For

Their

Entertainment
Characters

Reverend Goodwin
He is the head of In His Image Revival Center and the most important figurehead in New
Eeden. He becomes the target of both the Vagrant and Mr. Forbes.
Mr. Forbes
CEO of Golgotha Entertainment, an international multi-media production company that
wants to help the reverend further his ministry. Although he seems sincere, Forbes
true intentions are clandestine.
The Vagrant
A strange and unlikely drifter is arrested for breaking into the reverends church. After
he gets out of jail, he pops up every now and then to listen to Rosario play her
saxophone and he leads a group of homeless people around town.
Rosario Goodwin
She is the daughter of the Good Reverend Doctor and an aspiring musician. The Vagrant
and the other homeless people in town take a liking to her for her ability to play
soothing tunes with her tenor saxophone.
Jonah Goodwin
Son of the reverend and brother of Rosario whose profession is not much different from
his fathers.
Alba
She is the assistant to Mr. Forbes and an anagram to something much worse.

FOR THEIR ENTERTAINMENT

by
Michael Worthy

micworthy25@gmail.com
michaelworthy25.site88.net

EXT. NEW EEDEN COURTHOUSE - FRONT ENTRANCE - DAY

Reverend Doctor NICK GOODWIN walks down the steps. He's a
conservative well into his 50s and has some gray hair over
his ears. His hairline is slightly receding, but still has
his alluring young stud look.
Behind the Good Reverend Doctor is Public Defender JASPER
JONES. Jasper is a slender, clean-shaven fellow who is a
bit too care-free and has a snap to his wrists.
JASPER
So Rev. What do you think of the
drifter?
GOODWIN
It's not the drifter that concerns
me. It's folks like these
Empowerment Program thieves who
buy up our land and put up strip
malls to distract people from the
Lord.
JASPER
What's wrong, Rev? Scared of a
little competition? They make
money just like you.
GOODWIN
They make a profit at the cost of
people's souls.
JASPER
If it's such a crime, why not
take it to the cops?
GOODWIN
Don't patronize me. Cops don't
care anyway, unless it's there
kid out there in the street
wasting away.
Reverend Goodwin looks to his left. Further down the
sidewalk are HOMELESS PEOPLE. They are standing there facing
the building like a group of protesters.
GOODWIN
Look at this: vagrants every where.
The cops need to arrest these
bums as well as those snakes up
town who steal money from indigents.

2.
JASPER
That sounds like a pitch for a
reality TV show.
Reverend Goodwin stops at the bottom of the steps.
GOODWIN
Real life is enough drama.
Yes.

JASPER
And somebody has to tape it.

GOODWIN
Excuse me Counselor, but God sees
everything.
JASPER
Yeah. Even the man upstairs has
digital cable.
Reverend Goodwin looks up and sees CLOUDS BLANKETING THE SUN;
a slight breeze blows his suit and dress pants as he turns
his attention to a white limousine pulling up.
Out steps well-to-do, mid-aged fellow in black shoes, a white
business suit, wearing flashy silver sunglasses and talking
on his cellular flip phone.
Goodwin balls his fists and bites his bottom lip. The man
comes up the court house steps followed by an entourage.
JASPER
Here comes trouble.
The man in white closes his cell phone and puts it away
inside of his suit pocket.
JASPER
(hands out)
Reverend Goodwin, I'd like you to
meet Louis M. Forbes. Big time
television and movie producer and
head of international conglomerate
Golgotha Entertainment.
Forbes holds out his hand. The good reverend just stands
there with his hands in fists, thumbs rubbing the outer part
of his index fingers.
FORBES
I see.
(lowers hand)
Not much a shaker.

