Bull Durham

EBBY REARS BACK AND FIRES THE BALL -- From ten feet away,

right at Crash's chest. But, alas--

THE BALL GOES THROUGH A SECOND STORY WINDOW in the distance.

Crash never blinks.

CRASH

Ba11 four.

EBBY IS ENRAGED -- HE CHARGES CRASH, lunging at him.

EBBY

Who the fuck are you?!

CRASH LASHES OUT A SHORT LEFT -- With lightning speed,

effortless. And brutal. BANG! Ebby goes down. And stays

there stunned. He looks up.

CRASH

I'm Crash Davis. Your new catcher.

And you just got Lesson Number

One--"Don't think--it can only

hurt the ballclub".

(beat)

Buy ya a drink?

CUT TO:

INT. THE CLUB -- NIGHT

ANNIE AND MAX DANCE to Billy Eckstein on the juke box. Millie

and Tony are also on the dance floor.

ECKSTEIN (ON JUKE BOX)

April in Paris, chestnuts in

blossom, Holiday tables under the

tree...

EBBY AND CRASH WATCH FROM THE CORNER TABLE -- Ebby's right

eye is blackened. He holds a drink on it.

EBBY

We fight, she gets the clown--

how's that happen?

CRASH

Shut up--I like this song...

(sings along)

April in Paris, this is a feeling,

No one can ever reprieve...

EBBY

She's playing with my mind.

CRASH

It's a damn easy thing to play

with.

ANNIE SUDDENLY APPEARS at the table.

ANNIE

Well--you boys stopped fighting

yet? Are you pals now? Good. I

love a little macho male bonding--

I think it's sweet even if it's

probably latent homosexuality

being "re-channeled" but I believe

in "re-channeling" so who cares,

right?

(beat)

Shall we go to my place?

EBBY

Which one of us?

ANNIE

Oh both of you, of course...

CLOSE ON EBBY -- His eyes full of fear and wonder.

CLOSE ON CRASH -- He smiles.

THE THREE OF THEM LEAVE the bar together.

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

THE SHRINE OF BASEBALL GLOWS -- Annie lights the candles.

EBBY AND CRASH SIT ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF HER COUCH -- Both men

look around the room with wonder. Ebby is clearly more

nervous than Crash, who's been in some strange rooms in his

minor league career.

ANNIE

These are the ground rules.

(beat)

I hook up with one guy a season--

I mean it takes me a couple of

weeks to pick the guy--kinda my

own spring training...

(beat)

And, well, you two are the most

promising prospects of the season

so far.

(beat)

So... I thought we should get to

know each other.

CRASH

Why do you get to choose? Why

don't I get to choose?

ANNIE

Actually none of us on this planet

ever really choose each other.

It's all Quantum Physics and

molecular attraction. There are

laws we don't understand that

bring us together and break us

apart.

EBBY

Is somebody gonna go to bed with

somebody or what?

ANNIE

You're a regular nuclear meltdown,

honey--slow down.

Crash rises to leave, and heads for the door.

CRASH

After 12 years in the minor

leagues, I don't tryout. Besides--

I don't believe in, Quantum Physics

when it comes to matters of the

heart...or loins.

ANNIE

(challenging him)

What do you believe in?

Crash at the door. Annie's question is slightly taunting.

He stops, and speaks with both aloofness and passion:

CRASH

I believe in the soul, the cock,

the pussy, the small of a woman's

back, the hanging curve ball,

high fiber, good scotch, long

foreplay, show tunes, and that

the novels of Thomas Pynchon are

self-indulgent, overrated crap.

(beat)

I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald

acted alone, I believe that there

oughtta be a constitutional

amendment outlawing astro-turf

and the designated hitter, I

believe in the "sweet spot", voting

every election, soft core

pornography, chocolate chip

cookies, opening your presents on

Christmas morning rather than

Christmas eve, and I believe in

long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses

that last for 7 days.

ANNIE

(breathless)

Oh my...

(softly)

Don't leave...

CRASH

G'night.

Crash heads out into the night. Annie hurries to the-door

while Ebby sits on the couch, bewildered.

EBBY

Hey--what's all this molecule

stuff?

ANNIE STANDS IN THE DOORWAY -- Crash is on the porch.

ANNIE

Wait, Crash--don't go--all I want

is a date. I'm not gonna fall in

love with you or nothin'.

CRASH

I'm not interested in a woman

who's interested in that boy.

ANNIE

I'm not interested yet.

Ebby appears in the door.

EBBY

Who you calling a "boy"?

