The document is a screenplay that introduces Tom Garringer, a 16-year-old boy who runs away from his abusive home and finds work on a farm. He has a talent for singing and playing guitar. The screenplay shows Tom bonding with the people on the farm, including Will, Janice, Dawn, and the owner Bill Stanford. Bill encourages Tom to pursue his musical talents and helps Tom find a sense of belonging.

1. A Cooling Breeze
an original screenplay by
Jacob Lovett
Jacob Lovett
Savannah, Ga 31401
(401) 864- 1304
jlovet22@student.scad.edu

2. EXT. CREEK - DAY
Wind plays in his hair as TOM GARRINGER, 16 years old, stares
intently toward the end of his fishing line, examining the
creek's flowing current for fish. He sits propped up within
the confines of shady oak tree, sinking comfortably into the
tall grass beside the bank. Birds' whistling and the babbling
creek put TOM in a state of meditative peace.
Relaxing into the sounds of nature, he begins to sing. His
voice is calm, relaxed, with lyrics that express his
loneliness and an optimism of better days. His eyes spark
with excitement as he notices something at his line. He leans
out, slowly removing himself from his shady spot and into
the sun. He wades into the water, with fluid and practiced
movements. He stops, feeling the sun and the pull of the
current. He closes his eyes and feels the breeze. He remains.
SUPER: A COOLING BREEZE
CUT TO:
EXT. CREEK - EVENING
The sun has greatly fallen behind the trees, revealing only
an edge of crisp light on the trees above. Tom awakes, pulling
his hat from his face and lifting himself up from behind a
tree. Anxiety fills his expression, signifying that he is
late for something. Quickly, he gathers his things into a
sack and heads out.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
Tom enters into the front room of a small home. The house is
cramped, congested with expensive but useless décor. Smoke
lingers at the low ceilings, causing TOM to cough upon
entering. Tom's stepbrothers, SAMUEL (17) and DILLON (16)
look up from their preoccupation of adjusting the television
antennae.
Oversized cigars hang from their mouths as they regard him
the way a cat would a mouse, approaching him with an air of
hostile enjoyment. Samuel is the first to engage in the
routine.
SAMUEL
(Smacking Tom in the
side of his head.)
And where the hell 'av you been?
Dillon follows his older brother, circling Tom like prey.

3. 2.
DILLON
Mah's gonna take a chunk outta you
for showin' up this late.
They continue to smack and poke him as they taunt. The two
of them are much larger than Tom in size. Tom remains
grounded, but his composure reveals his fear. They sense it.
TOM
(Wavering)
You know my granddad would be pissed
if he found out you stole his cigars
again.
Samuel and Dillon exchange glances and laugh.
SAMUEL
(Sedistically)
And you're gonna be the one to tell
him, eh? You aint got the kernels
for that kid.
Dillon grabs Tom from behind, holding his arms back.
TOM
(Struggling)
Wh-what the hell are you doing?!
Samuel and Dillon chuckle as Samuel take his cigar out of
his mouth. He proceeds to move it close to Tom's forehead in
a threat to burn him. Tom struggles but both Dillon and Samuel
are much larger than him. As the cigar inches closer to his
face, footsteps are heard from the adjacent room. BUD enters,
built in physical stature but weak in character.
BUD
Samuel, Dillon, are you givin' my
boy trouble?
SAMUEL
Nah Bud, we're just greeting our
little bro!
They laugh, not in the least bit threatened. Dillon releases
Tom, pushing him away as he does so. Tom adjusts his ruffled
clothing.
BUD
(Faintly)
Come on boy, you got some leftovers
in the fridge.

