CLOSE - KOREAN CLERK

Radio Raheem has to laugh at that one.

Da Mayor is looking at a bunch of cut flowers when Radio Raheem comes out with batteries in hand, finally.

ANGLE - WINDOW

Mother Sister is sitting in her window as usual.

ANGLE - STOOP

Da Mayor walks up the stoop with a bunch of fresh-cut flowers in a discarded wine bottle for a vase.

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

Da Mayor holds them out for Mother Sister, who does not acknowledge him at all.

Da Mayor takes a seat on the stoop and puts the flowers to his face.

Mother Sister does not answer. He puts the flowers down.

He looks up at Mother Sister who immediately turns away.

Da Mayor looks up at the setting sun.

The sun is an orange and purple glaze.

Radio Raheem is back in action. He's alive, he's bad and he got his twenty "D" Duracell batteries, his box is kicking.

ANGLE - CORNER

Radio Raheem bops by Coconut Sid, ML and Sweet Dick Willie.

CLOSE - COCONUT SID, ML and SWEET DICK WILLIE

All three shake their heads in bewilderment as Radio Raheem goes by.

Sweet Dick Willie gets up from his chair and goes to the corner, zips down his pants and urinates.

Sweet Dick Willie and Coconut Sid laugh.

Sweet Dick Willie zips up his pants and returns to his seat.

An old Puerto Rican man rings a bell as he pushes his cart on wheels. On the side of it is hand-lettered, HELADO DE COCO, and a big block of ice rests on top surrounded by different colored bottles of flavors.

ANGLE - CART

A group of kids eagerly wait for the ices. The man scrapes the block of ice, puts the shavings in a paper cup and drowns it with syrup.

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

Da Mayor is walking down the street.

ANGLE - MISTER SOFTEE TRUCK

We hear the familiar tune from the Mister Softee truck as it comes down the street.

ANGLE - EDDIE LOVELL

Eddie, the young kid who earlier ran an errand for Da Mayor, looks up from the sidewalk where he's playing and runs out into the street in pursuit of Mister Softee.

Eddie is running in pursuit of the truck, unaware of the oncoming speeding car in the opposite direction.

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

Da Mayor sees the speeding car bearing down on Eddie.

ANGLE - STREET

Da Mayor runs across the street and knocks Eddie down, out of the way of the car. Both are thrown, just being hit by the reckless driver.

CLOSE - EDDIE AND DA MAYOR

Eddie is crying as Da Mayor picks him up.

ANGLE - STREET

A crowd gathers.

A woman in her twenties, LOUISE, Eddie's mother, breaks through the crowd and hugs her baby.

The crowd agrees "that's the way it happened," and Louise stands up.

Eddie is quiet.

Eddie is still mum.

WHAP! Louise hits him on da butt. Eddie starts to dance as his mother hits hard; she's heavy-handed.

WHOP!

WHAP!

WHOP!

Eddie runs away.

Louise goes away, probably to give her son another "whooping." Da Mayor tips his hat to her.

Sal sits at a table talking to Jade as she finishes her "special" slice.

Vito, Pino and Mookie look on, watching Sal have the time of his life.

Jade gets up and Mookie helps her.

Mookie takes Jade by the hand and pulls her out of view from Sal.

ANGLE - MOOKIE AND JADE

CLOSE - MISTER SENOR LOVE DADDY

Da Mayor is walking by Mother Sister in her window when she calls him.

CLOSE - MOTHER SISTER

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

Da Mayor stops and looks at her. A smile comes to his face; after eighteen years has he finally broken down her defenses?

CLOSE - MOTHER SISTER

CLOSE - DA MAYOR

CLOSE - MOTHER SISTER

ANGLE - STOOP

Da Mayor tips his hat.

Mookie enters.

Mookie takes the pie and looks at the address.

Mookie rings the bell and a "fine" Puerto Rican sister answers the door.

Tina watches Mookie watch her. When she's through watch- ing, she takes the pizza from his hands and puts it on the floor. Mookie grabs her and starts to kiss. Tina is Mookie's woman, the one he's been on the phone with earlier. We've heard the voice and now SEE the person.

Mookie pushes Tina back into her bedroom.

Mookie sits Tina down on her futon bed, turns off the lights and turns on WE-LOVE RADIO as Mister Senor Love Daddy serenades them with slow jams.

He laughs his sinister laugh.

