AMERICAN HISTORY X

Well...you can think of me drinkin'

'em then when you're studying with

fuckin'... White Trash in there.

Davina scoffs and Seth looks up her shirt.

SETH

Where is the fucker, by the way!?

He's hiding from us.

Davina looks up from her homework and catches the pervert

looking at her.

DAVINA

You're not even human.

Seth erupts with laughter.

DANNY

Is Cam playing sticks?

SETH

Of course, man.

Seth drums on the table as Danny shoves the last bite

into his mouth.

SETH

Sit down. I wanna ask you some

questions.

DANNY

I got homework, Seth.

SETH

Two fucking seconds, dude!

Danny sits and looks at Seth.

SETH

Tell me your convictions.

DANNY

Fuck off.

SETH

Tell me some of the shit you've

learned luckbrain or I'll pistol-whip

you.

DANNY

About Adolf?

SETH

About anything. What do you believe

in?

Danny thinks to himself and smiles.

DANNY

I believe in filth and destruction and

chaos and death and greed.

SETH

What else?

DANNY

I believe in my family.

SETH

Why?

DANNY

"Respect your father and your mother.

Whoever curses your mother and

father... is to be put to death."

Matthew 15-4.

SETH

Good. What else? Tell me what I want

to hear, asshole.

DANNY

You mean that stuff about your mother?

Davina CACKLES in the background.

SETH

You wanna get beaten?

DANNY

No.

SETH

Then tell me about Adolf and Mein.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAVINA

She puts down her homework and looks over at Seth.

DAVINA

Hey Seth? Cut the shit.

SETH

I'm not fuckin' talkin' to you,

Davina, shut up! Do you believe in

Adolf?

DANNY

Yeah, man. I believe in Adolf.

Seth smiles at the youth and speaks intimately.

SETH

What do you hate, Danny?

DANNY

I hate everyone that isn't white

Protestant.

SETH

Why? And say it with some fucking

conviction!

DANNY

Because they're a burden to the

advancement of the white race. Some

of them are all right--

SETH

None of them are all right, Danny.

They're all a bunch of fucking

freeloaders.

(after a beat)

Remermber Canuneron. "We don't know

them, we don't want to know them,

they're the fucking enemy." What

don't you like about them?

DANNY

I don't know. I feel threatened by

them.

DAVINA

They feel threatened by you!

SETH

(ignoring her)

What else, Danny? And speak

intelligently you little queer faggot.

Davina's attention is rapt on her little brother.

DANNY

I hate the fact that it's cool to be

black these days.

SETH

Good.

DANNY

I hate this hip hop influence on white

fuckin' suburbia.

SETH

Good!

DANNY

I hate Hilary Clinton and all of her

Zionist MTV pigs telling us we should

get along. Save the rhetorical

bullshit honey, it ain't gonna happen.

Seth looks at the young man. He smiles at him with

distinct revelation.

SETH

That's the best shit I've ever heard

come out of that mouth.

TIGHT ON DAVINA. She stares at the two hate mongers.

DAVINA

I feel.sorry for you, Danny.

SETH

Shut up, Davina.

DAVINA

You shut up, you poison to fuckin'

society! Get out of our house!

SETH

(laughing)

Is this any way to treat a guest?

DAVINA

Derek hates you, Seth.

DEREK (O.S.)

How do you know who I hate, Davina?

TIGHT ON DEREM VINYARD - SILENCE.

He's a striking presence with his scruff, tight t-shirt

and tats hanging down his arm. A black jacket wraps

around his waist.

DAVINA (O.S)

What do you mean?

Seth stands and smiles.

SETH

Hey! How are you, man? Fuckin' A.

Long time no see. Look at that hair.

Seth moves to hug his old friend but Derek offers a

reluctant hand instead.

DEREK

Gimme just one second, okay?

Seth nods as Derek stares at Danny.

DEREK

Did you do a book report on Mein Kampf?

DANNY

What's it to you?

DEREK

(ready to kill)

What's it to me?

DANNY

(seeing this)

I mean...how'd you find out?

DEREK

None of your fucking business how I

found out.

SETH

I thought it was a great idea.

DEREK

That figures. You're more stupid than

he is.

SETH

It's nice to see you too, man.

DEREK

Why'd you do it, Dan? Because of

Seth.

DANNY

No.

DEREK

Cammeron?

DANNY

I did it cause I felt like it.

DEREK

Oh, you do everything you feel like?

I feel like smacking you in the

fucking head. Would you mind if I did

a report on that?

DANNY

Uhhh...yeah.

DEREK

Get a clue, you dumbshit. Hey! Look

at me! Don't be a dickhead. Sweeney

cares about you.

SETH

(smiling)

Sweeney does? Since when?

DANNY

Was that him on the phone?

