Nashville

FADE IN:

A TITLE SEQUENCE

Still photos of twenty-four principal actors.

1 CLOSE SHOT - SIGN

Nashville Airport.

2 EXT. NASHVILLE AIRPORT - DAY

TRICYCLE MAN drives into parking lot and parks next to GREEN'S

old Chevy. TRICYCLE MAM: locks his machine and walks toward

coffee shop. GREEN gets out of his car, locks it, starts in the

same direction. NORMAN parks the limo, goes into main building.

3 INT. AIRPORT - DAY

NORMAN is attracted to large "CONNIE WHITE" display.

4 INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

At the entrance is another "CONNIE WHITE" display and from the

jukebox we hear one of her songs.

The waitress, SUELEEN, drops a fork, then gets another from an

overflowing sink and hands it to her customer, TRICYCLE MAN.

There are several people at the counter with him, including

GREEN, who has just walked in. Another man enters, DELBERT

REESE. SUELEEN waits on all of them.

A small black man comes out of the kitchen, carrying a tray full

or dishes. This is WADE.

WADE:

(to SUELEEN)

You want a ride into town?

SUELEEN:

You bet.

REESE looks up, checking out SUELEEN, then WADE, then the

TRICYCLE MAN, then his breast pocket to see it his wallet and

checkbook are still there, then he buries himself in his

newspaper.

SUELEEN:

Got me an audition tonight.

WADE:

Well, you just remember, if you

can't kick front, kick back, 'cause

at least you're kicking... Ten

minutes, okay?

She nods and talks to the TRICYCLE MAN. REESE keeps sneaking

looks at her.

SUELEEN:

I've just been waiting for the

right spot to sing in... I'm so

nervous...

She laughs and starts to rinse the dishes in the sink.

SUELEEN:

I'm good, though. There ain't but

one Sueleen Gay -- I don't mean to

be conceited, but really it's true.

I've been taking special coaching

lessons from Zeke Willard -- he's

just wonderful. Teaches you how to

phrase; that's really important.

And breathing. Well, you know all

about that. Anyway, I wrote this

song.

She looks down and then begins to half whisper, sing, and half do

all of the gestures for a song she has written as she wipes some

glasses. The jukebox continues to play CONNIE WHITE, and every

time someone walks by, Sueleen stops. She finally gets through

the song and discovers REESE has been watching, too. She looks

away from him to the TRICYCLE MAN, who smiles. Be has finished

his meal.

SUELEEN:

Oh, listen, I really do go on.

Here's your check. Sure has been

nice talking to you.

As she removes her apron, a HAVEN HAMILTON song comes on the

jukebox, "Keep on a goin'." The TRICYCLE MAN leaves.

CUT TO:

5 INT. CONTROL BOOTH - NASHVILLE STUDIO - DAY

We hear the last chorus or "Keep on a goin'" as sung by HAVEN,

who is recording.

He is always dressed in white. In the booth are BUD and LADY

PEARL. Also present are two engineers and a producer. HAVEN is

accompanied by a long haired piano player with a white sweater.

HAVEN is not too happy with him.

6 ANOTHER ANGLE

OPAL enters the booth, carrying a too-large English tape

recorder. HAVEN Stops singing, mad at OPAL'S interruption and

the piano player. Through the glass we see him pantomiming

instructions for her to leave. As she does, HAVEN starts over.

7 INT. HALLWAY - DAY

OPAL wanders to the next studio. BUD follows, apologizing.

BUD:

Sorry. He sees a tape recorder and

gets upset.

She looks at him.

BUD:

He's my father.

OPAL:

Haven Hamilton is your father? Can

you arrange an interview?

8 INT. SECOND RECORDING BOOTH - DAY

They have entered a different control tooth. In the recording

portion, LINNEA and an all-black, male CHOIR sings a gospel song.

OPAL asks BUD who this group is.

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