ANGLE - MOOKIE AND TINA

Mookie unsnaps her bra, then pulls her panties off. Tina is naked as a jaybird.

He gets up.

Mookie walks into the kitchen and sees CARMEN, Tina's grandmother, fixing some food on the stove.

Carmen stares at him, it's a look that would definitely stop traffic, she mutters some Spanish and goes into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

ANGLE - MOOKIE

He opens the refrigerator and takes out all the trays of ice.

Mookie sits down on the bed with a bowl filled with ice cubes.

CLOSE - TINA'S FOREHEAD

Mookie rubs an ice cube on her forehead.

CLOSE - TINA'S NECK

Mookie rubs an ice cube on her neck.

CLOSE - TINA'S LIPS

Mookie rubs an ice cube on her full moist lips, then puts it in her mouth.

CLOSE - TINA'S THIGHS

He rubs an ice cube up and down her thighs.

CLOSE - TINA'S BUTTOCKS

He rubs an ice cube on her round, firm buttocks.

CLOSE - TINA'S BREAST

He rubs an ice cube on her breast.

Both Tina and Mookie are dying. Mookie now has an ice cube on the left and right nipples and WE SEE before our very own eyes both get swollen, red and erect.

CLOSE - TINA'S MOUTH

Mookie kisses her.

Officers Ponte and Long are awaiting their orders.

Sal goes over to the oven, takes out their food and wraps it up.

The officers leave just as Mookie enters.

While Sal laughs at his corny joke, Pino pulls Vito into the back.

THE BLOCK. WE'VE SEEN it at daytime, but now WE SEE it at night. Even though the white-hot sun is gone, none- theless the heat is still stifling. And in a peculiar, funny sort of way, it's worse. You expect it to be hot during the light of day when the sun is beating down on the cement and tar, but at night it should be considerably cooler; well, not tonight, it's hot. All the residents of The Block: The Corner Men, Mother Sister, Da Mayor, Jade, etc., all the people WE'VE SEEN throughout the day are now coping with the nighttime heat, plus it's humid as shit. Everyone is outside, sitting on stoops, on cars and you know the kids are playing, running up and down the block. Now it's the hottest night of the year.

Buggin' Out sits down on a car next to Radio Raheem; as usual, his box is blasting.

Vito, Pino and Mookie are cleaning up.

Sal is looking into the cash register.

ANGLE - VITO, PINO AND MOOKIE

All three look at each other. The horror is on their faces, with the prospect of working, slaving in Sal's and Sons Famous Pizzeria, trapped for the rest of their lives. Is this their future? It's a frightening thought.

ANGLE - DOOR

Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella enter.

Mookie goes over to the table where Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella sit.

OH NO! We hear the dum-dum-dum of Radio Raheem's box. As everyone turns their heads to the door, Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem are inside already. We have never heard the rap music as loud as it is now. You have to scream to be heard and that's what they do.

Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella start to dance while Mookie takes a seat, the impartial observer that he is.

Sal grabs his Mickey Mantle bat from underneath the counter and brings it down on Radio Raheem's box, again and again and again. The music stops.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM'S BOX.

Radio Raheem's pride and joy is smashed to smithereens. It's going to the junkyard quick.

ANGLE - PIZZERIA

There is an eerie quiet as everyone is frozen, surprised by the suddenness of Sal's action, the swings of his Mickey Mantle bat. All look at Radio Raheem and realize what is about to happen.

ANGLE - RADIO RAHEEM

Radio Raheem screams, he goes crazy.

Radio Raheem picks Sal up from behind the counter and starts to choke his ass. Radio Raheem's prized possession -- his box, the only thing he owned of value -- his box, the one thing that gave him any sense of worth -- his box, has been smashed to bits. (Radio Raheem, like the large majority of Black youth, is the victim of materialism and a misplaced sense of values.) Now he doesn't give a fuck anymore. He's gonna make Sal pay with his life.

Vito and Pino jump on Radio Raheem who only tightens his grip around Sal's neck. Buggin' Out tries to help his friend. Mookie just stands and watches as Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella cheerlead.

The tangled mass of choking, biting, kicking, screaming confusion flies through the door of Sal's out onto the sidewalk.

CLOSE - EDDIE

The kid yells:

CLOSE - DA MAYOR

He looks up.

CLOSE - MOTHER SISTER

She looks up.

