The Sidewalk Draft #5

THE SIDEWALK
Written by
Kevin Schrooders
11/14/22, 10:10 AM StudioBinder: Document
FADE IN.
1 EXT. MAIN STREET, OBSERVATORY - DAY 1
OS - The doleful Homeless Man stews on a concrete step. Then,

in BG, a well-suited man (Andrew) draws up the street, laptop
bag in hand. Advancing in breadth as he -
CU - Simmers on the edge of the sidewalk, hawking the

whisking cars, the bustling street life when -
HOMELESS MAN
I've got one in my pocket.
Andrew wheels his head to the man. Avoids matching eyes.
He cranes his head back to the street, figuring the man

another homeless junkie.
HOMELESS MAN (CONT'D)

You've lasted three days, but now
you've figure life's hard enough to
live without it.
Andrew furrows an eyebrow, then swivels to face Homeless Man.

The old man has a cigarette extended to the lawyer, tally
marks carved down his forearm.
Andrew smirks, deliberating the ragged clothes, the bowing

head. Then, he tosses Homeless Man a chuckle.
ANDREW
So where's your coin bucket? Not
every day you come across a
homeless psychic.
Homeless Man tilts up his head.
HOMELESS MAN
Who needs money when your secret is
priceless?
Beat.
ANDREW
Secret?
HOMELESS MAN
What all life is made of...
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This thrusts Andrew into vacant silence.
CUT TO FLASHBACK:
2 INT. ANDREW'S CAR - NIGHT 2
Andrew's sifts through the glove compartment, his other hand

gripping the wheel.
FX: Car engine rumbling.
OS Of Andrew, an untenanted and obsidian street tunneling

across the windscreen. Then, a soccer ball hurdles into the
street, a little boy trailing after it.
The headlights blanket the child -
WHAM! Andrew jerks his head to the road. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The boy's limbs crack and contort under the rolling car.
The car screeches to a halt. Andrew strangles the steering

wheel, forcing his gaze to the side mirror.
CU - The boy's paralytic legs extend inside the reflection,

one foot winded counter-clockwise.
PUSH IN - On Andrew, churning decisions and possible futures

somewhere in his mind. Then -
He floors the gas pedal, stranding his worse mistake in the

middle of the street.
Pan from the cigarette scissored between Homeless Man's

fingers to Andrew. The lawyer remains hovering over the old
man. Personifying terror.
ANDREW
How did you know about that?
HOMELESS MAN
I need you to listen, Andrew. But
the only way you can do that...
Homeless Man extends the cigarette some more.

Is if you calm down. This will
help.
Andrew back pedals into the crowd, eyes wide on Homeless Man.
He swerves, winning a small distance from this omniscient
stranger. Then -
He ceases moving, Homeless Man tugging at his paranoia. He

decides to walk back.
His eyes flit between Homeless Man and the cigarette.
He branches out his hand and slips the cigarette from

Homeless Man's fingers, appraising it.
HOMELESS MAN
I can take the first puff if you're
on the fence.
Andew shakes his head. He keys the cigarette to the corner of

his mouth and tarries before Homeless Man.

Remember the lighter you thought
Nigel stole at Grand Beach? It's in
the side pocket of your bag.
The cigarette tremors in the corner of Andrew's mouth. He

pinches the zip to his suitcase, then parts it open.
Andrew's eyes flit between Homeless Man and the lighter

snuggled in his bag.
ANDREW
How - how did you...
Andrew sics his eyes on Homeless Man.
ANDREW (CONT'D)
All right, fuck this.
He almost rips his bag shut.
ANDREW (CONT'D)
Fuck this and fuck you.
Homeless Man cocks a mirthless grin.
HOMELESS MAN
I can light it if you want.
He flicks the unlit cigarette against the old man, who peers
at the cigarette as it sweeps up dust on the concrete.
(MORE)
ANDREW (CONT'D)
What's the hell is going on here?
Who are you?
HOMELESS MAN
If you'd had a puff, you wouldn't
be so paranoid.
Andrew stomps closer and barrels malice with his glare. He

