Purple Rain

JILL
What are you retarded or something?! Why don't you look where you're going?

She's years old, blonde and pretty in a cute, innocent way. A Daisy Mae-type whose emotions form so quickly, she has trouble sorting them out. Right now she's mad as hell – she thinks –

VANITY

Sorry... where's the office?

Jill squats, picks up the broken glasses –
 

JILL

Do you think you can just come in here and take over?

VANITY

I said I'm sorry – what do you want me to do? Where's the office?

Jill points – Vanity hurries away –
 

JILL

(triumphantly)

No one's in!

Vanity stops dead in her tracks, does a slow burn. She walks back to Jill –
 

VANITY

Okay, so you got me back, fine. Listen, I'm from out of town. I have to see the manager, it's important. I'm a real good singer and dancer. I know he could use me.

JILL

Do you have any experience?

Vanity simmers, enunciates every word –
 

VANITY

Yeah... definitely.

JILL

Follow me.

And she turns on her heels, makes her way through the club, moving into the vicinity of the stage. Vanity follows her reluctantly, casts a look to the band. She spots Prince for the first time – stops instantly...

His effect on her is instantaneous. Passion surges through her like a tidal wave. His hair, face, eyes – it all conspires to make her weak. It's like meeting someone for the first time, but seeing so much of yourself in them, that their lips, eyes, mouth – you're certain you have touched, and the desire to be with them becomes so strong that the very act of touching will release you in a way you never thought possible...

Prince brines "Let's Get Crazy" to a rousing, blistering end. Suddenly the stage is plunged into darkness. The CROWD goes WILD!

... Vanity snaps out of it. Jill is tugging at her arm, a puzzled look on her face –

JILL

Here, fill this out – I'll have him call you.

VANITY

I don't have a phone. When will he be back?

JILL

Well... you can try tomorrow.

VANITY

You can count on it.

Vanity hands the card back to her – Jill reads the name, address – looks up puzzled –
 

JILL

Vanity??

BACKSTAGE

As Morris and The Time pass Prince on their way to the stage –
 

MORRIS

Why don't you stay awhile, see how it's done.

The Band Members bust up – but Prince ignores them, then –
 

MC

Ladies and gentlemen – please welcome The Time.

CLUB

Sudden APPLAUSE and CRIES. Vanity and Jill turn directly into the path of Prince, descending the Steps of the stage. Vanity gasps, LOCKS eyes with him. Jill seems to jump out of her skin – it's obvious she has a crush on him something awful –

JILL
Hi ya, Prince – God I liked that song, it's real fun.

She fidgets uncontrollably, Vanity's card burning a hole into her hand. Prince glances at the card, then stares at Vanity, the ripeness of her look paralyzing. He tears his eyes away, puts on his sunglasses, looks toward the stage.

INT. CLUB – NEAR STAGE – NIGHT

Morris and The Time rip into a funk tune called "Jungle Love." Their stranglehold on the audience is instantaneous. Morris struts across the stage like a panther, playing to the audience with a relish. His eyes fastened on Prince – his pride unmistakable.

Prince watches Morris a moment, then eyes Vanity again. The heat between them is apparent. Vanity's heart is pounding, she's not sure what to do. She keeps her eyes on Morris, hoping that a Solution will present itself.

Prince watches as Jill tacks the card to a board behind the bar. Sizing up the situation quickly, he again glances at Vanity – but her eyes are fastened on Morris. Feeling terribly shy and thinking there's nothing he can do to divert her attention away from him, he reluctantly heads for the front door. Vanity finally hits upon something to say, turns –

VANITY

I really liked your song too...

But he's gone. Her eyes scan the room frantically – catches a glimpse of him leaving. She takes a sudden step, then stops, paralyzed with indecision. Jill regards ger coldly.

Morris meanwhile is beside himself. Some gorgeous, dark-haired babe, eyes wide as saucers was starlng at him from the bar. Prince has left, and this girl is his. He motions to Jerome, and they direct their act in her direction.

Jill gazes at Vanity, fidgets intensely, suspicious and resentful of her. She glances up and notices Morris, look. She seizes upon an idea, forces a friendly smile, taps Vanity on the shoulder –

JILL

Hey...

She points to the stage. Vanity looks at Morris, and he goes crazy, entertaining her with his own special blend of showmanship. The CROWD loves it! Vanity is held a moment, but her thouchts are elsewhere. She finally comes to a decision, pulls away, cuts through the club.

INT. FOYER AND STAIRWAY – NIGHT

As she runs down the stairs, cuts behind Chick, BURSTS out the door.

EXT. CLUB – NIGHT

FRANTIC! The STREETS are thick with TRAFFIC. She scans them wildly – nothing. Suddenly Prince, astride his motorcycle, BLAZES past her from the opposite direction. She starts running, shouts –

VANITY
Hey wait!

But Prince is too far away, the traffic too congested for him to hear. He whips down the street, disappears around the corner.

Vanity continues running, then slows, dejection overcoming her in waves. She looks around – KIDS are staring at her, passing jokes. Embarrassed, She moves to the front door but Chick is there, his eyes upon her cold, impassionate.

Exhausted and slightly tearful, she cuts across the street, heads back to her apartment.

EXT. PRINCE'S HOUSE – NIGHT

Prince WHIPS down the street, cuts his motor, coasts up the drive. He comes to a stop against a wooden gate. His house is a nondescript, one-family structure with a wide front porch. He lives in a neat and tidy, homogeneous, lower middle-class neighborhood whose occupants are hard-working type fiercely protective of their privacy.

He climbs the steps to the porch, opens the front door...