CLOSE - SWEET DICK WILLIE

He also looks up.

ANGLE - STREET

The people on The Block run to Sal's Famous Pizzeria to see the STATIC.

ANGLE - SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA

Radio Raheem, Buggin' Out, Sal, Vito and Pino are still entangled, rolling around on the sidewalk, but now before an entertained crowd of onlookers:

ANGLE - DA MAYOR

The fight continues. Da Mayor is smart enough not to get in the middle of this war, when we hear sirens, somebody has called DA COPS.

ANGLE - STREET

The cop cars come right through the crowd, almost running over some people. The cops get out with nightsticks and guns drawn. WE RECOGNIZE two of the faces, Officers Long and Ponte. Anytime there is a skirmish between a Black man and a White man, you can bet the house on who the cops are gonna go for. You know the deal! Buggin' Out is pulled off first, then Vito and Pino, but Radio Raheem is a crazed man. It takes all six cops to pull him off Sal who is red as a beet from being choked.

ANGLE - COPS

Handcuffs are put on Buggin' Out as he watches the other put a choke hold on Radio Raheem to restrain him.

ANGLE - RADIO RAHEEM

He's still struggling, then he just stops, his body goes limp and he falls to the sidewalk like a fifty-pound bag of Idaho potatoes.

ANGLE - STREET

Officers Long and Ponte kick him.

Radio Raheem just lies there like a bump on a log.

ANGLE - CROWD

The crowd stares at Radio Raheem's still body. He's unconscious or dead.

CLOSE - OFFICER LONG

ANGLE - STREET

The officers all look at each other. They know, they know exactly what they've done. The infamous Michael Stewart choke hold.

The officers pick up Radio Raheem's limp body and throw him into the back seat. Buggin' Out is pushed into another car. The cop cars speed off; in their haste to beat it, they have left a crowd. It's at this point the crowd becomes an angry mob.

ANGLE MOB

The mob looks at ...

ANGLE - MOB POV

Sal still on the sidewalk, being helped to his feet by Vito and Pino who are in bad shape themselves.

ANGLE - MOB

The mood/tone of the mob is getting ugly. Once again they have seen one of their own killed before their eyes at the hands of the cops. We hear the murmurs of the folks go through the crowd.

The cops, in their haste to get Radio Raheem out of there, have left an angry mob of Black folks with a defenseless Sal, Vito and Pino.

The mob looks at them.

HIGH ANGLE

Mookie looks at the crowd and notices he's on the wrong side. He leaves Sal and his two sons.

ANGLE - STREET

Da Mayor walks in front of the crowd.

ANGLE - STREET

Mookie picks up a garbage can and dumps it out into the street. He walks through the crowd, up to Da Mayor, Sal, Vito and Pino.

CLOSE - MOOKIE

He screams.

SLOW MOTION

Mookie hurls the garbage can through the plate-glass window of Sal's Famous Pizzeria. That's it. All hell breaks loose. The dam has been unplugged, broke. The rage of a people has been unleashed, a fury. A lone garbage can thrown through the air has spurred a tidal wave of frustration.

ANGLE - STREET

Da Mayor pushes Sal, Vito and Pino out of the way as the mob storms into Sal's Famous Pizzeria.

The people rush into Sal's Famous Pizzeria, tearing it up.

CLOSE - CASH REGISTER

The cash register is opened. WE SEE only coins, Sal has the paper.

Da Mayor leads Sal, Vito and Pino back to his stoop where they watch in horror.

Someone lights a match. WHOOOOSH!

Sal's Famous Pizzeria is going up in flames and now it's a carnival.

One might have thought that the elders, who through the years have been broken down, whipped, their spirits crushed, beat into submission, would be docile, strictly onlookers. That's not true except for Da Mayor. The rest of the elders are right up in it with the young people.

CLOSE - PHOTOS ON WALL OF FAME

The photos of famous Italian-Americans are burning.

The mob now moves across the street in front of the Korean fruit and vegetable stand. Sweet Dick Willie, Coconut Sid and ML stand at the head of the mob.

CLOSE - KOREAN CLERK

He's scared to death, as the mob is poised to tear his place up too. The clerk wildly swings a broom to hold them off.

CLOSE - ML

The mob starts to laugh; they feel for him.

ANGLE - MOB

Sal, Vito, and Pino look on as Sal's Famous Pizzeria goes up in smoke.

