THE BLIND by SIDE John Lee Hancock Based on the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis Alcon Film Fund, Lic 10390 Santa Monica Boulevard, suite 250 Los Angeles, CA 90025 White Draft Blue Draft Pink Draft Yellow Draft Green Revision 02/25/09 ~ 03/17/09 = 03/27/09 04/15/09 04/28/09OVER BLACK. A distinctly SOUTHERN VOICE... LEIGH ANNE’S VOICE There’s a moment of orderly silence before a football play begins. Players are in position, linemen are frozen, and anything’s possible. Then, like a traffic accident, stuff begins to randomly collide.’ From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bone is closer to four seconds than five. EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD/GAME FOOTAGE ~ NIGHT We're watching footage of the 1985 Redskins/Giants Monday Night Football game. Lots of angles, faces, knuckles as the two teams line up, Redskins on offense, for the snap of the ball. As the play begins -~ LEIGH ANNE‘S VOICE One Mississippi. Joe Theismann, the Redskins quarterback, takes the snap and hands off to his running back. JOE THEISMANN hands off to JOHN RIGGINS, who takes two steps forward, then turns and tosses the ball back to Theismann. ‘The footage PAUSES AND PLAYS like a coach breaking down film. LEIGH ANNE'S VOICE (CONT'D) Two Mississippi. It’s a trick play, a flea flicker, and the running back tosses the ball back to the quarterback. HARRY CARSON, the Giants linebacker sees that Theismann has ‘the ball back and races toward him. Theismann steps up and to the side and Carson flies past. LEIGH ANNE’S VOICE (CONT'D) Three Mississippi. Up to now the play’s been defined by what the quarterback sees. It’s about to be defined by what he doesn’t. LAWRENCE TAYLOR carves a wide circle around the Redskins lineman trying to block him. (CONTINUED)The Blind Side - Yellow Draft - 04/15/09 2 CONTINUED? The blocker dives frantically at Taylor‘s ankles, and misses. waylor leaps, arms raised, filling the sky behind Theismann. The image FREEZES. LEIGH ANNES VOICE (CONT'D) Four Mississippi. Lawrence Taylor is the best defensive player in the NEL and has been from the time he stepped onto the field as a rookie. The frozen image of Taylor comes to life as he jackknifes ‘Theismann‘s body. PLAYERS’ FACES react to what they’re seeing. Devastating. TAYLOR pops up from the pile and jumps around like a madman. LEIGH ANNE’S VOICE (CONT'D) He will also change the game of football as we know it. WE ARE WATCHING the MNF feed and hear the ANNOUNCERS VOICES. FRANK GIFFORD (V-0.) Again, we'll look at it with the reverse angle one more time. and I suggest if your stomach is weak you just don’t watch. LEIGH ANNE'S VOICE Joe Theiseman never played another down of football. TEAM PHOTO OF THE 2005 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS LEIGH ANNE’S VOICE Now, y'all would guess that more often than not the highest paid player on an NFL team is the quarterback. The camera finds MATT HASSELBECK, Seattle’s quarterback. LEIGH ANNE’S VOICE (CONT'D) And you'd be right. What you probably don‘t know is that more often than not the second highest paid player is, thanks to Lawrence Taylor, a left tackle. The camera goes to WALTER JONES, Seattle's left tackle. (CONTINUED)