Creative Notes:
Fixed some errors.
Playing With Fire
A professional hockey player reflects on his career and life, as well as focusing on what it has done to disrupt his relationship with his father.
Project collaboration:
By Permission
Synopsis:
Gordie Bergeron in the locker room, 42 years old. He sits alone, the stadium loud.
Gordie Bergeron is twelve years old, living in Edmonton. He's a pee-wee hockey player, on a travel hockey team. There's three minutes left in the game, for the championship. His father watches alone from behind the glass. Gordon takes to the ice,, clearly the dominant player on the team. He swivels around others, but his teammates keep him down, not able to keep up. They're taken back on to the bench. The coach asks if Gordon can go out for the last shift, and he says he can. He does so, and hits the post in an intense battle for the puck. His father, Marc, is visibly disappointed behind the stands. On the car ride home, Gordon apologizes. His father doesn't speak to him. They get home, and head out to the backyard. Gordon's father makes him shoot pucks over and over. Gordon's mother Anne argues with Marc, finally letting Gordon go to bed.
In modern time, he's playing professionally, second to last game of the season. Gordie's not playing as many minutes, and is instead sitting on the bench. Gordie plays a hardshift in overtime, but comes back to the bench. A teammate scores, giving them a fighting chance to get into the playoffs. They celebrate in the locker room, with comments being thrown at Gordie about finally winning, and we learn he has never won a Cup, in his twenty-four years playing the game professionally. Outside, Gordie's brother, Bobby, and nephew, Cam, meet him. His nephew is a hockey nut. His brother tells him he played a good game. He says he'll see them back home. On the jet ride home, Gordie sits with Fallon, the coach of the team.He asks how Gordie does it for so long, but he doesn't know how to answer. We learn Gordon intends to retire after this season.
We go back in time again, where Gordie is in high school. He wakes up. He's at home preparing for a big game: exercises, eats pasta. His father tells Gordie scouts will be at the game that night, and to try as hard as he and rack up as many points as he can. If he impresses the scout he'll probably get onto a junior team. In the locker room, Gordie hangs out with the rest of the guys, getting ready. He's a little cocky. An older player comes in, talking about when he played for the team a few years ago. He seems full of regret, not doing the best he could in his time. He tells the younger guys to win it for their seniors, and to make it a night they'll remember. As the game is played, Gordon racks up two goals. The game is close, and the opposition pulls their goalie. On a line with a senior, Gordon opts not to go for the hat trick, and pass to the senior, letting him score in his final game.
His father is again visibly angry. The team celebrates their victory. Gordie's father leaves the game, giving him no ride home, and his mother had already left. At a party after the game in the woods, the team is out drinking. Gordie awkwardly talks to a girl, about his relationship to hockey and his father, revealing how it was always his father's dream and he tries to live it through his son. He has doubts about whether he wants to do it for the rest of his life. The cops come, and they drive Gordie back to his home. Gordie gets in a fight with his father, not about the going out, but about how he let his teammate score. Gordie argues over doing the right thing, as opposed to taking all of the glory.
In the morning a scout ends up visiting and was impressed enough to grant him access to a junior team the following season. Gordie's father awkwardly congratulates him, as they hug, but Gordie is still clearly bothered.
Back in modern times, Gordie talks about weather, the game, and talking to his father with Bobby. Both go to a bar in the city, talks with old friends. The talk of the town, and sports news stations are about him retiring, as well as the final game of the regular season. Friends talk about superstar on the other team, but Gordie shrugs it off. He doesn't know if they can win.
Twenty-four years earlier, it's the professional Draft. Gordie is chosen third overall by the Hamilton Rebels. He takes photos for press. Afterwards, he's at his hotel room with his father . Tensions rise per usual, and Gordie says he doesn't need him anymore and that he regrets that he never had any other options. Marc tries to show that he loves him, but Gordie doesn't want to hear it. He walks out of the hotel, the last time he talks to his father.
Back to present time, Gordie returns to his father's house. Anne doesn't know where he is. Small talk. His mother tells him that the father always watches the games, but only if nobody knows he is. Marc comes home. They talk about how important the winning of the Cup is to the father. Gordie extends his invitation to come to the game, as it's in the area, and deep down Gordie doesn't expect to win. He has grown to love the game, but the father remains there's no glory without winning. Gordie asks him to be a father and come to the game. Marc stays undecided. Gordie leaves.
The team gets ready in the locker room for the third period. They're down by two goals. Coach Fallon tries to rile them up, and delivers a speech. Wants to make sure they don't let Kuznetsov get 75 goals. Gordie pumps gloves with everyone as they leave the locker room, the last one out onto the ice. He notices both Anne and Marc in seats in front of the glass. A few minutes into the period, Gordie gets a shift, but Kuznetsov scores on it. Gordie is benched until the final shift of the night, and Marc seemingly leaves. They end up losing 5-1, but Gordie is given a standing ovation from the crowd in appreciation for his twenty-plus year efforts with the team.
