Falsetto

FADE IN:

EXTERIOR HIGH SCHOOL-MORNING

ESTABLISHING SHOT.  Students exiting busses and milling about outside the school.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR HIGH SCHOOL-CONTINIOUS

Slow tracking shot down the hallway of the school.  Students are doing average 
high school things, going to lockers, greeting each other in the hallways.  This
is an average school.   Different stereotypes are visible, but it's not overly 
populated by cheerleaders, goths, rebels, or anything specific.  The key word is
AVERAGE.   The soundtrack is subtle and filled with AMBIENT NOISE.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR HIGH SCHOOL- CONTINIOUS

MEDIUM SHOT.  GARY, 16, stands at his locker.  He's dressed in more formal clothes
than most would wear to public school.  A button up shirt and slacks, but no tie.
He looks around, but nobody acknowledges him.  He is, of course, the new kid.  He
is not shy or awkward, but still has the semi-confused look of someone that really
just doesn't know what they're doing.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR CHOIR ROOM- CONTINIOUS

Gary enters the room, looking around at the students who are lounging on the risers
before class.  They are separated into several groups, but there are always more than
two in each group.  Some are giving each other back massages, or laughing over an 
in-joke.  They look like quite the close-knit group.  MISS HARRIS, the young female 
choir teacher is sitting at a piano in front of the class.  She is sorting music.  
Gary approaches her, and speaks with her.  We cannot hear what he says, the soundtrack 
continues and 

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: Miss Harris nods and passes music out of shot to Gary.

MATCH CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: Gary glances at the music and nods.




POV GARY

The music has all four standard parts on it, and is a simple song.  It is meant for Miss 
Harris to place Gary into his section.  The piano plays the first few notes.

CUT TO:

CLOSE UP Gary as he closes his eyes to begin.

CUT TO:

EXTREME CLOSE UP The first words of the song.  Gary begins to sing.  His voice is a full
beautiful soprano.  The piano music falters and stops.

				GARY (o.s.)
			It's not my fault I'm a soprano.

CUT TO:

Gary sits with Miss Harris in her office.  Her door is closed and the sounds of the choir
practicing are muted behind it.

				MISS HARRIS
			I understand.  But I just don't think
			there's room for a male soprano in our 
			choir.

CUT TO:

CLOSE UP Gary frowns and turns his head. 

				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (o.s.)
			I don't think it's fair not to allow him because
			YOU can't find a space for him.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR HALLWAY- LATE AFTERNOON

LONG SHOT Gary sits outside an office in an empty hallway. It is after school and the 
students have left.  The door is cracked, and we see an out of focus Miss Harris sitting
inside.

				MISS HARRIS
			I just don't think it'll work.  It's hard for a new
			student to join an advanced choir.  I'm not sure
			why he was allowed to register for this class.



				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (o.s.)
			He's been in private schools for the past six years.
			All six of those were spent in choir.  They could
			use a male soprano.  I don't understand the problem.

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: The image of Miss Harris and Gary is bisected by the doorway.  She nervously
looks to the open door and waves her head, gesturing that he is outside.  His eyes are 
closed, it is unclear if he is listening.  The sound of the guidance counselor standing 
breaks the silence, and the door shuts.

CUT TO:

EXTREME CLOSE UP: Gary's closed eyes.  The voices muted, but still understandable.

				MISS HARRIS (o.s.)
			They're already talking.  After he left today,
			the girls are afraid he'll take their solos, the boys
			are making jokes behind his back.  You know how
			hard it is to start on the wrong foot.  And as the new 
			kid?  After Catholic School?

CUT TO:

INTERIOR COUNSELOR'S OFFICE

The guidance counselor is contemplating Miss Harris' words.

				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR 
			I’ll admit that it's going to be difficult for him. 
			I don't understand how rejecting him from the
			choir will make that easier.  He's already auditioned
			and there's no stopping that now.

				MISS HARRIS
			The rumors have already started.  One of the boys
			asked him if he'd hit puberty yet as he left…

				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR 
			You said he was one of the best sopranos you've
			ever heard.
	
				MISS HARRIS
			He is.  But I've never heard a soprano with a
			Y-Chromosone before.



				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
			I'm sure you can reign in those boys.  You
			have more control than that.  You have the
			authority to kick them out if they get out
			of hand.

				MISS HARRIS
			(disheartened)
Most of them don't care.  They joined to
			get girls.

She looks away, this is obviously something she is not proud of.  His tone becomes softer.

				GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
			I still think you can make room for him.
			It's important that he finds something to
			do.  His former director praised his voice,
			she used the word beautiful a few too many
			times.

				MISS HARRIS
			I can try.  But…

CUT TO:

INTERIOR CHOIR ROOM-THE NEXT DAY

Gary walks back into the choir room, now in more casual clothes, but his shirt is still
tucked in and very neat.  The students quiet down.  Several guys wear smirks on their faces.

				MISS HARRIS (o.s.)
				(cont.)
			…they're already saying that he's…

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: Several girls look up and size up Gary.

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: One of the more macho guys glances his way.  He smiles, and waves Gary over. 

CUT TO:

Gary pauses.  He walks slowly over to the guys, dropping his bookbag against the wall 
with a pile of other bags.  He walks by Miss Harris, who is watching with concern.

CUT TO:

REVERSE ANGLE.  Gary walks up to "The guys" and looks up at them, and if someone can be
nervous and confident at the same time, that's definitely Gary at this moment.

				MISS HARRIS (o.s.)
				(cont.)
			…they think that he's…well…gay.

Gary smiles, and the guys move their circle a bit to accept him.  They include him in 
the conversation, but he does not speak.  They seem curious and are not hostile.

