Scene One Reba Screenplay
I tried to find something in the instructions that accepted or forbid screenplays, but couldn't find a specific reference to them. Please let me know if this is unacceptable, as I can rewrite it in regular story form.
"A More Gentlemanlike Manner: A 'Reba' Screenplay"
Scene One
EXT.: NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, MID-AFTERNOON,
LABOR DAY, HOUSTON
150-200 people of all ages. Big tables with food, barbeque
pits, pick-up football game, local country-western band
with people dancing, kids running around, kids playing tag,
some kid crying, babies with young parents, grandparents,
etc.
(REBA dances with unidentified man on a boot-scoot line
dance. Then she dances a two step with another man.
BARBARA JEAN and BROCK dance, too, but they're not
smiling. LORRI ANN grabs REBA when she goes to get a
drink out of the cooler.)
LA: Looks like BJ and Brock are still having a snit.
R: Who cares? I'm having a blast and so are all the kids.
(R and LA look at Elizabeth and Henry, who are playing
Red Light with a bunch of other kids. LA looks around)
LA: I wonder if that new guy in the 'hood is going to show up.
R: Yeah, I didn't think anyone would buy that huge
monstrosity of a house in this neighborhood, and you've
got to wonder about him.
LA: Only thing I'm wondering is does he already have a
girlfriend and if so, how many hours will it take me to run
her off?
R: I hope you're joking.
LA: He's loaded. I never joke about money.
R: Well, Van got a great commission from selling it, and
they're buying Elizabeth a pre-paid college tuition bond
with it.
LA: Aren't you proud of them, getting all responsible?
R: Yeah, but I miss having them at home.
LA: That's right, with Kyra off at Rice University and Jake about to
get his learner's permit…
R: Don't say it.
LA: You're about to be an empty nester.
(R sticks her face in LA's and sneers.)
R: You're such a good friend. Go back to Dallas.
LA: I hate Dallas. It's too spread out. Had to travel 20
miles to find a Starbucks near my house. Plus, all those oil
people are snobs.
R: LA, your ex-husband number three is an oil man.
LA: Like I said. Now, we need to find you somebody to
fill up that house.
R: Not here. I've seen all these people for twenty years. This river ain't worth baiting a hook for.
LA: Who's a snob now? One of these days, Reba Hart,
another Brian or Yummy Pants or Dr. Delightful will come
along and you'll have to eat your words.
(The band finishes their first set just as a group of three
people get out of a black Mercedes sports coupe. They look
like movie stars – they have on the hippest clothes, the
most exclusive shades, and their skin is incredible. There is
a smiling blonde man in his mid-thirties, a blonde woman,
not smiling, who looked around thirty, and a tall, scowling
man with dark, wavy hair and dark eyes who looks close to
fifty. An older man in a golf shirt with the logo of the
homeowner's association on it goes to shake their hands.
He leads them to the band's stage and turns the microphone
on.)
HOMEOWNER MAN: Friends, I'd like to introduce to
you our newest neighbor, Mr. Charlie Bingely, who has just
moved into the King's house on Willow. He's brought his
sister, Caroline, and his friend Will Darcy from Nashville,
originally from London, did you say?
(DARCY nods.)
HM: So let's give them a hearty Houston welcome! (The
crowd whoops and yells.)
HM: Now, let's get 'em some barbeque and beer!
(BJ walks over to R)
BJ: Isn't he cute?
R: Spare me another crush. Go fawn over your husband.
BJ: But Charlie Bingely is not only cute, he's got millions,
maybe billions.
R: Oil?
BJ: No, sewage.
R: Yuk.
BJ: Well, somebody's got to do it. He invented a more
economical environmentally friendly septic system.
R: You know, it scares me why you might know this.
BJ: I'm on the Homeowner's Association Board. I'm in
charge of getting to know the new homeowners and
introducing them to everyone. It's my job to find out all I
can.
R: So you are a snoop for Sagebrush Hills Homeowners
Association?
BJ: Hospitality, Reba.
R: So what's he doing in a middle class neighborhood in Houston?
BJ: Houston's got more new septic tanks going in the
ground than anywhere in the US besides Atlanta.
R: So why not Atlanta?
BJ: Traffic's bad and the air quality sucks.
(R rolls her eyes and shakes her head.)
BJ: Gossip says he's ready to find a wife and start a family.
Our neighborhood has primo schools and a great HO
association.
R: Look, LA's dancing with him.
BJ: You've got to stop her, Reba, She's too old for him.
R: It's just a dance, BJ. Heck, I've danced with half the
men here already.
(LA puts her arms around C. He puts his hands on her hips.)
BJ: Oh, this is bad, Reba. She's a wily woman.
(The dance ends and LA excuses herself to the clubhouse.
Darcy walks up to Charlie and frowns even more.)
BJ: Look, even Charlie's friend doesn't think it's a good idea.
(Charlie pats Darcy on the shoulder and walks over to the
buffet. Darcy looks after him, then goes back to Caroline
who is standing under the shade of a tree by herself.)
BJ: That Darcy is icy.
R: Maybe he's just ill at ease and needs conversation.
(She walks over to him and Caroline, who sees Reba
coming and immediately heads for Charlie at the buffet.)
R: Hello, Mr. Darcy. Welcome to Houston. I'm Reba.
WD: Pleased to meet you.
R: Same here. How long will you be in Houston?
WD: Not long.
R: Too muggy for you?
(WD forces a small, quick smile. The band gets back on stage.)
R: Mr. Darcy, do you dance?
WD: Not if I can help it.
(Reba raises her eyebrows and purses her lips.)
R: Well, alrighty then, you just have a crackin' good time.
(She walks off. BJ runs up to her.)
BJ: So?
R: The iceman cometh.
BJ: Let's go play with the kids.