American Shaolin

Drew does, and they take off, the girls from the school tittering as they drive off.

EXT. CHINESE STREETS – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF ASHEMA PEDALING DREW.

It is not the most stable ride – Ashema is struggling to keep moving, while Drew is doing his best to stay on the bike.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CHINESE STREETS – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW PEDALING ASHEMA.

He is riding strongly, and she is comfortable in the back. They are getting stares from the people they pass, but Ashema seems to be enjoying the attention. Drew hits a bump, and Ashema holds his waist a little tighter. Neither of them mind – in fact, Drew starts looking for more bumps.

He pulls around the corner into a wide area lined with drink and food stands.

ASHEMA

We are here.

DREW STOPS THE BIKE AND LOOKS BACK AT HER. ASHEMA GESTURES TO THE TEMPLE FRONT, AND DREW TURNS IN AWE.

EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THE TEMPLE.

This is it – the temple he came halfway around the world to see. The Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of the martial arts.

DREW

Whoa!

Ashema climbs off the back and takes the bike from Drew, marveling at his awe-struck face.

ASHEMA

I have to help my grandfather with our stand. If you get a chance, come by later.

DREW

(distracted)

I'll try, but monks aren't allowed to be around girls.

ASHEMA

Good luck.

DREW

Shaolin monks don't need luck...

(beat)

Hey, thanks a lot for the ride. I hope I see you again.

They wave at each other, and Ashema pushes her bike off.

Drew turns back to stare at the front of the temple. He is letting it all sink in.

After a moment, he picks up his backpack and heads for the front door. He pulls it open and disappears inside.

INT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF TEMPLE INTERIOR AS DREW OPENS THE HEAVY DOOR.

The muted half light inside is in direct contrast to the sunlight of the day outside. Drew quietly closes the front door, and the half light takes over.

He walks through the temple proper, and what follows is a MONTAGE of temple shots, establishing the feeling of the

temple: the famous Shaolin monk painting, the depressions in the floor of the training hall, the incense blackened walls of the temple, the temple figurines, the red lanterns hanging from the ceiling, a huge wooden carving of

Bodhidharma, etc.

No one is around.

Drew continues to explore, looking for someone to talk to. He wanders into another hall, following the O.S. sounds of CHANTING.

Once inside this hall, he sees a group of monks, amid hanging incense burners and paper lanterns, sitting down on the floor chanting in rhythm. No one notices that Drew is standing there. The monks eyes are open, but they don't seem to see him.

He stands there for a moment, then shrugs and walks out of that hall. He goes into a corridor, then passes the "Wooden Man Chamber".

HE STICKS HIS HEAD IN, AND SEES ALL KINDS OF WOODEN STATUES LINED UP. HE ALMOST STARTS IN, BUT IS DISTRACTED BY THE SOUNDS OF TRAINING OUTSIDE (O.S.). HE WALKS OUT IN SEARCH OF THE SOUNDS.

EXT. TRAINING AREA – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF TRAINING AREA.

All manner of training equipment is standing outside (wooden men, posts, hanging targets, heavy bags, iron palm jugs, balance beams, etc.).

A monk, the DRILL SERGEANT (hereafter D.S.), is standing in front of a wooden post, driving his hand into the wood.

The post TREMBLES with every strike.

Drew stands next to the monk, watching him intently. Again, the monk takes no notice of him.

DREW

Excuse me, Master.

No answer.

DREW (CONT'D)

Hello? Busy, huh?

Still no answer. The man is just slamming his hand into the post, over and over.

Drew sighs and walks on. He goes down a path, and flowering bushes are on either side of him. He can see the "pagoda forest" in the distance. At the end of the path, a monk, SAN DE, is sweeping up the path.

Drew walks up to the monk and bows.

DREW (CONT'D)

Master, may I ask you a question?

No answer nor response. Drew's kind of tired of this treatment.

DREW (CONT'D)

What's the deal here? Is everybody deaf in this temple? Even if you heard me, you wouldn't understand, would you? Huh, baldy? Shine your head for a quarter?

He walks off frustrated, wondering what he has to do to get noticed. He walks back into the chanting chamber.

INT. TEMPLE – SAME DAY

The monks are still chanting. Drew stands there, listening some more, moving with the beat, until they stop chanting.

Drew, thinking it was some kind of performance, claps his hands.

DREW

That was great! Great!

The monks finally take notice of him, and they are shocked.

MONK 1

No tourists! Temple closed!

DREW

So you can see me?!?

Several monks rush up and start herding Drew towards the exit.

MONK 1

(very agitated)

No tourists! No tourists!

Drew stops their progress and makes sure he has the monk's attention.

DREW (CONT'D)

I'm not a tourist! I want to be a monk!

The monk stops, his face a mask of shock. He calls to another monk, and they have a short conversation in Chinese.

ADMISSIONS MONK

That's not possible.

DREW

What do you mean, sir?

ADMISSIONS MONK

The training is too difficult. Besides, Shaolin policy is no foreigners.

DREW

I didn't come all this way, from America, to get turned away. I want in. I want to become a Shaolin monk.

ADMISSIONS MONK

What people want and what they can have are often not the same.

DREW

Not in this case.

MONK

Oh, yes, especially in this case.

DREW

I'm not leaving.

Drew starts to sit down, intent on staying, almost like a kid who is going to hold his breath until he turns blue.

MONK

You give me no choice.

(to other monks)

Remove him.

He continues in a stream of Chinese, and the other monks grab Drew and physically force him to stand up and start moving him towards the door.

DREW

I just want to be a monk!

Drew is forced through the courtyard to the front door.

They pass the monk who was sweeping up in the back of the temple. He watches with interest as they open the door and force Drew through it, out of the temple.

