This screenplay was inspired by an incredible story I learned of when conducting research into my family’s history which involved the ownership and rights to the most valuable land in America– Wall Street.  While this particular scene doesn’t refer to the inheritance in the story, it is one of the more entertaining.  If you’d like to learn more about the family legend, you can read the related article I wrote here.  

 

EXT. MURPHY FARM – MORNING

Charles stops his truck in front of the Murphy’s ramshackle
house, gets out, and stands next to the bed of the pickup.

Jarvis and Malcolm walk over.

MALCOLM MURPHY
Whatcha got there, Charlie?

CHARLES
I got somethin’ that’s gonna keep
us in business.

JARVIS MURPHY
Oh yeah? What’s that?

Charles lifts a tarp, revealing several crates of milk
bottles.

MALCOLM MURPHY
Those are milk bottles, Charlie.

CHARLES
Very observant, Malcolm.

Charles takes a bottle of milk from a crate.

JARVIS MURPHY
I don’t see how milk is gonna keep
us in business.

CHARLES
Behold!

He removes the lid from the bottle and holds it upside down.
Nothing happens.

JARVIS MURPHY
Hey! How come it ain’t spillin’
out? I think that milk done
turned.

CHARLES
Look inside.

Charles shows them the inside of the bottle. It’s EMPTY–
and the outside is PAINTED WHITE.

MALCOLM MURPHY
Oh! I get it! We’re gonna put the
whiskey in there!

CHARLES
(smiling smugly)
You always were the smart one,
Malcolm.

He reaches back into the wagon and pulls out MILKMAN
UNIFORMS.

CHARLES (CONT’D)
As far as this new revenuer will
know, we’re all milkmen.

Malcolm SLAPS him on the back.

MALCOLM MURPHY
You’re a genius, Charlie! Whatever
gave you such a good idea?

CHARLES
Beetle and his amphorae.

MALCOLM MURPHY
Beetle and his what?

JARVIS MURPHY
(grinning)
Beetle and his big mouth. Least
it’s good for somethin’.

INT. MURPHY FARM – GRANNY’S ROOM – DAY

The three men are all dressed in their milkman uniforms,
staring down at GRANNY MURPHY who’s SNORING peacefully in her
bed.

JARVIS MURPHY
(whispering loudly)
Should we wake her?

MALCOLM MURPHY
(whispering back)
Naw. Let her sleep.

Malcolm walks over to one side of the bed and nods to
Charles.

MALCOLM MURPHY (CONT’D)
(whispering)
You take that side.

Charles moves to the other side and together they lift it,
moving Granny, bed and all, across the room, revealing a TRAP
DOOR in the floor.

Jarvis tugs on a ring, swinging the door open, and the men
begin descending the ladder to the room below.

INT. MURPHY FARM – BASEMENT DISTILLERY – MOMENTS LATER

Charles stares in awe at a copper still, chimney leading
through the floor above.

CHARLES
If only people knew that the best
moonshine in Kentucky was made in
this here basement right under your
granny’s bedroom.

JARVIS MURPHY
The heck with that, Charlie. If
only Granny knew!