American Shaolin

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WALKING OUT OF THE TEMPLE INTO THE MIST-SHROUDED COURTYARD.

He is off on his quest.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE – SAME DAY

ANGLE ON DREW

Walking strong. the sun is high in the sky, and the scenery behind is incredibly beautiful (Guilin?).

EXT. SMALL TOWN – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW STOPPING IN A SMALL TOWN, IN THE MIDDLE OF AN OPEN AIR MARKET.

He goes over to a drink stand, and buys a cool drink. Just as he is about to drink it down, it is KNOCKED from his hand.

Drew turns around and see four dirty thugs and their leader – the one who hit the glass. They are yelling at Drew in Chinese, which he doesn't understand.

DREW

OK, boys, just let me get my glass and...

Drew, not looking for trouble, bends down to pick up the glass, and the leader kicks him in the rear end, sending him pitching to the ground. Drew rolls to a standing position, and the five men close on him.

A crowd is now starting to form, eager to watch how the monk handles this situation.

The thugs come after Drew, and the leader throws a roundhouse punch, hitting Drew square in the jaw. They continue to attack, while Drew tries to avoid getting hit. Drew catches a haymaker, and he spins and drops, and the thugs laugh, kick him a couple of times, and then kick dust and dirt onto him. Drew doesn't get up.

They soon tire of the sport and move on, the crowd staring at Drew in pity.

DREW (CONT'D)

(to himself)

This humble, not fighting stuff is harder, and more painful, than it looks!

ANGLE ON THE THUGS

Who have now spotted a man and his young son. They are both loaded down with goods from the store, and the thugs stop them. They take the things from them, and start to walk off.

The father tries to fight back, but they easily beat him up, sending him into the dirt. The young boy runs forward. The leader of the thugs raises his hand, ready to slap the boy's face.

Before he can bring his arm forward, Drew's fingers come around his wrist, stopping it.

DREW (CONT'D)

Oh, I don't think so...

ANGLE ON THE CROWD

It's getting good now.

The fight starts, and this time Drew is unencumbered by vows of non-violence. He has a cause, and he's enjoying every minute of the fight. It is over quickly, as Drew is a superb fighter, using incredible techniques. The thugs limp away, leaving Drew with the little boy and his father.

Drew bends down and picks up the goods, handing them back to the boy and the father. Drew stops and kneels down in front of the boy, looking deep into his eyes.

A whisper is going through the crowd: "Shaolin".

Drew touches the boy's cheek, smiles, then stands up and bows. He moves on, the crowd watching him walk away.

HOLD ON BOY'S FACE

He now has a hero.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE – DAY

ANGLE ON DREW WALKING THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE. HE STOPS AT A CROSSING IN THE ROAD, CONSULTS THE MAP SAN DE GAVE HIM, THEN WALKS ON.

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE – EVENING

ANGLE ON DREW

As he climbs the side of a mountain.

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE TEMPLE – NIGHT

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW, MEDITATING NEXT TO HIS SMALL FIRE.

It is dark around him, with vague forms of the temple columns and statues. Drew is sitting with his eyes closed, oblivious to his surroundings.

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE – NEXT DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WORKING OUT NEXT TO A MOUNTAIN LAKE.

He is throwing kicks and going through his routines, concentrating on his breathing. As he finishes a particularly strenuous series, he strips off his clothes and dives into the lake.

As Drew's head breaks the surface of the lake, he is surprised to see a beautiful woman standing next to where he left his clothes.

Drew starts to get out of the lake, then remembers that he is naked – he stops, not quite knowing what to do. He goes as close to the shore as he can without coming out of the water.

The woman just smiles, and starts to strip off what clothing she has on. She is very sexy.

DREW

No, don't do that!

WOMAN

Why not?

DREW

I'm a monk. I've taken a vow to abstain...

WOMAN

No one will know...

DREW

I'll know! Throw me my clothes, please.

Pouting, the woman takes Drew's pants and tosses them to him, but they land (purposely) about 5 feet away from the lake edge.

DREW (CONT'D)

Nice throw...

ANGLE ON DREW

Who realizes he is going to have to get out of the water without a cover. He gets up and hurries to where his pants are. He starts to put them on, and the woman is all over him, trying to seduce him.

He takes her hands in his and forces her to look him in the eye.

DREW (CONT'D)

Despite the fact that this is every teenage boy's dream come true, I can't!

He lowers her hands, and her head drops, pouting.

DREW (CONT'D)

Besides, if I were to break my vows, it would not be with you.

He kisses her on the forehead, and then grabs the rest of his clothes, running up the path away from the lake.

