Tin Cup

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by John Norville and Ron Shelton

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• Comedy
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• Romance

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• Published by: script-cinema
• Reads: 4
• Language: English

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TIN

CUP

Writtenby
JOHNNORVILLEandRONSHELTON

December1995Draft

FOREDUCATIONAL
PURPOSESONLY

1

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TINNYCHEATIN'HEARTMUSIC,thedullGROANofaTRACTOR,
CRICKETSCHIRPIN'lovesongs,sporadicZAPSfromBUG
LIGHTS,andanoccasionalrandomTHWOCKaswe--

FADEIN:

EXT.TEXAS-DRAMATICANGLE-SUNSET

Outwestwherethesundescendsgloriouslyoverdesolate
mountains.Asenseoftimelessbeautyuptibledniocrrna
ifyouignoreUSMhetofGANTWehtheoftETRPSTUhteCI,
TRACTOR,theZAPS,theTHWACKS...andsomethingelse...

...MEN'SVOICES.Garrulouswithdrink,fraternityand
amusement.

WePANDOWNTO:

EXT.DRIVINGRANGE-LATEDAY

Aman,JOSE,isontheroof,wrestlingwitharickety
satellitedish,stringingwire,tryingtogetittowork.
(Wegetglimpsesofhimthroughoutthesceneashe
struggleswithwhatisassuredlyapirateoperation.)

Fourofsixfloodlightsnailedtotheroofcastpoolsof
yellowintothegatheringdarkness.ROY"TINCUP"McAVOY
standsundertheswarmofmothscrowdingthebrightest
light,hittinggolfballs.THWOCK...!Launchingthem,
really,intothedeepeningnight.There'sabeerbetween
hislegs.Behindhim:

Agroupofmenformsasemicircle,facingawayfromTin
Cup.Thesemenaretherangeregulars:CURT,CLINT,
EARL,andDEWEY.Eachmanhasmoneyinonehandandhis
preferredlibationintheother.They'realllooking
backandforthbetweenthebuglightshungontheback
wall,andmutteringwhatsoundslikebetsto:

ROMEOPOSAR--asmallerman,hestandsatthecenterof
thegroupwithahandfulofcash.Romeoisapart-time
bookieandfull-timedrivingrangeman.Bornacrossthe
riverinMexico,RomeoisTinCup'scaddie,confidante,
bestfriend.

ROMEO
Okay,allbetsaredown!

Theireyesrivetonthebuglights,edgy,hopeful,
until...ZAP!ABUGisELECTROCUTED.AndDeweycheers
triumphantlywhiletheotherregularsmuttercursesabout
howtheywoulda,coulda,shouldabet.

1

2

1.

A3

ROMEO
Numberoneisthewinner!Dewey
hasthewinner.Paysfivetotwo!

RomeoquicklypaysDeweyandmorequicklytakesmoneyfrom
thelosers.It'sfast-paced,inane,time-killing
gambling.TinCuplooksover.

TINCUP
Don'tyoushitheelseverget
bored?

Theregularsflapdismissivepalmsandmutterinthe
negativeastheyturnbacktoRomeoandtheactionatthe
buglights.

TINCUP
...'CuzIgotariddle.

TinCupleadstheregularsinside.

INT.DRIVINGRANGE-LATEDAY

TinCupholdscourt.

TINCUP
Takesabouttwoouncesofbrains
tofigureitout.Anyonethink
theygotabrainwithtwoounces
ofbrainsinit?

CUTTO:

Theregularssilentlylookateachother,reluctantto
revealtheheftoftheirbrains.

TINCUP
ForChrissakes,boys!Alittle
self-confidencefromtheplayers'
gallery.Weain'ttalkinglong
division.

EARL
(timidly)
Howmuchwegottalose?

TINCUP
Youwanttoliventhingsup,Earl?
That'sahellofanidea.Say
everyoneputsintwentybucksand
thepotgoestowhoeversolvesthe
riddle.

DEWEY
Yougoingtogettheriddle,Tin
Cup?

2.

A3

TINCUP
(patiently)
Dewey.I'mtheoneaskingthe
riddle.Ialreadyknowthe
answer.Idon'tgettaguess.
Although...WecouldsayifIget
tofivehundredbouncesandnoone
getstheriddle,Igetthepot.
AndIknowwhatyou'rethinking.
It'sanimpossibleriddle.Well,
It'snot.It'saneasyriddle.
Andifsomehowbythegraceof
flukeluckIwin,andyouall
don'tagreeitwasaneasy
riddle,hell,I'llrefundyour
money.

EARL,CLINT&ALL
I'min...We'rein...Countus
in...etc...

