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Scene Map 60
# PG SLUGLINE
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Scene Map
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# PG SLUGLINE
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"THE TRIALS OF DESTINY" Written by Allan J. Love email:[email protected] OVER BLACK:
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EXT. TOBACCO PLANTATION - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Silas‘s daughter, BRINY FREEMAN, and close friend, DESTINY COLEMAN, two cute and fun-loving, eight-year-old girls, playfully chase each other through a field of tall tobacco plants.
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EXT. SILAS’S HOME - GREENSBOROUGH - ALABAMA - NIGHT The small wooden shack has an outhouse, barn, and chicken pen and is tucked away in a clearing encircled by thick woodland. Silas, his wife HELAINA (35), and three children, fifteen-year- old MOSES, Briny, and Jeremiah, live the simple lives of
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INT. THE FREEMAN HOME - EVENING The shack is simple, with a large wooden bed next to the window, an old wood table with benches on either side, and a chair at the head. An antique sepia image of Silas' parents hangs over the stone fireplace, along with two rifles strung
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INT. CORRECTIONAL FACILITY/WARDEN’S OFFICE - ALABAMA - DAY The HILLSBRO BROTHERS, CLYDE and FLOYD, both in their late twenties and wearing all-white baggy prison clothing, stand between two PRISON GUARDS. SUPER: "ONE YEAR EARLIER"
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EXT. ALABAMA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - DAY Clyde and Floyd step through the prison gates carrying only a bed roll apiece. Clyde looks at Floyd. CLYDE We is gonna have ourselves one hell of a
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INT. GENERAL STORE - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Destiny Coleman proudly wearing her newly acquired, blue dress, collects a brown Kraft paper bag full of groceries and pays the middle-aged storekeeper, TRUDY. TRUDY
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EXT. BUCKLEY TRAIL - GREENSBOROUGH - ALABAMA - LATER THAT DAY The Hillsbro brother’s beat-up truck weaves erratically along the dusty track. The brothers can be partially seen through the open side window as COUNTRY MUSIC blares out from the truck's radio.
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EXT. TOBACCO BARN - GREENSBOROUGH ALABAMA - DAY Silas is supervising two black laborers, MESSIAH and VIRGIL. They empty a horse-drawn cart loaded high with bundles of tightly packed tobacco leaves. Silas hooks a large bundle and carries it into the barn.
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EXT. BUCKLEY TRAIL/WOODLAND - GREENSBOROUGH - LATER Silas continually throws a stick for Butch, who retrieves it. The pair amble along a heavily wooded section of the overgrown and little-used BUCKLEY TRAIL. They approach a bend when Butch's ears prick up. There is a muffled scream of a girl.
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EXT. CLEARING - CONTINUOUS Stepping cautiously, Silas approaches the comatose body of eight-year-old, Destiny Coleman, her face is barely recognizable, her body twisted, bruised, and battered, her bloodstained dress ripped and torn. Soiled, lying in the dirt,
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EXT. BUCKLEY TRAIL - WOODLAND - A SHORT TIME LATER Floyd and Clyde, both carrying rifles, search around the woods. They come to a clearing where Silas’s shack stands. EXT. SILAS FREEMAN'S HOME/YARD - CONTINUOUS Helaina is hanging washing. Clyde and Floyd walk into the
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EXT. WOODLAND/EDGE OF TOWN - GREENSBOROUGH - LATER Silas emerges from the woods carrying Destiny’s body, his washed-out dungarees, and unlaced boots covered in her blood. Tears wash the dirt from his cheeks as he shuffles down the center of Main Street towards the doctor’s office.
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EXT. GREENSBOROUGH TOWN/MAIN STREET - DUSK Wyatt and Brad run up to the slow-walking and traumatized Silas. WYATT Hold up there, Freeman, what ya toting?
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INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE/INTERVIEW ROOM - GREENSBOROUGH - LATER Silas, still in a daze, sits as Wyatt attempts to interrogate him. Jenny sits with a notepad. SILAS - struck her hard with the butt end...
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INT. POLICE STATION/CELL - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Silas is escorted into the cell. He sits on the bunk as Brad locks the cell door. SILAS I ain’t done nothing wrong, deputy.
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INT. SMOKIN’ JOE’S SALOON - GREENSBOROUGH - NIGHT The bar is busy with the usual locals. Most are intoxicated and shout suggestive taunts at the two well-endowed servers, Mandy and Ellen. Both wear skimpy cut-off denim shorts and crop tops; they deliver beers while dealing with taunts from
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INT. SMOKIN’ JOE’S - CONTINUOUS Wyatt and Brad enter and move over to Floyd and Clyde. Floyd, just about to hit a shot, has the glass knocked out of his hand by Wyatt. FLOYD
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EXT. FREEMAN’S HOME - ALABAMA - NIGHT Brad, driving a police car, pulls up to the shack, and Silas gets out. He stands and watches as the police car backs out, shakes his head, turns, and enters the shack. EXT. FREEMAN’S HOME - ALABAMA - NIGHT
