MAD MONEY
A Screenplay
By
Jana Lynn Shellman
Copyright 1991
EXT. GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT
It is near noon on a bright and sunny May day in the midwest. Carole Joseph, a housewife dressed in jeans and a man's white dress shirt pulls into the parking lot of a grocery store. She's driving a 10-year old battered van. It rattles and coughs as she slows. She finds a parking place near the entrance, and parks. She gets out of the van, and walks briskly toward the door. Suddenly she stumbles although there doesn't appear to be anything in her way. She looks down and sees a bright shiny penny. She picks it up.
CAROLE:
Lucky Penny, I found you. Make my every wish come true. I wish I had a million dollars.
Startled by the sound of tinkling bells, Carole whirls around. She sees nothing. She looks to see if anyone has seen her strange behavior. The bells tinkle again. Carole gathers up the tails of her shirt and ties them together in a knot at her waist, looks around again, pats her hair and walks smartly into the grocery store.
INT. GROCERY STORE.
Carole is at the check-out counter. The cashier has just rung up the last of her groceries and announces the total. Carole has her checkbook out, a pen poised over the check waiting.
CASHIER:
That'll be $15.96.
CAROLE:
Oh, give me a quick pick lottery ticket for the next month's drawings.
The cashier turns to the lottery computer, punches in the numbers and waits as the ticket shoots out. She hands it to Carole.
CASHIER:
That'll be $19.96.
Carole finishes filling out her check and hands it to the cashier.
EXT. TWO LANE COUNTRY ROAD - EARLY AFTERNOON
It is about 2:30 P.M. on the same May afternoon. The same van we've seen before being driven by Carole is travelling down a paved country road when suddenly a tire blows. A hub cap falls off and rattles into the weeds as the van slows to a halt in front of an old abandoned barn. The van is being driven by Carole and seems to overflow with little boys in blue uniforms.
The barn is an old bank barn. It is surrounded by a wheat field on three sides. In the middle of the field there are several hickory trees, Springtime bird sounds are heard. A crow caws nearby.
The weathered siding has fallen off the barn, the roof has large gaps where the shingles have blown away. The large sliding door leading to the top of the barn is hanging halfway off its track.
A lone tree grows right next to the barn bank. It leans out toward the sun.
CAROLE JOSEPH, dressed in blue jeans and a torn sweat shirt, her sons, BOBBY, age two wearing a play suit, ANDY, age 9, and JIMMIE age 8, as well as JAMIE BROWN, age 9, and five other CUB SCOUTS all dressed in blue Cub Scout uniforms with yellow "wolf" scarves and blue wolf caps, tumble out of the van and take off running across a small wooden bridge, up the hill and past the barn to explore.
Carole leans over and unbuckles Bobby, and pulls him out the driver's side with her. She walks back and picks up the hub cap, scoops up some pebbles from the side of the road and puts them in the hub cap and then takes Bobby across the small ditch alongside the road, sits him down with the hub cap and pebbles and shows him the lovely noise the stones make in the hub cap. Bobby begins making his own music.
Carole leaps back across the small ditch and goes to the rear of the van and removes the spare tire. It is completely bald, and low on air itself. She pulls the jack from the van and goes around to the rear of the vehicle.
Behind her one can see golden straw inside the top floor of the barn. The Cub Scouts, including Jimmie, Andy, and Jamie Brown take off in all directions YELLING and JABBERING.
CAROLE:
You guys stay in sight. Don't destroy anything or I'll hang you up by your toe nails for two weeks.
Carole looks back at the flat tire and sighs.
CAROLE:
I wish I had some money. It'd be nice to be prepared for this sort of thing.
Carole remembers the penny in her pocket and pulls it out. She looks up at the sky and sighs.
CAROLE:
Thank you God, but I meant a large-size financial miracle. Not just a penny. Oh, well.
She looks at the penny again, then puts it back in her pocket. She pats her pocket, closes her eyes and repeats her previous wish.
CAROLE:
Lucky Penny, I found you. Make my every wish come true.
As she makes her wish, O.S. can be heard TINKLING OF TINY BELLS, and a golden haze envelopes Carole. Bobby looks over at his mother and grins.
Carole is standing, her face to the sky, both eyes scrunched tightly shut, and a happy smile on her faceas she makes her wish.
CAROLE:
I wish I had a million dollars.
The golden haze fades and Carole opens her eyes and goes back to changing the tire.
Just as she places the jack under the rear bumper, a semi can be seen and heard approaching in the background. The truck pulls to a stop behind the van, and the driver jumps down and approaches. He waves at Bobby on the other side of the ditch.