CLOSE - VITO

CLOSE - PINO

CLOSE - SAL

ANGLE - STREET

Jade is running through the mob, looking for her brother.

ANGLE - MOOKIE

Mookie is running around with the rest of the mob.

ANGLE - STREET

The wail of fire trucks and police sirens is now added to the night.

The mob moves back to in front of Sal's as the fire trucks and police, in full riot gear, pull up in the street behind them.

The firemen rush to hook up their hoses, the police force themselves between the crowd and the burning Sal's Famous Pizzeria.

The mob doesn't listen, they will not be moved. The mob will not be moved until they see Sal's Famous Pizzeria burn to the ground.

ANGLE - SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA

The firemen douse the pizzeria, trying desperately to stop the fire from spreading into the adjoining buildings.

CLOSE - MOOKIE

CLOSE - MOTHER SISTER

ANGLE - MOB

It will take force to move this mass of people.

POW!

The hoses are turned on the mob.

WE SEE Mookie, Mother Sister, Sweet Dick Willie, ML, Coconut Sid, Jade, Ahmad, Cee, Punchy and Ella, etc., go down before the powerful blast of the fire hoses.

Now we've come full circle. We're back to Montgomery or Birmingham, Alabama. The only thing missing is Sheriff Bull Connor and the German shepherds.

It would take force to move them and that's exactly what the mob got. People are trying to hold onto each other, cars, railings, anything to keep from being swept away.

Da Mayor, Sal, Vito and Pino watch in disbelief. It's unbelievable what is happening before their eyes.

THEIR POV

People are screaming, kids and women are not being spared from the brute force of the fire hose either.

WE SEE the reflection of the fire in the storefront window as Mister Senor Love Daddy looks on.

ANGLE - JADE AND MOTHER SISTER

Jade and Mother Sister try to hold onto a street lamp as a gush of water hits them; their grip loosens, the water is too powerful and they slide away down the block and Da Mayor runs after them.

CLOSE - PHOTOS

Some burnt photos on the floor.

CLOSE - MICKEY MANTLE BAT

The Mickey Mantle bat burns.

CLOSE - RADIO RAHEEM'S BOX

Radio Raheem's box has melted into a black mass of goo.

CLOSER - RADIO RAHEEM'S BOX

As WE MOVE IN TIGHTER ON the melted box, we begin to hear the rap song that we've heard throughout. All other sound drops out as the rap song gets louder and louder until it gets deafening, then we

THE MORNING AFTER

The CAMERA, FROM HIGH ABOVE, CRANES DOWN ON The Block. The sidewalk is deserted, broken glass is everywhere and it looks exactly as how one expects it to look, the morning after an uprising.

The CAMERA NOW MOVES IN ON the WE-LOVE storefront where Mister Senor Love Daddy is in his familiar place behind the mike.

CLOSE - MISTER SENOR LOVE DADDY

CLOSER - MISTER SENOR LOVE DADDY

He screams:

Mookie jumps out of her bed; Tina sleeps by his side and their son Hector is between them.

Mookie is putting on his clothes.

Mookie leaves.

Da Mayor wakes up in Mother Sister's big brass bed (she was born in it), at first he has no idea where he's at, then sees Mother Sister sitting down across the room smiling at him.

Da Mayor gets up out of her big brass bed.

Da Mayor and Mother Sister both look out the parlor window to see THE BLOCK and Mookie.

Mookie walks up to Sal's Famous Pizzeria as it still smoulders in the morning light. Sal emerges from the wreckage; he looks like he might have slept there.

Sal looks at Mookie in disbelief.

Sal has had it.

Sal pulls out a wad and quickly peels off hundred dollar bills.

Sal throws the "C" notes at Mookie, they hit him in the chest and fall to the sidewalk.

Mookie is stunned by Sal's outburst. He picks up the bills.

Both look at the two one-hundred bills on the sidewalk and refuse to pick them up. It's a stalemate.

Mookie counts his money.

Mookie turns around and goes back.

Mookie thinks about it, looks at the two "C" notes still smiling up at him. He quickly scoops them up.

HIGH ANGLE

As Mookie turns and walks away, Sal goes back into Sal's Famous Pizzeria to salvage what is salvageable, and The Block begins to awake from its slumber, ready to deal once again with the heat of the hottest day of the year.

ROLL CREDITS.