Women, Sport, and Film - Fall 2005
Student Papers
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She answers the phone, "Hello?"

Her mom on the other end of the line calls out, "BUNIKA?! Is that you?!" yelling into the phone, as she always does on international calls.

Bunny sighs, "Yes mum, it's me. You don't have to yell, I can hear you just fine."

"Bunika, how is New York City? Your father worries about you, how is your job at the music store? Have you found a decent man yet? When are you coming home? Have you stopped playing that stupid football game?" her mother shouts questions at her.

"Mum, everything is fine, my job is fine, no I haven't a boyfriend right now, I don't know when I'm coming back. Mum, I have to get going, I'm late for er...meeting a friend," Bunny sighs, purposely ignoring the last question. "Yes, Mum, I'll give you a ring later. Yes, tell Da I love him. I love you too, okay, bye."

Bunny hates lying to her parents, but what's a working girl to do? She grabs her purse, gives a final look in the mirror and heads out to work the streets for another night in New York City. She saunters out onto the street at night, swaying her hips in her tight red miniskirt and black halter crop top. She walks out to her regular street corner and strikes a pose with her hip jutting out. Bunny calls out to cars as they pass, waving at them and smiling seductively.

A car pulls over, and Bunny struts over, leaning down into the car's window and negotiating a price for her body. She gets in the car with the man, and goes off to his place to turn her first trick of the night. It's dangerous being a prostitute on the streets of New York without a pimp, but she's had enough of giving all her money to drug dealers who claim to be able protect her. She's a self-sufficient girl and can take care of herself.

Bunny is back an hour later and a condom lighter on her street corner, calling to cars again. She waves to yet another car that keeps driving when she hears some yelling coming from a familiar back alley. Bunny pauses in her advertising, and cocks her head to hear the sounds. She hears the familiar 'thump' sound of a soccer ball hitting the trash cans used for goals, and she can't help herself. She knows she needs to make another $200 tonight to pay rent, but she's drawn the sounds of people playing soccer.

Bunny walks down the street a bit and peeks down the familiar alley. She sees a familiar crowd of people there, her sometime friends, these men who play pickup games of soccer in this alley. She hesitantly moves into the alley, unable to resist the temptation of playing soccer. The men look at her, knowing she can play, but still reluctant because she's female. They are short a man tonight, so they give in and ask her to play. Bunny grins and nods, putting down her purse and getting ready to play.

As Bunny prepares to join the game, a professional women's soccer scout groans in the backseat of his limo. His limo driver is new and has gotten lost in the random streets of New York. The limo moves slowly as the driver reads the signs on the streets. The scout, Joe Richard, rubs his temples with his hands. He sighs, and looks out the window to his left. Running towards the goal in her stiletto boots is a tough feat, but Bunny is a tough cookie, and she kicks the ball into the goal around the goalie, scoring for her team. The men on her team cheer for her, celebrating. Joe Richard gapes out his window at the prostitute who just scored an incredible goal. He yells to his driver to stop and back up.

Joe Richard exits his limo, not waiting for the chauffeur to come around and open his door for him, walking towards Bunny purposefully. She is still caught up in the excitement of scoring (in her stiletto boots, no less) and doesn't notice Joe until he is almost upon her. At first, she's uncertain why he has approached her, and assumes it must be for the reason that most men approach her. So she looks up at him seductively, and says "Hi baby, want some company tonight?"

Joe ignores her offer, and says "How did you learn how to score that goal?"

Startled by his approach, Bunny blurts out, "Umm...I don't know, I just love playing, and I learned through experience, I guess."

Joe looks at her intensely and says "I'm a professional women's soccer scout, and I think you have potential. You made that goal in high heels!"

Bunny raises an eyebrow and says, "You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not that stupid; that line might work on other girls, but you're not getting a freebie from me," as she turns away from Joe back to the soccer game at hand.

Joe grabs her arm as she turns away, and says, "I'm serious. I'd really like to see you at tryouts. They're this Monday at 3pm. Here's my card, give me a call if you're interested. You're really good. You have a chance at turning pro if you put in the work." He hands her his business card and walks back to his limo.

Bunny gapes at his retreating back, then gapes at his business card. She calls out, "Wait..." to his back, and Joe pauses at his limo. "Are you just pulling my leg, or is this for real?" she asks.

Joe smiles and says, "This is for real. Come with me now if you want a real chance at playing professional soccer." He steps into his limo and leaves the door open behind him.

Bunny pauses and glances at the men around her who are wearing expressions varying from complete disbelief to complete shock. One of them grabs her arm and says, "Bunny...that's JOE RICHARD...he's the top professional women's soccer scout in the country!!!"

Hearing those words, Bunny starts walking towards the limo and climbs in next to Joe. "So what do I have to do?" she asks as the limo pulls away.

Ten months later, Bunny is no longer walking the streets of New York City as a prostitute, but as a soccer player on her way up the ranks. She and Joe Richard have fallen in love, and he's helping her in her career. Unfortunately, just when Bunny thinks everything is going fine, the phone rings.

"BUNIKA!!! What is this I saw in the newspaper about you playing football?!?! This is unacceptable, you must come home immediately!!! We allowed you to go to America to find a nice Indian husband and settle down. You cannot be running around in shorts and playing a man's game!!!" her mother screams at her over the phone.

Uh-oh, thinks Bunny, as she waits for her mother's tirade to end. Bunny's problems have started again. She must now convince her parents that she can play soccer in America as a legitimate career and still find a husband.

Finally, at the end of the movie, her parents come around and accept her soccer-playing lifestyle, and Joe Richard has rescued her from a lifetime of prostitution. Bunny and Joe live happily ever after.

The End.


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