Can’t Stand Still

by Gregory Dearell Walton

EXT. LAKE MICHIGAN
Hovering over Lake Michigan early 70’s GOING WEST FLYING RIGHT BY THE SEARS TOWER SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL CHICAGO SKYLINE.

Downtown Chicago, Michigan Avenue. Jody Watley and Jeffery Daniels getting off the CTA. They heading to the Chicago Board of World Trade Center.

INT. SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS

Don Cornelius and his crew are setting up for today’s program.
EXT. HEADING WEST
Stopping at the Old Chicago Stadium where the Bulls play.
THE CAMERA PANS AROUND, THEN ENTERS THE CHICAGO STADIUM.

INT. CHICAGO BULLS STADIUM
CHICAGO BULLS ARE TAKING PRACTICE SHOTS

Bob ‘Butterbean” Love (f), Norm Van Lear (g), Jerry Sloan (g), Chet ‘The Jet’ Walker (f), Tom Boerwinkle (c)
Norm Van Lear takes a shot
Norm Van Lear
”Swoosh”!

EXT. HEADING WEST

Camera stops at Austin and Madison
Pans around going into Allen’s TV Repair Shop
INT. Joe and Charlene Allen are working on appliances.

EXT. Light turns green leaving Chicago City limits
entering Oak Park, Illinois.

EXT. Heading West entering Forest Park, Illinois.
EXT. Leaving Forest Park city limits you see a sign saying “The Village of Maywood, Illinois”

EXT. CAMERA STOPS AT 1ST AND MADISON
Camera pans around and focuses on Al’s Hotdog Stand. The sign above reads “Veinna Chicago Style Hotdogs”
EXT. A long line of teenagers getting food, while others are sitting at tables eating hotdogs.

EXT. Pans right too Proviso East High School.

INT. Hallway
INT. Goes up the stairwell and enters the second floor of the school.
INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY

INT. Going down the hallway and stops at a classroom.

INT. Classroom
INT. A door slams open.
LOUD BANG!
A skinny tall kid comes rushing out of the classroom.

INT. 2ND FLOOR HALLWAY Runs to his school locker which is nearby. When opening it his books, drumsticks and drum pad falls out onto the floor. He hurriedly scoops it all up and throws it back into his locker and slams the door shut.

DOOR
BANG!!

He hurriedly runs to the stairwell.
INT. STAIRWELL

He jumps down the first flight and then jumps down the second flight of stairs, he pushes the door open
INT. DOOR
BANG!

INT. First floor hallway.
He hurriedly runs down the hallway.
INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE DOWN THE HALL

A teacher stops what she is doing and looks up.

TEACHER
Did I just hear a door slam?

STUDENTS
Several students nod their heads yes.

She hurriedly rushes to the door.

INT. Hallway
THE SKINNY KID GOES RUNNING BY THE OFFICE.

INT. Pushes the door open.
EXT. DOOR BANG!

The skinny kid runs to 1st and Warren Street and stops all of a sudden

INT. CAR

A drunken guy blows his horn.
INT. CAR
BEEEEEEEEEEP!!
EXT. CAR
BEEEEEEEEEP!!
EXT. Proviso High School Door
THE TEACHER SEES THIS, SHAKES HER HEAD AND THEN SAYS TO HERSELF

TEACHER.
”That kid gonna get hit by a car one day”.

CROSSING GUARD WALKS OUTSIDE FROM THE SCHOOL

TEACHER.
”I told you to be out here before that kid gets himself killed”.

CROSSING GUARD
”The teacher won’t let me leave early”.

TEACHER
”When you’re done with your duties, come to the office and I will give you a pass to leave the class early”.
The crossing guard then looks at the skinny kid, the skinny kid looks back and smiles, then looks to make sure no cars are coming and runs across the street.
CROSSING GUARD
”Come back here you little”.
The skinny kid runs across the street, kisses his hand, pats his butt and waves to the crossing guard as he runs down the street.

ROLL OPENING CREDITS
CITIZENS OF INFORMATION
Presents
CAN’T STAND STILL

EXT. Warren Street

The skinny kid keeps running making everybody laugh. He stops at 5th and Warren. He looks both ways and then runs across the street. Gets to 9th street, stops and looks both ways and then he runs across the street. He starts running by some of his friends’ house. He runs by the Fulton’s house, Frasier’s house, King’s house. He runs by the Twin’s house, Love’s house, Carmichael’s house. He runs by the Young’s house, Pfiefer’s house, Cox’s house. He runs by the Campbell’s, Badger’s, and last the Hubbards house. His neighbors are the Ruffin’s which shares the townhouse with the Walton family. Behind him across the alley is the Robinson’s house.
He runs right up to a townhouse and goes straight to the back door. He puts the key in the door, opens it and closes the door very quietly.

