THE TOYMAKER OF REDCREEK HIGH

Written By

Hanna Carter
5041721

Based on the true story

Of Campbell Remess
FADE IN:

INT. MIDDLE-CLASS HOME - DAY

The camera zooms out on mother-of-two LINDA THOMPSON pacing

a well-furnished living room. She walks with a cordless
landline phone receiver to her ear and appears anxious. She
is neatly-dressed in 1990s middle-class fashion: a
pastel-colored blouse and light-colored jeans up to her
waist. Despite her clear attempts to look composed, her perm
is disheveled and her bony hands shake.

LINDA
I can’t just buy her a new one,
it’s very old. No, I told you, she
can’t go to sleep without it. Can
you please check Lost & Found
again?

The shot keeps zooming out to show 16-year old BILLY

THOMPSON, who is watching Linda from the door-frame. Billy
is thin and gangly, his jeans are scuffed, and his white
high-tops appear overused. His comically thick glasses and
shaggy haircut make him look like an adolescent Bill Gates.

EXT. HOSPITAL ENTRANCE - DAY

We see a high-shot of the Thompsons entering the hospital.

It is snowing.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Billy’s sister AMY THOMPSON lays on a hospital bed. She is
about 5 years old, sallow-skinned and skinny. She has dark
marks under her eyes. Though she looks angelic, she also
appears very ill. Linda stands next to the bed, and Billy at
the foot of the bed. He is visibly distressed at seeing his
sister look so sick.

AMY
I want to go home.

LINDA
We brought you Mr. Bear.

Linda pulls a soft toy out her bag, and stealthily wipes her
eyes as she is bent down. Amy takes the toy and pulls it
into the bed-sheets.

AMY
I want Truffles too.

LINDA
He’ll come next time.

The shot cuts to Billy. He is quiet and his eyes are moist.

INT. MIDDLE-CLASS HOME - NIGHT

Billy climbs up the stairs and enters Amy’s bedroom. It is a

girly-looking room. He searches the bookshelf until he finds
a photo album (pink), and sits on the bed (pink.) He opens
the book and flicks through the pages until he stops on one.
It’s a Christmas morning photo of him and his sister. In the
photo, Billy is about 5, and Amy is a toddler. She is
carrying a soft toy (pink!) Billy takes the photograph into
his room, where he places it in his schoolbag. In contrast
to Amy's room, Billy's is decorated with rock band posters
and dirty socks. The camera zooms in on the schoolbag as the
night fades into day.

INT. SCHOOL - DAY

The shot centers on a ringing school-bell. We see a

high-shot of children entering the building. Billy sneaks
into a room labeled STORAGE. The room is quite full of what
can only be described as “junk”. There are broken
typewriters and lab instruments stacked on old desks. Bolts
of fabric lay propped against a shelf filled with art
supplies. A large box labelled “HOME ECONOMICS” lays open,
and it is filled with old-looking cooking utensils and
sewing machines.
Billy looks through the fabric bolts. Then he picks the
topmost sewing machine and sets it on a desk. We see a brief
montage of him cutting and sewing fabric. The camera zooms
into the Christmas photo of Amy and Billy.

INT. SCHOOL - NIGHT

The school is now empty. Billy has finally completed his

approximation of his sister’s toy. It is lumpy and does not
resemble the original very closely. As he is about to leave,
he hears footsteps. They belong to MIKE, an older student.
He is muscular and chiseled, and wears a football jacket
with the school team logo printed on its back. Billy freezes
the doorknob turns. Mike enters, flashlight in hand. Billy
flinches as the light is pointed at him. Both boys freeze
before Billy quickly stuffs the toy in his bag and barges
past Mike.

MIKE

(Yelling.)
(MORE)
 HEY!Get back here!
Mike bounces on his feet, hesitating about running after
Billy before giving up on the idea. He looks frustrated and
worried about having found Billy in the storeroom.

EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT

Billy runs out of the building and jumps on his bicycle.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

The Thompsons visit Amy again. This time, Billy stands

closer to his sister. She looks even sicker and barely
alert. The nurse stands next to Linda.

AMY
Where is Truffles?

LINDA
(Tearing up) Oh, darling...

BILLY
I’ve got him here.

Linda watches him quizzically as he pulls the toy out of his

backpack and gives it to Amy. Amy places it next to her
other toy, snuggles them both, and falls asleep.

LINDA
(Whispering) How did you...?
 BILLY

I made it myself.
The shot cuts to the family leaving Amy’s hospital room.
Billy glances into other rooms as they walk down the
corridor. There are more sick children in every room.

FADE OUT.
FADE IN.

INT. SCHOOL - DAY

Billy sits in the school mess hall. He eats lunch alone.

Mike sneaks behind him and slaps him on the back of the
head.

MIKE
How’s it going, sweetums? Made many
dresses today?

BILLY
Why? Would you like to place an
order?

MIKE
Keep your mouth shut about what you
saw the other night. And if you
ever set foot in that room again,
you are dead. Watch your step.

Billy resumes his lunch, unfazed. He is a man with a

mission.
FADE OUT.

