Bull Durham

CRASH

I think of you and the "boy" all

the time.

ANNIE

He won't make love to me anymore.

CRASH

And he's right! A ballplayer on

a streak has to respect the streak.

They don't happen very often.

(beat)

You know how hard this game is?

If you believe you're playing

well because you're getting laid

or because you're not getting

laid or because you wore red silk

panties--then you are!

(beat)

And I still think Thomas Pynchon

is full of shit.

ANNIE

I want you desperately!

Crash can hardly keep up. So he slows her down--

CRASH

Who are you? Do you have a job?

ANNIE

I teach part time at the Junior

College. What if I told you I

was through with Nuke? He learned

his lessons quickly and left me.

CRASH

And now you wanta teach me?

ANNIE

I don't imagine there's much I

could teach you.

CRASH

I doubt that.

ANNIE

Crash, I get wet just thinking

about you.

CRASH

I thought you wanted an

"uncomplicated" boy?

ANNIE

I'm ready for a complicated man.

CRASH

--and as soon as we lose a game,

he'll be back in your arms.

ANNIE

I said when I think about you, I

get wet.

CRASH

Annie, I think you should leave.

Annie launches into a tirade without orchestration or self-

awareness. She's frustrated, confused, angry and...

ANNIE

God damn you--what is happening?

Is there no man who'll have me?

(beat)

This is the weirdest season I

ever saw--the Durham Bulls can't

lose and I can't get laid!

CRASH

(softly)

You okay?

Annie slides against the wall down to the floor. Tears flow.

Her makeup runs. Her eyes are red.

ANNIE

(shakily)

I need a drink.

Crash gingerly helps her to her feet.

CUT TO:

INT. MAXWELL'S BAR -- DAY

ANNIE AND CRASH SIT IN THE CORNER of the empty bar.

CRASH

Why baseball?

ANNIE

(sighs)

I was raised in a Baptist church

got dipped in the water when I

was 5-- born again before

kindergarten...by the time I was

10 I knew it was bullshit and at

15 I ran away from home...

SHE SMILES at the most painful memories.

ANNIE

pregnant, had an abortion, got

pregnant again, had an abortion

again...gave up men. Tried women.

Missed men. My mother died.

(beat)

I bought a car for $200 and drove

to Ft. Lauderdale to bury her.

(beat)

And after we'd sung some hymns in

some wretched Florida funeral

home, I went outside and something

happened--

Her tone becomes wistful, nostalgic.

ANNIE

The smell of cut grass in the

warm March air overwhelmed me and

I heard a noise--

(makes the sound))

--tok, tok, tok--and some men

shouting...then tok, tok, tok.

Crash smiles slightly. He knows.

ANNIE

I crossed the street--it was the

New York Yankees spring training

field--tok, tok, tok, was the

sound of a ball hitting a bat--

and I sat in the warm bleachers

to think about my mother...

(beat)

And I saw him.

CRASH

Who?

ANNIE

Thurman Munson.

(beat)

He was covered with dirt and he

was fighting with everybody--it

was beautiful ...

(beat)

And he called the ump a cocksucker

and got thrown out of the game

even though it was an exhibition!

(beat)

So I stayed in the bleachers all

spring and gradually came to

understand what's so great about

baseball.

CRASH

What's so great about baseball?

ANNIE

If you know where home plate is,

then you know where 1st base is,

and 2nd, and everything else--

'cause they're always in the same

place in relation to home.

(beat)

Don't you see? If you know where

home plate is, then you know where

everything else in the universe

is!

Silence.

CRASH

I don't know if I'd go that far.

ANNIE

It's true, It's true!

(beat, down)

Least it used to be true. It

ain't possible that baseball's

not enough anymore, is it, Crash?

CRASH

It's possible.

ANNIE

No.

CRASH

Are you gonna be waking up next

to 20 year old ballplayers when

you're 60?

ANNIE

Well...I used to think that wasn't

the worst thing in the world to

look forward to. Lately I'm not

so sure.

CRASH

Why not?

ANNIE

(angrily)

Whatta you mean "why not"? Are

you gonna play forever?!

Before Crash can answer--

SUDDENLY A VOICE interrupts. They both turn to see:

MILLIE EXCITEDLY DRAGGING JIMMY into the nearly empty bar.

She leads him by the hand.

MILLIE

Annie, Annie! There she is--we've

been looking all over for ya. Hi

Crash.

MILLIE LEADS JIMMY right up to their table. And as they

hold hands. Jimmy stands there shyly.

MILLIE

Well tell 'em, honey.

JIMMY

(nervously)

We're getting married.

MILLIE STICKS OUT HER LEFT HAND Displays a huge ring.

ANNIE

Omigawd, honey, I'm so happy for

you.

MILLIE

He's a virgin.

Jimmy squirms defensively.

JIMMY

Wellyeah...

(to Annie and Crash)

I guess that probably seems pretty

corny to people like you.

ANNIE

Oh Jimmy, honey, I think it sounds

wonderful!

MILLIE

Annie, will you be the bride's

maid?

CUT TO:

EXT. DURHAM STADIUM -- LATER -- NIGHT

GAME IN PROGRESS -- Nuke on the mound.

NUKE WINDS AND DELIVERS -- Very high. Ball three.

CUT TO:

INSIDE THE DUGOUT -- Skip and Larry spitting tobacco.

SKIP

Nuke's overthrowing tonight, he

don't look loose. Anything

bothering him?

LARRY

He said his chakras were jammed

and he was breathing out of the

wrong nostril.

SKIP

(spitting tobacco)

Okay...

CUT TO:

BACK TO THE MOUND

NUKE WINDS AND DELIVERS AGAIN -- Very high. Ball four.

CRASH IS QUICKLY to the mound.

CRASH

What's wrong?

NUKE

I'm nervous--my old man's here.

NUKE MOTIONS -- They both look.

--P.O.V. NUKE'S FATHER SITTING in a special box seat. The

man is 45, and is operating a home video camera taking

pictures of his son.

CRASH

Hey, he's just your father, man--

he's as full of shit as anybody.

TOMMY AND DEKE JOIN THEM at the mound.

DEKE

What the hell's going on?

TOMMY

You breathing through the wrong

fucking nostril again?

DEKE

Hey, you guys hear Jimmy and Millie

are engaged?! Wait'll I tell him

she's gone down on half the

Carolina League--

CRASH

(threatening)

Anybody says anything bad about

Millie, I'll break his neck.

NUKE

Hey, guys, I got a game to pitch.