Sugar

Written by

Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

1EXT. ACADEMY FIELD - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - DAY

A high angle looking out over a well-manicured baseball field carved out of a tropical jungle. A game is currently in progress.

A1ON THE FIELD

Wearing KANSAS CITY KNIGHTS uniforms, mostly Black and dark- skinned Dominicans as well as several lighter-skinned Venezuelans (17-22 years old) are set in their positions, poised for the next pitch.

CLOSE ON the pitcher, MIGUEL SANTOS (aka AZ�CAR/SUGAR - 19, lean, Black and handsome). Sweat drips down his face in the oppressive midday heat. He steadies his glove and ball at his chest, peeking over at the RUNNER on first base. Miguel lifts his leg high into the air, rears back his right arm, and FIRES the ball toward the plate.

THUD! A cloud of dust pops off the CATCHER'S mitt as the ball slams inside.

The BATTER lowers his head, helpless in the face of Miguel's overpowering fastball.

FROM THE DUGOUT, Miguel's TEAMMATES CHEER him on. HEAD COACH REYES (dark-skinned, 30s) nods approvingly, CLAPS.

BEHIND THE HOMEPLATE BACKSTOP, a dozen rookie players also in Kansas City uniforms cheer for their team. Two YOUNG PLAYERS clocking Miguel's pitches look at each others' radar guns, which read 92 and 93 MPH.

As the next batter steps up to the plate, Miguel's catcher, JOSE (18), taps his index finger on his thigh, calling for an outside fastball.

The next pitch is popped up on the infield between first and home. Miguel locates the ball, points to the sky, but Jose and first baseman, PEDRO BERROA, nearly collide, as the ball lands between them and the runners reach base safely.

B1FROM THE OBSERVATION TOWER, the ACADEMY'S DIRECTOR, LEANDROB1 ALVAREZ (light-skinned, late 50s) and several other COACHES and SCOUTS jot down notes on their clipboards.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/072.

C1ON THE FIELD, Miguel glares at Pedro, who averts his eyes, andC1 kicks the dirt.

Miguel looks in for the sign from Jose, nods, and delivers a tight fastball that sends the batter stumbling backwards to the dirt.

Some players LAUGH and heckle the batter. Others point angry fingers at Miguel, who greets the batter back to the plate with a friendly, but authoritative, grin.

He sends in the next pitch and the batter swings right through it, getting nothing but air.

2INT. ACADEMY DINING ROOM - NIGHT2

The TEAM (about 35 young men) gather around several tables for their standard baked chicken and rice lunch. The mood is friendly and playful as players tease each other across the tables. Miguel, sitting with his friends MARCOS (2nd base) and ALFONSO (3rd Base), works on a second helping of dessert.

For some NEW PLAYERS, distinguishable in the sea of BLUE uniforms by their BLACK "tryout" jerseys and ragged sneakers, it is their first healthy meal, and they eat as if it were their last.One of them, SALVADOR (Black, scrawny, 17) holds his plate up to his mouth, shovelling food down his throat.

A few of the guys LAUGH.

The other guys "ohhhh" Miguel's insult, as Salvador and Miguel exchange subtle grins.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/073.

3INT. ACADEMY CLASSROOM - SAME DAY3

Kids crowd around in a circle, repeating after the animated English instructor, SE�OR SANCHEZ, who goes over some English BASEBALL TERMS in the center. As he repeats the terms, he enthusiastically pantomimes the meanings of each.

CLOSE ON Miguel, repeating the strange words.

4INT. RECREATION ROOM - SAME NIGHT4

It's dark, and most of the team sits around an old TV set watching the climactic final scene of Field of Dreams dubbed in Spanish. Kevin Costner asks his father to play catch in a voice that sounds nothing like Kevin Costner.

Miguel passes through the room, and we follow him out of the rec room down a hall, and into...

5THE WEIGHT ROOM5

...where he sits down at the bench press, lowers his head in thought. TRACK IN CLOSE as he crosses himself, mouths a prayer, then leans back onto the bench.

TRACK OUT as he lifts the bar, and begins a set of presses.

FADE OUT.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/074.

6EXT. ACADEMY FIELD - DAY6

The Kansas City Director of Minor League Operations, RUDY HUBBARD (white, 40s), watches a TRYOUT SESSION, where TWO SKINNY TEENS in worn street clothes pitch to uniformed catchers. Their AGENT talks on a cell phone nearby.

Alvarez, the academy director, approaches one of the kids, whispers in his ear. The kid smiles tentatively.

Alvarez joins Rudy and they speak in English.

They both crack up.

FROM THE TRYOUT MOUND. The kid looks over to the two men pow- wowing about him. He breathes in, nervous...

7BATTING CAGE - MINUTES LATER7

Pedro, sweating hard, takes a few cuts, but only seems to be hitting weak ground balls and foul tips.

Rudy smiles and moves on.Alvarez follows.Pedro watches the men as they walk away.

8BULL PEN MOUNDS - MINUTES LATER8

Alvarez and Rudy approach a PITCHING COACH instructing Salvador. Miguel warms up next to him.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/075.

Rudy raises his eyebrows.

Rudy looks over to Miguel.

Miguel fires in a pitch.Rudy nods, impressed.

Miguel looks over, sees the American with Alvarez.

Miguel nods, nervous, focuses. He pitches.The ball curves very subtly over the plate for a strike.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/076.

