THE RUNNER -- intro
THE RUNNER - 1
EXT. THE PLAZA OUTSIDE AN OFFICE BUILDING IN TORONTO. A WEEK-DAY IN EARLY SPRING. MORNING.
Young people stand in this plaza area, smoking cigarettes and chatting. The atmosphere is cheerful, gregarious.
Other people stream into the office building. Most of them are also young, and all of these, though middle-class in appearance, are dressed casually. They look like students. And this is in fact what they are. For although the office building is home to several enterprises, it is above all the location of a very popular language school.
And so the casual dress of the young people makes sense; they aren't here to work, they're here to study -- study the Imperial language of the moment -- English. And so when we look more closely at the students we realize they are almost all Latin American or Asian.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY WHO'S SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND STANDING AROUND WITH SEVERAL EQUALLY COOL MALE BUDDIES: [To a very attractive young woman in a baby-t, tight jeans, and flip-flops] Hey, Maria, where you go?
MARIA: [smiling] What you think? I go to the school.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY WHO'S SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND STANDING AROUND WITH SEVERAL EQUALLY COOL MALE BUDDIES: No, no. You come here.
Maria just smiles and ignores him. She enters the building.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY: [To an strongly built Asian friend] Eesh. Eh, what you think?
ASIAN FRIEND: She not like you, Luis.
LUIS, THE HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY: [astounded by the suggestion] Not like?!
ASIAN FRIEND: Yeah. She think you not handsome.
LUIS: Oh. Oh. So you think you handsome?
ASIAN FRIEND: [cocksure] Sure.
LUIS: Usted sueña. You dream. You try -- you talk to pretty girl.
ASIAN FRIEND: [spotting an enormously good-looking Asian woman with flowing long hair] Ji-nah! 안녕! 잘 지내?
LUIS: [mildly upset] No. You don't talk to Chinese girl --
ASIAN FRIEND: [amused and affronted at the same time] She not Chinese. She Korean.
LUIS: Okay, okay. But you choose different woman.
JUMP CUT: EXT. A BUSY MAIN STREET. IT'S THE HEIGHT OF RUSH HOUR AND CARS ARE FLOWING IN A STEADY STREAM.
BIKING VERY QUICKLY DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS A YOUNG MAN. HE IS DRESSED WELL,TOO, BUT SOMEWHAT MORE FORMALLY THAN THE STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. HE WEARS A SPORTS JACKET, A WHITE SHIRT AND TIE. HE HAS BLACK HAIR AND PALE WHITE SKIN SPECKLED WITH A FEW PIMPLES. A TRUCK DRIVES TOO CLOSE TO COMFORT FOR HIM.
YOUNG MAN ON BIKE: [In a Canadian accent] Shit, dude, what're you trying to do? Kill me?
JUMP CUT: EXT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A MOMENT LATER. THE GANG OF COOL GUYS IS STILL STANDING AROUND, SMOKING.
AS THEY DO, A BEAUTIFUL BLOND-HAIRED WOMAN WEARING A GYPSY DRESS AND AN INDIAN COTTON BLOUSE WALKS UP THE STEPS OF THE PLAZA AS SHE HEADS TOWARD THE BUILDING ENTRANCE. SHE'S CLEARLY POPULAR. SEVERAL STUDENTS LINGERING ON THE PLAZA SMILE AT HER.
LUIS: [whisping conspiratorially in his Asian friend's ear] Jae-ok. Look. Here come Sarah teacher.
JAE-OK: Teacher?!
LUIS: Sure. Sure. You try.
JAE-OK: No. Not with teacher.
LUIS: [wolfishly] Why not? She so beautiful. And she not have boyfriend. It's true.They get kind of divorce. You try.
JAE-OK: [clearing his throat nervously] Sarah.
JUMP-CUT. THE BUSY STREET. THE YOUNG MAN ON A BIKE. ONE MOMENT LATER.
JUST AHEAD OF HIM, THE LIGHTS AT AN INTERSECTION ARE CHANGING TO YELLOW. THE YOUNG MAN STARTS PUMPING HIS BIKE PEDALS AS HARD AS HE CAN. HE ACCELERATES, BARELY MAKING IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE THE LIGHTS TURN RED. WE SEE A SLIGHT BUT TRIUMPHANT GRIN ON HIS FACE.
YOUNG MAN: [under his breath] Rocket to Russia.