3.
GOODWIN
I shake the souls of sinners, not
hands with slimly movie producers.
When I speak, the wicked panic.
FORBES
Come now, Reverend. Shaking
creates panic...and two words you
don't want in the same sentence
is "people" and "panic". I,
however, do not shake souls. I
liberate them. They are allowed
to be free with expressions, not
what some religious institution
tells them what they should be.
Reverend Goodwin relaxes his hands.
GOODWIN
I've heard of you.
JASPER
Yes! You have. He's here in our
city to make a movie. He just
has to get his shooting permits.
What do ya say, man? Don't I
look like I can play a Navy SEAL
or an undercover cop? Can I get
a role where I-Forbes shows Jasper his hand; Jasper stands mute.
GOODWIN
(asks Jasper)
How do you know this guy?
FORBES
Everybody knows me. They all
flock to me when they need
something from me. Movie rolls?
They get it. Modeling career?
Bam! I lay it down. They ask,
my company gives. To each his
reach. Can you dig it, Rev?
FORBES
Nobody here asked you for anything.
GOODWIN
I know what kind of movies you
make, Mr. Forbes.
Please.

FORBES
Call me Louis.

4.
GOODWIN
And we don't want that kind of
garbage in our town.
FORBES
Well I'm sorry to disappoint you,
Reverend. But your city officials
call me here. Think of me more
like...a garbage man. I get rid
of the unpleasant things and
replace them with what the heart
desires.
GOODWIN
So you think you can just throw
money at people's problems and
that makes everything okay? Nice
hustle. But that doesn't get you
blessed.
FORBES
That depends on the cost of the
blessing.
Forbes lets his hand down.

Jasper gasps for air.

JASPER
I'm sorry, Mister Forbes. The
good reverend just had a run in
with a drifter.
FORBES
(brows rises)
Is that so?
It is so.

GOODWIN

FORBES
We spoke on this before, Reverend.
Have you considered my offer?
GOODWIN
Listen, Forbes. I don't like you.
I don't like the movies you make
or the music you produce, but
I've heard that you are an astute
businessman. I don't like the
fact that my grounds keeper
sometimes forgets to lock the
church doors, but I still keep
him around.

5.
FORBES
Because he is good at what he does.
GOODWIN
Despite a few formalities, he
does his job well.
FORBES
(adjusts tie)
That's why you have embraced my
offer.
GOODWIN
I'm considering your offer.
FORBES
Well then, what do you consider a
good time and place to meet?
GOODWIN
Tomorrow morning. My church,
seven PM sharp.
Sharp.

FORBES

The reverend walks off as Jasper continues up the steps with

Forbes.
FORBES
What crawled up his anointedness?
JASPER
Don't let the religious rap fool
you. He owes this town.
FORBES
This drifter...what does he look
like?
JASPER
He looks like a drifter, dirty
diner hopping drifter.
FORBES
Where was this drifter found again?
JASPER
He was squatting in the reverend's
church building. So Goodwin
called the cops and had the bum
arrested.

6.
FORBES
Where is this drifter now?
JASPER
County lock up. I tried to
represent him, but he said he'd
rather sit in jail.
FORBES
Of course. You're a terrible
public defender, Jasper.
Jasper laughs and nods.
JASPER
Do you play golf with the judge?
FORBES
I hate judges.
Same here.
because--

JASPER
And I only say that

FORBES
(abruptly)
You're a pedophile.
Jasper stares at Forbes.
JASPER
What did you say?
FORBES
You're also bisexual. You hide
it pretty well, but you can't
fool me.
Jasper busts out laughing and points at Forbes.
You got me.

JASPER
Guilty as charged.

FORBES
Does your wife know that you
molest children?
Jasper cuts the laughter.
You're sick.

JASPER

Forbes takes out his lighter and a cigarette.

7.
FORBES
Your son and his friends are going
to kill you in a few hours.
While Forbes lights up, Jasper moves away from him.
FORBES
Your boy remembers the little
games you used to play with him
as a child, he and his friends.
He's coming to murder you in cold
blood and he's going to get away
with it too. One less lawyer on
the planet, huh Jasper?
Jasper nods in unbelief and takes off down the steps.
points his finger like a pistol.
Gotcha.

Forbes

FORBES

Forbes turns to his female assistant, ALBA.

FORBES
Alba, I want the reverend for
this project.
Yes, sir.