TINCUP
Okay,aman'sdrivingdownthe
roadwithhissonandhtyegte
inacrash.Twoambulancescome
andtakethemanandhissonto
differenthospitals.Songoes
intotheoperatingroom,the
doctorlooksathimandsays,'I
can'toperateonthisboy.He's
myson.'How'sthatpossible?
(beat)
Theclock'stickingboys...

TinCupbeginsbouncingaballonthefaceofhiswedge.

EARL
Fatherdidn'tsneakbackin,
right?He'sstillattheother
hospital?

TINCUP
Itain't'StarTrek,'Earl.No
onebeamedhimaboard.

Thateliminatesthemostplausibletheoryintheirminds.
Thementhinkharder.

EARL
Well...ifthefathermarriedthe
son'sdaughter--

TINCUP
It'safamilyriddle,Earl.Think
cleanthoughts.

3.

3

Theregularspuzzlesomemore.
CLINT
Giveusalittlehint.
MOLLY(O.S.)
Thedoctor'sawoman.
Allheadsturntotakeinthearrivalof:

MOLLYGRISWOLD
Standingjustinsidethedoor--she'safresh-faced
beautyinherearlythirties,andshe'sgotallnew
everythingthesportofgolfrequires:newbag,new
clubs,newshoes,newclothes,newvisor...shelooks
likeshesteppedoutofanadinGolfDigest.Andall
themenareaskingthemselvesthesamequestion:what's
shehelytsheeniliceitnvMseyllootppusodnigeher?T
riddle'sanswer.
MOLLY
Thedoctoristheson'smother.
Feministsposetheriddleto
revealhowdeeplyoursexual
stereotypesrun.
(directlytoTinCup)
Itakeityou'reafeminist?
TinCupmissestheballhe'sbeenbouncing,breakingthe
spell.TheregularswaitforTinCup'sresponse.
TINCUP
Ma'am,I'vebeencalledalotof
things--butnoone'sever
saddledmewiththatone.
MOLLY
Youmighttrybeingsaddled
sometime--thesmellofleather,
thestingofawhip...
Theregularssnicker,enjoyingherone-upmanship.
TINCUP
(slightlytaken
aback)
I'mjustahumblegolfpro...
MOLLY
You'reRoyMcAvoythegolfpro?I
picturedsomething...different.
Ihaveaseveno'clocklesson.
TINCUP
IthoughtIhadaDoctorGriswold

3

4.

4

5

atseven.

Theyhurryouttotherange,TinCupoblivioustohis
gaffe.

Andtheregularsgathertolookoutthewindow--

THEIRPOV-THROUGHWINDOW

Totherange,whereMollyisstretchingandTinCupis
discreetlywavingtotheregularstogetlost.

EXT.DRIVINGRANGE-NIGHT

CUTTO:

Thelessonbegins.TinCupcanbeslightlycondescending
inthesesituations,thoughshe'sgothimalittlewary.

TINCUP
Thefirstthingyougottalearn
aboutthisgame,Doc,isitain't
abouthiwlettlalbtettihilagni
intosomeyonderhole.It'sabout
innerdemonsandself-doubtand
humanfrailtyandovercomingall
thatcrap.So...whatkinda
doctor'dyousayyouwere?

MOLLY
I'mapsychologist--inlayman's
termscallmeaneo-Jungian,post-
modernFreudian,holistic
secularist.

Damn.

TINCUP

Shebeginsunpackingoneofherbags,pullingoutevery
golfgimmickonthemarket--swingaidstrapstopull
yourelbowstogether,aballpendulumthathangsfrom
yourhat,ametalcontraptionforyourfeet,etc.

MOLLY
Innerdemonsandhumanfrailtyare
mylife'swork.Iusedto
practiceinElPasobutI'vemoved
herenow...

TINCUP
What'rethose?

MOLLY
IorderedthesefromtheGolf
Channel.

4

5

5.

Hestaresindisbeliefasshetriestowriggleintosome
ofthisstuff.He'senchantedanddismayed.

TINCUP
Thatstuff'sawasteofmoney.

MOLLY
I'msurethereareexcessesand
repetitionshere,butIbelievein
thegatheringofknowledgeandI
figured,well,theremustbesome
truthsaboutthegolfswing
illustratedbythesedevices--
andthatyou'dhelpmesort
throughit.

Shestandstherewithcontraptionscomingfromevery
limb.

MOLLY
Ihavedozensofgolfvideotapes,
too...Andagolfwatch.

TINCUP
(irritated,impatient)
Takeitoff.Allofit.Now!
You'reasmartwoman,for
Chrissakes--don'tyouknowthe
workofcharlatanswhenyousee
it?

Shedepositsallthegolfgimmickdevicesinapile.