yanks Homeless Man's collar.
ANDREW (CONT'D)
(whisper)
I wanna know. Now.
The old man slashes a grin.
HOMELESS MAN
Not here.
ANDREW
What? What does that mean?
Homeless Man grins.
HOMELESS MAN
It means you've got eyes on you.
Andrew scans the pedestrians around him. Some toss glances,

paces recede to lumbering.
Beads of sweat coalesce with his frown -
ANDREW
(pleading)
What do you want?
HOMELESS MAN
Why don't you get your car? And
I'll let you see.
FX: Passenger door creaking open -
4 INT. CAR, BARRON STREET - DAY 4
Andrew's POV - The passenger door creaks open, the seat

empty. He swerves his gaze to -
Andrew's POV - Homeless Man, who stands before a looming two-

story brick building. The old man mounts the porch steps,
fading inside.
CU - on Andrew. Trepidation corrodes his expression.
5 EXT. BARRON STREET - DAY 5
WS/Backshot - The towering brick building diminishes Andrew,

the open doorway beckoning him. His eyes survey the
dilapidated structure.
POV - Tattered clothes cape over the balcony above. Fissures

slither along the walls, serpentine graffiti masking the
cracks.
He sets his foot on the first step, then streams after the
old man inside.
6 INT. 17 BARRON STREET - DAY 6
A pall of shadow consumes shafts of light. Andrew stands at

the base of the staircase, peering up to the dingy second
floor.
FX: Wood creaking. Then, the sound of grinding white noise

raining from a television set.
Andrew blinks more than he should.
7 INT. SECOND FLOOR, 17 BARRON STREET - DAY 7
His footfalls reverberate through the humming silence. He

reaches the top deck, framed within the open doorway to a
bedroom.
He trudges closer, filling up the doorframe.
OS of Andrew - A single sofa faces an antiquated television

set, static drizzling across the screen.
Nothing else populates the barren room, apart from Homeless

Man, who is silhouetted against the lustrious window. Sans
jacket.
CU - On tally marks crossed down Homeless Man's forearm.
ANDREW
What is this?
Homeless Man strolls to the television, his fingers tweaking

the antenna.
HOMELESS MAN
You'd like to know what I want from
you. So have a seat.
Homeless Man gestures to the chair. Andrew cranes a glance

over his shoulder, his sixth sense awaiting more portens.
ANDREW
This doesn't make any sense.
And with that, the television's white noise blinks to image.
On the televison: CU - of Andrew behind the wheel of his car.

Stalking -
On the television: OS of Andrew - The same desolate and

gloomy street where he murdered the boy.
HOMELESS MAN (O.S.)

The story I recounted. You know it
wasn't all true.
Andrew wobbles to the single couch, sinking into it. His

spacious eyes rigged to the television.
CU - on the television display. Andrew pulls the hammer back

on a concealed gun. Click!
HOMELESS MAN (O.S.)

You thought the gun was enough.
Until you saw an opportunity.
MS - Andrew on the couch, his eyes brimming.
On the television set: In the display, the ball ricochets

into the street. Andrew peeks up from behind the wheel.
CU - On Homeless Man.

And you took it.
On the television: CU - Andrew stomps on the gas pedal.
FX: Tires Screech.
On the television: OS Of Andrew, the boy walks into the

street as the windscreen zooms on him before -
The television claps to darkness. Andrew in the reflection,

his face buried in his palms. Sobbing.
ANDREW
I had to. My son. They were on the
playground.
ANDREW (CONT'D)
They said it was an accident... but
that boy. I had to do something to
that boy.
Andrew peels his hands off his face, as if unmasking himself.
ANDREW (CONT'D)
All the pain killing my mind... I
wanted him to feel it.
CU on Homeless Man.
ANDREW (O.S.)
That's... that's all I can tell
you.
HOMELESS MAN
I'm not here for vindication. And
I'm no judge, Andrew.
ANDREW
Then... Who - who are you?
HOMELESS MAN
I am also one of the guilty.
Homeless Man shuts his eyes.