FADE TO BLACK

ROLL TITLES AND CREDITS OVER CHOIR SINGING

FADE IN

INTERIOR HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY MORNING

The singing fades out, as we see Gary walk to his locker.  A group of girls stand at
a nearby locker, and are whispering as he walks by.  Their eyes stay on him for a 
moment before they go back to their huddle.  JOANNE, 16, wearing a megaphone charm 
or something of the like, is a cheerleader.  She is taller than the other girls, and 
her eyes stay on Gary longer.  

				JOANNE
			Do you think he really is?

				GIRL A
			I don't know.  He does seem…

				GIRL B
			You can't tell just by looking
			at him.  

				GIRL A
			I know that!  But he's got this…
			way.

				GIRL B
			Has anybody just asked him?
	
				JOANNE
			I don't think so.

				GIRL B
			I bet Dale would.  If you asked
			him too.

				JOANNE 
			Don't encourage him.

CUT TO

INTERIOR BOYS LOCKER ROOM- LATE AFTERNOON

Gary sits on a bench, putting on his gym shoes.  Several guys stand around him at their
lockers.  One is DALE, 17, a tall muscular boy who is obviously an athlete.  He takes 
his shoes from his locker and sits down next to Gary, and looks over at him.

				DALE
			Hey…Gary right?

Gary nods and looks up.

				DALE
			You in advanced choir?

				GARY
			Just started.

				DALE
			Well, you just started everything.

				GARY
			That's true.

The conversation is awkward.  Dale obviously wants to ask Gary something important.  He
starts and stops a couple times before finally blurting out…

				DALE
			You know Joanne, right?

He looks away, putting on his shoes.

				GARY
			She's an alto, right?  Brown hair?

				DALE
			Kinda tall.

				GARY
			Yeah, I think so.  Why?

				DALE
			We kinda got in a fight…


CUT TO:

CLOSE UP: Gary blinks and looks up at the much taller boy.

				DALE
				(cont.)
			…and I need to know if she's
			still mad.  Or something.  It's
			my fault really…

CUT TO:

INTERIOR CHOIR ROOM

CLOSE UP: Joanne shakes her head.

				JOANNE
			He told you to ASK me?  

				GARY
			He said it was his fault.

				JOANNE
			Has he told ME that?

CUT TO:

INTERIOR LUNCH ROOM

CLOSE UP: Gary, shaking his head

			        DALE
			Well, not yet.

CUT TO:

TWO SHOT: Gary and Dale are at lunch, Gary has food spread out in front of him, and
Dale is perched sideways on his chair, looking like he just sat down real quick and
is going to leave soon.

				DALE
			You think I should?

				GARY
			It seems to be what she wants.

Dale nods and looks contemplative. 

				DALE
			How do I do that?

Gary looks up at him, a sandwich halfway to his mouth.

				GARY
			I don't know.  Flowers?

CUT TO:

INTERIOR CHOIR ROOM- MORNING

TWO SHOT, mimicking the last one.  Joanne and Gary sit on the risers.

				JOANNE
			Thanks, really.  I'm sure that
			this was your idea.

She gestures to several roses sitting on top of a backpack next to them.

				GARY
			Not really…it was mostly him.

Joanne leans forward and hugs him.

				JOANNE
			Liar.  But that's okay.

Gary smiles and pulls away from her.  She stands up and walks away.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR LUNCH ROOM-LUNCHTIME

Gary at lunch again.  He is eating by himself.  REBECCA, 15, brunette, approaches.  
She is wearing a t-shirt and jeans and battered sneakers, looking every bit the 
tomboy except long slightly curly hair pulled back in a low-maintenance ponytail.

				REBECCA
			Do you have a quarter?

				GARY
			Um…no…

Rebecca stands there awkwardly for a second.  She glances pointedly at the chair 
across from him.

				GARY
			Why?

				REBECCA
			I wanted a soda.  Kinda.

She gives up and sits down.

				REBECCA
			I really just wanted to talk to you.
			Lame huh?

				GARY
			Not really.

Silence.

				GARY
			Why?

				REBECCA
			Why what?

				GARY
			Why did you want to talk to me.

				REBECCA
			I saw you talking to Joanne and Dale.
			Well, at separate times.  She's my 
			step-sister.

Gary blinks and looks at her for a second.

				GARY
			Okay.

He's lost.  He has no idea where this conversation is going.

				REBECCA
			Do you know what he did?

				GARY
			Nobody said, no.

				REBECCA
			So why did you help him?

				GARY
			He asked.  You don't like him?

				REBECCA
			Eh.  He's okay.

Gary is getting kind of annoyed with her vagueness.

				GARY
			So why do you care?

				REBECCA
				(surprised by his bluntness)
			Why do YOU care?  What's it
			to you if they broke up?

She looks him straight in the eye.

				REBECCA
			Everybody's talking about how great
			it was that you patched them up.  Half
			the guys are lining up to ask you for advice.
			Every girl I know in choir has mentioned
			how great you are to talk to.

				GARY
			That doesn't say why YOU care.

				REBECCA
			Do you have any idea how popular 
you are?  How many people like you?
All because you're a "sensitive" man.

Gary stares at her and waits for her to go on.

				REBECCA
				(cont.)
			You just moved here.

				GARY
				(he's vaguely upset)
			So?  Is there a rule?  The new kid
			is the outcast?  I'm not allowed
			to fit in or be liked?

Rebecca stops.  She is unsure of what to say, so she just stands to leave.

				GARY
			Wait a second.  Who are you?

				REBECCA
			I told you.  I'm Joanne's stepsister.

				GARY
			So?  What's your name?

				REBECCA
			Rebecca.

She walks away, and Gary stares at his food again.  The image fades as a random male 
walks up to Gary and sits down sideways like Dale sat before.

FADE TO BLACK