4. 3.
INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Tom walks toward his father and passes into the kitchen. He
begins to wash his hands. Janet is sitting at the table,
reading some mail as he enters. Her eyes follow his movements.
They teem with resentment.
She puts the mail down, lifting her head to address him.
JANET
And where have you been?
Her lips are pursed, her eyes fiery.
Tom takes a moment to answer. His gaze remains toward the
sink.
TOM
Down at the creek.
JANET
And you have the nerve to show your
face in my kitchen after I give up
my time, cooking for my family? As
if I should even consider you a member
of this family, you're an absolute
disgrace.
Her words pierce with hatred.
He begins to wipe his hands on a dishrag. His movements are
slow, restrained by the fear of moving too quickly.
JANET (CONT'D)
You're lucky the lord is merciful,
boy, because if he wasn't I swear,
all you'd be eating is raw eggs from
the chicken coup for a week.
He decides this is enough. It's time to speak his mind.
TOM
(Under his breath)
It'd be better than the rot-slop you
give me.
JANET
What did you just say you ungrateful,
little-
Tom runs to his room and locks the door. Janet chases him
and bangs on the door. Bud's voice is heard trying to calm
her down offscreen. They argue, but it eventually subsides.
He lies in his bed for a while staring at the ceiling in a
state of self-reflection.

5. 4.
After a moment, his eyes glow with decisiveness.
A bag is slammed down onto his bed as he starts to pack. As
he is about to exit through his window he turns to see his
guitar leaning up in the corner of the wall. We are brought
in slowly.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING IN WOODS - NIGHT
TOM is emerging from the woods. His appearance reflects his
long walk in the dark. The guitar is strapped onto his back,
with a sack held over his left shoulder. He enters a clearing
and sets his things down, resting on his back onto a patch
of grass. He lies there, staring out into the night sky,
listening to the sounds of nature. After a moment of thought,
his face lights up with inspiration. He quickly gets up.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING IN WOODS - NIGHT
We see TOM from behind shrubbery as though we were coasting
by. He sits before a small, crackling fire with his guitar
in hand, playing a song, stopping in between sections to jot
it down in a notebook. He is enjoying himself.
We see the forest from an above view, looking over the
beautiful southern landscape at night. The prominent sounds
of insects and other sounds are supplemented by a far-off
strumming and a soft voice. Peace is a palpable entity.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDE OF A HIGHWAY - MORNING
TOM steps out of the woods and walks up onto a country road.
His clothes are slightly worn and his filth reflects a night
in the elements. His movements show his hunger and fatigue.
He begins to walk along the side of the road. There appears
to be nothing but the road and the trees that overhang the
street. He walks on unhesitatingly.
The difference in scenery marks a transition in time. He is
now much further down the country road, encroaching on farms
and fields. His face is blank as he marches onward.
The sound of three young people is audible from a distance.
Tom remains walking. It grows louder and a more coherent
conversation is audible. He finally turns to see JANICE,
WILL, and DAWN riding bicycles, swerving and talking
animatedly. They pull up beside him and follow curiously.
WILL speaks first.

6. 5.
WILL
Hey man, where you headed?
Tom glances tiredly around him tiredly, referencing the trees
and the sky.
TOM
(Wearily)
You know, I'm not really sure yet.
JANICE
(Loudly)
What is that suppose to mean?
WILL
(Lowering his head to
her)
Janice, relax; this guy looks like
he's just been through hell and back.
He continues to walk. They follow in a moment of silence.
WILL (CONT'D)
Hey don't mind my friend man, she's
always interested when it comes to
mysterious guys with guitars, haha!
Janice slaps him in the side.
JANICE
Oh, shut up.
Tom keeps moving, he looks partly bored, partly too weak to
engage in conversation. After a silence, Dawn chimes in.
DAWN
So, what are you doing?
Tom takes a while to respond. He continues to refernce his
environment.
TOM
I'm searching for something.
DAWN
What is it?
TOM
I'm not sure exactly.
WILL
Well man, if its work your looking
for, old man Stanford could use an
extra farm hand.
(MORE)

