Bull Durham

INT. MAXWELL'S BAR -- LATER -- NIGHT

A raucous celebration of the victory. Booze flows.

And we begin hearing the familiar sounds of Piaf ...

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S HOUSE -- LATER -- NIGHT

ANNIE COMES OUT OF THE BATHROOM -- Dressed in a long, flowing

nightgown, elegant and old fashioned. She looks fabulous,

PRESENTING HERSELF to Nuke.

ANNIE

I'm yours.

NUKE

Y'know, Annie, I been thinking if

it works for one game, maybe it'll

work for a whole buncha games.

ANNIE

Breathing through your pingala

always works, honey--

NUKE

Not that. I mean the re-channeling

of my sexual energy.

(beat)

Maybe we shouldn't make love for

awhile.

ANNIE

Now don't go overboard, I look

incredibly hot, right?

She strikes a pose. She does look hot.

NUKE

You know what it feels like to

throw a three hitter?

(nervously, with

resolve)

We better not fuck.

ANNIE

Nuke?!

NUKE

Just till I lose.

ANNIE

Get over here.

NUKE

No.

ANNIE

Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh--

She starts toward him--and Nuke flees. Out the door, into

the night. Annie slumps in disbelief.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT

ANNIE SITS IN BED ALONE -- Lights a cigaret. A puzzled

expression--things have got out of control.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

Nuke was so encouraged that he

took a vow to not have sex until

they lost...

Annie reaches over, opens a drawer in her nightstand, and

pulls out her baseball glove. She cradles it fondly in her

lap, puts it on, pounds it gently...

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

Y'see a ballplayer on a streak

considers himself touched with

magic and he'll do anything to

keep from breaking the spell ...

CUT TO:

INT. DURHAM BULL LOCKER ROOM -- DAY

NUKE NEATLY UNFOLDS THE RED PANTIES in his locker.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

In fact the whole team started

making religious connections and

everybody got hot.

JOSE BLESSES THE BATS with a chicken bone cross.

JIMMY READS THE BIBLE and prays alone in the corner.

CUT TO:

EXT. DURHAM BASEBALL FIELD -- DAY

PLAYERS TAKING GROUND BALLS and batting practice.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

I figured Nuke would win a couple,

then lose, and things would get

back to normal ...

PLAYERS PLAYING "FLIP" PEPPER like kids.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

But it didn't happen like that...

and for one extraordinary June

and July, the Durham Bulls, for

whatever perverse reason, began

playing baseball with joy and

verve and poetry--

NUKE WARMING UP in the bullpen, listening to Crash.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

The two sides of my own brain

were all jumbled up and cross-

wired... while one side was being

neglected, the other was in

paradise watching our Bulls play

like Big Leaguers...

MICKEY RIPS A TRIPLE UP THE ALLEY -- Slides into third.

DEKE AND TOMMY TURN A SPECTACULAR DOUBLE PLAY

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

We swept a four game series with

Kingston, back to back

doubleheaders with Winston-Salem,

and kicked the holy shit out of

Greensboro in a three game

series...

SEVERAL PLAYERS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS at a local mall. A line

of kids to meet them. A banner--MEET YOUR BULLS!

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

They were in demand all over town--

and Crash, who kept hitting

dingers, was approaching the minor

league record... though I told

nobody.

CRASH BLASTS ANOTHER HOME RUN -- Another win.

JULY 4 PROMOTION -- LARRY, DEKE, TOMMY, AND JOSE dressed as

the "Spirit of 176 Drum and Fife Corps" at home plate,

surrounded by a Boy Scout Troop.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

After sweeping a July 4

doubleheader, the Durham Bulls

were tied for first.

THE WIVES, THE GROUPIES, AND MILLIE WAIT for the players

outside the clubhouse following a game.

ANNIE SITS ALONE IN HER BOX SEAT as the stadium empties.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

But beautiful as the winning streak

was, I was getting damn lonely.

(beat)

Something had to be done. I needed

a man...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE TEAM BUS ON THE ROAD BACK --DAY

The sounds of Diana Ross and the Supremes.

INT. THE BUS -- DAY

LARRY, DEKE, TOMMY AND MICKEY as the Supremes, singing "Stop

in the Name of Love" at the front of the bus.

NUKE

I love winning, Crash, you hear

me? I love It. Teach me

everything.

CRASH

It's time you started working on

your interviews.

NUKE

What do I gotta do?

CRASH

Learn your cliches. Study them.

Know them. They're your friends.

Crash hands Nuke a small pad and pen.

CRASH

Write this down.

(beat)

"We gotta play 'em one day at a

time."

NUKE

Boring.

CRASH

Of course. That's the point.

(beat)

"I'm just happy to be here and

hope I can help the ballclub."

NUKE

Jesus.

CRASH

Write, write--"I just wanta give

It my best shot and, Good Lord

willing, things'll work out."

NUKE STARTS WRITING them down.

NUKE

"...Good Lord willing, things'll

work out."

CRASH

Yep. So how's Annie?

Nuke looks up from his cliches, startled.