TOM:
Hi, there. I'm Tom Evans. My friends call me Tommy or Rocky. Rockin' Chair is my handle. Can I help you with that tire?
CAROLE:
It never fails. Can't say as I mind, though. Every time I've ever gotten a flat, I'm sure I'll have to fix it myself and someone comes along to fix it for me.
TOM:
Makes us men feel needed.
CAROLE:
Still, I wonder if I could change it if I had to?
TOM:
Tell you what. You come on over here and help me. Then you can tell your husband you changed it yourself. I'll just give a little nudge if it doesn't come off first thing.
CAROLE:
I'm a widow now for the past two and a half years. But I'll bet Bill's smiling down from heaven to see I've got help again.
Tom places the jack under the bumper, stands behind Carole, standing over her. He places Carole's hand on the jack handle, with his hand over hers, and pumps the vehicle higher. She smiles as the van rises on the jack. Tom keeps his arms around Carole slightly longer than necessary. Carole doesn't make an effort to move either. Finally he steps away from her.
TOM:
It must be hard for you raisin' that little one, without his daddy.
Tom points over to Bobby who is still running the pebbles through his fingers and dropping them into the hub cap, but is eyeing the truck with interest. He scoots a little further down the embankment each time he drops the pebbles into the hub cap.
CAROLE:
Hard isn't exactly the word for it. Bobby is the youngest of eight children. My oldest, Marc is sixteen, then there's Sam, fourteen, Amanda, thirteen, Dolly, ten, Andy, nine, Jimmie, eight, Elizabeth, five, and then Bobby there who just turned two. His dad never saw him before he died.
TOM:
Eight kids? Whew! You do have your hands full.
CAROLE:
The older kids help me out a lot with the younger ones. Bobby was born after his dad's accident.
Just then the Cub Scouts, including Carole's kids come racing around the front of the barn, screaming and hollering.
Carole helps Tom put the spare tire on the wheel, stands up and brushes her hands on her jeans. She holds her hand out to shake Tom's hand, and thank him.
CAROLE:
I really appreciate your stopping to help me. I'm still not sure I could do it by myself, but I do feel a little more confident now than I did before.
Tom takes her hand, and shakes it, and holds it with both hands, a little longer than is usual in a friendly handshake. He looks into her eyes.
TOM:
It was a pleasure. I notice you've got a CB in your van. If you ever need help, just get on Channel 9 and ask for help. Tell them Rocky Rockin Chair is your buddy. You'll have help sooner than you can say "flat tire".
Reluctantly, Tom climbs back into the cab of his truck, stalls a little longer by waving at Bobby, then puts the truck in gear and takes off down the road.
Carole watches him as he disappears, and turns around just in time to see Bobby trying to follow the bigger boys. Carole tears after him, grabs him by the seat of his pants, and drags him up the barn bank. Bobby is wailing and kicking his legs. Carole hugs him and whispers in his ear.
CAROLE:
Our guardian angel sent that man to us, Bobby.
INT. OLD BARN
Carole continues dragging Bobby inside the barn where she plops him down on a soft fluffy pile of straw.
Dusty shafts of sunlight filter through the roof creating a magical atmosphere. The barn is filled with loose straw. There is a large stack piled to the back of the barn.
CAROLE:
Stay here Bobby. Don't move. I have to watch Andy and Jimmie and their friends explore. You're a good boy.
Carole turns her back on Bobby and goes to stand in the doorway trying to count heads.
EXT. BARNYARD
Carole runs down the bank as Cub Scout, Danny Wood and Cub Scout Gail Gregory run around the barn out of sight.
CAROLE:
Boys. Boys. Stay in sight of the barn. If you give me trouble I'll tell your parents you robbed a bank.
CUB SCOUT Jerry Walters is pulling up wheat and throwing it at CUB SCOUT Larry White, CUB SCOUT Phil Alison is rolling down the barn bank into Jamie Brown. Phil gives Jamie a kick.
Jamie begins to scream. Andy runs to take the part of Jamie who is thrashing his legs. Danny Wood, Gail Gregory, Jerry Walters, Phil Alison and Larry White run off screaming their innocence.
Jamie's cap falls off as he picks himself up off the ground with Andy's help. Jamie and Andy run off together, leaving the cap lying on the ground. Carole walks down the hill, picks it up and hangs it on the low branch of the tree growing next to the barn. She walks back up the bank to check on Bobby.
INT. OLD BARN.
CAROLE:
Bobby. (beat) Bobby. Where are you?
