This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.
THE WILLIE AND THE GRACE
EPISODE 1.1: "UNO, DOS, GRACE"
Created By:
Tim McAleer & Graham Paschall
Written By:
Tim McAleer & Graham Paschall
PROLOGUE
PRE-CREDITS
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
We are introduced to WILLIE.
Strewn about contents litter the floor of his living room.
On the couch, Willie lies in an upside down position, his
head touching the floor.
Around his face sits empty taco wrappers. His eyes are
closed.
He is obviously depressed.
Directly next to the couch, a message machine flashes to
life. It plays its one lone message:
MACHINE (V.O.)
First message:
WOMAN (V.O.)
Jesus Christ, Willie, this is the
last time I'm changing my phone
number, got it?
Just except the fact that I'm gone.
Oh, and you can keep the duffel
bag. I bought new underwear.
MACHINE (V.O.)
End of message.
Willie's eyes open.
SCENE 1
POST-CREDITS
EXT. - OFFICE BUILDING, DAY
All is quiet in front of the large office building.
The only activity comes from the blowing breeze which causes
a near by trash can's handles to flap against the bulk of the
receptacle.
Beat.
And then THE GRACE enters.
The African-American angel runs into the frame. He wears
long, flowing white robes. Molded to his back are two small
angel wings. Attached to his head is a dangling halo.
The running angel gasps for breath, all the while holding the
halo to his sweat-covered head.
He runs past the office building and trash can.
Beat.
And then stops.
Turning around, The Grace looks down at the trash can, looks
left to right, and, in one swish of the hand, causes a heavy
wind to pick up, blowing the lid off of the can.
He reaches up, clutching the halo. The fallen muse tears the
golden ornament off of his head.
He throws it in the trash can and takes off past the office
building.
SCENE 2
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
Within the mysteriously clean home, Willie walks past many
rooms, viewing in on the emptiness.
Drawers are pulled out and left to hang and closets are
eerily empty.
Willie finally comes upon the bedroom. We see that despite a
Queen-sized bed, the sheets are crumpled on only half of the
mattress.
The other half is completely intact.
Willie gets on his knees before the bed, and reaches
underneath the box spring.
He pulls out a single wooden box.
CUT TO:
EXT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
Outside of Willie's house, The Grace runs by, still sweating
profusely.
He stops to breathe.
BACK TO:
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
Still within the bedroom, Willie opens the wooden box and
reveals...
A single, pre-tied noose.
He pulls out a desk chair and stands upon the furniture.
Looking up, we see a single, thick beam in the center of the
room.
Willie tosses one end of the noose around the beam. He stops
for a moment, staring at the noose.
Willie steps down from the chair and walks over to a CD
player.
Pressing play, The Safety Dance begins to play throughout the
house. He steps back onto the chair.
He wraps the dangling hole around his neck...
...and jumps.
As his body kicks and jerks around, we hear a faint voice.
GOD (V.O.)
Oh, poor Willie. Don't ya know
that all dogs go heaven part two?
CUT TO:
EXT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
The Grace, still breathing heavily, looks at the nearby
mailbox.
In childish lettering, it reads:
WILLIE
He shrugs once and walks towards the front door of the house.
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY -- CONTINUOUS
The angel enters the house, taking a look around. Despite
the horrid, outer shell, the inside of the house is
surprisingly clean.
THE GRACE
Wow. This place is a lot nicer on
the inside.
From somewhere within the house, The Grace hears the
struggling yelps of a strangled Willie.
We follow The Grace as he enters the bedroom. Willie hangs
from the ceiling, struggling with the noose wrapped around
his neck.
CUT TO:
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY -- TIME'S PAST
Still within the bedroom, Willie now lies on the floor. The
Grace holds him in a motherly embrace.
Willie's eyes open.
WILLIE
Mr. Rhames?
THE GRACE
Um-
WILLIE
Wait... who the hell are you?
THE GRACE
I just saved your life. Perhaps
you have something a little nicer
to say to me?
WILLIE
Alright.
Beat as Willie thinks for a moment.
WILLIE
(cont'd.)
Who the hell are you... sir?
THE GRACE
Isn't it obvious? I'm clearly a-
The Grace stops as he thinks for but a moment.
A *TING* sound signifies a new idea for the angel.
THE GRACE
(cont'd.)
Obviously, I am your guardian
angel.
WILLIE
What?
THE GRACE
It's true. I'll even prove it.
