Ghost World

OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE - EVENING

We MOVE through the city in a series of brief shots that

define and establish our setting, from commercial district

to residential neighborhood. Eventually we find ourselves

moving down a street of two-story apartment buildings. Many

of the windows are lit from within by an EERIE BLUE LIGHT.

As we track past at window-level we see:

A glum, sedated-looking COUPLE watching TV. An ignored TODDLER

runs amok behind them as a cheery commercial plays..

An empty room...

A large, hirsute MAN, wearing only Lycra jogging shorts,

watching the Home Shopping Network while eating mashed

potatoes with his fingers...

A dazed old woman staring out the window.

The silhouette of a TEENAGE GIRL dancing by herself.

We enter her room and see the TV SCREEN. The source of the

THEME MUSIC is A VIDEO of an insane East Indian production

number from the 1960's. The room is cluttered with heaps of

clothes, old records, odd knick-knacks. We see her silhouetted

back as she dances along to the video while trying on a

GRADUATION CAP AND GOWN.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION - AFTERNOON NEXT DAY.

A modern high school auditorium. Over the entrance a banner

with a "Coca Cola" logo reads: "GRADUATION TODAY 2 PM."

INT. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM - SAME DAY

A graduation ceremony is in progress. We DOLLY PAST the bland

faces of teary-eyed graduates until we stop on ENID. At first,

we only see the top of her mortarboard; as she lifts her

head we see that she's trying desperately not to laugh.

She makes eye-contact with REBECCA, another graduate, who is

also trying to stifle her laughter. The SPEAKER is in an

elaborate wheelchair with severe-looking traction devices.

SPEAKER:

High school is like the training

wheels for the bicycle of real life.

It is a time for young people to

explore different fields of interest

and to hopefully grow from their

experiences. After all, that which

we learn from our mistakes can be as

valuable as what we learn from our

textbooks, and often we can turn the

negative experiences that are common

to all high-schoolers into positive

steps toward personal growth and

achievement. In coming to terms with

my own personal setback, which I'm

sure you've all heard about, I've

been able to learn a lot about myself.

I've learned for one thing that I

don't need to rely on drugs and

alcohol

(APPLAUSE)

and that I'm very lucky-that more

people besides Carrie and myself

weren't hurt in the accident; I've

learned that I'm blessed with

wonderful parents, teachers and above

all the best classmates in the world --

I love each and every one of you

guys!!

(APPLAUSE)

and I've learned that to get through

life's obstacles you need faith,

hope and, most of all, a sense of

humor.

(BIG APPLAUSE)

A trio of TEENAGE GIRLS (one white, one Asian, one black)

come running out from the wings and start dancing and rapping.

The audience loves them.

EBONY:

No more eduCATION...

VANILLA:

It's time for celeBRATION...

JADE:

'cause this is the day of our high

school GraduATION...

EBONY:

We've stayed for the durATION...

VANILLA:

Achieved matricuLATION...

JADE:

Now we're the newest members of the

general popuLATION...

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM - LATE AFTERNOON

The auditorium door opens and GRADUATES emerge. Enid & Rebecca

run away from the crowd, triumphantly holding rolled up

diplomas. They run toward the school playground, nearly

bursting with excitement over their long-awaited release.

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