THE YOUNG MAN KEEPS PEDALLING VIGOROUSLY. CLEARLY HE IS IN A HURRY. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS HIM AS HE SPEEDS DOWN THE STREET, SOMETIMES ALMOST GOING AS QUICKLY AS THE CARS BESIDE HIM. HE SEEMS TO BE "IN THE ZONE"; FILLED WITH A KIND OF HAPPY, AGGRESSIVE ENERGY.
SFX: A quick popping sound, followed by a rapid hiss.
YOUNG MAN: [looking at his front tire] What the fu--?!
HIS BIKE SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD AS ALL THE AIR SEEPS FROM HIS FRONT TIRE.
YOUNG MAN: Awwww, shit.
THE YOUNG MAN KEEPS PEDALLING. BUT IT'S NO USE. HIS BIKE SIMPLY WON'T MOVE AT ANYTHING APPROACHING A RAPID SPEED.
THE YOUNG MAN DISMOUNTS. HE LOOKS AT HIS WATCH, THE STREET.
YOUNG MAN: [forcefully] Shit! Not today! Not fuckin' today!!
TRAFFIC STREAMS PAST HIM.
THE YOUNG MAN SPOTS A PAY-PHONE. HE RUSHES TO IT, GRATEFUL. HE PUTS SOME A QUARTER INTO THE COIN SLOT. THERE'S A LOUND CLINK AS THE MONEY DROPS IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CHANGE BIN. HE TRIES AGAIN. BUT ONCE MORE, THE PHONE REFUSES TO TAKE HIS MONEY.
YOUNG MAN: [picking up handset, looking ready to get violent against the phone] Oh, you son-of-a ....
A MAN, BETTER-DRESSED THAN THE YOUNG MAN, WALKS BY, TALKING QUICKLY INTO A CELL-PHONE. THE YOUNG MAN LOOKS AT THE CELL WITH ENVY. THEN HE LOOKS AT HIS WATCH. HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. BUT CLEARLY HE'S REACHED A DECISION. HE BEGINS RUNNING -- RUNNING TOWARD HIS DESTINATION.
JUMP-CUT. EXT. THE SCHOOL. THE SAME MOMENT.
JAE-OK IS MAKING HIS MOVE.
JAE-OK: [very nervous -- almost unable to speak] Hi. Sarah. Teacher.
SARAH: [Off-handly] Oh, hi!
JAE-OK: Good.
SARAH: Great! So, who's your new teacher this term?
JAE-OK: [confused] New?
SARAH: Sure! For the term!
JAE-OK is truly speechless now. He simply looks at her.
SARAH: Silly! Didn't you know that you're switching classes today? You should check your schedule more carefully!
SARAH gives all the tough guys a "ta-da" gesture and lightly skips toward the building.
Beat.
LUIS: [laughing uproariously and slapping Jae-ok very hard on the shoulder] You don't know nothing, man! Boy, you ever look .... stoo-pid!
JAE-OK: [visibly defensive] I know. I know that.
LUIS: Oh yeah?
JAE-OK: Yeah. I have new teacher today. Paul.
LUIS: Who?
JAE-OK: Paul.
JUMP-CUT. A CITY STREET. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC STREAMS DOWN IT AS THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS ON THE BIKE NOW JOGS, DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET TO HIS LOCATION IN TIME.
INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A CLASSROOM. THREE OR F0UR MINUTES LAGTER.
Several students, including JAE-0K, sit down in a class-room and patiently wait for their teacher to arrive. There is a pregnant silence. A few students whisper to each other.
JUMP-CUT. ANOTHER STREET.
THE YOUNG MAN keeps jogging. By now his white shirt is soaking in sweat. His tie is dishevelled. His jacket looks somewhat damp, too.
YOUNG MAN: [almost on the verge of tears] Shit, shit, shit!
JUMP-CUT.
INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. THE SAME CLASSROOM.
STudents are getting more restless now. They begin chatting with each other more loudly. A few look at the wall clock.
JUMP-CUT.
INT. THE LOBBY OF THE LANGAUGE SCHOOL.
The young man has arrived here. He looks as exhausted as a marathon runner -- which, in a manner of speaking, he is. He looks forlornly at the elevator light as it slowly and frustratingly makes its way to the lobby.
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE CLASSROOM.
GIRL STUDENT: [With Russian accent] What is teacher name?
ANOTHER GIRL STUDENT: [looking at a sheet] Paul.
RUSSIAN GIRL: You know him?
ANOTHER GIRL: No. He new.
RUSSIAN STUDENT: Maybe mistake. [She looks at the sheet of paper more carefully].
ANOTHER GIRL: No mistake.
RUSSIAN GIRL: [determined] I go ask Lucille.
She leaves the classroom. As she does, more hubbub.