DEREK

Yep. So wise up. You hear me?

SETH

Sweeney's a fuckin' nigger on a power

trip, Vinyard. That's what he was

like when we were there and that's how

he is now. It'll never change either.

A nigger is a nigger.

Derek stares at Seth, ready to beat the fuck out of him.

Suddenly, Doris starts in with a COUGHING ATTACK. Derek

quickly fills a glass of water and goes in there.

INT. LIVING ROOM - THE PINK BLANKET

She coughs incessantly. Derek sits down beside her,

hands her the water, and caresses her head. The others

stare at her in the background.

DORIS

Just put me out of my mercy.

DEREK

You'll be okay. You want me to pick

you up any more medicine?

Together they look at all the bottles and laugh. Derek

checks out the couch.

DEREK

Jesus. I can't believe I ever let it

get this bad.

DORIS

It's not that uncomfortable.

DANNY

Are you gonna to live or what, Mom?

DORIS

I need a cigarette.

DEREK

My ass. You smoke two packs a day.

That's why you're spittin' phlegm.

Doris coughs once again and spits green into her napkin.

SETH

(astonished)

Jesus, Mrs. Vinyard. I think a lung

just came up.

Everybody laughs -- including Doris. Derek tenderly puts

his hand on his mother's cheek.

DORIS

I'm high as a kite.

DANNY

You got any more?

DORIS

Daniel? I know you got homework.

DANNY

I'm goin' in a second. Relax.

SETH

(interjecting to Derek)

Hey. I'm gonna re-wipe and we're out

of here.

Seth laughs as he walks down the hall.

DAVINA

You're a pig.

DORIS

I don't like him in this house.

DEREK

I knew.

DAVINA

He ' s a fuckin ' loser, Nazi scumbag.

DANNY

No he's not.

DEREK

Yes he is. Open your eyes.

Danny looks at Derek and smiles.

DANNY

Whatever, dude. I'm gonna go power

that shit and I'll see you later.

He pats his brother on the shoulder and walks off.

DEREK

Not at Cammeron's you won't see me.

DANNY

(turning back)

Come on, Der! It's gonna be fuckin'--

DEREK

Forget it, Danny! It ain't gonna

happen for you tonight.

Danny walks off, frustrated. He crosses Seth's path,

gets shoved into the wall, and reacts like it's an

everyday occurrence. Seth moves out the side window and

climbs out.

SETH

Hurry up. I'm starving.

DAVINA

What else is new?

Derek nods, looks at his mother and kisses her on the

forehead.

DEREK

I'll see ya.

DORIS

Okay. Be careful.

DEREK

I will.

Derek follows Seth out the SIDE WINDOW and goes down the

alley.

INT. APARTMENT - TIGHT ON DORIS

She thinks to herself and closes her eyes.

EXT. SIDE STREET - SETH'S TRUCK

Derek looks at the oblivious cops and drops into the

passenger's seat. Seth starts the engine and drives

away. As the truck disappears, we pick up on a WHITE

SOUPED UP JEEP CHEROKEE turning the corner. Tinted

windows, it cruises past the apartment complex.

INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM - A DESK

CUT TO:

Danny's attention is everywhere except on his homework.

DANNY

This sucks.

He walks back out of his bedroom.

INT. HALLWAY/LIVING ROOM - DANNY'S POV

He watches Davina complete her homework on the couch.

Doris, on the sofa opposite, tries to sleep.

DANNY

Hey.

DAVINA

Hey what?

DANNY

Come here.

DAVINA

What!?

DANNY

Come here for a second!

The scholar sets her homework aside and impatiently

follows him down the hall.

INT. BEDROOM - TWO SINGLE BEDS

She sits on the edge of DANNY'S bed. Danny hands her his

assignment instructions.

DAVINA

I got shit to do, Dan.

DANNY

Just read it.

She sighs and begins to read it out loud.

DAVINA

"American History X? Take home paper

as assigned by Principal Robert

Sweeney?"

(to Danny)

Why is he giving you homework? What

happened to Murray?

DANNY

Asshole turned me in.

DAVINA

Why?

DANNY

Just read.

DAVINA

"Describe in detail your opinion of

-the historical event that took place

in the early morning of October 4th,

1993." What's that?

DANNY

The night Derek wasted those guys.

Davina takes a moment.

DAVINA

Sweeney gave you this?

DANNY

Yep.

DAVINA

(continuing her reading)

"Before and after...how has this event

helped or hurt your present

perspective concerning life in

contemporary America. Use the

standard five paragraph format, blab

blab blah--this'll be good for you..

DANNY

Nooo...it'll be good for you.

She stares at him for a good three seconds.

DAVINA

Eat me, Dan.

DANNY

Come on! Dick Nixon's playin' at

Cammeron's tonight. You owe me.

DAVINA