I've waited sixty years. But they
call me now.
ANDREW
(whisper)
Who?
C.U. - On Homeless Man. His eyelids quacking in terror.
HOMELESS MAN
Pray your calling isn't soon.
The silence recommences its tune. And Andrew is alone in the

room. Homeless Man gone, swallowed back into the fabric of
non-existence.
Andrew swivels, eyes scouring the room. Cataloging and

feeding on details. But Homeless Man does not materialize for
his pleading disconcertion.
Andrew channels back to the television. His image a

foreboding specter in the reflection.
POV - A reem of a newspaper. The headline reads: TEENAGER

KILLS STEPFATHER IN SELF-DEFENSE.
The newspaper floats down out of frame, revealing a teenage

school girl across the road. Waiting for a clear path amongst
a slideshow of traffic.
OS of Teenage Girl. Andrew, now in ragged clothes, squats on

a concrete step across the road. Homeless. Waiting for the
teenage school girl.
Waiting for the guilty.
FADE TO BLACK.

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THE SIDEWALK

1 EXT. MAIN STREET, OBSERVATORY - DAY 1

OS - The doleful Homeless Man stews on a concrete step. Then,

CU - Simmers on the edge of the sidewalk, hawking the

Andrew wheels his head to the man. Avoids matching eyes.

He cranes his head back to the street, figuring the man

HOMELESS MAN (CONT'D)

Andrew furrows an eyebrow, then swivels to face Homeless Man.

Andrew smirks, deliberating the ragged clothes, the bowing

Homeless Man tilts up his head.

This thrusts Andrew into vacant silence.

2 INT. ANDREW'S CAR - NIGHT 2

Andrew's sifts through the glove compartment, his other hand

FX: Car engine rumbling.

OS Of Andrew, an untenanted and obsidian street tunneling

The headlights blanket the child -

The car screeches to a halt. Andrew strangles the steering

CU - The boy's paralytic legs extend inside the reflection,

PUSH IN - On Andrew, churning decisions and possible futures

He floors the gas pedal, stranding his worse mistake in the

3 EXT. MAIN STREET, OBSERVATORY - DAY 3

Pan from the cigarette scissored between Homeless Man's

Homeless Man extends the cigarette some more.

HOMELESS MAN (CONT'D)

He ceases moving, Homeless Man tugging at his paranoia. He

His eyes flit between Homeless Man and the cigarette.

He branches out his hand and slips the cigarette from

Andew shakes his head. He keys the cigarette to the corner of

HOMELESS MAN (CONT'D)

The cigarette tremors in the corner of Andrew's mouth. He

Andrew's eyes flit between Homeless Man and the lighter

Andrew sics his eyes on Homeless Man.

He almost rips his bag shut.

Homeless Man cocks a mirthless grin.

Andrew stomps closer and barrels malice with his glare. He

The old man slashes a grin.

Homeless Man grins.

Andrew scans the pedestrians around him. Some toss glances,

Beads of sweat coalesce with his frown -

FX: Passenger door creaking open -

4 INT. CAR, BARRON STREET - DAY 4

Andrew's POV - The passenger door creaks open, the seat

Andrew's POV - Homeless Man, who stands before a looming two-

CU - on Andrew. Trepidation corrodes his expression.

5 EXT. BARRON STREET - DAY 5

WS/Backshot - The towering brick building diminishes Andrew,

POV - Tattered clothes cape over the balcony above. Fissures

6 INT. 17 BARRON STREET - DAY 6

A pall of shadow consumes shafts of light. Andrew stands at

FX: Wood creaking. Then, the sound of grinding white noise

Andrew blinks more than he should.

7 INT. SECOND FLOOR, 17 BARRON STREET - DAY 7

His footfalls reverberate through the humming silence. He

He trudges closer, filling up the doorframe.

OS of Andrew - A single sofa faces an antiquated television

Nothing else populates the barren room, apart from Homeless

CU - On tally marks crossed down Homeless Man's forearm.

Homeless Man strolls to the television, his fingers tweaking

Homeless Man gestures to the chair. Andrew cranes a glance

And with that, the television's white noise blinks to image.

On the televison: CU - of Andrew behind the wheel of his car.

On the television: OS of Andrew - The same desolate and

HOMELESS MAN (O.S.)