Buggin Out Bugs Out (Do the Right Thing)

INT: SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

Customers are in Sal's; it's lunchtime and it's fairly busy. Sal puts a hot slice down on the counter in front of BUGGIN' OUT, a b-boy.

SAL
You paying now or on layaway?

Buggin' Out looks at the slice.

BUGGIN' OUT
How much?

SAL
You come in here at least three
times a day. You a retard? A buck
fifty.

BUGGIN' OUT
Damn, Sal, put some more cheese on
that motherfucker.

SAL
Extra cheese is two dollars.
y'know dat.

BUGGIN' OUT
Two dollars! Forget it!

Buggin' Out slams his money down on the counter, takes his slice and sits down.

ANGLE--TABLE

All around Buggin' Out, peering down from the WALL OF FAME, are signed, framed, eight by ten glossies of famous Italian Americans. WE SEE Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Governor Mario Cuomo, Al Pacino and, of course, how can we forget Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa: THE ITALIAN STALLION, also RAMBO.

CLOSE UP--BUGGIN' OUT

He looks at the pictures hovering above him.

BUGGIN' OUT
Mookie.

CLOSE UP--MOOKIE

MOOKIE
What?

CLOSE UP--BUGGIN' OUT

BUGGIN' OUT
How come you ain't got no brothers
up?

CLOSE UP--MOOKIE

MOOKIE
Ask Sal.

ANGLE--PIZZERIA

BUGGIN' OUT
Sal, how come you ain't got no
brothers up on the wall here?

SAL
You want brothers up on the Wall of
fame, you open up your own business,
then you can do what you wanna do.
my pizzeria, Italian Americans up
on the wall.

VITO
Take it easy, Pop.

SAL
Don't start on me today.

BUGGIN' OUT
Sal, that might be fine, you own
this, but rarely do I see any
Italian Americans eating in here.
all I've ever seen is Black folks.
so since we spend much money here,
we do have some say.

SAL
You a troublemaker?

Pino walks over to Buggin' Out.

PINO
You making trouble.

BUGGIN' OUT
Put some brothers up on this Wall
of Fame. We want Malcolm X, Angela
Davis, Michael Jordan tomorrow.

Sal comes from behind the counter with his Louisville Slugger Mickey Mantle model baseball bat. Vito is by his Side, but Mookie intercepts them, and takes Buggin' Out outside.

SAL
Don't come back, either.

BUGGIN' OUT
Boycott Sal's. Boycott Sal's.

EXT: SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

MOOKIE
Buggin' Out, I gotta work here.

BUGGIN' OUT
I'm cool. I'm cool.

MOOKIE
Come back in a week, it will be
squashed.

They give each other five.

INT: SAL'S FAMOUS PIZZERIA--DAY

Mookie enters.

SAL
Mookie, if your friends can't
behave, they're not welcome.

MOOKIE
I got no say over people.

PINO
You talk to 'em.

MOOKIE
People are free to do what they
wanna do.

SAL
I know, this is America, but I
don't want no trouble.

EXT: STREET--DAY

Mookie walks down the block with pizza box in hand when he sees Da Mayor sitting on his stoop.

DA MAYOR
Mookie.

MOOKIE
Gotta go.

DA MAYOR
C'mere, Doctor.

Mookie turns around and goes back.

DA MAYOR
Doctor, this is Da Mayor talkin'.

MOOKIE
OK. OK.

DA MAYOR
Doctor, always try to do the right
thing.

MOOKIE
That's it?

DA MAYOR
That's it.