My screenplay, JUNKYARD DOG. The First Ten Pages

The following is the first ten pages of my science fiction screenplay, Junkyard Dog. It's about a baby that is abandoned in a junkyard in Los Angeles and is raised by urban coyotes, and grows up to be a vigilante crime fighter with a souped-up hybrid car made from spare junkyard parts. It did not transfer quite right from Word, but hopefully the gist of it is there.

FADE IN:

EXT. LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY – SLUMS – NIGHT

ALBERTO GUZMAN, a young laborer wearing work clothes and in his mid-twenties hastily makes his way down the crowded street, occasionally looking over his shoulder to make sure no one is following him.

INT. CINDER BLOCK SHANTY – NIGHT

Inside the small, one-room, dirt-floor shack, ANGELICA GUZMAN, early twenties, cooks tortillas on an old gas stove. The room is small and cramped, with little more than a table, four chairs, a small shelf with a few groceries and a bed.

On the bed an infant child, JUAN GUZMAN, cries.

Two other children, HECTOR GUZMAN, nine, and HELENA GUZMAN, five, sit on the floor beside the bed, playing.

Alberto enters the room with a look of desperation and speaks to his wife with a note of urgency.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
We must go now, Angelica.

Angelica looks desperately at her husband. She doesn’t want to believe it.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
What happened?

Alberto reaches behind the shelf and removes a paper bag taped to the back. He opens the bag and removes a small stack of dollars.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
They found the union meeting. They know
Where we live.

Angelica is very disappointed in her husband.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
Alberto, why?

Alberto pulls a duffel bag from under the bed.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
(angrily)
Get the children and get ready, now.

ANGELICA
El Norte?

Alberto begins stuffing clothes into the bag.

ALBERTO
Si.

EXT. SLUMS – NIGHT

A beaten up, older model car drives by slowly through the narrow streets.

Inside the car three rough looking characters in civilian clothes, DEATH SQUAD MEMBERS, ride in silence, looking for an address.

On the front seat between the driver and the passenger is an M16 assault rifle.

The Man seated in back of the car clutches an old .32 caliber automatic pistol.

INT. CINDER BLOCK SHANTY – NIGHT

Alberto and Angelica stand by the door, looking at their small home one last time. They both wear small backpacks, and Alberto holds the duffel bag in one hand, and five-year old Helena in his arm.

Angelica cries as she holds the baby who is now quiet and content in his mother’s arms. Nine year-old Hector stands at his mother’s side.

EXT. SLUMS – ALLEY – NIGHT

Alberto and Angelica walk hurriedly through the alleyway, passing winos, prostitutes, gang members and other street people.

Hector struggles to keep up, holding on to his mother’s skirt.

INT. CINDER BLOCK SHANTY – NIGHT

The door is kicked in and the three Death Squad Members rush in, weapons at the ready.

EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT

The Guzman family makes their way through the shadows, carrying their worldly possessions.

EXT. ROADSIDE – DAY

The Guzman family sits under a stand of trees away from the road, where they have spent the night.

Angelica breast-feeds Juan while Alberto, Hector and Helena sit nearby and eat burritos for breakfast.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD – DAY

The Guzman family makes their way down the road, the children lagging behind.

Little Juan cries in his mother arms.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
The baby is sick, Alberto.

EXT. FRUIT STAND – DAY

The Guzman family follows a TRUCK DRIVER behind the fruit stand where a semi tractor-trailer is parked.

Alberto hands the Truck Driver several dollar bills.

The Truck Driver leads the Guzmans to the rear of the trailer.

Inside the trailer many ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS are loaded, waiting to be taken to El Norte.

Little Juan cries as the Guzmans are loaded into the trailer.

INT. TRACTOR TRAILER – DAY

The Guzmans sit in the cramped trailer amongst the other Immigrants who look solemnly as Angelica tries to comfort the crying Juan.

EXT. INTERNATIONAL BORDER CROSSING – DAY

The tractor-trailer waits in a line of traffic to cross the border.

There are long lines of cars waiting to go through the numerous traffic lanes.

BORDER PATROL GUARDS at an adjacent lane search the cars with drug-sniffing dogs.

INT. TRAILER – DAY

Everyone sits quietly with a worrisome look on their faces.

Angelica holds Juan close to her bosom, trying to muffle the sound of his cries.

One of the illegal Immigrants hisses under his breath at her.

IMMIGRANT (IN SPANISH)
Shut that kid up before we all
get caught.

EXT. BORDER CROSSING – DAY

The semi pulls up to the guard booth.

The Truck Driver smiles and waves at the Guard.

The Guard seems to recognize the Driver, and waves him through.

EXT. COLLINS SALVAGE YARD – DAY

A sign out front reads “Collins Salvage Yard - Largest Salvage Yard West of the Pecos.” It is a massive salvage yard, filled with junk cars of every make and model imaginable: old cars, pickup trucks, old rusted school buses, panel trucks of every size and shape.

As far as the eye can see are acres of old automobiles, with dirt roads snaking in between the piles of rusted relics of the past and present. Patches of trees dot the massive acreage. A tall, chain link fence topped with razor wire surrounds the area.

In front of the property is an office with a large parking lot and a gate leading to the salvaged autos.

Behind the office is the Collins family residence. It is a large, two-story, wood framed house. The house itself is a relic of the past, restored and picturesque, with a wrap around front porch and a porch swing.

INT: COLLINS HOME – DEN - DAY

GEORGE COLLINS, a burly man in his early thirties sits at a table going over paperwork. His head is shaved bald, and he sports a large, handlebar moustache. His arms are covered in tattoos, and his biceps look strong enough to crack a walnut in the fold of his arm.