He smiles.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHAOLIN COURTYARD – SAME DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW LANDING ON THE FLAGSTONES OF THE COURTYARD WITH A THUMP!

A group of people stop and watch the foreigner. The temple door closes with a solid boom.

DREW

Hey! What about my...

The temple door opens again, and out comes Drew's backpack.

It lands next to him, but spews out a couple of pairs of underwear, and some socks.

The people standing around laugh.

Drew gathers up the clothing and stuffs it back into his pack. He sits there for a moment, then gets up and heads for the small shops and stands ringing the courtyard.

He walks past a couple of the stalls, looking at the people running them. He doesn't see Ashema. He passes a tea stall, where one old man is sitting down sipping his tea.

The old man looks at Drew and smiles, and Drew is about to walk on, when Ashema stands up from where she was squatting behind her stall.

ASHEMA

Drew?

DREW

Hi.

Drew sits down heavily, putting his pack down next to him.

Ashema places a cup of tea down in front of him, the steam rising from it.

DREW (CONT'D)

Make it a double. Rough day.

ASHEMA

What happened?

DREW

They kicked me out...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TEMPLE STAND – EVENING

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF DREW, ASHEMA AND OLD MAN, STILL SITTING AT THE TABLE, NOW LIT BY CANDLES AND A LANTERN.

A bunch of tea bowls are scattered in front of Drew, as if he's been drinking heavily. He points to his teacup, and Ashema shakes her head.

ASHEMA

You've had enough.

Drew's shoulders slump even more.

ASHEMA (CONT'D)

Maybe it's for the best, Drew. You belong in America. New York.

DREW

I have to do this. I can't go home, not until I'm a monk. I'd be even more of a disgrace...

The old man talks to Ashema for the first time. He chatters in Chinese, motioning towards Drew.

ASHEMA

Not now, Bau Bau.

DREW

Bau Bau?

ASHEMA

My nickname for him. He wants to tell you a story about the temple.

The grandfather keeps talking, even though Ashema and Drew really don't want to listen.

ASHEMA (CONT'D)

He is telling a story about a monk who was refused admission into the temple. It broke his heart not to be allowed to be a monk.

DREW

What did he do?

Ashema says something to him, and he continues in Chinese.

ASHEMA

He decided not to leave. He stayed in the courtyard until they let him in.

DREW

How long?

ASHEMA

A long time – through the worst weather. He just sat there, unmoving, through rain, sleet, snow.

DREW

Did they let him in?

ASHEMA

No.

(beat)

Of course they did – what kind of story do you think my Bau Bau would tell? He stayed in front of the temple until they could no longer say no. He went on to become one of the most famous monks in the history of the temple.

Drew sits there, thinking, letting it all soak in. He then gets up and smiles.

DREW

Please tell your grandfather, your Bau Bau, he is a wise man. And that he tells a good story.

The grandfather smiles at him, nodding his head.

ASHEMA

What are you going to do? Are you going home?

Drew shakes his head.

DREW

I'm camping out.

He starts away from the stand.

DREW (CONT'D)

In front of the temple.

He walks off into the Chinese night.

EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – EARLY MORN

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF MIST-LADEN COURTYARD.

The sun is barely coming up, and only a few shafts of light are illuminating the darkness. A figure can be seen sitting cross-legged in front of the door.

It is Drew, backpack at his side.

The front door opens and a monk pokes his head out to look around, and he sees Drew sitting there. His eyes widen in shock, then he quickly disappears inside.

Almost immediately, the door opens again, and the Admissions Monk is standing there, surprised and angry to see Drew sitting there.

ADMISSIONS MONK

Go home! You cannot stay here!

No response from Drew. He just sits there, staring straight ahead.

ADMISSIONS MONK (CONT'D)

Do you hear me? Go away!

Drew doesn't move.

San De, the sweeping monk, walks out of the open door, a monk behind him carrying a suitcase. He walks past Drew, noticing him sitting there. He walks on.

The Admissions Monk slams the door, angry.

EXT. TEMPLE – MONTAGE SECTION

ANGLE ON DREW SWEATING IN THE HOT SUNSHINE

Sweat is running into Drew's eyes, and he is trying to keep them from stinging.

ANGLE ON DREW BEING TORMENTED BY LOCAL KIDS

They are playing games around him, throwing stones at him, messing with his hair and his clothes, touching the things in his backpack (frisbee, football, walkman), etc.

ANGLE ON DRILL SERGEANT

As he comes out of the temple, chasing away the kids.

When they are gone, he turns to Drew.

DRILL SERGEANT

Will you give up? I think so.

ANGLE ON DREW SHIVERING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

His eyes are closed, and it is obvious he is very uncomfortable.

ANGLE ON SPIDER AS IT CRAWLS OUT TO SEE DREW

It lingers for a moment, then goes away.

ANGLE ON DREW BEING FED BY ASHEMA

She is giving him food, and all he is moving is his mouth. They do not speak.

ANGLE ON DREW SITTING IN THE RAIN

He is miserable, and he is looking at the relative comfort of the stands around the temple, where there is food, warmth and light. His spirit is wavering.

ANGLE ON DREW BEING FED BY ASHEMA AGAIN

ASHEMA

Give this up, Drew! Please?

No response from Drew. Just a small smile.

ANGLE ON SPIDER, WHO IS BACK

This time it stays even longer. Drew looks down at it and smiles.

ANGLE ON MONKS FROM TEMPLE

Looking out the windows at the crazy foreigner in their courtyard.

ANGLE ON DREW IN COURTYARD

As a school group comes through the temple.

The children are tied together with a rope, and the teacher motions to the crazy American. Drew has become an attraction!

ANGLE ON DREW, SURROUNDED BY OLD MEN

They are marveling at his perserverance.