JUMP-CUT. THE LOBBY. THE YOUNG MAN IN FRONT OF AN ELEVATOR DOOR.
SFX: The elevator's cheerful, indifferent "ding!"
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A HALLWAY.
The Russian girl and a young woman -- clearly a manager -- walk quickly toward the classroom where the other students wait.
RUSSIAN GIRL: Lucille. Where is teacher?
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE LANGAUGE SCHOOL'S LOBBY. AN ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS AND THE YOUNG MAN BURSTS OUT. AT THE SAME TIME, HE IS LOOKING THROUGH A NOTEBOOK HE'S GRABBED FROM HIS BACKPACK AS HE LOOKS FOR SOME CRITICAL INFORMATION.'
YOUNG MAN: [to himself] Room 214. Room 214. [He walks toward where the classrooms start and scans various room number plates]
INT. THE TEACHER-LESS CLASSROOM. THE SAME MOMENT.
the Russian girl and the school manager enter.
MANAGER: There seems to be a problem....
At this very moment, the YOUNG MAN bursts in, a smile on his face.
YOUNG MAN: [to students] Hi there! Hi everybody!
The students, looking at this intruder and then at the manager, regard both with blank faces.
YOUNG MAN: [Looking at students and then at the manager (who, apparently, he mistook for another student)] I -- I'm sorry. [Then, to manager] Oh. Hi, Lucille.
LUCILLE: [coldly] Hi, Paul. What happened? Wasn't Peter more clear about the start time when he hired you?
PAUL: [cracky-voice confessing] Yeah.
LUCILLE: Then what happened?! [Whispering sharply] Let's talk out here. [She exits to the hallway. Paul follows]
JUMP-CUT. THE HALLWAY.
PAUL: [Quickly] I'm so sorry. My bike tire burst.
LUCILLE: Why didn't you phone?!
PAUL: I'm so sorry. The pay-phone, it didn't work. There was just one. I was on Dupont Street. It's just car garages and stuff. I don't have a cell. I ran.
LUCILLE: Okay, well fine, whatever. You'd better get started. They've been waiting -- [she checks her wrist watch] twenty minutes.
PAUL: I'm really, really sorry.
LUCILLE: [harshly] Don't apologize. Teach.
EXT. THE PLAZA OUTSIDE AN OFFICE BUILDING IN TORONTO. A WEEK-DAY IN EARLY SPRING. MORNING.
Young people stand in this plaza area, smoking cigarettes and chatting. The atmosphere is cheerful, gregarious.
Other people stream into the office building. Most of them are also young, and all of these, though middle-class in appearance, are dressed casually. They look like students. And this is in fact what they are. For although the office building is home to several enterprises, it is above all the location of a very popular language school.
And so the casual dress of the young people makes sense; they aren't here to work, they're here to study -- study the Imperial language of the moment -- English. And so when we look more closely at the students we realize they are almost all Latin American or Asian.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY WHO'S SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND STANDING AROUND WITH SEVERAL EQUALLY COOL MALE BUDDIES: [To a very attractive young woman in a baby-t, tight jeans, and flip-flops] Hey, Maria, where you go?
MARIA: [smiling] What you think? I go to the school.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY WHO'S SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND STANDING AROUND WITH SEVERAL EQUALLY COOL MALE BUDDIES: No, no. You come here.
Maria just smiles and ignores him. She enters the building.
HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY: [To an strongly built Asian friend] Eesh. Eh, what you think?
ASIAN FRIEND: She not like you, Luis.
LUIS, THE HANDSOME MEXICAN GUY: [astounded by the suggestion] Not like?!
ASIAN FRIEND: Yeah. She think you not handsome.
LUIS: Oh. Oh. So you think you handsome?
ASIAN FRIEND: [cocksure] Sure.
LUIS: Usted sueña. You dream. You try -- you talk to pretty girl.
ASIAN FRIEND: [spotting an enormously good-looking Asian woman with flowing long hair] Ji-nah! 안녕! 잘 지내?
LUIS: [mildly upset] No. You don't talk to Chinese girl --
ASIAN FRIEND: [amused and affronted at the same time] She not Chinese. She Korean.
LUIS: Okay, okay. But you choose different woman.
JUMP CUT: EXT. A BUSY MAIN STREET. IT'S THE HEIGHT OF RUSH HOUR AND CARS ARE FLOWING IN A STEADY STREAM.