CRASH

See ya at the yard, Meat.

Crash walks out into the Durham night. Ebby and Annie stand

in the doorway. She speaks softly to Ebby.

ANNIE

No ballplayer ever said "no" to a

date with me.

EBBY

Well shit, then, let's fuck.

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -- MOMENTS LATER

ANNIE PUTS ON A RECORD -- Edith Piaf sings "Le Trois Cloches".

EBBY STARTS UNDRESSING across the room.

ANNIE

Wait, honey, slow down--I want to

watch.

She sits in a chair. Piaf sings. Ebby practically rips his

shirt off, exposing a great upper body.

ANNIE

No, no, no. Put it back on and

take it off slowly.

EBBY

Jesus, what kinda broad are you?

ANNIE

When you know how to make love,

you'll know how to pitch.

(turning to the stereo)

Shh. I love this part.

Piaf sings. Annie listens. Ebby re-buttons, then unbuttons

his shirt. It drops, revealing his back.

ANNIE

Oh my--what a nice back.

Ebby drops his pants.

ANNIE

No, no, honey... first the shoes

and socks.

EBBY

The socks? It's cold in here.

ANNIE

(sweetly, unthreatening)

You think Dwight Gooden leaves

his socks on?

Ebby considers this. Pulls his pants back up. Takes his

socks off. Then his pants.

ANNIE

Ebby honey have you ever been

handcuffed in bed?

CUT TO:

EXT. DOWNTOWN DURHAM -- NIGHT

Deserted streets of the old tobacco town. Crash walks alone.

He picks up an old newspaper out of a trash can. He stops

in front of a store window. He rolls the newspaper like a

short bat. He takes a batting stance, and--

CRASH TAKES HIS BATTING STANCE in front of the window,

studying his reflection. He taken a "swing". And another.

A GROUP OF OLD BLACK MEN stand in a doorway, watching.

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -'CONTINUOUS NIGHT

CLICK -- A handcuff is locked onto Ebby's wrist. Both his

arms are outstretched--he's getting very excited.

EBBY

Awright! I read about stuff like

this. Bring it on!

Annie calmly drags a chair over and sits down.

ANNIE

Sweetie, have you ever heard of

Walt Whitman?

EBBY

Who's he play for?

ANNIE

Well, he sort of pitches for the

Cosmic All-Stars.

EBBY

Never heard of 'em.

Annie opens a book and begins reading as Piaf sings softly.

ANNIE

Good--then listen.

(reading)

"I sing the body electric. The

armies of those I love engirth me

and I engirth them--"

EBBY

We gonna fuck or what?

ANNIE

Shh, shh...

(reading)

"They will not let me off till I

go with them, respond to them,

and discorrupt them and charge

them"

DISSOLVE TO:

SAME SCENE -- LATER

ANNIE

"Limitless limpid jets of love

hot and enormous -- quivering

jelly of love, white blow and

delirious juice--

CLOSE ON EBBY'S FACE -- Intrigued, aroused, frightened.

CUT TO:

EXT. DOWNTOWN DURHAM -- NIGHT

THE OLD BLACK MAN is tossing wadded up balls of paper at

Crash who takes beautiful, fluid swings with the rolled up

newspaper. Batting practice.

CLOSE ON CRASH'S EYES -- Studying the "pitches" with intense

concentration, endlessly working on his game.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE DURHAM FIELD -- NEXT DAY

LARRY, DEKE, MICKEY AND BOBBY ARE SINGING at home plate as a

pre-game show. Larry is Diana Ross, the other three are the

Supremes, and the routine is brilliantly tacky.

LARRY (AND THE SUPREMES)

Baby love, oh oh, baby love, I

need ya oh how I need ya, All ya

do is treat me bad, Take my heart

and leave me sad...

CUT TO:

INT. DURHAM BULLS LOCKER ROOM -- DAY

JIMMY STANDS ON A BENCH trying to get the players' attention.

JIMMY

Listen up, guys, could I have

your attention a minute?

(a few heads turn)

I'm going to be leading a daily

chapel service at three In the

afternoons here in the locker

room and you're all invited to

drop by and worship before batting

practice.

BOBBY

Jimmy, God damn it--loosen up and

get laid.

BOBBY, 25, smooths the creases of his uniform, preening.

JIMMY

I don't care If you think I'm

square but I believe what I

believe.

All heads turn as:

EBBY ENTERS THE LOCKER ROOM -- He looks trashed.

BOBBY

Jesus, Ebby, what truck ran over