Great Scene: “Parenthood”

Riffing off a recent discussion here about the importance of giving a script a great opening, I was reminded of one of my favorite beginning scenes — from the wonderful comedy Parenthood (1989). While the movie follows multiple characters, the Protagonist is Gil (Steve Martin). And his character’s central theme is about what it means to be a good father. Check out this opening sequence and see how the screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel manage to set that theme into motion in a delightfully inventive way:

EXT. BASEBALL STADIUM — DAY (1960)

WE OPEN on a TIGHT SHOT of Mickey Mantle (or Willie Mays, but someone 
clearly identified with baseball twenty-five years ago). He swings and 
hits a home run.

ANGLE ON BOX SEATS

A man in his thirties (FRANK) and his nine year old boy (GIL) enter 
their section looking for their seats. An usher (STAN), approaches and 
examines their tickets helpfully. Stan is skinny. He wears a furry 
mitten on one hand, which is used to wipe seats. He performs this 
service for Frank and Gil, who sit down. Gil looks around EAGERLY.

GIL
We missed four innings.

FRANK
I told you I had to stop off and
do some business.
(calls to Stan)
Hey, you. Muscles.

Stan approaches. Frank STEPS OUT into the aisle, and he and Stan 
converse in WHISPERS for a few seconds. Stan NODS and Frank gives him 
money. Frank returns to Gil.

FRANK
Gil, this is Stan. He’s gonna
watch you for awhile. I have some
friends I’m meeting. I’ll meet
you back here by the ninth inning.
Have fun.

Frank leaves. Gil accepts all this passively. Stan sits in the aisle 
next to him.

STAN
So, Gilly, big baseball fan?

GIL
Kinda’.

STAN
Your Dad bring you here a lot?

GIL
Once a year on my birthday. Then
he pays an usher to watch me.

STAN
(sympathetic)
Oh, I see.

GIL
You have to understand. My father,
in his own childhood, was without
a positive male influence.

STAN
Huh?

GIL
His own father kicked him out when
he was only fifteen. So my Dad was
taught to see child-raising as
a job, a burden. A set of
restrictions rather than
opportunities. A prison rather
than a playground. Do you
understand what I’m saying?

Stan is STUNNED and AMAZED.

STAN
You don’t talk like a kid.

GIL
Well, I’m not really a kid.

STAN
You’re not a duck.

GIL
This is a memory of when I was
a kid. I’m thirty-five now. I
have kids of my own. In fact,
you don’t really even exist.
You’re an amalgam.

STAN
A what?

GIL
A combination of several ushers
my Dad left me with over the years.
I’ve combined them into one memory.

STAN
Why?

GIL
(getting excited)
Stan, this was a great symbolic
moment in my life — my father
dumping me with you. It’s part of
why I spent so much of my childhood
with such a shaky sense of self-worth –
so little self-esteem. It’s why I
swore it would be different with my
kids.
(calmer)
I want to help them feel good
about themselves — feel strong, feel
happy. That’s all. That’s my
dream. Strong, happy confident
kids.

STAN
It’s a nice dream.

GIL
Well, it’s like my grandmother
says. What you put into something,
that’s what you get out.

STAN
(nods)
Mm… So that’s great… You’ve
got a lovely family… and I’m
a fucking amalgam.

KAREN (O.C.)
Gil

STAN
Who’s that?

GIL
That’s my wife.

STAN
Nice.

ANGLE ON LITTLE GIL, KAREN AND THEIR THREE KIDS — DAY

KEVIN is nine. Taylor (a girl) is seven. JUSTIN (a boy) is three.

KAREN
(to Little Gil)
Gil?

GIL
Yeah?

ANGLE ON KAREN

KAREN
The game’s over, honey.

ANGLE ON GIL

Only now it’s grown-up Gil.

GIL
Oh.
(he looks around)
Let’s go.

Karen and the kids get up.

GIL
Taylor, that hot dog was dinner,
honey, not a souvenir.

Gil takes it and tosses it away.

There is no video of the opening, but here is the scene directly following as Gil drives his family home from the baseball stadium:

Parenthood is one terrific movie and gets off to an imaginative start with this opening.

[Originally posted June 12, 2009]