Sample scene from HARDBALL by Stephen Schlich

INT - CUBICLE HELL - DAY

A featureless cul-de-sac in drab cubicle suburbia ends at a
plumb corner lot. Outside, two pencils are crossed below a
"TEAM" lapel button. An office skull and crossbones. Inside...

INT - INSIDE THE CUBE - DAY

...Dilbert and a nervous Bobby stand expectantly. The cube's
resident is OSCAR -- an older, hardened Cube Rat. He doesn't
even look up from his computer screen.

__________OSCAR
Do I need to know you?

__________BOBBY
I... I want to join the Union.

__________OSCAR
Get lost. We're not a union shop.

Dilbert silently bolsters Bobby's courage. Oscar finally swivels
his chair and looks Bobby over.

__________OSCAR (Cont'd)
Why now?

__________BOBBY
They killed my cube neighbor.

__________OSCAR
The talk is, you hated each other.

__________BOBBY
I loved the way we hated each other.

Oscar rolls his eyes, but Dilbert is touched.

__________OSCAR
You understand, Bobby, that you
join the Union for life.

__________DILBERT
He understands.

Oscar SNIFFS and retrieves a worn leather zip case from a cabinet
drawer. He opens it to reveal a high-tech tattoo needle. And a
special bottle of ink.

He swabs the back of Bobby's hand with alcohol.

__________OSCAR
Join the Underground, kid.
They won't maim you like I will.

Bobby looks Oscar in the eye. Finally, some courage and conviction
in there.

__________BOBBY
I won't turn back. Do me. Take
away that option.

Oscar smiles cruelly. He tells Dilbert:

__________OSCAR
Hold him.

EXT - OUTSIDE THE CUBE - DAY

Unseen, the tattoo needle BUZZES softly. Bobby SCREAMS.

Pitch | Synopsis | Return to Script Sampler Page | Contact: