1
THE HAND OF GOD
A Screenplay by Brent Paine
BEGIN MAIN TITLE SEQUENCE
(Pan to First-Person Eddie)
INT. A DARK METAL-PANELLED ROOM
Chris sits in a chair at the far end of the room. The dim lights shine on his face showing a worn, young man. The bags under his eyes resemble that of a 60 year-old, the red veins coursing through his eyes hide the white, making his eyes a dark pink. He sits, slumped, smoking a cigarette in a large futuristic chair. A young and vibrant woman enters the room. Chris gestures to her, asking her to sit in the chair opposite him.
CHRIS
"Please, sit down."
Slightly sedated the young woman sits at the chair opposite Chris. Eddie looks back to see the door quickly shut behind her. Eddie re-focuses on Chris as he leans back in his chair and begins to speak.
CHRIS
"I remember when I first came here. Not sure what to
believe, not sure why I was here, but.
don't be afraid. I am not going to harm you.
You are a strong young woman. Exactly what I need."
Chris begins to reminisce.
CHRIS
"Ahhh, I hardly remember what it was like to be young.
You have all the energy in the world and nothing to do with it."
Chris composes himself, clears his throat and gets back on topic.
CHRIS
"Anyway, I'll bet you want to know where you are
and why you are here. Maybe why did I pick you?"
Eddie looks Chris in the eye and rebuts.
EDDIE
"Yeah, that and maybe who you are."
CHRIS
"Who I am? I think I have a story that will answer that."
INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY
Chris walks down the hallway of his high school, passing the odd person sitting at their locker or walking down the hallway. A private religious school the halls were immaculately cleaned, reflecting the lights from the ceiling. Banners hung from the ceiling signifying graduation, "Congratulations Class of 2002". Posters of a year-end dance were placed neatly along the corridor.
CHRIS VOICE OVER
"It was my senior year of high school. I was set to
get out of my hometown and move onto better things.
I was set to start Harvard next semester meaning
that I could finally be away from the watchful eye
of my father and everyone else in the town.
Unfortunately, my plans changed over the next 24 hours."
Chris reaches out for the doorknob of the principal's office, opens the door slowly, and enters the office.
INT. PRINCIPAL PARK'S OFFICE - RECEPTION
Chris enters the room and approaches the front desk. Sitting at the desk is a middle-aged woman, her hair in a bun on the top of her head and a pair of glasses rested on her nose. She looks up from her computer, looks at Chris and asks him to wait.
MRS. ROTH
"Well hello Chris. Principal Park is just finishing up
please just have a seat and he will be right with you."
CHRIS
"Thanks."
Chris walks to the seat closest to the hallway that leads to the principal's office. He swings his backpack from his shoulder and stores it under the seat. He then sits in the seat and plays with a pencil. Finally, after waiting a few seconds a student exits from the hallway that leads from the principal's office. Mrs. Roth watches the student leave and then uses the intercom beside her desk to announce Chris.
MRS. ROTH
"Mr. Park, Chris Creemore is here to see you."
Principal Park's reply sounds frustrated.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Send him in please."
Mrs. Roth turns to Chris and asks him to enter the Principal's Office.
MRS. ROTH
"Chris, Principal Park will see you now."
Chris gets up from his seat, puts his pencil pack in his backpack and slings his backpack over his shoulder again. Chris turns the corner and enters the principal's office.
INT. PRINCIPAL PARK'S OFFICE - INTERNAL
Principal Park's office is fairly small. University degrees hang on the wall behind his desk and the rest of the room is somewhat bare except for a flag on one wall and a bookshelf on the other. The desk almost seems too long for the room. Two seats sit in front of the cluttered desk and Principal Park sits behind the desk. Chris approaches the desk.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Please have a seat Chris."
Chris pulls out the chair in the right and sits down at the desk.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"I have been having some complaints, once again, about your
attitude in certain classes."
Chris stands his ground as though he has fought this battle before.
CHRIS
"Hmmmm, let me guess. Religion with Mrs. Lipton."
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Chris, your disruptions in class cannot be tolerated
anymore. We are entering the last week of school
but I will not hesitate to expel you if your antics
do not cease."
Chris sits up in his chair and barks back at Principal Park.
CHRIS
"Are you threatening me?"