(A sentimental or
uplifting ballad begins
to play. All dialogue is
muted.)

FADE IN.

INT. SCHOOL - NIGHT

Billy sits in the storeroom making more toys. We see a small

pile of just a few of them. The shot dissolves so that we
see the same pile has grown slightly.

INT. MIDDLE-CLASS HOME - DAY

On his bedroom floor, Billy breaks his piggy-bank with a

hammer. He counts his savings. He then circles items on a
mail-order fabric catalog.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Billy sits next to Amy’s bed and reads her a story. She is
rosier now, and fully awake. The shot fades to the nurse
talking to Linda.
Linda clasps her hands together in joy. She is being told
Amy is getting better.

(The ballad ends.

Dialogue is heard
normally from here on.)
FADE OUT.
FADE IN.
INT. SCHOOL - NIGHT

Billy sneaks into the storeroom once more. He stuffs the

sewing machine into his bag. It is too big, so much of the
machine sticks out. We see a close-up of a storage
compartment on the bottom of the machine spring open. An
envelope is revealed. The words "QUIZ RESULTS" are written
on it. Billy does not notice it as he leaves.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREETS - NIGHT

As Billy rides his bicycle home, the envelope falls out of

the machine compartment and onto the wet street. It quickly
becomes soggy, and it is clear it is destroyed.
INT. MIDDLE-CLASS HOME - NIGHT

A close-up of Billy’s alarm clock shows that it is past

midnight. He pushes his ear against the bedroom door, making
sure his mother is asleep. Then he clears his desk and
settles the stolen sewing machine on it. A montage shows him
making toys through the night.

INT. MIDDLE-CLASS HOME - DAY

Billy sleeps in bed, glasses askew, with too many soft toys
around him.

LINDA
Billy! We’re going to go pick your
sister up!
Billy wakes up suddenly, and pauses only to wipe the dried
drool of his face and to check the time. He then begins
frantically shoving toys into his bag.

BILLY
I’m coming!

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

As Linda dresses Amy in street clothes, Billy opens his bag,

revealing the toys. Linda stares, surprised.
BILLY
They're for the other sick kids.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYS.)

A montage of dissolving shots shows Billy giving out the

toys to the children with the nurse next to him.

(SOFT MUSIC FADES OUT.)

FADE OUT.
FADE IN.

EXT. SCHOOL ENTRANCE - EVENING

Billy kneels on the snow as he unlocks his bicycle.

MIKE
You stole something that belongs to
me. You think you’re smart?
Billy looks at Mike as he stands up, frowning.

BILLY
(Confused.)
What are you talking about? I
stayed out of the storeroom, like
you asked.

MIKE
I warned you! I'm going to teach
you a lesson!

Mike swings a punch at Billy and misses. Billy mounts his

bike and rushes away. Mike mounts his own bike and chases
Billy.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREETS - EVENING

Mike frantically pedals his bicycle, looking behind him

every now and then. He rides into the woods.

EXT. WOODS - TWILIGHT

Billy crouches amid bushes, listening for the other boy.

MIKE
You think you can just run away?

Mike drops his bicycle to the ground and begins scanning the
overgrowth for Billy. We see Mike approach from Billy’s
perspective. Billy runs, and Mike continues the chase.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT

Mike carries on chasing Billy. Billy jumps over a drain pipe

partially covered by vines. As he continues running, he
hears a yell, then a splash. Mike has fallen in the hole.

MIKE
(Yelling.)

Billy approaches the hole cautiously.

MIKE (CONT'D
I think my leg’s broken! I’m going
to drown!

Billy stoops on his hands and knees and frantically feels

the snow for the edge of the hole. He finds it and thrusts
his hand into it.

BILLY
Grab my hand!

Mike gives him his hand but it slips. He falls back into the
hole and whimpers in pain. Billy hooks his foot around a
root and dangles himself deeper into the hole.

BILLY (CONT'D)
(Yelling)
Give me your goddamned hand!

He grabs Mike’s hand again, and manages to hold on to his

jacket. Billy shows visible effort as he pulls Mike out.

BILLY (CONT'D)
I got you!

Mike grabs on to the vines the cover the wood floor and
pulls himself out. They both lay on the snow, panting. Mike
groans in pain.

MIKE

(Fighting to appear calm but

obviously panicked.)
Oh man, it looks bad.

Billy pants and closes his eyes for a moment. He looks

relieved.

FADE OUT.
FADE IN.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Mike lays in a hospital bed. There are other children in

beds in the same room. All of them have one of Billy’s toys.
The nurse enters the room.

NURSE
Your friend is here to see you.

Mike sits up as Billy enters, carrying a teddy-bear.

 BILLY
How are you doing?

MIKE

Listen. I've been stealing test

answers and hiding them in the
store room. I thought you were
going to rat me out. I take
everything back. It was wrong.

BILLY

It’s OK, we all mess up. I brought

you something.

Billy presents Mike with the bear.

MIKE
He’s cute. Can you teach me how to
make these?

BILLY
Deal.

The camera zooms slowly out as the boys chat.

(UPLIFTING BALLAD PLAYS.)

FADE OUT.
CREDITS ROLL.