Election
The school stretches out before us, slumbering in the overcast morning
air.
Along the front sidewalk, a lone JANITOR trundles a garbage bin filled
with overstuffed hefty bags.
A weathered FORD ESCORT pulls into the empty PARKING LOT and comes to
a stop near the athletic field.
TRACY (VO)
None of this would have happened if Mr.
McAllister hadn't meddled the way he
did. He should have just accepted
things as they are instead of trying to
interfere with destiny. You see, you
can't interfere with destiny. That's
why it's destiny. And if you try to
interfere, the same thing's going to
happen anyway, and you'll just suffer.
JIM MCALLISTER, a teacher in his mid to late-thirties, emerges from
the car in running clothes and carrying a briefcase, gym bag, and
coffee mug. On his way to the field, he crosses paths with the
janitor.
JIM:
Morning, Lowell
Lowell nods, hoists a bag and tosses it into a dumpster.
JIM CIRCLES THE TRACK, sweating and panting.
ON THE GROUND JIM does sit ups
JIM:
Twenty-one... twenty-two.
He collapses onto his back. His head rolls to one side, and he
glances past the fence at --
THE PARKING LOT:
Where a second CAR is just arriving. JIM watches as TRACY FLICK, a
junior, and her MOTHER get out.
The mother helps remove a CARD TABLE and a big plastic sack from the
trunk before Tracy heads toward the school.
MOTHER:
(distant)
Good luck!
JIM turns his gaze toward the sky, closes his eyes, sighs.
Naked in the showers, JIM pumps liquid soap from the wall- mounted
metal dispenser.
THE LEGS OF A CARD TABLE - as Tracy spreads them open and locks them
into place.
STICKS OF GUM from a Plen-T-Pack are emptied into a FISHBOWL-
SCOTCH TAPE is wrapped around the end of a pen to attach a piece of
string
INT. BOYS' LOCKER ROOMDAY
AT THE MIRROR:
JIM adjusts the knot of his tie, notices a little shaving cream in his
ear.
INT. MILLARD HALLDAY
FOUR CLIPBOARDS with pens and lined sheets of paper are being placed
in a row like little soldiers. The top of every sheet reads "Tracy
Flick for President: Official Nomination Signatures."
INT. FACULTY LOUNGE -- MORNING
AT THE REFRIGERATOR
JIM tries to place his lunch inside, but the shelves are too crammed
with old take-out containers. He opens one and smells it. Disgusted,
he drags a garbage can over and begins throwing things away.
Lowell appears in the doorway wheeling his squeaky maintenance cart
and watches JIM conduct his purge as A CHINESE FOOD BOX misses the can
and rolls on the floor.
Tracy is seated behind her card table strategically placed near the
school's main entrance. A sign taped to the wall behind her reads,
TRACY FOR PREZ. SIGN UP FOR TOMORROW, TODAY! She checks her watch,
readies herself.
JIM walks around the corner whistling vaguely.
TRACY:
Good morning, Mr. McAllister.
JIM:
Not wasting any time, are you, Tracy?
TRACY:
(chirping)
You know what they say about the early
bird.
JIM:
Yes, I do.
An awkward moment passes between them.
JIM:
Well, good luck there, Tracy
TRACY:
Thanks, Mr. M.
AS JIM turns and walks away, Tracy watches him. He stops and picks up
some litter, tosses it in a nearby garbage can.
TRACY (VO)
No matter what he says, Mr. McAllister
had it out for me from the start. Oh
sure, he was all smiles and good wishes
and everything, but underneath he was
just as unfair and petty as anybody
else.
INT. JIM'S CLASSROOMDAY
Alone in his room, JIM studies the Omaha World-Herald
TRACY (VO CONT'D)
He'll probably tell you how committed
he was to teaching and democracy and
integrity and all. Don't be fooled.
After laying the paper down to circle an article, JIM leans back in
his chair and momentarily loses himself in thought.
JIM (VO)
It's hard to remember how the whole
thing started, the whole election mess.
What I do remember is that I loved my
job. I was a teacher, an educator, and I
couldn't imagine doing anything else.
Suddenly a VOICE --
VOICE (OS)
Hey, Mr. M. Mr. M.!
JIM glances OUT THE WINDOW and sees a kid -- PAUL METZLER -- pointing
at him. Paul walks with a LIMP. Behind him, other STUDENTS approach
the school.
PAUL:
Stop daydreaming! Get back to work!
JIM enjoys the affectionate joshing and gives the kid a wave. He
returns to his newspaper, a contented man.
JIM (VO)
The students knew it wasn't just a job
for me.
EXT. MILARD HIGH FOOTBALL STADIUM-- NIGHT
JIM sits in the bleachers, clapping his hands over his head.
JIM:
C'mon, wolverines! Defense! Let's
hold 'em back!
JIM (VO)
I got involved. And I cared.
INT. MILLARD GYM DAY AT A PEP RALLY -
JIM is dressed as a WESTERN VILLAIN, and his black hat reads "Lincoln
South." With a menacing grimace he approaches a group of FOOTBALL
PLAYERS at a poker table.
JIM (VO CONT'D)
And I think I made a difference.
JIM has a comforting hand of the shoulder of a CRYING GIRL
JIM (VO CONT'D)
I knew I touched the students' lives
during their difficult young adult
years, and I took that responsibility
seriously.
INT. AUDITORIUM -- NIGHT
JIM trots up the stairs to receive a plaque. He beams.
JIM (VO CONT'D)
In the twelve years I taught U.S.
History, Civics and current Events at
Millard, I was voted Teacher of the Year
three times - a school record.
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
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"Election" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/election_852>.
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