7. 6.
WILL (CONT'D)
You see we all work for him, he gives
us free rooms and hot meals in
exchange for some work in the fields.
(He pauses and focuses
more on Tom)
Looks like just the thing you need.
Tom stops and looks down, thinking.
TOM
I could use a hot meal.
They nod in agreement.
TOM (CONT'D)
(Decisively)
Alright. I'll do it.
Will, Janice and Dawn's faces light up. They look at each
other excitedly.
WILL
Well come on, its just a few streets
back, we'll introduce you to him!
They all continue down the road.
CUT TO:
EXT. BARN - DAY
JANICE, WILL, and DAWN pull their bikes up and drop them as
they enter the driveway of a large farm. TOM follows just
behind on foot, glancing over at the cows grazing in the
distance. They signal him toward the barn. WILL calls out.
WILL
Hey old man, we got someone we'd
like you t'meet!
BILL STANFORD walks out from behind a barn, wiping oil from
his hands with a rag. He is a weathered man, sun carved from
years of out door labor.
BILL
How many times do I have to tell
you, twit? I aint old!
Tom seems nervous.
Bill's eyes turn to TOM. He seems delighted.

8. 7.
BILL (CONT'D)
Ah, and who is this little
troublemaker?
Toms lowers his eyes, intimidated.
TOM
Uh, I'm not a troublemaker sir. I'm,
uh. My name's Tom, Tom Garringer.
Bill looks him up and down.
BILL
Eh, I know your not a troublemaker
son, its written in your eyes.
Anyways, what brings you to my humble
establishment, boy?
TOM
Well sir, I, uh, was hopin you could
provide me with a place to stay, in
exchange for some work in the fields.
I'm real good with my hands, sir.
BILL
Hm. I guess I could use a little
extra help with the tilling, ever
since my machine done broke on me.
(He pauses for a moment)
Will, you think you could show this
boy the ropes? Show 'im the
difference between grit and grits?
WILL
No problem!
Bill looks Tom over one more time, looking thoughtful.
BILL
Well, kid if you wanna work for me,
your welcome to it. Just know that
it aint no kids game. I provide the
food and the room, you provide the
youth.
Will starts to chuckle.
BILL (CONT'D)
Shut yo mouth, boy!
They all laugh.

9. 8.
BILL (CONT'D)
Come on, y'all are just in time for
lunch; I'll show you around the
Badlands Tommyboy!
They all walk together toward the barn.
CUT TO:
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
BILL, TOM, WILL, JANICE and DAWN are enjoying a great meal
and stories. Will has the floor. Everyone is joyfully engaged
as he speaks.
WILL
…An ' she was stuck knee deep in the
mucky terrain. We tried getting'
her outta there for a good hour until
she finally popped out like a cork!
Everyone laughs.
WILL (CONT'D)
We spent a good 'nother hour just
trying to dig out her left sneaker!
(He laughs)
Everyone continues to laugh until it eventually subsides.
They all pause in contentment. Dawn glances at Tom.
DAWN
So Tom, you've had that guitar
strapped to your back ever since we
first saw you,do you actually play
it or is it just for show?
TOM
(Bashful)
Yeah, well…
JANICE
(In agreement to Dawn)
Haha, right?
WILL
Yeah dude serenade us!
They all wait eagerly.
BILL
Play us a tune, bud!

10. 9.
TOM
(Waiting a moment to
respond.)
Ah, well all right.
Tom pulls his case onto his lap, unzips it and pulls the
strap over his shoulder. He takes a moment to tune it. The
girls giggle at this. He coughs to ready his voice.
TOM (CONT'D)
(To drag it out)
Eh-hem. Y'all ready?
ALL
Yeah, come on!
He takes a moment, and then begins to sing.
Tom sings a folk song, the lyrics expressing a cherishing of
nature and life. The audience is moved. Upon finishing, there
is a pause of astonishment.
JANICE
(Breaking the silence)
Dude, whoa.
WILL
(Simultaneously with
Bill and Dawn)
That was amazing!
BILL
(Simultaneously with
Will and Dawn)
Well, I'll be, you certainly got a
voice kid.
DAWN
(Simultaneously with
Will and bill)
Wow, why aren't you on the radio?
TOM
(Blushing)
Ah, nah. I mean, my pop said it isn't
practical to pursue things such as
music as a career. And quite frankly,
y'all are the first I've ever really
played to.
BILL
Well Tommyboy, I'll take the honor
of being the first to tell it to you
straight. You've got a talent, kid.
(MORE)

