Election Page #2

INT. JIM'S CLASSROOM -- DAY

Mr. McAllister reads aloud from the newspaper as he paces in front of

his class of high school juniors, Tracy Flick among them. The seats

are arranged in a SEMI-CIRCLE.

JIM (VO CONT'D)

Standing in front of a room full of

young people, trying to make them think

that's how I wanted to spend the rest

of my life,

JIM slaps the newspaper for emphasis and addresses the class

JIM:

So would this be an ethical situation

or a moral situation? What's the

difference between ethics and morals,

anyway?

Tracy shoots her hand into the air. JIM notices but keeps looking

around.

JIM (CONT'D)

Anybody

Other hands rise tentatively

JIM (CONT'D)

Derek

DEREK:

Uh, ethics is like when you, uh, do

what society tells you is right and

morals are like, uh...

JIM:

You're on the right track, who can

help him out?

DEREK:

..morals are when...

Tracy's hand goes higher.

JIM:

Michelle?

MICHELLE:

Morals are like lessons, you know, like

the moral of a story; it's what you

learn from a story or a fable or

something. . .

JIM:

Or a life experience. Good. And

ethics?

MICHELLE:

That's more like, urn... Ethics is how

you use the morals... that you learn

from a story?

JIM weighs the answer, tries to be encouraging.

JIM:

Okay. But we're still missing

something key here. What are we

missing?

TRACY:

(hand still raised)

I know.

JIM:

(finally)

Tracy.

TRACY:

Ethics are...

FREEZE FRAME on Tracy, her hand lowering, her mouth agape.

JIM (VO)

Tracy Flick. Tracy Flick. I've never

met anyone quite like Tracy Flick.

INT. STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM -- DAY -- ONE YEAR PREVIOUS

JIM sits to one side, monitoring the student council MEETING about to

convene. A younger Tracy enters briskly and, unlike her casual teen

comrades, has made an attempt to dress for success. She takes a seat

right up front and opens her backpack.

After preparing her notepad and pen, Tracy puts a MICROCASSETTE

RECORDER on the table in front of her and pushes RECORD.

JIM (VO CONT'D)

She first showed up in my life as a

freshman delegate in student council.

I'd seen a lot of ambitious students

come and go over the years, but I could

tell right away Tracy Flick was

different.

JIM observes Tracy, trying to size her up.

ON TRACY -- putting all her little things in order, finally folding

her hands to wait.

JIM (VO CONT'D)

It wasn't long before everyone knew who

Tracy Flick was. She made sure of that.

Her drive was astonishing. Even scary.

A FAST-PACED MONTAGE BEGINS UNDER TRACY'S VOICE-OVER:

INSERTHILLARD HIGH YEARBOOK It fans open to the INDEX.

PAN DOWN to Tracy's name followed by countless page references

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