Head of the Creek: An Avant-Garde Screenplay

By Christopher C. Odom

EXT    WOODS   HEAD OF THE CREEK, MARYLAND  1963   SUNSET

LOUIS WILSON (19), an African-American brilliant bumpkin with the aptitude of a Nobel laureate, rides on a HARLEY with ANNA MAE HICKS seated on the back.

Anna Mae (17), Caucasian, is a bad seed and a black sheep.  If loving Louis is going to be wrong, she doesn't want to be right.

EXT    TREE

Louis and Anna Mae sit on a branch.  They kiss.  The branch breaks sending them crashing to the earth.

EXT    CREEK

Louis chases Anna Mae onto a LOG positioned over a narrow part of the Creek.

Anna slips off of the log.  She reaches her hands out of the water and pulls Louis into the Creek with her.

EXT    CREEK SIDE

Louis lay on his back on top of a blanket.  Anna Mae feeds him STRAWBERRIES from a PICNIC BASKET.  Louis sits up.

LOUIS

Cover your eyes.  I have a surprise.

Anna Mae covers her eyes.

LOUIS

No peeking.

Louis removes a bottle of CHAMPAGNE from the picnic basket.  He removes the CORK.

LOUIS

Open your eyes.

ANNA MAE

The occasion?

LOUIS

Us.

Louis takes a swig from the bottle of champagne.  He passes the bottle to Anna Mae.

She takes a swig.  They kiss.

ANNA MAE

Let's go to the County Fair.

LOUIS

What about Sheriff Hicks?

ANNA MAE

What about my dad?  What is he going to do--beat you down right in public.

LOUIS

You're bad, but that's why I love you.

EXT   COUNTY FAIR    PARKING LOT    NIGHT

Louis and Anna Mae arrive at the fairgrounds on his Harley.  They stroll through the main entrance.

SERIES OF SHOTS

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    MERRY-GO-ROUND

Louis and Anna Mae ride on adjacent horses.  They kiss as each horse passes the other while they seesaw up and down.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    TILT-A-WHIRL

Louis and Anna Mae are crunched together in a car by themselves.  Every time the car spins in Anna Mae's direction, Louis falls on top of her using it as an opportunity to feel her up.  They laugh.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    FERRIS WHEEL

Louis and Anna Mae's car stops at the top.  They kiss.

END SERIES

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    PIRATE SHIP

Louis and Anna Mae sit on the last row of a swaying pirate ship.  As Louis and Anna Mae's row sways closer to be parallel with the ground, Louis rises out of his seat screaming playfully.

The ride attendant becomes alert of Louis' actions.

RIDE ATTENDANT

Hey, idiot.  Sit down before you kill yourself.

Louis continues to pretend to fall out of his seat.

SISSY

Stop it, you're scaring me.

RIDE ATTENDANT

Behave, or I'll stop the ride.

Louis continues misbehaving.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    CONCESSIONS STAND

SHERIFF HICKS chomps on a sloppy CHILI DOG.  DEPUTY BILL bites into a bag of COTTON CANDY.

Sheriff Hicks (58), is a cross between Archie Bunker and a Marine Drill Sergeant with a hidden heart of gold.

Deputy Bill (42), is Sheriff Hick's trusted sidekick.  He's the poster pin-up for the "Redneck of the Year."

Deputy Bill spots Louis and Anna Mae on the Pirate Ship.

DEPUTY BILL

Sheriff, is that Anna Mae on that ride with...

GREASE squirts out of the chili dog onto Sheriff Hicks' shirt.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    PIRATE SHIP

Louis hangs out the edge of his seat.

LOUIS

(laughs)

I'm falling, I'm falling.

Anna Mae pulls Louis back into his seat.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    CANDY STAND

Sheriff Hicks drops his chili dog.

SHERIFF HICKS

Mother fucker.

EXT    COUNTY FAIR    PIRATE SHIP

The Ride Attendant flips on the emergency break.

Sheriff Hicks and Deputy Bill jog up the platform over to Louis.

Sheriff Hicks snatches Louis by the collar.

SHERIFF HICKS

Stay away from my daughter?

Sheriff Hicks sucker punches Louis in the face.

Louis is dazed.  Deputy Bill holds Louis down.  Handcuffs Louis to Pirate Ship.

Anna Mae screams.  Grabs Sheriff Hicks.

SHERIFF HICKS

(to Anna Mae)

You stay out of this.

DEPUTY BILL

I've got her, Sheriff Hicks.

Deputy Bill snatches Anna Mae.  Drags her away from the scene.

Sheriff Hicks holds up Louis' head.

SHERIFF HICKS

I hate doing this to you, son.  But, you left me no choice.  This was a warning, but next time I'll have to kill you.

Sheriff Hicks slugs Louis.

EXT    OLD CREEK

Anna Mae sits alone on a dock.  Louis rolls down the dock on his Harley.

