Soul Page #3

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Dorothea doesn’t answer.

Joe misses a few beats but jumps into the music, trying to

keep up and figure out where the music is going.

He finally eases into the tune when Dorothea stops playing

and points to him --a signal for Joe to solo. She looks off

stage and listens.

Joe takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and concentrates on

the keys.

The music flows into an incredible solo. The room slips away

as Joe goes into the zone, a place we’ll come to know as the

Astral Plane.

He finally comes out of his trance, and looks up to see the

band has stopped playing. Everyone is staring at him.

JOE:

Uh, sorry. I zoned out a little

back there. Heh.

Joe thinks he’s doomed. Dorothea just stares. Finally:

DOROTHEA:

Joe Gardner, where have you been?

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 9.

JOE:

I’ve been uh...teaching...middle

school band, but on weekends I-

DOROTHEA:

You got a suit?

JOE:

I...!

DOROTHEA:

Get a suit, Teach. A good suit.

Back here tonight. First show’s at

9. Soundcheck’s at 7. We’ll see how

you do.

She walks offstage.

EXT. THE HALF NOTE.

Joe explodes out of the club.

JOE:

YES! WHOO HOO!

(at the sky)

You see that, Dad! That’s what I’m

talking about!

A MAN passes by with a stroller. Joe runs up to him, pointing

up at the Half Note marquee.

JOE:

Look up, look up! You know what

that’s gonna say? Joe Gardner! HA

HA!

Joe dances around him and heads down the street.

CUT TO:

Joe turns the corner, still on his cell phone:

JOE:

You’re never gonna believe what

just happened! I did it. I got the

gig! Yes!

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS -CONTINUOUS.

Joe is on his phone, spreading the good news, oblivious to

the city around him.

©2020 DISNEY•PIXAR -

--PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

7/17/2020 Soul Academy Draft 10.

JOE:

I know! I know! Dorothea Williams!

Can you believe it!?

CUT TO:

CONSTRUCTION SITE.

Joe walks right under a huge pallet of bricks as it’s lifted

into the air. A bunch of bricks fall, just missing him.

CONSTRUCTION WORKER

Hey, pal! You’re gonna get hurt!

But Joe doesn’t hear her.

CUT TO:

BUSY INTERSECTION.

Joe absently steps into traffic.

JOE:

Just don’t tell my mom about this,

okay?

A huge bus misses him by inches. He doesn’t notice.

CUT TO:

OUTSIDE VARIOUS STOREFRONTS.

Still oblivious, Joe walks through a sidewalk littered with

split banana peels, then through a pile of overturned nails.

Amazingly, he avoids disaster while on his phone:

JOE:

Forget class. I’m in a different

class. I’m in a Dorothea Williams

class buddy. You know what I’m

saying?

CUT TO:

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