MOLLY
No.Icanalwaystellwhen
someoneislyingtohimself,but
I'mquitesusceptibleand
frequentlywrongwhenthatperson
liestome.
(pointingtothe
pileofdevices)
Thatstuffcostmeover200
dollars--

TINCUP
Thenit's200dollarsofshit...

Heteesaball,handsMollyherdriverandstepsback.

TINCUP
Goahead.Takeaswing.

Mollytakesapitty-patswingandwhiffs,andmutters
underherbreathwiththeeaseofalongshoreman.

6.

Aw,fuck...

MOLLY

TINCUP
Well,youtalklikeagolfer--

Mollyunloadsamightysecondswing.Theclubhead
bouncesoffthemat.Theballsitsuntouched.

Shit.

MOLLY

TINCUP
'Fuck...''Shit...'theseare
highlytechnicalgolftermsand
you'renoemthginustsoyrufri
lesson--thisispromising.

MOLLY
Awright,wiseass,showme.

TinCuptakestheclubfromMolly,motionsforherto
stepback,teesupaball,androcketsadriveintothe
night.

TINCUP
Somethinglikethat.

Hehandsherbacktheclubandteesupanotherball.
Mollyjustlooksathim.

MOLLY
Impressive.Y'know,Itendto
processthingsverbally.Canyou
breakdownintowordshowyoudid
that?

TinCuptakesadeepbreath--thisishisspeech.

TINCUP
'Whatisthegolfswing?'--by
RoyMcAvoy.
(beat)
Thegolfswingisapoem.

TINCUP(CONT'D)
Sometimesalovesonnetand
sometimesaHomerianepic--itis
organicandofapiece,yetit
breaksdownintoelegantstanzas
andquatrains.Thecritical
openingphraseofthissongisthe
grip,inwhichthehandsuniteto
formasingleunitbythesimple
overlapofthesmallestfinger...
(displaysgrip)
...heldlightly,aconductor's

7.

baton.
(startsswing)
Lowlyandslowlytheclubheadis
pulledback,ledintoposition
notbythehandsbutthebody
whichturnsawayfromthetarget,
shiftingtotherightsidewithout
shiftingbalance.Tempois
everything,perfectionunobtainable,
asthebodycoils,nowtothetop
oftheswing,inprofoundequilibrium.
Andthenaslighthesitation,anod
tothegods...

MOLLY
Anodtothegods?

TINCUP
Tothegods,yes...thatheis
fallible.Astheweightshifts
backtotheleftpullednowby
powersinsidetheearth--it's
alive,thisswing,aliving
sculpture--anddownthrough
contact,alwaysdown,intoterra
firma,strikingtheballcrisply
--withcharacter--atuning
forkgoesoffinyourheart,your
balls--suchapurefeelingis
thewell-struckgolfshot--And
thenthefollowthroughtofinish,
alwaysonline--Thereverse'C'
oftheGoldenBear,thesteelworker's
powerandbrawnofCarlSandburg's
ArnoldPalmer,thedaVinciof
Hogan,theunfinishedsymphonyof
RoyMcAvoy.

MOLLY
What?What'sunfinished?

TINCUP
Ihaveashortfollowthrough--
myswingcanlookunfinished.

Why?

MOLLY

TINCUP
Somesayit'sbecausethat'sthe
bestwaytoplaythroughthewinds
ofWestTexas...andsomesayit's
becauseIneverfinishanything.
Youcandecide.Thepointisevery
finishingpositionisuniqueasif
thatisthesignaturelefttothe
artist,thewarriorathletewho,

8.

finallyandthereby,hasasserted
hisonenesswithandpoweroverthe
universebywillingagolfballto
gowherehewantsandhowandwhen,
becausethatiswhatthegolfswing
isabout...
(finally)
Itisaboutgainingcontrolof
yourlife,andlettinggoatthe
sametime.

Mollystaresback,exhaustedandintrigued.
MOLLY
JeezLouise...

TINCUP
Thereisonlyoneotheracceptable
theoryofhowtohitagolfball.
MOLLY
I'mafraidtoask.What'sthe
othertheory?

TINCUP
Gripitandripit.

MOLLY
WhileIappreciateyourpoetic
sensibility,Mr.McAvoy--
TINCUP
CallmeRoy,Molly...
MOLLY
CallmeDr.Griswold...
MOLLY(CONT'D)
Roy...butatthispointIthink
I'mmoreofthe'gripitandrip
it'danH.olhoscehtemdriver.

TinCupdoes.Sheteesitup.

TINCUP
Waggleit,Doc,don'tforgetto
waggle.
(asshestaresat
him)
Waggle...theclubhead...
(showsher)
...it'salittlerelaxing
ritual...

Shewagglestheclubhead,thentakestheclubback.

9.