Nola Gray
🎬 NOLA GRAY
Written by Sean Lawrence
Written by Sean Lawrence
FADE IN:
EXT. LSU CAMPUS – DAY (2005)
Move-in day energy. Heat shimmering. Music blasting.
Students swarm across campus.
Move-in day energy. Heat shimmering. Music blasting.
Students swarm across campus.
EXT. HILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY – CONTINUOUS
DEAN and DAVID TALE (22, identical twins, athletic, distinct energy) linger by a bike rack.
David flips through a magazine.
Dean studies people.
DEAN and DAVID TALE (22, identical twins, athletic, distinct energy) linger by a bike rack.
David flips through a magazine.
Dean studies people.
DAVID
What’s the one thing you’d change?
What’s the one thing you’d change?
DEAN
Nothing.
(beat)
Feels like freedom.
Nothing.
(beat)
Feels like freedom.
DAVID
That wasn’t the question.
That wasn’t the question.
DEAN
(smiles)
Ask me in ten years.
A girl passes. David nods.
Dean notices.
(smiles)
Ask me in ten years.
A girl passes. David nods.
Dean notices.
DEAN
What’s going on with you?
What’s going on with you?
DAVID
Nothing.
Nothing.
DEAN
I’ve got that feeling again.
I’ve got that feeling again.
DAVID
Not this—
Not this—
DEAN
Something’s off.
They separate.
Something’s off.
They separate.
INT. LIBRARY – DAY
Dean studies.
Spots JULIE DUBOIS.
Dean studies.
Spots JULIE DUBOIS.
JULIE
Dean?
Dean?
DEAN
Julie.
They reconnect.
Julie.
They reconnect.
LIBRARIAN (V.O.)
All classes are canceled due to the approaching hurricane.
Silence falls.
All classes are canceled due to the approaching hurricane.
Silence falls.
DEAN
Katrina.
Katrina.
JULIE
Feels different.
She hands him her number.
Feels different.
She hands him her number.
INT. LAW CENTER – DAY
Dean finds David.
Dean finds David.
DEAN
School’s shut down.
Storm’s coming.
School’s shut down.
Storm’s coming.
DAVID
We go home.
We go home.
INT. TRUCK – DAY
Phone call with SAM TALE.
Phone call with SAM TALE.
SAM (V.O.)
We’re staying.
We’re staying.
DAVID
We’re coming anyway.
Call ends.
We’re coming anyway.
Call ends.
DAVID
He won’t leave.
He won’t leave.
DEAN
Then we get him.
Then we get him.
EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
Party. Loud. Carefree denial.
Party. Loud. Carefree denial.
INT. KITCHEN
DAVID
We leave at sunrise.
Dean nods, uneasy.
We leave at sunrise.
Dean nods, uneasy.
EXT. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN – MORNING
Gray skies.
Boat tied.
Wind rising.
Gray skies.
Boat tied.
Wind rising.
DAVID
This is a bad idea.
This is a bad idea.
DEAN
It’s the only one.
Rain begins.
It’s the only one.
Rain begins.
ACT 2
EXT. FLOODED NEW ORLEANS – DAY
Devastation.
Boats instead of cars.
People stranded.
Devastation.
Boats instead of cars.
People stranded.
DAVID
This isn’t a storm.
This isn’t a storm.
DEAN
It’s a collapse.
A man screams for help.
They stop.
It’s a collapse.
A man screams for help.
They stop.
DEAN
We get them.
They rescue a FAMILY.
Boat fills.
We get them.
They rescue a FAMILY.
Boat fills.
MONTAGE – RESCUE
— Child pulled from roof
— Elderly man lifted aboard
— Crying mother clutches baby
Boat overcrowded.
— Child pulled from roof
— Elderly man lifted aboard
— Crying mother clutches baby
Boat overcrowded.
DAVID
We can’t take everyone.
We can’t take everyone.
DEAN
We don’t choose.
Conflict builds.
We don’t choose.
Conflict builds.
EXT. CITY STREETS – DAY
No police.