BIKING VERY QUICKLY DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS A YOUNG MAN. HE IS DRESSED WELL,TOO, BUT SOMEWHAT MORE FORMALLY THAN THE STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. HE WEARS A SPORTS JACKET, A WHITE SHIRT AND TIE. HE HAS BLACK HAIR AND PALE WHITE SKIN SPECKLED WITH A FEW PIMPLES. A TRUCK DRIVES TOO CLOSE TO COMFORT FOR HIM.
YOUNG MAN ON BIKE: [In a Canadian accent] Shit, dude, what're you trying to do? Kill me?
JUMP CUT: EXT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A MOMENT LATER. THE GANG OF COOL GUYS IS STILL STANDING AROUND, SMOKING.
AS THEY DO, A BEAUTIFUL BLOND-HAIRED WOMAN WEARING A GYPSY DRESS AND AN INDIAN COTTON BLOUSE WALKS UP THE STEPS OF THE PLAZA AS SHE HEADS TOWARD THE BUILDING ENTRANCE. SHE'S CLEARLY POPULAR. SEVERAL STUDENTS LINGERING ON THE PLAZA SMILE AT HER.
LUIS: [whisping conspiratorially in his Asian friend's ear] Jae-ok. Look. Here come Sarah teacher.
JAE-OK: Teacher?!
LUIS: Sure. Sure. You try.
JAE-OK: No. Not with teacher.
LUIS: [wolfishly] Why not? She so beautiful. And she not have boyfriend. It's true.They get kind of divorce. You try.
JAE-OK: [clearing his throat nervously] Sarah.
JUMP-CUT. THE BUSY STREET. THE YOUNG MAN ON A BIKE. ONE MOMENT LATER.
JUST AHEAD OF HIM, THE LIGHTS AT AN INTERSECTION ARE CHANGING TO YELLOW. THE YOUNG MAN STARTS PUMPING HIS BIKE PEDALS AS HARD AS HE CAN. HE ACCELERATES, BARELY MAKING IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BEFORE THE LIGHTS TURN RED. WE SEE A SLIGHT BUT TRIUMPHANT GRIN ON HIS FACE.
YOUNG MAN: [under his breath] Rocket to Russia.
THE YOUNG MAN KEEPS PEDALLING VIGOROUSLY. CLEARLY HE IS IN A HURRY. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS HIM AS HE SPEEDS DOWN THE STREET, SOMETIMES ALMOST GOING AS QUICKLY AS THE CARS BESIDE HIM. HE SEEMS TO BE "IN THE ZONE"; FILLED WITH A KIND OF HAPPY, AGGRESSIVE ENERGY.
SFX: A quick popping sound, followed by a rapid hiss.
YOUNG MAN: [looking at his front tire] What the fu--?!
HIS BIKE SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD AS ALL THE AIR SEEPS FROM HIS FRONT TIRE.
YOUNG MAN: Awwww, shit.
THE YOUNG MAN KEEPS PEDALLING. BUT IT'S NO USE. HIS BIKE SIMPLY WON'T MOVE AT ANYTHING APPROACHING A RAPID SPEED.
THE YOUNG MAN DISMOUNTS. HE LOOKS AT HIS WATCH, THE STREET.
YOUNG MAN: [forcefully] Shit! Not today! Not fuckin' today!!
TRAFFIC STREAMS PAST HIM.
THE YOUNG MAN SPOTS A PAY-PHONE. HE RUSHES TO IT, GRATEFUL. HE PUTS SOME A QUARTER INTO THE COIN SLOT. THERE'S A LOUND CLINK AS THE MONEY DROPS IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CHANGE BIN. HE TRIES AGAIN. BUT ONCE MORE, THE PHONE REFUSES TO TAKE HIS MONEY.
YOUNG MAN: [picking up handset, looking ready to get violent against the phone] Oh, you son-of-a ....
A MAN, BETTER-DRESSED THAN THE YOUNG MAN, WALKS BY, TALKING QUICKLY INTO A CELL-PHONE. THE YOUNG MAN LOOKS AT THE CELL WITH ENVY. THEN HE LOOKS AT HIS WATCH. HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. BUT CLEARLY HE'S REACHED A DECISION. HE BEGINS RUNNING -- RUNNING TOWARD HIS DESTINATION.
JUMP-CUT. EXT. THE SCHOOL. THE SAME MOMENT.
JAE-OK IS MAKING HIS MOVE.
JAE-OK: [very nervous -- almost unable to speak] Hi. Sarah. Teacher.
SARAH: [Off-handly] Oh, hi!
JAE-OK: Good.
SARAH: Great! So, who's your new teacher this term?
JAE-OK: [confused] New?
SARAH: Sure! For the term!