Principal Park matches Chris' posture and continues his speech.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Trust me Chris, that is no threat. But if you think that
Harvard will look past an expulsion then perhaps you
aren't as smart as I thought."
Reality hits Chris. He is at the mercy of Principal Park so he begins to listen to reason. Principal Park calms his voice, reseats himself and continues again.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"When you first came to my school I thought that
you would be the least of my problems. How could
the son of the local reverend give me any headaches?
And for the first few years I was right. Then, this year,
after your mother died, you have changed so much."
Chris looks at Principal Park and begins to get defensive.
CHRIS
"Don't you dare bring my mother into this."
Principal Park, again, becomes boisterous.
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Chris. In one year you have nearly undone
the fabric that holds this school together. I now
have a cult of atheists running the hallways
of a Catholic school because one boy thought
that God had given up on him. Chris, you are
a natural born leader. I just wish that you would
use that gift to promote the good of God."
CHRIS
"The good of God? My mother went to church
every Sunday for over 30 years and she died
of a cold. A fucking cold!"
PRINCIPAL PARK
"Chris, don't use that foul language in my office."
Chris stands up and points to the degrees on the wall behind Principal Park.
CHRIS
"Look at these, Degrees of an intelligent man. So let me
ask you Mr. Park, what evidence do you have that
suggests there is a God? Have you ever seen God?
No. Do you think that, logically, one man can listen to
billions of people at a time? Seems a bit far-fetched to me.
And do you think that one man created and maintains this
entire planet? If you believe that then obviously YOU are
not as smart as I thought."
The bell rings signifying the end of the day.
CHRIS
"School's out. Get on the fucking bus."
Chris picks up his bag, slings it over his shoulder and walks out the door. Principal Park just stands there enraged as Chris walks out the door and slams it behind him.
EXT. CHRIS' SCHOOL
Chris walks out the front door of the school with a horde of other students. Willy waits for Chris, leaning up against a wall at the bottom of the school steps. Chris notices Willy and begins to make his way over, weaving his way through the crowd of students. Chris approaches Willy, wraps his arm around his neck and pulls him along.
CHRIS
"Let's get outta here."
WILLY
(Sarcastically)
"So I heard you and Park had a little pow-wow."
CHRIS
(Sarcastically)
"Yeah, I think that Mr. Park and I are really going to
be good friends. I like him, he likes me, it's got friendship
written all over it."
WILLY
"Yeah, but you'll have to work on the yelling. I heard that
a few classes got to listen to just about everything."
CHRIS
"What a dick that guy is. Do you know that he threatened to
expel me?"
WILLY
"No, I guess he didn't yell that part."
CHRIS
"I'm almost on the road out of here and he has the gall to
start throwing this bullshit in my face."
Chris punches the palm of his hand as he gets more and more angry at the situation.
CHRIS
"I swear I'd like to just, POP! Knock that fucker on his ass."
WILLY
"Calm down killer. It's Friday. Let's see what's up."
CHRIS
"Cool. I've just gotta go home quick and get changed.
This uniform makes me ill. It itches like hell too."
WILLY
"Yeah, I've gotta get changed too. Maybe grab a quick bite to eat too."
CHRIS
"All right then. Let's meet up at say seven at Lucky's?"
WILLY
"Sounds good. See ya then"
CHRIS
"Later."
The two split up and begin to walk home.
INT. CHRIS' HOUSE
Chris walks into the house and drops his bag at the front of the door, off to one side.
CHRIS
"Hello? Dad?"
With nobody home Chris walks to the kitchen to start making a quick supper before he gets changed and leaves for the night. He walks into the kitchen whistling as he opens the fridge and looks inside. Nothing suiting his taste, he closes the fridge and begins to rummage through the cupboard. He takes out a can of ravioli and places it on the counter.
CHRIS
"What did they ever do before canned ravioli."
Chris closes the cupboard and opens a counter drawer, removing a can opener and begins opening the can. He gets a bowl from the cupboard just above him and empties the contents of the can into the bowl. He reaches down and pulls a fork from the counter drawer just below him and begins to eat the unheated ravioli as me makes his way back to the front hallway and up the stairs to his room.
He enters his room to the usual mess. With his spare hand he starts pitching clothes from his bed onto the floor. He carefully sits down on his bed, as not to spill anything. He picks up the remote off his nightstand and turns on his television. He finds a channel featuring comedy and begins watching the comedians do their routines.
