Based on a true story by Carrol Mendelsohn

Mirror Mirror

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Judy is reading, but the voices from the study get louder and louder.

                        DAVID (V.O.)
            You didn’t try last time! Why should I believe 

                            you’ll try now?

Judy gets up and hesitantly heads toward the study.

                        DANNY (V.O.)
            I’ve learned some stuff since then.

                        DAVID (V.O.)
            Oh really, what have you learned?

                        DANNY (V.O.)
            Dad, I just want to try. Why can’t you let 

              me try? I know I was wrong, but I don’t want 

              to end up in some blue collar job. I’m better now!

David’s voice gets deceptively soft.

                                                            CUT TO:
INT. STUDY - NIGHT

                          DAVID
            Are you?
He gets up and walks around before turning to face Danny.

                        DAVID (cont’d)
            I see you want to enter our school, Mr. 

              Forman. Is that correct?

                        DANNY
            Yes sir.

                        DAVID
            We have transcripts from all your other schools. 

              Do you know what they say?

                        DANNY
            Pretty much.

                        DAVID
            That you were disruptive. That you got in fights. 

              That you damaged school property.

                        DANNY
            Yeah but I’m okay now.

                        DAVID
            We have a copy of the police report. It says 

              that you stole a car and ran it into ten 

              parked vehicles. Why did you do that, Mr. Forman?

                        DANNY
            I was...upset....I...I lost my temper. It was 

              a long time ago!

                        DAVID
            You were upset. Actually you were completely 

              out of control, weren’t you Mr. Forman?

                        DANNY
            But I’m in control now.

                        DAVID
            But how can we be sure of that? We have 

              a responsibility to our students, to their 

              parents. What will we tell them if you 

              become...upset again? What will we tell 

              them if you...

Danny flies out of his seat in a rage, throwing David against the wall and circling his neck with his hands.

                        DANNY
            Why? Why do you hate me?!

David tries to pry the fingers loose to no avail. Danny makes animal grunting sounds as he squeezes. Judy bursts into the room and tries to pull Danny off David.
                        JUDY
            Danny! No! Stop it! Stop it!

Danny lets go of David and strikes out at her, stopping just before he hits her. A terrible look of anguish comes over his face and he runs from the room. Judy and David rush out after him.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Danny runs past Nettie, who has come downstairs, and stops dead in front of the darkened mirrors created by the wall of glass doors. Then, screaming with rage, he picks up a chair and hammers it into his reflection in the glass. The door shatters.

                        JUDY AND DAVID
            Stop! Danny! Don’t!

But Danny has just begun. Furiously, he moves down the line of reflections and breaks each one.

                        DAVID
            Call the police!

Judy pulls ineffectually at Danny’s shirt, trying to stop him and David pulls at her, trying to keep her safe.

                        JUDY
            Danny! Danny!

The wall of glass is shattered. Danny stands panting amid the wreckage. He looks at his mother, grief and horror written in his eyes. He runs out into the darkness.

                        DAVID
            I’m calling the police, Judy. He’s dangerous! 

Crying, she grabs his hands as he tries to dial.

                        JUDY
            No! No! Don’t David! 

                        DAVID
            He’s driving a car! He’ll hurt someone!

                        JUDY
            No. Please David. Don’t.

She collapses in tears on the floor. Nettie cries as she watches Danny run into the night.