LOUIS

Run away with me right now.  I've got $10,000.

We can take early retirement and see America.  We'll come back one day and build a house on the Creek.

I'll start a family, go to church, get a job in an office, wear a tie, and do whatever you want me to do.   Please just don't tell me you won't give it a chance.

ANNA MAE

Let's get our things.

LOUIS

No, let's just hop on my Harley and go.  We don't want to tip off Sheriff Hicks.  We'll never make it.

Anna Mae leaps on top of Louis.  She embraces him with a passionate kiss.

EXT    HIGHWAY    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

Louis and Anna Mae straddle the speeding Harley while whizzing by strawberry fields.

ANNA MAE

We'll never make it.  Let's    give up.

LOUIS

And live the way Sheriff Hicks tells me to live?  A life I haven't chosen to live is not a life worth living.

INT    PATROL CAR

Sheriff Hicks follows with Deputy Bill in his patrol car.

Red and blue LIGHTS FLASH in sync with the whirring SIREN.

SHERIFF HICKS

I swear I'll kill him.

EXT    HIGHWAY    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

Louis turns around to see if Sheriff Hicks is gaining ground.

ANNA MAE

My daddy will never give up.

LOUIS

And neither will I.

INT    PATROL CAR

Sheriff Hicks grabs the radio.

SHERIFF HICKS

10-18 dispatch.  The 10-13 is the pursuit of a kidnapper on a Harley with one hostage.  The 10-20 is north bound on Highway 111.  We're 10-17 right behind the perp.  It's a 10-33 for the State Police.  10-30, the perp has my daughter and I believe he is armed and dangerous.   Please 10-32 as many as possible.  All units 10-25 to the East End of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  The 10-26 is approximately 15 minutes.

EXT    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

Louis steers the Harley around a raggedy Ford.

He narrowly avoids a collision with a pick-up in the oncoming lane.

Sheriff Hicks attempts to follow.  He plays chicken with the pick-up.

The pick-up loses, veering off into a strawberry field.

ANNA MAE

I don't want anybody to get killed.

LOUIS

Once we get to the Bay Bridge, we're home free.  We can sneak through the strawberry fields.  There will be no way Sheriff Hicks can catch us.

EXT    GAS STATION

STATE TROOPER #1 fills a Styrofoam cup with coffee.  STATE TROOPER #2 calls out from the patrol car.

STATE TROOPER #2

Charlie, get over here quick!  We've got a 10-33 at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  The 10-14 is a roadblock.

State Trooper #1 drops his coffee.  He dashes to his patrol car.

EXT    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

Sheriff Hicks closes the gap between he and the Harley.

CAR RADIO

Sheriff Hicks, that 10-33 is 10-16.  Two units are 10-23.

EXT    CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE

Two State Trooper patrol cars block off the bridge.

EXT    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

The Harley races down the highway.

LOUIS

Nothing can stop us now.

INT    PATROL CAR

Sheriff Hicks speeds his patrol car inches away from the rear tire of the Harley.  He takes a swig from his FLASK.

DEPUTY BILL

Sheriff Hicks, ease off.  You'll run into them.

SHERIFF HICKS

He'll surrender.

EXT    MARYLAND COUNTRYSIDE

The Harley speeds towards the road blocked bridge.

ANNA MAE

Look out!

LOUIS

Damn!

Louis steers the Harley off of the road and towards the Chesapeake Bay.

Louis and Anna Mae fly off of the Harley as it dives into the water.

CHESAPEAKE BAY

Sheriff Hicks spins his patrol car into a three-sixty at the edge of the water.

Louis tows Anna Mae safely to shore.

Sheriff Hicks yanks Louis out of the water.  He bashes Louis in the jaw.

SHERIFF HICKS

You don't get it boy, do you?  You and Anna Mae can never be together.

Sheriff Hicks continues to pound Louis in the face.

SHERIFF HICKS

I'll make sure you never touch my daughter again.

Sheriff Hicks holds Louis' head under the water.

Sheriff Hicks clutches his heart.

Deputy Bill grabs Sheriff Hicks' hands.

DEPUTY BILL

Andy, that's enough!

Sheriff Hicks pulls Louis by the neck out of the water.  He shoves Louis' arms behind his back and slaps CUFFS around his wrists.

MATCH CUT TO

INT    WICOMICO COUNTY COURT    DAY

Louis, with CUFFS around his wrists, and a PUBLIC DEFENDER (26), stand before a JUDGE (63).

Sheriff Hicks and Anna Mae are seated in the courtroom.

JUDGE

The court finds you guilty of evading arrest, reckless driving, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. 

Are there any words you would like to say to the court before I sentence you?

PUBLIC DEFENDER

Yes, my client would like to make a formal--

LOUIS

I can speak for myself.  What I did, I did because I love Anna Mae.  If falling in love is a crime, I'm a felon.