NUKE

She's getting steamed 'cause I'm

still re-channeling my sexual

energy--maybe I should cave in

and sleep with her once just to

calm her down. What'ya think?

CRASH

You outta your mind? If you give

in now you might start losing.

(beat)

Never fuck with a winning streak.

Nuke nods seriously, listening to the master.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE STADIUM PARKING LOT -- DAY

THE BUS PULLS IN -- Wives and girlfriends are waiting.

The players get off, greet their women.

ANNIE GREETS NUKE -- They head for her Volvo..

JIMMY STARTS ACROSS THE LOT on foot, dragging his luggage,

when Millie pulls up in her car.

MILLIE

Hi, Jimmy. Want a ride?

JIMMY

(nervously)

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as

your personal savior?

MILLIE

No.

JIMMY

Can I give you my testimony?

MILLIE

You can do anything you want.

(a tiny grin)

Hop in.

JIMMY NERVOUSLY GETS IN WITH MILLIE They roar away.

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S KITCHEN -- DAY

NUKE SITS AT THE TABLE -- He's just finished eating.

Annie circles him. A pot of soup on the stove.

ANNIE

I'm so proud of you and all the

guys. Want some more soup?

NUKE

No, no, it was great.

ANNIE

How 'bout a back rub?

NUKE

No, that's okay. All I need's a

little nap.

ANNIE

I'll tuck you in.

NUKE

(nervously)

You can't seduce me.

ANNIE

I'm not gonna try to seduce you,

sweetie...

ANNIE STRETCHES OUT HER LEG and lays it an the table.

NUKE

What's that?

She pulls back her skirt slightly, exposing her garter snaps

attached to her stockings.

ANNIE

That's my leg.

NUKE

I know what it is.

ANNIE

I figure we could work on some

fundamentals even if we don't

make love.

She strokes her leg. Nuke stares fearfully.

NUKE

Fundamentals?

ANNIE

Sure.

(beat)

Unsnap my stockings.

Nuke squirms, then reaches for her garter snaps. And stops.

NUKE

Crash once called a woman's, uh--

pussy--y'know how the hair kinda

makes a "V" shape?--

ANNIE

Yes I do...

NUKE

Well--he calls it the Bermuda

Triangle. He said a man can get

lost in there and never be heard

from again.

ANNIE

What a nasty thing to say.

NUKE

He didn't mean it nasty. He said

that gettin' lost and disappearing

from the face of the earth was

sometimes a good thing to do--

especially like that.

ANNIE

Oh...

(beat)

Crash is a very smart man. Now

c'mon, honey, give it a try.

NUKE REACHES FOR THE GARTER SNAPS with two hands. He fumbles,

groping awkwardly. Annie stops him gently.

ANNIE

Watch...one hand--

WITH A SINGLE HAND ANNIE FLICKS each snap. Flick, flick,

flick. Magic. The snaps open effortlessly.

NUKE

oh.

ANNIE RE-SNAPS THEM QUICKLY, offering her leg to Nuke.

ANNIE

Now you try.

NUKE TRIES AGAIN -- One handed. Awkwardly again, but--

ANNIE

(sighing sexually)

Mmmmmmm...oh yes...

BUT NUKE LEAPS TO HIS FEET -- Reacting vigorously, nervously,

desperately. The soup crashes on the floor.

NUKE

No! You're playing with my mind!

ANNIE

I'm trying to play with your body!

NUKE

I knew it--you're seducing me!

ANNIE

Of course I'm seducing you for

Godsakes, and I'm doing a damn

poor job of it--

(beat)

Aren't I pretty?

NUKE

I think you're real cute.

ANNIE

Cute?! I hate cute! Baby ducks

are cute! I wanta be exotic and

mysterious!

NUKE

You're exotic and mysterious and

cute--that's why I better leave.

Nuke starts to leave.

ANNIE

Nuke! You got things all wrong!

There's no relation between sex

and baseball. Ask Crash.

NUKE

I did.

ANNIE

What'd he say?

NUKE

He said if I gave in to you I'd

start losing again.

ANNIE

He did?

NUKE

I'll be back when we lose.

NUKE HURRIES OUT THE DOOR -- Annie just stares.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE DOWNTOWNER MOTEL -- DURHAM -- DAY

A run of the mill cheap modern motel.

INT. CRASH'S ROOM AT THE MOTEL -- DAY

CRASH WORKS ON HIS SWING in front of a mirror.

A knock at the door.

CRASH

Come in.

ANNIE ENTERS the room. Crash stays with his stance.

ANNIE

Crash...I want you.

CRASH

Nuke won't go to bed with you,

eh?

ANNIE

He' s confused--

CRASH

Aren't we all?

ANNIE

Don't you think I'm pretty?

Crash puts down the bat, and looks directly at her. As he

does he picks up two spring loaded hand exercisers and begins

pumping them an he talks.

CRASH

You're gorgeous, God damn it!

From the moment I first saw you I

knew I had to have you. I had to

have you!

ANNIE

I want to be had.