His wife, DORIS COLLINS, a pretty, petite woman a few years younger than her husband, sits in a nearby chair watching over their two year-old daughter, ANNIE COLLINS, who plays with a picture book on the carpet nearby.

George gets up from the table, grabs his car keys, and kisses Doris.

GEORGE
I have go mend the fence, baby,
where the coyotes are getting in.

George picks up Annie and raises her above his head. She smiles and giggles. He kisses her cheek before setting her back down on the carpet.

GEORGE
Got to go, little ‘un. Daddy will
See you later.

INT. TRAILER – DAY

The Illegal Immigrants are drenched in sweat. They sit in anticipation at the end of their long journey.

The door opens wide, letting in sunlight, temporarily blinding the occupants.

EXT. BACKROAD – DAY

The trailer is parked on a little access road by the side of a bridge, on the outskirts of town.

In the distant background are the back acres of the Collins Salvage Yard with its multitude of junk autos.

The Guzman family exits with the rest of the Immigrants, happy to be out in the sunshine and in El Norte.

The Truck Driver is impatient.

TRUCK DRIVER (IN SPANISH)
Hurry up. Hurry, hurry.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – EVENING

It is just a few hours before dark. The sun is slowly sinking on the horizon. All seems quiet except for an occasional bird chirping in a nearby tree, and the sounds of traffic on a highway nearby.

An old faded and rusted panel truck that used to hawk automotive tools sits under a nearby tree. Its tires are missing and the back door is slightly ajar.

Suddenly a baby cries.

INT. PANEL TRUCK – EVENING

Alberto, Hector and Helena sit in the back of the truck, eating cold flour tortillas and drinking from plastic water bottles.

Angelica tries to soothe the crying Juan. Juan finally stops crying. Angelica turns her sad stare to Alberto.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
Our baby is so sick, Alberto.
I don’t know what is wrong.
How are we going to take care
of him on the road? With no
place to go and no food to eat?

A worried looking Alberto has no answer.

ALBERTO
I don’t know, Angelica.

From outside the panel truck comes the sound of children’s voices.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – EVENING

A fancy Mercedes Benz bearing a RICH FAMILY drives by slowly. A young BOY and GIRL hang out the windows of the car, gazing at the junk cars.

A RICH MAN and his RICH WIFE ride in the front seat.

The car stops not far from the panel truck.

INT. PANEL TRUCK - EVENING

Alberto and his family peek through the door of the panel truck. Angelica clutches the silent Juan close to her bosom, in hopes he will not cry out.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – EVENING

The Rich Family gets out of the car. The Rich Man holds a couple of tools and a flashlight in his hands.

RICH MAN
The owner said that Chevy was
right behind these cars.

The kids begin running around, playing.

The Rich Wife calls out to her children.

RICH WIFE
Sidney, Chase, come on now.
We have to go help Daddy get
his car part before it gets
too dark.

INT. PANEL TRUCK – EVENING

Alberto watches through the door of the panel truck as the Rich Family disappear from sight into the mass of junk cars.

Alberto turns to Angelica with a resolute look on his face.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
Give me Juan.

Angelica looks at him puzzled.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
Why?

Alberto takes Juan from her arms and holds him close.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
We can’t provide for this baby,
but that family can.

Angelica realizes what he is about to do.

ANGELICA (IN SPANISH)
Alberto, no!

Little Hector and Helena look up in astonishment at their parents.

Alberto places Juan, wrapped in a blanket and sleeping, in a small cardboard box.
Alberto steps out of the truck with little Juan in the box.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – EVENING

Alberto creeps up to the car and places the box on the trunk of the Mercedes.

He runs back to the panel truck.

INT. PANEL TRUCK – EVENING

Angelica, Hector and Helena sob together as Alberto enters the panel truck and begins gathering their belongings.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
Get your things, we must go.

Hector, tears streaming, looks up at his father sobbing.

HECTOR (IN SPANISH)
Papa, don’t give them Juan Diego.

Alberto chokes back tears.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
He’ll have a better life, mijo.

EXT. CREEK BED – EVENING

Alberto, Angelica, Hector and Helena walk through a creek bed.

Angelica looks back toward the salvage yard, tears streaming down her face. Her children sob as they walk beside her.

Alberto looks at his family beside him as the sun goes down in the distance. He too can no longer hold back the tears.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – NIGHT

It is dark and poor little Juan Diego sleeps peacefully in the cardboard box atop the trunk of the Mercedes.
A flashlight in the distance reveals the Rich Family making their way back to the car. They have stayed longer than they intended.

The Rich Man holds the flashlight, tools and an automotive part wrapped in oil rags as they approach the car.

RICH MAN
Watch your step.

They all climb into the car, not noticing the box on the trunk.

The Rich Man starts the engine, puts the car in gear, and drives off, causing the cardboard box to tumble into the dirt, where it tips over and Juan Diego spills out, crying.

The Mercedes disappears down the dirt road.

EXT. UNDER A BRIDGE – NIGHT

Alberto, Angelica, Hector and Helena settle in for the night under the bridge.

They eat tortillas as they sit in silence. Alberto finally breaks the silence.

ALBERTO (IN SPANISH)
We should be happy for Juan Diego.
He will have opportunities we
could never give him. Maybe
someday we’ll see him again.

EXT. SALVAGE YARD – NIGHT

It is pitch dark as little Juan cries into the night, and there is no one to hear him in the silent, vast junkyard.

Suddenly a MAMA COYOTE appears from behind a junked car.

She hears the crying and sees Juan lying in the dirt beside the cardboard box.

She raises her nose and sniffs the air for intruders.