11. 10.
BILL (CONT'D)
You not taking the time to honor
that aint doin' anyone any favors.
The rest nod in agreement.
Tom sits pensively.
BILL (CONT'D)
Whelp! Its getting' late, you kids
should get some rest, Bobby came
with the wood splitter today so I
got a nice fresh pile of pine thats
gonna need some stackin'! (He laughs)
Will, Janice, and Dawn head to their quarters. Tom begins to
pack his guitar and BILL remains seated, staring out
thoughtfully for a moment. Bill looks to Tom.
BILL (CONT'D)
I know where y'are, son. I've been
there myself.
Tom looks up slowly.
BILL CONT'D
You're running, from who and what I
won't ask, but your doing it
blindfolded. You're seeing the past
as the enemy and the vague future as
the tree of life. I been there. The
question for you isn't "why am I
here," its "what am I gonna do in
this moment to make today the best
day of my life." (He adjusts his
seating) You see, life pushes us in
these directions for a reason, we
can feel it in our gut, but we can't
exactly pinpoint what it means or
why it makes us feel this way. The
only thing to do is feel it, accept
it, and cherish it. (Conclusively,
sitting back into his chair.) Let
nature take its course. Be the tree
of your own life, growing so tall
that you provide shade for others.
Then when its all said and done,
flutter down. Flutter down like
leaves in a cooling Autumn breeze.
Tom looks out and returns his glance to Bill; they share a
moment of understanding. Tom nods, smirks and raises his
eyebrows.

12. 11.
TOM
So this is going to be some tough
work isn't it.
BILL
(Conclusively)
You betcha.
They share a laugh.
EXT./INT. LOCATIONS AT FARM - DAY/EVENING
Musical score reflects the enjoyment and hopefulness that
Tom experiences in his new environment.
(Montage)
Light pours in through the entryway of the barn door as WILL,
JANICE, DAWN and BILL pass in front of it. TOM approaches
and stops at the door, smiling in admiration.
TOM is tilling the earth between two posts. Will passes by
and slaps him on the shoulder. Tom looks up and wipes the
sweat from his brow, out of breath but showing enjoyment.
DAWN and TOM walk through the barn together each holding
pales of water, they share laughs as they converse. Dawn
splashes water up at him from her pale. Tom is shocked but
returns the jest. Dumping his whole bucket onto her. she
gasps and begins to chase him. They continue to play.
BILL passes by WILL, TOM, JANICE and DAWN as they are raking
a field. They are all smiling and playful. Tom looks
admiringly back toward Bill. Bill looks back and tips his
hat to him.
(END OF MONTAGE)
EXT. FIELD - DAY
TOM is once again out the field, walking with Will and
carrying sacks of corn. They laugh as they walk, Will makes
a gesture in mockery of a woman. Tom laughs. They see Janice
running toward them from the direction of the house. She
looks alarmed. Tom and Will share concerned glances then
return their glance to Janice. Janice approaches.
TOM
Janice, what's wrong?
JANICE
It's Stanford, he isn't moving!

13. 12.
TOM is still as Will runs out. We close in on Tom, his
expression is blank and confused.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIELD - EVENING
The crickets chirp as we see WILL, JANICE, TOM, and DAWN
standing in a circle in the middle of a field. Their heads
are staring sorrowfully down toward the ground at a mound
marking Bill's memory. Their faces are blank, sad.
They take a long moment of mourning.
WILL
So what are y'all planning to do
now?
They all remain looking at the mound.
DAWN
Janice and I have some friends in
town that said that we could stay
with them for a while. Just until we
can find a place of our own.
Will grunts in acknowledgement. They all take another moment
of silence.
WILL
I talked to Bill's brother after he
had been taken off. He said I could
stick around here for awhile, manage
the land until they work up the
paperwork to sell the place.
Personally, I'm planning on buying
it myself.
They all look to TOM. Tom doesn't budge.
WILL (CONT'D)
So, how 'bout you Tom? You could
stick around here with me; I can
always use a strong guy like you to
help me keeping this place up and
going.
His gaze remains affixed to the memorial. His teeth grit,
showing a newfound strength.
TOM
You know, I think I'm going to head
to the city.

