LOCKER 212 is a short film that tells the story of a high school bully who gets his wallflower-victim caught up in a pot-smoking "sting."
It's an exploration of how making real, human connections with our most lost and hurting kids can help us alleviate the bullying and violence that have plagued our schools.
LOCKER 212 was produced in the summer of 2013 by director Matt Nunn. It stars Nick Searcy, Jacob Leinbach, and Matt Mitchell.
Here's the film (view script-sample after the jump)...
LOCKER 212 from Matt Nunn on Vimeo.
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BLACK SCREEN
A SCHOOL BELL.
FADE IN
INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY
JOHN BRINKMAN (17) walks through the chaotic hallway scramble as kids disperse to their classes. He is tall, broad - swarthy.
The other kids defer to him... a few seem almost afraid. But we also get a sense of John's isolation. It's lonely at the top of the high school food chain.
One mewling freshman makes the mistake of not seeing John coming, and gets brutally PALMED out of the way for it.
John arrives at his locker (number 211 - if we notice), reaches in, and extracts a crumpled paper bag - which he stuffs into his pocket.
He heads off down the nearly-empty hall.
Ahead of him is BRIAN HANSON (15), who glances over his shoulder, notices John, and takes evasive maneuvers into the bathroom.
Brian wears muted, nondescript clothes. Not nerdy, just... invisible, and small enough that we assume he'd prefer to be invisible when a guy like John is around.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL BATHROOM - DAY
Brian steps toward a urinal.
But when John enters and approaches, Brian re-directs toward the stalls. The first, he ignores. The second he gingerly pushes open with his fingertips. It's disgusting.
He moves on to the third, goes in, and shuts it.
Brian steps up to the toilet and lifts the lid with his shoe. He unzips his pants.
He hears FOOTSTEPS.
The door to the next stall opens.
Brian re-considers. He re-zips his pants, then pulls some strips of toilet paper off and lays them down on the seat.
JOHN
Hey, Buuu-ddy.
Brian JUMPS - an almost-heart-attack. He looks up to see John leaning his forearms against the top of the adjacent stall, a bemused look on his face.
JOHN
Ever see PLAYING BY HEART?
BRIAN
What?
John steps down out of view and sits on the the back of the toilet, with his feet on the lid.
Brian drops the lid on his toilet and sits as well - planning to wait John out.
But John, too, settles in. He pulls a little baggie out of his pocket and carefully extracts the remaining joint, which he then deliberately whets with his lips, and lights.
JOHN
Anyways, there's this hot chick in
it who broke up with her boyfriend
because she found out he sat down
to pee, and she couldn't stand
being with a sissy. Are you a
sissy?
John takes a looong drag of his weed, then raps his knuckles on the wall between them.
JOHN
Hey -- Answer the question, buddy.
BRIAN
(sotto voce)
Brian.
JOHN
Okay. Brian.
BRIAN
And I'm not a sissy.
John reaches a hand under the floor-gap between the stalls, holding out his joint.
JOHN
Don't take it personal. Jeez. Here.
BRIAN
Uhhh...
JOHN
Just take it.
Just then, the door to the bathroom SWINGS open. Heavy FOOTFALLS. Sniffing.
It is MR. RICHARDS... Vice Principal. He's meaty and boorish - a no-nonsense fellow in a paisley tie, who wears a TWO-WAY RADIO on his hip like it's some kind of weapon.
He steps over in front of the two closed stalls.
MR. RICHARDS
Okay, open up.
JOHN
(hissing)
Shhhhhit!
(to Mr. Richards)
Almost done.
John FLICKS the burning joint into Brian's stall, then digs into his pocket for the empty weed-bag. He lifts the toilet-lid and drops it in.
Mr. Richards hears the noise
MR. RICHARDS
No you don't, you little...
He pushes open the un-locked door as
FLUSH!
John manages to hide the evidence, and makes an elaborate scene of monkeying with his fly.
JOHN
Jeez -- Gah -- man! A little
privacy?!
In the next stall, Brian eyes the dropped joint with a sort of awe-struck wonder.
MR. RICHARDS
Hand it over.
JOHN
What?
John turns his pockets inside-out.
MR. RICHARDS
You think I can't smell that?
In his stall, Brian picks up the joint with a sort of awed curiosity.
John waves a hand behind himself as he exits the stall.
JOHN
Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. What
can I say? Cafeteria food.
Mr. Richards GRABS John by the shirt, then catches himself and releases, pointing in John's face.
MR. RICHARDS
Don't push me, Mr. Brinkman.
Brian slowly lifts the joint and curiously touches his finger to the burning end.
BRIAN
Ah!
Yep. Still hot.
Mr. Richards holds his warning finger in John's face, then steps over and VIOLENTLY SHAKES the door on Brian's stall, POPPING the lock.
He SHOVES it open and immediately ZEROES IN on the freshly-dropped joint.
MR. RICHARDS
Ah-HAH!
Mr. Richards STAMPS on the joint, then looks up.
MR. RICHARDS
Brian?
Brian opens and closes his mouth. Mr. Richards reaches over to pick up the joint, then gestures Brian out of the stall.
Brian tentatively steps out.
John GLARES at him.
Mr. Richards grabs each of them by an arm.
MR. RICHARDS
Let's go.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY
Mr. Richards PROPELS John and Brian down the hallway.
MR. RICHARDS
(to Brian)
I'm not at all surprised about him.
But you...? I thought you had more
sense than that.
John's face: Hurt. Then angry.
Mr. Richards opens a classroom door, and - with a hand on each of their backs - pushes them into an empty classroom. He flicks on the light. MR. RICHARDS
Wait here.
He closes the door.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
John moves MENACINGLY toward Brian.
JOHN
You little--
THWACK!
Mr. Richards FLINGS open the door.
MR. RICHARDS
(to John)
What's your locker number?
JOHN
212
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Thanks for your interest!