Shattered storefronts.
Looting in distance.
No police.
Shattered storefronts.
Looting in distance.
INTRODUCE MILITIA
EXT. INDUSTRIAL YARD
RON and the MILL CREEK MILITIA.
Armed. Organized.
RON and the MILL CREEK MILITIA.
Armed. Organized.
RON
No law left.
That means we are the law.
No law left.
That means we are the law.
BACK TO STORY
EXT. CHECKPOINT – DAY
Army blockade.
Army blockade.
DAVID
We can’t go through that.
A DEPUTY approaches quietly.
We can’t go through that.
A DEPUTY approaches quietly.
DEPUTY
I’ll get their attention.
Chaos distraction.
They slip past.
I’ll get their attention.
Chaos distraction.
They slip past.
MIDPOINT
EXT. TALE HOUSE – DAY
Flooded.
Damaged.
Flooded.
Damaged.
INT. HOUSE
Empty.
Empty.
DEAN
Mom!
Nothing.
Mom!
Nothing.
DAVID
They’re not here.
They’re not here.
EXT. SHED
They find a NOTE.
They find a NOTE.
DEAN
(reading)
“We’re safe.”
Relief floods in.
(reading)
“We’re safe.”
Relief floods in.
ACT 3
EXT. JOHNSON HOUSE
Parents alive.
Emotional reunion.
Parents alive.
Emotional reunion.
MRS. TALE
You came…
They embrace.
You came…
They embrace.
BUT NEW CONFLICT
INT. HOUSE – NIGHT
Storm still raging.
Storm still raging.
MATT
City’s getting dangerous.
City’s getting dangerous.
DAVID
We move.
We move.
SAM
We stay.
We stay.
DEAN
We don’t wait for things to get worse.
Decision: LEAVE.
We don’t wait for things to get worse.
Decision: LEAVE.
FINAL JOURNEY
EXT. FLOODED STREETS – DAY
Boat moving again.
More people.
More danger.
Boat moving again.
More people.
More danger.
SUDDENLY — ARMED MEN
Militia surrounds them.
Militia surrounds them.
RON
This is as far as you go.
Guns raised.
This is as far as you go.
Guns raised.
DAVID
We’re not staying.
We’re not staying.
RON
You don’t decide anymore.
Tension explodes.
You don’t decide anymore.
Tension explodes.
HELICOPTER SOUND
Soldiers incoming.
Chaos.
Soldiers incoming.
Chaos.
DAVID
NOW!
Gunfire.
Boat surges forward.
Bullets hit water.
NOW!
Gunfire.
Boat surges forward.
Bullets hit water.
ACTION SEQUENCE
— Mother screams
— Matt shields child
— Dean steers hard
— David pushes engine
They break through.
— Mother screams
— Matt shields child
— Dean steers hard
— David pushes engine
They break through.
FINAL RESOLUTION
EXT. HIGHWAY OUTSKIRTS – SUNSET
Safe zone.
Military relief.
Tents. Survivors.
Safe zone.
Military relief.
Tents. Survivors.
DAVID
We made it.
We made it.
DEAN
Not just us.
They look at rescued survivors.
Not just us.
They look at rescued survivors.
SAM
You did more than come for us.
You did more than come for us.
DEAN
We couldn’t leave them.
We couldn’t leave them.
DAVID
(quiet)
We almost did.
They share a look—growth.
(quiet)
We almost did.
They share a look—growth.
FINAL MOVEMENT
EXT. TEMPORARY SHELTER – NIGHT
Hundreds of displaced people.
Exhausted.
Alive.
Hundreds of displaced people.
Exhausted.
Alive.
DAVID
We go back.
We go back.
DEAN
Yeah.
Yeah.
DAVID
We rebuild it.
We rebuild it.
DEAN
Everything.
Everything.
FINAL SHOT
EXT. NEW ORLEANS – SUNRISE
Floodwater receding.
Light breaking through clouds.
A city wounded—
but alive.
Floodwater receding.
Light breaking through clouds.
A city wounded—
but alive.
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