Miguel looks back to the men.

Miguel stares blankly at Rudy, not understanding.

Miguel hands Rudy the ball, and Rudy demonstrates how to handle a knuckle curve ball, which looks strangely unorthodox, with the index finger tucked against the baseball.

Miguel struggles to emulate Rudy's grip, so Rudy maneuvers his fingers into the correct position. Alvarez laughs.

Miguel looks over to his catcher, Jose. Winds up the next pitch, and soars it 5 feet wide of the mark.

Rudy and Alvarez laugh.Miguel looks back over his shoulder.

Rudy pats Miguel on the back and walks off with Alvarez. Miguel stares at them hard as they go. He turns back to his catcher, determined, squeezes the ball in spike curve formation. Delivers.

Misses badly again. JUMP CUTS take us through a half-dozen more bad curve attempts, as other players take notice and gather around, some laughing, until...

...finally a perfect curve twists dramatically through the air, landing centered in Jose's mitt.

The other players erupt in amazement, while Miguel stares straight ahead. After a beat, he smiles wide.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/077.

9INT. ACADEMY CLASSROOM - DAY9

Sr. Sanchez stands in front of a chalkboard, reading off lines of a scripted ENGLISH DIALOGUE for the class to repeat. The class' version of the words are jumbled and incomprehensible.

CLOSE ON Miguel focused on the baseball in his hand. He practices his knuckle curve grip, not participating in the lesson.

10EXT. BASEBALL ACADEMY - MORNING10

Miguel walks down a dirt road with his duffel bag. He exits past the gate, waving goodbye to the SECURITY GUARD.

A10Beyond the manicured lawns and landscaped gardens of theA10 Academy, Miguel passes through the overgrown, undeveloped land where neighborhood CHILDREN play among grazing goats. He continues down the dirt road towards a paved highway in the distance, as bachata music fuels the sound track, and carries over the following...

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/078.

11INT. MOVING BUS - DAY11

Thick stalks of sugarcane race through the frame. CLOSE ON Miguel staring out the bus window. On his way home, he passes...

A11--half-clothed children flying a homemade kite.A11

B11--a truck of bananas barrelling by with a boy perched on top.B11

C11--an old man sitting by the street, looking straight at Miguel. C11

D11--flaming sugarcane alongside the road.D11

E11--three children wedged between their parents on a motorbike.E11

F11--the tall, wheezing smokestack of the Cristobal Colon sugarF11 refinery.

12EXT. STREET - SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS -DAY12

Miguel hops off the bus with his duffel, climbs the pedestrian walkway passing over dozens of rusty railroad cars used for transporting sugarcane to the refinery. We PAN Miguel across the bridge, revealing burning smokestacks in the distance.

13EXT. SIDE STREET - MINUTES LATER13

Modest homes line the neighborhood, fashioned from corrugated tin, painted in bold colors, no two houses alike. A skinny pig roams a barren lot. A group of WOMEN with their hair in curlers sit on crates around a dominoes table. They wave their hellos to Miguel, who smiles back.

Local KIDS play stickball in a trash-strewn clearing with makeshift mitts fashioned from old milk cartons or cardboard. They see Miguel and rush toward him as he paces up the block, SHOUTING his name.

As Miguel approaches home, he makes eye contact with a girl, ERICA (15), buying water from a delivery truck. She smiles.

With the kids still clamoring around Miguel, he stops, unzips his duffel and hands out some used baseballs. The kids grab the balls, then run off to play.

Miguel approaches Erica.She puts down her water bucket, gives Miguel a hug.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/079.

Miguel helps Erica with the water bucket and walks with her towards their home - a small wooden construction with peeling paint and a rusted aluminum roof. On the lot next to their house, the cinder-block frame of their future home dwarfs the others on the block.

14INT. MIGUEL'S HOME - NIGHT14

Miguel and Erica enter the house, where their brother LUIS (7) watches an enormous television, which feels incongruous in the middle of the tiny, dilapidated home. The reception is still crappy, though.

Miguel's grandmother, ABUELA, sits upright on her mattress in the corner of the room.

She smiles big at her oldest grandson, opens her arms for a hug. Erica sits at the kitchen table, where her schoolbooks lay open.

Miguel's mother, CARMEN (late 30s) emerges from behind a hanging bed sheet, which acts as a "wall" separating two rooms.

Official Shooting Script as of 10/22/0710.

A GROUP of KIDS gather at the window.

15EXT. STREET - NIGHT15

Gathered under the only functioning street lamp, Miguel rears back and throws in a swooping curve, that causes the BATTER to flinch out of the way, as it breaks perfectly over the plate.

Carmen, Luis and the rest of the barrio ONLOOKERS, "oooohh", the impressive curve.

Miguel notices a group of GIRLS eyeing him from across the street. His eyes stop on one, SOFIA (17). They exchange grins.

16INT. MIGUEL'S HOME - NIGHT16

Miguel's family - minus Miguel - watches a soap opera.Carmen and Erica are in dialogue with the TV.

The CAMERA PANS away from the family, out the back window, where the new home is being constructed. We ZOOM IN on the structure covered in plastic tarp.

17INT. CONSTRUCTION LOT17

Amidst tools, dry cement, a half-finished wooden dining table, and other assorted construction materials, Miguel has sex with Sofia on a work table.