... his mothers SCREAM is like ice in his veins. Fear trickles into the hollows of his body like cold water, His pain commands him to move, but the impulse short circuits somewhere at the waist, leaving his legs twitching uncontrollably. Then another SCREAM from his mother, and his father's voice now, LOUD and FURIOUS –

FATHER (O.S.)

Listen to me! You come home when I say come home! You've got no business in the streets!

WHACK! His mother SCREAMS – Prince BURSTS into the room.

INT. PRINCE'S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Prince's MOTHER is at the far side of the living room CRYING uncontrollable. She's in her early 40's, a dark-haired, faded beauty, with large, wild, anxious eyes. There's a detectable scent of liquor in the air, and her slurred speech pins her as the source.

His FATHER is in his late 40's, a squat, but solidly built black man, with a cherubic face, and graceful expressive hands.

He's upon her now, WHACKING! at her horribly, trying to get to her face –
 

FATHER

You do what I say, do you hear me?! You've got to keep this place clean! You here, no place else!

MOTHER

You're crazy!

WHACK!
 

MOTHER

Asshole!

WHACK!
 

MOTHER

Motherfucker!!!

The Father lunges, WHACKS! her across the face. She topples to the floor, a lamp CRASHES to the ground. Prince cuts through the room, lunges desperately in front of him –

PRINCE
(pleading)

Please, Dad... she's heard you. She's had enough!

His Mother drags herself up along the wall –
 

MOTHER

(hysterical)

He's trying to kill me! He's crazy! Look what he's doing to me!

PRINCE

(tearfully)

Dad, please... she's –

WHACK! Prince's head snaps back, his feet lift from the floor, his body CRASHES in a heap by the door...

Stunned SILENCE. Prince, flat on his back, fights vertigo with everything he's got. His Mother lets out a YELP, rushes into the bedroom, SLAMS the door. His Father stands motionless, sullen –

FATHER
Get up... you ain't hurt.

Prince opens his Mouth, BLOOD gushes from a gash in his tongue. He hoists himself up slowly, using the wall for support. He moves into the kitchen, disappears down the basement steps.

BASEMENT – HALLWAYS AND BEDROOM – NIGHT

A naked LIGHT BULB snaps ON. It dangles like a pendulum, casting strange shadows. The basement is partitioned off into a series of rooms, interconnected by a labyrinthine combination of passages. An old washer and dryer stand in the corner.

Prince descends the steps slowly. He comes through a door, closes it behind him. He moves down a narrow passageway, enters a small cramped BEDROOM.

He closes the door and locks it behind him. MOONLIGHT filters in through the casement windows. The total effect is like entering a womb, a deep dark chamber of security and safety.

Lying heavily onto his bed, he sighs long and deep, his eyes piercing the darkness...

FADE OUT

FADE IN:

INT. CLUB EARLY MORNING

MUSIC wafts through the sun-drenched CLUB. Jill is seated at the PIANO, á la Marlene Dietrich, SINGING to her heart's content. A cigarette dangles from her lip, a police cap is perched jauntily on her head. It's a simple bar tune, delivered slightly off-key, but with an openness that is endearing. Chick is working in the corner, chuckling to himself, stacking chairs, sweeping up.

Suddenly she stops – listens intently. She jumps up, deliberately spills her orange juice on the piano. Prince comes around the corner, stops short –

PRINCE

(surprised)

What are you doing here?

She's a bundle of loose, embarrassing ends – the cigarette, hat, juice –

JILL

What... what are you doing here?

He feels caught out – SCANS the BOARD earnestly for Vanity's info – tries to think of something to say –

PRINCE
Huh... it's kind of dead in here. Where is everybody?

JILL

In bed I guess...

(to herself)

Oh, God...

(changes subject)

Guess what, I bought a dog.

PRINCE

That's nice...

(he spots Vanity's card)

Ah, I guess I'll come back at a better time. You think tonight the place'll be jumping?

JILL

Well, I'll be here – I always like what you do.

He smiles, moves to the door – Jill connects with a thought –
 

JILL

Wait! I've got something for you.

PRINCE

What? A subpoena?

JILL

(embarrassed)

No...

She rummages through her bag, pulls out a cassette –
 

JILL

It's a song Lisa and Wendy wrote.

He stiffens, doesn't reach for it –
 

PRINCE

(suspicious)

Why didn't they give it to me themselves?

JILL

Well, I liked it and wanted to listen to it. They told me to give it to you when I was done.

He puts his sunglasses on, hesitates, then takes it from her gingerly. He regards it for a long time –
 

PRINCE

You really liked it, huh?

INT. REHEARSAL HALL – DAY

MUSIC throbs through the crammed, rundown REHEARSAL HALL. Hardwood floors, a wall of mirrors, and a bank of windows provides the setting. SUNLIGHT streams through tattered yellow shades.

The Time is set up on one side providing the music for "Sex Shooter" a saucy number with an irresistible beat.

Morris, with Jerome by his side, stands in the middle of the floor, SHOUTS instructions to...

... BRENDA and SUSAN, gamely trying some intricate dance steps. Brenda is 21 years old, blond, sexy, with an alluring new-wave look. Susan is years old, with dark, lustrous hair and a sexy baby-doll quality. Right now they're tired as hell, and a little angry –

MORRIS
One, two, three, kick! One, two, three, kick! Four, five... Oh, Lord. Cut! Cut!

The MUSIC stops, the girls come to a halt – Morris regards them evenly –

MORRIS
You ladies don't seem to realize how valuable my time is. You're going to make my boys look bad.

BRENDA

Why don't you let us come up with our own steps?

Morris glares at her –
 

MORRIS

We tried that...

(sweetly)

... remember?

The Girls fidget –