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INT. POLICE STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY Clyde sits, his chair leaning against the wall and his feet on the table. He defiantly hums "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Wyatt enters and paces. He kicks Clyde's chair legs, causing
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EXT. JEREMIAH COLEMAN’S HOME - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Silas rides old Beth bareback into Jeremiah’s yard, dismounts, and climbs up the three steps of the front entry porch and joins Jeremiah on a swing seat. JEREMIAH
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INT. POLICE STATION - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Silas enters and walks up to the front desk. Deputy Brad is checking through some paperwork. He looks up. BRAD Silas.
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EXT. SHERIFF’S OFFICE - LATER THAT DAY Wyatt and Brad exit the office and sit looking out over the town. BRAD So?
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INT. JAKE HOBART/ATTORNEY AT LAW/OFFICE - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Silas, accompanied by Moses, enters the office. He takes off his hat and addresses the receptionist, MARY. SILAS Excuse me, Miss, I’d like to see Lawyer
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INT. HOBART’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Hobart is sifting through some paperwork. The office is piled high with ledgers and files. HOBART Mr. Freeman, please.
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INT. HOBART’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Hobart is impressed with Moses’s enthusiasm. HOBART Very commendable. SILAS
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INT. GREENSBOROUGH COUNTY COURT - ALABAMA - DAY Floyd and Clyde Hillsbro have been indicted for the kidnap, rape, and aggravated assault of Destiny Coleman. They are sat at the prosecution desk as a very young, PUBLIC DEFENDER completes his opening statement.
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INT. GREENSBOROUGH COUNTY COURT - ALABAMA - DAY The case, now in its third day, and closing statements concluded, the JURY returns. CLERK All rise.
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INT. GREENSBOROUGH COUNTY COURT/PUBLIC GALLERY - CONTINUOUS Silas and Jeremiah are sat at the rear of the courtroom. They watch as Floyd and Clyde walk past to exit the court. The brothers smile as they look at Jeremiah. FLOYD
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INT. HILLSBRO'S GARAGE/UNDER TRUCK - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Unaware of any imminent danger, Floyd shouts. FLOYD Be right with you, boys. After a few seconds Floyd slides out from under the truck.
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INT. POLICE STATION/HOLDING CELL - GREENSBOROUGH - DAY Clyde paces the eight by eight cell. Floyd lies on a bunk. Clyde shouts. CLYDE What the fuck! Holdin’ us for drunk and
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INT. CITY HALL HUNTSVILLE/MAYORS OFFICE - DAY Seen from the MAYOR’S POV as he sits at his desk. Clyde and Floyd sit facing the Mayor. MAYOR - your vile perversions and abominations
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INT. SILAS FREEMAN’S HOME - GREENSBOROUGH - NIGHT The Freeman family sit eating. The sound of horses' hooves and horses whinnying can be heard. SILAS Sounds like a stamped.
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EXT. SILAS FREEMAN’S HOME/YARD - CONTINUOUS Silas is lassoed and dragged through the dirt to the front of the shack, where a large oak tree stands. Two men get off their horses and hog-tie him, put a noose around his neck, and throws the end of the rope over a tree branch.
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INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE - GREENSBOROUGH - ALABAMA - DAY Wyatt, Jenny, and Brad discuss the Freeman and Coleman atrocities and the possibility of motive. WYATT - if it don’t make sense -
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EXT. FREEMAN’S HOME - GREENSBOROUGH - ALABAMA - DAY Moses stands by the tree where his father was hanged. He falls to his knees and looks up. Tears fill his eyes as he speaks. MOSES Papa, I will extract vengeance on those
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INT. HOBART'S OFFICE - DAY Hobart sits at his desk as Moses inserts folders into a filing cabinet. SUPER: “THREE INFORMATIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED” HOBART
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INT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/CAMPUS LAWNS - ALABAMA - DAY Moses sits on a blanket under a large oak tree on the campus grounds. He wears a new pin-striped suit, shirt and tie, and looks up occasionally from his book to confirm that he has actually made it.
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INT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY HALLS/NOTICE BOARD - DAY Moses is scanning the board for accommodation. Henry walks up and stands next to him, looking at the board. HENRY Have you seen anything interesting?
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INT. UNIVERSITY HALLS/DORM - CONTINUOUS Jimmy lies on the bed, reading a book. Henry and Moses enter. HENRY Jimmy, rise up, buddy, and meet our new roommate.
