Chronicle Screenplay - Scene 1

FROM ANDREW’S FIRST CAMERA
CUT - to indicate time lapses within a scene

INT. DETMER RESIDENCE - ANDREW’S ROOM

The room is dingy. Unkempt. The camera sits on the bed, on its side, facing the door. We can hear someone moving around off screen. The door handle clicks; someone’s trying it. Then nothing. Then, suddenly, loud pounding on the door. Andrew’s voice is scratchy and prone to cracking. He speaks with a rushed mix of fear and anxiety.

ANDREW (O.S.): What do you want, I’m getting ready
for school-

MR. DETMER (O.S.): Why is the door locked, unlock this
fucking door right now.

The bed stirs as Andrew sits down.

MR. DETMER (O.S.): I said unlock this door. UNLOCK THE DOOR. OPEN THE DOOR, NOW.

ANDREW (O.S.): You’re drunk-

MR. DETMER (O.S.): Listen, you don’t tell me- IF I’M DRUNK, OR-

ANDREW (O.S.): It’s seven thirty. In the AM. You’re drunk, dad, that’s crazy-

MR. DETMER (O.S.): What’re you doing in there?

ANDREW (O.S.): I’m filming this.

MR. DETMER (O.S.): What?

ANDREW (O.S.): I bought a camera. I’m filming all
your shit from now on.

There’s a beat, and then we can hear Mr. Detmer moving away from the door.

INT. DETMER RESIDENCE - SANDRA DETMER’S ROOM
Equally dingy. SANDRA DETMER, gaunt and sickly, is sat up in bed. Andrew’s filming her. She’s clearly very ill, speaking in a weak rasp. Andrew now holds the camera.

ANDREW (O.S.): Mom? Will you say hi to the
camera?

SANDRA DETMER: Who’s the audience?

ANDREW (O.S.): The millions of people watching at
home.

SANDRA DETMER: Hello world. Do I look awful?

ANDREW (O.S.): No, you look great.

SANDRA DETMER: I’ve been looking a little better, yeah?

ANDREW (O.S.): Oh yeah, definitely.

SANDRA DETMER: It’s a nice camera.

EXT. CLARK STREET - MORNING
Clark Street is a slummy mess; dead lawns, potholes in the street in a downtrodden suburb of Portland Oregon. Andrew carries the camera loosely at his side before getting into the passenger side of a car. In the driver’s seat is MATT Garrety, 17, with messy hair. He’s disaffected, and more than a little cynical; the reasoned demeanor of an unpretentious high-school intellectual.

MATT: I got you egg salad.

ANDREW (O.S.): Oh, yeah, thanks.

They’re driving.

MATT: So...Should I ask about the camera,
or-

ANDREW (O.S.): I’m filming things now. I’m
filming everything.

MATT: You’re filming everything.

ANDREW (O.S.): For my mom. I’m trying to get custody of her-
CUT
-getting worse, not...helping, case something
from my dad. She’s and he’s
and this way, it goes down-

MATT: He gets violent or whatever-

ANDREW (O.S.): Right, it’d be

MATT: Evidence. But right now,
you’re not with him, but you’re filming this.

ANDREW (O.S.): Well, yeah, to add context.

MATT: Context. Andrew, you are... a weird dude.

MATT (CONT’D): Did you ever read any Auguste Comte?

ANDREW (O.S.): What is that?

MATT: He’s this philosopher I’m reading.

ANDREW (O.S.): For school?

MATT: He’s just like- his whole thing is about being positive and like, taking up for yourself. You should read him, maybe, it might make you feel- you know, improve your outlook.

ANDREW (O.S.): Yeah, right.

EXT. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH - PARKING LOT
Andrew’s getting out of the car, but then ducks back in to see Matt lighting a pipe.

ANDREW (O.S.): Are you not coming in?

MATT: I’m gonna blaze a little first, yeah?

ANDREW (O.S.): You’re going to miss first period-

Matt turns on the radio, loud.

ANDREW (O.S.) (CONT’D): Okay, okay.

INT. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIGH - HALLWAY
Andrew’s filming himself putting stuff in his locker, and does a quick sweep of the crowded school hallway.

ANDREW (O.S.): This is my school, I guess. This is the hallway-

GIRL: Vote “Kaz!”

A girl suddenly approaches, awkwardly handing Andrew a flyer.

GIRL (CONT’D): Vote Steve Kazinsky for Senior class president! Every vote counts.

Andrew films the flyer for a moment, brightly colored and featuring a picture of a smiling Steve Kazinsky, before something yanks the camera away. For the first time we see ANDREW Detmer, 17, pale, awkward and gangly, with long, stringy hair and thin, scraggly beard. He looks anxious, if not afraid.

BRYCE (O.S.): Yo this camera is a piece of shit. It’s like from 2004 or some shit.

WAYNE, 17, big and hateable in his Ed Hardy T-shirt, appears wrapping his arm roughly around Andrew.

WAYNE: Hey, how do I look?
(starts muscle posing)
Like this? Ooh, that’s good. Like this? That’s sexy, right?

ANDREW: Bryce, gimme my camera back-

BRYCE (O.S.): Fuck you Andrew, shut up. This
camera’s a piece of shit.

WAYNE: You got me, let’s go.

Wayne turns and knocks everything out of Andrew’s locker. Bryce starts to walk away with the camera.

ANDREW (O.S.): Hey, Bryce, come on, give it back-

The camera is set down on the ground, and then abruptly kicked back to Andrew. He picks it up, checking on it.

ANDREW (CONT’D) (quietly, sad): Oh come on...