Children of Men

Written by Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby|Directed by Alfonso Cuarón|2006
Sci-FiThrillerDrama
102 pages20 scenes15 characters54 dialogue blocks14 locations
SCENE 1pp. 1–2

INT. CAFE -- DAY

News reports Baby Diego's death while Theo orders coffee in a crowded cafe.

THEOWOMAN

OVER BLACK, a news report:

NEWSMAN'S VOICE

(upper-class English accent)

Day 1000 of the siege of Seattle.

NEWSWOMAN'S VOICE

The Muslim community demands an end to the army's occupation of mosques.

NEWSMAN'S VOICE

The Homeland Security Bill is ratified. After eight years, British borders will remain closed. The deportation of illegal immigrants will continue. Good morning. Our lead story.

NEWSWOMAN'S VOICE

The world was stunned today by the death of Diego Ricardo, the youngest person on the planet.

INT. CAFE -- DAY

Middle-aged FACES, sad and hopeless, looking up in quiet shock, and now we see we're in a crowded cafe. Standing room only. Everyone listening...

NEWSWOMAN'S VOICE

Baby Diego was stabbed outside a bar in Buenos Aires after refusing to sign an autograph.

A man enters the coffee shop, making his way through the transfixed crowd: THEO FARON, 45, wears a worn suit and tie, glasses. Theo is a veteran of hopelessness. He gave up before the world did.

NEWSMAN'S VOICE

Witnesses at the scene say that Diego spat in the face of a fan who asked for an autograph. He was killed in the ensuing brawl. The fan was later beaten to death by the angry crowd.

Theo wedges his way through the packed bodies to the counter. He orders:

THEO

Coffee please. Black.

Next to him, a 50-year-old WOMAN stares upward, cradling a small dog, a tear rolling down her face. Theo follows her gaze: an old plasma TV is mounted above the counter. A REPORTER delivering the breaking news. Theo watches with little interest.

NEWSMAN (TV)

Born in 2009, the son of Marcello and Sylvia Ricardo, a working class couple from Mendoza, he struggled all his life with the celebrity status thrust upon him as the world's youngest person.

Theo's coffee arrives. He lays exact change on the counter and makes his way back toward the door, weaving through the crowd, past two Policemen, watching the news, crying.

NEWSWOMAN (TV)

(solemnly)

Diego Ricardo, the youngest person on the planet, was 18 years, 4 months, 20 days, 16 hours and 8 minutes old.

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