The Grace lets go of Willie, whom rises from off of the
ground.
THE GRACE
(cont'd.)
In case the flowing robes just
weren't enough, check this out!
The angel turns around, pointing to the wings on his back.
THE GRACE
(cont'd.)
See these? That's 100% wing there,
baby! And that ain't just
decoration. He-
(points upwards, towards
the ceiling)
-may be a bit mad right now, but he
still knows how to create one hell
of a "mythical" creature.
WILLIE
I thought most angels have halos.
THE GRACE
(defensive)
What do I look like? A cartoon?
You believe everything you see on
TV? Am I Bugs-Nigga-Bunny here?
WILLIE
Alright... then what now?
THE GRACE
Now, I need to refuel. So whatcha
got?
SCENE 3
EXT. - OFFICE BUILDING, DAY
We are back at the trash can that holds The Grace's halo.
We are also introduced to GOD, who is not seen, but only
heard.
He sounds mysteriously like Harry Carey.
GOD (V.O.)
Forgot about your tracker, did 'ya?
With a gust of wind, the top of the can flies off.
CUT TO:
P.O.V. - GOD -- CONTINUOUS
We look into the trash can to find the halo...
...and only the halo.
BACK TO:
EXT. - OFFICE BUILDING, DAY -- CONTINUOUS
GOD (V.O.)
Aw, God damn it! Ain't that the
chicken's knickers!?
The garbage pail completely topples over.
CUT TO:
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
The kitchen table is now littered with half eaten boxes from
Popeye's Chicken Restaurants.
The Grace snacks on a chicken leg. Willie just watches in
astonishment.
WILLIE
You said He was mad...
THE GRACE
Hmm?
WILLIE
You said earlier that He was mad.
THE GRACE
Who?
WILLIE
Him.
THE GRACE
Huh?
WILLIE
Exactly.
THE GRACE
What?
WILLIE
(aggravated)
God.
THE GRACE
Oh, yeah, Him.
WILLIE
Who?
THE GRACE
God.
WILLIE
God's mad?
THE GRACE
Not at you. He's just a spiteful
person in general.
WILLIE
Are we talking about the same God
here? Jehovah, Allah, the Holy
Spirit God? Are we talking about
"The Big One?"
Willie points upwards.
The Grace places the chicken leg down onto the table and
wipes his mouth with a napkin.
THE GRACE
"The Big One," eh? Don't get ahead
of yourself, skip. You might trip
on your own mentality.
WILLIE
What... What the fuck does that
mean!?
THE GRACE
It means whatever the hell you want
it to mean and you better believe
that this is exactly how "The Big
One" likes to speak... Always in
riddles. I guess it just rubbed
off on me.
WILLIE
So, what...?
THE GRACE
Name's The Grace.
The angel extends his hand to shake, which Willie excepts.
WILLIE
Charmed.
The Grace goes back to eating the left over chicken.
WILLIE
(cont'd.)
So, what happens now?
THE GRACE
Well, Willie, after I'm done eating
this delectable bird, I'm going to
show you what it's all about.
WILLIE
Oh?
THE GRACE
From the looks of this place,
you've seen better days. I think
that it only makes sense that I
stick around for a little while.
You know, to shoot the shit, kill
some birds.
WILLIE
I... what?
THE GRACE
You need help. I'm your guardian
angel. Come on, ask me something!
WILLIE
Um...
THE GRACE
C'mon!
WILLIE
Alright. I'll ask the easy one:
why are we here?
THE GRACE
Ah, excellent choice. A cliche,
yes, but still an important little
riddle nonetheless. Well, here's
hour answer.
The Grace opens his mouth to answer-
CUT TO:
I/E. - BLANK WALL, DAY
In front of a blank, white-colored wall, two lawn chairs sit.
Enter two men, COUNT LUSCIOUS and GRIM, who each take a seat.
LUSCIOUS
You summoned us?
God's voice booms into the picture:
GOD (V.O.)
Luscious, Grim, we've got to find
that renegade angel! The Grace is
running amok, and I can't find him!
Beat.
GOD (V.O.)
(cont'd.)
Say...
Did you ever wonder what exactly a
muck is? I bet it's like a
marathon only cooler. I can't run
a marathon. No endurance, you see.
I'm a speed walker myself-
GRIM
But why-
LUSCIOUS
(louder)
But why us?
GOD (V.O.)