Carole whirls in panic. Bobby is nowhere in sight.
Carole SCREAMS
Bobby comes toddling out from behind the stack of straw, clutching a couple dozen twenty dollar bills in his hands. They are dropping onto the floor as he walks.
Carole grabs Bobby and hugs him. With panic in her voice, she questions him.
CAROLE:
Where did you get that?! Show me where you got that. Right now.
Bobby points toward the large pile of straw, and grins.
Sunlight filters down from the holes in the roof above. A glowing shaft of light sparkling with golden chaff dust leads directly to the spot where Bobby is pointing. Tiny bells tinkle O.S.
Carole runs to the spot, picking up bills as she goes.
CAROLE:
Show me where.
Bobby runs behind the stack of straw and starts throwing straw over his head. Carole follows and does the same.
They uncover black garbage bags stuffed full of money. One is open. Twenty dollar bills are tumbling out of it.
Bobby, straw sticking out of his hair, grins. He looks like a cherub with the shaft of sunlight illuminating his hair.
Carole carefully stuffs all of the bills back into the bag and ties it shut. She looks around and then meticulously covers the bags with the straw.
Taking Bobby by the hand Carole calmly walks to the open barn door. There are no Cub Scouts in sight.
Carole reaches into her pocket and pulls out the lucky penny. She looks at it, puts it back into her pocket and smiles. She and Bobby are enveloped in the golden haze and the tiny bells can be heard tinkling again. She picks up Bobby and hugs him and carries him out the door and down the barn bank. The golden haze around them fades away.
EXT. BARNYARD
CAROLE:
Andy, (beat) Jamie (beat) Everybody! Get your little behinds in this car at once.
Andy, Jimmie, Jamie Brown and the rest of the Cub Scouts come running from all directions.
ANDY:
Geez Mom. We were just starting to have fun. Why are you mad?
CAROLE:
Never mind. Just get in the car. We've got to get back to town.
Jimmy, Andy, Jamie Brown, and the Cub Scouts all Grumble and Complain Simultaneously.
INT. VAN
Carole fastens Bobby into his car seat. The rest of the boys reluctantly climb into their seats. Carole climbs in and fastens her seat belt.
She turns and looks back at the barn, puts the vehicle into gear and starts forward.
Suddenly she stops. She turns around in her seat and looks thoughtfully at the old barn. The barn is enveloped in a golden haze.
She puts the vehicle in gear and drives across a small bridge into the barnyard, looks at the barn again, shakes her head and starts to leave.
She pulls out toward the road again, then she stops, puts the gearshift in reverse and backs right up the hill of the bank barn, stopping just short of the door. She unfastens her seat belt, opens her door and jumps out.
EXT. BARNYARD
Carole disappears inside the door and returns moments later carrying a black plastic garbage bag. She throws it on the floor on the passenger side of the front seat. Tiny bells can be heard tinkling and the inside of the vehicle has taken on a golden haze. Bobby looks down at the bag and giggles.
ANDY:
What's in the bag Mom?
Carole replies in her best den mother voice.
CAROLE:
Always leave a place cleaner than when you found it.
INT. KITCHEN LATE AFTERNOON:
Carole's Kitchen. Breakfast clutter still sits on the table. Coffee cups are in the sink.
The cupboard doors are all standing open and boxes of cereal with the tops opened and the wax paper sticking up fill one countertop. Another counter has some cups and a couple of plates and is otherwise empty. On the windowsill above the sink sits a large beer stein, stuffed full of lottery tickets. A lone lottery ticket is tucked under the stein.
A giant opened jar of peanut butter sits on the cupboard, a butter knife has been left in it. A loaf of bread lies on the cupboard, open with slices spilling out of it. A large jar of jelly is lying on its side, open, with jelly running out onto the counter.
The dishwasher door stands open, the tray pulled out. A towel is draped over the door of the dishwasher.
Children's school books are on the kitchen table. The table is nearly against the wall. Eight chairs and a high chair are squeezed around the large table, which has two extensions in it. A Cub Scout cap lies on the floor under the table.
Eighteen large black garbage bags are stacked near the door. Carole still wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and her friend Kathy, dressed in a cotton dress with a sweater tied around her shoulders, enter with two more bags.
Kathy pushes back her hair and straightens her sweater.
KATHY:
Where are we going to hide this stuff?
Carole looks at the clock over the refrigerator.
CAROLE:
Oh no! The boys will be home from football practice any minute.
Her oldest son, Marc, hurls himself against the kitchen door, sending it flying against the wall.
MARC:
God Mom. What's all this stuff on the floor?
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