If I've only learned one thing in this life, it's that if the black man wants to survive, he can't wait for someone to give him what he wants.

He has to take it!  The "man" expects me to wash dishes and dig ditches until I'm old and brittle.

Then I'm supposed to take a short retirement that I can't enjoy.  I'm taking my retirement, now.

Louis drops down on one knee.

LOUIS

I'm begging the court to send me to jail with all of my brothers.  There, we'll compare notes and learn things we never knew before. Once I get out, I'll try again to take my early retirement.  Maybe next time I won't get stopped.

The Judge reviews Louis' file.

JUDGE

You were very fortunate that no one got hurt.  You have only misdemeanors and no felony convictions.  The court sentences you to four years probation to be served concurrently while attending four years at Bowie College.  Court adjourned.

The judge slams the GAVEL.  A BAILIFF (34), jumps to attention.

BAILIFF

All rise.

The Judge leaves the courtroom.

PUBLIC DEFENDER

When I think I've seen it all, I see some more.

The Public Defender closes his BRIEFCASE and leaves the courtroom.

Sheriff Hicks confronts Louis.

SHERIFF HICKS

You may have fooled the judge, but you can't fool me.  I'll be watching you.

And don't bother searching for Anna Mae.  I'm sending her to a convent far, far away.

Sheriff Hicks grabs Anna Mae and storms out of the courtroom.  Anna looks backwards towards Louis.

ANNA MAE

(mouths)

I love you.

SUPERIMPOSE OVER BLACK    ANNA MAE HICKS

INT    OLD VICTORIAN MANSION    PRESENT

Anna Mae (57), sits perched in a WINGBACK CHAIR in a traditional style salon.

ANNA MAE

But, he didn't love me.  Louis never loved anyone but himself.  Early retirement - it was nothing but a crock of bull.

He would do the opposite of what was normal or what was right.  If I jumped off a bridge, Louis would jump on the bridge.

If I jumped on the bridge, Louis would jump off the bridge.

We tried eloping before a justice of the peace, but he was only doing it to spite may father.  Louis knew it would kill the old Sheriff.

EXT    WICOMICO COUNTY HOSPITAL    1973    DAY

A UPS TRUCK DRIVER unloads boxes from the back of his truck.

INT    WICOMICO COUNTY HOSPITAL    BLOOD LAB

DOCTOR KILGORE (68), President of the "Old Boy Network", holds TWO VIALS OF BLOOD high in the air.

The TELEPHONE RECEIVER is stuck between his ear and shoulder.

INT    SHERIFF HICKS' OFFICE

Sheriff Hicks sits behind his desk with his office door closed.

INTERCUT    DOCTOR KILGORE & SHERIFF HICKS ON PHONE

Doctor Kilgore compares text on the vials to text in TWO FILES.

He shakes his head.

DOCTOR KILGORE

Andrew, since we go way back, I figured I should call you on this one.  Anna Mae and that Wilson fellow took blood tests.  I'm looking at the test results--

SHERIFF HICKS

Thanks, Doc.  I'll be right over.

END INTERCUT SEQUENCE

EXT    WICOMICO COUNTY HOSPITAL

Louis and Anna Mae parade through the revolving doors arm in arm.

INT    WICOMICO COUNTY HOSPITAL    WAITING ROOM

Louis and Anna Mae fondle each other, giddy and giggly.

NURSE SARAH CRATCHETT (38), peers out from behind an ominous white reception window.

MILITARY DOG TAGS swing from Louis' neck.

LOUIS

The future Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are here to pick up our blood tests.

Nurse Cratchett gives them a blank stare.  She types into her computer.

ANNA MAE

I can't believe we're finally going to do it.

NURSE CRATCHETT

Sorry folks, there has been a problem with your test results.

LOUIS

Problem?  What kind of problem?

NURSE CRATCHETT

I would appreciate it if you would not use that tone of voice with me.

ANNA MAE

Let her talk.

LOUIS

I want to know what in the hell is going on.

Doctor Kilgore appears in the reception window carrying a few FILES.  He hands one file to Nurse Cratchett.

DOCTOR KILGORE

Sarah, could you check on this for me, please?  I'll handle these two people.

NURSE CRATCHETT

Doctor I can handle it.

DOCTOR KILGORE

Sarah, that will be all.  Thank you.

Nurse Cratchett walks away from view in the reception window.

LOUIS

Stop screwing around and let us have the results of our blood test.

DOCTOR KILGORE

Calm down, I explain everything in just a moment.

LOUIS

You calm down, give us what we want, and we'll be gone in just a moment.

ANNA MAE

Louis, please stop it.  You're causing a scene.

Sheriff Hicks enters.

DOCTOR KILGORE

If you would just wait a few moments--

Sheriff Hicks snatches two files from Doctor Kilgore.