Those damned Unions are ruining all
of my chances of finding good
workers these days. I need a
couple of guys who don't mind goin'
about business all for the sweet,
sweet sum of minimum wage.
LUSCIOUS
And the forgiveness? That too,
correct?
GOD (V.O.)
Yeah, sure... Whatever. Say, did
ya ever try that peanut butter in a
tube? Wish I had thought of that!
Peanut butter... whenever you want
it! Wish I had thought of that!
Brilliant! Ya know...
Luscious and Grim rise from their seats and walk away from
the still talking blank wall.
GRIM
Sir... this is our chance!
LUSCIOUS
Our only chance, Grim. So we
better not fuck it up. And by
"we," I of course mean you, you
horse-fucking, shit eater.
CUT TO:
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, DAY
We come back into the kitchen table conversation...
THE GRACE
...and that of course is where
hippos come into play.
WILLIE
(nonchalantly, uncaring)
Uh-huh.
THE GRACE
Questions? Comments?
WILLIE
Here's what I see: basically, if
God is in fact not dead, then he
has completely stopped caring. My
girlfriend of ten years has left
me, my friends have all gone to
school, my rent's due, but I lack a
job, and now some angel has just
sort of waltzed into the picture
and started eating all of my
delicious Popeye's chicken.
THE GRACE
Perhaps-
Willie ignores the angel's retort.
WILLIE
And, and... and since when to
supposed Utopians have people
flying planes into buildings and
bombs strapped to their chests? At
what point, The Grace... at what
point does any of this come into
play in the grand scheme of things?
THE GRACE
I'm sure you have a point, but I
think I am failing to see it.
WILLIE
You want the point? Here's a
point, jack!
(he rises from his seat)
Either show me a fucking miracle or
get the fuck out my house!
Beat.
The Grace sits forward and takes a specifically non-sensible
bite from a chicken leg.
Willie just looks pissed.
Throwing the chair to the floor, Willie exits the kitchen and
exits the house.
The Grace seems not to notice or just not care. He looks up
from the chicken leg and into the box which held the noose.
He spots a bag of Skittles candy.
THE GRACE
Ooh, Skittles!
CUT TO:
I/E. - MONTAGE, THE GRACE SEARCHING FOR WILLIE
Soundless, set to Jon Brion's Knock Yourself Out.
Willie walks the street of the suburban neighborhood, looking
all around him.
He walks past nice, homey houses and sees happy images of
birds and squirrels.
He is alone.
He turns around and then back again, coming face to face with
The Grace.
He gasps and runs away hurriedly from the angel.
CUT TO:
I/E. - MONTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
Now, we are at a warehouse setting.
Willie looks all around himself, seeing nothing.
He shouts, mouthing out:
"Where are you!?"
He backs up, walking right into The Grace's chest, whom
mouths a whispered:
"Here."
Willie gasps and turns away from the The Grace.
He runs.
CUT TO:
I/E. - MONTAGE -- CONTINUOUS
Willie speed-walks across a street. Cars and drivers honks
and yell as he passes.
He still looks all around him, seeing nothing.
He comes to the nearest street corner and takes a breather.
He bends forward, placing his hands on his knees.
Rising back up, he realizes The Grace is standing right
behind him.
Willie turns around, facing the angel. He points and shouts
angrily, mouthing:
"FUCK OFF! JUST FUCK OFF!"
The Grace barely reacts. Willie runs away.
CUT TO:
EXT. - SUBURBAN HOME, DAY
We finally come to the front of a small, peaceful suburban
household.
Out front of the home sits a small stand, manned by a lone
Mexican child of only twelve years old.
A sign made out of a discarded pizza box reads:
TACOS .25
Willie enters the scene, looking all around him.
He comes to the make-shift taco stand, bumping into the
corner of the table.
WILLIE
Oh, sorry.
The Mexican boy says nothing.
WILLIE
(cont'd.)
I-
Willie looks down and sees a shiny new quarter staring back
at him.
He bends down and picks up the change.
WILLIE
(cont'd.)
Let me get one.
The child nods and gets to work.
He lays down a tortilla shell and begins to add various
ingredients from miscellaneous bottles.
Each one is labeled:
CHAOS
DESTRUCTION
HAPPINESS
PEACE
HARMONY
HATE
GREED
The taco is finished, wrapped in paper, and handed to Willie
who gives the boy the quarter.
Willie nods at the child and unwraps the taco, taking a large
bite...