ALBA

FORBES
Can you tell me why the preacher
didn't take the bum in?
ALBA
Because the bum wasn't a member
of his church?
FORBES
Very good, my dear. I see you
moving up in this world.
EXT. GOODWIN RESIDENCE - DAY
Reverend Goodwin pulls up in his two-story rancher and puts
his Lincoln Town Car in park. He gets out and walks toward
the front step.
He stops and looks at the church building to the right of
his home when he hears the wails of a tenor saxophone.

8.
EXT. IN HIS IMAGE REVIVAL CENTER - DAY
He follows the jazz sounds to the handicap ramp on the side
of the church building where he finds his daughter, 18 year
old ROSARIO.
Rosario was the product of mixed ethnicity; her father the
Good Reverend Doctor was of African decent and her mother
Esther was from Puerto Rico.
The reverend goes up the ramp and stands next to her
overlooking the field behind the church. Rosario fingertips
play with the flaps on the tone holes.
ROSARIO
I think I've made a hit.
GOODWIN
Keep your eyes on the Lord.
ROSARIO
I want to be the first gospel
jazz artist.
GOODWIN
I used to think I could marry
jazz music and gospel music, but
it doesn't work. The lukewarm
get spewed out of the kingdom.
Rosario detaches the black neck strap from the instrument.
ROSARIO
I'll be different.
GOODWIN
There is no difference.
Rosario unscrews the reed from the neck and sets the conical,
metal tube on the wide wooden railing.
ROSARIO
I won't be worldly, papi. I'll
be sold out to Christ the whole way.
Reverend Goodwin looks into his daughter's eyes.
GOODWIN
You just graduated high school.
Give yourself time to figure out
what you want to do.

9.
ROSARIO
I know what I want to do.
to be a jazz musician.

I want

GOODWIN
(huffs)
How many times do I have to tell
you? There is no such holiness
in Christian jazz. Or Christian
rock or Christian rap. It's all
worldly.
Rosario has already packed up her saxophone into the case
and is stomping down the ramp away from the church.
INT. IN HIS IMAGE REVIVAL CENTER - BACK ROOM - NIGHT
The Good Reverend Doctor, his deacons, the elders and members
of his staff are at a long 'last supper' like table eating
Chinese take out.
ELDER 1
Did you guys hear about that
lawyer, Jasper?
CHURCH SECRETARY
They found him shot to death in
his home tonight.
GOODWIN
I bet it was gang related.
Probably a client he rolled over
on. It was only a matter of time
before the thug caught up to him.
Goodwin tears the meat off of a spare rib with his teeth.
GOODWIN
So, how much did we make this month?
HEAD DEACON
Twenty-six thousand.
GOODWIN
(asks secretary)
Is that right?
Yes.

CHURCH SECRETARY

10.
HEAD DEACON
We need a way get more members
involved in the Mega Fest this
summer. Last year we did pretty
well.
2ND DEACON
I won't call over one hundred
thousand in ticket sales pretty
well. I'd call that a breakthrough.
CHURCH SECRETARY
Amen to that.
Goodwin wipes his hands and sits back in his chair with his
arms folded.
2ND DEACON
Something vexes you?
GOODWIN
That vagrant.
HEAD DEACON
Do you think he has an unclean
spirit?
GOODWIN
He's not normal at all. You
should have heard him in the
courtroom. This bum has an
encyclopedic knowledge unlike
anything I've ever heard before.
HEAD DEACON
It's most likely an act. He's
probably some rich sociopath or
an undercover scholar doing a
documentary on being poor.
GOODWIN
No way. He's a bum all right.
No job. No car. No money. He
doesn't even have any IDs. There
are no prior records on him. No
finger prints, nothing.
ELDER 1
Forget the vagrant. We need to
focus on Louis Forbes. We all
need to go down to city hall and
protest this picture he's making.

11.
GOODWIN
You should focus on staying awake
during worship. You can barely
keep your head up during service,
yet you want to lead a protest.
Church members chuckle.
ELDER 1
I've been a deacon since before
you were born. Before you became
a national minister and before
you headed this church, which I
think is too worldly anyhow. I've
seen preachers come and go, so
you need to listen to me and get
rid of that Forbes fellow. Let
the police handle the bums and
vagrants.
GOODWIN
Let me handle Forbes.
God's town.

This is