JAE-OK is truly speechless now. He simply looks at her.
SARAH: Silly! Didn't you know that you're switching classes today? You should check your schedule more carefully!
SARAH gives all the tough guys a "ta-da" gesture and lightly skips toward the building.
Beat.
LUIS: [laughing uproariously and slapping Jae-ok very hard on the shoulder] You don't know nothing, man! Boy, you ever look .... stoo-pid!
JAE-OK: [visibly defensive] I know. I know that.
LUIS: Oh yeah?
JAE-OK: Yeah. I have new teacher today. Paul.
LUIS: Who?
JAE-OK: Paul.
JUMP-CUT. A CITY STREET. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC STREAMS DOWN IT AS THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS ON THE BIKE NOW JOGS, DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET TO HIS LOCATION IN TIME.
INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A CLASSROOM. THREE OR F0UR MINUTES LAGTER.
Several students, including JAE-0K, sit down in a class-room and patiently wait for their teacher to arrive. There is a pregnant silence. A few students whisper to each other.
JUMP-CUT. ANOTHER STREET.
THE YOUNG MAN keeps jogging. By now his white shirt is soaking in sweat. His tie is dishevelled. His jacket looks somewhat damp, too.
YOUNG MAN: [almost on the verge of tears] Shit, shit, shit!
JUMP-CUT.
INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. THE SAME CLASSROOM.
STudents are getting more restless now. They begin chatting with each other more loudly. A few look at the wall clock.
JUMP-CUT.
INT. THE LOBBY OF THE LANGAUGE SCHOOL.
The young man has arrived here. He looks as exhausted as a marathon runner -- which, in a manner of speaking, he is. He looks forlornly at the elevator light as it slowly and frustratingly makes its way to the lobby.
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE CLASSROOM.
GIRL STUDENT: [With Russian accent] What is teacher name?
ANOTHER GIRL STUDENT: [looking at a sheet] Paul.
RUSSIAN GIRL: You know him?
ANOTHER GIRL: No. He new.
RUSSIAN STUDENT: Maybe mistake. [She looks at the sheet of paper more carefully].
ANOTHER GIRL: No mistake.
RUSSIAN GIRL: [determined] I go ask Lucille.
She leaves the classroom. As she does, more hubbub.
JUMP-CUT. THE LOBBY. THE YOUNG MAN IN FRONT OF AN ELEVATOR DOOR.
SFX: The elevator's cheerful, indifferent "ding!"
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL. A HALLWAY.
The Russian girl and a young woman -- clearly a manager -- walk quickly toward the classroom where the other students wait.
RUSSIAN GIRL: Lucille. Where is teacher?
JUMP-CUT. INT. THE LANGAUGE SCHOOL'S LOBBY. AN ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS AND THE YOUNG MAN BURSTS OUT. AT THE SAME TIME, HE IS LOOKING THROUGH A NOTEBOOK HE'S GRABBED FROM HIS BACKPACK AS HE LOOKS FOR SOME CRITICAL INFORMATION.'
YOUNG MAN: [to himself] Room 214. Room 214. [He walks toward where the classrooms start and scans various room number plates]
INT. THE TEACHER-LESS CLASSROOM. THE SAME MOMENT.
the Russian girl and the school manager enter.
MANAGER: There seems to be a problem....
At this very moment, the YOUNG MAN bursts in, a smile on his face.
YOUNG MAN: [to students] Hi there! Hi everybody!
The students, looking at this intruder and then at the manager, regard both with blank faces.
YOUNG MAN: [Looking at students and then at the manager (who, apparently, he mistook for another student)] I -- I'm sorry. [Then, to manager] Oh. Hi, Lucille.
LUCILLE: [coldly] Hi, Paul. What happened? Wasn't Peter more clear about the start time when he hired you?
PAUL: [cracky-voice confessing] Yeah.
LUCILLE: Then what happened?! [Whispering sharply] Let's talk out here. [She exits to the hallway. Paul follows]
JUMP-CUT. THE HALLWAY.
PAUL: [Quickly] I'm so sorry. My bike tire burst.
LUCILLE: Why didn't you phone?!
PAUL: I'm so sorry. The pay-phone, it didn't work. There was just one. I was on Dupont Street. It's just car garages and stuff. I don't have a cell. I ran.
LUCILLE: Okay, well fine, whatever. You'd better get started. They've been waiting -- [she checks her wrist watch] twenty minutes.
PAUL: I'm really, really sorry.
LUCILLE: [harshly] Don't apologize. Teach.
posted by Finn Harvor at 1:10 PM
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