Whiplash Page #2

Pink (9/10/2013) 6

Dim lights, loud MUSIC blaring from behind a door. A thudding

party beat...

At the end of the hall -- where the music is coming from -- a

few PARTYGOERS mingle by a door. The door opens. A YOUNG MAN

hands a SECOND YOUNG MAN a wad of cash in exchange for a Zip-

lock bag of PILLS. The SECOND YOUNG MAN eyes Andrew.

Andrew turns away, heads left -- to his own door. Hurriedly

opens it and slips inside.

7 INT. DORMITORY - ANDREW’S ROOM - NIGHT 7

A single. Drumsticks and drum pads scattered, biographies of

Bach and Coltrane on the shelf, posters of Louis Armstrong

and Charlie Parker on the walls. A TV is on, some sort of

music documentary. Andrew watches from his bed -- as, over

OLD AUDIO OF DRUMMING and old stills of a boy at a drum set --

NARRATOR (V.O.)

By the age of ten, Traps the Boy Wonder

was wowing crowds all over America. By

his teens, Buddy Rich was well on his way

to becoming the stuff of legend.

TALKING HEAD #1

Like any truly great player, Buddy seemed

to have been born with music in his

blood. He grasped it intuitively, in a

way you and I just can’t.

TALKING HEAD #2

You check out the old stuff, man. You look

at those movies when he was a kid, his

arms...

Beat. Andrew takes it all in -- especially these words:

TALKING HEAD #2 (O.S.) (CONT’D)

You just can’t teach that. That kind of

genius.

(pause)

You either got it or you don’t.

Andrew turns off the TV. We hear the party beat continuing

outside, muffled. He leans back and switches off his light.

WE FADE OUT.

Pink (9/10/2013)

8 INT. GEHRING HALL - NASSAU BAND ROOM - DAY 8

The same room we saw Andrew practicing in at night -- only now

it’s full of musicians. Mostly male, mostly first- and second-

years. This is NASSAU BAND, one of Shaffer’s lower-level jazz

ensembles. Because it’s Shaffer, the players are still first-

rate. A few third-years are here, too -- including a red-head

drummer with the body of a linebacker. RYAN CONNOLLY.

Andrew looks up -- in time to see Ryan with a GIRL by the

doorway. Ryan’s girlfriend is gorgeous -- tall, all curves.

Ryan lets his hand slide down her shoulder. Andrew watches...

The GIRL waves bye to Ryan as he heads in. He’s all macho

confidence.

TRUMPETER:

My man Ry! Sh*t, how you feeling?

RYAN:

Stitched up at last, dude.

TRUMPETER:

Things were hurting with Neiman on the kit-

Ryan taps him to stop. Andrew is within earshot -- and has

heard. Beat. Ryan moves over to Andrew, sits down at the set.

RYAN:

You have a good weekend, bro?

ANDREW:

Yeah. Definitely. Really good.

RYAN:

Don’t worry about Greg. He’s a dick.

Andrew nods. Admires Ryan. Seems more diminutive now than ever.

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