Not long passes before he hears the front door close. He acknowledges that he heard the door but didn't leave his spot or food to investigate. After a few more seconds Chris' father appears in his door dressed in his church attire. Not looking very happy Chris questions him.
CHRIS
"Something wrong?"
His father makes his way into Chris' room and stands at the corner of the bed blocking Chris' view of the television.
CHARLES
"Funny you should ask. I asked your Principal the
same question when he phoned me."
Chris, knowing he is busted, spouts some of his hostility and trying to keep quiet.
CHRIS
(under his breath)
"What an asshole."
Charles progressively gets angry with Chris.
CHARLES
"What? You don't think that a parent has the
right to know when their son is causing trouble
or, in your case, creating a cult?"
Chris places his ravioli on the nightstand and attempts to use sarcasm to weasel his way out of trouble, only making things worse.
CHRIS
"Well I learn from the best, Dad."
CHARLES
"The church is hardly a cult, Chris"
CHRIS
"Well let's see. A group of people with similar beliefs,
following or worshiping a common person or being (God),
in the hopes of achieving a common goal (ridding the world of
sinners). You are forced to attend. Sounds like a cult to me."
CHARLES
"Well you're wrong Chris. The church has never forced
anyone to attend."
CHRIS
"Yeah Dad, and if you don't then you go to hell, right?
Man, what a scam."
Chris gets up off the bed and begins gesturing like a preacher in front of his congregation.
CHRIS
"Come to Church and give us your
money or you will go to hell!"
CHARLES
"Chris, I don't want to hear it. Keep your beliefs to yourself"
Chris gets right in his father's face and points at him.
CHRIS
"Then keep yours to yourself."
Chris tries to move past his father to get into the hallway. Charles grabs Chris by the shoulder of his uniform jacket.
CHARLES
"Where do you think you're going?"
CHRIS
"Out!"
Charles pulls Chris back into his room and throws him onto his bed.
CHARLES
"You're not going anywhere. We're not even
close to being finished here."
CHRIS
"No Dad, I think we've both said enough. So I'm
going to get up, leave, and I'll see you tomorrow."
Chris begins to get up from his bed. Just as he is about to get to his feet Charles rears back and slaps Chris across the face with the back of his hand, sending Chris to his bed once again. Chris lifts his head from the middle of his bed. He looks down at the sheet to see a small blood mark on the bed. He reaches to his mouth with his right hand and, with his thumb, wipes the blood off the corner of his lip. He pulls his hand away from his mouth and looks at the blood covering his thumb. His eyes fill with anger as he looks up at his father who is now towering right over him.
CHARLES
"Now sit and listen."
Chris, now more determined than ever, rises from his bed again. Charles backs up to allow him room to get up from his bed. Just as Charles backs up Chris rears back and slugs Charles across the cheek. Charles stumbles back against Chris' door and Chris lunges in again, connecting with a hard punch to the stomach. Charles hunches over before being hit again in the face as Chris hits him with a hard cross to the side of the head. Charles slumps to the floor and Chris steps over him. He turns around and speaks down to his father in a dominant voice.
CHRIS
"I'm goin' out. Love Ya."
Chris turns and walks down the stairs as Charles lies on the floor with blood dripping from his nose and mouth as he winces in pain.
INT. LUCKY'S POOL HALL - DUSK
Chris enters and looks around the pool hall. His uniform is slightly scuffed from his skirmish with Charles and the top buttons on his shirt are ripped off, but he walks in with his head high. The hall is filled with smoke that lingers near the top of the room. The young bartender stands at the bar to the left of the room and nods as Chris makes eye contact with him. Chris walks over to him and sits at a stool in the middle of the bar.
HARRY
"Hey Chris, how's it goin'?
Chris cracks a slight grin as he looks down the pool hall.
CHRIS
"Rough."
HARRY
"Oh yeah?"
Uninterested in small talk Chris brushes off the bartender.
CHRIS
"Yeah. Can I please get a beer?"
HARRY
"I don't know Chris. You're gonna get me fired."
CHRIS
"Harry, who got you this job?"
HARRY
"Well.."
CHRIS
"That's right! I did. Now just get me a beer….please."