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INT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/LIBRARY - NIGHT Moses is studying; he has a large pile of books on the table beside him. May’s head pops up behind the books. MAY-LEE When do you eat?
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INT. UNIVERSITY CAFE - DAY The large cafe is busy. May-Lee and Moses sit eating. MARY-LEE - and they were never brought to justice? MOSES
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INT. RAYBURN’S HOTEL/EXECUTIVE SUITE - LOUISIANA - NIGHT Clyde and Floyd have managed to hook up with bad-girl, EILEEN JANE RUSH, and she has invited the brothers to her hotel suite. On the local music channel a news bulletin cuts into the
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INT. MARIETTA COUNTY COURT - ALABAMA - DAY The courtroom is packed, and JUDGE WILLIAM BRUCOSKI, ponders over various files. At the rear of the public gallery, a WPSAT radio announcer whispers into a microphone. WPSAT ANNOUNCER
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INT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/DORM - DAY Jimmy lies on the bed, reading the local newspaper. Moses and Henry sit at the desk, studying, May-Lee is brewing coffee. JIMMY Hey, Spooky, did you ever come across a
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EXT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/GROUNDS - DAY Henry and Moses walk the grounds as they formulate strategy. MOSES - it’s imperative we speak to Sheriff Hives as he know the background of the
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EXT. WEYMOUTH NURSING HOME/DRIVE - ALABAMA - DAY Moses and May-Lee are seen exiting through the large iron gates with an overhanging sign the reads, “WEYMOUTH NURSING HOME”. INT. GREENSBOROUGH CITY HALL/MAIN RECEPTION - DAY
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INT. CITY HALL/MAYORS OFFICE/RECEPTION - CONTINUOUS FIONA, the mayor’s secretary, leaves her desk and moves over to greet Henry. FIONA Your Lordship, would you like your driver
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INT. CITY HALL/DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE - ALABAMA - DAY Henry and are in discussions with, JOHN MILES JOHNS, the acting District Attorney for the Montgomery district of Alabama. HENRY
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INT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/HENRY’S DORM - ALABAMA - DAY Moses, Henry, Jimmy, and May-Lee sit cross-legged in deep discussion. MOSES - it’s registered, we are now, “Fordham
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INT. MARIETTA CORRECTION FACILITY/INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY The brothers are cuffed to an iron interview table, while five guards stand in prominent positions around the room. The door opens, and Moses enters. He walks over to the table, lays down his briefcase, and sits. No words are spoken. The
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EXT. FORDHAM UNIVERSITY/GROUNDS - DAY Henry, May-Lee, and Moses walk around the grounds. Jimmy runs up and shows Moses a letter. Henry reads it. HENRY Hmm, a letter from Hobbs’s lawyer
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INT. MARIETTA CORRECTION FACILITY/INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY Moses, and the brothers sit at the iron interview table, The guards are positioned as before. MOSES - so here’s the proposition, and please,
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INT. SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS - MARIETTA - ALABAMA - DAY The court is virtually empty with the exception of district and prosecution attorney, ROBERT ARTIST, who sits at the prosecution desk. Moses and the Hillsbro brothers sit opposite at the defence desk.
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INT. SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS - MARIETTA - ALABAMA - DAY Moses together with, Floyd, and Clyde Hillsbro sit at the defense table while District Attorney, Robert Artist, sits at the prosecution desk. SUPER: “FOUR MONTHS LATER”
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INT. ALABAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE/COURT ONE - MARIETTA - DAY Henry, Jimmy, and the Hillsbro brothers are seated at the defense table. Directly behind the defense table are Moses and May-Lee. The judge, THOMAS HAMMERSHAM, (78), a man fighting mild
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INT. ALABAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE - MARIETTA - DAY The mayor, James T. Hobbs, is about to be recalled to the witness stand. CLERK Recalling James T. Hobbs to the stand.
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INT. ALABAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE - MARIETTA - DAY Judge Hammersham enters the packed courtroom. CLERK All rise. SUPER: “DAY FOUR OF THE HILLSBRO TRIAL”
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INT. ALABAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE - MARIETTA - DAY The jury file in and take their seats. The foreman of the jury stands to announce the jury’s verdict. SUPER: “DAY FIVE OF THE HILLSBRO TRIAL” HAMMERSHAM
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EXT. ELLICOT CITY CENTER - BALTIMORE - DAY A car pulls up outside of the office building. Henry leads May- Lee, Jimmy, and Moses, all blindfolded, from the car and into the building. INT. ELLICOT CITY CENTER - BALTIMORE - DAY