EXT. TEMPLE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF VERY ORNATE TEMPLE.

Drew walks up to the front of the temple, looks around for a moment, then takes a drink of water from the well out front.

Just as he starts to drink, a huge TOUR BUS pulls up in front, air brakes HISSING. Before he can react, the doors open and a bunch of AMERICAN TOURISTS pile out of the bus and rush into the temple, jostling Drew from side to side.

TOURIST 1

Not another temple!

TOURIST 2

Do they have a gift shop?

TOURIST 3

Guide! How do you say 'gift shop'?

GUIDE

You have 10 minutes to be back on the bus.

The wave of tourists passes Drew, and he stands there looking after them. Then, as a group, they realize that they just passes a monk, and turn back to Drew.

TOURIST 1

A real live monk! Somebody, take my picture!

The tourist runs up to where Drew is and stands next to him. The cameras click and whirr, and Drew is thoroughly embarrassed. When the first pictures are over, and someone else wants to stand next to him, he raises his hands up to his face and bows.

DREW

Oh Mi Two Fwo

He then turns and walks away.

GUIDE (O.S.)

Monks don't like to be bothered, they are from a different world.

DREW

I'll say...

EXT. WATERFALL – EARLY MORNING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THUNDERING WATERFALL.

Drew stands at the side of the waterfall, studying his map. From his expression, we know that he has to go through the waterfall to get where he is going.

Drew pockets the map, checks that the box is safely in place, then starts toward the waterfall. The drop off the side of the waterfall is incedible – steep and deadly.

ANGLE ON DREW

As he enters the waterfall. The water hits his back, almost pitching him into the abyss. Drew concentrates and moves forward, slowly but surely.

He emerges on the other side, only to be confronted by a swamp. Jutting out of the swamp are rocks and tree stumps.

Drew examines the distance between the objects, realizing that he can jump from place to place and make it across.

DREW

Just like at the temple...

He starts out, jumping onto the first stone, then moving on to the others. He almost falls a couple of times, but regains his balance. He gets a rythm going, and is soon almost halfway across.

He gets to one particular rock, only to find out that it's the head of an alligator! Its mouth opens to bite him!

Drew jumps off it quickly, onto a tree stump. When he lands on the stump, he examines it carefully to make sure it isn't something else.

He continues across, more careful this time.

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW CLIMBING UP THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

It is much steeper now, and the going is much tougher.

ANGLE ON DREW

As he comes up onto a rope bridge over a deep gorge, the way to the arhat. Drew smiles, stashes the map and starts across the rope bridge, hand over hand. He looks down once, at the DROP, then forces himself to look straight ahead.

He just starts across when the rope bends and jumps. Drew turns around to see a man RIGHT BEHIND HIM.

DREW

Is this rope strong enough for both of us?

No answer from the man, who is now pushing Drew to go faster. He is inching up closer to him, and occassionally kicking him to go quicker.

DREW (CONT'D)

OK, OK, I'm going!

ANGLE ON THE ROPE BEHIND THEM

Which is starting to fray from the weight.

ANGLE ON DREW

Who sees that and is hurrying.

The rope is fraying more, and when Drew is almost there, the rope snaps and they both go swinging into the side of the mountain.

ANGLE ON DREW

Who slams into the wall hard. when he hits, the scroll POPS out of his pocket and goes up in the air.

Drew, groggy from the impact, manages to lash out and PIN the scroll to the cliff wall with the BACK of his hand.

ANGLE ON MAN

Who is barely hanging on, just below Drew.

He has his hand out to Drew for help.

ANGLE ON DREW

Who doesn't know what to do. If he tries to save the scroll, the man might fall. If he goes for the man, the box will certainly fall.

ANGLE ON THE MAN

Screaming for help.

DREW (CONT'D)

Hold on...

Drew hears the headmaster's voice.

SAN DE (O.S.)

The scroll that is in this box is more precious than life. Guard it well.

He looks down at the man, who is about to lose it.

DREW

What the heck...

Drew reaches down for the man's hand, letting the box fall.

Their hands meet, and Drew pulls him up.

ANGLE ON BOX

As it spins down into the abyss.

ANGLE ON DREW AND MAN

As Drew pulls him up onto his back, and carries him up the rope to the other side of the gorge.

INT. MAN'S HOUSE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW EATING WITH THE MAN HE SAVED.

They look at each other and smile, but Drew is anything but happy.

DREW

What am I going to tell the arhat?

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW WALKING UP THE PATH TO THE ARHAT'S CAVE.

There is no bounce to his step, and he is dreading this audience.