...only to find a small piece of paper now occupies his
mouth. He spits it into his hands, dropping the remainder of
the taco onto the ground.
It reads:
EVEN A CARTOON CHARACTER CAN BE TRUSTED SOMETIMES...
Willie is immediately reminded of The Grace's words:
THE GRACE (V.O.)
Am I Bugs-Nigga-Bunny here?
The angel's voice echoes away.
Willie looks up at the boy who stares straight ahead at
nothing in particular whatsoever.
A hand is placed on Willie's shoulder. It belongs to The
Grace.
Willie drops the wrapper and turns around to face the angel.
The taco stand has mysteriously disappeared.
WILLIE
I-
THE GRACE
Yeah, yeah, you found the meaning.
Can we please go back inside now?
Please?
Willie walks away with The Grace right behind him. The angel
looks all around himself suspiciously.
CUT TO:
EXT. - NICE HOUSE, NIGHT
NAR. (V.O.)
Meanwhile, at some asshole's
house...
INT. - NICE HOUSE, DAY
We are formerly introduced to Count Luscious as he clutches a
glass of brandy.
Behind him, his loyal assistant, Grim, walks up a flight of
stairs and stands behind his boss.
Luscious looks out a large window.
GRIM
Count Luscious, we have word that
they've finally come across the
renegade. He's hiding out with a
human, sire.
Luscious keeps his glare steady.
LUSCIOUS
A name?
GRIM
Uh... He appears only to go by the
name "Willie," sir.
LUSCIOUS
Bring this "The Willie" to me.
GRIM
Um, sir? There was no "the," just-
LUSCIOUS
Bring him!
Luscious rises from his chair, walks casually over to Grim,
and smacks him across the face, again and again.
And again and again.
GRIM
Of... Of course, sire.
Grim exits. Luscious turns back towards the window.
The smallest evidence of a smile creeps across his face.
He exits the room, through a book case which is actually a
hidden compartment.
CUT TO:
SCENE 5
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, NIGHT
Willie and The Grace stand in front of each other in the
middle of the living room.
WILLIE
You said you would explain things.
We've been standing here for six
hours.
THE GRACE
Well, here's the deal...
Beat.
The Grace does nothing.
WILLIE
Feel free to start whenever.
THE GRACE
And that's exactly it.
WILLIE
Nothing? You're speaking in
riddles again.
THE GRACE
Look, I'm not going to just sit
here and bull shit you, alright?
Any ass clown can stand up and
start questioning the meaning of
life. And, you know what, that
same ass clown might just figure it
out. But what you have to realize
that sometimes it's what you don't
do in life that makes up who you
are.
WILLIE
So you're saying that it's not
what's happened to me this week...
But what hasn't happened?
THE GRACE
Um... yeah, sure, why not?
WILLIE
(smiling)
I think... I think I get it.
THE GRACE
Exactly. Well, that and what's
inside my cloak.
WILLIE
Huh?
In a flash, The Grace raises his cloak. The vibrant white
color immediately attracts all of Willie's attention.
He focuses in on the cloak until it just becomes a white
void, which slowly turns into...
I/E. - OUTER SPACE
Within the confines of space, we are treated to a montage of
images and sounds from the episode, culminating to...
...God, seen as a flash of brilliant light.
GOD (V.O.)
All is as it should be.
FADE TO:
INT. - WILLIE'S HOUSE, NIGHT
The Grace stands tall within the house, his cloak stretched
out right.
Willie stands before the angel, a look of complete awe
transplanted onto his face.
WILLIE
God, angel... I am so sorry...
THE GRACE
The name's Grace. And you don't
have to be sorry for not believing
in me.
WILLIE
No, The Grace. I'm sorry I called
the cops.
From outside of the home, police sirens are heard.
The Grace slaps both sides of his face with his hands and
screams.
CUT TO:
I/E. - NEXT WEEK
NAR. (V.O.)
Next week, on The Willie and The
Grace...
CUT TO:
EXT. - LAKE
A beaten The Grace lies before the lake's shore, looking up
at Willie, whom stands before him.
Willie cries.
WILLIE
(sobbing)
You where the chosen one! You
where supposed to destroy the Sith,
not join them! You where to bring
balance to the force, not leave it
in darkness! You where my brother,
The Grace... I loved you!
THE GRACE
I... Hate... You!
CUT TO:
END.
Return to Simply Scripts