The Trials of Destiny

In 1930s Alabama, a young African American man, Moses Freeman, seeks justice for his family's murder at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, while navigating the flaws and biases within the legal system.

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Overview

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Unique Selling Point

What sets 'The Trials of Destiny' apart is its raw and unflinching portrayal of the racial tensions in 1930s Alabama, combined with a deeply personal story of a young man's journey to seek justice for his family. The screenplay not only addresses historical injustices but also resonates with contemporary issues, making it relevant and compelling for today's audience.

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Claude
 Recommend
Gemini
 Consider
GPT4
 Recommend
Story Facts
Genres:
Drama 50% Crime 30% Thriller 25% Action 15%

Setting: 1930s to present day, Greensborough, Alabama, and surrounding areas

Themes: The Fight for Justice in the Face of Systemic Racism, The Cycle of Violence and the Pursuit of Redemption, The Power of Education and the Pursuit of Dreams, Family, Faith, and Community, The Perils of unchecked Power and the Abuse of Authority

Conflict & Stakes: The struggle for justice against systemic racism and personal vengeance, with the lives and futures of the Freeman family at stake.

Mood: Tense and somber, with moments of hope and resilience.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining of personal and systemic struggles for justice in a racially charged environment.
  • Major Twist: The revelation of Mayor Hobbs's past as a Klan leader and his eventual arrest during the trial.
  • Innovative Ideas: The use of a young lawyer's perspective to navigate the complexities of racial injustice and legal battles.
  • Distinctive Settings: The contrast between the rural South and the courtroom drama, highlighting the societal tensions of the time.

Comparable Scripts: To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Years a Slave, The Help, Just Mercy, The Color Purple, Roots, American History X, The Nightingale, The Hate U Give

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Overall Score: 7.50
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