SHERIFF HICKS

You would realize that there isn't going to be no blood test and there isn't going to be no wedding.

Sheriff Hicks sets the files on FIRE and tosses them into a WASTEBASKET.

ANNA MAE

Damn, daddy.  Isn't there anybody on my side in this whole hick town?

Louis snatches Anna Mae away from Sheriff Hicks.

LOUIS

Do you think that's going to stop me old man?  When my buddies were dying in Vietnam,

(clutches dog tags)

The only thing that kept me alive was knowing that Anna Mae was waiting for me.

I'm going to marry your daughter whether you like it or not and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

SHERIFF HICKS

Over my dead body.

Sheriff Hicks lunges for Louis.

He wraps his hands around Louis' throat.

ANNA MAE

Daddy, no!

Louis rips Sheriff Hicks' hands from Louis' throat knocking Sheriff Hicks into the reception window.

The WINDOW CRACKS.

Sheriff Hicks clutches his heart.  He collapses into the floor panting and sweating.  Doctor Kilgore quickly attends to Sheriff Hicks.

DOCTOR KILGORE

Sarah, get a stretcher in here, quick.  Sheriff Hicks is having a heart attack!

INT    INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Louis argues with Anna Mae.

ANNA MAE (V.O.)

Yeah, the old Sheriff had a heart condition, but everybody in that damn town knew that - including Louis.  He didn't die that day, at least not physically.  Louis saw this as a sign from God to go on with the marriage, but as much as I hated the man, it didn't seem right to rush off to a Justice of the Peace while his life was in peril.

EXT    OLD VICTORIAN MANSION

Uniformed gardeners attend to an elaborate landscape.

INT    OLD VICTORIAN MANSION    PRESENT

Anna Mae sits in her wingback chair staring at a pair of MILITARY DOG TAGS.

ANNA MAE

Louis still insisted that we at least move in together.  The idea of having a man in the house living in or out of sin suited me fine.

INT    BETHEL TEMPLE    1974

PASTOR REED (40), preaches a fiery sermon from the pulpit.

Pastor Reed is a handsome African-American man with a trusting smile almost too trusting to trust.

ANNA MAE (V.O.)

My father hated churches.  When Louis went to fight in Vietnam, it was only natural that I started spending time in a place where I knew the old Sheriff wouldn't bother me.

Anna Mae stands with Louis in a white robe before the altar amidst a predominantly Black congregation.

Pastor Reed dunks Louis in a BAPTISMAL POOL.

ANNA MAE (V.O.)

When Louis came calling for me, one of the tricks Mr. Opposite used to get back with me was joining my church.  That was a huge mistake.

SERIES OF SHOTS

INT    B-52 BOMBER    SUNSET

Louis wears his military dress uniform.  He stares out of the window at the SUNSET.

LOUIS (V.O.)

Dear, Anna Mae--

INT    BEDROOM    NIGHT

Anna Mae kisses on an African American man's chest.  His face cannot be seen.

LOUIS (V.O.)

The army found me mentally unfit for active duty.

INT    M.A.S.H. UNIT    DAY

Louis writes a letter while lying in his M.A.S.H. Unit bed.

LOUIS (V.O.)

I'm coming home.

INT    BEDROOM    NIGHT

The figure kneels behind Anna Mae and grabs her waist.

Her face drips with SWEAT.

LOUIS (V.O.)

I've really missed you since I've been away.

INT    MILITARY OFFICE    DAY

Louis shakes hands with his C.O.

LOUIS (V.O.)

I want to be with you.

INT    BEDROOM    NIGHT

The figure straddles Anna Mae.  Anna Mae MOANS with ecstasy.

LOUIS (V.O.)

I don't care what Sheriff Hicks says.

INT    M.A.S.H. UNIT    DAY

Louis packs a TRUNK.

LOUIS (V.O.)

Since I've have lived so near life and death, I have become much more aware of my own mortality.

INT    BEDROOM    NIGHT

Anna Mae sucks on the figure's FINGERS.

LOUIS (V.O.)

I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

EXT    MILITARY AIRSTRIP    SUNSET

Louis smokes a CIGARETTE.  A B-52 Bomber lands.

LOUIS (V.O.)

Let's build a house on the Creek and take our early retirement together while we're young and can still enjoy it.

INT    BEDROOM    NIGHT

Anna Mae screams at climax.

LOUIS (V.O.)

Eternally yours, love Louis.

Pages 1 - 17

Christopher C. Odom is an Award-Winning Writer, Director, Producer and Author who earned his Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. An Associate Member of the Writers Guild of America, west Independent Writer’s Caucus, Christopher has won numerous screenwriting and filmmaking awards. His work has been nationally televised and screened in cities worldwide, including Tel Aviv, Berlin and Cannes.

About The Author