14. 13.
JANICE
The city, what's in the city?
TOM
I'm not quite sure yet. But its
what my guts telling me to do. Maybe
I can find a place, a job, (Longingly)
a home. Anyway, its about time I
stop running blindfolded. I'm gonna
look at every new day as an
opportunity, a chance for better
things. And just let everything take
its natural course, as we all should.
Tom smiles and walks over to Will, placing his hand on his
shoulder. He smiles and looks at each of them individually.
TOM (CONT'D)
I'm glad to have you all as my
friends. And I hope that someday
soon we can all be together again.
They smile despite their sadness and all join in a group
hug. Dawn wipes her tears away. They release each other.
WILL
(Looking to TOM)
Bill would be proud. The doors are
always open for you my friend.
TOM walks off, looking once more to BILL's memorial.
FADE TO BLACK:
SUPER: 2 MONTHS LATER
EXT. STREET SIDE - DAY
TOM is leaning warily against a wall on the corner of a busy
street. His face is silhouetted beneath his hat as he picks
slowly at his guitar. He sings quietly to himself as the
clamber of the street cancels out his voice. A case sits
before him with only a bit of money in it. He stops playing.
His mouth is dry from thirst.
A figure silhouettes him as a fifty-dollar bill floats almost
magically into Toms case before his eyes. He looks up from
under his hat to see a man in business attire smirking down
on him. He is carrying two iced coffees.
MAN IN SUIT
Why'd you stop playing?

15. 14.
TOM
(Weakly)
Muh- (He licks his lips.) My throat
is dry.
MAN IN SUIT
(jovially)
Well, here!
He hands Tom an iced coffee. Tom takes a few sips. Extends
it back out.
MAN IN SUIT (CONT'D)
No, no son! It yours! You know I've
been listening to you play for about
two weeks now, and I got to tell
you, you certainly got a lot of grit
to be sitting on these filthy streets
day in day out.
TOM
(Looking back down at
sidewalk.)
Well, whatya think?
MAN IN SUIT
What do I think? (He takes off his
sunglasses) You know boy, I couldn't
tell you what I think in just a couple
short sentences.
He waves his hand to follow.
MAN IN SUIT (CONT'D)
Come on, I'll tell you what I think.
Tom gets up, gathers his things and walks with the man. They
continue down the street. The man talks with great optimism
and large gestures. We lose them as the fade into the traffic.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
SAMUEL and DILLON are shown trying to get the TV to work.
Dillon shoves Samuel.
DILLON
Let me do it, idiot!
Samuel moves off and Dillon smacks the TV one hard time. The
TV kicks on. Dillon and Samuel are pleased and smile at their
success.

16. 15.
We hear the sound of television commercials off screen. Their
faces slowly turn back to a frown as they realize what they
are seeing.
DILLON (CONT'D)
(Stuttering)
Mom- Mom come see this.
Janet enters, rollers in her hair.
JANET
(Mumbling to herself)
Ugh, can't a woman just take care of
herself for once without a-
DILLON
Mom, take a look at this.
JANET
Oh, my, lord.
Bud comes in responding to the noise.
BUD
Hey guys what's all this fuss abou-
(realizing whats on
the screen)
Well I'll be damned.
OFFSCREEN COMMERCIAL VOICEOVER
Tom Garringer's album, "A Cooling
Breeze," are now in available
everywhere. Get it before it
disappears!
BUD
...He did it.
FADE TO BLACK