INT. WALTON’S HOME
Walton’s home is fashionably 70’s

INT. SKINNY KIDS ROOM

His room looks like a record store. Posters of Earth Wind and Fire, the Chi-Lites, Rufus, James Brown with the JBs and Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five. On the floor are LPs 8 tracks and cassettes.

Skinny Kid opens the door and runs into his room.

INT. Skinny Kid’s bedroom

He turns on his black and white TV. Turns the knob to VHF, then turns the second knob to channel 26. He bangs on the top of the TV a couple of times while adjusting the antenna. The TV slowly comes on. Then you hear him say this when the TV comes on.

SKINNY KID
”It’s SOOOOOOOOOOUL TRAIN”.

He breathes a sigh of relief because he’d made it just in time to see his favorite TV show. It’s a new dance show that’s just starting in Chicago. Skinny kid throws himself down on his bed.

TV. Don Cornelius

DON CORNELIUS
Let’s get this party started off right with Earth Wind and Fire.

INT. SKINNY KIDS BEDROOM

Skinny kid jumps up and sees all the Soul Train dancers on TV.
SKINNY KID
”Man there is Don Cornelius, Cleveland, Tyrone”
CROSSCUT SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS

You see Don Cornelius watching while Cleveland, Tyrone, Jarrad, Derrick are all dancing with the other girls.

CROSSCUT SKINNY KIDS ROOM
SKINNY KID
”There’s Jeffery”
He began to look mad looking at Jeffery on T V
SKINNY KID
”And Jody Watley with her fine self”
CROSSCUT SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS

Jeffery and Jody are dancing together
DON CORNELIUS
Here’s another bad tune by James Brown “Get on the Good Foot”
CROSSCUT SKINNY KIDS ROOM
SKINNY KID
I can dance better than them Soul Train dancers
He starts dancing doing the funky penguin, then does some break dancing he spining around

CROSSCUT SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS

Jeffery, Jody and the Soul Train dancers are getting down too

CROSSCUT SKINNY KIDS ROOM

He’s starts doing the funky penguin and then he breaks off into the Good Foot.
SKINNY KID
Man that Jeffery Daniels ain’t got nuthin’ on me
Bam Boom Bam Bam Boom Boom Bam Skinny Kid hits the floor tripping over his Chuck Taylor All Star gym shoes. While on the floor, he kicks his shoe, right into a Rufus LP called Rags to Rufus. He jumps back onto the bed and looks at Jeffery Daniels dancing with Jody Watley.

INT. SOUL TRAIN STUDIO

A security guard stands at the door looking at one of the Soul Train Dancers.

TITLE

MICHAEL
He’s the modest type. Has a little style, nice looking but not too handsome.

TWO SHOT

MICHAEL
That girl sure knows how to dance, man.

MOVING SHOT

SOUL TRAIN DANCERS

DAVID
Like which one?
MICHAEL
The one with the nice looking hips.
DAVID
Yeah, I see.
TITLE

MARGO
Margo’s been practicing to become a professional dancer. She’s very fine with pretty hair. Has class to be only 15 and one of the Soul Train dancers.
CROSSCUT

Skinny Kid sees Margo dancing on TV.

SKINNY KID
There she goes again. That girl’s going to be mine. I’m going to get some tickets to go on that show next month.

55 MINUTES LATER – SOUL TRAIN ABOUT TO GO OFF

INT. A GHETTO APARTMENT-WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO

Ray’s looking at Soul Train on TV with two other dudes.

RAY
One day I’m going to get that Margo.

GUY #1
Man, that girl ain’t thinkin’ about your junkie black ass.

RAY
Want to bet? I see her everyday. She lives right down the street, fool.

GUY #1
That don’t mean you can get some, fool. Look at you. You can’t even rap no more.

RAY
Rap, I’ll make her give it up.

GUY #2
Ray, now you want to be a rapist too? Why can’t you find another junkie ass bitch like you? Leave that young lady alone!

RAY
Screw you! I can do what the hell I want!
GUY #2
Well, kiss my ass, Chester.

Ray reaches over the table for him. He pulls up the table to stop Ray. Beer bottles and drugs go everywhere. Then they start fighting. While they’re fighting you hear this on their TV.

DON CORNELIUS
”This is it for this edition of Soul Train”.

EXT. The camera pans out of the window and up to the sky. While fighting the Soul Train theme song is playing. Some people are looking up at the window from the street.