Gordie Bergeron is twelve years old, living in Edmonton. He's a pee-wee hockey player, on a travel hockey team. There's three minutes left in the game, for the championship. His father watches alone from behind the glass. Gordon takes to the ice,, clearly the dominant player on the team. He swivels around others, but his teammates keep him down, not able to keep up. They're taken back on to the bench. The coach asks if Gordon can go out for the last shift, and he says he can. He does so, and hits the post in an intense battle for the puck. His father, Marc, is visibly disappointed behind the stands. On the car ride home, Gordon apologizes. His father doesn't speak to him. They get home, and head out to the backyard. Gordon's father makes him shoot pucks over and over. Gordon's mother Anne argues with Marc, finally letting Gordon go to bed.
In modern time, he's playing professionally, second to last game of the season. Gordie's not playing as many minutes, and is instead sitting on the bench. Gordie plays a hardshift in overtime, but comes back to the bench. A teammate scores, giving them a fighting chance to get into the playoffs. They celebrate in the locker room, with comments being thrown at Gordie about finally winning, and we learn he has never won a Cup, in his twenty-four years playing the game professionally. Outside, Gordie's brother, Bobby, and nephew, Cam, meet him. His nephew is a hockey nut. His brother tells him he played a good game. He says he'll see them back home. On the jet ride home, Gordie sits with Fallon, the coach of the team.He asks how Gordie does it for so long, but he doesn't know how to answer. We learn Gordon intends to retire after this season.
We go back in time again, where Gordie is in high school. He wakes up. He's at home preparing for a big game: exercises, eats pasta. His father tells Gordie scouts will be at the game that night, and to try as hard as he and rack up as many points as he can. If he impresses the scout he'll probably get onto a junior team. In the locker room, Gordie hangs out with the rest of the guys, getting ready. He's a little cocky. An older player comes in, talking about when he played for the team a few years ago. He seems full of regret, not doing the best he could in his time. He tells the younger guys to win it for their seniors, and to make it a night they'll remember. As the game is played, Gordon racks up two goals. The game is close, and the opposition pulls their goalie. On a line with a senior, Gordon opts not to go for the hat trick, and pass to the senior, letting him score in his final game.
His father is again visibly angry. The team celebrates their victory. Gordie's father leaves the game, giving him no ride home, and his mother had already left. At a party after the game in the woods, the team is out drinking. Gordie awkwardly talks to a girl, about his relationship to hockey and his father, revealing how it was always his father's dream and he tries to live it through his son. He has doubts about whether he wants to do it for the rest of his life. The cops come, and they drive Gordie back to his home. Gordie gets in a fight with his father, not about the going out, but about how he let his teammate score. Gordie argues over doing the right thing, as opposed to taking all of the glory.
In the morning a scout ends up visiting and was impressed enough to grant him access to a junior team the following season. Gordie's father awkwardly congratulates him, as they hug, but Gordie is still clearly bothered.
Back in modern times, Gordie talks about weather, the game, and talking to his father with Bobby. Both go to a bar in the city, talks with old friends. The talk of the town, and sports news stations are about him retiring, as well as the final game of the regular season. Friends talk about superstar on the other team, but Gordie shrugs it off. He doesn't know if they can win.
Twenty-four years earlier, it's the professional Draft. Gordie is chosen third overall by the Hamilton Rebels. He takes photos for press. Afterwards, he's at his hotel room with his father . Tensions rise per usual, and Gordie says he doesn't need him anymore and that he regrets that he never had any other options. Marc tries to show that he loves him, but Gordie doesn't want to hear it. He walks out of the hotel, the last time he talks to his father.
Back to present time, Gordie returns to his father's house. Anne doesn't know where he is. Small talk. His mother tells him that the father always watches the games, but only if nobody knows he is. Marc comes home. They talk about how important the winning of the Cup is to the father. Gordie extends his invitation to come to the game, as it's in the area, and deep down Gordie doesn't expect to win. He has grown to love the game, but the father remains there's no glory without winning. Gordie asks him to be a father and come to the game. Marc stays undecided. Gordie leaves.
The team gets ready in the locker room for the third period. They're down by two goals. Coach Fallon tries to rile them up, and delivers a speech. Wants to make sure they don't let Kuznetsov get 75 goals. Gordie pumps gloves with everyone as they leave the locker room, the last one out onto the ice. He notices both Anne and Marc in seats in front of the glass. A few minutes into the period, Gordie gets a shift, but Kuznetsov scores on it. Gordie is benched until the final shift of the night, and Marc seemingly leaves. They end up losing 5-1, but Gordie is given a standing ovation from the crowd in appreciation for his twenty-plus year efforts with the team.
Latest Work
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Script 2 - James's 2nd Draft01/16/11
All Work
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Script 1 - James's Original Draft12/31/10
