Spring Forward

Synopsis: As the seasons change in a Connecticut town, two men of different age and backgrounds who work together outdoors for the local park system, share thoughts and feelings that gradually deepen into a relationship approaching father and son. Paul is just out of prison for armed robbery, assigned to work with Murph, a middle-aged vet whose grown son Bobby is dying. Paul is trying to control his temper and build a spiritual side based on reading. Murph is a down-to-earth Sancho Panza to Paul's more ethereal ideas. And Murphy seems to need forgiveness for mistakes as a dad. As Murphy's retirement approaches and winter sets in, the men talk and love blossoms.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Tom Gilroy
Production: MGM Home Entertainment
  2 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
79
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
R
Year:
1999
110 min
43 Views


Armed robbery.

I wasn't gonna ask that.

You know, that's what it was.

That's the story.

You were gonna hear it sooner or later,

so I figured...

None of my business.

Sure, it is.

Actually, you're right.

You know, if we're going

to work together every day...

...you should know these things

if they're important.

It's your right.

It's your right

to keep your mouth shut if you want.

I know.

I agree.

I walked into a Dunkin' Donuts at 2:00 a.m.

and held the place up.

- I was broke.

- Here's the barn.

- Dan.

- He's not here.

Oh, no?

Fredrickson.

Son of the first elector.

The family owns a big nursery.

Every year,

they donate a bunch of seed and fertilizer.

Stuff from last year

not eaten up by winter damage.

- Some donation.

- His father's the first elector?

Yeah.

He's lived here his whole life.

They always pull that "local guy" stuff

whenever you see him...

F***in' politicians for you.

- Yeah. Where you from?

- Waterbury.

When did you graduate?

I was supposed to finish in '83...

...but I didn't.

Figured if I read a lot I'd be okay, you know?

Sounds like a good idea.

You read?

I get the paper for the sports.

- Current events?

- Sometimes.

My wife reads all of Stephen King's.

My son gave me this guy Jim...

Jim Thompson?

They're pretty good.

I think I read about every Stephen King.

Up in Danbury...

...I started reading spiritual books.

- Bible stuff?

- No. More like...

More spiritual. More like...

...men's souls and their spirits, you know?

Like how in society, they don't have the space.

No sort of...

- No f***in' outlet for all the things...

- Please.

No more with that word.

That's the fifth time already.

What?

Oh! "F***."

- Sorry.

- Jesus.

Sorry.

How long were you in Danbury Correction?

Eighteen months.

It was only my first offense, you know.

Here he is, driving his '98 BMW.

Mr. Murphy. Hello.

Hello, nice to see you. Very sorry I'm late.

- That's okay. Where's the truck?

- How's Bob?

- Fine.

- Mrs. Murphy?

Fine. Where's the truck?

They're not here yet?

No.

I was afraid of that. Hang on.

I hope you don't have to load by yourself.

Hey, Mona!

I'm over at the storage barn.

What's with Sanchez and Ricky?

Well, what...

How long of a delay?

Goddamn.

All right. No.

No, I'll ask them if they want to wait,

and then I'll call you back. Okay.

Trouble with a delivery over at Perkins...

- We'll come back tomorrow.

- No.

I need to get the stuff out of here today.

I have deliveries coming all day tomorrow.

Do you think you guys could start to load it on...

...until my guys get here,

and then they'll finish it?

Would that be okay? Hey.

- That's Paul. He's the new guy.

- Good to meet you.

- Hi. How you doing?

- That's all I can think to do.

I know you guys need to get

fertilizer to get planting over at Town Hall.

Could you just start?

Then I'll tell my guys, "No lunch."

Just get over here immediately and help you out?

Otherwise, I just can't think of what to do.

I want the town to have access

to this free fertilizer and everything.

I don't want to load a bunch of...

...seed fertilizer on the back of the truck.

Do you?

- Is there another way?

- That's what I'm saying. There isn't.

Your guys are supposed to help us

load it in two truckloads?

My father donates all the materials.

Sometimes he has his employees

help you guys out if we're not too busy.

It's a donation for the town.

Since you guys work for the town, I thought...

Maybe Terry Kaiser can send someone over to...

Oh, boy.

I have to get going. Let's wrap this up.

Let's take a look at what there is.

It shouldn't be that hard.

Wait a second.

I don't know what's going on. I just started.

But don't go walking over there,

like we said yes before we've made a decision.

What the f*** is that?

I'm just going to show you

what needs to be done. Nobody's...

I know this is your first day, but...

It's a donation for the town.

I don't need to be here.

Shut up a second.

Don't ask if we mind doing something...

...then act like we're doing it

before we give an answer.

F***.

I don't think you understand...

Just show us what your father wants to donate.

Forget it.

I guess these throw away. No. These look...

I don't know if they're supposed to go.

And, see...

- Be careful, don't get the fertilizer in the hand...

- Okay.

Okay. And as I say...

...l'll tell Sanchez and Ricky to skip lunch and...

That'd be fine.

Back the truck up, will you? The keys are in it.

Great.

You gonna stick around and give us a hand?

What? I mean...

Okay.

My guys shouldn't be that long.

I'm really not dressed for it.

- Usually, I have gloves in the car.

- We have gloves in the truck.

It's not a question of gloves, really. I mean...

It's not my job.

I run the business.

I didn't expect to come here and do shoveling.

- Neither were we, really.

- Really.

I'll run back to the nursery, see if I can

free up a worker and send him to help.

That makes more sense.

- Whatever.

- No. Not "whatever."

I said I'll go back, free up one of the workers

and send them over for free.

- I said I'll do it, I'm gonna do it.

- Fine, whatever. Do what you gotta do.

I don't like your attitude, Mr...

- I don't like yours, f*ggot.

- None of that.

- F***in' f*ggot comes here like the king of Siam!

- None of that language!

Sorry, Mr. Murphy. I won't say "f***" anymore...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes

Tom Gilroy

Tom Gilroy is an American writer, director, producer, and actor from Ridgefield, Connecticut. He has appeared in over 30 films, including Girls Town (1996) and Land and Freedom in 1996, Ratchet in 1998, Wedding Photo in 2004 and Harry + Max in 2005.He has written, directed and produced two award winning films—the short Touch Base (IFC/BRAVO) and the critically acclaimed feature Spring Forward (IFC/MGM) starring Liev Schreiber, Ned Beatty, and Campbell Scott, which won a Toronto International Film Festival Discovery Award.His third film, The Cold Lands, premiered at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival.In 1990 he took part in a series of short films known as Direct Effect, alongside Michael Stipe, to raise awareness of drug-related issues. more…

All Tom Gilroy scripts | Tom Gilroy Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Spring Forward" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/spring_forward_18692>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Watch the movie trailer

    Spring Forward

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.