CROSS CUT SOUL TRAIN STUDIO

You see Don Cornelius wave a kiss goodbye to the camera.
DON CORNELIUS
And parting we wish you love, peace and sooooooul
CROSSCUT SKINNY KIDS ROOM

Soul Train goes off and MFSB Soul Train theme song goes off
TV
If you would like to be on this program please call this number now, to receive your tickets.
Skinny kid jumps off his bed and runs out of his bedroom.

INT HALLWAY

Runs downstairs.

INT LIVING ROOM

He grabs the rotary phone and waits for someone to answer.
SKINNY KID
”Hello. I would like to be on the show, could I have one ticket please”.

PHONE
”Yes you can kid, you want to come next week?”

SKINNY KID
”Yes”

PHONE
”Well here’s what you gotta do”
FADE OUT
Next week
INT. SKINNY KIDS HOUSE
He stops and looks at the ticket he has in his hand.

SKINNY KID
”What day do I go on the show?”

He looks at the ticket and starts jumping for joy. Then he lands on the floor and breaks out into the dance called Mashed Potatoes, a dance by James Brown. He stops dancing.
SKINNY KID
”I can’t stand still”
(This is where the name of the movie comes from.)
INT. LIVING ROOM
Skinny kid picks up the rotary phone and dials a number.
SKINNY KID
”Chucky, I’m gonna be………..
Then Chucky calls Charlene, Charlene calls Jimmy, Jimmy calls Cheryl, Cheryl calls Mike.

On the screen you see 20 kids talking, then 30 kids talking, then 40 kids talking. Now back down to 20 kids talking, to 10 kids talking, to 5 kids talking.
JAMES
”I heard you are going’ to be on Soul Train”.

SKINNY KID
”Yes I am, next week!”

INT. SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS
Live on the set the show has already started and the Soul Train dancers are already dancing.
Skinny Kid walks in late and hands the security guard his ticket at the door, heading to the dance floor but you can only go on when Don Cornelius tells you to.
CAMERA MAN
”STOP! WAIT! DON’T CUT IN!!”
They can’t stop him.
SECURITY GUARD
”That tall dummy. I’am going to keep my eyes on him”.
Skinny Kid start dancing looking over at the Soul Train dancers and begins to look at Jeffery Daniels mad just because he is dancing with Jody Watley

Skinny Kid sees Margo and asks her to dance with him. He slowly guides them towards Jody Watley and Jeffery Daniels. As skinny kid moves towards Jody Watley, he tries to impress her with his dancing while she looks at him. Jeffery Daniels notices and starts really getting down himself.

Now it seems like the two are having a dance battle and Jeffery Daniels is clearing winning. Skinny Kid starts doing the funky chicken, then he does the funky penguin.

A few teenagers in the studio start laughing at the Skinny Kid. The Skinny Kid really starts to get down doing the Mashed Potatoes.

Other people in TV land watching the show.

INT. OLD PEOPLE HOUSE – LIVING ROOM

Old people are looking at the dancers on Soul Train.
OLD LADY
”Where them young kids learn how to dance like that, they dancing for the devil?”
INT. MARGOS HOME
MARGO’S GIRLFRIENDS
”Margo get away from that geek, MOVE OVER, RUN”
Skinny kids friends are over at Chucky’s house.
SKINNY KID’S FRIENDS
Laughing and cracking up
One of them falls onto the sofa and then onto the floor laughing.

INT. SOUL TRAIN STUDIOS
SECURITY GUARD
”I’m kicking that tall skinny kid out!”
Skinny Kid starts dancing real silly now.
Security guard starts walking to the dance floor then the record slowly starts to go off. The security guard stops. The soul train dancers begin to stop.
MARGO
”Man you are silly. I not going to dance with you ever again.”
Jeffery Daniels, Jody Watley and Margo are walking away laughing with the rest of the dancers. Jeffery Daniels waves his hand like you can’t dance better than me.

While the skinny kid stands there watching them walk away, Don Cornelius calls him over.

TV STUDIO

You hear a Johnson commercial airing on TV and throughout the studio.
DON CORNELIUS
”Hey kid, come here. I like the way dance, I want you back on here next week.”

SKINNY KID
”Really, Mister Don Cornelius?”

DON CORNELIUS
”Yes I do!”
FADE OUT

THIS REPRESENTS JUST A FEW SCENES OF A 120 PAGE SCREENPLAY.
MORE WILL BE ADDED PERIODICALLY.
THE ENTIRE SCREENPLAY WILL BE POSTED.
BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
THE TIME AND EVENTS ARE NOT EXACT.