AMERICAN HISTORY X

(to the bedroom)

Dayins! Get in here!

DAVINA (O.S.)

I'm coming right now! Jesus!

DENNIS

I'll tell you one more thing. This

"affirmative blaction" shit is driving

me up the fucking wall. Firefighters

gettin' 99's on their tests while

rappers who score a goddamn 62 walk

away with the job.

DANNY

Don't we have to have "affirmative

action?"

DENNIS

Not when a job requires ability. No.

DORIS

A lot of people say otherwise, Danny.

Including me.

DENNIS

A lot of people don't know shit,

either.

Doris just stares at the back of her husband's head like

she wants to smack it. He turns back and disarms her

with a look.

DENNIS

If I'm fightin' a brush fire...

surrounded by thousand degree

flames...who would I want watchin' my

back? A guy who scores a 99 or a guy

who scores a sixty?

(then)

You don't see half the NBA with

whites, gooks and spics.

DORIS

Nooo...what you don't see are

minorities on the boards of Fortune

500 companies cause whites won't stand

for it.

DENNIS

Doris! I'm tired of your damn

argument! You sound like an idiot!

DEREK

Sweeney actually had a pretty good

take on affirmative action the other

day.

DENNIS

(smiling)

Really? I didn't know you spoke

"African", Derek? Where'd you learn

that shit? Johannesberg?

Dennis laughs and Derek eventually smiles. Danny looks

at them, not really understanding. Doris stares down

Dennis.

DORIS

Honey? Please don't speak that way.

They don't--

DENNIS

How am I speaking, Doris!? Hunh?!

I'm speakin' fineP

(quickly to Derek)

Hey. Don't let that him confuse you

over there, Derek. Look at me. This

shit he's pulling is a load of crap.

Hey. Look at me, Derek. I mean it.

If we keep givin' niggers everything,

there'll be nothing left for us.

Derek and Danny stare at their father, not knowing how to

react.

DORIS

You can be a stupid son of a bitch

sometimes.

DENNIS

And then we have naive fools like her.

DORIS

I really hate you with a passion some

times.

An upset Doris exits the room past YOUNG DAVINA. Dennis

looks to Derek.

DENNIS

You know what I mean though, right?

DEREK

(nodding)

Yeah.

DAVINA

(to the family)

Good morning.

She sits.

Her lips glare excessively this morning.

DENNIS

Well...good morning, Miss Monroe!

(smiling)

Look at you. You look like a star.

DEREK

I like that color, Davina.

DAVINA

Thanks

DENNIS

You did like it.

Dennis reaches over and wipes it off with his napkin.

DAVINA

(whining)

Come on, Dad.

DENNIS

Yeah. Well you're lucky I'm letting

you wear that crap on your eyes. I

love you but you're too young.

DAVINA

That sucks, man.

DENNIS

It totally sucks. And we all

sympathize with you, too.

Everyone laughs but Dan, still shaken over his mother.

DENNIS

(Shifting to Danny)

You got practice today?

Danny shakes his head no.

DANNY

Coach's sick.

DENNIS

You wanna go to Der's game with me?

DANNY

Sure.

DENNIS

(quickly to Derek}

Santa Monica High tonight, right?

DEREK

Yep.

DENNIS

Perfect.

(to Danny)

Ben'll whip us up a couple of double

deckers and we'll head over.

DANNY

(smiling)

Okay.

Dennis smiles, reaches over with a fatherly hand, and

messes up his hair.

BACK QUICKLY TO:

INT. BEDROOM - DANNY - PRESENT

He stops typing and almost cries. He leans back in his

chair and and stares himself in the side mirror. He

feels his bald head, almost exploring.

CUT TO:

EXT. BEN'S BURGER SHOP - LATE NIGHT

A white homeless man in an ARMY JACKET sits outside

begging for change. Seth and Cameron, both beat-up,

drunk and bloody, stare at the man.

HOMELESS MAN

Spare change for a cheeseburger?

SETH

Get a job and buy one why don't you.

HOMELESS MAN

God bless you.

SETH

Fuck you.

Seth stumbles into the shop. Cam stares at the homeless

man, psychotically.

HOMELESS MAN

Fifty cents is all I ask.

Vietnam, man.

I was in

CAMMERON

Really? So you've had what? Thirty

years to get your shit together?

HOMELESS MAN

All I want is something to eat.

CAMMERON

There are plenty of fuckin'

dishwashing jobs out there, Vietnam

boy. Go get yourself one.

In the background, BEN THE OWNER and Seth shake hands.

HOMELESS MAN

Did I do something?

CAMMERON

You're a disgrace to the white race.

If Adolf Hitler was alive...God bless

his soul...he would have you shot.

HOMELESS MAN

Fuck you then. Now and forever. Fuck

you.

Cameron knees the weaker man square in the face. The

man slopes down to his side, unconscious. As an

afterthought, Cameron kicks him several more times.

CAMMERON

Noooo. Fuck you.

QUICKLY TO ACROSS THE STREET. Little Henry and two of

his friends watch Cammeron's brutality from their bikes.

They turn in the opposite direction and hurry off.

INT. BURGER SHOP - CAMHERON AND SETH

CUT TO:

Seth eats a burger and chili fries at the same time.

Cameron smokes across from him and watches Seth eat like

a pig. He takes a look at the homeless man outside who

still lays motionless. Cam feels his BANDAGED FACE.

CAMMERON

I think I need to go to the hospital.

SETH

Seriously?

CAMMERON

I don't know. I think so.

SETH

Where's Stacey?

CAMMERON

Who gives a fuck?

Seth takes a bite and chews.

SETH

Derek's a fuckin' traitor pussy.

CAMMERON

Well...we might be pussies too if we

got treated the way he did.

SETH

What do you mean?

CAMMERON

Stevie McCormick called...old school

Venice bro. He's at Chino...doin'

life. He hated Derek.

(exhaling)

Said he was a fucking blow-up doll in

there.

SETH

(overwhelmed)

Fucking A.

Seth continues to eat. Cammeron looks out the window and

hates what he sees.

CAMMERON

Oh Christ. You gotta be kidding me?

SETH

What?

CAMMERON'S POV. A large, mature and sharp-looking BLACK

MAN helps A BEAUTIFUL BLOND out of a RED BMW. THEY KISS.

Cammeron is at a loss for words. Cam puts out his

cigarette as the couple ENTERS.

CAMMERON

(looking at the two)

Is there anything sacred in this

country anymore? Jesus Christ. Hey.

Stop feeding your face for a second

and look behind you.

Seth turns his head and stares at the interracial couple.

He turns back to Cam and sings a verse from the famous

atevie Wonder song, EBONY AND IVORY. Cameron laughs.

The black man turns and looks at the two.

CAMMERON

Can we help you with something? Do

you have any questions about the menu?

BLACK MAN

No questions.

CAMMERON

I recommend either the "Big Ben

Burger" or the "Chicken Taco Special."

Ben'll replace the dark meat with the

white meat if you ask nicely.

BLACK MAN

(fed up)

What's your problem, pal?

CAMMERON

I ain't your fucking pal first of all.

Secondly...I don't have problems.

People who luck with me have problems.

WHITE GIRL